My last round was a pretty good one, which got me thinking about the current state of my game. It occurred to me that three of my best rounds of all time have occurred over the last 20 rounds or so. That's encouraging and it inspired me to recap my top rounds of all time. So here we go, starting with #10 and counting down to #1.
Edit on July 6, 2017: I had some good rounds after I wrote this post, so I decided to go back and update it. The result is now my Top 12, plus a bunch of honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
Wolf Run (May 2016) – 86 (14 over)
An early season round in 2016. I decided to add this one only because the score was the same as the next few rounds on the list. Those performances were special at the time, but they've been knocked out of the Top 10 by better results. 85 or better is the new mark of excellence.
Bradford Highlands (June 2016) – 86 (14 over)
Much like the previous round on this list, I'm including this one because it produced a score that would have been among my best not too long before it was played. While some of the magic may now be absent with a score of 86, this was a controlled round and my personal best at Bradford Highlands.
Dragon's Fire (July 2015) – 86 (14 over)
This was a recent round, played by myself on a scorcher of a day. The fact that I survived the heat was almost as impressive as the result. A score of 40 on the opening nine was close to my best ever, but I slipped a little on the back nine. On a positive note, I had no worse than double-bogey on any single hole.
Dragon's Fire (August 2015) – 86 (14 over)
Just a week after the previously listed round, I returned to Dragon's Fire for a Deepwoods event. The result was the exact same score, but this visit has to rank a little higher, since it was registered in competition. I had my share of double bogeys, but three birdies provided a welcome offset, including one where I drove the green on a par-4.
Kleinburg (Sept 2007) – 85 (14 over)
This one brings back memories of some good times. Sadly, the course no longer exists – a victim of the GTA real estate market. It's hard to believe I went this low back then, or maybe just shocking that I haven't been in this range very often since. It was a pretty clean scorecard, with only one double-bogey and one triple.
Osprey Valley Heathlands (June 2010) – 85 (14 over)
This took place on day 2 of a major event on the GTA Amateur Tour. I shot 96 a day earlier, so it was a substantial improvement. In control of all facets of the game, I scored no worse than double-bogey on any single hole. There were three of those, all on the back nine. Osprey Valley's courses remain among my favourite in the GTA.
The Top 12
# 12 – Scenic Woods (Oct 2014) – 85 (13 over)
Another recent round that makes the list. This was my first ever visit to the golf course and it was late October, so I wasn't expecting much. I started hot, with three pars over the first four holes. I was shooting 40 at the turn, then slipped just a bit on the back nine. Three double-bogeys were the only blemish on a nice scorecard.
# 11 – Scenic Woods (Oct 2015) – 85 (13 over)
Only my second visit to the course, exactly one year after #12 on this list. I lucked out with the weather, though it was fairly windy. The great thing about this round was consistency. I had only one double-bogey, to go along with 11 bogey and 6 pars. If some really close putts go down, this round would be near #1.
# 10 – Scenic Woods (May 2016) -- 85 (13 over)
What is going on with Scenic Woods? This was my third ever visit to the course. Three visits, three scores of 85. There's nothing particularly easy about the course, except perhaps the first couple of holes. It's hard to differentiate between the three rounds played there, but the edge goes to the most recent.
# 9 – Scenic Woods (July 2016) – 85 (13 over)
Given the variety of courses that I play, it's amazing that Scenic Woods features so prominently on this list. Four visits, four scores of 85. This round began with a 38 on the opening nine, matching my best ever. Deep into the round, I began thinking about a personal best. Alas, I tensed up a bit and "dropped back" to my familiar score.
# 8 – Lochness Links (Sept 2009) – 85 (13 over)
Formerly (and currently) known as Hunters Pointe, it was Lochness Links when I played this round. 45 on the front nine was good but not great. It was the back nine 40 that turned this into something special. I'll always remember this round as the first time I beat my friend Linley – an extremely rare occurrence.
# 7 – Copetown Woods (May 2015) – 84 (12 over)
Another recent round and another appearance of a Deepwoods Golf Association event. I actually began this round with a triple-bogey and registered another on hole #8. Despite that, I still shot 40 on the opening nine. My putter was especially on fire. A couple breaks here or there and this could have been even better.
# 6 – Lakeview (Jul 2017) – 83 (12 over)
My first visit to this course in over nine years! I stayed out of trouble, collecting only one penalty stroke all day. I hit a good number of fairways and kept my misses very close. Same thing with my irons on approach shots into greens. Putting was solid on some pretty sloped greens.
# 5 – Carlisle (Sep 2009) – 83 (11 over)
A week after the Lochness Links round (#8 above) I went two strokes better with this performance at Carlisle. I shot 43 on the North nine, followed by an excellent 40 on the East nine. It was the second time I beat Linley and it happened back-to-back. Unbelievable, as I only beat him 3 times ever over many, many rounds.
# 4 – Willow Valley (Sep 2011) – 83 (11 over)
Another Deepwoods event. This one was notable because I was having a terrible season when this result came out of the blue. Little did I know that a couple of grim years would soon follow. I shot 44 on the front nine, which was okay. Then I caught fire for a back nine score of 39, including a par, birdie, par finish.
# 3 – Granite Ridge Cobalt (Oct 2008) – 82 (10 over)
Wow, this was a long time ago. Nine pars, eight bogeys, and one double for a really clean scorecard. I only hit four fairways, but was on 12 greens in regulation. I stayed out of trouble with the driver and was chasing flags all day. Putting was mediocre or this might have been the time I broke 80.
# 2 – Deer Creek South (July 2007) – 81 (10 over)
The oldest round on the list and also one that brings back great memories. Amazing that this happened back then. I was playing with The Unreliables – a group of guys I joined up with when I first started playing regularly. 38 on the front nine is still my best ever, I think. That included three birdies. I wasn't keeping track of my total score, or I would have realized that bogey on the final hole would produce a score of 79. As it was, I made a triple-bogey. LOL!
# 1 – BraeBen (Sep 2016) – 78 (6 over)
Magnificent doesn't even come close to describing this special round. It took a long time, but I shattered my previous best and also broke 80 for the first time. A glorious front nine, with seven pars and two bogeys. One of those bogeys should have been another par, as I collected an untimely 3-putt. I survived a double-bogey on the back nine, along with two more bogeys. Amazingly, my best score ever came without making a single birdie! What a game.
July 30, 2015
July 28, 2015
Hell of a Round at Dragon's Fire
Hell of a round. Does that mean it was bad or good? You know an expression is lousy when it has two meanings – each the exact opposite of the other. In this case, it was a good round. It was my second score in the eighties this season – just two strokes off my best of the year. There were plenty of good shots, which I'll get to in a moment. On the other hand, it was not a great round in terms of the weather conditions. I felt like I was walking through hell, as the temperature reached 33 degrees Celsius, feeling like 37 with the humidex. I suppose it was appropriate, given that I was playing a course called Dragon's Fire. I held up pretty well in the heat, which is to say there was no puking and no migraines. I drank lots of water, paced myself throughout, and rested in the shade for a good 40 minutes after the round.
Hole 1 (Par 4) – 295 yards. Perfect 5-wood off the tee to the centre fairway. Lob wedge from 80 yards bounced on the green and trickled off the left edge. Downhill chip with lots of green to work with finished 9 feet below the hole. Inside right edge putt that I judged perfectly for par!
Hole 2 (Par 3) – 170 yards. Playing more like 160 yards, I hooked a 7-iron near the #3 teeing ground. Good lie and stance, I pitched one with the lob wedge about 30 yards, releasing 10 feet past the hole. I missed the par putt just right, settling for bogey.
Hole 3 (Par 4) – 360 yards. Horrible tee shot with the driver, a smother hook that trickled into the trees left. All I could do was chip sideways to the centre of the fairway. 160 yards from the flag, I hooked a 7-iron again. This time, the trees spit it out, albeit into a greenside bunker. A good out and 2 putts finished for double-bogey.
Hole 4 (Par 4) – 379 yards. High, straight drive over the tree hedge that juts in on the right side. Walk up, expecting to find my ball in the fairway just past the trees. It was in the fairway alright, 65 yards from the green! Oh baby, a 315-yard drive! Next, a lob wedge slides right under the ball, advancing only half the intended distance. No idea how that happens off a tight lie on a firm, dry fairway. I chipped on with an 8-iron, then 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 5 (Par 4) – 400 yards. Best drive I ever hit on this hole – Nick Faldo would call it a 2-yard draw. It went up the right centre of the fairway, finishing right beside the 100-yard stick. Oh baby, a 300-yard drive! Perfect sand wedge was right on line, finishing 12 feet below the hole. Good birdie attempt, but no dice. Par result.
Hole 6 (Par 4) – 352 yards. Great 5-wood off the tee to the left half of the fairway. 130 yards away and the best possible angle into the green. Lovely gap wedge shot just right of the flag, sets up legitimate birdie chance. I didn't play enough break on the 10-footer, leaving a 2-footer that I made for par.
Hole 7 (Par 5) – 463 yards. Once again, I hit the 2-yard draw with the driver. Tee shot is slightly uphill, so I only got 290 yards out of this one, but right in the fairway. Went for the green in two, with a 6-iron. Good contact, but slightly left, finishing in a greenside bunker. Good out and 2-putt for a well-earned par, my third in a row.
Hole 8 (Par 5) – 514 yards. Another 290-yard drive, this time to the right edge of the fairway. Crisp 4-iron was a thing of beauty, leaving 40 yards to the green. An accurate lob wedge sticks near the flag, inside 5 feet. Straight putt from directly below the hole drops for birdie!
Hole 9 (Par 3) – 149 yards. All carry over water. Was playing closer to 160 yards, so I opted for 7-iron. It was a perfect line, but a hair fat. Luckily carried the water and faced an uphill chip to the green. The slope kicked my chip further right than I expected, resulting in a 2-putt and bogey.
Hole 10 (Par 4) – 415 yards. Weak slicing drive meant I had 200 yards left to the green from just inside the right rough. Beautiful lie though, so I went for it with 3-iron. Nice shot, but trickled into a greenside bunker on the right. Excellent out and 2-putt on a sloped section of the green saved bogey.
Hole 11 (Par 4) – 378 yards. High cut drive travelled 290-yards to the centre of the fairway. I was drooling over the green with lob wedge in hand. Oh no, I thinned it through some trees on the left, finishing flag high but on #6 fairway. Punched a 6-iron low, trying to bump a mound just in front of the green. The ball carried about 2 yards too much, clipping the mound, but rolling off the other side of the green. Uphill chip, with lots of green to work with and a great lie – the kind where pros get up and down (at least) 100% of the time. My chip was a little short and I just missed the first putt, taking a double-bogey. Should have been better after that drive!
Hole 12 (Par 3) – 146 yards. Played to miss short and right with the pitching wedge, but hooked it to a bunker in front of the green. Absolutely beautiful bunker shot followed, flying right to the hole and stopping dead within 5 feet. Inside right edge putt drained for an up and down par!
Hole 13 (Par 5) – 567 yards. A true 3-shotter. Beautiful straight drive to the right centre of the fairway. Had a 5-iron in hand, but replaced it with the 4 when I saw I was on a bit of an up-slope. Great contact, but a little left of target. It took two bounces and dove into a cluster of trees. Ball unplayable, so I took my first penalty of the day. Only able to see the right edge of the green, so I tried to hook a low one in. It stayed straight, ending just off the right side of the green. A pitch and two putts closed things out with a double-bogey. Unfortunate.
Hole 14 (Par 3) – 186 yards. Pulled a 6-iron slightly, catching the lip of a bunker near the green. If it gets over the lip, I'm in some tame rough with lots of green to work with. As such, I hit one fat in the bunker, failing to get out. My next one gets out, but squirts left, trickling off the green. A great chip and tap-in for another double-bogey.
Hole 15 (Par 4) – 268 yards. A short par-4 that I've reached from the tee before. This time, the drive flares right, into a wooded area that plays as a lateral hazard. After a penalty stroke and drop, I hit a high lob wedge from 85 yards that finishes flag high at the back of the green. I drained the 12-footer for par!
Hole 16 (Par 5) – 523 yards. Controlled drive to the left side of the fairway started things out. Next, a laser-like 4-iron sails over some bunkers, setting up a great angle into the green, just 75 yards away. The lob wedge looked good, but drifted right and kicked further right after a bounce. A decent chip and putt almost saved par, but I needed a tap-in for bogey.
Hole 17 (Par 3) – 122 yards. Another carry over water, much like hole #9. This one was much shorter, but the pin was tucked way right in the most dangerous position. Water wraps around 3 sides of the green there. Ignoring the pin position, I hit a solid gap wedge to the extreme left side of the green. Next, I 3-putt from 100 feet away. Bogey.
Hole 18 (Par 5) – Driver failed, slicing right into a water hazard. It didn't quite reach the water, but a search on the banks of the pond turned up nothing. Penalty stroke and drop, followed by a lovely 7-iron, leaving just 60 yards to the flag. Lob wedge got me there and 2 putts finished up for another bogey.
Despite the great result, my handicap factor went up by two tenths. That's because a nice 85 from late last season at Scenic Woods came off my scoring record. Oh well. I feel good. I'll be back at Dragon's Fire in less than two weeks for a Deepwoods event. Will need a similar result to stay alive in the championship.
Score: 86
Putts: 32
Fairways: 9
Greens: 5
Penalties:3
Hole 1 (Par 4) – 295 yards. Perfect 5-wood off the tee to the centre fairway. Lob wedge from 80 yards bounced on the green and trickled off the left edge. Downhill chip with lots of green to work with finished 9 feet below the hole. Inside right edge putt that I judged perfectly for par!
Hole 2 (Par 3) – 170 yards. Playing more like 160 yards, I hooked a 7-iron near the #3 teeing ground. Good lie and stance, I pitched one with the lob wedge about 30 yards, releasing 10 feet past the hole. I missed the par putt just right, settling for bogey.
Hole 3 (Par 4) – 360 yards. Horrible tee shot with the driver, a smother hook that trickled into the trees left. All I could do was chip sideways to the centre of the fairway. 160 yards from the flag, I hooked a 7-iron again. This time, the trees spit it out, albeit into a greenside bunker. A good out and 2 putts finished for double-bogey.
Hole 4 (Par 4) – 379 yards. High, straight drive over the tree hedge that juts in on the right side. Walk up, expecting to find my ball in the fairway just past the trees. It was in the fairway alright, 65 yards from the green! Oh baby, a 315-yard drive! Next, a lob wedge slides right under the ball, advancing only half the intended distance. No idea how that happens off a tight lie on a firm, dry fairway. I chipped on with an 8-iron, then 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 5 (Par 4) – 400 yards. Best drive I ever hit on this hole – Nick Faldo would call it a 2-yard draw. It went up the right centre of the fairway, finishing right beside the 100-yard stick. Oh baby, a 300-yard drive! Perfect sand wedge was right on line, finishing 12 feet below the hole. Good birdie attempt, but no dice. Par result.
Hole 6 (Par 4) – 352 yards. Great 5-wood off the tee to the left half of the fairway. 130 yards away and the best possible angle into the green. Lovely gap wedge shot just right of the flag, sets up legitimate birdie chance. I didn't play enough break on the 10-footer, leaving a 2-footer that I made for par.
Hole 7 (Par 5) – 463 yards. Once again, I hit the 2-yard draw with the driver. Tee shot is slightly uphill, so I only got 290 yards out of this one, but right in the fairway. Went for the green in two, with a 6-iron. Good contact, but slightly left, finishing in a greenside bunker. Good out and 2-putt for a well-earned par, my third in a row.
Hole 8 (Par 5) – 514 yards. Another 290-yard drive, this time to the right edge of the fairway. Crisp 4-iron was a thing of beauty, leaving 40 yards to the green. An accurate lob wedge sticks near the flag, inside 5 feet. Straight putt from directly below the hole drops for birdie!
Hole 9 (Par 3) – 149 yards. All carry over water. Was playing closer to 160 yards, so I opted for 7-iron. It was a perfect line, but a hair fat. Luckily carried the water and faced an uphill chip to the green. The slope kicked my chip further right than I expected, resulting in a 2-putt and bogey.
Hole 10 (Par 4) – 415 yards. Weak slicing drive meant I had 200 yards left to the green from just inside the right rough. Beautiful lie though, so I went for it with 3-iron. Nice shot, but trickled into a greenside bunker on the right. Excellent out and 2-putt on a sloped section of the green saved bogey.
Hole 11 (Par 4) – 378 yards. High cut drive travelled 290-yards to the centre of the fairway. I was drooling over the green with lob wedge in hand. Oh no, I thinned it through some trees on the left, finishing flag high but on #6 fairway. Punched a 6-iron low, trying to bump a mound just in front of the green. The ball carried about 2 yards too much, clipping the mound, but rolling off the other side of the green. Uphill chip, with lots of green to work with and a great lie – the kind where pros get up and down (at least) 100% of the time. My chip was a little short and I just missed the first putt, taking a double-bogey. Should have been better after that drive!
Hole 12 (Par 3) – 146 yards. Played to miss short and right with the pitching wedge, but hooked it to a bunker in front of the green. Absolutely beautiful bunker shot followed, flying right to the hole and stopping dead within 5 feet. Inside right edge putt drained for an up and down par!
Hole 13 (Par 5) – 567 yards. A true 3-shotter. Beautiful straight drive to the right centre of the fairway. Had a 5-iron in hand, but replaced it with the 4 when I saw I was on a bit of an up-slope. Great contact, but a little left of target. It took two bounces and dove into a cluster of trees. Ball unplayable, so I took my first penalty of the day. Only able to see the right edge of the green, so I tried to hook a low one in. It stayed straight, ending just off the right side of the green. A pitch and two putts closed things out with a double-bogey. Unfortunate.
Hole 14 (Par 3) – 186 yards. Pulled a 6-iron slightly, catching the lip of a bunker near the green. If it gets over the lip, I'm in some tame rough with lots of green to work with. As such, I hit one fat in the bunker, failing to get out. My next one gets out, but squirts left, trickling off the green. A great chip and tap-in for another double-bogey.
Hole 15 (Par 4) – 268 yards. A short par-4 that I've reached from the tee before. This time, the drive flares right, into a wooded area that plays as a lateral hazard. After a penalty stroke and drop, I hit a high lob wedge from 85 yards that finishes flag high at the back of the green. I drained the 12-footer for par!
Hole 16 (Par 5) – 523 yards. Controlled drive to the left side of the fairway started things out. Next, a laser-like 4-iron sails over some bunkers, setting up a great angle into the green, just 75 yards away. The lob wedge looked good, but drifted right and kicked further right after a bounce. A decent chip and putt almost saved par, but I needed a tap-in for bogey.
Hole 17 (Par 3) – 122 yards. Another carry over water, much like hole #9. This one was much shorter, but the pin was tucked way right in the most dangerous position. Water wraps around 3 sides of the green there. Ignoring the pin position, I hit a solid gap wedge to the extreme left side of the green. Next, I 3-putt from 100 feet away. Bogey.
Hole 18 (Par 5) – Driver failed, slicing right into a water hazard. It didn't quite reach the water, but a search on the banks of the pond turned up nothing. Penalty stroke and drop, followed by a lovely 7-iron, leaving just 60 yards to the flag. Lob wedge got me there and 2 putts finished up for another bogey.
Despite the great result, my handicap factor went up by two tenths. That's because a nice 85 from late last season at Scenic Woods came off my scoring record. Oh well. I feel good. I'll be back at Dragon's Fire in less than two weeks for a Deepwoods event. Will need a similar result to stay alive in the championship.
Score: 86
Putts: 32
Fairways: 9
Greens: 5
Penalties:3
July 24, 2015
Great Day, Terrible Game
After 15 consecutive rounds under 100, I was feeling like triple digits were no longer in my future. My last round above the century mark was the season opener at King's Forest Golf Club. I was prepared to overlook that one, given that I hadn't touched a club in a full six months. Over the last half of the 2014 season, excursions into triple digit territory were also rare, and when they happened, I topped 100 by just a stroke or two. I convinced myself that shooting 101 is really like shooting 99, so nothing to worry about too much.
Then out of the blue, I scored well into the 100's at my latest round. It was a beautiful day at Ussher's Creek, which is part of Legends on the Niagara. The sun was out, but it was a comfortable temperature. There were very few people on the course and I played by myself. A threesome let me through on hole #3 and a twosome did the same on hole #12. The course was in good shape and ripe for the picking. I played two thirds of the round (12 holes) at my typical bogey pace. This included a birdie, nine bogeys and two doubles. Unfortunately, I added six blowup holes – three on the front nine and three on the back.
Early on, my driving was the problem. I was pulling everything left. In a couple cases, I got away with it, but other times it led to penalty strokes. On hole #6, a par-4 that borders a lake from tee to green, I put three consecutive balls in the water. Driver, 5-iron, gap wedge – it didn't matter. They all found a way to get wet. I took a score of 10 on that hole alone. On hole #8, a tough 445-yard par-4, good decision making went unrewarded. My drive finished in the left rough, 200 yards from the flag. I had the 5-wood in my hands, but when I saw the fescue covered mound directly in front of me, I decided to hit 7-iron short of the green and try my luck at pitching and putting. I was worried that if I topped or thinned the 5-wood trying to reach the green, I could end up in a horrible spot. Well of course, I hit the 7-iron fat and barely cleared the mound, ending up in a bunker, still 160 yards from the green. It was that kind of day. I finished the hole with a triple -bogey.
After hitting zero fairways on the front nine, I began the back nine with a laser of a drive on hole #10. From 170 yards, I hooked a 6-iron slightly, finding a hazard short and left of the green. A poor chip and 3-putt didn't help matters, as I finished with a quadruple-bogey. At this point, I still believed I could rescue a sub-100 round, but hole #11 made that next to impossible. To be frank, the hole is not very fair. The green is wide, but extremely shallow, and fronted by Ussher's Creek, which you must carry on your approach. When I say fronted, I really mean fronted. The creek is nestled right up against the green. The only safe place is long of the green.
I was 150 yards from the flag – a situation where I would usually hit 8-iron. I opted for 7-iron to be safe. I hit it right over the flag. The ball appeared to bounce on the back of the green or perhaps just beyond, so I was happy. When I walked up to the green, I found my ball a full 20 yards behind the green. What? I couldn't believe it. OK, I went ahead and pitched on with the lob wedge. I hit a perfect shot. It went up high in the air, bounced in the rough about a yard or two before the green and trickled on – BUT, it kept going and rolled right off the shallow green and into the bloody creek! Are you kidding me? Penalty stroke, a chip and two putts for triple-bogey.
I strung together five bogeys and a double on holes #12 through #17 – a decent stretch, but not good enough to overcome the blowup holes I already registered. Sitting at 100 even, I finished with another quadruple-bogey on hole #18. This hole is very much like #11, with the creek fronting (and I really mean fronting) the green. I hit the drive low on the face, barely reaching the fairway. A layup to 140 yards allowed me to go into the green with a full 9-iron (or 8-iron to be safe). I chose 8-iron and duffed it to just in front of the creek. Whew! At least I didn't go in. No problem, that happened on my next shot – a complete duff with the lob wedge. On a tight fairway lie, that happens sometimes. My sixth shot was over the green and a great chip and putt actually limited the damage.
Oh man, what a downer! Look at the penalties!
Score: 108
Putts: 36
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 10
Then out of the blue, I scored well into the 100's at my latest round. It was a beautiful day at Ussher's Creek, which is part of Legends on the Niagara. The sun was out, but it was a comfortable temperature. There were very few people on the course and I played by myself. A threesome let me through on hole #3 and a twosome did the same on hole #12. The course was in good shape and ripe for the picking. I played two thirds of the round (12 holes) at my typical bogey pace. This included a birdie, nine bogeys and two doubles. Unfortunately, I added six blowup holes – three on the front nine and three on the back.
Early on, my driving was the problem. I was pulling everything left. In a couple cases, I got away with it, but other times it led to penalty strokes. On hole #6, a par-4 that borders a lake from tee to green, I put three consecutive balls in the water. Driver, 5-iron, gap wedge – it didn't matter. They all found a way to get wet. I took a score of 10 on that hole alone. On hole #8, a tough 445-yard par-4, good decision making went unrewarded. My drive finished in the left rough, 200 yards from the flag. I had the 5-wood in my hands, but when I saw the fescue covered mound directly in front of me, I decided to hit 7-iron short of the green and try my luck at pitching and putting. I was worried that if I topped or thinned the 5-wood trying to reach the green, I could end up in a horrible spot. Well of course, I hit the 7-iron fat and barely cleared the mound, ending up in a bunker, still 160 yards from the green. It was that kind of day. I finished the hole with a triple -bogey.
After hitting zero fairways on the front nine, I began the back nine with a laser of a drive on hole #10. From 170 yards, I hooked a 6-iron slightly, finding a hazard short and left of the green. A poor chip and 3-putt didn't help matters, as I finished with a quadruple-bogey. At this point, I still believed I could rescue a sub-100 round, but hole #11 made that next to impossible. To be frank, the hole is not very fair. The green is wide, but extremely shallow, and fronted by Ussher's Creek, which you must carry on your approach. When I say fronted, I really mean fronted. The creek is nestled right up against the green. The only safe place is long of the green.
I was 150 yards from the flag – a situation where I would usually hit 8-iron. I opted for 7-iron to be safe. I hit it right over the flag. The ball appeared to bounce on the back of the green or perhaps just beyond, so I was happy. When I walked up to the green, I found my ball a full 20 yards behind the green. What? I couldn't believe it. OK, I went ahead and pitched on with the lob wedge. I hit a perfect shot. It went up high in the air, bounced in the rough about a yard or two before the green and trickled on – BUT, it kept going and rolled right off the shallow green and into the bloody creek! Are you kidding me? Penalty stroke, a chip and two putts for triple-bogey.
I strung together five bogeys and a double on holes #12 through #17 – a decent stretch, but not good enough to overcome the blowup holes I already registered. Sitting at 100 even, I finished with another quadruple-bogey on hole #18. This hole is very much like #11, with the creek fronting (and I really mean fronting) the green. I hit the drive low on the face, barely reaching the fairway. A layup to 140 yards allowed me to go into the green with a full 9-iron (or 8-iron to be safe). I chose 8-iron and duffed it to just in front of the creek. Whew! At least I didn't go in. No problem, that happened on my next shot – a complete duff with the lob wedge. On a tight fairway lie, that happens sometimes. My sixth shot was over the green and a great chip and putt actually limited the damage.
Oh man, what a downer! Look at the penalties!
Score: 108
Putts: 36
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 10
July 20, 2015
Frustrating Moments in Deepwoods Event
Round 2 of the Deepwoods championship was played under hot and humid conditions at Willow Valley Golf Club. I maxed out my point total in Round 1 and was playing with some co-leaders who had done the same. If the first hole was any indication, this was going to be a good round. I pounded a drive to the right fairway on this 340-yard par-4, leaving 75 yards to the green. Lob wedge hit the heart of the green, followed by a birdie attempt that just missed and an easy tap-in for par.
Hole #2 was the only one that presented a problem that has been plaguing me severely – bunkers. My drive was a few yards in the right rough and my 7-iron approach just a couple yards left into a bunker near the pin. I haven't had a chance to practice in the bunker physically, but I have been watching videos and reading tips in an effort to identify my problem. None of that helped, as I once again picked the ball out clean, going over the other side of the green. After a good pitch, I 2-putt for double-bogey.
I maintained bogey pace over the next six holes, with a par, four bogeys and a double. The par came on hole #8, a baby par-3 at just 105 yards. The double also came on a par-3, but one that was a little more testy at 170 yards. I pulled my tee shot slightly left and had to hit out of deep fescue. I was controlling things pretty well during this stretch. I had an errant drive, a topped second ball on a par-5 and a fluffed chip mixed in, but recovered well with an accurate punch, lofted iron, or steady putter.
The first frustrating part of the round started on hole #9 and culminated on hole #11. On the first of these, I hit a drive low off the club head and failed to carry a pond. Hitting three from the tee, I finished with a hard earned double-bogey. OK, nothing too terrible there. On hole #10, I wasted a good tee shot to the left fairway with a terrible iron and a bad pitch en route to another double. On hole #11, a par-5, I wasted a brilliant drive that was straight and deep. I had just 200 yards to the green from the middle of the fairway and I topped a 5-wood miserably. The club received a little toss in disgust. A terrible chip near the green brought more disgust and a wedge slammed into the ground. I soon recorded my third consecutive double-bogey.
The club toss and slam released the frustration and I played brilliantly over the next six holes. This included four pars and two bogeys. The first of these pars was on hole #12, a 365-yard par-4. I went driver, 8-iron into the heart of the green, followed by a lengthy lag and tap-in. The next par was a beautiful save on hole #14, an awkward par-4 that doglegs sharply to the right around a pond, with out of bounds along the entire left side. I'm never quite sure what to do with the tee shot. I tried a 5-wood over the edge of the pond, but sliced it into the water. Taking a penalty and drop at 170 yards from the green, I hit a beautiful 6-iron all over the flag that stopped quickly on the narrow section of green. Then I calmly drained a 12-footer for the par. The two remaining pars came back-to-back on holes #16 and #17, a par-5 and par-3 respectively.
Now came the second and final moment of frustration during the round. As well as I played over the previous six holes, my playing partners were also playing great. I knew that I was a few points behind them because of the trouble I had on holes #9 - #11. In addition, some clouds had rolled in and some thunder could be heard just to the west. In retrospect, I panicked a bit. I wanted to get the last hole in before any lightning appeared. But just at that moment, the group ahead of mine, which wasn't part of Deepwoods, decided to take ages looking for balls in the fescue. They went forward and backward three or four times near the landing zone, while we waited to tee off.
When I finally hit the ball, I pulled one left of the fairway, on an up-slope. It shouldn't have been a real problem, but an uneven stance and the rough combined to ruin my 7-iron attempt. The ball squirted forward just a few yards. Now I had a worse stance, with the ball well below my feet and still in the rough. Another duff ensued and I was still 230 yards from the green. The 7-iron was the object of my second club toss of the day. Next, I blasted a 3-wood 50 yards right of the green, but had a clear opening to the flag. I came up short with the lob wedge, then duffed another, en route to a quadruple-bogey 9. The wedge received a slam into the ground for the second time on the day.
I was focused on Deepwoods points and finished with 34 out of a possible 40. If I had just played the last hole calmly, I might have earned 36, which is actually pretty good. My playing partners earned 40 and 38 respectively, but focusing on them probably cost me a couple points. I hope it doesn't come back to bite me in the run to the championship. Also, the final hole blowup turned a likely 89 into a more typical 92. It actually ties my second best score ever at Willow Valley, but I expected more. Maybe not the 83 I shot in 2011, but sub-90 for sure.
Score: 92
Putts: 35
Fairways: 8
Greens: 6
Penalties: 2
Hole #2 was the only one that presented a problem that has been plaguing me severely – bunkers. My drive was a few yards in the right rough and my 7-iron approach just a couple yards left into a bunker near the pin. I haven't had a chance to practice in the bunker physically, but I have been watching videos and reading tips in an effort to identify my problem. None of that helped, as I once again picked the ball out clean, going over the other side of the green. After a good pitch, I 2-putt for double-bogey.
I maintained bogey pace over the next six holes, with a par, four bogeys and a double. The par came on hole #8, a baby par-3 at just 105 yards. The double also came on a par-3, but one that was a little more testy at 170 yards. I pulled my tee shot slightly left and had to hit out of deep fescue. I was controlling things pretty well during this stretch. I had an errant drive, a topped second ball on a par-5 and a fluffed chip mixed in, but recovered well with an accurate punch, lofted iron, or steady putter.
The first frustrating part of the round started on hole #9 and culminated on hole #11. On the first of these, I hit a drive low off the club head and failed to carry a pond. Hitting three from the tee, I finished with a hard earned double-bogey. OK, nothing too terrible there. On hole #10, I wasted a good tee shot to the left fairway with a terrible iron and a bad pitch en route to another double. On hole #11, a par-5, I wasted a brilliant drive that was straight and deep. I had just 200 yards to the green from the middle of the fairway and I topped a 5-wood miserably. The club received a little toss in disgust. A terrible chip near the green brought more disgust and a wedge slammed into the ground. I soon recorded my third consecutive double-bogey.
The club toss and slam released the frustration and I played brilliantly over the next six holes. This included four pars and two bogeys. The first of these pars was on hole #12, a 365-yard par-4. I went driver, 8-iron into the heart of the green, followed by a lengthy lag and tap-in. The next par was a beautiful save on hole #14, an awkward par-4 that doglegs sharply to the right around a pond, with out of bounds along the entire left side. I'm never quite sure what to do with the tee shot. I tried a 5-wood over the edge of the pond, but sliced it into the water. Taking a penalty and drop at 170 yards from the green, I hit a beautiful 6-iron all over the flag that stopped quickly on the narrow section of green. Then I calmly drained a 12-footer for the par. The two remaining pars came back-to-back on holes #16 and #17, a par-5 and par-3 respectively.
Now came the second and final moment of frustration during the round. As well as I played over the previous six holes, my playing partners were also playing great. I knew that I was a few points behind them because of the trouble I had on holes #9 - #11. In addition, some clouds had rolled in and some thunder could be heard just to the west. In retrospect, I panicked a bit. I wanted to get the last hole in before any lightning appeared. But just at that moment, the group ahead of mine, which wasn't part of Deepwoods, decided to take ages looking for balls in the fescue. They went forward and backward three or four times near the landing zone, while we waited to tee off.
When I finally hit the ball, I pulled one left of the fairway, on an up-slope. It shouldn't have been a real problem, but an uneven stance and the rough combined to ruin my 7-iron attempt. The ball squirted forward just a few yards. Now I had a worse stance, with the ball well below my feet and still in the rough. Another duff ensued and I was still 230 yards from the green. The 7-iron was the object of my second club toss of the day. Next, I blasted a 3-wood 50 yards right of the green, but had a clear opening to the flag. I came up short with the lob wedge, then duffed another, en route to a quadruple-bogey 9. The wedge received a slam into the ground for the second time on the day.
I was focused on Deepwoods points and finished with 34 out of a possible 40. If I had just played the last hole calmly, I might have earned 36, which is actually pretty good. My playing partners earned 40 and 38 respectively, but focusing on them probably cost me a couple points. I hope it doesn't come back to bite me in the run to the championship. Also, the final hole blowup turned a likely 89 into a more typical 92. It actually ties my second best score ever at Willow Valley, but I expected more. Maybe not the 83 I shot in 2011, but sub-90 for sure.
Score: 92
Putts: 35
Fairways: 8
Greens: 6
Penalties: 2
July 18, 2015
Regular Result at Twenty Valley
I teed off a half hour before noon for my latest round at Twenty Valley Golf & Country Club. It was a brilliant day with lots of sunshine, but never more than about 22 degrees Celsius. There was nothing but a gentle breeze from time to time, making the conditions absolutely perfect for golf.
I made par on the opening par-5, but it was the way I did it that was interesting. My drive started on the left side of the fairway and smacked a lone, large tree squarely on the trunk. If it got past the tree, the ball would have travelled another 50 yards. Instead, it bounced backwards 50 yards! From way back on the the left side of the fairway, I hit a high 5-wood to the right edge of the fairway, 148 yards from the green. Some overhanging branches from a large tree were partially blocking me out, but I hoisted an 8-iron right over them and right at the flag. Pin high and 10 feet away, I made a really nice putt that just missed for birdie.
I smacked a similar tree off the tee on hole #2, forcing a layup on my second shot of this par-4. Unfortunately, from 50 yards away, I pulled one into a greenside bunker. There was little green to work with, so a good out from the hazard rolled off the other side of the putting surface. Thankfully, I managed to get up and down to salvage double-bogey. I sorted out my driver over the next few holes and really for the remainder of the round. The drive on hole #3 was especially good, as my ball came to rest 5 yards behind a creek that crosses the fairway. You couldn't walk down and place the ball in a better spot. My main thought with the driver was just to be fluid during the transition from backswing to downswing. With this in mind, I rattled off three bogeys and a par.
Hole #7 is a 152-yard par-3 over water. For no particular reason, I hit a terrible 8-iron off the tee. It was a low hook that didn't clear the pond. After a penalty stroke and drop, my wedge shot drifted right into a greenside bunker. There's no question about it – I am terrible at bunker shots right now. I am doing something really wrong, but I'm not sure what it is. This one wasn't horrific, but it carried further than I wanted and rolled off the green – right into another bunker! Of course, I hit the next one fat, barely getting out of the bunker. A decent chip put me within seven feet, but of course, I burn the edge. When you play a hole poorly, it seems you never get the benefit of that last putt to save a stroke. As it was, I carded an 8 on the hole!
Two more bogeys closed out the front nine with a score of 47. So really, I had just one bad hole on the front, but that's all it takes. Instead of something like a 43, which would be on pace for a mid eighties score, I'm in the high forties, on pace for the mid nineties.
The first six holes of the back nine were played in 5 over par. That included one double-bogey, four bogeys and a birdie! The birdie was on hole #11, a 344-yard par-4. Driver, gap wedge got me pin high, but 20 feet right of the flag. The approach was similar to the one on the first hole, as I hoisted it over a large tree, but this time it was from the left side of the fairway. The birdie putt was lengthy, but I judged the speed and subtle break perfectly. It was the second 20-footer in a row, as I had just drained one on the previous hole to save bogey. Greenside bunker problems once again put me in the position where I needed that putt badly.
Perhaps my best shot of the day was my tee shot on hole #13, the #1 handicap hole on the course. It plays 180 yards into this par-3 from the blue tees. A creek crosses in front of the green, with a huge slope up to a plateau on which the green sits. Trees pinch in near the creek on both sides. It plays a lot longer than the posted yardage, because of the green elevation. I opted for an easy 5-wood and it came off really pure. It popped off the club face and sailed high and right on line. It ended up a couple yards off the back of the green, but that's okay. With a better chip, I could have made par, but bogey ain't bad.
I had a disaster hole on the front nine, so it stands to reason that I was due for one on the back. It came on hole #16, a 200-yard par-3. You might think with that length that I had trouble with my tee shot, but that wasn't the case. I hit my tee shot flag high, just off the left side of the green. The ball was a bit below my feet and I had to flop over the edge of a bunker to reach the pin. The lie in the rough seemed okay, though the grass was a little sparse. What did I do? I sculled the shot like a real idiot – right into a bunker on the other side! Oh man, these bunkers are killing me in multiple ways. After a poor out that didn't reach the green, I made a good chip, but (here it is again) I missed the 6-foot putt to finish with a triple-bogey 6. Those poor holes always end with a missed putt from a makeable range.
At the end of the day, I shot a typical 95. Two bad holes (both were par-3) represented 14 of those strokes. Everything else was pretty good. I know I sound like a broken record, but I should really be a mid eighties shooter. Shaking my head.
Score: 95
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
I made par on the opening par-5, but it was the way I did it that was interesting. My drive started on the left side of the fairway and smacked a lone, large tree squarely on the trunk. If it got past the tree, the ball would have travelled another 50 yards. Instead, it bounced backwards 50 yards! From way back on the the left side of the fairway, I hit a high 5-wood to the right edge of the fairway, 148 yards from the green. Some overhanging branches from a large tree were partially blocking me out, but I hoisted an 8-iron right over them and right at the flag. Pin high and 10 feet away, I made a really nice putt that just missed for birdie.
I smacked a similar tree off the tee on hole #2, forcing a layup on my second shot of this par-4. Unfortunately, from 50 yards away, I pulled one into a greenside bunker. There was little green to work with, so a good out from the hazard rolled off the other side of the putting surface. Thankfully, I managed to get up and down to salvage double-bogey. I sorted out my driver over the next few holes and really for the remainder of the round. The drive on hole #3 was especially good, as my ball came to rest 5 yards behind a creek that crosses the fairway. You couldn't walk down and place the ball in a better spot. My main thought with the driver was just to be fluid during the transition from backswing to downswing. With this in mind, I rattled off three bogeys and a par.
Hole #7 is a 152-yard par-3 over water. For no particular reason, I hit a terrible 8-iron off the tee. It was a low hook that didn't clear the pond. After a penalty stroke and drop, my wedge shot drifted right into a greenside bunker. There's no question about it – I am terrible at bunker shots right now. I am doing something really wrong, but I'm not sure what it is. This one wasn't horrific, but it carried further than I wanted and rolled off the green – right into another bunker! Of course, I hit the next one fat, barely getting out of the bunker. A decent chip put me within seven feet, but of course, I burn the edge. When you play a hole poorly, it seems you never get the benefit of that last putt to save a stroke. As it was, I carded an 8 on the hole!
Two more bogeys closed out the front nine with a score of 47. So really, I had just one bad hole on the front, but that's all it takes. Instead of something like a 43, which would be on pace for a mid eighties score, I'm in the high forties, on pace for the mid nineties.
The first six holes of the back nine were played in 5 over par. That included one double-bogey, four bogeys and a birdie! The birdie was on hole #11, a 344-yard par-4. Driver, gap wedge got me pin high, but 20 feet right of the flag. The approach was similar to the one on the first hole, as I hoisted it over a large tree, but this time it was from the left side of the fairway. The birdie putt was lengthy, but I judged the speed and subtle break perfectly. It was the second 20-footer in a row, as I had just drained one on the previous hole to save bogey. Greenside bunker problems once again put me in the position where I needed that putt badly.
Perhaps my best shot of the day was my tee shot on hole #13, the #1 handicap hole on the course. It plays 180 yards into this par-3 from the blue tees. A creek crosses in front of the green, with a huge slope up to a plateau on which the green sits. Trees pinch in near the creek on both sides. It plays a lot longer than the posted yardage, because of the green elevation. I opted for an easy 5-wood and it came off really pure. It popped off the club face and sailed high and right on line. It ended up a couple yards off the back of the green, but that's okay. With a better chip, I could have made par, but bogey ain't bad.
I had a disaster hole on the front nine, so it stands to reason that I was due for one on the back. It came on hole #16, a 200-yard par-3. You might think with that length that I had trouble with my tee shot, but that wasn't the case. I hit my tee shot flag high, just off the left side of the green. The ball was a bit below my feet and I had to flop over the edge of a bunker to reach the pin. The lie in the rough seemed okay, though the grass was a little sparse. What did I do? I sculled the shot like a real idiot – right into a bunker on the other side! Oh man, these bunkers are killing me in multiple ways. After a poor out that didn't reach the green, I made a good chip, but (here it is again) I missed the 6-foot putt to finish with a triple-bogey 6. Those poor holes always end with a missed putt from a makeable range.
At the end of the day, I shot a typical 95. Two bad holes (both were par-3) represented 14 of those strokes. Everything else was pretty good. I know I sound like a broken record, but I should really be a mid eighties shooter. Shaking my head.
Score: 95
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
July 13, 2015
Piper's Spieth
I've played at Piper's Heath Golf Club a fair number of times, but not since 2010. It's a very nice course, so I was anxious to finally go back. Having watched Jordan Spieth repeat as champion at the John Deere Classic just a day earlier, I tried to envision myself as “Piper's Spieth” at the Milton area layout. Spieth and I have just about nothing in common, so that's a real stretch of the imagination, but a guy can dream, right?
I teed off in the early morning and the course was in fantastic condition. The only blemish on the course was the fact that they had just laid down some top dressing on the greens. They were still fast, but nobody likes putting through sand. Oh well, it was just bad timing. The weather was ideal. In previous visits to Piper's Heath, I have been pelted by rain and pushed around by massive wind gusts. On this occasion, there was nothing but sunshine and an occasional breeze.
I made par right out of the gate with a driver, 9-iron combo to the first green, along with two putts. This was followed by my worst hole of the day, a quadruple bogey. Conscious of a marsh on the left side of this par-4, I flared my drive to the right rough, behind a large mound. A good wedge got me right beside the 100-yard stick. Next, my sand wedge was pin high, but in a bunker right. I picked it clean (aargh), flying well past the green and now I was short sided, with the green falling away from me. My pitch shot landed near the flag, but the slope and quick green caused the ball to roll all the way into the bunker again. My sixth shot was a great out from the sand, leaving me 7 feet below the hole. Unfortunately, I burned the edge of the putt and carded an 8.
Another bunker gave me trouble on hole #3, but this was of the fairway variety. After two shots on this par-5, I was 65 yards from the green, but on the beach. I completely duffed the shot, just barely popping the ball out to the lip. With a huge side hill lie and poor stance, I propelled one up to a greenside bunker. I made a nice out, but my ball released on the fast green and rolled down to a collection area behind the green. Piper's Heath has a lot of raised greens, with closely mown areas around. You can try to putt from the low spots, but chipping might be better. This time, I tried the putter and it wasn't great. I finished with triple bogey.
The rest of the front nine was fine, as I played six holes in 5 over par. It would have been better if I had a better sense of the greens' speed. A 3-putt on hole #5 turned a certain bogey into a double. I just blew the ball past on my par attempt. Hole #6 produced par, though it should have been birdie. This was a 131-yard par 3 that began with a good gap wedge. My birdie putt was on a perfect line, but it had too much speed. The ball hit the back edge of the cup, dead centre, before popping over the other side. Hole #8 was another par-3 that I reached in regulation. Again, I rolled my first putt well past the hole, leading to a 3-putt and bogey. After a shaky couple of holes early, I was on track and made the turn with a score of 48.
The back nine was wonderful, except for two holes. I bogeyed #10, in spite of a 3-putt. I really should have put my third shot closer from just 70 yards. I also bogeyed #11, before an up and down par on hole #12. Then on hole #13, a par-3 over marsh land, I completely duffed a 6-iron, landing in the hazard. I finished with a triple-bogey, thanks to the two wasted strokes off the tee. Hole #14 provided some relief with a bogey, before nonsense ensued on hole #15. With marsh land pinching the fairway on the left side, I hit a nice safe shot to the right rough. With a great angle and perfect visibility, I hit 8-iron, trying to leave about 110 yards for my third. If my ball was 5 yards left or 5 yards shorter, I would have hit my target. Instead, I found a fairway bunker and we all know how I've been doing with bunker shots recently. I hit the lip of the bunker, but popped out to 60 yards. Hitting from a low spot on the fairway, I took a giant beaver pelt of a divot, leaving the ball 30 yards from the green. When I tried bouncing one into the mound just before the green, I carried just to the top of it, so the ball released all the way to the back of the green. A 3-putt finished things up for triple-bogey. It's frustrating how a couple bad shots led to many more additional strokes.
After that, I was fine again, closing out with a par and two bogeys for a score of 95. When I replay the round in my head, it's the same old story; four or five bad shots lead to about 10 additional strokes. It's the reason I shoot mid nineties instead of mid eighties. I feel so close to being a mid eighties shooter, if I could just replace a handful of terrible shots with better ones – even mediocre shots would do the trick of lowering those scores significantly.
Score: 95
Putts: 35
Fairways: 7
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
I teed off in the early morning and the course was in fantastic condition. The only blemish on the course was the fact that they had just laid down some top dressing on the greens. They were still fast, but nobody likes putting through sand. Oh well, it was just bad timing. The weather was ideal. In previous visits to Piper's Heath, I have been pelted by rain and pushed around by massive wind gusts. On this occasion, there was nothing but sunshine and an occasional breeze.
I made par right out of the gate with a driver, 9-iron combo to the first green, along with two putts. This was followed by my worst hole of the day, a quadruple bogey. Conscious of a marsh on the left side of this par-4, I flared my drive to the right rough, behind a large mound. A good wedge got me right beside the 100-yard stick. Next, my sand wedge was pin high, but in a bunker right. I picked it clean (aargh), flying well past the green and now I was short sided, with the green falling away from me. My pitch shot landed near the flag, but the slope and quick green caused the ball to roll all the way into the bunker again. My sixth shot was a great out from the sand, leaving me 7 feet below the hole. Unfortunately, I burned the edge of the putt and carded an 8.
Another bunker gave me trouble on hole #3, but this was of the fairway variety. After two shots on this par-5, I was 65 yards from the green, but on the beach. I completely duffed the shot, just barely popping the ball out to the lip. With a huge side hill lie and poor stance, I propelled one up to a greenside bunker. I made a nice out, but my ball released on the fast green and rolled down to a collection area behind the green. Piper's Heath has a lot of raised greens, with closely mown areas around. You can try to putt from the low spots, but chipping might be better. This time, I tried the putter and it wasn't great. I finished with triple bogey.
The rest of the front nine was fine, as I played six holes in 5 over par. It would have been better if I had a better sense of the greens' speed. A 3-putt on hole #5 turned a certain bogey into a double. I just blew the ball past on my par attempt. Hole #6 produced par, though it should have been birdie. This was a 131-yard par 3 that began with a good gap wedge. My birdie putt was on a perfect line, but it had too much speed. The ball hit the back edge of the cup, dead centre, before popping over the other side. Hole #8 was another par-3 that I reached in regulation. Again, I rolled my first putt well past the hole, leading to a 3-putt and bogey. After a shaky couple of holes early, I was on track and made the turn with a score of 48.
The back nine was wonderful, except for two holes. I bogeyed #10, in spite of a 3-putt. I really should have put my third shot closer from just 70 yards. I also bogeyed #11, before an up and down par on hole #12. Then on hole #13, a par-3 over marsh land, I completely duffed a 6-iron, landing in the hazard. I finished with a triple-bogey, thanks to the two wasted strokes off the tee. Hole #14 provided some relief with a bogey, before nonsense ensued on hole #15. With marsh land pinching the fairway on the left side, I hit a nice safe shot to the right rough. With a great angle and perfect visibility, I hit 8-iron, trying to leave about 110 yards for my third. If my ball was 5 yards left or 5 yards shorter, I would have hit my target. Instead, I found a fairway bunker and we all know how I've been doing with bunker shots recently. I hit the lip of the bunker, but popped out to 60 yards. Hitting from a low spot on the fairway, I took a giant beaver pelt of a divot, leaving the ball 30 yards from the green. When I tried bouncing one into the mound just before the green, I carried just to the top of it, so the ball released all the way to the back of the green. A 3-putt finished things up for triple-bogey. It's frustrating how a couple bad shots led to many more additional strokes.
After that, I was fine again, closing out with a par and two bogeys for a score of 95. When I replay the round in my head, it's the same old story; four or five bad shots lead to about 10 additional strokes. It's the reason I shoot mid nineties instead of mid eighties. I feel so close to being a mid eighties shooter, if I could just replace a handful of terrible shots with better ones – even mediocre shots would do the trick of lowering those scores significantly.
Score: 95
Putts: 35
Fairways: 7
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
July 12, 2015
Surviving at Shawneeki
I played an early afternoon round at Shawneeki Golf Club. Conditions were ideal, if a little warm. I was paired up with a nice couple and together we tackled the first hole, a short par-4. My drive found the left fairway bunker, but from there, I hit sand wedge to the right fringe. After a good chip, I made an 8-foot putt for par! The couple said there was free space ahead of us, so I was welcome to play ahead. I didn't want to prolong my time in the heat, so I thanked them and pushed on alone.
As it turned out, the second hole was the only one I had all to myself. After a good drive on this par-5, I wasted four strokes by hitting two consecutive 5-woods into a pond directly ahead of me. From the tight lie of the fairway, I could not get the ball elevated using that club. When I switched to a 7-iron, I proceeded to finish the hole without incident. Unfortunately, the damage was done, as I carded a 9 on the hole.
On hole #3, a par-4 on the edge of the property, I had to wait in the fairway after my drive to allow a threesome ahead to clear the green. When they did, I hit my 9-iron a little long, finding a greenside bunker. I blasted the ball well past the hole and had to work hard to 2-putt for a bogey. When I approached the teeing ground at hole #4, the threesome was still teeing off. They were playing the white tees, while I was playing blue, but they never even acknowledged my presence.
And so it continued for seven more holes. They teed off on every hole with me standing a few yards behind them. Not once did they even make eye contact, much less exchange greetings. And they certainly didn't offer to let me play through. On hole #7, I figured out what was going on. Ahead of this threesome of men was a threesome of ladies, of the same visible minority. This was a group of men playing together behind their wives, presumably to act as a buffer between the parasol-carrying ladies and any golfer who might push their pace from behind. So sad.
If they were going to let me through at any point, it would be after nine holes. No such luck, so I waited a minute on the eleventh tee and allowed the couple I had started the round with to join back up with me. I had shot 48 on the front nine, which wasn't bad. Aside from the poor 5-wood attempts on hole #3, there were only two mistakes. One was a horrible chip from just off the green on hole #4. It was a side hill lie and the ball went 45 degrees left of my intended line. The other was a drive that caught the club face low on hole #8. It had been a long wait on the tee, so no surprise there.
On the back nine, I started to get a little more sloppy, as I waited around before every single shot. I topped my drive attempt on hole #10 and failed to shape the ball correctly off the tee on hole #11. The hole is a par-5 with a dogleg left. Unless you lay back a lot, you really have to hit a draw to get around the trees and keep your ball in bounds. I tried the draw and actually hit a slice. A large tree was the only thing that prevented my ball from going out of bounds. I recovered well to earn bogey.
The bogey train continued through hole #14, which is a par-3 over a creek. Actually, I did very well to earn bogey on hole #13, the toughest on the back nine. The tee shot is full of danger, with a pond left of the fairway and out of bounds on the entire right side. I found the right centre of the fairway and from there it was pretty smooth sailing. Not so on hole #14 though. The “gentlemen” ahead of me were about 60 yards from the green, walking back to the next teeing ground. I smothered my 6-iron off the tee, sending a low, hooking shot right in their direction. Fore! Fore! Bang! The bang was the sound of my ball smacking their cart, followed immediately by an expletive from one among the group, commonly abbreviated as SOB! Apparently, they spoke English after all.
Well, that got their attention, unintentional as it was. One of the men lingered in the spot until I passed by. Of course, I apologized for the wayward ball, after which the man said, “You almost hit him.” Really, Captain Obvious? Maybe that's why I was yelling “Fore” like a madman. If you weren't in your own little world, you might have heard me. Sigh. That was the end of that exchange. I played the ball as it lay, pitched on and 2-putt for bogey.
By now, the heat was getting a little uncomfortable and it was hard to stay focused with all the waiting around. I topped another drive attempt on hole #16, leading to double-bogey. I bogeyed hole #17, but another poor drive on hole #18 put me in a tough position. From the blue tees, you absolutely must draw the ball. My shot went straight, finding trees on the right side of the hole. I had no opening back to the fairway and had to play toward hole #16. I actually hit a great 6-iron from just ahead of #16 teeing ground to find #18 green. Unfortunately, I then 3-putt for triple bogey, shooting 51 on the back nine and 99 overall.
It was a decent performance, but scattered errors came in different areas of the game. Sometimes it was a bad drive, while other times it was a poor chip, bunker shot, or lag putt.
Score: 99
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
As it turned out, the second hole was the only one I had all to myself. After a good drive on this par-5, I wasted four strokes by hitting two consecutive 5-woods into a pond directly ahead of me. From the tight lie of the fairway, I could not get the ball elevated using that club. When I switched to a 7-iron, I proceeded to finish the hole without incident. Unfortunately, the damage was done, as I carded a 9 on the hole.
On hole #3, a par-4 on the edge of the property, I had to wait in the fairway after my drive to allow a threesome ahead to clear the green. When they did, I hit my 9-iron a little long, finding a greenside bunker. I blasted the ball well past the hole and had to work hard to 2-putt for a bogey. When I approached the teeing ground at hole #4, the threesome was still teeing off. They were playing the white tees, while I was playing blue, but they never even acknowledged my presence.
And so it continued for seven more holes. They teed off on every hole with me standing a few yards behind them. Not once did they even make eye contact, much less exchange greetings. And they certainly didn't offer to let me play through. On hole #7, I figured out what was going on. Ahead of this threesome of men was a threesome of ladies, of the same visible minority. This was a group of men playing together behind their wives, presumably to act as a buffer between the parasol-carrying ladies and any golfer who might push their pace from behind. So sad.
If they were going to let me through at any point, it would be after nine holes. No such luck, so I waited a minute on the eleventh tee and allowed the couple I had started the round with to join back up with me. I had shot 48 on the front nine, which wasn't bad. Aside from the poor 5-wood attempts on hole #3, there were only two mistakes. One was a horrible chip from just off the green on hole #4. It was a side hill lie and the ball went 45 degrees left of my intended line. The other was a drive that caught the club face low on hole #8. It had been a long wait on the tee, so no surprise there.
On the back nine, I started to get a little more sloppy, as I waited around before every single shot. I topped my drive attempt on hole #10 and failed to shape the ball correctly off the tee on hole #11. The hole is a par-5 with a dogleg left. Unless you lay back a lot, you really have to hit a draw to get around the trees and keep your ball in bounds. I tried the draw and actually hit a slice. A large tree was the only thing that prevented my ball from going out of bounds. I recovered well to earn bogey.
The bogey train continued through hole #14, which is a par-3 over a creek. Actually, I did very well to earn bogey on hole #13, the toughest on the back nine. The tee shot is full of danger, with a pond left of the fairway and out of bounds on the entire right side. I found the right centre of the fairway and from there it was pretty smooth sailing. Not so on hole #14 though. The “gentlemen” ahead of me were about 60 yards from the green, walking back to the next teeing ground. I smothered my 6-iron off the tee, sending a low, hooking shot right in their direction. Fore! Fore! Bang! The bang was the sound of my ball smacking their cart, followed immediately by an expletive from one among the group, commonly abbreviated as SOB! Apparently, they spoke English after all.
Well, that got their attention, unintentional as it was. One of the men lingered in the spot until I passed by. Of course, I apologized for the wayward ball, after which the man said, “You almost hit him.” Really, Captain Obvious? Maybe that's why I was yelling “Fore” like a madman. If you weren't in your own little world, you might have heard me. Sigh. That was the end of that exchange. I played the ball as it lay, pitched on and 2-putt for bogey.
By now, the heat was getting a little uncomfortable and it was hard to stay focused with all the waiting around. I topped another drive attempt on hole #16, leading to double-bogey. I bogeyed hole #17, but another poor drive on hole #18 put me in a tough position. From the blue tees, you absolutely must draw the ball. My shot went straight, finding trees on the right side of the hole. I had no opening back to the fairway and had to play toward hole #16. I actually hit a great 6-iron from just ahead of #16 teeing ground to find #18 green. Unfortunately, I then 3-putt for triple bogey, shooting 51 on the back nine and 99 overall.
It was a decent performance, but scattered errors came in different areas of the game. Sometimes it was a bad drive, while other times it was a poor chip, bunker shot, or lag putt.
Score: 99
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
July 07, 2015
Par Mentality at Victoria Park East
If you can bogey every hole on a typical par 72 golf course, you'll shoot 90. If you manage to par just one of the holes, you'll break 90. Golfers who shoot in the nineties hear this repeatedly. It's a way of reminding them that they don't have to bomb away with every shot, take on every obstacle, or challenge every pin. Instead, just keep the ball in play. With a conservative approach, you may need an extra shot to reach the green, but that means no worse than bogey, so you're well on your way.
I find this approach helpful, but only to a certain extent. It's useful when you find yourself in a difficult situation – amongst a grove of trees, for example, after your tee shot. We've all seen the pros get near or on the green in this situation – sometimes by threading the ball through a small opening in the branches, or by playing a huge hook or slice. Most of us are not pros, however, so it would be unwise to attempt the same shots. For us regular folk, it's much better to chip or punch one back to safety and take our chances with the subsequent shot.
While the bogey mantra reminds us to take our medicine when necessary, I believe it can also impede our overall progress. For golfers who shoot in the nineties, such as yours truly, it is simply not easy to bogey 18 holes. That's because we make mistakes, not only from tough situations like the grove of trees, but also from prime positions, such as the middle of the fairway or even the teeing ground. Pull a tee shot out of bounds and you'll suddenly be hard pressed to make bogey. Make more than one mistake on a hole and the same holds true.
If you set the bar at 90, I believe you'll most often come up a few strokes short. That's why players like me typically shoot no better than 92, 93, 94, etc. To break 90 more consistently, I really think we have to move away from the bogey mantra – toward a par or birdie mentality. This doesn't mean that we expect to par or birdie every hole. It simply means that we approach each tee shot with the intent of making birdie. Further, we maintain that approach until one of our shots puts us in a situation that makes par a more realistic goal. We should only aim for bogey when the situation deteriorates further. In this fashion, we still play conservatively when called for. However, we also play aggressively when there is no reason to shy away from a particular hole.
I put this new mentality to the test at my most recent round at Victoria Park East. I made par on three of the first four holes, so it appeared to be helping. Hole #1, a par-5, was completed with driver, 5-iron, sand wedge and a 2-putt. Hole #2, a par-4, began with a perfect drive to the end of the fairway, just in front of a creek at 150 yards. My 8-iron found a bunker just right and after a poor sand shot and 3 putts, I took double-bogey. See what I mean about more than one mistake on a hole? All the more reason to make hay when the going is good. Hole #3, a par-4, resulted in par, thanks to driver, 6-iron, a chip from the left fringe and a single putt. Hole #4, a par-3 over water, yielded par after a 7-iron from the tee and 2 putts.
The rest of the front nine wasn't as good, as I tallied one more par, three bogeys and a disappointing triple. The triple was on hole #6, a short par-3 over water. My 9-iron got me safely over the water, but it was pulled and drawing left, careening off a mound and going out of bounds. The par was on hole #9, a par-4 with a dogleg right. I actually hit a poor drive, which never got more than a foot off the ground. From 215 yards in the left rough, I tried to hit 5-wood and failed badly. Luckily, my next shot was fabulous. The 8-iron from the right rough sailed high and landed soft, pin high. I faced a long breaking putt, about 20 feet, and drained it for a score of 44 at the turn.
I played the next six holes 5 over par. This included two pars, three bogeys and one double. The pars both came on par-3 holes. Hole #13 was playing 150 yards over water – a common feature on the par-3 holes at Vic Park. I hit an easy 8-iron just above the hole. I barely tapped the ball to cozy it down 10 feet to the hole for a tap-in. Hole #15 was playing longer at 170 yards. I hit a pure 6-iron about 180 to the back of the green. With the flag at the front, I had a really tough 2-putt, but made a decent lag and a better finisher to snag par.
So into the home stretch we go. I was 13 over par through 15 holes – the par mentality had me a couple strokes better than bogey pace! Hole #16 was a 506-yard par-5. My drive found a fairway bunker on the right side. With a flat lie and not much of a lip to worry about, I hit a nice 6-iron to the left fairway, 130 yards from the green. A large tree was protecting the back left of the green, where the pin was located. I tried to play PW to the fat of the green, but came up slightly right, in a bunker. Now, the sand at Vic Park is actually very nice and fluffy, but despite that, I hit a bad shot. I thinned the ball into the lip of the bunker. It ricocheted back at me, hitting me in the chest area. That's a one stroke penalty. I got out of the bunker on my next shot and 2-putt for triple-bogey. Darn!
Hole #17 is a short, quirky par-4. After a great drive, I should have done better than bogey, but my pitch from 65 yards was too short, leaving a long putt. My lag was mediocre and I burned the edge on the par attempt – bogey was the result. Still, I was 17 over through 17 holes going into the last, a par-4. My drive drifted just right of the fairway, near a grove of trees. I took my medicine and punched back to the centre of the fairway, 120 yards from the flag. I had taken 86 strokes to that point. All I needed to do was hit the green and 2-putt for an 89.
The green is on an elevated plateau, so I decided to hit my 130-yard club (PW). It was a slight pull, but still headed to the centre of the green. Next thing I know, the ball lands on the steep slope fronting the green, and rolls back into a deep bunker. Game over. I had already hit two poor shots from greenside bunkers and this ended up no different. I inadvertently picked the ball clean, sailing well past the green. Now pitching from the top of the hill to a green falling away from me, I fluffed one with the 60 degree wedge, sliding right under the ball. I wasn't being cute either – my next attempt was less of a flop attempt and the ball landed short of the pin, rolled past, almost stopped, but kept going and going until it was off the green entirely. Three putts from there gave me a 9 on the hole.
Give me a break! My typical score once again. What an incredible game!
Score: 93
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 2
I find this approach helpful, but only to a certain extent. It's useful when you find yourself in a difficult situation – amongst a grove of trees, for example, after your tee shot. We've all seen the pros get near or on the green in this situation – sometimes by threading the ball through a small opening in the branches, or by playing a huge hook or slice. Most of us are not pros, however, so it would be unwise to attempt the same shots. For us regular folk, it's much better to chip or punch one back to safety and take our chances with the subsequent shot.
While the bogey mantra reminds us to take our medicine when necessary, I believe it can also impede our overall progress. For golfers who shoot in the nineties, such as yours truly, it is simply not easy to bogey 18 holes. That's because we make mistakes, not only from tough situations like the grove of trees, but also from prime positions, such as the middle of the fairway or even the teeing ground. Pull a tee shot out of bounds and you'll suddenly be hard pressed to make bogey. Make more than one mistake on a hole and the same holds true.
If you set the bar at 90, I believe you'll most often come up a few strokes short. That's why players like me typically shoot no better than 92, 93, 94, etc. To break 90 more consistently, I really think we have to move away from the bogey mantra – toward a par or birdie mentality. This doesn't mean that we expect to par or birdie every hole. It simply means that we approach each tee shot with the intent of making birdie. Further, we maintain that approach until one of our shots puts us in a situation that makes par a more realistic goal. We should only aim for bogey when the situation deteriorates further. In this fashion, we still play conservatively when called for. However, we also play aggressively when there is no reason to shy away from a particular hole.
I put this new mentality to the test at my most recent round at Victoria Park East. I made par on three of the first four holes, so it appeared to be helping. Hole #1, a par-5, was completed with driver, 5-iron, sand wedge and a 2-putt. Hole #2, a par-4, began with a perfect drive to the end of the fairway, just in front of a creek at 150 yards. My 8-iron found a bunker just right and after a poor sand shot and 3 putts, I took double-bogey. See what I mean about more than one mistake on a hole? All the more reason to make hay when the going is good. Hole #3, a par-4, resulted in par, thanks to driver, 6-iron, a chip from the left fringe and a single putt. Hole #4, a par-3 over water, yielded par after a 7-iron from the tee and 2 putts.
The rest of the front nine wasn't as good, as I tallied one more par, three bogeys and a disappointing triple. The triple was on hole #6, a short par-3 over water. My 9-iron got me safely over the water, but it was pulled and drawing left, careening off a mound and going out of bounds. The par was on hole #9, a par-4 with a dogleg right. I actually hit a poor drive, which never got more than a foot off the ground. From 215 yards in the left rough, I tried to hit 5-wood and failed badly. Luckily, my next shot was fabulous. The 8-iron from the right rough sailed high and landed soft, pin high. I faced a long breaking putt, about 20 feet, and drained it for a score of 44 at the turn.
I played the next six holes 5 over par. This included two pars, three bogeys and one double. The pars both came on par-3 holes. Hole #13 was playing 150 yards over water – a common feature on the par-3 holes at Vic Park. I hit an easy 8-iron just above the hole. I barely tapped the ball to cozy it down 10 feet to the hole for a tap-in. Hole #15 was playing longer at 170 yards. I hit a pure 6-iron about 180 to the back of the green. With the flag at the front, I had a really tough 2-putt, but made a decent lag and a better finisher to snag par.
So into the home stretch we go. I was 13 over par through 15 holes – the par mentality had me a couple strokes better than bogey pace! Hole #16 was a 506-yard par-5. My drive found a fairway bunker on the right side. With a flat lie and not much of a lip to worry about, I hit a nice 6-iron to the left fairway, 130 yards from the green. A large tree was protecting the back left of the green, where the pin was located. I tried to play PW to the fat of the green, but came up slightly right, in a bunker. Now, the sand at Vic Park is actually very nice and fluffy, but despite that, I hit a bad shot. I thinned the ball into the lip of the bunker. It ricocheted back at me, hitting me in the chest area. That's a one stroke penalty. I got out of the bunker on my next shot and 2-putt for triple-bogey. Darn!
Hole #17 is a short, quirky par-4. After a great drive, I should have done better than bogey, but my pitch from 65 yards was too short, leaving a long putt. My lag was mediocre and I burned the edge on the par attempt – bogey was the result. Still, I was 17 over through 17 holes going into the last, a par-4. My drive drifted just right of the fairway, near a grove of trees. I took my medicine and punched back to the centre of the fairway, 120 yards from the flag. I had taken 86 strokes to that point. All I needed to do was hit the green and 2-putt for an 89.
The green is on an elevated plateau, so I decided to hit my 130-yard club (PW). It was a slight pull, but still headed to the centre of the green. Next thing I know, the ball lands on the steep slope fronting the green, and rolls back into a deep bunker. Game over. I had already hit two poor shots from greenside bunkers and this ended up no different. I inadvertently picked the ball clean, sailing well past the green. Now pitching from the top of the hill to a green falling away from me, I fluffed one with the 60 degree wedge, sliding right under the ball. I wasn't being cute either – my next attempt was less of a flop attempt and the ball landed short of the pin, rolled past, almost stopped, but kept going and going until it was off the green entirely. Three putts from there gave me a 9 on the hole.
Give me a break! My typical score once again. What an incredible game!
Score: 93
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 2
July 03, 2015
Moving Right Along at Bradford
I was supposed to play Round 2 of the Deepwoods championship last Sunday, but a freak storm that brought non-stop rain for 48 hours resulted in the event being cancelled. A few days later, under perfect summer conditions, I played a round at Bradford Highlands. I've had some decent results there, but I've also had some terrible ones, thanks to a few blowup holes that ruin an otherwise solid outing. I was anxious to see what would happen this time around, but also feeling pretty confident.
On the opening par-4, I found the right side of the fairway with a 265-yard drive. My pitching wedge settled at the back of the green after I caught it a tad thin. It was the only green in regulation all day. The pin was at the front of the green, so I faced a tough 2-putt. I judged the weight perfectly, but overestimated the break, leaving an 8-footer for par. Unfortunately, I just missed on the low side, settling for bogey. The good news is it was my only 3-putt of the day. In fact, I collected only 30 putts total – my lowest of the season.
When I have a low putt total, I find it has more to do with chipping well than it does with the actual putting. Hole #2 is a good example. I hit 5-iron off the tee on this 180-yard par-3, finishing ten yards right of the green. My pitch shot was all over the flag, but released right off the back edge of the green. No worries, as I made a solid chip that nearly dropped. An easy tap-in secured bogey. That went down as a 1-putt hole, but there really was no putting skill involved. The same thing happened on hole #3, but that single putt was for double-bogey. I hit my first tee shot on this par-4 out of bounds, so I was forced to play my third from the tee.
Mind you, there were some 1-putt holes where the putt was much more than a tap-in. On hole #5, a lengthy par-5, I made a 10-footer to save par. This came after a nice pitch from 40 yards away. On hole #6, it was a 15-foot breaking putt that I judged perfectly for yet another par. I've had disastrous (double-digit) results on this par-4 in previous visits, so that par felt really good. My trouble usually starts on the tee, either flying out of bounds on the right, or finding an impossibly small pond short and on the left. This time, I piped a beautiful drive down the middle, finishing beside the 100-yard stick. I actually think it's less than 100 yards, because my sand wedge flew well past the green. No worries, as my chip and putt saved me.
A wicked pull off the tee on hole #7 led to double-bogey, but it was a double on hole #9, a par-5, that really bothered me. I hit about a 250-yard drive off the tee to the left side of the fairway. This is a shorter par-5, so I had just 215 yards to the green. Though my angle to the green was ideal, I was actually about a foot into the left rough. The lie seemed fine to me, so I went for the green with 5-wood. Of course, I topped it badly, sending the ball dribbling into a creek that was crossing the fairway 20 yards ahead. Aargh! That green was so tantalizing! Oh well.
My score at the turn was 46 and my goal was to try breaking 90. After bogey on hole #10, I was still in good shape, but hole #11 put a damper on things. This is a longish par-5 that I don't usually have too much trouble with. If anything, the green can be tricky if you're putting from above the hole. This time, my trouble came off the tee and on the shots that followed. The drive was pulled far left and now I had a decision to make. I could either pitch the ball 60 yards to lay up on front of a creek crossing the fairway, or I could go over it, being careful to avoid the small trees that were sort of in my line. I opted to go deep with the 5-wood, but the ball was on an upslope and I lost my balance as I swung. Once again, it was a topped ball and I was in the same predicament. This time I pitched to the layup area. Unfortunately, my subsequent 4-iron drifted right into a hazard and I took a penalty. Ultimately, I missed a short putt to take a score of 9 on the hole.
I struggled a bit on the last par-5 of the day, which was hole #18, carding a triple-bogey. I don't know what it was about the par-5 holes, because the rest of the back nine was fine. I strung together mostly bogeys, but there were a couple of pars as well. One was thanks to a very long putt, while the other was on the #1 handicap hole, which is hole #17. Again, a pitch shot from about 40 yards that was all over the flag and an 8-foot putt were the keys.
In the end, I had one of my better results at Bradford Highlands, but I still felt like I left a lot of strokes out there. What's it going to take to start breaking 90 with regularity? Ninety percent of my game tells me I could do it easily, but that other ten percent is what kills me and greatly inflates my scores. Oh, the life of a 18-handicapper! (currently 18.8, to be precise)
Score: 94
Putts: 30
Fairways: 5
Greens: 1
Penalties: 4
On the opening par-4, I found the right side of the fairway with a 265-yard drive. My pitching wedge settled at the back of the green after I caught it a tad thin. It was the only green in regulation all day. The pin was at the front of the green, so I faced a tough 2-putt. I judged the weight perfectly, but overestimated the break, leaving an 8-footer for par. Unfortunately, I just missed on the low side, settling for bogey. The good news is it was my only 3-putt of the day. In fact, I collected only 30 putts total – my lowest of the season.
When I have a low putt total, I find it has more to do with chipping well than it does with the actual putting. Hole #2 is a good example. I hit 5-iron off the tee on this 180-yard par-3, finishing ten yards right of the green. My pitch shot was all over the flag, but released right off the back edge of the green. No worries, as I made a solid chip that nearly dropped. An easy tap-in secured bogey. That went down as a 1-putt hole, but there really was no putting skill involved. The same thing happened on hole #3, but that single putt was for double-bogey. I hit my first tee shot on this par-4 out of bounds, so I was forced to play my third from the tee.
Mind you, there were some 1-putt holes where the putt was much more than a tap-in. On hole #5, a lengthy par-5, I made a 10-footer to save par. This came after a nice pitch from 40 yards away. On hole #6, it was a 15-foot breaking putt that I judged perfectly for yet another par. I've had disastrous (double-digit) results on this par-4 in previous visits, so that par felt really good. My trouble usually starts on the tee, either flying out of bounds on the right, or finding an impossibly small pond short and on the left. This time, I piped a beautiful drive down the middle, finishing beside the 100-yard stick. I actually think it's less than 100 yards, because my sand wedge flew well past the green. No worries, as my chip and putt saved me.
A wicked pull off the tee on hole #7 led to double-bogey, but it was a double on hole #9, a par-5, that really bothered me. I hit about a 250-yard drive off the tee to the left side of the fairway. This is a shorter par-5, so I had just 215 yards to the green. Though my angle to the green was ideal, I was actually about a foot into the left rough. The lie seemed fine to me, so I went for the green with 5-wood. Of course, I topped it badly, sending the ball dribbling into a creek that was crossing the fairway 20 yards ahead. Aargh! That green was so tantalizing! Oh well.
My score at the turn was 46 and my goal was to try breaking 90. After bogey on hole #10, I was still in good shape, but hole #11 put a damper on things. This is a longish par-5 that I don't usually have too much trouble with. If anything, the green can be tricky if you're putting from above the hole. This time, my trouble came off the tee and on the shots that followed. The drive was pulled far left and now I had a decision to make. I could either pitch the ball 60 yards to lay up on front of a creek crossing the fairway, or I could go over it, being careful to avoid the small trees that were sort of in my line. I opted to go deep with the 5-wood, but the ball was on an upslope and I lost my balance as I swung. Once again, it was a topped ball and I was in the same predicament. This time I pitched to the layup area. Unfortunately, my subsequent 4-iron drifted right into a hazard and I took a penalty. Ultimately, I missed a short putt to take a score of 9 on the hole.
I struggled a bit on the last par-5 of the day, which was hole #18, carding a triple-bogey. I don't know what it was about the par-5 holes, because the rest of the back nine was fine. I strung together mostly bogeys, but there were a couple of pars as well. One was thanks to a very long putt, while the other was on the #1 handicap hole, which is hole #17. Again, a pitch shot from about 40 yards that was all over the flag and an 8-foot putt were the keys.
In the end, I had one of my better results at Bradford Highlands, but I still felt like I left a lot of strokes out there. What's it going to take to start breaking 90 with regularity? Ninety percent of my game tells me I could do it easily, but that other ten percent is what kills me and greatly inflates my scores. Oh, the life of a 18-handicapper! (currently 18.8, to be precise)
Score: 94
Putts: 30
Fairways: 5
Greens: 1
Penalties: 4
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