I played a rare weekend round at Mystic Golf Club, in Ancaster. It was my second visit of the year, but only my third ever. I improved my early season score by a single stroke, shooting 97 overall. Scoring was spread out fairly evenly, as I tallied 49 on the front nine and 48 on the back. I managed four pars, but these were offset by a pair of triple-bogeys. Interestingly, I was 9-over on the par-4 holes, of which there are ten. That's actually quite good! Unfortunately, I was 6-over on the four par-3 holes and a whopping 10-over on the four par-5 holes. I'm not sure if that means anything – it was probably just coincidence.
I won't provide many shot-by-shot accounts of what happened, because it would be very similar to my other blog posts. There were holes that I played without incident, resulting in par or bogey. When I tallied double-bogey or worse, it usually involved a slight error that put me in a tough situation. On a couple of occasions, shots that missed by just a few yards took really bad bounces, leaving me short-sided in some weeds or perhaps in a greenside bunker. The point is that I wasn't hacking it out there, even though the results make it look like that.
My driving was actually very good. As I have all year, I focused on feeling where my body wants to stop rotating, then extending ever so slightly past that. This shortens my swing and keeps my arms from getting too involved. It has the effect of keeping me on plane. The new bit was that I also thought of keeping my right elbow tucked closer to my body while executing that move. It worked very well. I was able to then follow through aggressively on the downswing, without fear of losing control. I hit 9 of 14 fairways this way. When I missed, it was barely. On three occasions, I was just a couple yards into the rough, while on two occasions, I was in a fairway bunker.
The best drive was probably on hole #13, a par-4 measuring just 314 yards from the silver tees. In my opinion, the layup off the tee is actually a tougher shot than just bombing away with driver. Deep bunkers pinch the left side of the landing zone, with woods on the right. Further ahead, the bunkers are not as deep and the fairway is wider. I blasted a laser of a shot through the end of the fairway, finishing in the rough just 15 yards from the green. I pitched on and 2-putt for par. This came on the heels of a similar drive on the previous hole, a 336-yard par-4. I was in the fairway, just 30 yards away from the green, after my drive. Unfortunately, I pitched over the back of the green into some fescue, leading to bogey.
While the driver was very consistent, the irons were less so. I hit four greens in regulation, which is fairly typical. Of course, the iron shots into those greens were good. On other occasions, however, the shots were mediocre. I didn't duff or scull any, but the fact is, I missed the greens. With my short game not very sharp, missing the greens becomes very penal. A better player could get up and down more often, thereby reducing the effect of missed greens. I wish I could do that!
As I alluded to, my short game was rather poor. I'm not referring to putting – that was fine. I'm talking about pitch shots in the 20-30 yard range, along with chip shots from closer. I fluffed a couple pitches, failing to even reach the green. Other times, I hit pitches that were much better, but which left very long putts to follow. As a bogey golfer, I'm in this situation a lot, so I have to be better near the greens to improve my scores. I really have to pitch and chip the ball near the flag to give myself a chance at making the subsequent putts. It's not good enough to simply pitch on the green and then 2-putt. That produces scores in the nineties, which is where I have been stuck almost all year.
I've played 30 rounds so far this season and have a trio of scores in the eighties (84, 86, 86). That's nice, but breaking 90 just ten percent of the time is not good enough.
Score: 97
Putts: 37
Fairways: 9
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
September 27, 2015
September 23, 2015
Same Old Story at Granite Ridge
Every time I play the Cobalt Course at Granite Ridge, I think back to an 82 I shot there in 2008. Could I do it again? Could I go just a few strokes lower to break 80? It was no different this time, as I headed out to the Milton area course on a sunny afternoon.
The round was pretty much like all of my rounds this year. I shot 95, which is my most common score this season. Sometimes I finish a little lower, sometimes a little higher, but always in the nineties it seems. In a way, this is a good thing. A couple years back, I regressed and was shooting 100 or more far too often. After 29 rounds this season, I've only reached 100 twice. One of these was the first round of the season – on a tough course after six months without touching a club. I've also had three scores in the eighties, so I feel like these offer a reasonable degree of compensation. On two dozen occasions, however, my score has been between 92 and 99. How do I get out of this rut and start breaking 90 with regularity?
My driving at Granite Ridge was fairly typical for the season. I hit 7 of 15 fairways and was never in any real trouble when I missed one. The toughest spot was probably after my drive on hole #7, a par-5 rated as the most difficult hole on the course. To avoid wetlands on the right side, I aimed for the left, but a pull travelled near the hole #17 teeing ground. I had space to swing and a decent lie, but failed to clear the tree line with my second shot, forcing a pitch to the 100-yard stick, from where I would try to find the putting surface in four. Contrast this with hole #13, where my drive, albeit in the right rough, left just 100 yards and a great angle to the green.
My iron play was spotty, especially early on. It had been a week since my last round, where my irons were actually quite good. I tried to carry forward the same thoughts and actions, but they didn't always work. I hit poor second shots with the irons on holes #1 and #2, but luckily the results weren't terrible. It wasn't until hole #3, a 148-yard par-3, that I hit a nice iron. It was a 7-iron that went dead straight, finishing about 12 feet below the hole. I missed the birdie putt and made par.
The good iron play didn't last long, as I hooked my second shot on hole #4 into some weeds. I was lucky not to be out of bounds, but really had no swing and had to declare the ball unplayable. On hole #5, a 161-yard par-3, I sculled the 7-iron off the tee, right into a pond fronting the green. And so it continued for the rest of the round. I had slight misses with the irons that didn't hurt me as much, but overall, the irons just weren't sharp. I was fighting the hook and sometimes came up short as I tried to hit cut shots to compensate.
Pitching and chipping was a mixed bag. I made a great pitch from 15 yards left of the green on hole #1 to set up a par save opportunity. A nice chip from greenside on hole #2 also set up a chance at par. On both occasions, I missed the very makeable putts and settled for bogey. Contrast this with hole #8, a short par-4. My second shot, 66 yards from the flag was just right of target and rolled off the green, very close to the flag. I sculled two consecutive chip shots, leading to a double-bogey. What a waste! I sculled another on hole #9, before knocking a good one tight to salvage bogey.
Come to think of it, the inconsistent chipping continued through the back nine as well. I fluffed chip shots on holes #12, #14, and #16 that didn't help my cause. On the other hand, I hit serviceable ones on holes #13 and #15. My second attempt on hole #16 left a tap-in for bogey, while another on hole #17 did exactly the same thing. So my chipping wasn't entirely horrible, but I really gave away some strokes for no reason.
Last but not least, my putting was good. I didn't drain anything from distance, but I had no 3-putts, while managing a trio of 1-putts. Avoiding 3-putts is a nice feeling. I wish it happened more often. I also avoided triple-bogeys or worse, which was also nice. I usually have two or three blowup holes to mar my scorecard.
Approaching the end of September, we're now into the final stretch of the season. I may only play another seven or eight rounds, so it's time to get cracking. I'd like to get my handicap factor below 18, if possible.
Score: 95
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
The round was pretty much like all of my rounds this year. I shot 95, which is my most common score this season. Sometimes I finish a little lower, sometimes a little higher, but always in the nineties it seems. In a way, this is a good thing. A couple years back, I regressed and was shooting 100 or more far too often. After 29 rounds this season, I've only reached 100 twice. One of these was the first round of the season – on a tough course after six months without touching a club. I've also had three scores in the eighties, so I feel like these offer a reasonable degree of compensation. On two dozen occasions, however, my score has been between 92 and 99. How do I get out of this rut and start breaking 90 with regularity?
My driving at Granite Ridge was fairly typical for the season. I hit 7 of 15 fairways and was never in any real trouble when I missed one. The toughest spot was probably after my drive on hole #7, a par-5 rated as the most difficult hole on the course. To avoid wetlands on the right side, I aimed for the left, but a pull travelled near the hole #17 teeing ground. I had space to swing and a decent lie, but failed to clear the tree line with my second shot, forcing a pitch to the 100-yard stick, from where I would try to find the putting surface in four. Contrast this with hole #13, where my drive, albeit in the right rough, left just 100 yards and a great angle to the green.
My iron play was spotty, especially early on. It had been a week since my last round, where my irons were actually quite good. I tried to carry forward the same thoughts and actions, but they didn't always work. I hit poor second shots with the irons on holes #1 and #2, but luckily the results weren't terrible. It wasn't until hole #3, a 148-yard par-3, that I hit a nice iron. It was a 7-iron that went dead straight, finishing about 12 feet below the hole. I missed the birdie putt and made par.
The good iron play didn't last long, as I hooked my second shot on hole #4 into some weeds. I was lucky not to be out of bounds, but really had no swing and had to declare the ball unplayable. On hole #5, a 161-yard par-3, I sculled the 7-iron off the tee, right into a pond fronting the green. And so it continued for the rest of the round. I had slight misses with the irons that didn't hurt me as much, but overall, the irons just weren't sharp. I was fighting the hook and sometimes came up short as I tried to hit cut shots to compensate.
Pitching and chipping was a mixed bag. I made a great pitch from 15 yards left of the green on hole #1 to set up a par save opportunity. A nice chip from greenside on hole #2 also set up a chance at par. On both occasions, I missed the very makeable putts and settled for bogey. Contrast this with hole #8, a short par-4. My second shot, 66 yards from the flag was just right of target and rolled off the green, very close to the flag. I sculled two consecutive chip shots, leading to a double-bogey. What a waste! I sculled another on hole #9, before knocking a good one tight to salvage bogey.
Come to think of it, the inconsistent chipping continued through the back nine as well. I fluffed chip shots on holes #12, #14, and #16 that didn't help my cause. On the other hand, I hit serviceable ones on holes #13 and #15. My second attempt on hole #16 left a tap-in for bogey, while another on hole #17 did exactly the same thing. So my chipping wasn't entirely horrible, but I really gave away some strokes for no reason.
Last but not least, my putting was good. I didn't drain anything from distance, but I had no 3-putts, while managing a trio of 1-putts. Avoiding 3-putts is a nice feeling. I wish it happened more often. I also avoided triple-bogeys or worse, which was also nice. I usually have two or three blowup holes to mar my scorecard.
Approaching the end of September, we're now into the final stretch of the season. I may only play another seven or eight rounds, so it's time to get cracking. I'd like to get my handicap factor below 18, if possible.
Score: 95
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
September 19, 2015
Kedron Testy as Ever
There was a time when I considered Kedron Dells my nemesis. I played there often and collected huge scores almost every time. Granted, most of those visits took place in my early golfing days. Nevertheless, there's something about the course that makes it a stiff challenge, even now. You wouldn't guess as much by examining the rating / slope (71.4 / 125 from the Blue tees). At 6322 yards, the overall length is also pretty reasonable.
Perhaps it's the way the length is distributed over the different holes. The par-5 holes measure, 570, 493, 553, and 533 yards respectively. Three of those are just not reachable in two, even on a good day. Hole #4 is a beastly par-4 at 444 yards that requires a well placed drive, or else you're laying up or pitching to get back in position. Some of the par-3 holes also require length. Hole #5 is 195 yards with trouble front left and right. Hole #12 is no cakewalk at 188 yards, but #14 takes the cake. At 222 yards, it features OB left, woods right, and bunkers in front.
With all those long holes, there has to be some shorter ones – and there is. But the designs of the shorter holes offer different forms of defense. Hole #7, a 340-yard par-4, requires an accurately placed drive. Too far left or right, even on the fairway, and trees will challenge your ability to go for the green. Hole #8, a 149-yard par-3, is wedged between a wooded hillside and similarly wooded creek. Hole #10, a 363-yard par 4, features a hazard crossing the fairway in the prime landing zone. The safe play is to lay up, but this leaves a 170-yard approach to an elevated green. It plays much longer than the overall yardage would indicate. Finally, there is hole #15. It's a 302-yard par-4, but shaped like a horseshoe, with woods and water inside. It's a stiff test to reach the green in regulation.
I began the round well, except for some really horrific pitch shots. I made par on the opening par-5, but duffed a pair of pitch shots near the second and third greens that resulted in double-bogeys. Hole #4, the beastly one I described earlier, gave me the usual trouble. I pulled my drive left behind a grove of thick trees. I actually had to go backwards to pitch back to the fairway, and now I was miles away from the green. Two more shots left me right of the green. This was followed by a pitch and two putts for a triple-bogey.
Circumstances were similar on hole #7. I smother hooked my drive attempt, leaving me stymied by a grove of thick trees. I declared the ball unplayable and took a drop 50 yards back, on a line from the flag through the spot where my ball came to rest. It was all I could do to go forward, instead of backwards. Unfortunately, I had no real idea of the proper line to take, much less how far I should hit it. I ended up carding a quadruple-bogey. On a positive note, I finished up the front nine with a pair of bogeys.
The back nine was better, with only hole #11, a par-5, causing real disaster. A good drive to the left side took a bad bounce, ending up in some weeds against a fallen tree branch. I had to declare another unplayable. My third shot was way right to an opposite fairway. I tried to go over some tall trees next, but the ball didn't get airborne. I took the low route next, ending up near the green. A pitch and two putts earned triple-bogey.
There were a couple of double-bogeys registered on the back side, but mostly bogeys and one par. That was on the crescent-shaped hole #15. I actually hit a poor tee shot, clipping a tree on the right side not very far from the tee. I laid up to 100 yards, then hit one flag high, left of the pin. It took a great putt from 12 feet to save the par.
At the end of the round, I knew I was in danger of reaching 100. In fact, I thought I would finish with 101. To my surprise and delight, I was spared going over the century mark, finishing with a score of 99. Wayne Gretzky would be proud!
Score: 99
Putts: 33
Fairways: 4
Greens: 0
Penalties: 2
Perhaps it's the way the length is distributed over the different holes. The par-5 holes measure, 570, 493, 553, and 533 yards respectively. Three of those are just not reachable in two, even on a good day. Hole #4 is a beastly par-4 at 444 yards that requires a well placed drive, or else you're laying up or pitching to get back in position. Some of the par-3 holes also require length. Hole #5 is 195 yards with trouble front left and right. Hole #12 is no cakewalk at 188 yards, but #14 takes the cake. At 222 yards, it features OB left, woods right, and bunkers in front.
With all those long holes, there has to be some shorter ones – and there is. But the designs of the shorter holes offer different forms of defense. Hole #7, a 340-yard par-4, requires an accurately placed drive. Too far left or right, even on the fairway, and trees will challenge your ability to go for the green. Hole #8, a 149-yard par-3, is wedged between a wooded hillside and similarly wooded creek. Hole #10, a 363-yard par 4, features a hazard crossing the fairway in the prime landing zone. The safe play is to lay up, but this leaves a 170-yard approach to an elevated green. It plays much longer than the overall yardage would indicate. Finally, there is hole #15. It's a 302-yard par-4, but shaped like a horseshoe, with woods and water inside. It's a stiff test to reach the green in regulation.
I began the round well, except for some really horrific pitch shots. I made par on the opening par-5, but duffed a pair of pitch shots near the second and third greens that resulted in double-bogeys. Hole #4, the beastly one I described earlier, gave me the usual trouble. I pulled my drive left behind a grove of thick trees. I actually had to go backwards to pitch back to the fairway, and now I was miles away from the green. Two more shots left me right of the green. This was followed by a pitch and two putts for a triple-bogey.
Circumstances were similar on hole #7. I smother hooked my drive attempt, leaving me stymied by a grove of thick trees. I declared the ball unplayable and took a drop 50 yards back, on a line from the flag through the spot where my ball came to rest. It was all I could do to go forward, instead of backwards. Unfortunately, I had no real idea of the proper line to take, much less how far I should hit it. I ended up carding a quadruple-bogey. On a positive note, I finished up the front nine with a pair of bogeys.
The back nine was better, with only hole #11, a par-5, causing real disaster. A good drive to the left side took a bad bounce, ending up in some weeds against a fallen tree branch. I had to declare another unplayable. My third shot was way right to an opposite fairway. I tried to go over some tall trees next, but the ball didn't get airborne. I took the low route next, ending up near the green. A pitch and two putts earned triple-bogey.
There were a couple of double-bogeys registered on the back side, but mostly bogeys and one par. That was on the crescent-shaped hole #15. I actually hit a poor tee shot, clipping a tree on the right side not very far from the tee. I laid up to 100 yards, then hit one flag high, left of the pin. It took a great putt from 12 feet to save the par.
At the end of the round, I knew I was in danger of reaching 100. In fact, I thought I would finish with 101. To my surprise and delight, I was spared going over the century mark, finishing with a score of 99. Wayne Gretzky would be proud!
Score: 99
Putts: 33
Fairways: 4
Greens: 0
Penalties: 2
September 17, 2015
So Close at Crosswinds
The final round of the Deepwoods Golf Association took place at Crosswinds Golf & Country Club on a wet Sunday afternoon. It was cooler than seasonal and cloud cover kept the sun hidden away until the round was over. Light rain fell during the middle of the round, but standing water was a factor from start to finish. I was in the final group of the day, challenging for the title of 2015 Deepwoods Champion.
The front nine went about as well as I could have hoped for and certainly well enough to be crowned champion. I put together two pars and seven bogeys for a score of 43 at the turn. This translated into 19 points under the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods. One of my fellow competitors was on the same pace, but he started the round a few points behind and was not closing the gap. The other two started even with me and they only managed 15 points each on the front nine. I was in the driver's seat and I knew it.
The key to my play on the front nine was the fact that I never made more than one mistake per hole. As a result, I never made worse than bogey. On the first hole, a short but tricky par-4, the mistake was a 3-putt after reaching the green in regulation. On holes #2 and #7, it was a pulled drive. On hole #6, the hardest on the course, the mistake was a duffed chip from flag-high, left of the green. On each occasion, I followed up with good shots. The driver was working fairly well and my irons felt solid. I was keeping my right hand loose and hitting them straight.
I made par on hole #10, thanks to a great up and down to a back pin location. One of my opponents took a quad on the hole, so I was in good shape for the title. Then, on hole #11, I hit a terrible duck hook with the driver, sending the ball into a pond. Despite taking a penalty stroke, I still had a chance to make bogey on the par-5 hole. My third shot was a good 4-iron, leaving about 150 yards to the green. From there, I found the front of the putting surface. Two putts were needed for bogey, but I blasted my first way past the hole. My second 3-putt of the day resulted in my first double-bogey. Incidentally, my playing partner made birdie, for a 3-point swing. Uh oh!
I didn't know for sure, but I felt like I was still leading the pack, albeit by a slight margin. I bogeyed the next two holes, so I felt like I was back on track. Hole #14 is the easiest on the course, so I wouldn't get any strokes to help me. Then again, neither would my competition. I hit a mediocre drive, but was still in the centre of the fairway, 150 yards from the green. My 8-iron shot came out low and squirted right, into the rough short of the green. My pitch shot went past the hole, but it should have been an easy 2-putt for bogey. Unfortunately, I babied the first putt, a downhill one, leading to a 3-putt and zero points. I now felt like the pair of 3-putts on holes #11 and #14 might cost me dearly.
That doubt was the worst thing that could have happened. I basically played sloppy, nervous golf over the last four holes. On hole #15, a par-5, I pulled my drive left towards out of bounds. I was lucky that my ball stayed in, but it was only a foot or so from the fence. I thought about turning a club over and hitting it left-handed, or about hitting it one-handed with my back to the target. None of those options felt good. I finally opted to slam the lob wedge straight down, but the angle was so steep and the lie so terrible, that the ball only moved a couple of feet. I went on to have more trouble near the green, finishing with a triple-bogey and zero points. Argh!
At that point, it was over. Unless I made par over the last three holes, I would have to rely on my scores from earlier in the season. I went on to record a bogey and two doubles, then headed to the clubhouse, expecting to hear that one of the others in my group had taken the victory. Amazingly, three of us ended the season tied and would go on to a sudden death playoff!
I had the best chance to win on the first playoff hole. None of us hit a good tee shot, with one going left into some trees, and the other joining me right in a fairway bunker. I hit a great out though, finishing in the fairway, just 20 yards from the green. The guy who went left into the trees ended up in the fairway as well, but 30 yards behind me. The other hit a poor shot into some gnarly fescue, also about 50 yards from the green. He punched near the green, chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey. The two of us in the fairway made weak shots to get on the green and then both of us 3-putt for double-bogeys of our own.
On the second playoff hole, a par-5, we all found the fairway with our drives. Two of us were short though, and had to lay up before a hazard that crosses the fairway up near the green. The other drilled his drive deep, then finished just left of the green with his second shot. He had the advantage at that point. Ultimately, he would chip and 2-putt for par. I found the edge of the green with my third shot and also 2-putt for par. The last guy stuck his approach from 100 yards to within six feet and drained the putt for birdie and the championship.
It was my third runner-up finish on the Deepwoods Tour, which must be a record. I do have one championship to go with those, but that was a long time ago. So close, yet again!
Score: 93
Putts: 36
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
The front nine went about as well as I could have hoped for and certainly well enough to be crowned champion. I put together two pars and seven bogeys for a score of 43 at the turn. This translated into 19 points under the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods. One of my fellow competitors was on the same pace, but he started the round a few points behind and was not closing the gap. The other two started even with me and they only managed 15 points each on the front nine. I was in the driver's seat and I knew it.
The key to my play on the front nine was the fact that I never made more than one mistake per hole. As a result, I never made worse than bogey. On the first hole, a short but tricky par-4, the mistake was a 3-putt after reaching the green in regulation. On holes #2 and #7, it was a pulled drive. On hole #6, the hardest on the course, the mistake was a duffed chip from flag-high, left of the green. On each occasion, I followed up with good shots. The driver was working fairly well and my irons felt solid. I was keeping my right hand loose and hitting them straight.
I made par on hole #10, thanks to a great up and down to a back pin location. One of my opponents took a quad on the hole, so I was in good shape for the title. Then, on hole #11, I hit a terrible duck hook with the driver, sending the ball into a pond. Despite taking a penalty stroke, I still had a chance to make bogey on the par-5 hole. My third shot was a good 4-iron, leaving about 150 yards to the green. From there, I found the front of the putting surface. Two putts were needed for bogey, but I blasted my first way past the hole. My second 3-putt of the day resulted in my first double-bogey. Incidentally, my playing partner made birdie, for a 3-point swing. Uh oh!
I didn't know for sure, but I felt like I was still leading the pack, albeit by a slight margin. I bogeyed the next two holes, so I felt like I was back on track. Hole #14 is the easiest on the course, so I wouldn't get any strokes to help me. Then again, neither would my competition. I hit a mediocre drive, but was still in the centre of the fairway, 150 yards from the green. My 8-iron shot came out low and squirted right, into the rough short of the green. My pitch shot went past the hole, but it should have been an easy 2-putt for bogey. Unfortunately, I babied the first putt, a downhill one, leading to a 3-putt and zero points. I now felt like the pair of 3-putts on holes #11 and #14 might cost me dearly.
That doubt was the worst thing that could have happened. I basically played sloppy, nervous golf over the last four holes. On hole #15, a par-5, I pulled my drive left towards out of bounds. I was lucky that my ball stayed in, but it was only a foot or so from the fence. I thought about turning a club over and hitting it left-handed, or about hitting it one-handed with my back to the target. None of those options felt good. I finally opted to slam the lob wedge straight down, but the angle was so steep and the lie so terrible, that the ball only moved a couple of feet. I went on to have more trouble near the green, finishing with a triple-bogey and zero points. Argh!
At that point, it was over. Unless I made par over the last three holes, I would have to rely on my scores from earlier in the season. I went on to record a bogey and two doubles, then headed to the clubhouse, expecting to hear that one of the others in my group had taken the victory. Amazingly, three of us ended the season tied and would go on to a sudden death playoff!
I had the best chance to win on the first playoff hole. None of us hit a good tee shot, with one going left into some trees, and the other joining me right in a fairway bunker. I hit a great out though, finishing in the fairway, just 20 yards from the green. The guy who went left into the trees ended up in the fairway as well, but 30 yards behind me. The other hit a poor shot into some gnarly fescue, also about 50 yards from the green. He punched near the green, chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey. The two of us in the fairway made weak shots to get on the green and then both of us 3-putt for double-bogeys of our own.
On the second playoff hole, a par-5, we all found the fairway with our drives. Two of us were short though, and had to lay up before a hazard that crosses the fairway up near the green. The other drilled his drive deep, then finished just left of the green with his second shot. He had the advantage at that point. Ultimately, he would chip and 2-putt for par. I found the edge of the green with my third shot and also 2-putt for par. The last guy stuck his approach from 100 yards to within six feet and drained the putt for birdie and the championship.
It was my third runner-up finish on the Deepwoods Tour, which must be a record. I do have one championship to go with those, but that was a long time ago. So close, yet again!
Score: 93
Putts: 36
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
September 09, 2015
Another Coincidence at Indian Wells
It's been a strange year for coincidences on the golf course. On a visit to Victoria Park East, I ran into a guy I played with five years ago on the GTA Amateur Tour. The pro shop called him to the first tee over the loudspeaker and I recognized his name. He was in the group directly behind me. I chatted with him when things backed up on the third hole and he remembered me as well. On a visit to Century Pines, I got paired up with a guy I met and played with a year earlier at the same course. He was a good player and great company. He remembered my name and details of the small talk we exchanged a year prior. On a visit to Piper's Heath, a fellow member of the Deepwoods Golf Association called out my name as I was waiting to tee off on hole #17. He's a Deepwoods regular, but didn't play this year because of scheduling problems. We chatted a bit and agreed to get out for a round together later in the year.
The latest coincidence probably takes the cake. On a visit to Indian Wells, I pulled into a parking lot that was nearly empty. Another car pulled in at the same time and we parked side by side. The driver asked if I had the 11:48 am tee time, which I did. As we introduced ourselves, we realized that we knew each other. He works for a company that was my employer for many years and which I left almost five years ago. We weren't direct colleagues at the company, but worked in the same general area and had a number of common friends. We had lunched together and even played golf together at a mutual friend's private club. However, we hadn't seen each other or spoken for at least five years. It turned out to be a great round of golf. The course was nearly empty, as people were scared off by rain showers earlier in the day. Not only that, but it was a great opportunity to catch up with a former colleague. Amazing stuff!
As for the golf itself, I started with a mostly positive front nine. I was seven over par through the first eight holes, comprised of a birdie, one par, four bogeys, and two double-bogeys. The birdie came on hole #5, a 340-yard par-4. Thick woods line the entire right side of this hole, from tee to green. It's actually staked as a lateral hazard, as there is a creek or something down in the trees. I visualized a drive starting on the left edge of the fairway and curling back slightly. That's exactly what I pulled off. It's such a great feeling when reality matches the vision you have beforehand. From 110 yards, I hit a sand wedge toward the green, which sits below the level of the fairway and is wrapped on all sides by woods. I came up a yard short, but hit an absolutely fabulous chip that curled toward the pin and dropped in the centre of the cup!
Hole #9 features a very tough tee shot, as thick woods line both sides of a narrow fairway. The right side is extremely thick – balls in there are not playable at all. The trees on the left are less thick, but a steep drop off carries balls down into a creek, 20 feet below the fairway level. I hit a good looking drive, but I just caught the top of the slope and my ball went all the way down into the hazard. After taking a penalty, I pitched up to the fairway through an opening in the trees. Unfortunately, my ball carried right to the other side of the fairway. From that position, the green was not accessible. I was forced to lay up about 50 yards from the green. I duffed a shot before finding the putting surface and then burned an edge on my first putt. The result was a disastrous quadruple-bogey. At the turn, my score was 47.
The back nine also featured a lot of good golf shots, but also another quadruple-bogey. Hole #12 calls for another tee shot to thread the needle between thick woods on both sides. It's not a long hole at 355 yards, but it's tight. You can't drive the ball more than 255 yards or you'll go through the end of the fairway and into a deep gulley, covered in rough. I hit it right about that distance to the left side and the ball trickled down the cart path to the bottom of the gulley. Fortunately, I had an opening I could pitch through to get back to the fairway. I was on the putting surface in three, but 3-putt on a very sloped section of green where the hole was cut. Double-bogey was recorded on the scorecard.
The quadruple came on hole #15, a par-5. I flared my drive way right into the opposite fairway, then rushed my next shot as I wanted to get out of the way of other players. I had to lay up with my third and was still 190 yards from the green. I pulled a 4-iron left of the green, where it appears they added much fescue and new trees. All of this came together to produce the inflated score. In the end, the mix of good golf and a pair of blowup holes produced my typical result. Next up is the Deepwoods finale on Sunday.
Score: 95
Putts: 34
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
The latest coincidence probably takes the cake. On a visit to Indian Wells, I pulled into a parking lot that was nearly empty. Another car pulled in at the same time and we parked side by side. The driver asked if I had the 11:48 am tee time, which I did. As we introduced ourselves, we realized that we knew each other. He works for a company that was my employer for many years and which I left almost five years ago. We weren't direct colleagues at the company, but worked in the same general area and had a number of common friends. We had lunched together and even played golf together at a mutual friend's private club. However, we hadn't seen each other or spoken for at least five years. It turned out to be a great round of golf. The course was nearly empty, as people were scared off by rain showers earlier in the day. Not only that, but it was a great opportunity to catch up with a former colleague. Amazing stuff!
As for the golf itself, I started with a mostly positive front nine. I was seven over par through the first eight holes, comprised of a birdie, one par, four bogeys, and two double-bogeys. The birdie came on hole #5, a 340-yard par-4. Thick woods line the entire right side of this hole, from tee to green. It's actually staked as a lateral hazard, as there is a creek or something down in the trees. I visualized a drive starting on the left edge of the fairway and curling back slightly. That's exactly what I pulled off. It's such a great feeling when reality matches the vision you have beforehand. From 110 yards, I hit a sand wedge toward the green, which sits below the level of the fairway and is wrapped on all sides by woods. I came up a yard short, but hit an absolutely fabulous chip that curled toward the pin and dropped in the centre of the cup!
Hole #9 features a very tough tee shot, as thick woods line both sides of a narrow fairway. The right side is extremely thick – balls in there are not playable at all. The trees on the left are less thick, but a steep drop off carries balls down into a creek, 20 feet below the fairway level. I hit a good looking drive, but I just caught the top of the slope and my ball went all the way down into the hazard. After taking a penalty, I pitched up to the fairway through an opening in the trees. Unfortunately, my ball carried right to the other side of the fairway. From that position, the green was not accessible. I was forced to lay up about 50 yards from the green. I duffed a shot before finding the putting surface and then burned an edge on my first putt. The result was a disastrous quadruple-bogey. At the turn, my score was 47.
The back nine also featured a lot of good golf shots, but also another quadruple-bogey. Hole #12 calls for another tee shot to thread the needle between thick woods on both sides. It's not a long hole at 355 yards, but it's tight. You can't drive the ball more than 255 yards or you'll go through the end of the fairway and into a deep gulley, covered in rough. I hit it right about that distance to the left side and the ball trickled down the cart path to the bottom of the gulley. Fortunately, I had an opening I could pitch through to get back to the fairway. I was on the putting surface in three, but 3-putt on a very sloped section of green where the hole was cut. Double-bogey was recorded on the scorecard.
The quadruple came on hole #15, a par-5. I flared my drive way right into the opposite fairway, then rushed my next shot as I wanted to get out of the way of other players. I had to lay up with my third and was still 190 yards from the green. I pulled a 4-iron left of the green, where it appears they added much fescue and new trees. All of this came together to produce the inflated score. In the end, the mix of good golf and a pair of blowup holes produced my typical result. Next up is the Deepwoods finale on Sunday.
Score: 95
Putts: 34
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
September 06, 2015
Stalling at Carlisle
My handicap factor has been stuck at 18.5 for the last five rounds, as I've been unable to go low. My latest round at Carlisle Golf Club pushed a good result off the bottom of my record and as a result, my factor jumped up to 19 even. More telling than the overall score of 97 was how it broke down over the starting, middle and finishing thirds.
Starting on the North nine, the first third of the round had some challenges indeed. Over the first four holes, the challenges were fairly minor ones. On hole #1, I pulled my drive to an opposite fairway. Giving up yardage to get over some high trees, I successfully got back to the correct fairway, 50 yards from the flag. I opted for lob wedge and made a good stroke, but the bounce interacted with the turf in a strange way. Though the ground was kind of hard, the club slid under the ball and I came up 20 yards short. This has happened to me a lot this year. At times, I've played more of a chip shot with an 8-iron from the same position. It's a good option, but one I've practiced much less. I finished the hole with double-bogey.
On hole #3, I pulled my drive to the opposite fairway once again. Going with another lofted club, this time I clipped the tips of some high trees. My ball finished up in a fairway bunker 95 yards from the flag. Sand wedge got me safely to the green, but I misjudged the speed of my first putt and missed my second, even though it was a great attempt. The result was another double-bogey. I bogeyed holes #2 and #4, both of which are par-3 holes, so after four holes, I had given away probably two strokes.
The real damage happened on holes #5 and #6. The former is a short par-4, but OB looms on the entire left side. Sure enough, I pull hooked one with the 5-wood clear over the tall trees, toward the railway line. Hitting my third from the tee with the same club, I nailed the centre of the fairway, leaving 110 yards to the flag. Why didn't that happen the first time? I followed up hitting the centre of the green with a gap wedge. Inexplicably, I left my first putt well short, then missed a 4-footer. The 3-putt made a poor hole worse, as I finished with a triple-bogey.
Hole #6 features the toughest tee shot on the course. Thick trees line the right side of this dogleg par-5. The left side is out of bounds, with nothing but a chain link fence between the golf course and some farmland. In fact, the teeing ground angles towards OB a bit. Anything less than a perfectly straight drive spells trouble. By the way, there is also a forced carry over some weeds directly in front of the tee area. It's not long, but it adds visual intimidation. I hit my drive barely left of my intended line. The ball bounced near the cart path and went over the fence. Hitting my third from the tee, I made a nice shot. My fourth shot was a layup to near the 150 yard stick, right where the hole makes its dogleg. Unfortunately, I left the ball right of the 150-yard stick, which means I was blocked out of the green by some trees on the right. Two shots later, I was in a greenside bunker. I splashed out and 2-putt for a quadruple-bogey. Yech!
My score over the first six holes was 36 (13 over). Luckily, I improved over the next six holes. My score over the middle third was 33 (8 over). This began with back-to-back pars on holes #7 and #8. Hole #7 features another very tough tee shot. It's all carry over some marshy wasteland to a landing area pinched by OB left and long, plus more woods on the right. I hit a great drive to the right side, leaving just 140 yards to the green. A 9-iron to the green centre was followed by a great birdie attempt that lipped out. Hole #8 is a par-5 that didn't feature any spectacular shots, yet par was the result nevertheless.
I should note that the middle third of the round ended with a terrible triple-bogey on hole #3 of the East nine, a 130-yard par-3 that's all carry over water. I took a huge beaver pelt out of the ground on my tee shot, with the ball dribbling ahead about 10 yards. From there, I failed to clear the water and was forced to take a penalty stroke. My fourth shot was finally on the green and I 2-putt for the triple.
The last third of the round saved my bacon. I shot 28 (4 over) with two pars and four bogeys. Beginning on East #4, I decided to throw caution to the wind, especially with the driver. After my practice swing on #4, I could hear my playing partners gasp with surprise. Until then, I had been swinging the driver very gently – since they didn't know me, my playing partners may have thought that was all the speed I had. LOL. Oh no, my friends! Whoosh! I piped my drives right down the pipe on holes #4, #5, #6. The result was a single par and two bogeys, as I thinned a sand wedge into the green on #4 and drew a terrible lie in the rough on hole #6. The rough bisects the fairway, in case you were wondering how a straight drive ended up there.
I took a rip on hole #7 as well, but this one was high and flared to the right side of the fairway. This is a par-5 that narrows significantly the nearer you are to the green. I played a couple of smart, conservative shots to walk away with par. Hole #8 is a short par-3, so there was no wild swing there, but I did hit driver on hole #9, a short par-4 that by no means calls for one. I had to chip sideways on my second shot to get around a couple of trees bordering a pond, but it really was not a problem. A pair of bogeys on the last two holes salvaged a respectable score, but nowhere near good enough to help my handicap factor. Scores in the mid nineties won't help my bid for the Deepwoods Golf Association title either, so I have to get this turned around quickly.
Score: 97
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
Starting on the North nine, the first third of the round had some challenges indeed. Over the first four holes, the challenges were fairly minor ones. On hole #1, I pulled my drive to an opposite fairway. Giving up yardage to get over some high trees, I successfully got back to the correct fairway, 50 yards from the flag. I opted for lob wedge and made a good stroke, but the bounce interacted with the turf in a strange way. Though the ground was kind of hard, the club slid under the ball and I came up 20 yards short. This has happened to me a lot this year. At times, I've played more of a chip shot with an 8-iron from the same position. It's a good option, but one I've practiced much less. I finished the hole with double-bogey.
On hole #3, I pulled my drive to the opposite fairway once again. Going with another lofted club, this time I clipped the tips of some high trees. My ball finished up in a fairway bunker 95 yards from the flag. Sand wedge got me safely to the green, but I misjudged the speed of my first putt and missed my second, even though it was a great attempt. The result was another double-bogey. I bogeyed holes #2 and #4, both of which are par-3 holes, so after four holes, I had given away probably two strokes.
The real damage happened on holes #5 and #6. The former is a short par-4, but OB looms on the entire left side. Sure enough, I pull hooked one with the 5-wood clear over the tall trees, toward the railway line. Hitting my third from the tee with the same club, I nailed the centre of the fairway, leaving 110 yards to the flag. Why didn't that happen the first time? I followed up hitting the centre of the green with a gap wedge. Inexplicably, I left my first putt well short, then missed a 4-footer. The 3-putt made a poor hole worse, as I finished with a triple-bogey.
Hole #6 features the toughest tee shot on the course. Thick trees line the right side of this dogleg par-5. The left side is out of bounds, with nothing but a chain link fence between the golf course and some farmland. In fact, the teeing ground angles towards OB a bit. Anything less than a perfectly straight drive spells trouble. By the way, there is also a forced carry over some weeds directly in front of the tee area. It's not long, but it adds visual intimidation. I hit my drive barely left of my intended line. The ball bounced near the cart path and went over the fence. Hitting my third from the tee, I made a nice shot. My fourth shot was a layup to near the 150 yard stick, right where the hole makes its dogleg. Unfortunately, I left the ball right of the 150-yard stick, which means I was blocked out of the green by some trees on the right. Two shots later, I was in a greenside bunker. I splashed out and 2-putt for a quadruple-bogey. Yech!
My score over the first six holes was 36 (13 over). Luckily, I improved over the next six holes. My score over the middle third was 33 (8 over). This began with back-to-back pars on holes #7 and #8. Hole #7 features another very tough tee shot. It's all carry over some marshy wasteland to a landing area pinched by OB left and long, plus more woods on the right. I hit a great drive to the right side, leaving just 140 yards to the green. A 9-iron to the green centre was followed by a great birdie attempt that lipped out. Hole #8 is a par-5 that didn't feature any spectacular shots, yet par was the result nevertheless.
I should note that the middle third of the round ended with a terrible triple-bogey on hole #3 of the East nine, a 130-yard par-3 that's all carry over water. I took a huge beaver pelt out of the ground on my tee shot, with the ball dribbling ahead about 10 yards. From there, I failed to clear the water and was forced to take a penalty stroke. My fourth shot was finally on the green and I 2-putt for the triple.
The last third of the round saved my bacon. I shot 28 (4 over) with two pars and four bogeys. Beginning on East #4, I decided to throw caution to the wind, especially with the driver. After my practice swing on #4, I could hear my playing partners gasp with surprise. Until then, I had been swinging the driver very gently – since they didn't know me, my playing partners may have thought that was all the speed I had. LOL. Oh no, my friends! Whoosh! I piped my drives right down the pipe on holes #4, #5, #6. The result was a single par and two bogeys, as I thinned a sand wedge into the green on #4 and drew a terrible lie in the rough on hole #6. The rough bisects the fairway, in case you were wondering how a straight drive ended up there.
I took a rip on hole #7 as well, but this one was high and flared to the right side of the fairway. This is a par-5 that narrows significantly the nearer you are to the green. I played a couple of smart, conservative shots to walk away with par. Hole #8 is a short par-3, so there was no wild swing there, but I did hit driver on hole #9, a short par-4 that by no means calls for one. I had to chip sideways on my second shot to get around a couple of trees bordering a pond, but it really was not a problem. A pair of bogeys on the last two holes salvaged a respectable score, but nowhere near good enough to help my handicap factor. Scores in the mid nineties won't help my bid for the Deepwoods Golf Association title either, so I have to get this turned around quickly.
Score: 97
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
September 02, 2015
Another Rep at BraeBen
BraeBen is not a course I've played often; my maiden visit there was many years ago and last year marked my only return to the Mississauga area facility. Though my rounds there have been sparse, I do enjoy the layout. I was looking to play something close to home, so I headed out to BraeBen in hopes of a solid round.
I pounded a drive on the opening par-5, leaving just 180 yards to the green. I came up just short of the putting surface with my second shot, but with the pin tucked at the extreme back, I had lots of green to work with. It didn't help, as I sculled a chip right across the green. The comeback chip was no better, rolling well past the hole. After blasting my first putt well past the hole, I had to make a lengthy putt just for bogey. I drained it, but really should have done better on the hole.
Pitching and chipping was poor at my previous round, so I was worried that it would continue as such. It went from bad to worse on hole #2, a 144-yard par-3. I pulled my tee shot slightly, but that was enough to catch the wrong side of a mound, propelling the ball into thick fescue and thistles. Those areas are treated as lateral hazards, so I was able to take a penalty and drop when the ball was not found. Unfortunately, my pitch rolled off the opposite side of the green. Next, I sculled a chip attempt back over the green. I needed yet another chip just to get on the green with my fifth shot. Two putts closed the hole out with a score of 7.
At this point, I settled into a long period of relatively steady golf, which lasted for the rest of the round. Though it was steady, I was not collecting enough pars or birdies to offset the quadruple-bogey already on my scorecard. It was the proverbial bogey train, as I seemed to collect one after another. I did make par on hole #3, a short par-4, but followed it up with a 3-putt double-bogey on hole #4. Hole #8 produced a triple, with all the trouble coming near the green. A bunker shot rolled off the other side of the green, while the comeback chip – a delicate one – got caught up in the rough near the fringe. I was shooting 50 at the turn.
The back nine was more steady, as I collected just one double-bogey, along with six bogeys and two pars. The bogeys were fairly nondescript. I was hitting shots that were not perfect, but really not bad either. This usually left me just missing out on par, but getting fairly easy bogeys. The two pars saved my round, as they came on the last two holes of the day. On hole #17, a short par-4, I hit just my second green in regulation, then 2-putt. On #18, a par-5, my third shot slid under the ball in the rough, coming up 30 yards short of the green. Next, I hit my best pitch shot of the day, settling right beside the cup at the front of the green. I made the 4-foot putt easily.
So while my pitching and chipping started out terribly, they seemed to be better by the end of the round. Let's hope they stay good for a while. I also need some bunker practice.
Score: 94
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
I pounded a drive on the opening par-5, leaving just 180 yards to the green. I came up just short of the putting surface with my second shot, but with the pin tucked at the extreme back, I had lots of green to work with. It didn't help, as I sculled a chip right across the green. The comeback chip was no better, rolling well past the hole. After blasting my first putt well past the hole, I had to make a lengthy putt just for bogey. I drained it, but really should have done better on the hole.
Pitching and chipping was poor at my previous round, so I was worried that it would continue as such. It went from bad to worse on hole #2, a 144-yard par-3. I pulled my tee shot slightly, but that was enough to catch the wrong side of a mound, propelling the ball into thick fescue and thistles. Those areas are treated as lateral hazards, so I was able to take a penalty and drop when the ball was not found. Unfortunately, my pitch rolled off the opposite side of the green. Next, I sculled a chip attempt back over the green. I needed yet another chip just to get on the green with my fifth shot. Two putts closed the hole out with a score of 7.
At this point, I settled into a long period of relatively steady golf, which lasted for the rest of the round. Though it was steady, I was not collecting enough pars or birdies to offset the quadruple-bogey already on my scorecard. It was the proverbial bogey train, as I seemed to collect one after another. I did make par on hole #3, a short par-4, but followed it up with a 3-putt double-bogey on hole #4. Hole #8 produced a triple, with all the trouble coming near the green. A bunker shot rolled off the other side of the green, while the comeback chip – a delicate one – got caught up in the rough near the fringe. I was shooting 50 at the turn.
The back nine was more steady, as I collected just one double-bogey, along with six bogeys and two pars. The bogeys were fairly nondescript. I was hitting shots that were not perfect, but really not bad either. This usually left me just missing out on par, but getting fairly easy bogeys. The two pars saved my round, as they came on the last two holes of the day. On hole #17, a short par-4, I hit just my second green in regulation, then 2-putt. On #18, a par-5, my third shot slid under the ball in the rough, coming up 30 yards short of the green. Next, I hit my best pitch shot of the day, settling right beside the cup at the front of the green. I made the 4-foot putt easily.
So while my pitching and chipping started out terribly, they seemed to be better by the end of the round. Let's hope they stay good for a while. I also need some bunker practice.
Score: 94
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
September 01, 2015
Slow Start at Bradford
My second visit of the year to Bradford Highlands began with a flawless drive down the centre of the first fairway. Unfortunately, I followed that up with a pulled gap wedge shot that found the water in front of the green. After taking a penalty, my pitch shot rolled off the back of the putting surface. Two sculled chip attempts later, I was finally on the green. I then 2-putt for quadruple-bogey.
A bogey on hole #2 provided some respite, but I chalked up another quad on hole #3. My tee shot was very nearly out of bounds, but stayed in play, 150 yards from the green. Unfortunately, I flared an 8-iron into a pond right of the green. After taking my penalty, I sculled a pitch attempt 30 yards past the green, right behind a spruce tree. Two more shots were required to get on from that position, followed by a pair of putts.
Ironically, hole #6 was my best of the day. It's ironic because this par-4 has given me fits on past occasions – I'm talking double-digit scores. This time, I hit my drive deep, just right of the fairway. The next shot was key – a sand wedge that flew past the large bunker that fronts the entire green, landing on the narrow putting surface before settling near the back edge. From there, it was a downhill breaker that I judged perfectly for birdie!
Hole #7 produced a satisfying par, before the nonsense ensued again on hole #8. I pulled my tee shot on this par-3 flag high into a bunker. Aah yes, the dreaded greenside bunker. As seems to be customary, I picked the ball out clean, sailing 40 yards past the green into the fescue. The ball was unplayable, so I took a penalty. After a good pitch and pair of putts, it was a triple-bogey result.
I faltered at another par-3 on the back nine. On hole #13, my tee shot was off the toe of the club and came up short in a bunker. I wasn't going to pick it clean this time – which of course means that I hit it fat and failed to get out at all. My next attempt was also fat, but at least squirted into the rough. A decent chip was followed by a decent putt, but it burned the edge and I needed another tap-in to register triple-bogey.
Besides that hole, along with a 3-putt on the final hole of the day, the back nine was pretty good. Three consecutive bogeys started things out, including an impressive one on the par-5 11th hole after I was forced to hit my third shot from the tee. My first sliced out of bounds, where a new subdivision is inching closer and closer to the golf course.
My best shots came on holes #14 and #17, both of which produced par. On the former, I hit a terrible tee shot that clipped some small trees and ended up in the left rough, 205 yards from the green. With a small tree right in front of me, and more up ahead, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I took aim with the 5-wood and hit a spectacular high shot that landed softly on the green, flag high. On #17, my drive was better, but I found myself in almost the exact situation. Well, if it worked once it can work again, I thought. Out came the 5-wood and boom, I nailed the green again, this time finishing about 12 feet from the cup. My birdie putt scared the hole, but didn't drop.
My final score was nothing to write home about, but considering how terrible my pitching and chipping were, I'll take it. I've got to get those touch shots sorted out before the Deepwoods finale in a couple of weeks.
Score: 98
Putts: 31
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
A bogey on hole #2 provided some respite, but I chalked up another quad on hole #3. My tee shot was very nearly out of bounds, but stayed in play, 150 yards from the green. Unfortunately, I flared an 8-iron into a pond right of the green. After taking my penalty, I sculled a pitch attempt 30 yards past the green, right behind a spruce tree. Two more shots were required to get on from that position, followed by a pair of putts.
Ironically, hole #6 was my best of the day. It's ironic because this par-4 has given me fits on past occasions – I'm talking double-digit scores. This time, I hit my drive deep, just right of the fairway. The next shot was key – a sand wedge that flew past the large bunker that fronts the entire green, landing on the narrow putting surface before settling near the back edge. From there, it was a downhill breaker that I judged perfectly for birdie!
Hole #7 produced a satisfying par, before the nonsense ensued again on hole #8. I pulled my tee shot on this par-3 flag high into a bunker. Aah yes, the dreaded greenside bunker. As seems to be customary, I picked the ball out clean, sailing 40 yards past the green into the fescue. The ball was unplayable, so I took a penalty. After a good pitch and pair of putts, it was a triple-bogey result.
I faltered at another par-3 on the back nine. On hole #13, my tee shot was off the toe of the club and came up short in a bunker. I wasn't going to pick it clean this time – which of course means that I hit it fat and failed to get out at all. My next attempt was also fat, but at least squirted into the rough. A decent chip was followed by a decent putt, but it burned the edge and I needed another tap-in to register triple-bogey.
Besides that hole, along with a 3-putt on the final hole of the day, the back nine was pretty good. Three consecutive bogeys started things out, including an impressive one on the par-5 11th hole after I was forced to hit my third shot from the tee. My first sliced out of bounds, where a new subdivision is inching closer and closer to the golf course.
My best shots came on holes #14 and #17, both of which produced par. On the former, I hit a terrible tee shot that clipped some small trees and ended up in the left rough, 205 yards from the green. With a small tree right in front of me, and more up ahead, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I took aim with the 5-wood and hit a spectacular high shot that landed softly on the green, flag high. On #17, my drive was better, but I found myself in almost the exact situation. Well, if it worked once it can work again, I thought. Out came the 5-wood and boom, I nailed the green again, this time finishing about 12 feet from the cup. My birdie putt scared the hole, but didn't drop.
My final score was nothing to write home about, but considering how terrible my pitching and chipping were, I'll take it. I've got to get those touch shots sorted out before the Deepwoods finale in a couple of weeks.
Score: 98
Putts: 31
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
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