Dang, it's snowing outside. A bunch of people dressed as elves just walked past my house, on their way to the Santa Claus Parade here in Toronto. Two days ago, I was strolling the fairways like it was mid summer. Alas, there will be no more of that this year. All that's left to do is to write my traditional year-end review.
After struggling with my golf game for a couple of years, I had modest success in both 2014 and 2015. While I can't say that my game improved dramatically in 2016, I have to admit that by almost any measure, this year was also a success. My handicap factor at season end was 17.0 – just six tenths better than it was at the end of 2015, but an improvement nevertheless. It's important to note that 17.6 was also my lowest level in 2015, while I went as low as 15.5 this year. That set a new personal best – beating my previous mark of 15.8 set all the way back in 2009. It's a slight improvement, and I wasn't able to hang onto it, but it's something.
While the improvement in handicap factor was miniscule, I had two major accomplishments this year. One was an early season hole-in-one at Calerin Golf Club – my first ever! It was mid-May and I was playing just my sixth round of the year. I already had a couple of scores in the mid 80s, so I was feeling good about my game. I shot 94 that day, but score means nothing when you drain your first ace. I could have shot 110 and still been happy. The feat was accomplished on hole #14, a 150-yard par-3. I struck a pure 8-iron directly at the flag, but didn't see the result immediately, because the green is slightly elevated. It was only when I peered into the hole that I knew what had happened. I saved the ball as a souvenir – a Pinnacle Gold. LOL
The other major accomplishment, perhaps more significant, was a personal best score of 78, which came at BraeBen Golf Course. This was also the first time that I ever broke 80. My previous best was an 81 (10-over) at Deer Creek South, which took place way back in 2007. I also had an 82 (10-over) at Granite Ridge Cobalt in 2008. Either way, those rounds were a long time ago. There's also something very special about breaking 80. It took me over 500 rounds of golf to do it. Let's hope it doesn't take another 500 to do it again. I began that round at BraeBen like a par machine and I carried the early momentum through the entire round. I wrote a detailed blog entry, which I'll review whenever I need a golf pick me up. I also saved the ball that I used to play the entire round – a Titleist DT Solo. LOL
I ended up playing 45 rounds in 2016, beginning April 18 and ending November 18. That's seven months of golf, which ain't bad around these parts. Late spring and early fall were ideal, but the summer was far too hot, especially during the months of July and August. Having aimed for at least 40 rounds, I was happy with the number of rounds played. Incidentally, those rounds were played at 35 different courses. The one I played most often was Scenic Woods, with three visits. The first two rounds there continued my incredible streak of scoring 85 at the course. On the third visit, which happened to come right after my personal best of 78 at BraeBen, I scored a lovely 103. Haha! The courses that I played twice were: Oliver's Nest, Lowville, Silver Lakes, Hunters Pointe, BraeBen, Calerin, and Maples of Ballantrae.
Every year, I try to play a few new courses, just to keep things interesting and fresh. The courses that I played for the first time this year were: Oliver's Nest, Borden, Lakeridge Links, Nobleton Lakes, and Settlers' Ghost. Nobleton Lakes was perhaps the nicest of the bunch, but that's not saying a whole lot. All of the courses are decent enough, so there's little to separate them. The reason I had never played Nobleton before is because its green fees always seemed too high. Borden is probably the weakest of the bunch, mostly due to some featureless opening holes. It doesn't help that it's a hefty trek to get there. Then again, the same can be said for Oliver's Nest and Settlers' Ghost. Lakeridge Links was dry as hell when I played it, but I still enjoyed it.
My average score in 2016 was 94.4 – just six tenths better than in 2015. Any improvement is a good improvement, but that's really not very significant. I was a little better over the first half of the year, averaging 93.3 as opposed to 95.5 over the second half. Two strokes per round doesn't seem like much, but consider this: I broke 90 six times over the first half of the season and only did it twice over the second half. By comparison, I broke 90 five times in 2015. While I reached 100 or greater once over the first half of this year, I reached that level six times over the second half. By comparison, I cracked the century mark just three times in all of 2015. Ironically, dipping into the 80s more frequently may have been responsible for more excursions into the 100s. The fact is, when you've tasted the 80s, there's less motivation to grind for a score in the high 90s.
Detailed stats offer a bit of a mixed bag. This year, I averaged 34.6 putts per round, compared to 34.9 in 2015. I've never considered putting to be a real weakness, but there's room for further improvement. I hit 5.5 fairways per round, down from 6.1 last year. That's a little discouraging, as I'd like to be north of 7 in that category. Greens in regulation rose to 3.9 from 3.7, which is still very far from where I'd like to be. It's not surprising, though. I miss greens with alarming regularity from 150 yards or less. Even with a sand wedge in hand, I'm more likely to miss the green than hit it. Most often, I pull the ball left, but I've also been known to scull a few straight over the back. Finally, I averaged 3.3 penalty strokes per round, which is up from 3.0 last year. This is more telling than anything else. If I could eliminate the penalties, my average score would easily drop by at least six strokes.
Last, but not least, a few words about my performance in the Deepwoods Golf Association championship. I began the season horribly at Copetown Woods. It was especially disappointing because I was playing so well outside of Deepwoods early in the season. Not only that, but Copetown Woods is a course I know very well and one I should be able to dominate. I bounced back with good rounds at Peninsula Lakes and Crosswinds, but other players were having good years and I had to be near perfect to contend for the title. After a poor point total at Nobleton Lakes, I was officially out of contention. The last round at Grand Niagara was just for fun, and I finished the season in a tie for 10th place overall. My Deepwoods handicap had been lowered at the start of the season and I struggled to live up to that level. Oh well, there's always next year!
November 21, 2016
November 19, 2016
Final Hurrah at Shawneeki
Daily highs near Toronto are forecast between 1 and 3 degrees Celsius over the next week, so I was fortunate to play on what will certainly be the last decent weather day of the year. The high was 17 degrees, and having snagged my tee time early, I was able to play during the warmest part of the day. We teed off just before noon and finished at 4:45 pm, just as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Thankfully, we didn't have to battle the light and managed to finish comfortably.
Shawneeki was in great overall condition, and not just for this time of year. The fairways were nicely blanketed in grass, with very playable firmness. The greens were rolling pretty smoothly and they surprised me with their speed. Uphill putts were average, but even the slightest downhill putts kept rolling and rolling. Your brain expects the greens to be slower at this time of year, but they weren't. I failed to make the mental adjustment for the entire round. Course staff also did a great job removing fallen leaves, so this wasn't a problem.
I smother hooked my opening drive, forcing a pitch to get back to the fairway. An 8-iron got me greenside and flag high, setting the stage for an up and down to salvage bogey. Hole #2 is a par-5 with a narrow chute at the teeing ground that can be intimidating, primarily because it's OB along the entire left side. I piped a drive down the middle, then carried a 5-iron over the edge of a pond, leaving 120 yards to the flag. I made crisp contact with the gap wedge, but pulled the ball to a slope left of the green. I bounced my chip shot into the slope, expecting the ball to release gently to the hole. Instead it kept rolling and rolling across the large green, leaving me with a 100 foot putt. The funny thing is, I almost made it! Unfortunately, the ball was carrying too much speed and it lipped out to about 8 feet. I missed that one too, and settled for double-bogey. Such a shame.
The next two holes resulted in bogeys, as I played them fairly well. In both cases, I just barely missed the fairways and greens. Chips were tricky because of the surprising green speeds, and hence the bogeys. I would have loved a bogey on hole #5, instead of the disaster that occurred. This is an uphill par-4 with a dogleg right. It seems every time I play this hole, my drive finishes just past a bunker protecting the inside of the dogleg. This is fine, except that it leaves an uneven lie for the next shot, and worse yet, a couple of small trees impeding the line to the green. I made excellent contact with a 7-iron, but smacked one of the trees solidly. My next attempt hit another tree, with the ball ricocheting back to the fairway. My fourth shot was a lob wedge thinned over the green. My fifth was a lofted pitch that rolled and rolled downhill off the green. I three putt from the fringe for a score of 8. Ugh!
After that nonsense, it was pretty standard for the remainder of the front nine. I smother hooked another drive on hole #6, then recovered briefly with a couple good shots. A bad bunker shot squirted well right of target and right off the green, leading to a double-bogey. Three bogeys finished up the front nine, including a pair of par-3 holes and a par-5. The bogey on the par-5 was impressive, as my drive was pulled slightly and finished unplayable under an evergreen tree. After taking a penalty and drop, I hit a fantastic 3-iron high and deep over a pond to get back to the fairway centre. My subsequent shot found the green and I 2-putt to finish. Also impressive was my tee shot on hole #9. This par-3 over water was playing 180 yards, with a back pin position. I hit a 5-iron high and straight, with the ball settling right at the back of the green. Unfortunately, I 3-putt on the slippery green, or it would have been a par.
My first par of the day was on hole #10. Driver, gap wedge got me to the back of the green, but the hole was near the front. My first putt went well past the hole, but I made the 8-foot comebacker. A pair of bogeys followed on the next two holes. Hole #11 is a par-5 with a dogleg left. My drives on this hole are dangerously close to OB on the right side of the dogleg, so I opted for 3-iron. I pulled it and smacked a tree solidly just a few yards ahead. Next, I hit two consecutive 3-irons that were fabulous. The first got me to the centre of the fairway, while the second, from 260 yards out, rolled right up to the front right side of the green. I putt through 15 feet of fringe and still managed to go well past the hole, about 10 feet. On hole #12, a par-3 from an elevated tee, I hit a perfect 7-iron, landing in front of the green and releasing flag-high. Unfortunately, the green got me again, leading to a 3-putt finish.
Hole #13 features a very dangerous tee shot, with a pond left and OB right. I navigated it perfectly, finding the right side of the fairway. With the danger behind me, I had an easy path to the severely elevated green. First, I duffed a 7-iron, then I sculled a lob wedge, finishing amidst some trees behind the green. It took two more shots to get on and two putts just to earn a triple-bogey. When you make two mistakes back-to-back, the big numbers quickly surface.
Luckily, I made a spectacular shot on the next hole to lift my spirits. Hole #14 is a 156-yard par-3 over a creek that then meanders along the right side of the green. I hit a terrible shot off the tee, finishing under an evergreen tree 40 yards left of the green. This tree had some space to stand underneath the branches, so I crouched underneath and choked down on a 7-iron. I punched the ball through a series of mounds and it reached the green, for once settling at the correct distance. It was the shot of the round, helped by the fact that I made the subsequent 6-footer for par.
The remainder of the round was fairly standard, with a mix of very good shots, and some not so good. I hit great drives on the final four holes, but some of the follow-ups were shaky. On hole #15, I pulled a 6-iron well left of the green. On hole #16, I pushed a 3-iron well right of the fairway. On hole #17, I pulled a gap wedge left, but still caught a piece of the green. On hole #18, I pulled a pitching wedge ever so slightly left. The story of the final four holes was once again the speed of the greens. I 3-putt three out of the four holes, as I still couldn't convince myself to ease up enough on my stroke. I collected a pair of bogeys and a couple of doubles for my handiwork.
If not for the unusually swift greens, this would have been a pretty good scoring round. As it was, I finished with a pedestrian score of 97. Still, it was a fun day and a good way to finish the season.
Score: 97
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 1
Shawneeki was in great overall condition, and not just for this time of year. The fairways were nicely blanketed in grass, with very playable firmness. The greens were rolling pretty smoothly and they surprised me with their speed. Uphill putts were average, but even the slightest downhill putts kept rolling and rolling. Your brain expects the greens to be slower at this time of year, but they weren't. I failed to make the mental adjustment for the entire round. Course staff also did a great job removing fallen leaves, so this wasn't a problem.
I smother hooked my opening drive, forcing a pitch to get back to the fairway. An 8-iron got me greenside and flag high, setting the stage for an up and down to salvage bogey. Hole #2 is a par-5 with a narrow chute at the teeing ground that can be intimidating, primarily because it's OB along the entire left side. I piped a drive down the middle, then carried a 5-iron over the edge of a pond, leaving 120 yards to the flag. I made crisp contact with the gap wedge, but pulled the ball to a slope left of the green. I bounced my chip shot into the slope, expecting the ball to release gently to the hole. Instead it kept rolling and rolling across the large green, leaving me with a 100 foot putt. The funny thing is, I almost made it! Unfortunately, the ball was carrying too much speed and it lipped out to about 8 feet. I missed that one too, and settled for double-bogey. Such a shame.
The next two holes resulted in bogeys, as I played them fairly well. In both cases, I just barely missed the fairways and greens. Chips were tricky because of the surprising green speeds, and hence the bogeys. I would have loved a bogey on hole #5, instead of the disaster that occurred. This is an uphill par-4 with a dogleg right. It seems every time I play this hole, my drive finishes just past a bunker protecting the inside of the dogleg. This is fine, except that it leaves an uneven lie for the next shot, and worse yet, a couple of small trees impeding the line to the green. I made excellent contact with a 7-iron, but smacked one of the trees solidly. My next attempt hit another tree, with the ball ricocheting back to the fairway. My fourth shot was a lob wedge thinned over the green. My fifth was a lofted pitch that rolled and rolled downhill off the green. I three putt from the fringe for a score of 8. Ugh!
After that nonsense, it was pretty standard for the remainder of the front nine. I smother hooked another drive on hole #6, then recovered briefly with a couple good shots. A bad bunker shot squirted well right of target and right off the green, leading to a double-bogey. Three bogeys finished up the front nine, including a pair of par-3 holes and a par-5. The bogey on the par-5 was impressive, as my drive was pulled slightly and finished unplayable under an evergreen tree. After taking a penalty and drop, I hit a fantastic 3-iron high and deep over a pond to get back to the fairway centre. My subsequent shot found the green and I 2-putt to finish. Also impressive was my tee shot on hole #9. This par-3 over water was playing 180 yards, with a back pin position. I hit a 5-iron high and straight, with the ball settling right at the back of the green. Unfortunately, I 3-putt on the slippery green, or it would have been a par.
My first par of the day was on hole #10. Driver, gap wedge got me to the back of the green, but the hole was near the front. My first putt went well past the hole, but I made the 8-foot comebacker. A pair of bogeys followed on the next two holes. Hole #11 is a par-5 with a dogleg left. My drives on this hole are dangerously close to OB on the right side of the dogleg, so I opted for 3-iron. I pulled it and smacked a tree solidly just a few yards ahead. Next, I hit two consecutive 3-irons that were fabulous. The first got me to the centre of the fairway, while the second, from 260 yards out, rolled right up to the front right side of the green. I putt through 15 feet of fringe and still managed to go well past the hole, about 10 feet. On hole #12, a par-3 from an elevated tee, I hit a perfect 7-iron, landing in front of the green and releasing flag-high. Unfortunately, the green got me again, leading to a 3-putt finish.
Hole #13 features a very dangerous tee shot, with a pond left and OB right. I navigated it perfectly, finding the right side of the fairway. With the danger behind me, I had an easy path to the severely elevated green. First, I duffed a 7-iron, then I sculled a lob wedge, finishing amidst some trees behind the green. It took two more shots to get on and two putts just to earn a triple-bogey. When you make two mistakes back-to-back, the big numbers quickly surface.
Luckily, I made a spectacular shot on the next hole to lift my spirits. Hole #14 is a 156-yard par-3 over a creek that then meanders along the right side of the green. I hit a terrible shot off the tee, finishing under an evergreen tree 40 yards left of the green. This tree had some space to stand underneath the branches, so I crouched underneath and choked down on a 7-iron. I punched the ball through a series of mounds and it reached the green, for once settling at the correct distance. It was the shot of the round, helped by the fact that I made the subsequent 6-footer for par.
The remainder of the round was fairly standard, with a mix of very good shots, and some not so good. I hit great drives on the final four holes, but some of the follow-ups were shaky. On hole #15, I pulled a 6-iron well left of the green. On hole #16, I pushed a 3-iron well right of the fairway. On hole #17, I pulled a gap wedge left, but still caught a piece of the green. On hole #18, I pulled a pitching wedge ever so slightly left. The story of the final four holes was once again the speed of the greens. I 3-putt three out of the four holes, as I still couldn't convince myself to ease up enough on my stroke. I collected a pair of bogeys and a couple of doubles for my handiwork.
If not for the unusually swift greens, this would have been a pretty good scoring round. As it was, I finished with a pedestrian score of 97. Still, it was a fun day and a good way to finish the season.
Score: 97
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 1
November 11, 2016
Good Old Hidden Lake New
I've been watching the weather forecasts closely, in search of a good day to score well on the golf course. Another potentially nice day appeared, so I booked a round on the New Course at Hidden Lake. I've played both courses at Hidden Lake often enough, so it's a very familiar environment.
The sun was out and the temperature was fine throughout my entire round. However, it was very windy. Leaves that had been piled up off to the sides of various holes were blown back over the playing areas. As a result, it wasn't unusual to be searching for balls right in the middle of the fairway.
I took a 9 on the opening par-4, though it had nothing to do with the leaves – I simply made a series of bad shots. I recovered well with a par on hole #2, but the good times didn't last long. A great tee shot on hole #3 just clipped the edge of a greenside bunker. I emerged safely, but rolled off the other side of the green en route to a double-bogey. A 3-putt on hole #4 produced the same result.
Holes #5 and #6 were very frustrating. On the first of these, I lost a ball in the fairway and another just behind the green. There were no obstacles whatsoever, but the leaves were particularly bad. I hate losing balls in leaves where there should be none, and I let the dislike carry over into my shots. I finished the hole with a triple-bogey. I didn't lose any balls on hole #6, a par-3, but it took a hole to get over what had happened on the previous one. After pulling my tee shot and duffing a pitch attempt, I walked away with a double-bogey. Through six holes, I was already 14 over par. Geez!
Luckily, the final two thirds of the round was brilliant. In fact, I was only 7 over for the remaining 12 holes. This was a stretch of very consistent golf, including five pars and seven bogeys. The run started with back-to-back par-5 holes that produced a pair of bogeys. Both began with deep, penetrating drives. I did not hit the greens in regulation, however. In one case, I was short of the green, while in the other case, I went long. Hole #9 was a long par-3 over water and into the teeth of the wind. I added two extra clubs and still finished on the front fringe of the very large green. A great lag gave me a chance for par, but I missed it and took my third consecutive bogey.
My score at the turn was 52, but my score on the back nine ended up being 40! Holes #10 through #12 produced bogey, par, and bogey. The par was on a 144-yard par-3 over water. The wind was helping in that instance and I judged it perfectly, finishing very near the flag on the right side of the green. On the other holes, I drove the ball into the fairways and then played low punch shots to just in front of the greens. A chip and two putts finished each hole. The low route seemed to be working much better than the aerial route.
On hole #13, I hit a weak, smothered drive. I tried to recover and actually hit a great 5-wood into this par-4 green. It was destined for the putting surface, but clipped an evergreen at 150 yards out and dropped straight down. I had to play the ball left handed with the back of my blade putter. No problem, as I stuck the next shot from 130 yards onto the green and then putt through a massive collection of leaves and drained it to save bogey. That was a game changer.
Hole #14 is a beautiful par-5, measuring 460 yards from the blue tees. I always remember my buddy Linley going for the green in two and making it with a towering fairway wood that cleared the large pond right in front of the green. Good times! I myself hit a great drive this time, but went with a 3-iron on my second, leaving a 65-yard pitch over the pond to reach the green. I pulled it left and had to putt through quite a bit of fringe. The ball ended up rolling right off the other side. No worries, as I made a spectacular uphill par putt that curled at the end and actually dropped in the cup from the back! I mean directly from the back – not at all from the side. The ball even paused on the lip like that famous Tiger Woods putt on the 16th hole at the 2005 Masters. Great stuff!
I was feeling the high and rode it through the rest of the round. It was still windy as hell, but I played great anyway. After a bogey on hole #15, I rattled off three consecutive pars to complete the round. On hole #16, I went 3-iron, 7-iron to find the green. This was right into a 3-club wind. The 7-iron approach was from just 130 yards. On hole #17, a 157-yard par-3, I nailed the green with a 5-iron. Once again, the wind was hurting, but I judged it perfectly. On hole #18, a par-5, I pulled my third shot into a greenside bunker that was full of leaves. We found the ball and I made a great out to 8 feet. I nailed it and celebrated with a yell and the obligatory fist pump.
There were some shaky moments at first, but the round finished great and was lots of fun.
Score: 92
Putts: 32
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 0
The sun was out and the temperature was fine throughout my entire round. However, it was very windy. Leaves that had been piled up off to the sides of various holes were blown back over the playing areas. As a result, it wasn't unusual to be searching for balls right in the middle of the fairway.
I took a 9 on the opening par-4, though it had nothing to do with the leaves – I simply made a series of bad shots. I recovered well with a par on hole #2, but the good times didn't last long. A great tee shot on hole #3 just clipped the edge of a greenside bunker. I emerged safely, but rolled off the other side of the green en route to a double-bogey. A 3-putt on hole #4 produced the same result.
Holes #5 and #6 were very frustrating. On the first of these, I lost a ball in the fairway and another just behind the green. There were no obstacles whatsoever, but the leaves were particularly bad. I hate losing balls in leaves where there should be none, and I let the dislike carry over into my shots. I finished the hole with a triple-bogey. I didn't lose any balls on hole #6, a par-3, but it took a hole to get over what had happened on the previous one. After pulling my tee shot and duffing a pitch attempt, I walked away with a double-bogey. Through six holes, I was already 14 over par. Geez!
Luckily, the final two thirds of the round was brilliant. In fact, I was only 7 over for the remaining 12 holes. This was a stretch of very consistent golf, including five pars and seven bogeys. The run started with back-to-back par-5 holes that produced a pair of bogeys. Both began with deep, penetrating drives. I did not hit the greens in regulation, however. In one case, I was short of the green, while in the other case, I went long. Hole #9 was a long par-3 over water and into the teeth of the wind. I added two extra clubs and still finished on the front fringe of the very large green. A great lag gave me a chance for par, but I missed it and took my third consecutive bogey.
My score at the turn was 52, but my score on the back nine ended up being 40! Holes #10 through #12 produced bogey, par, and bogey. The par was on a 144-yard par-3 over water. The wind was helping in that instance and I judged it perfectly, finishing very near the flag on the right side of the green. On the other holes, I drove the ball into the fairways and then played low punch shots to just in front of the greens. A chip and two putts finished each hole. The low route seemed to be working much better than the aerial route.
On hole #13, I hit a weak, smothered drive. I tried to recover and actually hit a great 5-wood into this par-4 green. It was destined for the putting surface, but clipped an evergreen at 150 yards out and dropped straight down. I had to play the ball left handed with the back of my blade putter. No problem, as I stuck the next shot from 130 yards onto the green and then putt through a massive collection of leaves and drained it to save bogey. That was a game changer.
Hole #14 is a beautiful par-5, measuring 460 yards from the blue tees. I always remember my buddy Linley going for the green in two and making it with a towering fairway wood that cleared the large pond right in front of the green. Good times! I myself hit a great drive this time, but went with a 3-iron on my second, leaving a 65-yard pitch over the pond to reach the green. I pulled it left and had to putt through quite a bit of fringe. The ball ended up rolling right off the other side. No worries, as I made a spectacular uphill par putt that curled at the end and actually dropped in the cup from the back! I mean directly from the back – not at all from the side. The ball even paused on the lip like that famous Tiger Woods putt on the 16th hole at the 2005 Masters. Great stuff!
I was feeling the high and rode it through the rest of the round. It was still windy as hell, but I played great anyway. After a bogey on hole #15, I rattled off three consecutive pars to complete the round. On hole #16, I went 3-iron, 7-iron to find the green. This was right into a 3-club wind. The 7-iron approach was from just 130 yards. On hole #17, a 157-yard par-3, I nailed the green with a 5-iron. Once again, the wind was hurting, but I judged it perfectly. On hole #18, a par-5, I pulled my third shot into a greenside bunker that was full of leaves. We found the ball and I made a great out to 8 feet. I nailed it and celebrated with a yell and the obligatory fist pump.
There were some shaky moments at first, but the round finished great and was lots of fun.
Score: 92
Putts: 32
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 0
November 10, 2016
Trying Again at Twenty Valley
We were gifted with another decent weather day, so I headed out to Twenty Valley for some golf. I arrived early, hoping they might find a spot for me earlier than my scheduled tee time. No such luck, as the tee sheet was completely full. After a bit of a wait, I paired up with three older ladies and off we went.
On the first hole, I hit a beautiful drive to the left fairway, ten yards short of a ditch that crosses the fairway. After such a great shot, I decided I had to go for the green on this par-5, but it would take a perfect 3-wood to get there. I blocked one well right into a large group of trees. A punch out was followed by a couple of pitches in order to find the putting surface. Two putts earned a disappointing double-bogey after a great first shot.
I went par, bogey, bogey over the next three holes as I settled into a nice rhythm. Drives were in the fairway and approach shots were close to the greens. In one case I got up and down, while the other two holes required a couple of putts to finish. I began hole #5 with a straight and deep drive, but this is a dogleg right and I ran through the end of the fairway. I tried to punch a low shot underneath some tree branches, but the ball didn't even get out of the rough, advancing just 20 yards or so. Next, I pushed one into a greenside bunker. Out of the sand, I hit the lip, then emerged safely. Two putts finished it up for a shocking triple-bogey.
It's amazing how quickly a score can run up on you, even when your mistakes are not terrible. The bad karma carried to the next hole, a short par-4 that requires a drive over a wide creek. I pulled my first attempt into the water, then hit one fat and found the water again from the drop zone. The result was even worse this time, as I finished the par-4 with a score of 8. I did comparatively well on holes #7 through #9, collecting a couple of bogeys and a double. The latter was due to a sculled pitch shot after missing the green on this par-3 by just a few yards on the right. My score at the turn was 50.
Two thirds of the back nine were free of major problems. I was 5 over par for the stretch beginning with hole #10 and finishing with hole #15. I was hitting a good percentage of fairways, but only found one green in regulation. That was on hole #12, thanks to the pitching wedge. I made a traditional 2-putt par. I also made par on hole #13, thanks to a great up and down from left of the green. The only questionable result during this run was a double-bogey on hole #13, a 180-yard par-3 to an elevated green, protected in front by a wide creek and huge hill. I didn't hit my tee shot clean and struck the retaining wall bordering the creek. After a penalty stroke and shot from the drop zone, I rattled a chip off the flagstick, then tapped in.
The final three holes ruined what was looking like a pretty good recovery. On #16, a 200-yard par-3, I pushed a 3-iron into a water reservoir right of the green. Penalty stroke and double-bogey ensued. On #17, a par-4, I was just left of the green after two. Unfortunately, I had to go under some spruce tree branches. I struck the ball into a bit of a slope and it died instantly. Another shot was required to get on the green and I 2-putt for another double. The last hole is a par-5 that I completed with 6 shots from tee to cup. The problem was that my first drive attempt was a huge pull into a lateral hazard. I could have taken a penalty stroke and dropped near the point where the ball last crossed the margin, but I wanted to replay the drive. I hit my third off the tee and it was a good one. Because of the first mistake, my score on the hole was an ugly triple-bogey – for a final score of 99.
That's pretty grim, but it's late in the year and I have played very little recently.
Score: 99
Putts: 31
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
Penalties: 5
On the first hole, I hit a beautiful drive to the left fairway, ten yards short of a ditch that crosses the fairway. After such a great shot, I decided I had to go for the green on this par-5, but it would take a perfect 3-wood to get there. I blocked one well right into a large group of trees. A punch out was followed by a couple of pitches in order to find the putting surface. Two putts earned a disappointing double-bogey after a great first shot.
I went par, bogey, bogey over the next three holes as I settled into a nice rhythm. Drives were in the fairway and approach shots were close to the greens. In one case I got up and down, while the other two holes required a couple of putts to finish. I began hole #5 with a straight and deep drive, but this is a dogleg right and I ran through the end of the fairway. I tried to punch a low shot underneath some tree branches, but the ball didn't even get out of the rough, advancing just 20 yards or so. Next, I pushed one into a greenside bunker. Out of the sand, I hit the lip, then emerged safely. Two putts finished it up for a shocking triple-bogey.
It's amazing how quickly a score can run up on you, even when your mistakes are not terrible. The bad karma carried to the next hole, a short par-4 that requires a drive over a wide creek. I pulled my first attempt into the water, then hit one fat and found the water again from the drop zone. The result was even worse this time, as I finished the par-4 with a score of 8. I did comparatively well on holes #7 through #9, collecting a couple of bogeys and a double. The latter was due to a sculled pitch shot after missing the green on this par-3 by just a few yards on the right. My score at the turn was 50.
Two thirds of the back nine were free of major problems. I was 5 over par for the stretch beginning with hole #10 and finishing with hole #15. I was hitting a good percentage of fairways, but only found one green in regulation. That was on hole #12, thanks to the pitching wedge. I made a traditional 2-putt par. I also made par on hole #13, thanks to a great up and down from left of the green. The only questionable result during this run was a double-bogey on hole #13, a 180-yard par-3 to an elevated green, protected in front by a wide creek and huge hill. I didn't hit my tee shot clean and struck the retaining wall bordering the creek. After a penalty stroke and shot from the drop zone, I rattled a chip off the flagstick, then tapped in.
The final three holes ruined what was looking like a pretty good recovery. On #16, a 200-yard par-3, I pushed a 3-iron into a water reservoir right of the green. Penalty stroke and double-bogey ensued. On #17, a par-4, I was just left of the green after two. Unfortunately, I had to go under some spruce tree branches. I struck the ball into a bit of a slope and it died instantly. Another shot was required to get on the green and I 2-putt for another double. The last hole is a par-5 that I completed with 6 shots from tee to cup. The problem was that my first drive attempt was a huge pull into a lateral hazard. I could have taken a penalty stroke and dropped near the point where the ball last crossed the margin, but I wanted to replay the drive. I hit my third off the tee and it was a good one. Because of the first mistake, my score on the hole was an ugly triple-bogey – for a final score of 99.
That's pretty grim, but it's late in the year and I have played very little recently.
Score: 99
Putts: 31
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
Penalties: 5
November 08, 2016
Stone Cold at Bond Head
My last round at Royal Woodbine was timed perfectly to take advantage of an unseasonably warm day. I was holding out for similar conditions, which seemed like they would finally materialize two weeks later, on the 1st of November. I booked a round at Bond Head four days in advance, as I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity. The forecast was calling for a mix of sun and cloud, with just 20% chance of rain and a high of 18 degrees Celsius. This was going to be sweet!
As I drove to the course, there was not a hint of sunshine in the sky. It was completely overcast. To make matters worse, I drove through a few patches of drizzle, which required the use of the windshield wipers. Out on the practice green, there was no rain, but it was freezing as hell and the wind was whipping around. I was scheduled to play the South Course, which is exposed in many areas, including the first hole.
I tried to put the weather out of my mind, but I was definitely not pleased. I hit a wicked pull hook off the first tee, losing the ball in a vast expanse of long fescue. I had opted for an iron off the tee for more control – so much for that idea. I took a penalty and dropped the ball near the spot where I lost it. That's against the rules, of course, but I was already holding people up and the round had just begun. I proceeded to plunk a ball into the creek fronting the green, collecting my second penalty of the hole. A great up and down only salvaged a double-bogey (with an asterisk).
I was so pissed off with the weather that I didn't even feel like playing. I pulled my drive on hole #2 into a lateral hazard. After a penalty and drop, I hooked an iron into the same hazard further afield. Taking my fourth penalty of the day and another drop, I took a halfhearted pitch toward the green – not even close. I picked up the ball in disgust and waited by the side of the green for my fellow competitors to finish up. I stopped keeping score at this point – though I've gone back over the round and filled in the blanks as I write this review. For the hole where I picked up, which is a par-4, I gave myself an 8.
For two more holes, there was no change in the weather. Through the first four holes, I was 11 over par and had collected four penalty strokes. I was miserable and had no desire to play. Suddenly, as we stood on the tee of hole #5, the wind stopped. This is a short par-3 from an elevated tee. I hit a pitching wedge flag high, just left of the green. A solid chip gave me a chance at par, but I missed and settled for bogey. Okay, not bad. On the next hole, a 294-yard par-4 from an elevated tee, the sun started poking out from behind the clouds. I tried to drive the green, which is risky because the right side features a steep drop to a large pond. My shot finished flag high, five yards left of the green. In other words, the safe side. I pitched one close and tapped in for birdie.
For the remainder of the front nine, and in fact for the remainder of the round, the weather was just fine. For the final five holes of the front nine, I was just three over par. It's amazing how weather can affect your game – especially when you're mentally weak, as this front nine would seem to indicate I am. The terrible start to the round meant I was shooting 50 at the turn, despite the good play from the fifth hole onward.
On the back nine, I had a number of good results. Holes #10 and #11, both of the par-4 variety, produced a pair of bogeys. Both began with excellent drives that split the fairway. Unfortunately, I could not find the greens with what should have been easy iron shots. I pulled a 9-iron on #10 and duffed a 40-yard wedge shot on #11. This failure to hit greens has been a pattern recently, even with very lofted clubs. On hole #13, a 394-yard par-4, I again hit my drive deep and straight. This time, with 120 yards to the flag, I hit a good gap wedge that found the putting surface and ultimately set up par.
The problem on the back nine was a couple of blowup holes interspersed with the good ones. Hole #12, a par-5, produced a triple bogey. Hole #14, a long par-4, resulted in a score of 9! Poor drives started both of these holes, followed by more bad shots and even some bad luck. The latter even produced a 4-putt. Though I had recovered some of my will to play, I still felt like the first four holes had ruined the round and those thoughts re-emerged during these troublesome situations.
The last four holes were played under duress, not because of the weather, but because we were losing light fast. The course was booked solid, so it was pretty slow going. When you're fighting the light, you lose focus and rush your shots. Amidst this backdrop, it's no surprise I went double-bogey, bogey, triple-bogey, and bogey to close out the round. The last two holes were played with the sun already below the horizon. It was only the residual glare that allowed us to play at all.
Overall, it was a disappointing day. Though there were good moments, the weather burned me and spoiled the round. The rush to finish in the dark was also not pleasant. The score is meaningless, but I would hate for this to be my final round of the season.
Score: 103
Putts: 35
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
As I drove to the course, there was not a hint of sunshine in the sky. It was completely overcast. To make matters worse, I drove through a few patches of drizzle, which required the use of the windshield wipers. Out on the practice green, there was no rain, but it was freezing as hell and the wind was whipping around. I was scheduled to play the South Course, which is exposed in many areas, including the first hole.
I tried to put the weather out of my mind, but I was definitely not pleased. I hit a wicked pull hook off the first tee, losing the ball in a vast expanse of long fescue. I had opted for an iron off the tee for more control – so much for that idea. I took a penalty and dropped the ball near the spot where I lost it. That's against the rules, of course, but I was already holding people up and the round had just begun. I proceeded to plunk a ball into the creek fronting the green, collecting my second penalty of the hole. A great up and down only salvaged a double-bogey (with an asterisk).
I was so pissed off with the weather that I didn't even feel like playing. I pulled my drive on hole #2 into a lateral hazard. After a penalty and drop, I hooked an iron into the same hazard further afield. Taking my fourth penalty of the day and another drop, I took a halfhearted pitch toward the green – not even close. I picked up the ball in disgust and waited by the side of the green for my fellow competitors to finish up. I stopped keeping score at this point – though I've gone back over the round and filled in the blanks as I write this review. For the hole where I picked up, which is a par-4, I gave myself an 8.
For two more holes, there was no change in the weather. Through the first four holes, I was 11 over par and had collected four penalty strokes. I was miserable and had no desire to play. Suddenly, as we stood on the tee of hole #5, the wind stopped. This is a short par-3 from an elevated tee. I hit a pitching wedge flag high, just left of the green. A solid chip gave me a chance at par, but I missed and settled for bogey. Okay, not bad. On the next hole, a 294-yard par-4 from an elevated tee, the sun started poking out from behind the clouds. I tried to drive the green, which is risky because the right side features a steep drop to a large pond. My shot finished flag high, five yards left of the green. In other words, the safe side. I pitched one close and tapped in for birdie.
For the remainder of the front nine, and in fact for the remainder of the round, the weather was just fine. For the final five holes of the front nine, I was just three over par. It's amazing how weather can affect your game – especially when you're mentally weak, as this front nine would seem to indicate I am. The terrible start to the round meant I was shooting 50 at the turn, despite the good play from the fifth hole onward.
On the back nine, I had a number of good results. Holes #10 and #11, both of the par-4 variety, produced a pair of bogeys. Both began with excellent drives that split the fairway. Unfortunately, I could not find the greens with what should have been easy iron shots. I pulled a 9-iron on #10 and duffed a 40-yard wedge shot on #11. This failure to hit greens has been a pattern recently, even with very lofted clubs. On hole #13, a 394-yard par-4, I again hit my drive deep and straight. This time, with 120 yards to the flag, I hit a good gap wedge that found the putting surface and ultimately set up par.
The problem on the back nine was a couple of blowup holes interspersed with the good ones. Hole #12, a par-5, produced a triple bogey. Hole #14, a long par-4, resulted in a score of 9! Poor drives started both of these holes, followed by more bad shots and even some bad luck. The latter even produced a 4-putt. Though I had recovered some of my will to play, I still felt like the first four holes had ruined the round and those thoughts re-emerged during these troublesome situations.
The last four holes were played under duress, not because of the weather, but because we were losing light fast. The course was booked solid, so it was pretty slow going. When you're fighting the light, you lose focus and rush your shots. Amidst this backdrop, it's no surprise I went double-bogey, bogey, triple-bogey, and bogey to close out the round. The last two holes were played with the sun already below the horizon. It was only the residual glare that allowed us to play at all.
Overall, it was a disappointing day. Though there were good moments, the weather burned me and spoiled the round. The rush to finish in the dark was also not pleasant. The score is meaningless, but I would hate for this to be my final round of the season.
Score: 103
Putts: 35
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
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