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
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