Round 1 of the 2015 Deepwoods Golf Association Championship took place at Copetown Woods Golf Club, as it has every year since I joined the group back in 2006. I shot a personal best for the course, with a final score of 84. My previous best on the links style layout was 89, back in 2010. I actually wasn't far from my personal best for any Deepwoods event – that was an 83 that I registered at Willow Valley in 2011. The important thing is that I collected the maximum 40 points available in the modified Stableford system. Starting the season well is critical. It allows some room for error in the upcoming Deepwoods events.
This round was much more than a good Deepwoods showing. It ranks right up there with some of my greatest rounds of all time. In fact, I've only scored lower on four occasions: 81 at Deer Creek South, 82 at Granite Ridge Cobalt, 83 at Carlisle North/East, and the aforementioned 83 at Willow Valley. I have a small collection of scorecards from my best rounds ever that also includes four scores of 85, which were tallied at: Lochness Links (now Hunters Pointe), Scenic Woods, Osprey Valley Heathlands, and Kleinburg Gold/White. The latest scorecard from Copetown Woods will definitely be joining the collection.
I actually began the round terribly, registering triple-bogey on the opening par-5. I pulled my drive toward the driveway, which usually results in a lost ball. I hit a provisional and it was a duplicate of the first attempt. Luckily, I found the first ball, but a bad lie in the fescue meant two strokes were required to get back to the fairway. From 100 yards, I pulled the approach a bit and went long, losing a ball in the hazard. After a drop, a chip and two putts, I recorded an ugly triple-bogey.
There was another blemish on the front nine – another triple-bogey on hole #8. I pulled a 6-iron off the tee into a forest of pine trees. I hit a provisional and did exactly the same thing. Again! Luckily, I found the first ball, but two punch shots were needed to get out of the trees. From 150 yards, I just missed the green, right. A hack out of the fescue and two putts completed the hole on this short par-4.
The remaining seven holes of the front nine were spectacular. I played them one under par, thanks to a pair of birdies, four pars and a bogey. I hit every fairway during that stretch, mostly using driver, but also the 5-wood when called for. Hole #3, for example, is a sharp dogleg to the right and it's easy to mess up with driver in hand. I only hit three of seven greens in regulation during this run, but my misses were to areas where I could get up and down. That's exactly what I did on holes #2, #3 and #4. Except for a fabulous pitch shot on hole #3, the other “ups” weren't that great. It was the “downs” that were amazing, as my putter was on fire. The putter stayed hot when I did reach greens in regulation, producing birdies on holes #5 and #9. The latter was especially satisfying, coming from a healthy distance.
My putting cooled off a bit on the back nine, or I would have been very close to a personal best. On hole #10, a lengthy par save looked like it was going to drop, but the putt just burned the edge. On #11, a slightly shorter bogey save lipped out. I was already walking it in as it looked so good. On hole #14, a breaking birdie attempt barely slid past the hole. Unfortunately, I also missed the comebacker, collecting my first 3-putt of the day. On hole #16, I made a terrible lag and a good second putt just missed. It was my second and last 3-putt of the day. I figure I should have had three less putts on the back nine, which would have been enough to tie my best ever score of 81.
My swing thoughts on the day were the same as they were over the last couple of rounds. On drives, I think about increasing my spine rotation just a bit on the backswing, instead of activating the arms. This shortens the backswing overall and helps approach the ball from the inside out. On irons, I think about keeping the left arm straight and finishing straight down the line or high. Right now, these thoughts seem to be helping. If I can consistently add some solid putting to the mix, maybe I can be in the 80s regularly.
Score: 84
Putts: 31
Fairways: 10
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
May 29, 2015
May 22, 2015
Mixed Bag at Hunters Pointe
I wanted to play once more before the Deepwoods season opener, so I booked an early afternoon round at Hunters Pointe Golf Course, in Welland. It was sunny, but cool, with a strong, steady wind throughout the day. On a links style course, wind is one of the major challenges. On this occasion, it tripped me up a few times.
Playing the back nine first, my driving was shaky. I pulled most of my drives left of target, often to the opposite fairway. There were a couple of exceptions, however. I hit a straight drive that found the fairway on hole #14, a par-5. I hit a baby cut on hole #18, but the wind carried it further right than desirable, bouncing off an embankment and into the lake. I was trying to replicate the move that seemed to help me in recent rounds – that is, to feel the point where my body naturally wants to stop rotating on the backswing and to extend further just a couple of degrees, instead of bringing the arms into play. I think I was extending the rotation just a bit too much. When that happens, it's easy to sweep across the ball, often catching the heel of the club.
Iron play on the back nine was mixed. I hit some bad ones on the opening hole, presumably because I hadn't gotten warmed up. I pulled one terribly off the tee on hole #12, a par-3. I pulled another on my approach to the 18th green, though there was little danger there. As I hinted at earlier, the wind is what tripped up some of my iron shots. On hole #14, a par-4, my third shot from 110 yards was straight into the wind. Judging it to be a 2-club wind, I opted for pitching wedge. I hit a crisp, straight shot, but it carried clear over the green, 30 yards past the flag and into a bunker. An almost certain par ended up as a triple-bogey, as I picked the ball clean out of the bunker sending it 50 yards across the other side of the green. On hole #17, a short par-4, I hit another seemingly great shot into the wind with the gap wedge. The ball sailed over the green and over a bunker into knee-high fescue. Two shots to hack the ball into the bunker and another that barely got out led to a score of 9 for the hole, my worst of the day.
Despite the negative outcomes with the irons, there were a few positive ones as well. I hit a beautiful 7-iron from the thick rough on hole #11 to nail the green and save par. I hit a solid 5-iron off the tee on hole #15, straight into the wind to find the green. With a pond looming right and in front, that was a good shot. I went on to 3-putt, despite a good lag from distance.
On the front nine, I had some work to do. My score was 55 at the turn, so I really needed to turn things around in order to salvage a respectable score. I tried to reduce the extra spine rotation on my drives and it helped slightly. I was still missing left, just not so far. The other thing I thought about was “finishing down the line.” If you think of a clock face with the target line pointing at 12 o'clock, I actually thought about finishing at 1 o'clock. This is because my tendency seems to be finishing at 11 o'clock – no good, as that is what leads either to pull shots or slices.
On hole #7, I got the drive just right. The last four holes run in a line toward the clubhouse and the wind was directly at our backs. This hole is a par-4, measuring 420 yards from the white tees, which we were playing. I picked my line and nailed it high and deep. I rode the wind and made use of the downhill landing zone. My ball travelled 320 yards, coming to rest in the fairway, right beside the 100-yard stick. Oh baby! From there, I bumped up an easy pitching wedge, rolling the ball near the flag at the front of the green. I missed a 10-foot birdie putt, but tapped in for par.
My irons performed well on the front nine too. Hole #2, a par-3, was playing 190 yards straight into a stiff wind. I hit a beautiful 3-iron low and on a string at the flag. I missed a 12-foot birdie putt, just burning the left edge of the hole. Still, I was happy with par. I had many more good iron shots on the front nine. My thought with the irons was once again to keep the left arm straight. This helps me hinge at the wrist better. It also helps the club bottom out at the right spot. It's satisfying when there are no topped balls or duffed shots that are hit fat.
Here's the best thing about this round: I went par, bogey, par, par, and bogey over the last four holes to salvage a score of 98. What a finish! This was my third 98 in a row and my handicap factor crept up to 20.4 as a result. I need to perform for a full round as I did over the last five holes at Hunters Pointe. If I do, I should easily score in the 80's on a regular basis. Why does it happen so rarely? That is the million dollar question.
Score: 98
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 6
Penalties: 5
Playing the back nine first, my driving was shaky. I pulled most of my drives left of target, often to the opposite fairway. There were a couple of exceptions, however. I hit a straight drive that found the fairway on hole #14, a par-5. I hit a baby cut on hole #18, but the wind carried it further right than desirable, bouncing off an embankment and into the lake. I was trying to replicate the move that seemed to help me in recent rounds – that is, to feel the point where my body naturally wants to stop rotating on the backswing and to extend further just a couple of degrees, instead of bringing the arms into play. I think I was extending the rotation just a bit too much. When that happens, it's easy to sweep across the ball, often catching the heel of the club.
Iron play on the back nine was mixed. I hit some bad ones on the opening hole, presumably because I hadn't gotten warmed up. I pulled one terribly off the tee on hole #12, a par-3. I pulled another on my approach to the 18th green, though there was little danger there. As I hinted at earlier, the wind is what tripped up some of my iron shots. On hole #14, a par-4, my third shot from 110 yards was straight into the wind. Judging it to be a 2-club wind, I opted for pitching wedge. I hit a crisp, straight shot, but it carried clear over the green, 30 yards past the flag and into a bunker. An almost certain par ended up as a triple-bogey, as I picked the ball clean out of the bunker sending it 50 yards across the other side of the green. On hole #17, a short par-4, I hit another seemingly great shot into the wind with the gap wedge. The ball sailed over the green and over a bunker into knee-high fescue. Two shots to hack the ball into the bunker and another that barely got out led to a score of 9 for the hole, my worst of the day.
Despite the negative outcomes with the irons, there were a few positive ones as well. I hit a beautiful 7-iron from the thick rough on hole #11 to nail the green and save par. I hit a solid 5-iron off the tee on hole #15, straight into the wind to find the green. With a pond looming right and in front, that was a good shot. I went on to 3-putt, despite a good lag from distance.
On the front nine, I had some work to do. My score was 55 at the turn, so I really needed to turn things around in order to salvage a respectable score. I tried to reduce the extra spine rotation on my drives and it helped slightly. I was still missing left, just not so far. The other thing I thought about was “finishing down the line.” If you think of a clock face with the target line pointing at 12 o'clock, I actually thought about finishing at 1 o'clock. This is because my tendency seems to be finishing at 11 o'clock – no good, as that is what leads either to pull shots or slices.
On hole #7, I got the drive just right. The last four holes run in a line toward the clubhouse and the wind was directly at our backs. This hole is a par-4, measuring 420 yards from the white tees, which we were playing. I picked my line and nailed it high and deep. I rode the wind and made use of the downhill landing zone. My ball travelled 320 yards, coming to rest in the fairway, right beside the 100-yard stick. Oh baby! From there, I bumped up an easy pitching wedge, rolling the ball near the flag at the front of the green. I missed a 10-foot birdie putt, but tapped in for par.
My irons performed well on the front nine too. Hole #2, a par-3, was playing 190 yards straight into a stiff wind. I hit a beautiful 3-iron low and on a string at the flag. I missed a 12-foot birdie putt, just burning the left edge of the hole. Still, I was happy with par. I had many more good iron shots on the front nine. My thought with the irons was once again to keep the left arm straight. This helps me hinge at the wrist better. It also helps the club bottom out at the right spot. It's satisfying when there are no topped balls or duffed shots that are hit fat.
Here's the best thing about this round: I went par, bogey, par, par, and bogey over the last four holes to salvage a score of 98. What a finish! This was my third 98 in a row and my handicap factor crept up to 20.4 as a result. I need to perform for a full round as I did over the last five holes at Hunters Pointe. If I do, I should easily score in the 80's on a regular basis. Why does it happen so rarely? That is the million dollar question.
Score: 98
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 6
Penalties: 5
May 18, 2015
Return to Mystic
My latest round was at Mystic Golf Club, in Ancaster. I had only played there once before, but that was nine years ago! I don't remember much from that outing, except that I got spanked big time and shot 119. I failed to navigate many forced carries and lost a lot of balls. Despite the terrible result, I carried a favourable impression of the golf course. For that reason, I was eager to go back and try my luck again.
This time was a very different experience. The fact of the matter is that I'm a very different golfer now than I was back then. In 2006, I was still a relatively new golfer, with few rounds under my belt. As inconsistent as I am today, I was much worse in those days. Topped balls and duffs were more common and I didn't hit the ball nearly as far as I do now. Ironically, however, I probably had a better short game. This time around, the course seemed much more manageable. The forced carries are still there, of course, but they were not the huge obstacle that I had remembered.
I had two primary thoughts for this round. On my drives, I felt the point where my body wants to stop rotating, then extended past that point just a fraction. When I do this, it seems that everything else falls into place. The swing seems to stay more on plane and I approach the ball more from the inside. The danger is extending too far past that point. If I do that, I'm more likely to hit the ball with the heel of the club or smother hook it with disastrous results. The second thought was to keep the left arm straight on my iron shots. This helps the club bottom out in the right place, leading to crisp contact.
There were moments of brilliance during this round. Alas, there were also mistakes. Even a slight error or two easily leads to inflated scores on certain holes. In the end, it was a fairly typical score of 98. I've had rounds where I shoot that score by playing mediocre golf from start to finish. On this occasion, it was a case of some great holes offset by some bad ones, typically involving an untimely penalty stroke.
One of the greatest holes was #2, a short par-4 that was playing 270 yards. A small pond protects the green front and left, while forest looms on the right for anybody contemplating a drive to the green. Feeling confident, I pulled driver and let rip with a nice, smooth swing. The ball sailed high and straight, landing softly on the green, flag-high, about 15 feet from the cup. Oh baby! My uphill eagle putt was two feet short, but I tapped in for birdie.
Another birdie came on hole #17, a 475-yard par-5. The tee shot was drive over a large pond to the fairway that wraps around the other side. The more of the pond that you carry, the shorter you'll have remaining to the green. I did not take the most aggressive line, but I smoked the ball high with a baby cut. I finished two yards off the other side of the fairway, 195 yards from the green. Had I finished on the fairway, I would have no hesitation going for the green. However, with my ball in the rough, I had some thinking to do. After judging that the lie was decent, I hit a beautiful, high 4-iron that finished just right of the green, flag-high. I chipped on and drained a 10-footer!
Not surprisingly, great shots led to great results. On hole #4, a par-5, my third shot from 130 yards away in the right rough sailed high and landed softly, 12 feet from the cup. On hole #12, a similar shot from 110 yards was all over the flag. On hole #14, a par-4, my second from 158 yards was a picture perfect 8-iron. The green is not large and protected front and back by bunkers and forest respectively. I was left with another 12-foot birdie attempt. In all cases, I finished with a very respectable par.
Unfortunately, the consistency was not there. For every great drive that split the fairway, there was one that got away from me, flaring right into the woods, for example. The mistake was slight, but the penalty was high, as I was forced to hit my third from the tee on a few occasions. On hole #6, a par-4, I was a yard into the right rough after my tee shot, just 100 yards from the green. I caught the wedge thin, sending the ball through the green to some long fescue in behind. With two shots to get out and a couple of putts, the result was double-bogey. The same thing happened on hole #8. After a wonderful drive, I was one yard into the left rough, 100 yards from the green. With the ball above my feet a bit, I caught the heel of the club – a complete mis-hit. Three to get on and three putts turned an almost certain par into a double-bogey.
That's the way it goes. I have the tools to score better, but I need consistency.
Score: 98
Putts: 38
Fairways: 6
Greens: 6
Penalties: 6
This time was a very different experience. The fact of the matter is that I'm a very different golfer now than I was back then. In 2006, I was still a relatively new golfer, with few rounds under my belt. As inconsistent as I am today, I was much worse in those days. Topped balls and duffs were more common and I didn't hit the ball nearly as far as I do now. Ironically, however, I probably had a better short game. This time around, the course seemed much more manageable. The forced carries are still there, of course, but they were not the huge obstacle that I had remembered.
I had two primary thoughts for this round. On my drives, I felt the point where my body wants to stop rotating, then extended past that point just a fraction. When I do this, it seems that everything else falls into place. The swing seems to stay more on plane and I approach the ball more from the inside. The danger is extending too far past that point. If I do that, I'm more likely to hit the ball with the heel of the club or smother hook it with disastrous results. The second thought was to keep the left arm straight on my iron shots. This helps the club bottom out in the right place, leading to crisp contact.
There were moments of brilliance during this round. Alas, there were also mistakes. Even a slight error or two easily leads to inflated scores on certain holes. In the end, it was a fairly typical score of 98. I've had rounds where I shoot that score by playing mediocre golf from start to finish. On this occasion, it was a case of some great holes offset by some bad ones, typically involving an untimely penalty stroke.
One of the greatest holes was #2, a short par-4 that was playing 270 yards. A small pond protects the green front and left, while forest looms on the right for anybody contemplating a drive to the green. Feeling confident, I pulled driver and let rip with a nice, smooth swing. The ball sailed high and straight, landing softly on the green, flag-high, about 15 feet from the cup. Oh baby! My uphill eagle putt was two feet short, but I tapped in for birdie.
Another birdie came on hole #17, a 475-yard par-5. The tee shot was drive over a large pond to the fairway that wraps around the other side. The more of the pond that you carry, the shorter you'll have remaining to the green. I did not take the most aggressive line, but I smoked the ball high with a baby cut. I finished two yards off the other side of the fairway, 195 yards from the green. Had I finished on the fairway, I would have no hesitation going for the green. However, with my ball in the rough, I had some thinking to do. After judging that the lie was decent, I hit a beautiful, high 4-iron that finished just right of the green, flag-high. I chipped on and drained a 10-footer!
Not surprisingly, great shots led to great results. On hole #4, a par-5, my third shot from 130 yards away in the right rough sailed high and landed softly, 12 feet from the cup. On hole #12, a similar shot from 110 yards was all over the flag. On hole #14, a par-4, my second from 158 yards was a picture perfect 8-iron. The green is not large and protected front and back by bunkers and forest respectively. I was left with another 12-foot birdie attempt. In all cases, I finished with a very respectable par.
Unfortunately, the consistency was not there. For every great drive that split the fairway, there was one that got away from me, flaring right into the woods, for example. The mistake was slight, but the penalty was high, as I was forced to hit my third from the tee on a few occasions. On hole #6, a par-4, I was a yard into the right rough after my tee shot, just 100 yards from the green. I caught the wedge thin, sending the ball through the green to some long fescue in behind. With two shots to get out and a couple of putts, the result was double-bogey. The same thing happened on hole #8. After a wonderful drive, I was one yard into the left rough, 100 yards from the green. With the ball above my feet a bit, I caught the heel of the club – a complete mis-hit. Three to get on and three putts turned an almost certain par into a double-bogey.
That's the way it goes. I have the tools to score better, but I need consistency.
Score: 98
Putts: 38
Fairways: 6
Greens: 6
Penalties: 6
May 08, 2015
Par Par Par at Glen Eagle
A week after my 2016 debut, the second round of the season took place at Glen Eagle Golf Club. Short pants and sleeves were in order, as warm temperatures and sunny skies took over the GTA. I took a power cart this time, so fatigue wouldn't be a factor.
Beginning with the Blue nine, I struggled early. Blue #1 is a tough par-4, requiring a tee shot from an elevated teeing ground that doesn't suit my eye. Trees left and a small pond right are the main obstacles. I smothered one off the heel of the club and found myself with trouble on the left side. It took two shots to get close to the fairway, with a final tree still impeding my swing. Five shots to get on the green and a terrible 3-putt resulted in a quadruple bogey, my worst result of the day.
I bogeyed hole #2, despite a hard pull off the tee that smacked the nearest tree just ahead of the teeing ground. With barely a swing available, I hit a perfect 5-iron to advance the ball down the fairway. Still 240 yards from the green, I tried a 3-wood. I hit it well, but my ball stopped half way up a steep incline just in front of the green. The result was double bogey on hole #3, a long par-3. I pulled my tee shot behind some trees with the 5-iron, but I was encouraged that contact was crisp. Unfortunately, I followed up with a triple bogey on hole #4, mostly due to a weak chip shot and another 3-putt. Through four holes, this round was already looking grim.
The next thing you know, I rattled off five bogeys in a row. The stretch began with a laser of a drive on hole #5 that pierced the fairway. I wasted my second shot by topping it, then hit a towering 3-iron just short of the green. On hole #6, a medium length par-3, it was a towering 7-iron shot that set things up. After a wayward drive on hole #7, a couple of crisp irons got me back on track. I was certainly hitting the irons high and straight. The best one was a 3-iron off the tee on hole #8, a long par-3. The hole was playing 192 yards, but I chose my 200-yard club to take a pair of ponds fronting either side of the green right out of play. What a beauty it was. The ball sailed right to the back fringe, with no danger of getting wet.
The main adjustment I made with the irons was to focus on straightening my left arm. When the left elbow bends, even slightly, I have difficulty controlling where the club will bottom out. The result is a mix of duffs and topped balls. It's particularly bad when the ball is above or below the feet. Straightening the left arm also seems to improve my swing path, from backswing to follow through. So that's what I focused on this time. I did not focus on the turning of the forearms, as I did during my last round. That has helped me in the past, but only seemed to cause trouble recently.
Moving to the Yellow nine, I took a few steps backwards again. The first four holes were a repeat of the front nine, as I went triple, bogey, double, and triple to start things off. I flared a couple of drives well out to the right, which didn't help. On Yellow #1, I also hit a weird one off the heel of the gap wedge from 120 yards out. The ball finished in a bunker, 50 yards from the green, which can be awkward. During this stretch, I also collected a pair of penalty strokes – the only ones on the day. Despite the bad scores, there were a couple of nice shots mixed in, so I was still feeling good.
The next thing you know, I rattled off a pair of bogeys, followed by three pars to finish the round. The three pars were brilliant – three fairways hit and three greens in regulation – golf the way it was meant to be played! On hole #7, I bombed a drive down the centre, leaving just 100 yards to the green. On hole #8, another bomb left me with 120 to the flag. On #9, I used every bit of fairway available, actually trickling through the end by a foot or so. I was just 80 yards from the flag. In all cases, I was able to hit sky high wedges the appropriate distance, leaving legitimate birdie chances.
The adjustment on my drives was subtle, demonstrating how a slight change can make a huge difference. I tend to swing with my arms, more than my body. The problem is that when I try to adjust this, the results can be horrific. After duffing or topping a few balls, I invariably go back to swinging with the arms, which I can at least get airborne. What I did differently this time was to ensure that extra rotation around the spine in my backswing was ever so slight. I could feel the point where I would normally stop my rotation. From there, I just went a couple degrees further. I could control that movement and it helped my club come from the inside-out -- exactly what you want.
Score: 98
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
Beginning with the Blue nine, I struggled early. Blue #1 is a tough par-4, requiring a tee shot from an elevated teeing ground that doesn't suit my eye. Trees left and a small pond right are the main obstacles. I smothered one off the heel of the club and found myself with trouble on the left side. It took two shots to get close to the fairway, with a final tree still impeding my swing. Five shots to get on the green and a terrible 3-putt resulted in a quadruple bogey, my worst result of the day.
I bogeyed hole #2, despite a hard pull off the tee that smacked the nearest tree just ahead of the teeing ground. With barely a swing available, I hit a perfect 5-iron to advance the ball down the fairway. Still 240 yards from the green, I tried a 3-wood. I hit it well, but my ball stopped half way up a steep incline just in front of the green. The result was double bogey on hole #3, a long par-3. I pulled my tee shot behind some trees with the 5-iron, but I was encouraged that contact was crisp. Unfortunately, I followed up with a triple bogey on hole #4, mostly due to a weak chip shot and another 3-putt. Through four holes, this round was already looking grim.
The next thing you know, I rattled off five bogeys in a row. The stretch began with a laser of a drive on hole #5 that pierced the fairway. I wasted my second shot by topping it, then hit a towering 3-iron just short of the green. On hole #6, a medium length par-3, it was a towering 7-iron shot that set things up. After a wayward drive on hole #7, a couple of crisp irons got me back on track. I was certainly hitting the irons high and straight. The best one was a 3-iron off the tee on hole #8, a long par-3. The hole was playing 192 yards, but I chose my 200-yard club to take a pair of ponds fronting either side of the green right out of play. What a beauty it was. The ball sailed right to the back fringe, with no danger of getting wet.
The main adjustment I made with the irons was to focus on straightening my left arm. When the left elbow bends, even slightly, I have difficulty controlling where the club will bottom out. The result is a mix of duffs and topped balls. It's particularly bad when the ball is above or below the feet. Straightening the left arm also seems to improve my swing path, from backswing to follow through. So that's what I focused on this time. I did not focus on the turning of the forearms, as I did during my last round. That has helped me in the past, but only seemed to cause trouble recently.
Moving to the Yellow nine, I took a few steps backwards again. The first four holes were a repeat of the front nine, as I went triple, bogey, double, and triple to start things off. I flared a couple of drives well out to the right, which didn't help. On Yellow #1, I also hit a weird one off the heel of the gap wedge from 120 yards out. The ball finished in a bunker, 50 yards from the green, which can be awkward. During this stretch, I also collected a pair of penalty strokes – the only ones on the day. Despite the bad scores, there were a couple of nice shots mixed in, so I was still feeling good.
The next thing you know, I rattled off a pair of bogeys, followed by three pars to finish the round. The three pars were brilliant – three fairways hit and three greens in regulation – golf the way it was meant to be played! On hole #7, I bombed a drive down the centre, leaving just 100 yards to the green. On hole #8, another bomb left me with 120 to the flag. On #9, I used every bit of fairway available, actually trickling through the end by a foot or so. I was just 80 yards from the flag. In all cases, I was able to hit sky high wedges the appropriate distance, leaving legitimate birdie chances.
The adjustment on my drives was subtle, demonstrating how a slight change can make a huge difference. I tend to swing with my arms, more than my body. The problem is that when I try to adjust this, the results can be horrific. After duffing or topping a few balls, I invariably go back to swinging with the arms, which I can at least get airborne. What I did differently this time was to ensure that extra rotation around the spine in my backswing was ever so slight. I could feel the point where I would normally stop my rotation. From there, I just went a couple degrees further. I could control that movement and it helped my club come from the inside-out -- exactly what you want.
Score: 98
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
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