Hoping to avoid the worst of the hot weather, I teed off in the morning at Bushwood Golf Club. The starter sent me off the back nine as a single, figuring I would move along more swiftly than on the front nine. When I arrived at the tenth tee, there was a group of four older Korean gentlemen sitting in their carts and eating sandwiches. I asked if it was okay to play through and they seemed to agree, so I teed one up with the men as spectators. Boom, I pounded a drive to the left side of the fairway. It was only 250 yards, but left a good impression with the onlookers. I thinned a 9-iron through the green, but made a great pitch and putt for par.
Next, I hit two absolutely pure shots on a short par-4. My 5-iron off the tee went 200 yards, finishing a yard into the rough through the end of the fairway. With a water hazard in front of me, I hit a laser pitching wedge that was all over the back pin position. The ball finished ten feet behind the hole, leaving a legitimate birdie chance. I gave it a good effort, but just missed, settling for par.
On the twelfth tee, I found myself behind a group of four older Korean women. Waiting to shoot can disrupt your rhythm, so I had to remain focused. This hole is short, but features a forced carry over a water hazard and forest on the right side. I picked my line and took a swing. Boom, I pounded a beautiful little cut to the left side of the fairway. It was only 240 yards, but perfectly placed. I pitched the ball 70 yards to the back of the green, when 60 would have been better. No worries, as I made a very good 2-putt for my third par in a row.
My first real mistake of the day came on hole #13, a 200-yard par-3. The green is large and tilts from back to front. The pin was right at the front of the green, so I opted for 4-iron. I hit a good shot, in line with the flag and about a yard short of the green. This left an uphill putt, which is exactly what you want. Unfortunately, my lag putt was way short. The yard of fringe I was putting through slowed my ball down more than I expected, plus the green itself was not very fast. I ended up 3-putting for bogey.
Hole #14 is a par-5 that ended up with double-bogey. My drive was deep, but way left of the fairway. This should have been no problem, as that area is pretty wide open. Unfortunately, I topped a 5-wood and now I was in trouble. I punched a 3-iron under some overhanging branches and managed to get just right of the fairway, 50 yards from the flag. A pitch and 2-putt would earn bogey, but I thinned the pitch right through the green and was now short sided. A second pitch and 2-putt finished the hole.
Hole #15 resulted in another par, despite the fact that I missed the fairway and the green. My drive sliced well to the right, but I had no obstruction and 125 yards to the flag. My gap wedge was just off the right edge of the green, flag high. I chipped to within two feet and tapped in to finish. Hole #16 also produced par and this one was well earned. This is the hardest hole on the back nine, featuring a large pond short and left of the green, plus out of bounds along the entire right side. I placed a drive beautifully near the right edge of the fairway, leaving 175 yards to the green. If you drive the ball much deeper, you risk going into the pond or OB. Hitting from the rough, I struck a pure 5-iron into the wind, finishing flag high in the fringe. That was a great shot, which set up a 2-putt for the par.
Hole #17 was memorable for the beautiful drive I hit. The tees were up on this par-4, so it was playing just 330 yards. I aimed just left of the 100-yard stick and launched a beauty 270 yards, to the middle of the narrow fairway. Unfortunately, I thinned a subsequent wedge shot 20 yards behind the green, finishing under a pine tree. I made a great punch to find the green and have a chance at par. I gave it a good try, but had to settle for bogey.
I was in good shape going into the last hole of the back nine, just 4-over par through eight holes. Hole #18 is a 176-yard par-3, but it was playing about 20 yards longer into a stiff wind. I pushed a 4-iron right of the green, about flag high. All I had to do was make a 30 yard pitch shot over a bunker and 2-putt for bogey. With a good pitch, I might even save par. Unfortunately, I decelerated my swing and plunked one into the bunker. After a mediocre out, I 2-putt for double-bogey. Still, I shot a 6-over 41 through nine holes, which ain't bad.
I won't go through the rest of the round, but suffice to say that some of the magic wore off. I made a couple of double bogeys early, as I just got myself in some bad positions. I did hit a pure 5-iron, lob wedge combination into green #4 for a pretty par. I went astray on hole #7, which I consider the hardest on the front nine. A pair of players in front of me chose that hole to wave me through and I probably rushed my shots. My drive popped up and was left, a punch shot clipped some overhanging branches, and I duffed an attempted approach shot. I topped it all off with a 3-putt, en route to a triple-bogey. After a par on hole #8, I made a double-bogey on hole #9, another par-5. Much like hole #14, I was laying 3 with my ball 50 yards from the flag. This time, my pitch shot was way short and I ended up 3-putting, exactly as I did on hole #13.
Overall, this started as a special round and ended up being average. My driving was way better than in the previous round, but inconsistent pitch shots led to my demise. My putting was fairly good, though not spectacular. Despite the decent result, my handicap factor inched up a bit to 16.7 – aargh!
Score: 90
Putts: 36
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
Penalties: 0
August 27, 2016
August 23, 2016
Shambles of Ballantrae
What a horrible round! It's not just that I played terribly, but I really didn't enjoy anything about my latest outing. It was just my third ever visit to Maples of Ballantrae. The first was in 2006 and the second was the season debut in 2013. I don't recall the course being particularly bad, but after this latest visit, I don't see myself going back.
The first thing I don't like is the position of the clubhouse in relation to the property and the road nearby. When I visit a golf course, I like to feel like I'm getting away from all the commotion. The entrance to Maples of Ballantrae is on a busy highway and as soon as you enter the property, you're in the parking lot and beside the clubhouse. It feels like you're just stopping at the side of the road, rather than arriving at a pleasant retreat.
The next thing I don't like is hole #1. The teeing ground is within earshot of the road, but aside from that, it's just not very well designed. Despite being a short par-4, there's nowhere to miss with your tee shot. You have to carry 170 yards of water to reach the fairway, which is pinched by forest on both sides. The bigger the club used, the greater the likelihood that you will visit the trees. It's one thing to have a hole like this in the middle of a round, but it's terrible as the first hole of the day.
I also don't like hole #18 as a closing hole. It''s a fairly long par-3 that's all carry over water. There is some space to bail out short and to the right, but not much. A hole like this would be fine at another stage of the round, but it seems really awkward as the finishing hole. If the wind happens to be blowing, you could really mess up this hole and feel like you ruined your round at the eleventh hour.
Looking at the course layout, I immediately thought the natural place for the clubhouse is somewhere behind green #2. This is right in the heart of the property, where a few houses currently stand. The access road for the homes would make a great entrance to the clubhouse. Tee #3 is nearby, as is green #11. That would make a fine opening nine. Come to think of it, hole #12 through #18, followed by #1 and #2 would be a great back nine. It would solve all of the problems I mentioned earlier!
The revised routing that I imagined seemed too perfect, so I did a little research. Lo and behold, the routing I described was in fact the original routing of the course. It seems the clubhouse was moved at some point, resulting in the changes. Upon further review, I noticed that the driving range is just a few steps away from the ideal clubhouse location that I envisioned. There's even a practice putting green there.
It all makes perfect sense. The original routing had two par-3's and two par-5's on each of the nines (making them each par 36). Each nine started and ended at the clubhouse. With the changes, there's only one par-3 on the front nine (making it a par 37) and three par-3's on the back (for a par 35). The front nine ends at the opposite end of the property from the clubhouse location. The original routing also finished with a par-5, which is a design element I've always enjoyed. This particular par-5 is an interesting one that would make a great finishing test. I don't know what prompted the change, but the new routing is clearly inferior to the original.
So how did I play? Suffice to say that I really struggled with the driver, as shown by the fact that I only hit one fairway all day. There were occasions where I missed only slightly, but it seems my ball always came to rest under a spruce tree, where I couldn't even get a club on it. Worse yet was that after taking an unplayable, I was still often stymied and needed to chip sideways to get back in play. On a few occasions, I hit weak smother hook shots. This happens sometimes when I attempt to attack the ball from the inside. I needed to try because I was coming in from way outside, but it's very easy for me to over-compensate.
The irons were a bit better, but I hit a bunch short and to the right of target. It seems I had the club face open a tad. I hooked my first shot of the day into the forest, so perhaps it was another case of over-compensation. Finally, my putting was brutal. Actually, I shouldn't say that. I was around the hole all day, but not a single putt of any significant length went down. It was one of those days that I'd just rather forget.
Oh yeah, my handicap factor jumped back up (to 16.4). It seems I've stalled at 15.5 – which is scary because the last time I stalled there, I regressed and it took me six or seven years to get back!
Score: 98
Putts: 32
Fairways: 1
Greens: 5
Penalties: 5
The first thing I don't like is the position of the clubhouse in relation to the property and the road nearby. When I visit a golf course, I like to feel like I'm getting away from all the commotion. The entrance to Maples of Ballantrae is on a busy highway and as soon as you enter the property, you're in the parking lot and beside the clubhouse. It feels like you're just stopping at the side of the road, rather than arriving at a pleasant retreat.
The next thing I don't like is hole #1. The teeing ground is within earshot of the road, but aside from that, it's just not very well designed. Despite being a short par-4, there's nowhere to miss with your tee shot. You have to carry 170 yards of water to reach the fairway, which is pinched by forest on both sides. The bigger the club used, the greater the likelihood that you will visit the trees. It's one thing to have a hole like this in the middle of a round, but it's terrible as the first hole of the day.
I also don't like hole #18 as a closing hole. It''s a fairly long par-3 that's all carry over water. There is some space to bail out short and to the right, but not much. A hole like this would be fine at another stage of the round, but it seems really awkward as the finishing hole. If the wind happens to be blowing, you could really mess up this hole and feel like you ruined your round at the eleventh hour.
Looking at the course layout, I immediately thought the natural place for the clubhouse is somewhere behind green #2. This is right in the heart of the property, where a few houses currently stand. The access road for the homes would make a great entrance to the clubhouse. Tee #3 is nearby, as is green #11. That would make a fine opening nine. Come to think of it, hole #12 through #18, followed by #1 and #2 would be a great back nine. It would solve all of the problems I mentioned earlier!
The revised routing that I imagined seemed too perfect, so I did a little research. Lo and behold, the routing I described was in fact the original routing of the course. It seems the clubhouse was moved at some point, resulting in the changes. Upon further review, I noticed that the driving range is just a few steps away from the ideal clubhouse location that I envisioned. There's even a practice putting green there.
It all makes perfect sense. The original routing had two par-3's and two par-5's on each of the nines (making them each par 36). Each nine started and ended at the clubhouse. With the changes, there's only one par-3 on the front nine (making it a par 37) and three par-3's on the back (for a par 35). The front nine ends at the opposite end of the property from the clubhouse location. The original routing also finished with a par-5, which is a design element I've always enjoyed. This particular par-5 is an interesting one that would make a great finishing test. I don't know what prompted the change, but the new routing is clearly inferior to the original.
So how did I play? Suffice to say that I really struggled with the driver, as shown by the fact that I only hit one fairway all day. There were occasions where I missed only slightly, but it seems my ball always came to rest under a spruce tree, where I couldn't even get a club on it. Worse yet was that after taking an unplayable, I was still often stymied and needed to chip sideways to get back in play. On a few occasions, I hit weak smother hook shots. This happens sometimes when I attempt to attack the ball from the inside. I needed to try because I was coming in from way outside, but it's very easy for me to over-compensate.
The irons were a bit better, but I hit a bunch short and to the right of target. It seems I had the club face open a tad. I hooked my first shot of the day into the forest, so perhaps it was another case of over-compensation. Finally, my putting was brutal. Actually, I shouldn't say that. I was around the hole all day, but not a single putt of any significant length went down. It was one of those days that I'd just rather forget.
Oh yeah, my handicap factor jumped back up (to 16.4). It seems I've stalled at 15.5 – which is scary because the last time I stalled there, I regressed and it took me six or seven years to get back!
Score: 98
Putts: 32
Fairways: 1
Greens: 5
Penalties: 5
August 17, 2016
Flat at Nobleton Lakes Debut
Round 4 of the Deepwoods championship took place last Sunday at Nobleton Lakes Golf Club. I was still alive in the championship hunt and felt confident I could move to within striking distance of the leaders with a good round. I had never played at Nobleton Lakes before, but judging by the course tour on the club's website, it looked like a place where my competitors might falter. As it turned out, I was right about that – the field played poorly across the board. Unfortunately, so did I. It's a shame, because the first third of my round was great. The final two thirds was not bad, but I wasn't sharp enough and didn't collect enough points.
Beginning on Woods #1, a par-5, I hit driver, 3-iron to about 20 yards in front of the green. I sculled my pitch attempt straight across the putting surface, but managed to get up and down for par. I sculled two similar pitch shots on the back nine. Once again, I got up and down after the mistakes, but this time I took bogeys where I might have made par.
I hit great tee shots on Woods #2 and #3, with 5-iron and driver, respectively. I managed bogey on the former, but only a double-bogey on the latter, as my second shot with the 9-iron was short in a bunker. I made a good out, but then 3-putt. It was my first of seven 3-putts on the day. This was perhaps the greatest contributor to my poor scoring. When I left putts short, they broke way more than I anticipated. When I seemed to get the line correct, the ball rolled well past the hole. Familiarity with the greens would have helped, but I didn't have that luxury.
Woods #6 is a short par-4, at just 270 yards from the white tees. You have to carry the edge of a lake directly in front of the tee, but thick forest on both sides of the landing area are the greater danger. I had been striping the driver, so I went with it again, even though I could have used a little 8-iron. The ball faded into the trees on the right and was lost. Hitting my third from the tee, I sliced one even worse, but this one bounced back to an area where I could play it. I put the next shot on the green and almost made a long breaking putt for bogey, but it burned the edge and I settled for double.
Woods #7 is the toughest hole on the course, a narrow par-5 with forest on both sides for most of its length. Since the driver failed me on the previous hole, there was no way I was going to test it here. I hit 4-iron, 4-iron straight down the pipe, leaving 140 yards to the flag. My approach was actually short of the green, but I chipped one close and made a nice breaking putt for the par. Smart play, and it worked like a charm.
At this point, the wheels came off. Woods #8 is a 150-yard par-3 over a gulley from an elevated tee. I pulled an 8-iron into some trees left of the green. I found the ball immediately and had a nice opening up to the green, but my ball was on a fluffy pile of fallen leaves. I had to be careful not to touch anything around lest I cause the ball to move. I took a stroke and the ball went nowhere. I took another, and it moved a couple inches, coming to rest against a fallen branch. I whacked it a few yards forward into some rough, then pitched on and 1-putt for a score of 6. Terrible!
Had I been able to play steady over the next few holes, I could have recovered. Unfortunately, I was making more mistakes. I 3-putt Woods #9 for double-bogey and did the same on View #1 for a triple. This par-5 started so promisingly, with a driver, 5-iron combination, leaving just 80 yards to the green. I hit my wedge short into a bunker, and could only splash out to the rough. What a waste!
A nice 5-iron off the tee on View #3 went unrewarded. This is a par-3 with an island green. The shot was straight into the wind and flag-high, but about one yard too far to the right. The ball splashed into the water, forcing me to take a penalty and use the drop area. I finished the hole with another double-bogey.
And so it went for the rest of the round. I was not playing horribly, but finishing the final 3-holes with three consecutive 3-putts didn't help my cause. Heading into the final Deepwoods event, I am officially out of contention. It's not much consolation that many of my fellow Deepwoods competitors suffered the same fate at Nobleton Lakes. Right now, losing the 2015 Deepwoods championship in a playoff, as I did, stings even more.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 9
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
Beginning on Woods #1, a par-5, I hit driver, 3-iron to about 20 yards in front of the green. I sculled my pitch attempt straight across the putting surface, but managed to get up and down for par. I sculled two similar pitch shots on the back nine. Once again, I got up and down after the mistakes, but this time I took bogeys where I might have made par.
I hit great tee shots on Woods #2 and #3, with 5-iron and driver, respectively. I managed bogey on the former, but only a double-bogey on the latter, as my second shot with the 9-iron was short in a bunker. I made a good out, but then 3-putt. It was my first of seven 3-putts on the day. This was perhaps the greatest contributor to my poor scoring. When I left putts short, they broke way more than I anticipated. When I seemed to get the line correct, the ball rolled well past the hole. Familiarity with the greens would have helped, but I didn't have that luxury.
Woods #6 is a short par-4, at just 270 yards from the white tees. You have to carry the edge of a lake directly in front of the tee, but thick forest on both sides of the landing area are the greater danger. I had been striping the driver, so I went with it again, even though I could have used a little 8-iron. The ball faded into the trees on the right and was lost. Hitting my third from the tee, I sliced one even worse, but this one bounced back to an area where I could play it. I put the next shot on the green and almost made a long breaking putt for bogey, but it burned the edge and I settled for double.
Woods #7 is the toughest hole on the course, a narrow par-5 with forest on both sides for most of its length. Since the driver failed me on the previous hole, there was no way I was going to test it here. I hit 4-iron, 4-iron straight down the pipe, leaving 140 yards to the flag. My approach was actually short of the green, but I chipped one close and made a nice breaking putt for the par. Smart play, and it worked like a charm.
At this point, the wheels came off. Woods #8 is a 150-yard par-3 over a gulley from an elevated tee. I pulled an 8-iron into some trees left of the green. I found the ball immediately and had a nice opening up to the green, but my ball was on a fluffy pile of fallen leaves. I had to be careful not to touch anything around lest I cause the ball to move. I took a stroke and the ball went nowhere. I took another, and it moved a couple inches, coming to rest against a fallen branch. I whacked it a few yards forward into some rough, then pitched on and 1-putt for a score of 6. Terrible!
Had I been able to play steady over the next few holes, I could have recovered. Unfortunately, I was making more mistakes. I 3-putt Woods #9 for double-bogey and did the same on View #1 for a triple. This par-5 started so promisingly, with a driver, 5-iron combination, leaving just 80 yards to the green. I hit my wedge short into a bunker, and could only splash out to the rough. What a waste!
A nice 5-iron off the tee on View #3 went unrewarded. This is a par-3 with an island green. The shot was straight into the wind and flag-high, but about one yard too far to the right. The ball splashed into the water, forcing me to take a penalty and use the drop area. I finished the hole with another double-bogey.
And so it went for the rest of the round. I was not playing horribly, but finishing the final 3-holes with three consecutive 3-putts didn't help my cause. Heading into the final Deepwoods event, I am officially out of contention. It's not much consolation that many of my fellow Deepwoods competitors suffered the same fate at Nobleton Lakes. Right now, losing the 2015 Deepwoods championship in a playoff, as I did, stings even more.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 9
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
August 09, 2016
Enjoying St. George's Golf
St. George is a little town just north of Brantford, Ontario. The local golf club, known as The Oaks of St. George, features 18 championship holes on 137 acres of rolling hills, forest and streams. The course is not particularly long, so I teed off from the tips (6,185 yards) on a recent visit. This was my second visit to the course – the first coming in 2008 on the old Duffer's Dream Tour. If you were expecting a story about St. George's Golf & Country Club, in Toronto, then you're out of luck. Ha ha, made you look!
This round was a lot like my last few outings. I played very good golf for a long stretch, but also had a mini stretch of very poor results. The trouble this time was the first four holes, or more specifically, holes #2 through #4. I rushed to join a threesome on the first tee after slogging through traffic to get to the course. They were up at the forward tees, while I was 90 yards back on the golds, still tying my shoelaces and rifling through my bag for a ball and tee. Almost miraculously, I piped a 260-yard drive to the centre of the fairway. Then I avoided a massive tree in front of the green to find the putting surface with an 8-iron. I blew my first putt well past the hole, leading to a 3-putt and bogey. Obviously, I didn't have time to do any practice putting, and the greens at the course were faster than I've been used to this season.
After a reasonably good opening hole, things went sour on the next three. On hole #2, my drive found a fairway bunker. I had no stance, resorting to playing with one foot inside the bunker and the other outside. The ball barely squirted back to the fairway with the off balance shot. My third shot into the par-4 was flag high, but one yard left of the green. A reasonable chip gave me a chance at bogey, but I didn't make it and took a double.
Hole #3 is a 140-yard par-3 over water. The teeing ground near the golds was horribly uneven and I struggled to find a level stance. Perhaps because of that nonsense, I duffed my shot right into the water. After taking a penalty and drop, I pushed an 80-yard wedge shot into a bunker on the right. I splashed out relatively well, but the ball carried downhill right off the green. Putting uphill from just off the green, I actually gave it a chance, but missed. Worse yet, I missed the comebacker and had to settle for a quadruple-bogey. The shortest hole on the front nine (and #15 handicap hole overall) ended up being my worst of the day.
Hole #4 is a 533-yard par-5 that I consider tricked up. There's nothing sneaky about the first two thirds of the hole – I hit a driver to the centre of the fairway, followed by an 8-iron to the centre of the fairway, leaving 138 yards to the green. The problem is a massive tree right in front of the green! Hole #1 had a similar tree, but it was slightly off centre. This one was smack dab in the middle! Going low is not an option – the green sits on a plateau, overlooking a rugged area that isn't a hazard, but looks like one. Going over the tree must be the play, I figured. I hit a high pitching wedge well, but still could not clear it. The tree must be 150 feet tall! My ball came to rest fifteen yards behind the tree and it was still in my way. Geez! My next shot smacked the trunk and deflected to the right. From there, at least I had an unobstructed path to the green. I pitched on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
I seem to spend most of this blog space describing the bad holes, even when they are the minority. I guess it's a way of explaining how poor results can occur easily. But here's the thing. I played the last 14 holes of the day in a score that was just 10 over par. Think about that. I was 9 over par for the first four holes and 10 over for the last 14. Unbelievable, except that this happens all the time! Over that stretch of good golf, I recorded five pars, eight bogeys, and one double. The double, by the way, was on the very last hole. Scoring at that rate felt effortless, even as I faced intimidating tee shots and unfamiliar terrain. In fact, I only bogeyed a couple of those holes because I 3-putted, otherwise there would have been more pars.
So the challenge is a familiar one: I have to extend those stretches of good golf to beyond 18 holes. It's not good enough to shoot 42 on the front nine, if I follow it up with 50 on the back. It's not good enough to play well for 14 or 15 holes, if the remaining three or four are disasters. I know I can do it. If I'm able to extend the good play for longer periods, I should score in the 84-86 range much more frequently and even challenge my personal best (81) every now and then.
Score: 91
Putts: 38
Fairways: 10
Greens: 7
Penalties: 2
This round was a lot like my last few outings. I played very good golf for a long stretch, but also had a mini stretch of very poor results. The trouble this time was the first four holes, or more specifically, holes #2 through #4. I rushed to join a threesome on the first tee after slogging through traffic to get to the course. They were up at the forward tees, while I was 90 yards back on the golds, still tying my shoelaces and rifling through my bag for a ball and tee. Almost miraculously, I piped a 260-yard drive to the centre of the fairway. Then I avoided a massive tree in front of the green to find the putting surface with an 8-iron. I blew my first putt well past the hole, leading to a 3-putt and bogey. Obviously, I didn't have time to do any practice putting, and the greens at the course were faster than I've been used to this season.
After a reasonably good opening hole, things went sour on the next three. On hole #2, my drive found a fairway bunker. I had no stance, resorting to playing with one foot inside the bunker and the other outside. The ball barely squirted back to the fairway with the off balance shot. My third shot into the par-4 was flag high, but one yard left of the green. A reasonable chip gave me a chance at bogey, but I didn't make it and took a double.
Hole #3 is a 140-yard par-3 over water. The teeing ground near the golds was horribly uneven and I struggled to find a level stance. Perhaps because of that nonsense, I duffed my shot right into the water. After taking a penalty and drop, I pushed an 80-yard wedge shot into a bunker on the right. I splashed out relatively well, but the ball carried downhill right off the green. Putting uphill from just off the green, I actually gave it a chance, but missed. Worse yet, I missed the comebacker and had to settle for a quadruple-bogey. The shortest hole on the front nine (and #15 handicap hole overall) ended up being my worst of the day.
Hole #4 is a 533-yard par-5 that I consider tricked up. There's nothing sneaky about the first two thirds of the hole – I hit a driver to the centre of the fairway, followed by an 8-iron to the centre of the fairway, leaving 138 yards to the green. The problem is a massive tree right in front of the green! Hole #1 had a similar tree, but it was slightly off centre. This one was smack dab in the middle! Going low is not an option – the green sits on a plateau, overlooking a rugged area that isn't a hazard, but looks like one. Going over the tree must be the play, I figured. I hit a high pitching wedge well, but still could not clear it. The tree must be 150 feet tall! My ball came to rest fifteen yards behind the tree and it was still in my way. Geez! My next shot smacked the trunk and deflected to the right. From there, at least I had an unobstructed path to the green. I pitched on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
I seem to spend most of this blog space describing the bad holes, even when they are the minority. I guess it's a way of explaining how poor results can occur easily. But here's the thing. I played the last 14 holes of the day in a score that was just 10 over par. Think about that. I was 9 over par for the first four holes and 10 over for the last 14. Unbelievable, except that this happens all the time! Over that stretch of good golf, I recorded five pars, eight bogeys, and one double. The double, by the way, was on the very last hole. Scoring at that rate felt effortless, even as I faced intimidating tee shots and unfamiliar terrain. In fact, I only bogeyed a couple of those holes because I 3-putted, otherwise there would have been more pars.
So the challenge is a familiar one: I have to extend those stretches of good golf to beyond 18 holes. It's not good enough to shoot 42 on the front nine, if I follow it up with 50 on the back. It's not good enough to play well for 14 or 15 holes, if the remaining three or four are disasters. I know I can do it. If I'm able to extend the good play for longer periods, I should score in the 84-86 range much more frequently and even challenge my personal best (81) every now and then.
Score: 91
Putts: 38
Fairways: 10
Greens: 7
Penalties: 2
August 03, 2016
Flip Flopping at Oliver's Nest
My first visit ever to Oliver's Nest was earlier this year. I shot 51 on the front nine that day, followed by 42 on the back. I returned recently and had the opposite experience, shooting 42 on the front nine and 50 after the turn. This is the kind of thing that really frustrates me about golf. Looking at those figures tells me I could easily shoot 84. By the same logic, of course, I could also shoot 101, so maybe I shouldn't be too upset. A couple of scores in the low nineties isn't bad, but the inconsistency leaves me wanting better.
I began the round with a double-bogey on a long par-4. If you don't hit a deep drive, you're almost resigned to reaching the green in three strokes. I went one worse, by pulling my second shot off a side hill lie into some thick trees. Thankfully, I made up for this with a birdie on the next hole, which is a very short par-4. I hit a lob wedge just off the back edge of the green, but chipped my next shot downhill into the cup.
It was pretty smooth sailing for the rest of the front nine – a stretch that included pars on holes #3 and #4, as well as holes #8 and #9. I made bogey on hole #5, a 180-yard par-3, and felt like I let one get away. I hit a dead straight 5-iron to the back pin location, but it was a hair thin and thus rolled right through the green. Short sided and coming downhill, I faced a delicate chip. The ball took one bounce in the rough and stopped just on the green – far from tap-in range. There were also a pair of double bogeys on holes #6 and #7, owing mostly to a pulled drive and a 3-putt, respectively.
I began the back nine aboard the double-bogey train, rattling off five in a row. A pitch that went long and a 3-putt were the cause of the first. A sharply pulled second shot was the cause of the second. It's a shame, because I hit a greatly placed drive on that hole. A lob wedge shot from a naturalized area resulted in the third double. The ball was lost, so after dropping at the same location as the previous shot, I nailed the green without difficulty. The fourth double was the most disappointing, as I pushed a shot right into a hazard from just 140 yards. I hit the perfect drive just before that, going deep and cutting the corner on the dogleg left par-4. There were good shots during this period, but they were accompanied by such a variety of mistakes.
I settled down slightly, registering a trio of bogeys on holes #15 through #17. The first of these is a par-5 that I had a chance to reach in two. From 205 yards, my 3-iron was dead straight up the hill. As we got over the crest, I didn't see my ball anywhere. I even checked the hole – LOL. I eventually found it five yards behind the deep green. The low bullet of a shot travelled a total distance of about 230 yards. Too bad I made a poor chip shot and then 3-putt! Bogeys are fine when you're adding some pars here and there, but they don't do much for you when trying to overcome a string of doubles. Speaking of doubles, I made a final one on the last hole, after my approach to the green found a greenside bunker. My first attempt to splash out was fat and that was all it took.
In the end, another average score. I still feel encouraged though. I know I can do better.
Score: 92
Putts: 37
Fairways: 7
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
I began the round with a double-bogey on a long par-4. If you don't hit a deep drive, you're almost resigned to reaching the green in three strokes. I went one worse, by pulling my second shot off a side hill lie into some thick trees. Thankfully, I made up for this with a birdie on the next hole, which is a very short par-4. I hit a lob wedge just off the back edge of the green, but chipped my next shot downhill into the cup.
It was pretty smooth sailing for the rest of the front nine – a stretch that included pars on holes #3 and #4, as well as holes #8 and #9. I made bogey on hole #5, a 180-yard par-3, and felt like I let one get away. I hit a dead straight 5-iron to the back pin location, but it was a hair thin and thus rolled right through the green. Short sided and coming downhill, I faced a delicate chip. The ball took one bounce in the rough and stopped just on the green – far from tap-in range. There were also a pair of double bogeys on holes #6 and #7, owing mostly to a pulled drive and a 3-putt, respectively.
I began the back nine aboard the double-bogey train, rattling off five in a row. A pitch that went long and a 3-putt were the cause of the first. A sharply pulled second shot was the cause of the second. It's a shame, because I hit a greatly placed drive on that hole. A lob wedge shot from a naturalized area resulted in the third double. The ball was lost, so after dropping at the same location as the previous shot, I nailed the green without difficulty. The fourth double was the most disappointing, as I pushed a shot right into a hazard from just 140 yards. I hit the perfect drive just before that, going deep and cutting the corner on the dogleg left par-4. There were good shots during this period, but they were accompanied by such a variety of mistakes.
I settled down slightly, registering a trio of bogeys on holes #15 through #17. The first of these is a par-5 that I had a chance to reach in two. From 205 yards, my 3-iron was dead straight up the hill. As we got over the crest, I didn't see my ball anywhere. I even checked the hole – LOL. I eventually found it five yards behind the deep green. The low bullet of a shot travelled a total distance of about 230 yards. Too bad I made a poor chip shot and then 3-putt! Bogeys are fine when you're adding some pars here and there, but they don't do much for you when trying to overcome a string of doubles. Speaking of doubles, I made a final one on the last hole, after my approach to the green found a greenside bunker. My first attempt to splash out was fat and that was all it took.
In the end, another average score. I still feel encouraged though. I know I can do better.
Score: 92
Putts: 37
Fairways: 7
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
August 01, 2016
Punished by Heat at Sleepy Hollow
We've had a lot of heat and humidity this summer, which has made it difficult to schedule my golf rounds. The forecast was calling for highs in the mid 30s (Celsius), so I had little choice but to book a round on a day when the high was 30 degrees even. Every degree matters and it wasn't going to get any cooler than that. I chose a tee time at Sleepy Hollow Country Club – only my second visit to the club.
My first visit was back in 2010 when I played the GTA Amateur Tour. Incidentally, I shot 89 that day and finished in a 4-way tie for first place in the C flight. Unfortunately, I was eliminated from the 4-man playoff after the first playoff hole, which was hole #6. Officially, I finished in second place, as I had the lowest back nine score among the four who made the playoff. It was my best result ever on the GTA Amateur Tour.
With little experience on the course, I was somewhat unprepared for the start of the round. The most difficult holes on the front nine are stacked right at the start. There are some challenging tee shots, including a couple of long par-3 holes, measuring 188 and 201 yards. There are also a couple of severely sloped greens, on holes #2 and #3. If you're in the wrong spot on these greens, a 2-putt is very difficult.
I was in good shape after my tee shot on hole #1, a par-4 that doglegs to the left. From 150 yards, I aimed my shot to the right edge of the green, as there is water short and left. It was the smart play, as a miss to the right gives you a chance to get up and down for par, or take bogey at worse. Unfortunately, my ball hit the cart path leading to the 2nd tee and took a huge bounce out of bounds. I finished the hole with a double-bogey.
A bad second shot on hole #2 almost went out of bounds, but the ball stayed in and I was able to punch it back to the fairway hitting my blade putter left handed. I had 130 yards to the green for my fourth shot, so all was not terrible. Unfortunately, I came up 5 yards short of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for another double, which was really all I could do given the hole position on the side of a severe slope.
Hole #3 is the 188-yard par-3 that looks very tough from the tee. The green is perched on the side of a big hill, which dominates the left side. A line of trees extends from tee to green on the right side, offering some separation from hole #4. Of course, I duffed the tee shot and put it behind a tree just 40 yards ahead. I had no opening to the green, so I needed two more shots to get on. The green is really sloped and I had to ride the edge of a bowl to approach the hole. All I could manage was a 3-putt and a triple-bogey.
My tee shot on hole #4 was decent, but still found a water hazard on the left. I took a penalty stroke and played a couple shots to get near the green. After pitching on, I 3-putt again for another triple. Hole #5 offered some respite, as I tallied bogey, but then came another triple on hole #6. This is the 201-yard par-3 that I played in the playoff back in 2010. Back then, we played from the white tees at 170 yards. I sliced a wicked 3-iron straight across fairway #1 toward the driving range and had to re-tee. What a rough start!
Beginning with hole #7, I played just fine for the remainder of the round. During that stretch, I registered 4 pars, 6 bogeys, and 2 doubles. Ten over par through twelve holes is solid – it's a shame I blew up so huge on the opening third of the round. I won't bore you with more shot by shot accounts – suffice to say I was simply putting the ball in play and avoiding trouble. I added a couple more penalty strokes, but finished those particular holes error-free to limit the damage.
While I was playing well, I was also doing my best to manage the heat. I drank plenty of water throughout and was towelling off frequently. Suddenly, by the 17th green, I felt nauseous and then vomited. I quickly wrapped up the round and drove to the clubhouse. The air conditioning was welcome, and I doused myself liberally with cold water. Still, I vomited a couple more times. I've suffered heat exhaustion symptoms, such as headaches, in the past, but had only reached the point of vomiting on two previous occasions. It's no fun, I tell you. This time, my heart rate also seemed elevated and it took me longer to recover. I definitely have to get that checked out.
I'm not perturbed about my final score. I survived and I played well long enough to feel encouraged.
Score: 98
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
My first visit was back in 2010 when I played the GTA Amateur Tour. Incidentally, I shot 89 that day and finished in a 4-way tie for first place in the C flight. Unfortunately, I was eliminated from the 4-man playoff after the first playoff hole, which was hole #6. Officially, I finished in second place, as I had the lowest back nine score among the four who made the playoff. It was my best result ever on the GTA Amateur Tour.
With little experience on the course, I was somewhat unprepared for the start of the round. The most difficult holes on the front nine are stacked right at the start. There are some challenging tee shots, including a couple of long par-3 holes, measuring 188 and 201 yards. There are also a couple of severely sloped greens, on holes #2 and #3. If you're in the wrong spot on these greens, a 2-putt is very difficult.
I was in good shape after my tee shot on hole #1, a par-4 that doglegs to the left. From 150 yards, I aimed my shot to the right edge of the green, as there is water short and left. It was the smart play, as a miss to the right gives you a chance to get up and down for par, or take bogey at worse. Unfortunately, my ball hit the cart path leading to the 2nd tee and took a huge bounce out of bounds. I finished the hole with a double-bogey.
A bad second shot on hole #2 almost went out of bounds, but the ball stayed in and I was able to punch it back to the fairway hitting my blade putter left handed. I had 130 yards to the green for my fourth shot, so all was not terrible. Unfortunately, I came up 5 yards short of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for another double, which was really all I could do given the hole position on the side of a severe slope.
Hole #3 is the 188-yard par-3 that looks very tough from the tee. The green is perched on the side of a big hill, which dominates the left side. A line of trees extends from tee to green on the right side, offering some separation from hole #4. Of course, I duffed the tee shot and put it behind a tree just 40 yards ahead. I had no opening to the green, so I needed two more shots to get on. The green is really sloped and I had to ride the edge of a bowl to approach the hole. All I could manage was a 3-putt and a triple-bogey.
My tee shot on hole #4 was decent, but still found a water hazard on the left. I took a penalty stroke and played a couple shots to get near the green. After pitching on, I 3-putt again for another triple. Hole #5 offered some respite, as I tallied bogey, but then came another triple on hole #6. This is the 201-yard par-3 that I played in the playoff back in 2010. Back then, we played from the white tees at 170 yards. I sliced a wicked 3-iron straight across fairway #1 toward the driving range and had to re-tee. What a rough start!
Beginning with hole #7, I played just fine for the remainder of the round. During that stretch, I registered 4 pars, 6 bogeys, and 2 doubles. Ten over par through twelve holes is solid – it's a shame I blew up so huge on the opening third of the round. I won't bore you with more shot by shot accounts – suffice to say I was simply putting the ball in play and avoiding trouble. I added a couple more penalty strokes, but finished those particular holes error-free to limit the damage.
While I was playing well, I was also doing my best to manage the heat. I drank plenty of water throughout and was towelling off frequently. Suddenly, by the 17th green, I felt nauseous and then vomited. I quickly wrapped up the round and drove to the clubhouse. The air conditioning was welcome, and I doused myself liberally with cold water. Still, I vomited a couple more times. I've suffered heat exhaustion symptoms, such as headaches, in the past, but had only reached the point of vomiting on two previous occasions. It's no fun, I tell you. This time, my heart rate also seemed elevated and it took me longer to recover. I definitely have to get that checked out.
I'm not perturbed about my final score. I survived and I played well long enough to feel encouraged.
Score: 98
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
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