It's Boxing Day. The first week of winter has been brutal, with temperatures below seasonal and snow littering the streets. The forecast for the coming week is even worse, as 2017 seems intent on going out with a fight. Let's hope that the new year brings a gentler approach. In the meantime, let's reflect on the golf season that was. Without further ado, I present my 2017 year in review.
Like the year that preceded it, 2017 was largely one of stagnation. I finished the year with a 17.1 handicap factor – one tenth worse than it was at the start of the season. So while there was no progress to speak of, there was also no regression. On a positive note, my factor dipped as low as 15.4, albeit briefly. One round after reaching the low mark, my handicap factor jumped back up to the 16.3 level. It crept up to its current level over the last few rounds of the year. Still, 15.4 represents a new personal best – one tenth better than my previous low, which was achieved in 2016.
The highs achieved in 2017 weren't quite as spectacular as those of a year earlier. In 2016, I notched my first ever hole-in-one, a 150-yard beauty at Calerin Golf Club. There was no such feat this year. In fact, I didn't make an eagle of any kind. It's not something I track, but if memory serves me correctly, I've only ever had one eagle aside from the Calerin ace. It was a hole-out from 135 yards on a par 4 at Rolling Hills' former Championship Course (now Bethesda Grange). That was shortly after I took up the game. I've attempted numerous eagle putts on par-5 and even par-4 holes since then, but none have dropped.
My best score in 2017 was 80, which is also my second best ever! My all-time best was 78, which I achieved in 2016 at BraeBen Golf Course. 80 even is a great score, but I was not terribly excited about it because of where it came. It was my first ever visit to Fergus Golf Club. Playing the West and East nines, I found the course was just too easy. It's extremely flat, with few trees or other obstacles to challenge your game. There are some holes where OB comes into play, but the bail out sides are large and present no problem whatsoever. I was striking the ball pretty well that day, but not as flawlessy as the score suggests.
I consider my best result of the year to be the 83 that I scored mid-season at Lakeview Golf Course. I had not played there in many years, so this result was a little unexpected. I limited the damage – not registering any worse than double-bogey on any single hole. At the same time, I collected many bogeys and a good helping of pars, including one on the signature “bell” hole (#12). My best hole was #15, which produced birdie after a spectacular drive that cut the corner of this dogleg left. The round showed me that ball striking doesn't have to be flawless when game management is really good and your short game is on point.
I played 43 rounds of golf in 2017, beginning April 10 and ending November 6. It was an early start, but weather at the tail end of the season was not great. Total rounds played ended up being exactly what I've averaged over the previous three seasons. I'm happy whenever I reach 40 rounds. That seems to be enough to keep my game semi-sharp. There were a couple years when I barely passed the 30-round level, and my results suffered noticeably. Those 43 rounds were played at 33 different courses. The course I played most, with three visits, was Century Pines. Receiving two visits each were: Osprey Valley Heathlands, Westview, Grey Silo, Bradford Highlands, Lowville, Battlefield at Legends on the Niagara, Calerin, and Twenty Valley.
As always, I made a point of visiting some new courses for the first time. Inaugural visits in 2017 were made to: Thundering Waters, Osprey Valley Toot, Fergus, Knollwood New, and Rebel Creek. Osprey Valley Toot was the best of the bunch, which should come as no surprise. All three courses at Osprey Valley are highly touted, appearing on “Best of Canada” lists year after year. I had played Heathlands and Hoot on previous occasions, so it was nice to finally complete the trio. Toot is big and bold, in every sense. The fairways are generous, but bunkers and greens are also ample. It's a great place to play if you like lettin' 'er rip with the big dog. Thundering Waters and Rebel Creek were also courses that I enjoyed very much. I've heard that both were once better than they currently are, but I have no complaints. Fergus and Knollwood are value plays, and in that sense, they're okay. Fergus can be called a cow pasture and it wouldn't be too far off. The New Course at Knollwood begins with a pushover first hole, but quickly presents some challenging holes. I did well to shoot 88 there.
I broke into the 80s five times in 2017, compared to eight times in 2016. This was offset by seven excursions into the 100s, equalling the tally from the previous year. By far, the bulk of my scores were in the 90s (a total of 30). If you're doing the math, that adds up to 42 rounds – one shy of my year total. That's because I played one round at Turnberry – a par 56 course, and hence, not counted. My average score this year was 95.5 – up from 94.4 last year and 95.0 the year before that. It's another case of stagnation. While I didn't really get any worse, I certainly didn't get any better, either.
Detailed stats further cement the status quo. I averaged 35.4 putts per round, compared to 34.6 and 34.9 over the preceding two years. That's actually a little alarming. Anecdotally, I feel like I putted substantially worse than that. Previously, my missed putts did not follow any particular pattern. This year, it seems like I was pulling my putts more often than not. The only time I missed to the right side was when making a conscious effort not to pull the ball. Aah yes, the classic over-compensation. The last couple rounds of the year, my putter actually looked like it was bent out of shape. I don't know if it actually is, or whether it's just my perception. Either way, I've lost confidence in it and will be getting a new one for next year.
In 2017, I hit 5.5 fairways per round – exactly the same as a year earlier. I also hit 3.7 greens in regulation – down two tenths from 2016. Finally, I collected 3.4 penalty strokes per round – or one tenth more than last year. Nothing to be concerned about here, at least in terms of trending. The overall state of the numbers, however, remains a significant concern. I should be able to hit at least 7 fairways per round, along with 6 greens in regulation. I've been close when it comes to fairways, but nowhere in the vicinity when speaking about greens. This is definitely the greater weakness in my game. The fact is that I miss greens all the time from places I really shouldn't. Even from 130 yards and the middle of the fairway, the putting surface often eludes me. That simply has to improve if I'm to get any better. Lastly, the penalties. There are just too many, end of story. I'm managing my game well enough to reduce these, but when execution is poor, they can't always be avoided.
As for the Deepwoods Golf Association, I had another forgettable season. A mediocre result in Round 1 was followed by a horrible one in Round 2. The former took place at Copetown Woods, which is a course I should dominate. The latter was at Peninsula Lakes, which is a bit more challenging, but shouldn't destroy me the way it did. I started well, but had a blowup on hole #6 and then snapped. Mentally, I took myself out of the round. The hole is a long par-3 with OB left and a pond right. I've had poor results there before and they played themselves out again according to script. That's why I got upset. Pen Lakes became my throwaway round, meaning I had no wiggle room for the rest of the year. Round 3 at Glen Eagle was easily my best of the 2017 Deepwoods campaign. Unfortunately, I followed up with a mediocre result in Round 4 at Grey Silo. Heading into the final round of the year at Hidden Lake, I was still mathematically alive in the hunt for the championship, but practically speaking, it was over. I had another poor round and finished the season 10th overall.
Here's hoping that 2018 sees some marked improvement. The stagnation must be overcome.
December 26, 2017
November 16, 2017
Twenty Valley Bookends
Barring some unusual circumstances, I've likely played my last round of the year. It was at Twenty Valley, where I also played my first round of 2017. The rounds fell just before and just after the official golf season in Ontario, so neither had any effect on my handicap factor. There's something fitting about having the official season bookended by these two rounds – the symmetry is perfect.
It wasn't as warm as called for in the forecast a few days earlier, but it was warm enough to be comfortable and there was no significant wind. It rained steadily for a couple days before the round, so the course was a little soft. I teed off as a single, catching up to a foursome on the tee at hole #13. They let me through immediately, as did another foursome just ahead of them. All of this made for a quick round.
I started poorly, miss hitting my second shot on the opening par-5. This got me into some wet areas off the fairway and I only reached the green in 5. The subsequent 3-putt and triple-bogey was like a knife in the back. It didn't last long, as I followed up with two bogeys and a par on hole #4. The tee shot is a forced carry over a wide river to a steep hill on the other side. I managed it well, but my approach to the green from 90 yards came up two yards short. My chip went well past the hole, but I drained a long putt. Nice!
The wet ground and poor putting got me on hole #5, leading to double-bogey. My drive was fine, but my approach from 130 yards only travelled 80. After pitching to the front of the green, I 3-putt. The bad karma carried over the next two holes, as I registered a triple and quadruple-bogey. Hole #6 features a forced carry over the river from an elevated tee. I made poor contact and dunked one in the water. Just off the green in 3, I made a terrible chip and another 3-putt. It was horrible. Hole #7 is a par-3 over water and I put two balls off the tee into the wet stuff. When I finally got the ball airborne, it finished 15 feet from the hole. Still, I needed 2 putts to finish.
Luckily, I made the turn with some momentum on my side. I made par on hole #8 with a great drive and another long putt. I judged the cool temperature and elevation change on hole #9 almost perfectly, with my tee shot finishing just off the back of the green on this par-3. I couldn't get up and down from there, but bogey had me starting the back nine with a score of 50 even.
I had three pars on the back nine, including one on hole #10, a 493-yard par-5. It was a textbook hole from start to finish. Though I just missed the fairway on the left, my second shot was good and my third found the putting surface. A nice lag and tap-in closed the deal. The other pars were on holes #14, which is another par-5, and on hole #16, a 200-yard par-3. My birdie attempt from the fringe on #14 almost went in, finishing with part of the ball hanging over the edge of the hole. On #16, I missed the green off the tee, but a great pitch from a hillside left me close and I drained a 5-footer.
To go along with the three pars on the back nine there were four bogeys and a couple of doubles. The bogeys were fairly typical. Between driving the ball and making approach shots, I often miss slightly, requiring one extra shot to find the putting surface. When this is followed by a standard 2-putt, bogey is the result. One of the doubles resulted from a 3-putt, while the other was caused largely by a duffed second shot.
I shot 45 on the back nine, which is pretty good, and finished with a score of 95 overall.
Score: 95
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
It wasn't as warm as called for in the forecast a few days earlier, but it was warm enough to be comfortable and there was no significant wind. It rained steadily for a couple days before the round, so the course was a little soft. I teed off as a single, catching up to a foursome on the tee at hole #13. They let me through immediately, as did another foursome just ahead of them. All of this made for a quick round.
I started poorly, miss hitting my second shot on the opening par-5. This got me into some wet areas off the fairway and I only reached the green in 5. The subsequent 3-putt and triple-bogey was like a knife in the back. It didn't last long, as I followed up with two bogeys and a par on hole #4. The tee shot is a forced carry over a wide river to a steep hill on the other side. I managed it well, but my approach to the green from 90 yards came up two yards short. My chip went well past the hole, but I drained a long putt. Nice!
The wet ground and poor putting got me on hole #5, leading to double-bogey. My drive was fine, but my approach from 130 yards only travelled 80. After pitching to the front of the green, I 3-putt. The bad karma carried over the next two holes, as I registered a triple and quadruple-bogey. Hole #6 features a forced carry over the river from an elevated tee. I made poor contact and dunked one in the water. Just off the green in 3, I made a terrible chip and another 3-putt. It was horrible. Hole #7 is a par-3 over water and I put two balls off the tee into the wet stuff. When I finally got the ball airborne, it finished 15 feet from the hole. Still, I needed 2 putts to finish.
Luckily, I made the turn with some momentum on my side. I made par on hole #8 with a great drive and another long putt. I judged the cool temperature and elevation change on hole #9 almost perfectly, with my tee shot finishing just off the back of the green on this par-3. I couldn't get up and down from there, but bogey had me starting the back nine with a score of 50 even.
I had three pars on the back nine, including one on hole #10, a 493-yard par-5. It was a textbook hole from start to finish. Though I just missed the fairway on the left, my second shot was good and my third found the putting surface. A nice lag and tap-in closed the deal. The other pars were on holes #14, which is another par-5, and on hole #16, a 200-yard par-3. My birdie attempt from the fringe on #14 almost went in, finishing with part of the ball hanging over the edge of the hole. On #16, I missed the green off the tee, but a great pitch from a hillside left me close and I drained a 5-footer.
To go along with the three pars on the back nine there were four bogeys and a couple of doubles. The bogeys were fairly typical. Between driving the ball and making approach shots, I often miss slightly, requiring one extra shot to find the putting surface. When this is followed by a standard 2-putt, bogey is the result. One of the doubles resulted from a 3-putt, while the other was caused largely by a duffed second shot.
I shot 45 on the back nine, which is pretty good, and finished with a score of 95 overall.
Score: 95
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
November 02, 2017
Closing at Calerin
Judging by the forecast for the next couple of weeks, this may have been my last round of the year. I'll pounce on any warm weather that materializes, but right now, it doesn't look good. The round at Calerin began at 11:30 am and it took an hour or so for the temperature to creep into the comfortable range. I had not played in over a week and was a bit rusty. Despite terrible tee shots on the first two holes, I recovered well for a pair of bogeys. On the first hole, I push sliced a drive into the opposite fairway. On the second, I came up short of the par-3 with a sand wedge.
I nailed the fairway on hole #3 with an excellent drive, but exploded for a triple-bogey with a series of missed shots. I duffed two in a row, before pitching to the back edge of the green. My lengthy lag attempt was well short, setting up two more putts to finish up. It got worse on hole #4, beginning with a pulled drive that went out of bounds. After hitting my third from the tee, I recovered momentarily, only to lose another ball short and left of the green. I finished the par-5 with an ugly score of 9.
The rest of the front nine was trouble free, as I recorded five bogeys in a row. I only hit one of those fairways and one of those greens in regulation, but you don't really need those to put together a string of bogeys. When I missed a fairway, it was just by a couple of yards – same thing for the greens. A chip and a couple of putts was the typical finish. It goes to show the importance of avoiding big misses with your full shots. If you can do that for an entire round, breaking 90 is very likely. You'll hit two or three greens and those will be your chances for par.
The back nine was just as consistent as the latter half of the front. I began with a birdie on hole #10, a 472-yard par-5. I split the fairway with my drive, followed by a 5-wood that finished in a bunker, 70 yards short of the green. My lob wedge was a thing of beauty, as the ball hit just beyond the flag and spun back to just in front, leaving an uphill putt of about 6 feet that I drained.
I made double-bogey on hole #11, a par-3, as I once again missed the green. I was in a large waste bunker right of the flag, about 30 yards. Despite making a great shot, my ball rolled off the opposite side of the green. It took a chip and two putts to finish. I recovered well, however, earning bogey and par on the next two holes. Calerin is a 9-hole course that you play twice from two sets of tees, and these were the two holes I blew up on the first time around. As usual, my blowups have much more to do with bad execution than they do with the design of a hole.
Hole #14 is a 142-yard par-3 that produced a double-bogey. My 8-iron off the tee came out low and rammed into the face of a bunker protecting the front of the green. I got out to the rough with a single shot, then made a delicate chip and two putts. I was close enough to finish with just one putt, but I burned the edge with a bad miss. In the last two rounds, I've noticed something wrong with my putter. It appears to have been bent out of shape. When I hold it as I always have, it looks like it has more loft than it did before. To get the face to look normal, I have to use a bit of a forward press. I think this putter is finished. I may have to get a new one for next year.
I finished the round going bogey, par, bogey, bogey. My last three drives were terrible, but in each case, I recovered well. An up and down from 30 yards did the trick on hole #16. A fantastic 5-wood was key on hole #17. I just missed another up and down from just off the green for par. Finally, it was an up and down from about 15 yards that saved bogey on the last hole of the day. 43 on the back nine was pretty good and 93 overall – well, that's pretty typical. Still, I'll take it.
Score: 93
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
I nailed the fairway on hole #3 with an excellent drive, but exploded for a triple-bogey with a series of missed shots. I duffed two in a row, before pitching to the back edge of the green. My lengthy lag attempt was well short, setting up two more putts to finish up. It got worse on hole #4, beginning with a pulled drive that went out of bounds. After hitting my third from the tee, I recovered momentarily, only to lose another ball short and left of the green. I finished the par-5 with an ugly score of 9.
The rest of the front nine was trouble free, as I recorded five bogeys in a row. I only hit one of those fairways and one of those greens in regulation, but you don't really need those to put together a string of bogeys. When I missed a fairway, it was just by a couple of yards – same thing for the greens. A chip and a couple of putts was the typical finish. It goes to show the importance of avoiding big misses with your full shots. If you can do that for an entire round, breaking 90 is very likely. You'll hit two or three greens and those will be your chances for par.
The back nine was just as consistent as the latter half of the front. I began with a birdie on hole #10, a 472-yard par-5. I split the fairway with my drive, followed by a 5-wood that finished in a bunker, 70 yards short of the green. My lob wedge was a thing of beauty, as the ball hit just beyond the flag and spun back to just in front, leaving an uphill putt of about 6 feet that I drained.
I made double-bogey on hole #11, a par-3, as I once again missed the green. I was in a large waste bunker right of the flag, about 30 yards. Despite making a great shot, my ball rolled off the opposite side of the green. It took a chip and two putts to finish. I recovered well, however, earning bogey and par on the next two holes. Calerin is a 9-hole course that you play twice from two sets of tees, and these were the two holes I blew up on the first time around. As usual, my blowups have much more to do with bad execution than they do with the design of a hole.
Hole #14 is a 142-yard par-3 that produced a double-bogey. My 8-iron off the tee came out low and rammed into the face of a bunker protecting the front of the green. I got out to the rough with a single shot, then made a delicate chip and two putts. I was close enough to finish with just one putt, but I burned the edge with a bad miss. In the last two rounds, I've noticed something wrong with my putter. It appears to have been bent out of shape. When I hold it as I always have, it looks like it has more loft than it did before. To get the face to look normal, I have to use a bit of a forward press. I think this putter is finished. I may have to get a new one for next year.
I finished the round going bogey, par, bogey, bogey. My last three drives were terrible, but in each case, I recovered well. An up and down from 30 yards did the trick on hole #16. A fantastic 5-wood was key on hole #17. I just missed another up and down from just off the green for par. Finally, it was an up and down from about 15 yards that saved bogey on the last hole of the day. 43 on the back nine was pretty good and 93 overall – well, that's pretty typical. Still, I'll take it.
Score: 93
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
October 29, 2017
Trying Again at Battlefield
I was disappointed with my last visit to Battlefield, because of the conditions and because of my performance, so I returned quickly to have another crack at the course. I teed off at 1:30 pm, which should have provided plenty of time to finish before sundown. Unfortunately, a group of hooligans was playing ahead of me and they had no regard for time or for anyone playing behind them. The round took just over five hours to play, with the last two holes played after the sun had dipped below the horizon. All the while, these good ol' boys were having the time of their lives, hooting, hollering and holding committee discussions after every shot. This continued with a boisterous chipping contest on the practice green, as my group tried to putt on the nearby 18th green.
The good news is that conditions were better than the last time at Battlefield. It had not rained in the days prior to my round, so the ground was not completely saturated with water. Unfortunately, I got off to a bad start. A perfect drive on the opening par-5 was wasted with a duffed second shot. This made the third shot much longer than it needed to be, and I landed in a bunker fronting the green. My out from the bunker overshot the green by 10 yards and the comebacker rolled downhill off the putting surface. I made a decent chip, but still needed a couple of putts to finish with a triple-bogey.
The next two holes were quite good, producing scores of bogey and par. A great pitch from 30 yards gave me a chance to save par on the first of these, a par-4. Unfortunately, I just missed the putt. A fantastic tee shot on the second, a par-3, gave me a legitimate chance at birdie. Unfortunately, I missed the putt again. These misses would be costly, because I blew up for another triple-bogey on the subsequent hole, a par-4. My drive missed the fairway to the right and I had a poor lie, with a clump of dirt and grass right behind my ball. My second shot went 10 yards and my third found a greenside bunker. Two shots to get out were followed by a chip and a putt for the offensive triple.
The rest of the front nine was smooth sailing, as I registered four bogeys and a par. I wasn't striking the ball great, but I was avoiding bad misses and making progress with each shot. In fact, I had chances at more pars, but could not make the putts I needed. I 2-putt all of these holes, but almost all of those first putts were makeable ones that I barely missed. Over the course of a round, you really hope to drain a few of those. I made the turn with a score of 47, which is pretty typical.
The back nine is when I really became concerned about finishing the round before sunset. I peeked at my watch on the 10th tee and knew that we were going to be in trouble. I'm not sure if this upset my focus, but I started the back nine with three consecutive double-bogeys. On hole #10, the problem was a horribly pulled tee shot into the woods. On hole #11, it was a shanked pitch attempt from 50 yards that dove into a pond near the green. I hit two good shots on this par-5 to get into that position, so it was a complete waste of two strokes. On hole #12, the problem was a series of bad shots in a row, beginning off the tee.
The middle third of the back nine was fine, as I collected a par and two bogeys. One of the bogeys resulted from a 3-putt on a par-3, so that was a bit disappointing. At this point, we were already fighting the light, so my mind was not really in the right place. We waited for ages on the 16th tee, as the hooligans ahead had a cart parked near the woods on the right side of the fairway. I figured one guy must have been looking for balls in the woods, as he simply drove off when he finally emerged. Of course, I duffed my tee shot after the wait. Since my ball didn't even reach the fairway, I was just trying to save bogey. Alas, I was a little imprecise and double-bogey was the outcome.
As I mentioned earlier, the last two holes were played after sunset. Hole #17 is a 166-yard par-3 over water. Every player in my foursome dunked a ball in the drink, including myself. I proceeded from the drop zone and took a ridiculous triple-bogey. No way I would blow up like that in decent conditions, but playing in semi darkness has a way of throwing you off. In spite of the dark, I managed to par the last hole, a 480-yard par-5. My drive split the fairway, followed by a 5-wood that did the same. From 50 yards out, I punched a low one to the front of the green and finished with a 2-putt.
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
Penalties: 3
The good news is that conditions were better than the last time at Battlefield. It had not rained in the days prior to my round, so the ground was not completely saturated with water. Unfortunately, I got off to a bad start. A perfect drive on the opening par-5 was wasted with a duffed second shot. This made the third shot much longer than it needed to be, and I landed in a bunker fronting the green. My out from the bunker overshot the green by 10 yards and the comebacker rolled downhill off the putting surface. I made a decent chip, but still needed a couple of putts to finish with a triple-bogey.
The next two holes were quite good, producing scores of bogey and par. A great pitch from 30 yards gave me a chance to save par on the first of these, a par-4. Unfortunately, I just missed the putt. A fantastic tee shot on the second, a par-3, gave me a legitimate chance at birdie. Unfortunately, I missed the putt again. These misses would be costly, because I blew up for another triple-bogey on the subsequent hole, a par-4. My drive missed the fairway to the right and I had a poor lie, with a clump of dirt and grass right behind my ball. My second shot went 10 yards and my third found a greenside bunker. Two shots to get out were followed by a chip and a putt for the offensive triple.
The rest of the front nine was smooth sailing, as I registered four bogeys and a par. I wasn't striking the ball great, but I was avoiding bad misses and making progress with each shot. In fact, I had chances at more pars, but could not make the putts I needed. I 2-putt all of these holes, but almost all of those first putts were makeable ones that I barely missed. Over the course of a round, you really hope to drain a few of those. I made the turn with a score of 47, which is pretty typical.
The back nine is when I really became concerned about finishing the round before sunset. I peeked at my watch on the 10th tee and knew that we were going to be in trouble. I'm not sure if this upset my focus, but I started the back nine with three consecutive double-bogeys. On hole #10, the problem was a horribly pulled tee shot into the woods. On hole #11, it was a shanked pitch attempt from 50 yards that dove into a pond near the green. I hit two good shots on this par-5 to get into that position, so it was a complete waste of two strokes. On hole #12, the problem was a series of bad shots in a row, beginning off the tee.
The middle third of the back nine was fine, as I collected a par and two bogeys. One of the bogeys resulted from a 3-putt on a par-3, so that was a bit disappointing. At this point, we were already fighting the light, so my mind was not really in the right place. We waited for ages on the 16th tee, as the hooligans ahead had a cart parked near the woods on the right side of the fairway. I figured one guy must have been looking for balls in the woods, as he simply drove off when he finally emerged. Of course, I duffed my tee shot after the wait. Since my ball didn't even reach the fairway, I was just trying to save bogey. Alas, I was a little imprecise and double-bogey was the outcome.
As I mentioned earlier, the last two holes were played after sunset. Hole #17 is a 166-yard par-3 over water. Every player in my foursome dunked a ball in the drink, including myself. I proceeded from the drop zone and took a ridiculous triple-bogey. No way I would blow up like that in decent conditions, but playing in semi darkness has a way of throwing you off. In spite of the dark, I managed to par the last hole, a 480-yard par-5. My drive split the fairway, followed by a 5-wood that did the same. From 50 yards out, I punched a low one to the front of the green and finished with a 2-putt.
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
Penalties: 3
October 22, 2017
Lessons Applied at Century Pines
My last two rounds produced disappointing scores of 101. I thought the best way to turn those results into something positive would be to return immediately to the same courses and to apply any lessons learned from the previous visits. So, first up was a return to Century Pines Golf Club.
As on the previous visit, I began on the back nine. I scrambled my way to bogey on hole #10, before reaching hole #11. This is a 309-yard par-4 with woods and OB on the right and a large hazard on the left. I decided to go for the green with driver, aiming over the hazard on the left side. I hit a laser of a shot directly on line. When I walked up to the green, I saw that I was in the fairway, just five yards short of the putting surface. Nice! I made a beautiful chip that very nearly dropped for eagle, just missing the hole. The birdie putt was a mere 10 inches.
Hole #12 can present a problem, as tee shots to the extreme right side the fairway do not leave a clear line to the green. It's dangerous to play too far left, however, as the hazard I spoke of earlier is on this side. I hit a great 5-wood, but as on the previous visit, I finished on that right edge once again. I punched a low shot in an attempt to catch the left edge of the green, but I finished three yards off the edge, flag high. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. This was followed by a 3-putt double-bogey on hole #13, a par-3 over water. I was not focused enough on my first putt and blew the downhill shot way past the hole.
The problem for me on hole #14, a par-5, is simply that it's a dogleg left. I cannot draw the ball with the driver and the trees on the inside corner are too large to flirt with. I hit my regular shot and faded it into the trees on the right, as I almost always do. After a good punch shot back to the fairway, I pulled a 9-iron ten yards left of the green, albeit flag high. A pitch and two putts earned a bogey. This was followed by a double-bogey on hole #15, another par-3. My 7-iron was headed right at the flag, but I failed to clear a bunker by about a foot. The bunkers at Century Pines are not good and I was prepared for that. Nevertheless, it took two more shots to get on the green and two putts to finish.
Next up was the killer hole, #16. The whole left side of the fairway is no good, as you are blocked out of the green from that side. This makes the hole much narrower than it appears. My 5-wood off the tee wasn't bad, but my ball finished precisely on the left edge of the fairway. All I could do was chip sideways, leaving a wedge shot into the green. Last time, I chipped to the end of the fairway, keeping my ball on the short grass. I ended up thinning a shot from there into a creek. This time, I chipped a couple yards further, finishing in the rough. This was by design, as I figured I could get a bit of a fluffy lie. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a clump directly behind my ball. My wedge shot only travelled two thirds of the intended distance, so I finished in the creek once again! After a penalty and drop, I hit one to the front fringe. I 3-putt from there for a disastrous quadruple-bogey. You simply can't make a bad shot on this hole or you're dead.
Hole #17 is also problematic for me, as discussed after my last visit. It's long, a dogleg left, and pesky “Vince” trees do not allow you to start the ball left off the tee. My strategy was to hit 5-wood off the tee. The hope was that it would not travel as far as driver, which inevitably ends up in the trees on the right side. The concession is that I wouldn't be able to reach the green in two, but that's fine. It worked as I envisioned, but despite landing short of the trees on the right, they still interfered with my next shot. All I could do was take a sand wedge high over the branches, finishing in the middle of the fairway, still 140 yards from the green. From there, I punched a low runner just off the right edge of the green. An up and down salvaged a bogey, so the strategy wasn't bad after all. I finished hole #18 with a bogey, for a score of 48 at the turn.
Hole #1 went remarkably well. I aimed for the very right edge of the fairway (away from OB) and finished just two yards into the right rough. A half swing with the 6-iron advanced the ball perfectly to 110 yards. Another half swing with the same club rolled just a hair long and through the back of the green. The half swings were by design, as a full swing with less club could miss by a larger margin and end up either in the water or out of bounds. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. Bogey was also the result on hole #2, after I nailed the fairway of this par-4 with one of my best drives of the day.
One of my worst drives of the day came on the next hole. Determined not to pull the ball, I push sliced it straight across the opposite fairway. A couple of recovery attempts were not very good, but an up and down salvaged a double-bogey. On hole #4, a 318-yard par-4, I hit a good 5-wood off the tee, followed by an excellent gap wedge that threatened the flag at the back of the green. The ball landed short of the hole, but released off of the putting surface. No worries, as I chipped on and drained the par putt. On hole #5, a par-3, I thinned my tee shot into a bunker fronting the green. I was right up against the lip, but that turned out to be good because there was actually a nice depth of sand there. I hit into the sand with a closed face and the ball popped straight up, landing gently on the green. A 2-putt finished off the hole for a bogey.
I discussed the challenge of hole #6 after my last outing. Just as I did last time, I pulled my drive off the heel of the club and failed to clear the marsh. Hitting my third from the tee, I somehow pulled off a baby draw that split the fairway, leaving just 120 yards to the green centre. The flag was at the front, so I hit sand wedge. I was playing to miss short and left and I finished flag high, three yards left of the green. I chipped on and made a great putt attempt, but got robbed when the ball lipped out. Triple-bogey was the result, all because of the first tee shot.
The rest of the round was great, as I registered a couple of pars and a bogey. I got lucky on the first par, as a thinned tee shot cleared a pond and still found the putting surface on this par-3 hole. The second par was well earned, beginning with an impressive drive. The bogey on the final hole was spectacular, as my fourth shot into this par-5 was a 70-yard punch from a sketchy lie, that crossed over a creek and through an opening in the trees. The ball bounced into a mound fronting the green and stopped a yard short of the putting surface. I chipped on and made the putt. The punch shot that set it all up may have been the shot of the day – not easy at all.
In summary, I think some of the strategic changes I made were successful. In some cases where there was no alternate strategy, I just failed to execute, so the result was the same as the last visit. I finished with a score of 93 – an 8 stroke improvement over the previous try. That also matches my personal best at Century Pines.
Score: 93
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
As on the previous visit, I began on the back nine. I scrambled my way to bogey on hole #10, before reaching hole #11. This is a 309-yard par-4 with woods and OB on the right and a large hazard on the left. I decided to go for the green with driver, aiming over the hazard on the left side. I hit a laser of a shot directly on line. When I walked up to the green, I saw that I was in the fairway, just five yards short of the putting surface. Nice! I made a beautiful chip that very nearly dropped for eagle, just missing the hole. The birdie putt was a mere 10 inches.
Hole #12 can present a problem, as tee shots to the extreme right side the fairway do not leave a clear line to the green. It's dangerous to play too far left, however, as the hazard I spoke of earlier is on this side. I hit a great 5-wood, but as on the previous visit, I finished on that right edge once again. I punched a low shot in an attempt to catch the left edge of the green, but I finished three yards off the edge, flag high. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. This was followed by a 3-putt double-bogey on hole #13, a par-3 over water. I was not focused enough on my first putt and blew the downhill shot way past the hole.
The problem for me on hole #14, a par-5, is simply that it's a dogleg left. I cannot draw the ball with the driver and the trees on the inside corner are too large to flirt with. I hit my regular shot and faded it into the trees on the right, as I almost always do. After a good punch shot back to the fairway, I pulled a 9-iron ten yards left of the green, albeit flag high. A pitch and two putts earned a bogey. This was followed by a double-bogey on hole #15, another par-3. My 7-iron was headed right at the flag, but I failed to clear a bunker by about a foot. The bunkers at Century Pines are not good and I was prepared for that. Nevertheless, it took two more shots to get on the green and two putts to finish.
Next up was the killer hole, #16. The whole left side of the fairway is no good, as you are blocked out of the green from that side. This makes the hole much narrower than it appears. My 5-wood off the tee wasn't bad, but my ball finished precisely on the left edge of the fairway. All I could do was chip sideways, leaving a wedge shot into the green. Last time, I chipped to the end of the fairway, keeping my ball on the short grass. I ended up thinning a shot from there into a creek. This time, I chipped a couple yards further, finishing in the rough. This was by design, as I figured I could get a bit of a fluffy lie. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a clump directly behind my ball. My wedge shot only travelled two thirds of the intended distance, so I finished in the creek once again! After a penalty and drop, I hit one to the front fringe. I 3-putt from there for a disastrous quadruple-bogey. You simply can't make a bad shot on this hole or you're dead.
Hole #17 is also problematic for me, as discussed after my last visit. It's long, a dogleg left, and pesky “Vince” trees do not allow you to start the ball left off the tee. My strategy was to hit 5-wood off the tee. The hope was that it would not travel as far as driver, which inevitably ends up in the trees on the right side. The concession is that I wouldn't be able to reach the green in two, but that's fine. It worked as I envisioned, but despite landing short of the trees on the right, they still interfered with my next shot. All I could do was take a sand wedge high over the branches, finishing in the middle of the fairway, still 140 yards from the green. From there, I punched a low runner just off the right edge of the green. An up and down salvaged a bogey, so the strategy wasn't bad after all. I finished hole #18 with a bogey, for a score of 48 at the turn.
Hole #1 went remarkably well. I aimed for the very right edge of the fairway (away from OB) and finished just two yards into the right rough. A half swing with the 6-iron advanced the ball perfectly to 110 yards. Another half swing with the same club rolled just a hair long and through the back of the green. The half swings were by design, as a full swing with less club could miss by a larger margin and end up either in the water or out of bounds. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. Bogey was also the result on hole #2, after I nailed the fairway of this par-4 with one of my best drives of the day.
One of my worst drives of the day came on the next hole. Determined not to pull the ball, I push sliced it straight across the opposite fairway. A couple of recovery attempts were not very good, but an up and down salvaged a double-bogey. On hole #4, a 318-yard par-4, I hit a good 5-wood off the tee, followed by an excellent gap wedge that threatened the flag at the back of the green. The ball landed short of the hole, but released off of the putting surface. No worries, as I chipped on and drained the par putt. On hole #5, a par-3, I thinned my tee shot into a bunker fronting the green. I was right up against the lip, but that turned out to be good because there was actually a nice depth of sand there. I hit into the sand with a closed face and the ball popped straight up, landing gently on the green. A 2-putt finished off the hole for a bogey.
I discussed the challenge of hole #6 after my last outing. Just as I did last time, I pulled my drive off the heel of the club and failed to clear the marsh. Hitting my third from the tee, I somehow pulled off a baby draw that split the fairway, leaving just 120 yards to the green centre. The flag was at the front, so I hit sand wedge. I was playing to miss short and left and I finished flag high, three yards left of the green. I chipped on and made a great putt attempt, but got robbed when the ball lipped out. Triple-bogey was the result, all because of the first tee shot.
The rest of the round was great, as I registered a couple of pars and a bogey. I got lucky on the first par, as a thinned tee shot cleared a pond and still found the putting surface on this par-3 hole. The second par was well earned, beginning with an impressive drive. The bogey on the final hole was spectacular, as my fourth shot into this par-5 was a 70-yard punch from a sketchy lie, that crossed over a creek and through an opening in the trees. The ball bounced into a mound fronting the green and stopped a yard short of the putting surface. I chipped on and made the putt. The punch shot that set it all up may have been the shot of the day – not easy at all.
In summary, I think some of the strategic changes I made were successful. In some cases where there was no alternate strategy, I just failed to execute, so the result was the same as the last visit. I finished with a score of 93 – an 8 stroke improvement over the previous try. That also matches my personal best at Century Pines.
Score: 93
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
October 12, 2017
A Saturated Battlefield
The weather is pretty grim this week, so I picked the nicest day for a round of golf. It was sunny, with clear skies and temperature in the low twenties (Celsius). It rained the day before, but there had been plenty of time for any water to drain away. Unfortunately, I chose to play the Battlefield course at Legends on the Niagara. It's an excellent course, but it has absolutely dreadful drainage.
Not surprisingly, it was cart path only. I hit just two shots to the cart path side all day. Every other shot was to the side opposite the cart path. I often had to take my whole bag off the cart and traverse the fairway in order to select a club. After hitting my shot, it was another sideways trek to the cart before I could move forward. It would have been more efficient to leave the cart behind entirely.
Much worse than the cart situation was hitting balls off the water logged ground. It didn't matter if you were in the fairway or rough; it was like hitting off a bed of Jello. If you brush the ball off the surface, it was bad enough. If you hit down on the ball and take divots, as I do, it was absolutely horrible. The club had no difficulty slicing through the turf, but it was very easy to end up 30 yards short.
And then there were the bunkers. Many were full of standing water. Where there was no water, the sand was still moist and tightly compressed. It was obvious that the vast majority of bunkers had not been tended to following the previous day's rainfall. My trouble with bunkers has been well documented. Considering how I struggle with bunkers even when they're properly maintained, the last thing I need is to play from crappy ones.
I started well despite the poor conditions, going bogey, par, bogey over the first three holes. I hit the first two fairways off the tee, before falling victim to the wet ground. My approach shots were well short, but I got up and down a couple of times. The bogey on hole #3, a 172-yard par-3, was actually a bad one. I hit my tee shot to within 15 feet, but played way too little break on the birdie attempt and then burned the edge on the par putt.
Another 3-putt contributed to a triple-bogey on hole #4. It was one of a pair that I registered on the front nine. The other came on hole #7. A duffed second shot off the wet turf was a large contributor to that one. My third shot hooked to the edge of a water hazard, leaving a poor lie. Aside from these blowups, I managed pretty well on the remaining holes, collecting three bogeys and a double. The double was on hole #9, a par-4. My second shot landed in one of those terrible bunkers, so there was not much I could do. I was shooting 49 at the turn.
My worst stretch of golf came on holes #10 through #12, as I took a triple, double, and quadruple-bogey. I had a technical thought about my driver swing which hadn't been working, so on #10 I decided to just swing without any thought at all. It was my worst drive of the day, a smother pull that went about 100 yards. I had a poor lie in the stalks of some fescue that had been cut down. Further up the hole, I was beside the tree line and had to hit left handed with the back of my putter. Basically, everything went wrong.
Hole #12 was particularly infuriating. I split the fairway with a perfect drive, leaving 150 yards to the green. I pushed the approach shot ever so slightly, finishing flag high in a greenside bunker. Oh geez! My first attempt out of the muck didn't get out. My second only got out to the rough. My fifth shot was a chip that I sculled over the green to a collection area. From there, I rolled one to the green and then 2-putt for the quad. All of this because my approach shot was off line by one degree!
At this point, I was in real danger of shooting 100 and I knew it. I buckled down and went par, bogey, bogey over the next three holes. The first of these bogeys was a bad one – another 3-putt on a par-3 after hitting the green in regulation. Still, if I could make bogey on the remaining three holes, I would sneak in with a score of 99. Well, it was putting that ruined that plan. Two consecutive 3-putts on holes #16 and #17 produced a pair of double-bogeys. A bogey on the final hole pushed my score to a disgusting 101.
I've now played Battlefield 5 times and my scores look like this: 101, 97, 101, 99, 101. There's nothing worse than shooting an even 100 or thereabouts. At least three of those results had a lot to do with the course's terrible drainage. If I can avoid it at all, I will not go back to the course the day after any rainfall whatsoever.
Score: 101
Putts: 35
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
Not surprisingly, it was cart path only. I hit just two shots to the cart path side all day. Every other shot was to the side opposite the cart path. I often had to take my whole bag off the cart and traverse the fairway in order to select a club. After hitting my shot, it was another sideways trek to the cart before I could move forward. It would have been more efficient to leave the cart behind entirely.
Much worse than the cart situation was hitting balls off the water logged ground. It didn't matter if you were in the fairway or rough; it was like hitting off a bed of Jello. If you brush the ball off the surface, it was bad enough. If you hit down on the ball and take divots, as I do, it was absolutely horrible. The club had no difficulty slicing through the turf, but it was very easy to end up 30 yards short.
And then there were the bunkers. Many were full of standing water. Where there was no water, the sand was still moist and tightly compressed. It was obvious that the vast majority of bunkers had not been tended to following the previous day's rainfall. My trouble with bunkers has been well documented. Considering how I struggle with bunkers even when they're properly maintained, the last thing I need is to play from crappy ones.
I started well despite the poor conditions, going bogey, par, bogey over the first three holes. I hit the first two fairways off the tee, before falling victim to the wet ground. My approach shots were well short, but I got up and down a couple of times. The bogey on hole #3, a 172-yard par-3, was actually a bad one. I hit my tee shot to within 15 feet, but played way too little break on the birdie attempt and then burned the edge on the par putt.
Another 3-putt contributed to a triple-bogey on hole #4. It was one of a pair that I registered on the front nine. The other came on hole #7. A duffed second shot off the wet turf was a large contributor to that one. My third shot hooked to the edge of a water hazard, leaving a poor lie. Aside from these blowups, I managed pretty well on the remaining holes, collecting three bogeys and a double. The double was on hole #9, a par-4. My second shot landed in one of those terrible bunkers, so there was not much I could do. I was shooting 49 at the turn.
My worst stretch of golf came on holes #10 through #12, as I took a triple, double, and quadruple-bogey. I had a technical thought about my driver swing which hadn't been working, so on #10 I decided to just swing without any thought at all. It was my worst drive of the day, a smother pull that went about 100 yards. I had a poor lie in the stalks of some fescue that had been cut down. Further up the hole, I was beside the tree line and had to hit left handed with the back of my putter. Basically, everything went wrong.
Hole #12 was particularly infuriating. I split the fairway with a perfect drive, leaving 150 yards to the green. I pushed the approach shot ever so slightly, finishing flag high in a greenside bunker. Oh geez! My first attempt out of the muck didn't get out. My second only got out to the rough. My fifth shot was a chip that I sculled over the green to a collection area. From there, I rolled one to the green and then 2-putt for the quad. All of this because my approach shot was off line by one degree!
At this point, I was in real danger of shooting 100 and I knew it. I buckled down and went par, bogey, bogey over the next three holes. The first of these bogeys was a bad one – another 3-putt on a par-3 after hitting the green in regulation. Still, if I could make bogey on the remaining three holes, I would sneak in with a score of 99. Well, it was putting that ruined that plan. Two consecutive 3-putts on holes #16 and #17 produced a pair of double-bogeys. A bogey on the final hole pushed my score to a disgusting 101.
I've now played Battlefield 5 times and my scores look like this: 101, 97, 101, 99, 101. There's nothing worse than shooting an even 100 or thereabouts. At least three of those results had a lot to do with the course's terrible drainage. If I can avoid it at all, I will not go back to the course the day after any rainfall whatsoever.
Score: 101
Putts: 35
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
October 05, 2017
A Formidable Test at Century Pines
I've played Century Pines quite a bit; aside from Bradford Highlands, it may be the course I've played most. With a rating of 70 and a slope of 125 from the Blue tees, it ranks about as difficult as the other courses I usually play. Rating and slope, however, don't tell the full story. My best score on the course is 93 and I've hit the century mark or higher more times than I care to remember. Why is that?
There are just a couple of holes that I consider quite difficult. The hardest may be #16, which is a devilish par-4 at just 343 yards. You have to hit less than driver off the tee, or you'll find trouble left, long and right. The ideal drive is between 200-220 yards, which for me is a 5-wood. However, it's not enough to hit the fairway. If you're too far left, large trees completely prevent you from going for the green. With a winding creek in front and left of the green and a large pond to the right, your second shot in that scenario would be a short chip to the right side, leaving about 125-130 yards to the green. My tee shot was pulled into the trees left and was unplayable. After taking a penalty stroke and drop, the short pitch to the right side of the fairway was my only option.
With a good gap wedge shot, I could get on and 2-putt for a double-bogey. However, I caught the wedge shot thin and failed to cross the winding creek. I had to take another penalty stroke and drop. My sixth shot was a short pitch that bounced once and hit the flag stick. The ball came to rest 8 feet away from the hole. I burned the edge of the cup with my first putt, walking away with a disheartening quadruple-bogey. I have made par on this hole in the past, when all my shots were good ones. The point is that this hole does not allow for even one bad shot. It's not like other holes where you can possibly recover after a bad shot. In a nutshell, that's what makes this such a hard hole.
Hole #17 is less difficult, in my opinion, but it can be a nightmare for right handed faders of the ball, such as myself. The hole is long at 440 yards. If an average drive is 240-250 yards, even a perfect tee shot will leave an approach of 190-200 yards to the green. With strands of trees left and especially right, that's not an easy shot. But the real problem is getting the ball to this position from the tee. There is a pond to cross, which is not an issue. The real issue is a half dead tree and a couple others just ahead of and left of the teeing ground. If you typically start the ball left and fade it back, these trees come into play every time. Avoid them by starting the ball straight and you will inevitably fade into thick trees on the right side of this dogleg left hole. You will have to be lucky just to chip one back to the fairway from that position. I can't tell you how many times I've smacked those “Vince” trees just ahead of the teeing ground. It's unbelievable.
This time, I smacked one of those trees with my first drive attempt. The ball deflected into the pond below. Hitting my third from the tee, I faded into the trees on the right side of the fairway. I actually lost the ball, but for pace of play, I took a penalty and drop at the spot where it entered the trees. My fifth shot was just a chip back to the fairway, as there was no other option. My sixth shot was a fabulous 5 iron from 180 yards that found the centre of the green. A 2-putt finished things off for my second consecutive quadruple-bogey.
Aside from the two quads, my back nine (which I played first) was actually pretty good. I collected a par, five bogeys, and a double. That doesn't really matter, however, when you take two disastrous holes like I did. More pars could have offset the blowup holes, but the course doesn't give you many opportunities for those, even on easier holes. A good example is hole #12, a 312-yard par-4. Although the hole is short, you have to be very accurate with your tee shot to set up an approach into the green. Your drive has to cut over the edge of a lateral hazard on the left, while not straying into the trees on the right side. I hit what looked like a perfect 5-wood about 213 yards. I had 99 yards to the green, but because I was a single yard into the right rough, a tree just ahead prevented me from going for the green. One or two yards to the left and I would have been in the clear. As such, I had to punch something low and try to run it up there. My punch was good, but the ball stopped about 10 yards short of the green. From there, I pitched on and 2-putt. Unless you have the short game of a pro, these potential pars always turn into bogeys.
On the front nine, I usually explode on hole #1, a long par-5 with OB along the entire left side. This time, I limited the damage to a double-bogey. My drive was deep, but to an opposite fairway on the right side. I've played there before by design. It's not a bad strategy, except that you have to contend with a pond on your second shot and the shot angle is back towards OB. I hit 5-wood over the pond, but it was tailing ever so slightly right and went into some bushes on the corner of the hazard. After a penalty and drop, I punched a low shot under some overhanging branches. The ball actually rolled through the back of the green, where I pitched on and 2-putt.
I rolled along smoothly on holes #2 through #5, collecting bogey, bogey, par, and par. Next came another hole that is problematic for me. Hole #6 is a par-4 with a dogleg left. The first part of the hole is all carry over marsh land. Thick woods continue along the left side right up to the green, as do some mature trees on the right side. I always play this hole defensively, intentionally fading a drive over the marsh to an area right of the fairway where there is some room. Unfortunately, this usually means laying up on the second shot because trees block out the green from that position. This time, I tried to hit a straight drive and I paid for it. I pulled the ball into the marsh and trees on the left. I was forced to hit my third from the tee and this time, I made my usual play. Sure enough, I had to lay up from there, but did so perfectly, finding a spot just left and short of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for triple-bogey. I should have stuck to my strategy right from the beginning.
In fact, the last four holes were pretty weak. After the triple on #6, I recorded back-to-back doubles on the next two holes. Hole #7 is a 170-yard par-3 over water. I missed the sweet spot of the club face, and failed to clear the water. After a penalty and drop, I put one on the green and 2-putt to finish. Hole #8 is a relatively easy par-4. Unfortunately, I pushed my drive slightly into the trees. The green was blocked out, so I punched a low one to an area 20 yards in front of the green. The ball rolled into a bunker. Of course, my attempt to get out sailed right over the back of the green to some more trees. I bumped a great punch into a mound and it released onto the green, where I finished with a 2-putt.
Hole #9 is a par-5 rated the most difficult hole on the front. I disagree, as it's not as difficult as some of the holes I've already described. I pulled my drive to an opposite fairway, then hit a lovely pitching wedge over a massive tree to get back to the fairway, right beside the 150-yard stick. The green is on an elevated plateau, so I hit 7-iron. It curved ever so slightly – but enough to miss the green on the left. Unfortunately for me, it rolled down a slope and into a bunker. Well, guess what happened? Yes, the ball sailed straight over the entire green. Looking at the spot where my club made contact, I could see that there was barely any sand in the bunker. It may have been an inch of sand, with hardpan underneath. No wonder! I actually hit the correct spot for a properly maintained bunker, but this wasn't one of those. Looking back, the bunker on hole #8 was the same thing. I'm bad enough at bunker shots; I don't need poor conditions to make things worse. My fifth shot was from an area where some weeds had been cut down. Tough stalks where these had been cut were directly behind my ball. It was an impossible spot and of course, I was only able to advance the ball about five feet. From the regular rough, I pitched on and 2-putt for an unfortunate triple-bogey.
I hit many decent shots during this round. The problem is that when I hit a bad one it was in a very bad spot. Just look at the fact that I collected 7 penalty strokes. You can't score well when you do that. I'm disgusted.
Score: 101
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 7
There are just a couple of holes that I consider quite difficult. The hardest may be #16, which is a devilish par-4 at just 343 yards. You have to hit less than driver off the tee, or you'll find trouble left, long and right. The ideal drive is between 200-220 yards, which for me is a 5-wood. However, it's not enough to hit the fairway. If you're too far left, large trees completely prevent you from going for the green. With a winding creek in front and left of the green and a large pond to the right, your second shot in that scenario would be a short chip to the right side, leaving about 125-130 yards to the green. My tee shot was pulled into the trees left and was unplayable. After taking a penalty stroke and drop, the short pitch to the right side of the fairway was my only option.
With a good gap wedge shot, I could get on and 2-putt for a double-bogey. However, I caught the wedge shot thin and failed to cross the winding creek. I had to take another penalty stroke and drop. My sixth shot was a short pitch that bounced once and hit the flag stick. The ball came to rest 8 feet away from the hole. I burned the edge of the cup with my first putt, walking away with a disheartening quadruple-bogey. I have made par on this hole in the past, when all my shots were good ones. The point is that this hole does not allow for even one bad shot. It's not like other holes where you can possibly recover after a bad shot. In a nutshell, that's what makes this such a hard hole.
Hole #17 is less difficult, in my opinion, but it can be a nightmare for right handed faders of the ball, such as myself. The hole is long at 440 yards. If an average drive is 240-250 yards, even a perfect tee shot will leave an approach of 190-200 yards to the green. With strands of trees left and especially right, that's not an easy shot. But the real problem is getting the ball to this position from the tee. There is a pond to cross, which is not an issue. The real issue is a half dead tree and a couple others just ahead of and left of the teeing ground. If you typically start the ball left and fade it back, these trees come into play every time. Avoid them by starting the ball straight and you will inevitably fade into thick trees on the right side of this dogleg left hole. You will have to be lucky just to chip one back to the fairway from that position. I can't tell you how many times I've smacked those “Vince” trees just ahead of the teeing ground. It's unbelievable.
This time, I smacked one of those trees with my first drive attempt. The ball deflected into the pond below. Hitting my third from the tee, I faded into the trees on the right side of the fairway. I actually lost the ball, but for pace of play, I took a penalty and drop at the spot where it entered the trees. My fifth shot was just a chip back to the fairway, as there was no other option. My sixth shot was a fabulous 5 iron from 180 yards that found the centre of the green. A 2-putt finished things off for my second consecutive quadruple-bogey.
Aside from the two quads, my back nine (which I played first) was actually pretty good. I collected a par, five bogeys, and a double. That doesn't really matter, however, when you take two disastrous holes like I did. More pars could have offset the blowup holes, but the course doesn't give you many opportunities for those, even on easier holes. A good example is hole #12, a 312-yard par-4. Although the hole is short, you have to be very accurate with your tee shot to set up an approach into the green. Your drive has to cut over the edge of a lateral hazard on the left, while not straying into the trees on the right side. I hit what looked like a perfect 5-wood about 213 yards. I had 99 yards to the green, but because I was a single yard into the right rough, a tree just ahead prevented me from going for the green. One or two yards to the left and I would have been in the clear. As such, I had to punch something low and try to run it up there. My punch was good, but the ball stopped about 10 yards short of the green. From there, I pitched on and 2-putt. Unless you have the short game of a pro, these potential pars always turn into bogeys.
On the front nine, I usually explode on hole #1, a long par-5 with OB along the entire left side. This time, I limited the damage to a double-bogey. My drive was deep, but to an opposite fairway on the right side. I've played there before by design. It's not a bad strategy, except that you have to contend with a pond on your second shot and the shot angle is back towards OB. I hit 5-wood over the pond, but it was tailing ever so slightly right and went into some bushes on the corner of the hazard. After a penalty and drop, I punched a low shot under some overhanging branches. The ball actually rolled through the back of the green, where I pitched on and 2-putt.
I rolled along smoothly on holes #2 through #5, collecting bogey, bogey, par, and par. Next came another hole that is problematic for me. Hole #6 is a par-4 with a dogleg left. The first part of the hole is all carry over marsh land. Thick woods continue along the left side right up to the green, as do some mature trees on the right side. I always play this hole defensively, intentionally fading a drive over the marsh to an area right of the fairway where there is some room. Unfortunately, this usually means laying up on the second shot because trees block out the green from that position. This time, I tried to hit a straight drive and I paid for it. I pulled the ball into the marsh and trees on the left. I was forced to hit my third from the tee and this time, I made my usual play. Sure enough, I had to lay up from there, but did so perfectly, finding a spot just left and short of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for triple-bogey. I should have stuck to my strategy right from the beginning.
In fact, the last four holes were pretty weak. After the triple on #6, I recorded back-to-back doubles on the next two holes. Hole #7 is a 170-yard par-3 over water. I missed the sweet spot of the club face, and failed to clear the water. After a penalty and drop, I put one on the green and 2-putt to finish. Hole #8 is a relatively easy par-4. Unfortunately, I pushed my drive slightly into the trees. The green was blocked out, so I punched a low one to an area 20 yards in front of the green. The ball rolled into a bunker. Of course, my attempt to get out sailed right over the back of the green to some more trees. I bumped a great punch into a mound and it released onto the green, where I finished with a 2-putt.
Hole #9 is a par-5 rated the most difficult hole on the front. I disagree, as it's not as difficult as some of the holes I've already described. I pulled my drive to an opposite fairway, then hit a lovely pitching wedge over a massive tree to get back to the fairway, right beside the 150-yard stick. The green is on an elevated plateau, so I hit 7-iron. It curved ever so slightly – but enough to miss the green on the left. Unfortunately for me, it rolled down a slope and into a bunker. Well, guess what happened? Yes, the ball sailed straight over the entire green. Looking at the spot where my club made contact, I could see that there was barely any sand in the bunker. It may have been an inch of sand, with hardpan underneath. No wonder! I actually hit the correct spot for a properly maintained bunker, but this wasn't one of those. Looking back, the bunker on hole #8 was the same thing. I'm bad enough at bunker shots; I don't need poor conditions to make things worse. My fifth shot was from an area where some weeds had been cut down. Tough stalks where these had been cut were directly behind my ball. It was an impossible spot and of course, I was only able to advance the ball about five feet. From the regular rough, I pitched on and 2-putt for an unfortunate triple-bogey.
I hit many decent shots during this round. The problem is that when I hit a bad one it was in a very bad spot. Just look at the fact that I collected 7 penalty strokes. You can't score well when you do that. I'm disgusted.
Score: 101
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 7
September 30, 2017
Rebel Creek Debut
If it was closer to home, I probably would have played Rebel Creek long ago. Since it's a little out of the way for me, this was my first ever visit to the course. In preparation for the round, I watched the course tour videos on YouTube. These feature flyovers of each hole, giving a good idea of what to expect. When I arrived at the course, I opted to play the Gold/Blue tees, measuring 6,267 yards.
The front nine was fantastic, as I shot a 6-over score of 42. My scorecard was pretty clean, with four pars, four bogeys and one double. The double came on hole #2, a 426-yard par-4. My drive off the tee was defensive, as I wanted to avoid a pull into the creek on the left at all cost. This left a long approach into the green. I just wanted to get to the green in three, so I hit to a spot 50 yards short of the green. Unfortunately, my 50-yard pitch shot was pulled into the left fringe. This left a downhill chip, with no real chance of stopping the ball near the hole.
I made par on holes #1, #4, #6 and #9. The first three of these all came with the help of an up and down near the green. On hole #1, the drained putt was about 8 feet in length. On the other two holes, the chips were good enough to set up easy tap-in putts. I thought I was going to collect another par on hole #7 in the same fashion, as I chipped one from just off the green to within four feet. It was a little downhill and the ball lipped out violently for the bogey. The par on hole #9 was more traditional, as I 2-putt after reaching this par-5 green in regulation.
The back nine went less smoothly, as a variety of circumstances conspired to produce a 14-over score of 50. I blew up for a triple-bogey on hole #13, as I failed to hit a single good shot en route to the green of this par-4. I smother pulled the ball off the tee into a steep slope left of the fairway. Lucky for me, the ball came all the way back to the centre of the fairway, albeit well back of the green. I just wanted to reach the green in three at that point. My second shot was pulled to a bit of a slope on the left side, but it was still serviceable. Unfortunately, with the ball below my feet, I duffed the next shot completely. My fourth shot was pulled left of the green and my fifth was a chip that I semi sculled well past the hole.
That was the only real blowup on the back nine, but there were three double-bogeys as well. On hole #12, a par-4, my second shot hooked slightly into a greenside bunker – my nemesis. My first attempt to get out was hit fat, while my second was fine. I made a brilliant bogey attempt, but the hard breaking putt lipped out. On hole #16, a 147-yard par-3, I was fighting the hook shot, so I aimed a little right of target and tried to tone down the hooking action. Of course, I straightened out the shot completely and missed the green just to the right. The worst part was that my ball came to rest at the base of a tree, right up against the trunk. I had no backswing and this was the sole cause of the double-bogey. The final double was on hole #17. I made the smart play off the tee, but lack of familiarity with the course got me, as I was surprised by the width of a forced carry between me and the green. The hole produced my only penalty stroke of the day.
I've focused on the trouble spots, but the back nine had plenty of good holes too. Overall, it was a good result. However, I really should have broken 90 with the way I started.
Score: 92
Putts: 34
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
The front nine was fantastic, as I shot a 6-over score of 42. My scorecard was pretty clean, with four pars, four bogeys and one double. The double came on hole #2, a 426-yard par-4. My drive off the tee was defensive, as I wanted to avoid a pull into the creek on the left at all cost. This left a long approach into the green. I just wanted to get to the green in three, so I hit to a spot 50 yards short of the green. Unfortunately, my 50-yard pitch shot was pulled into the left fringe. This left a downhill chip, with no real chance of stopping the ball near the hole.
I made par on holes #1, #4, #6 and #9. The first three of these all came with the help of an up and down near the green. On hole #1, the drained putt was about 8 feet in length. On the other two holes, the chips were good enough to set up easy tap-in putts. I thought I was going to collect another par on hole #7 in the same fashion, as I chipped one from just off the green to within four feet. It was a little downhill and the ball lipped out violently for the bogey. The par on hole #9 was more traditional, as I 2-putt after reaching this par-5 green in regulation.
The back nine went less smoothly, as a variety of circumstances conspired to produce a 14-over score of 50. I blew up for a triple-bogey on hole #13, as I failed to hit a single good shot en route to the green of this par-4. I smother pulled the ball off the tee into a steep slope left of the fairway. Lucky for me, the ball came all the way back to the centre of the fairway, albeit well back of the green. I just wanted to reach the green in three at that point. My second shot was pulled to a bit of a slope on the left side, but it was still serviceable. Unfortunately, with the ball below my feet, I duffed the next shot completely. My fourth shot was pulled left of the green and my fifth was a chip that I semi sculled well past the hole.
That was the only real blowup on the back nine, but there were three double-bogeys as well. On hole #12, a par-4, my second shot hooked slightly into a greenside bunker – my nemesis. My first attempt to get out was hit fat, while my second was fine. I made a brilliant bogey attempt, but the hard breaking putt lipped out. On hole #16, a 147-yard par-3, I was fighting the hook shot, so I aimed a little right of target and tried to tone down the hooking action. Of course, I straightened out the shot completely and missed the green just to the right. The worst part was that my ball came to rest at the base of a tree, right up against the trunk. I had no backswing and this was the sole cause of the double-bogey. The final double was on hole #17. I made the smart play off the tee, but lack of familiarity with the course got me, as I was surprised by the width of a forced carry between me and the green. The hole produced my only penalty stroke of the day.
I've focused on the trouble spots, but the back nine had plenty of good holes too. Overall, it was a good result. However, I really should have broken 90 with the way I started.
Score: 92
Putts: 34
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
September 25, 2017
The Putts of St. George
I recently headed out to The Oaks of St. George. This was my third round in three days and at three different courses. I thought my tee time was later in the afternoon and barely got to the course on time. Within the first three or four holes, the pattern for the day was already set. Basically, I would not make a putt all day, despite threatening the holes left and right. Hole #1 is tough enough with a huge tree blocking the green from any angle. When my second shot was behind some pine trees on the left side, the best I could do was get on the green in four. Unfortunately, I then 3-putt for a triple-bogey. My second putt was from 6 feet below the hole, but I burned the left edge.
I made par on hole #2 and bogey on #3, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Hole #3 is a 139-yard par-3 over water. I hit 9-iron just off the green, very near the flag. I had a delicate downhill chip and left it within three feet. There was still some break to the par putt and I missed it on the low side. Hole #4 is a par-5 with a couple massive trees once again blocking the front of the green. I split the fairway, then hit an easy 5-iron to the end of the left fairway, 95 yards from the green centre. I had to punch something low to avoid the tree branches and I punched one through the back of the green. I chipped on, but the worst part was that I 3-putt for a double-bogey. My first lag putt was fine, but I missed another 3 or 4-footer. Terrible!
Meanwhile, my fellow competitors were draining putts from all over the place. As the rest of the front nine progressed, the joke became that I simply could not buy a putt, as I was getting robbed again and again. I burned an edge on hole #5 and took double-bogey. Hole #6, a 462-yard par-5, was a mess from tee to green. I had a short putt to limit the damage to double-bogey, but nope! Triple-bogey it was. I ended the front nine with three consecutive bogeys, but the second of those also featured a par attempt that disappointingly burned the edge of the cup. I was shooting an even 50 at the turn, with 20 putts.
The first three holes of the back nine were an absolute disaster. Hole #10 starts from an elevated tee that leaves you absolutely nowhere to bail out. A creek crosses the fairway in the low spot, with woods on the left and on the right. I found the woods on the right and took my first penalty stroke of the day. To make matters worse, I ended with a 3-putt for a triple-bogey. In fact, I collected two more triples on holes #11 and #12. On the former, I found the woods once again with my tee shot and took a penalty stroke. On the latter, I took two shots to get out of a greenside bunker and then 3-putt yet again!
Despite the horrendous results, I was still having fun. The people I was playing with were good playing partners and we were having a good time. Perhaps because of this, I made a remarkable turnaround, beginning with hole #13. This is a 151-yard par-3 that I nailed off the tee with the 8-iron. I had a long lag putt and put it within 4 feet. However, I burned the edge on the par putt once again and took bogey! My partners could not believe my misfortune! I joked that I could absolutely believe it – such was my fate when it comes to golf.
On hole #14, a short par-4, I hit the fairway with the 5-wood and then found the green with an 8-iron. From a great distance, I lagged my first putt close and this time, I finally drained a short par putt. Everybody let out a roar of approval. Now on hole #15, a 390-yard par-4, I pummelled a drive 290 yards deep and straight as an arrow. From 105 yards, I thinned a wedge shot through the green. No worries, as I flopped a downhill chip shot and drained another putt for my second consecutive par.
On hole #16, a par-4, I was right of the green after two shots. I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey. On hole #17, a short par-3, I hit a gap wedge below the hole. I gave the birdie putt a good try, but just missed, settling for a tap-in par. On the last hole of the day, a par-5, I hit a drive that was deep and straight. We saw the ball bounce two or three times and assumed everything was okay. When we drove up, it became apparent that I hit the ball too deep and that it bounced into a pond up ahead. I was forced to take a penalty stroke and drop behind the hazard. My third shot, from 200 yards away, was short of the elevated green. I messed up one pitch before making a good one, and finished up with two putts for a double-bogey.
In the end, I barely avoided reaching the century mark, with a score of 99. Most telling of all, 40 of those strokes were putts. My handicap factor jumped up another few tenths as well.
Score: 99
Putts: 40
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
I made par on hole #2 and bogey on #3, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Hole #3 is a 139-yard par-3 over water. I hit 9-iron just off the green, very near the flag. I had a delicate downhill chip and left it within three feet. There was still some break to the par putt and I missed it on the low side. Hole #4 is a par-5 with a couple massive trees once again blocking the front of the green. I split the fairway, then hit an easy 5-iron to the end of the left fairway, 95 yards from the green centre. I had to punch something low to avoid the tree branches and I punched one through the back of the green. I chipped on, but the worst part was that I 3-putt for a double-bogey. My first lag putt was fine, but I missed another 3 or 4-footer. Terrible!
Meanwhile, my fellow competitors were draining putts from all over the place. As the rest of the front nine progressed, the joke became that I simply could not buy a putt, as I was getting robbed again and again. I burned an edge on hole #5 and took double-bogey. Hole #6, a 462-yard par-5, was a mess from tee to green. I had a short putt to limit the damage to double-bogey, but nope! Triple-bogey it was. I ended the front nine with three consecutive bogeys, but the second of those also featured a par attempt that disappointingly burned the edge of the cup. I was shooting an even 50 at the turn, with 20 putts.
The first three holes of the back nine were an absolute disaster. Hole #10 starts from an elevated tee that leaves you absolutely nowhere to bail out. A creek crosses the fairway in the low spot, with woods on the left and on the right. I found the woods on the right and took my first penalty stroke of the day. To make matters worse, I ended with a 3-putt for a triple-bogey. In fact, I collected two more triples on holes #11 and #12. On the former, I found the woods once again with my tee shot and took a penalty stroke. On the latter, I took two shots to get out of a greenside bunker and then 3-putt yet again!
Despite the horrendous results, I was still having fun. The people I was playing with were good playing partners and we were having a good time. Perhaps because of this, I made a remarkable turnaround, beginning with hole #13. This is a 151-yard par-3 that I nailed off the tee with the 8-iron. I had a long lag putt and put it within 4 feet. However, I burned the edge on the par putt once again and took bogey! My partners could not believe my misfortune! I joked that I could absolutely believe it – such was my fate when it comes to golf.
On hole #14, a short par-4, I hit the fairway with the 5-wood and then found the green with an 8-iron. From a great distance, I lagged my first putt close and this time, I finally drained a short par putt. Everybody let out a roar of approval. Now on hole #15, a 390-yard par-4, I pummelled a drive 290 yards deep and straight as an arrow. From 105 yards, I thinned a wedge shot through the green. No worries, as I flopped a downhill chip shot and drained another putt for my second consecutive par.
On hole #16, a par-4, I was right of the green after two shots. I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey. On hole #17, a short par-3, I hit a gap wedge below the hole. I gave the birdie putt a good try, but just missed, settling for a tap-in par. On the last hole of the day, a par-5, I hit a drive that was deep and straight. We saw the ball bounce two or three times and assumed everything was okay. When we drove up, it became apparent that I hit the ball too deep and that it bounced into a pond up ahead. I was forced to take a penalty stroke and drop behind the hazard. My third shot, from 200 yards away, was short of the elevated green. I messed up one pitch before making a good one, and finished up with two putts for a double-bogey.
In the end, I barely avoided reaching the century mark, with a score of 99. Most telling of all, 40 of those strokes were putts. My handicap factor jumped up another few tenths as well.
Score: 99
Putts: 40
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
September 23, 2017
Some Struggles at Settlers' Ghost
I made my second ever visit to Settlers' Ghost and the weather was perfect. The course was in great shape, except for one critical factor. The greens had recently been aerated and top dressed, making for terrible putting surfaces. I've played on aerated greens in the past, and it's usually pretty manageable. Rolls are never true, but once you adjust to the speed, it's really not that bad. These greens were so heavily top dressed however, that the ball was skidding rather than rolling. I could deal with some bumpiness, but the speeds were so inconsistent that it really had an impact on the game.
I started the front nine by hitting the first fairway and green with a driver, 9-iron combo. Of course, I 3-putt on the bumpy, sandy green to finish with a bogey. On hole #2, a 200-yard par-3, I hit the front of the green with the 5-wood. Next came another 3-putt bogey. As you can see, the effect of the greens was immediate. The rest of the front nine produced lots of good golf, including three pars and a couple more bogeys. Two of those pars came after up and down plays. The bogeys came despite making a miss hit on each of the holes. In each case, I recovered strongly. Unfortunately, the two remaining holes produced triple-bogeys. In both cases, I got into the fescue and struggled to get out. This was compounded by further mistakes approaching the greens. I was shooting 46 at the turn.
Two bogeys started off the back nine. The one on hole #10 was well earned, as this is a 558-yard par-5 that is uphill all the way. The one on hole #11 was disappointing, as I hit the green on this 158-yard par-3, only to 3-putt once again on the sand covered green. The next two holes were the greatest struggle of the round. Hole #12 is a downhill par-5. I hit a terrible drive off the heel of the club, diving into the fescue left of the fairway. A few shots later, I pushed an approach shot into a water hazard. It took a miraculous chip from off the green just to save a double-bogey. Hole #13 was worse, as this is a simple and short par-4. My tee shot landed on the downslope of a steep mound, just two or three yards left of the fairway. It was an impossible stance and I duffed the shot. I continued to mess up on subsequent shots, leading to a triple-bogey.
I made bogey on four of the last five holes. A couple of these involved recovery shots after poor tee shots, so I was doing well. Unfortunately, this stretch also produced another triple-bogey. It was on hole #17, which started with another excursion into the fescue, thanks to a shot off the heel of the driver. I really was not driving the ball well all day, with just a couple of exceptions. This time, I made a great out to get back to safety. Stupidly, I duffed a wedge from the middle of the fairway, 60 yards from the green. Then the green added to the misery, as I hammered a long lag putt well past the hole and right off the green.
Considering how poorly I was driving the ball and the condition of the greens, my overall score actually wasn't that bad. Unfortunately, my handicap factor jumped to 16.3 – almost a full point increase.
Score: 96
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
I started the front nine by hitting the first fairway and green with a driver, 9-iron combo. Of course, I 3-putt on the bumpy, sandy green to finish with a bogey. On hole #2, a 200-yard par-3, I hit the front of the green with the 5-wood. Next came another 3-putt bogey. As you can see, the effect of the greens was immediate. The rest of the front nine produced lots of good golf, including three pars and a couple more bogeys. Two of those pars came after up and down plays. The bogeys came despite making a miss hit on each of the holes. In each case, I recovered strongly. Unfortunately, the two remaining holes produced triple-bogeys. In both cases, I got into the fescue and struggled to get out. This was compounded by further mistakes approaching the greens. I was shooting 46 at the turn.
Two bogeys started off the back nine. The one on hole #10 was well earned, as this is a 558-yard par-5 that is uphill all the way. The one on hole #11 was disappointing, as I hit the green on this 158-yard par-3, only to 3-putt once again on the sand covered green. The next two holes were the greatest struggle of the round. Hole #12 is a downhill par-5. I hit a terrible drive off the heel of the club, diving into the fescue left of the fairway. A few shots later, I pushed an approach shot into a water hazard. It took a miraculous chip from off the green just to save a double-bogey. Hole #13 was worse, as this is a simple and short par-4. My tee shot landed on the downslope of a steep mound, just two or three yards left of the fairway. It was an impossible stance and I duffed the shot. I continued to mess up on subsequent shots, leading to a triple-bogey.
I made bogey on four of the last five holes. A couple of these involved recovery shots after poor tee shots, so I was doing well. Unfortunately, this stretch also produced another triple-bogey. It was on hole #17, which started with another excursion into the fescue, thanks to a shot off the heel of the driver. I really was not driving the ball well all day, with just a couple of exceptions. This time, I made a great out to get back to safety. Stupidly, I duffed a wedge from the middle of the fairway, 60 yards from the green. Then the green added to the misery, as I hammered a long lag putt well past the hole and right off the green.
Considering how poorly I was driving the ball and the condition of the greens, my overall score actually wasn't that bad. Unfortunately, my handicap factor jumped to 16.3 – almost a full point increase.
Score: 96
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
September 22, 2017
A Handicap Low at Lowville
It's usually a great round when you start and finish with the same ball. I've been racking up the penalty strokes this year, even when I put together a decent score. This time, there was not a single penalty stroke to speak of. I was hitting the ball well, most of the time. Whenever I hit a bad shot, I recovered immediately. If you can avoid back-to-back mistakes, or multiple mistakes on a single hole, your score is going to be pretty good. I broke 90 convincingly and tallied my third best score of the year. The best part was that it felt easy.
I shot 44 (8 over) on the front nine, with a couple pars, six bogeys and a double. After reaching the green of the opening par-5 in regulation, I 3-putt for bogey. Thankfully, an accurate approach into the second green earned a solid par. A great putt saved bogey on hole #3, while another earned par on hole #4. Putts were costly again on hole #6, as I took three of them en route to double-bogey. On hole #7, an uphill par-5, I spoiled a great drive, but still made bogey. I also made a good bogey on hole #9. It was a 3 putt, but the fact that I reached the green in regulation after pulling my drive to an opposite fairway was remarkable enough.
I improved on the back nine, shooting 41 (6 over), with a birdie, two pars, five bogeys and a double. The birdie was on hole #16, a 422-yard par-4 that plays uphill. My drive was down in a low spot, right of the fairway. From there, I hit a pure 9-iron that finished two feet below the hole! Nice! The pars came on holes #12 and #17. In both cases, I started with a beautiful drive straight down the pipe. They were the only fairways I hit on the back nine. The double bogey came on hole #13, a par-3, thanks to another 3-putt. The hole was cut in a tricky position and I got robbed on the bogey putt. The rest of the holes on the back nine were just steady as she goes.
With this result, my handicap factor dipped to 15.4 – a personal best. A number of good results will drop off my scoring record over the next few rounds. These must be replaced with equally good results if I am to keep my factor where it is.
Score: 85
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 0
I shot 44 (8 over) on the front nine, with a couple pars, six bogeys and a double. After reaching the green of the opening par-5 in regulation, I 3-putt for bogey. Thankfully, an accurate approach into the second green earned a solid par. A great putt saved bogey on hole #3, while another earned par on hole #4. Putts were costly again on hole #6, as I took three of them en route to double-bogey. On hole #7, an uphill par-5, I spoiled a great drive, but still made bogey. I also made a good bogey on hole #9. It was a 3 putt, but the fact that I reached the green in regulation after pulling my drive to an opposite fairway was remarkable enough.
I improved on the back nine, shooting 41 (6 over), with a birdie, two pars, five bogeys and a double. The birdie was on hole #16, a 422-yard par-4 that plays uphill. My drive was down in a low spot, right of the fairway. From there, I hit a pure 9-iron that finished two feet below the hole! Nice! The pars came on holes #12 and #17. In both cases, I started with a beautiful drive straight down the pipe. They were the only fairways I hit on the back nine. The double bogey came on hole #13, a par-3, thanks to another 3-putt. The hole was cut in a tricky position and I got robbed on the bogey putt. The rest of the holes on the back nine were just steady as she goes.
With this result, my handicap factor dipped to 15.4 – a personal best. A number of good results will drop off my scoring record over the next few rounds. These must be replaced with equally good results if I am to keep my factor where it is.
Score: 85
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 0
September 16, 2017
Breaking 90 at Knollwood
I'm always looking for new places to play golf, so I recently decided to try Knollwood Golf Club. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much. There are two courses at Knollwood, Old and New. I booked a round on the New Course, which despite being the longer of the two designs, is just over 6,000 yards from the back tees. It's a conventional par 72, with four par-3 and four par-5 holes.
I shot 43 on the front nine, with two pars and seven bogeys. The pars came on holes #2 and #4. The former is a 459-yard par-5. I hit driver to the centre of the fairway, followed by a tentative 3-iron that finished 10 yards short of the green. I pitched on and had a go at birdie, but just missed. The latter is a 123-yard par-3 surrounded by woods. I hit gap wedge to the edge of the green, followed by a good lag putt and tap-in.
Hole #1 had me worried that the course would be a cake walk. It's a short par-4, measuring just 275 yards. I hit two bad shots, finishing left of the green, but still pitched on and 2-putt for bogey. Any worries about the course being too easy started to change with hole #3. This is a 410-yard par-4. It's a dogleg left, with big trees protecting the inside corner as well as the outside. If you don't draw the ball with your driver or woods, the tee shot is a bit of a dilemma.
I gave up distance for safety, hitting 5-wood to the right rough, short of the trees. As I walked to my ball, the real difficulty of the hole revealed itself. About 80 yards in front of the green, large trees pinch in on both sides. If you don't hit your ball low and through the goal posts, you'll find the forest on both sides. I didn't even think about the green, as I hit a half swing 5-iron through the posts and short of the green. I messed up my pitch shot, coming up short, but I managed to chip one close and 1-putt to collect the bogey I was looking for.
Hole #5 is a 453-yard par-5. From the blue tees, you must hit through a narrow chute to get to the fairway. I pulled my first attempt into the woods. Hitting my third from the tee, I still managed to save a bogey. Driver, 5-wood got me to within 20 yards of the green. I made a nice pitch and putt to finish. If I hadn't messed up the first tee shot, this would have been a birdie.
I made good decisions on holes #6 and #8, both of which are par-4 holes. The first of these is a short par-4 with a dogleg, but it uses the large pinching trees to add significant challenge. Though my tee shot found the fairway, I did not want to mess with the trees. I played a layup to 20 yards in front of the green. From there, I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey.
On hole #8, I pulled my tee shot well left of the fairway. Rather than try a recovery shot, I played a layup to the right side of the fairway, 60 yards short of the green. My third shot carried a creek in front of the green, but was short of the putting surface. Thankfully, I chipped on and 1-putt to get another bogey.
I shot 45 on the back nine, with a birdie, six bogeys and two doubles. The birdie was on hole #14, a 375-yard par-4. My drive finished right beside the 100-yard stick. From there I hit a fabulous sand wedge inside two feet. This is a very sloped green with a weird hump near the front, so I did well to get the birdie.
Hole #12 was the first real blemish on my scorecard, as I earned double-bogey. This par-4 measures 399 yards and is a slight dogleg to the right. I hit what I thought was a good drive to the left side of the fairway. I thought that I went through the end of the dogleg, but that I would find my ball a couple yards into the rough. No such luck, as the ground was hard and sloping down to the left toward a hazard. My ball must have rolled into the long weeds. I was forced to take a penalty stroke and could not attack the green from that position due to trees. I hit a 9-iron just right of the green, then chipped and 2-putt for the double.
Holes #16 and #17 are back-to-back par-5 holes. On the former, I hit driver to the left rough, followed by a great 7-iron, leaving 50 yards to the green. The green is much wider than it is deep, so I tried to bounce one just in front and have it trickle on the putting surface. I thought the shot was perfect, but a small slope just in front of the green actually kicked my ball to the left and backwards. I chipped one to within 6 feet and made a great par attempt, but it lipped out.
Hole #17 measures a healthy 547 yards. I hit a perfect drive to the left centre of the fairway. I tried to play a half swing 3-iron on my second shot, but pulled it into the left rough, 150 yards from the green. I had a large tree interfering just ahead on the left and a cluster of bushes right of the green. It was the kind of situation where avoiding one obstacle brings the other more into play. I opted to lay up about 40 yards short of the green. I messed up the subsequent pitch, but chipped on and 1-putt from 10 feet to save bogey.
Hole #18 was disappointing, for no other reason than it was my only 3-putt of the day and produced a double-bogey. I pulled a 5-wood off the tee badly, but cleared some woods and avoided a pond. Small trees were blocking my path to the green, so I just hit a wedge back in the direction of the fairway. From 70 yards, my lob wedge was a little right of the pin. I had a long downhill putt and left it just a bit too short. The bogey putt was no gimme, but makeable. I made an excellent attempt, but the ball lipped out, just as it had on #16.
Overall, breaking 90 was pretty good. I like that this was a controlled round and that some conservative decisions actually paid off. As for the course, I was satisfied. Conditioning could have been better on some greens, but I have no real complaints. The course is not spectacular, by any means, but represents good value.
Score: 88
Putts: 31
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
I shot 43 on the front nine, with two pars and seven bogeys. The pars came on holes #2 and #4. The former is a 459-yard par-5. I hit driver to the centre of the fairway, followed by a tentative 3-iron that finished 10 yards short of the green. I pitched on and had a go at birdie, but just missed. The latter is a 123-yard par-3 surrounded by woods. I hit gap wedge to the edge of the green, followed by a good lag putt and tap-in.
Hole #1 had me worried that the course would be a cake walk. It's a short par-4, measuring just 275 yards. I hit two bad shots, finishing left of the green, but still pitched on and 2-putt for bogey. Any worries about the course being too easy started to change with hole #3. This is a 410-yard par-4. It's a dogleg left, with big trees protecting the inside corner as well as the outside. If you don't draw the ball with your driver or woods, the tee shot is a bit of a dilemma.
I gave up distance for safety, hitting 5-wood to the right rough, short of the trees. As I walked to my ball, the real difficulty of the hole revealed itself. About 80 yards in front of the green, large trees pinch in on both sides. If you don't hit your ball low and through the goal posts, you'll find the forest on both sides. I didn't even think about the green, as I hit a half swing 5-iron through the posts and short of the green. I messed up my pitch shot, coming up short, but I managed to chip one close and 1-putt to collect the bogey I was looking for.
Hole #5 is a 453-yard par-5. From the blue tees, you must hit through a narrow chute to get to the fairway. I pulled my first attempt into the woods. Hitting my third from the tee, I still managed to save a bogey. Driver, 5-wood got me to within 20 yards of the green. I made a nice pitch and putt to finish. If I hadn't messed up the first tee shot, this would have been a birdie.
I made good decisions on holes #6 and #8, both of which are par-4 holes. The first of these is a short par-4 with a dogleg, but it uses the large pinching trees to add significant challenge. Though my tee shot found the fairway, I did not want to mess with the trees. I played a layup to 20 yards in front of the green. From there, I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey.
On hole #8, I pulled my tee shot well left of the fairway. Rather than try a recovery shot, I played a layup to the right side of the fairway, 60 yards short of the green. My third shot carried a creek in front of the green, but was short of the putting surface. Thankfully, I chipped on and 1-putt to get another bogey.
I shot 45 on the back nine, with a birdie, six bogeys and two doubles. The birdie was on hole #14, a 375-yard par-4. My drive finished right beside the 100-yard stick. From there I hit a fabulous sand wedge inside two feet. This is a very sloped green with a weird hump near the front, so I did well to get the birdie.
Hole #12 was the first real blemish on my scorecard, as I earned double-bogey. This par-4 measures 399 yards and is a slight dogleg to the right. I hit what I thought was a good drive to the left side of the fairway. I thought that I went through the end of the dogleg, but that I would find my ball a couple yards into the rough. No such luck, as the ground was hard and sloping down to the left toward a hazard. My ball must have rolled into the long weeds. I was forced to take a penalty stroke and could not attack the green from that position due to trees. I hit a 9-iron just right of the green, then chipped and 2-putt for the double.
Holes #16 and #17 are back-to-back par-5 holes. On the former, I hit driver to the left rough, followed by a great 7-iron, leaving 50 yards to the green. The green is much wider than it is deep, so I tried to bounce one just in front and have it trickle on the putting surface. I thought the shot was perfect, but a small slope just in front of the green actually kicked my ball to the left and backwards. I chipped one to within 6 feet and made a great par attempt, but it lipped out.
Hole #17 measures a healthy 547 yards. I hit a perfect drive to the left centre of the fairway. I tried to play a half swing 3-iron on my second shot, but pulled it into the left rough, 150 yards from the green. I had a large tree interfering just ahead on the left and a cluster of bushes right of the green. It was the kind of situation where avoiding one obstacle brings the other more into play. I opted to lay up about 40 yards short of the green. I messed up the subsequent pitch, but chipped on and 1-putt from 10 feet to save bogey.
Hole #18 was disappointing, for no other reason than it was my only 3-putt of the day and produced a double-bogey. I pulled a 5-wood off the tee badly, but cleared some woods and avoided a pond. Small trees were blocking my path to the green, so I just hit a wedge back in the direction of the fairway. From 70 yards, my lob wedge was a little right of the pin. I had a long downhill putt and left it just a bit too short. The bogey putt was no gimme, but makeable. I made an excellent attempt, but the ball lipped out, just as it had on #16.
Overall, breaking 90 was pretty good. I like that this was a controlled round and that some conservative decisions actually paid off. As for the course, I was satisfied. Conditioning could have been better on some greens, but I have no real complaints. The course is not spectacular, by any means, but represents good value.
Score: 88
Putts: 31
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
September 14, 2017
Mixed Feelings at Tangle Creek
I headed up to Tangle Creek Golf Club on a gorgeous September afternoon. It's a course I've played a couple of times before and which I enjoyed thoroughly. The front nine features a healthy amount of elevation change and forced carries. At the same time, there are a couple of good scoring opportunities, especially early on. Some people might not like holes #5 through #7 because of the forced carries and doglegs that obscure the green area from the teeing ground. While the greens may not be visible from the tee, these are not “blind” shots, as the landing areas are in plain sight. I think those three holes are some of the best on the course. The back nine is a little more flat, but still very interesting visually and in terms of shot making. Fescue abounds, as it does on the whole course, and it can be nasty.
Hole #1 is a 448-yard par-5 from the black tees. The green is reachable with two good shots, but they have to be good or else you're in trouble. I hit a 240-yard drive to the left side that came to rest in a matted down area of fescue, just a couple yards off the fairway. The lie was good, so I hit 5-wood to get as close to the green as possible. A large slope up to the green prevented my ball from getting very close. I was 20 yards away and opted to pitch one with the lob wedge. The hole was cut on a strange plateau and my first putt was short. As a result, I 3-putt for an opening bogey.
Hole #2 is a par-4 measuring just 308 yards. It's straightforward, but the entire right side is out of bounds, so you do have to take some care. I pumped a drive to the centre of the fairway, leaving just 60 yards to the flag. The next shot killed me. I sculled the lob wedge, rolling the ball through the green and off the back. There is only a yard or two of rough, before a steep drop off that is covered in thick fescue. My ball went in and though I found it, it was unplayable. After a penalty and drop, I sculled a chip well past the hole. From that far away, a 3-putt was likely, and that's what happened. What started out as a possible birdie opportunity and almost certainly a par, ended up as a triple-bogey. That's how the game destroys you.
On hole #3, I once again nailed the centre of the fairway. My 9-iron next was slightly long and left. A slope should have gathered the ball, but the ground was hard and the ball rolled up into the fescue. With no chance to pitch it close, I rolled the ball a healthy distance past the hole. My third consecutive 3-putt resulted in a double-bogey. Oh man! I was piping my drives, but my approach irons were a little off and putting me in tough situations. I made par on hole #4, a 146-yard par-3, but even that was disappointing. My 9-iron finished 6 feet from the hole, but I missed the birdie putt!
Next was the tough stretch of holes #5 through #7. A wayward approach shot on the first of these was lost in the fescue, resulting in a penalty stroke and double-bogey. Fortunately, I hit the fairway, followed by the green on hole #6. This was followed by a 2-putt par. A great drive, strategic layup and 6-iron approach shot put me just left of the green on hole #7, a par-5. I chipped on and drained a 6-footer for another par. I carried the momentum over the remainder of the front nine, finishing with a bogey and par, for a score of 46 at the turn.
On the back nine, I collected way too many penalty strokes to make a good score. I tallied five penalties, to go along with the two I had collected on the front nine. One was the result of a bad drive on hole #10. On hole #14, I made a bad decision hitting driver off the tee and landed in a water hazard. A 5-wood or some sort of iron would have been a better choice. On holes #11, #15 and #16, I hit bad iron shots while trying to hit the greens.
Despite the errors, I was mixing in some good shots. A great 8-iron off the tee on hole #12 gave me a chance at birdie on this 161-yard par-3. I 2-putt and settled for par. On hole #13, a 561-yard par-5, three great shots had me flag high just off the right side of the green. Unfortunately, my chip rolled right off the green. I needed another chip and two putts to finish up with a double-bogey. On hole #17, I hit driver, 7-iron to within 3 feet. Despite its short length, the birdie putt was a downhill breaker and I missed it! That one hurt.
Hole #18 also hurt a bit. This is a 471-yard par-5 with a big dogleg to the right. I hit a perfect drive to the centre of the fairway, leaving 208 yards to the green. Next came a good 5-wood, but it was a tad left and finished in a greenside bunker. We all know my trouble with these bunkers! My first sand shot got out, but only to the rough. At this point, I was dealing with a bit of a headache from the heat and just wanted to finish quickly. I sculled a chip well past the hole and then 3-putt for a double-bogey.
The final score reflects a bunch of needless mistakes, but there was a lot to like about this round.
Score: 99
Putts: 40
Fairways: 8
Greens: 5
Penalties: 7
Hole #1 is a 448-yard par-5 from the black tees. The green is reachable with two good shots, but they have to be good or else you're in trouble. I hit a 240-yard drive to the left side that came to rest in a matted down area of fescue, just a couple yards off the fairway. The lie was good, so I hit 5-wood to get as close to the green as possible. A large slope up to the green prevented my ball from getting very close. I was 20 yards away and opted to pitch one with the lob wedge. The hole was cut on a strange plateau and my first putt was short. As a result, I 3-putt for an opening bogey.
Hole #2 is a par-4 measuring just 308 yards. It's straightforward, but the entire right side is out of bounds, so you do have to take some care. I pumped a drive to the centre of the fairway, leaving just 60 yards to the flag. The next shot killed me. I sculled the lob wedge, rolling the ball through the green and off the back. There is only a yard or two of rough, before a steep drop off that is covered in thick fescue. My ball went in and though I found it, it was unplayable. After a penalty and drop, I sculled a chip well past the hole. From that far away, a 3-putt was likely, and that's what happened. What started out as a possible birdie opportunity and almost certainly a par, ended up as a triple-bogey. That's how the game destroys you.
On hole #3, I once again nailed the centre of the fairway. My 9-iron next was slightly long and left. A slope should have gathered the ball, but the ground was hard and the ball rolled up into the fescue. With no chance to pitch it close, I rolled the ball a healthy distance past the hole. My third consecutive 3-putt resulted in a double-bogey. Oh man! I was piping my drives, but my approach irons were a little off and putting me in tough situations. I made par on hole #4, a 146-yard par-3, but even that was disappointing. My 9-iron finished 6 feet from the hole, but I missed the birdie putt!
Next was the tough stretch of holes #5 through #7. A wayward approach shot on the first of these was lost in the fescue, resulting in a penalty stroke and double-bogey. Fortunately, I hit the fairway, followed by the green on hole #6. This was followed by a 2-putt par. A great drive, strategic layup and 6-iron approach shot put me just left of the green on hole #7, a par-5. I chipped on and drained a 6-footer for another par. I carried the momentum over the remainder of the front nine, finishing with a bogey and par, for a score of 46 at the turn.
On the back nine, I collected way too many penalty strokes to make a good score. I tallied five penalties, to go along with the two I had collected on the front nine. One was the result of a bad drive on hole #10. On hole #14, I made a bad decision hitting driver off the tee and landed in a water hazard. A 5-wood or some sort of iron would have been a better choice. On holes #11, #15 and #16, I hit bad iron shots while trying to hit the greens.
Despite the errors, I was mixing in some good shots. A great 8-iron off the tee on hole #12 gave me a chance at birdie on this 161-yard par-3. I 2-putt and settled for par. On hole #13, a 561-yard par-5, three great shots had me flag high just off the right side of the green. Unfortunately, my chip rolled right off the green. I needed another chip and two putts to finish up with a double-bogey. On hole #17, I hit driver, 7-iron to within 3 feet. Despite its short length, the birdie putt was a downhill breaker and I missed it! That one hurt.
Hole #18 also hurt a bit. This is a 471-yard par-5 with a big dogleg to the right. I hit a perfect drive to the centre of the fairway, leaving 208 yards to the green. Next came a good 5-wood, but it was a tad left and finished in a greenside bunker. We all know my trouble with these bunkers! My first sand shot got out, but only to the rough. At this point, I was dealing with a bit of a headache from the heat and just wanted to finish quickly. I sculled a chip well past the hole and then 3-putt for a double-bogey.
The final score reflects a bunch of needless mistakes, but there was a lot to like about this round.
Score: 99
Putts: 40
Fairways: 8
Greens: 5
Penalties: 7
September 13, 2017
How One Flaw Ruins a Golf Score
For years now, I've been struggling to hit shots from greenside bunkers. I never had a problem when I first started golfing, but at some point, things changed. Typically, I pick the ball clean or too thin, when I'm actually trying to hit behind the ball and allow the sand to push the ball up and out. Most often, I overshoot greens, but sometimes I ram the ball into the lip of the bunker. On rare occasions, when I absolutely make sure not to hit the ball thin, I hit it too fat and fail to emerge from the bunker. One way or another, it takes me two shots just to get on the green. During my latest round on the New Course at Hidden Lake, this flaw destroyed an otherwise excellent outing. Instead of breaking 90, I shot my typical mid nineties score.
On hole #1, I nailed the centre of the fairway with a great drive. My approach with the 8-iron curved slightly, finding a front, left bunker. My bunker shot finished on the green, about 6 feet above the hole. Trust me, this is an exception. I had a legit chance to save par, but missed the putt and took bogey.
Hole #3 is a 182-yard par-3. With a front flag location, I chose to hit 6-iron. The ball hooked left of target, straight into a large bunker. Let's see if I could replicate my last bunker shot. Nope! I sculled the ball and it deflected off the lip, coming to rest well to the right, but still in the bunker. My next attempt got out, but only made it a few feet ahead into the rough. I chipped on and 2-putt for a triple-bogey. See what I mean?
On hole #5, I hit another picture perfect drive, 250 yards to the centre of the fairway. I pushed my sand wedge approach ever so slightly, finishing in a bunker on the front, right. Geez! I actually caught this one decently, but the ball carried past the flag, released forward and rolled off the green. I made a good pitch back toward the flag, but the green was falling away severely and my ball rolled to the fringe. I made bogey, only because I drained the uphill putt from about 10 feet away.
Hole #7 is the first par-5 on the course, measuring 504 yards from the tees we were playing. My drive once again found the centre of the fairway. I tell you, I was striking the ball well, especially off the tee. My second shot squirted a little right, as the ball was in an old divot. It ended up a yard into the fescue, which was laying down, so I was able to see most of the ball. Given the lie, I did well to hit a sand wedge flag high. Unfortunately, it was flag high in a left side bunker. My sand shot overshot the green, finishing on a slope overlooking the green. I barely pitched the ball on the green, but it released well past the hole before stopping. A 2-putt resulted in a double-bogey.
I was shooting 47 at the turn. This would have been 44, even with extremely average bunker play.
On hole #10, I hit another great drive, but was a little unlucky to finish in some thick rough, two feet off the fairway. From 150 yards, I took aim at the back pin position with a 7-iron. Due to the rough, the ball came out a little weak and dove into a front left bunker. I had lots of green to work with, but I overshot the green by 10 yards or more. Now I was completely short sided. I tried to bounce one through the rough and land softly on the green, but the ball got caught up and failed to reach the putting surface. A good chip gave me a chance to save double-bogey, but I missed a short putt and had to take a triple.
Fast forward to hole #18, a 488-yard par-5. I drove the ball to the right side of the fairway. There is a slight bend to the right, with trees on the inner corner. I tried to punch a low 4-iron down the fairway, but clipped a tree trunk, deflecting the ball to the left side of the fairway. I was 190 yards to the green, so I still had a chance to reach it in regulation. Danger loomed on the left side, so I didn't want to hook the ball. I favoured the right side and hit a great 4-iron directly to that spot. Only problem was that the ball finished in a right side bunker. I was determined not to overshoot the green with my bunker shot, and I didn't. Instead, I hit the ball fat and it didn't emerge from the bunker. My second attempt made the green, but just barely. I then 2-put for a double-bogey.
I shot 49 on the back nine. This would have been 46 with average bunker play. I finished with a final score of 96. If I could hit any part of a green from the bunkers, this would have been a score of 90. Six strokes is a big difference when they're all lost for exactly the same reason. I don't know what to do.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 8
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
On hole #1, I nailed the centre of the fairway with a great drive. My approach with the 8-iron curved slightly, finding a front, left bunker. My bunker shot finished on the green, about 6 feet above the hole. Trust me, this is an exception. I had a legit chance to save par, but missed the putt and took bogey.
Hole #3 is a 182-yard par-3. With a front flag location, I chose to hit 6-iron. The ball hooked left of target, straight into a large bunker. Let's see if I could replicate my last bunker shot. Nope! I sculled the ball and it deflected off the lip, coming to rest well to the right, but still in the bunker. My next attempt got out, but only made it a few feet ahead into the rough. I chipped on and 2-putt for a triple-bogey. See what I mean?
On hole #5, I hit another picture perfect drive, 250 yards to the centre of the fairway. I pushed my sand wedge approach ever so slightly, finishing in a bunker on the front, right. Geez! I actually caught this one decently, but the ball carried past the flag, released forward and rolled off the green. I made a good pitch back toward the flag, but the green was falling away severely and my ball rolled to the fringe. I made bogey, only because I drained the uphill putt from about 10 feet away.
Hole #7 is the first par-5 on the course, measuring 504 yards from the tees we were playing. My drive once again found the centre of the fairway. I tell you, I was striking the ball well, especially off the tee. My second shot squirted a little right, as the ball was in an old divot. It ended up a yard into the fescue, which was laying down, so I was able to see most of the ball. Given the lie, I did well to hit a sand wedge flag high. Unfortunately, it was flag high in a left side bunker. My sand shot overshot the green, finishing on a slope overlooking the green. I barely pitched the ball on the green, but it released well past the hole before stopping. A 2-putt resulted in a double-bogey.
I was shooting 47 at the turn. This would have been 44, even with extremely average bunker play.
On hole #10, I hit another great drive, but was a little unlucky to finish in some thick rough, two feet off the fairway. From 150 yards, I took aim at the back pin position with a 7-iron. Due to the rough, the ball came out a little weak and dove into a front left bunker. I had lots of green to work with, but I overshot the green by 10 yards or more. Now I was completely short sided. I tried to bounce one through the rough and land softly on the green, but the ball got caught up and failed to reach the putting surface. A good chip gave me a chance to save double-bogey, but I missed a short putt and had to take a triple.
Fast forward to hole #18, a 488-yard par-5. I drove the ball to the right side of the fairway. There is a slight bend to the right, with trees on the inner corner. I tried to punch a low 4-iron down the fairway, but clipped a tree trunk, deflecting the ball to the left side of the fairway. I was 190 yards to the green, so I still had a chance to reach it in regulation. Danger loomed on the left side, so I didn't want to hook the ball. I favoured the right side and hit a great 4-iron directly to that spot. Only problem was that the ball finished in a right side bunker. I was determined not to overshoot the green with my bunker shot, and I didn't. Instead, I hit the ball fat and it didn't emerge from the bunker. My second attempt made the green, but just barely. I then 2-put for a double-bogey.
I shot 49 on the back nine. This would have been 46 with average bunker play. I finished with a final score of 96. If I could hit any part of a green from the bunkers, this would have been a score of 90. Six strokes is a big difference when they're all lost for exactly the same reason. I don't know what to do.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 8
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
September 09, 2017
Beatdown at Turnberry
I don't have much to say about this round, except that it was horrible. I wasn't striking the ball particularly badly, but I couldn't catch a break, especially in the early stages. Turnberry is a par-3 course, with a pair of par-4 holes to start and end the round. It's very different from the courses I usually play, but a good way to test your iron play and short game. On this occasion, the course exposed my iron deficiency, to say the least.
Holes #2 and #3 were playing into the early morning sun. The former, at 160 yards, features a large green (it's a double green, shared with hole #8) wrapped in front and on the left by a dangerous creek. I hit a 7-iron to the right edge of the green, but lost the ball in the sun. If you miss the green, the right side is where you want to be, yet I was not even able to find my ball. It was a very penal situation, for a shot that actually wasn't bad. I took a penalty and finished with a double-bogey.
Hole #3 measures 201 yards, so I attacked with an easy 5-wood. The green angles to the back from left to right, with a bunker located in front. The ball flew to the right portion of the green, but I lost it in the sun again. Up near the green, the ball was nowhere to be found. It was not in the bunker or the long grass above the lip. It was not in the rough to the right or behind the green. I found my ball mark in the fringe beside the putting surface, but it was no help. Once again, I was penalized for a good shot and took a double-bogey.
On hole #5, I blew up for a triple-bogey, but this was fully deserved. I plunked my 7-iron off the tee into a water hazard. Hitting my third from the forward tees, I managed to somehow find the water again, this time with a lob wedge. Seriously? After this, it was robbery once again on hole #6. My 9-iron off the tee went ever so slightly right of target, where there is a collection area beside the green. My two fellow competitors hit their balls to the same place. Both of them found their balls. Me? Yeah right! Mine was lost, perhaps a foot into the longer grass. I don't really know. It was not a bad shot, but it was another penalty and another triple-bogey, as I duffed a chip and missed a makeable putt.
On hole #7, which was playing about 115 yards, I finally hit a green in regulation. I even followed up with a decent lag putt from distance. Only problem, was, I needed three more putts to finish! The par putt lipped out cruelly and the bogey putt burned the left edge of the hole. Gotta love those 4-putt double-bogeys! Hole #9 was the first time I actually found a ball that went into the long grass. It was the only time I had a clear view of the exact spot where it went in. The ball was just a foot into the long stuff and I hacked it out well to find the green. Unfortunately, this was followed by a 3-putt for double-bogey. I was shooting 47 (or 19 over) at the turn.
I resolved to treat the back nine as a separate round and immediately shanked an 8-iron off the tee on hole #10. Sigh. Hitting my third from the tee, I nailed the green and 2-putt for a familiar double-bogey. With the exception of holes #14 and #18, the rest of the back nine was fine. I made five bogeys and my lone par of the day on hole #15. I stuck a 9-iron to about 7 feet. Even then, I got robbed, when my birdie putt lipped out on the high side.
On hole #16, a 156-yard hole over water, my misfortune continued. Myself and one of my fellow competitors hit our balls to virtually the same spot. His ball mark was on the green, three feet ahead of mine, and just a few yards right of the flag. His ball spun back and stopped against some long grass on the edge of the pond. My ball spun back and avoided the long grass to drop back into the water hazard, half submerged. Typical! My fellow competitor chipped on and made a putt for par. I did the same, but since I had taken a penalty stroke and drop, it was for bogey. Unreal.
Even the last hole of the day, a 393-yard par-4 was cruel to me. My drive was struck well, just a hair to the right. It cleared a fairway bunker and I thought I would be fine. On the opposite side of the bunker, the ball was nowhere to be found. It would have been hugging the edge of the long fescue and it must have gone in, despite the fact that everything slopes away from the danger there. I had enough and tossed a club in disgust. The triple-bogey finish put an exclamation mark on a round that was particularly cruel.
Score: 88 (par 56)
Putts: 39
Fairways: 1 (of 2)
Greens: 3
Penalties: 9
Holes #2 and #3 were playing into the early morning sun. The former, at 160 yards, features a large green (it's a double green, shared with hole #8) wrapped in front and on the left by a dangerous creek. I hit a 7-iron to the right edge of the green, but lost the ball in the sun. If you miss the green, the right side is where you want to be, yet I was not even able to find my ball. It was a very penal situation, for a shot that actually wasn't bad. I took a penalty and finished with a double-bogey.
Hole #3 measures 201 yards, so I attacked with an easy 5-wood. The green angles to the back from left to right, with a bunker located in front. The ball flew to the right portion of the green, but I lost it in the sun again. Up near the green, the ball was nowhere to be found. It was not in the bunker or the long grass above the lip. It was not in the rough to the right or behind the green. I found my ball mark in the fringe beside the putting surface, but it was no help. Once again, I was penalized for a good shot and took a double-bogey.
On hole #5, I blew up for a triple-bogey, but this was fully deserved. I plunked my 7-iron off the tee into a water hazard. Hitting my third from the forward tees, I managed to somehow find the water again, this time with a lob wedge. Seriously? After this, it was robbery once again on hole #6. My 9-iron off the tee went ever so slightly right of target, where there is a collection area beside the green. My two fellow competitors hit their balls to the same place. Both of them found their balls. Me? Yeah right! Mine was lost, perhaps a foot into the longer grass. I don't really know. It was not a bad shot, but it was another penalty and another triple-bogey, as I duffed a chip and missed a makeable putt.
On hole #7, which was playing about 115 yards, I finally hit a green in regulation. I even followed up with a decent lag putt from distance. Only problem, was, I needed three more putts to finish! The par putt lipped out cruelly and the bogey putt burned the left edge of the hole. Gotta love those 4-putt double-bogeys! Hole #9 was the first time I actually found a ball that went into the long grass. It was the only time I had a clear view of the exact spot where it went in. The ball was just a foot into the long stuff and I hacked it out well to find the green. Unfortunately, this was followed by a 3-putt for double-bogey. I was shooting 47 (or 19 over) at the turn.
I resolved to treat the back nine as a separate round and immediately shanked an 8-iron off the tee on hole #10. Sigh. Hitting my third from the tee, I nailed the green and 2-putt for a familiar double-bogey. With the exception of holes #14 and #18, the rest of the back nine was fine. I made five bogeys and my lone par of the day on hole #15. I stuck a 9-iron to about 7 feet. Even then, I got robbed, when my birdie putt lipped out on the high side.
On hole #16, a 156-yard hole over water, my misfortune continued. Myself and one of my fellow competitors hit our balls to virtually the same spot. His ball mark was on the green, three feet ahead of mine, and just a few yards right of the flag. His ball spun back and stopped against some long grass on the edge of the pond. My ball spun back and avoided the long grass to drop back into the water hazard, half submerged. Typical! My fellow competitor chipped on and made a putt for par. I did the same, but since I had taken a penalty stroke and drop, it was for bogey. Unreal.
Even the last hole of the day, a 393-yard par-4 was cruel to me. My drive was struck well, just a hair to the right. It cleared a fairway bunker and I thought I would be fine. On the opposite side of the bunker, the ball was nowhere to be found. It would have been hugging the edge of the long fescue and it must have gone in, despite the fact that everything slopes away from the danger there. I had enough and tossed a club in disgust. The triple-bogey finish put an exclamation mark on a round that was particularly cruel.
Score: 88 (par 56)
Putts: 39
Fairways: 1 (of 2)
Greens: 3
Penalties: 9
September 05, 2017
Catching Up on My Latest Rounds
I've been playing fairly regularly, but have fallen behind when it comes to my blog updates. Here's a quick summary of my latest rounds, beginning with the most recent.
Whirlpool
An amazing start had me even par through the first four holes. Driver, wedge on the opening par-4 got me flag high, just off the green. A chip and a putt earned par. Driver, wedge combined to reach the green on hole #2, and I drained a 10-foot putt for birdie! I hit a terrible 4-iron off the tee on hole #3, but my miss was to the correct side. I pitched onto this par-3 green and 2-putt for bogey. Hole #4 is a par-5. My third shot found a green side bunker. There was no lip on this bunker, so I putted my way onto the green and then drained an 8-footer for par!
Disaster struck on hole #5, beginning with a wicked pulled drive off the tee. Nearer the green I played my patented clean pick out of a bunker. Unfortunately, I could not putt that one. LOL. I finished the hole with a triple-bogey. Over the next four holes, I settled into more typical play, making three bogeys and a double. There was nothing great, but also nothing disastrous. My score at the turn was a respectable 44. I certainly had a chance to break 90.
Unfortunately, the disaster holes were too frequent over the back nine to be able to break 90. The problem holes were #10, #13 and #16. On the first of these, I duffed my drive just a few yards ahead of the teeing ground. This is a very long par-4, so the start could not have been worse. On hole #13, I sculled a few pitch attempts near the green, while on #16, it was another duffed drive that put me in a bad place right off the bat. In fact, I hit a few smothered drives that were really disappointing. I have no clue what led to that.
There were some good holes on the back nine, including pars on holes #15, #17 and #18. The first of these was the kind of hole where not one shot was executed the way I intended, but I still got the job done. Hole #17 was a 193-yard par-3 that began with a lovely 4-iron. I was unlucky to release off the back of the green, but chipped one really close for a tap-in par. Hole #18 is a par-5 that I played in textbook fashion. Three shots got me to the green and I 2-putt for the par.
Score: 95
Putts: 35
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
Bradford Highlands
Right off the bat, a few groups let me play through them as a single, and as a result, I was rushing. I went double bogey, bogey, triple, double bogey over the first four holes. The triple came after I put one tee shot out of bounds and another into a hazard on the opposite side of the fairway. I hooked a couple of iron shots, one of which found another hazard and resulted in another penalty stroke.
Once I was clear of the groups behind and settled in, I rattled off a fantastic stretch of golf. On hole #5, a par-5, I hit driver, 5-wood to about 30 yards short of the green. I pitched on and drained a long putt for birdie! I took a penalty stroke on hole #6 when my approach shot went long, but I recovered with a great up and down for bogey. Hole #7, a short par-4 was the best. I split the fairway with driver, leaving a 75-yard approach to the sloped green. I hit lob wedge to less than 2 feet and tapped in for another birdie. A twosome ahead of me saw my drive and approach. When I walked up to the green, they asked, “Are you a player?” LOL. “Not really,” I replied, “I just got lucky.”
One of those guys turned out to be the head pro at the club. I played hole #8 with him and his fellow competitor. This is a 160-yard par-3 from an elevated tee. The green slopes severely from back to front and the flag was right near the back. Both of the other guys hit the green, finishing below the hole, but well away from the cup. I hit a lovely cut shot that finished flag high on the green, but well to the left. I had the trickiest putt of the group, but I 2-putt from there for a well earned par. The twosome doubled back to play hole #8 again while I carried on to #9. A spectacular drive was so deep that it dove into a narrow ditch that crosses the fairway. It was a great chance to reach the green of this par-5 in two and maybe collect birdie, but after a penalty stroke, par was all I could muster. I was shooting 43 at the turn.
I was on pace to break 90 easily, but a pulled drive on hole #10 bounced along the firm ground all the way into a hazard. After a penalty stroke and drop, I clipped a tree just ahead and lost that ball. When all was said and done, I had a quadruple-bogey. I followed up with two pars in a row. It was almost three in a row, but I rushed some putts as another group was allowing me to play through. I made mostly bogeys over the rest of the round. One unfortunate exception was a triple-bogey on hole #17, a long par-4. A poor drive put me in a bad spot and a poor 5-wood made it even worse. A couple disaster holes cost me dearly and I finished just over the 90 mark. Pretty remarkable, considering I had 9 penalty strokes!
Score: 91
Putts: 29
Fairways: 4
Greens: 7
Penalties: 9
Kedron Dells
I started out with a couple of weak hits on the opening par-5, but drilled a massive 5-wood over a tall tree to reach the front of the green from 250 yards. Bogey was all I could manage, but I followed up with a chip-in birdie on hole #2. I was playing really well, including back-to-back pars on holes #5 and #6. The former is a 195-yard par-3, with trouble in front, so I did extremely well. Through six holes, I was just 3 over par. I cooled off to finish the front nine with a score of 44.
The two fellows I was playing with quit after nine holes, so I started the back nine alone. I hit a couple great shots on hole #10, but just missed an up and down for par. By hole #11, I caught up to the group ahead, but they didn't let me join or play through just yet. There was a long wait on tee #11 and I think I lost some of my concentration. Instead of focusing on my shots, I was wondering what the group ahead would do.
I took double bogey on that hole and even worse, a triple bogey on the next. The group ahead had me join up on hole #13 and the result was another double. One of the guys in the group was very loud – one of them good ol' boys out having a good ol' time on the golf course. I can play with almost anyone, but some personalities just don't mesh that well with mine. This was one of those cases and it affected my game. I collected a trio of bogeys over the final stretch, but also notched a double-bogey and a triple. It's too bad, because this round started out with much promise.
Score: 95
Putts: 32
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4
Grey Silo
This was Round 4 of the Deepwoods season. It was also my first return visit to a course this year. I started par, par, bogey and was well on my way to capturing the points needed to get back into contention for the Deepwoods championship. On hole #4, a par-5, I pulled two balls into the water off the tee. Hitting my fifth from the tee, I ended up with a quadruple-bogey 9. I recovered well over the remainder of the front nine, making the turn with a score of 46 and 18 valuable points.
A double-bogey, bogey start to the back nine was not ideal, but I was in a good frame of mind and carried on, knowing there was still lots of golf to play. I rattled off three bogeys and was on track for about 34 or 35 points, which is still very good. Unfortunately, I imploded over the last four holes. I managed par on hole #16, a 159-yard par-3, but also collected two triple-bogeys and a quad!
I started sweeping across the ball and making contact with the heel of the club, which put me in bad positions to start the holes. On hole #18, when I hit a perfectly placed drive, I proceeded to hit a pitching wedge into a lateral hazard. I finished with 29 points, which is a shame because I had a really good attitude throughout the whole round. Mathematically, I'm still alive in the Deepwoods championship, but in practical terms, I'll be a spectator for the last round of the year.
Score: 97
Putts: 36
Fairways: 8
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
Whirlpool
An amazing start had me even par through the first four holes. Driver, wedge on the opening par-4 got me flag high, just off the green. A chip and a putt earned par. Driver, wedge combined to reach the green on hole #2, and I drained a 10-foot putt for birdie! I hit a terrible 4-iron off the tee on hole #3, but my miss was to the correct side. I pitched onto this par-3 green and 2-putt for bogey. Hole #4 is a par-5. My third shot found a green side bunker. There was no lip on this bunker, so I putted my way onto the green and then drained an 8-footer for par!
Disaster struck on hole #5, beginning with a wicked pulled drive off the tee. Nearer the green I played my patented clean pick out of a bunker. Unfortunately, I could not putt that one. LOL. I finished the hole with a triple-bogey. Over the next four holes, I settled into more typical play, making three bogeys and a double. There was nothing great, but also nothing disastrous. My score at the turn was a respectable 44. I certainly had a chance to break 90.
Unfortunately, the disaster holes were too frequent over the back nine to be able to break 90. The problem holes were #10, #13 and #16. On the first of these, I duffed my drive just a few yards ahead of the teeing ground. This is a very long par-4, so the start could not have been worse. On hole #13, I sculled a few pitch attempts near the green, while on #16, it was another duffed drive that put me in a bad place right off the bat. In fact, I hit a few smothered drives that were really disappointing. I have no clue what led to that.
There were some good holes on the back nine, including pars on holes #15, #17 and #18. The first of these was the kind of hole where not one shot was executed the way I intended, but I still got the job done. Hole #17 was a 193-yard par-3 that began with a lovely 4-iron. I was unlucky to release off the back of the green, but chipped one really close for a tap-in par. Hole #18 is a par-5 that I played in textbook fashion. Three shots got me to the green and I 2-putt for the par.
Score: 95
Putts: 35
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
Bradford Highlands
Right off the bat, a few groups let me play through them as a single, and as a result, I was rushing. I went double bogey, bogey, triple, double bogey over the first four holes. The triple came after I put one tee shot out of bounds and another into a hazard on the opposite side of the fairway. I hooked a couple of iron shots, one of which found another hazard and resulted in another penalty stroke.
Once I was clear of the groups behind and settled in, I rattled off a fantastic stretch of golf. On hole #5, a par-5, I hit driver, 5-wood to about 30 yards short of the green. I pitched on and drained a long putt for birdie! I took a penalty stroke on hole #6 when my approach shot went long, but I recovered with a great up and down for bogey. Hole #7, a short par-4 was the best. I split the fairway with driver, leaving a 75-yard approach to the sloped green. I hit lob wedge to less than 2 feet and tapped in for another birdie. A twosome ahead of me saw my drive and approach. When I walked up to the green, they asked, “Are you a player?” LOL. “Not really,” I replied, “I just got lucky.”
One of those guys turned out to be the head pro at the club. I played hole #8 with him and his fellow competitor. This is a 160-yard par-3 from an elevated tee. The green slopes severely from back to front and the flag was right near the back. Both of the other guys hit the green, finishing below the hole, but well away from the cup. I hit a lovely cut shot that finished flag high on the green, but well to the left. I had the trickiest putt of the group, but I 2-putt from there for a well earned par. The twosome doubled back to play hole #8 again while I carried on to #9. A spectacular drive was so deep that it dove into a narrow ditch that crosses the fairway. It was a great chance to reach the green of this par-5 in two and maybe collect birdie, but after a penalty stroke, par was all I could muster. I was shooting 43 at the turn.
I was on pace to break 90 easily, but a pulled drive on hole #10 bounced along the firm ground all the way into a hazard. After a penalty stroke and drop, I clipped a tree just ahead and lost that ball. When all was said and done, I had a quadruple-bogey. I followed up with two pars in a row. It was almost three in a row, but I rushed some putts as another group was allowing me to play through. I made mostly bogeys over the rest of the round. One unfortunate exception was a triple-bogey on hole #17, a long par-4. A poor drive put me in a bad spot and a poor 5-wood made it even worse. A couple disaster holes cost me dearly and I finished just over the 90 mark. Pretty remarkable, considering I had 9 penalty strokes!
Score: 91
Putts: 29
Fairways: 4
Greens: 7
Penalties: 9
Kedron Dells
I started out with a couple of weak hits on the opening par-5, but drilled a massive 5-wood over a tall tree to reach the front of the green from 250 yards. Bogey was all I could manage, but I followed up with a chip-in birdie on hole #2. I was playing really well, including back-to-back pars on holes #5 and #6. The former is a 195-yard par-3, with trouble in front, so I did extremely well. Through six holes, I was just 3 over par. I cooled off to finish the front nine with a score of 44.
The two fellows I was playing with quit after nine holes, so I started the back nine alone. I hit a couple great shots on hole #10, but just missed an up and down for par. By hole #11, I caught up to the group ahead, but they didn't let me join or play through just yet. There was a long wait on tee #11 and I think I lost some of my concentration. Instead of focusing on my shots, I was wondering what the group ahead would do.
I took double bogey on that hole and even worse, a triple bogey on the next. The group ahead had me join up on hole #13 and the result was another double. One of the guys in the group was very loud – one of them good ol' boys out having a good ol' time on the golf course. I can play with almost anyone, but some personalities just don't mesh that well with mine. This was one of those cases and it affected my game. I collected a trio of bogeys over the final stretch, but also notched a double-bogey and a triple. It's too bad, because this round started out with much promise.
Score: 95
Putts: 32
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4
Grey Silo
This was Round 4 of the Deepwoods season. It was also my first return visit to a course this year. I started par, par, bogey and was well on my way to capturing the points needed to get back into contention for the Deepwoods championship. On hole #4, a par-5, I pulled two balls into the water off the tee. Hitting my fifth from the tee, I ended up with a quadruple-bogey 9. I recovered well over the remainder of the front nine, making the turn with a score of 46 and 18 valuable points.
A double-bogey, bogey start to the back nine was not ideal, but I was in a good frame of mind and carried on, knowing there was still lots of golf to play. I rattled off three bogeys and was on track for about 34 or 35 points, which is still very good. Unfortunately, I imploded over the last four holes. I managed par on hole #16, a 159-yard par-3, but also collected two triple-bogeys and a quad!
I started sweeping across the ball and making contact with the heel of the club, which put me in bad positions to start the holes. On hole #18, when I hit a perfectly placed drive, I proceeded to hit a pitching wedge into a lateral hazard. I finished with 29 points, which is a shame because I had a really good attitude throughout the whole round. Mathematically, I'm still alive in the Deepwoods championship, but in practical terms, I'll be a spectator for the last round of the year.
Score: 97
Putts: 36
Fairways: 8
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
September 02, 2017
Second Best Score Ever
I like to try new golf courses every now and then, even if it means travelling further afield than normal. Sometimes I'll take a chance on a lesser known course, in hopes of finding a diamond in the rough. I was reasonably satisfied after trying Calerin and Scenic Woods in recent years, so I decided to try another GolfNorth property – Fergus Golf Club.
The course features 27 holes of golf and each set of nine measures comfortably over 3,000 yards – at least, that's what the scorecard on the club's website says. When I arrived at the course, I was directed to play the West and East nines. According to the scorecard I picked up in the pro shop, the combined yardage was just 5,958 yards. Having now played the course, I suspect the shorter yardage is more accurate.
More significant than the overall yardage was the course rating and slope, which had not been indicated on the website at all. At just 67.7 and 113 respectively, this is about as forgiving as courses come. Had I known this beforehand, I may not have made the trip. As it was, I decided to make the best of it and see what would unfold.
The modest rating and slope are well deserved. First of all, the course is flat. There simply are no elevation changes to speak of. Looking at the surrounding farms, it's very easy to imagine what the course looked like in a former life. Some mounds were added to help define fairways, but not much earth was moved, let me tell you.
Secondly, the course is wide open. There are very few trees anywhere and those that exist are hardly mature. Now, a course doesn't need trees in order to be challenging, but it does have to present some form of obstacles. That might be naturalized areas with long fescue or other vegetation. There's practically none of that at Fergus. It might also be water hazards or other hazards, such as bunkers. Fergus has a few of these, but when I say few, I mean it.
On a number of the holes, you do have to worry about out of bounds running alongside the fairway, but the opposite side of the fairway is so wide open, that you would really have to be a game management idiot to bring OB into play. You could miss a fairway by 20 or 30 yards to the opposite side and still get to the green in regulation. Speaking of greens, they are mostly flat and slow. Bottom line: this is an easy golf course.
As per my game, I shot a final score of 80 (+8). Only my 78 last year at BraeBen has ever been better. It's hard to get excited about this score, however, because the course is such a pushover. Still, I suppose you have to make some good shots to score that well.
I made a great tee shot on West #3, a 177-yard par-3 with a small green and OB on the left. I missed the green to the right by two yards, but got up and down for par. I also got up and down for par on West #5. When you get up and down from beside the green, you save lots of strokes, no matter the course. I hit four greens in regulation on the West nine, including #8 and #9. On both occasions, I missed the fairway, but recovered with a good wedge shot and proceeded to record par.
On the East nine, I hit another four greens in regulation. Two of those holes resulted in par, but two of them produced birdies. On East #4, a 190-yard par-3, I hit a magnificent 4-iron to within 15 feet. On East #6, a 463-yard par-5, I hit driver, 5-iron to reach the green in two. Two putts followed for the bird. On East #8, a 475-yard par-5 with an extreme dogleg to the right, I hit driver, 5-wood, finishing flag high, just off the green. A chip and putt produced the bird this time around.
I don't think I'll remember this as one of my best rounds ever, but I'll take it anyway!
Score: 80
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 8
Penalties: 0
The course features 27 holes of golf and each set of nine measures comfortably over 3,000 yards – at least, that's what the scorecard on the club's website says. When I arrived at the course, I was directed to play the West and East nines. According to the scorecard I picked up in the pro shop, the combined yardage was just 5,958 yards. Having now played the course, I suspect the shorter yardage is more accurate.
More significant than the overall yardage was the course rating and slope, which had not been indicated on the website at all. At just 67.7 and 113 respectively, this is about as forgiving as courses come. Had I known this beforehand, I may not have made the trip. As it was, I decided to make the best of it and see what would unfold.
The modest rating and slope are well deserved. First of all, the course is flat. There simply are no elevation changes to speak of. Looking at the surrounding farms, it's very easy to imagine what the course looked like in a former life. Some mounds were added to help define fairways, but not much earth was moved, let me tell you.
Secondly, the course is wide open. There are very few trees anywhere and those that exist are hardly mature. Now, a course doesn't need trees in order to be challenging, but it does have to present some form of obstacles. That might be naturalized areas with long fescue or other vegetation. There's practically none of that at Fergus. It might also be water hazards or other hazards, such as bunkers. Fergus has a few of these, but when I say few, I mean it.
On a number of the holes, you do have to worry about out of bounds running alongside the fairway, but the opposite side of the fairway is so wide open, that you would really have to be a game management idiot to bring OB into play. You could miss a fairway by 20 or 30 yards to the opposite side and still get to the green in regulation. Speaking of greens, they are mostly flat and slow. Bottom line: this is an easy golf course.
As per my game, I shot a final score of 80 (+8). Only my 78 last year at BraeBen has ever been better. It's hard to get excited about this score, however, because the course is such a pushover. Still, I suppose you have to make some good shots to score that well.
I made a great tee shot on West #3, a 177-yard par-3 with a small green and OB on the left. I missed the green to the right by two yards, but got up and down for par. I also got up and down for par on West #5. When you get up and down from beside the green, you save lots of strokes, no matter the course. I hit four greens in regulation on the West nine, including #8 and #9. On both occasions, I missed the fairway, but recovered with a good wedge shot and proceeded to record par.
On the East nine, I hit another four greens in regulation. Two of those holes resulted in par, but two of them produced birdies. On East #4, a 190-yard par-3, I hit a magnificent 4-iron to within 15 feet. On East #6, a 463-yard par-5, I hit driver, 5-iron to reach the green in two. Two putts followed for the bird. On East #8, a 475-yard par-5 with an extreme dogleg to the right, I hit driver, 5-wood, finishing flag high, just off the green. A chip and putt produced the bird this time around.
I don't think I'll remember this as one of my best rounds ever, but I'll take it anyway!
Score: 80
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 8
Penalties: 0
August 25, 2017
The Real Deal at Westview
Ever wonder what you might score on a golf course if you had the chance to play it a second time, immediately after the first? I got that chance recently at Westview Golf Club and the result was encouraging. My first time through the Middle and Lakeland nines produced a score of 107. My second time through the very same holes resulted in a score of 92. I would say a fifteen stroke improvement is pretty good, no? Okay, the first score may have been an aberration, but still. Westview is a good challenge and 92 is not too shabby.
I hit three consecutive fairways to start things off, but only hit the green in regulation on Middle #2. Two putts finished that hole for par. On Middle #1, I got up and down from just off the green for par. That was well earned. On Middle #3, I failed to get up and down from green side, settling for a 2-putt bogey. Middle #4 is a long par-5 that also finished with a 2-putt bogey. I needed an extra shot to reach the green, thanks to a mediocre drive. A large tree protects the left side and for right handed players who do not draw the ball, it always comes into play.
Going 2-over through four holes is pretty sweet, but the rest of the Middle nine wasn't as generous. On holes #5 and #6, I sculled pitch attempts from one side of the green to the other. In both cases, it added an unnecessary stroke and I finished with double-bogey. I got back on track with a par on hole #7. I also made par on this par-3 earlier in the day. A 3-putt resulted in another double-bogey on hole #8, but I finished well with a bogey on hole #9. My score at the turn was 45, or 9-over.
On to the Lakeland nine and it began with a par! As I did on Middle #1, I got up and down from just off the green. To make par on those two holes is very good. Lakeland #2 and #5 were my blowup holes for the round. I registered triple-bogey on both. A wayward drive led to a penalty stroke on both holes. They were my only penalty strokes of the round. Fortunately, I sandwiched a couple of decent bogeys in between these two debacles.
The last portion of Lakeland was solid, with a pair of pars, a double-bogey and bogey. Holes #6 and #7 were played in textbook fashion – hit the fairway, hit the green, try a putt for birdie and then tap in for par. Boring golf is the best golf! Lakeland #8 burned me for the second time of the day. Both times, I hit the absolute perfect drive, only to mess up with a wedge attempt into the green. This time, I caught the ball a little thin and it rolled into a creek bed behind the green. On the last hole of the day, I almost chipped in for par, but the ball rattled off the flag stick, leading to bogey.
I shot 47 on the Lakeland nine and 92 overall. That felt pretty good – certainly better than 107 did a few hours earlier.
Score: 92
Putts: 36
Fairways: 7
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
I hit three consecutive fairways to start things off, but only hit the green in regulation on Middle #2. Two putts finished that hole for par. On Middle #1, I got up and down from just off the green for par. That was well earned. On Middle #3, I failed to get up and down from green side, settling for a 2-putt bogey. Middle #4 is a long par-5 that also finished with a 2-putt bogey. I needed an extra shot to reach the green, thanks to a mediocre drive. A large tree protects the left side and for right handed players who do not draw the ball, it always comes into play.
Going 2-over through four holes is pretty sweet, but the rest of the Middle nine wasn't as generous. On holes #5 and #6, I sculled pitch attempts from one side of the green to the other. In both cases, it added an unnecessary stroke and I finished with double-bogey. I got back on track with a par on hole #7. I also made par on this par-3 earlier in the day. A 3-putt resulted in another double-bogey on hole #8, but I finished well with a bogey on hole #9. My score at the turn was 45, or 9-over.
On to the Lakeland nine and it began with a par! As I did on Middle #1, I got up and down from just off the green. To make par on those two holes is very good. Lakeland #2 and #5 were my blowup holes for the round. I registered triple-bogey on both. A wayward drive led to a penalty stroke on both holes. They were my only penalty strokes of the round. Fortunately, I sandwiched a couple of decent bogeys in between these two debacles.
The last portion of Lakeland was solid, with a pair of pars, a double-bogey and bogey. Holes #6 and #7 were played in textbook fashion – hit the fairway, hit the green, try a putt for birdie and then tap in for par. Boring golf is the best golf! Lakeland #8 burned me for the second time of the day. Both times, I hit the absolute perfect drive, only to mess up with a wedge attempt into the green. This time, I caught the ball a little thin and it rolled into a creek bed behind the green. On the last hole of the day, I almost chipped in for par, but the ball rattled off the flag stick, leading to bogey.
I shot 47 on the Lakeland nine and 92 overall. That felt pretty good – certainly better than 107 did a few hours earlier.
Score: 92
Putts: 36
Fairways: 7
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
August 21, 2017
Westview Warmup
I headed out to Westview early in the morning, hoping to complete two rounds of play. I teed off by myself at 7:15 am, making my way through the Middle and Lakeland nines. Middle #1 is a 402-yard par-4 that plays straight uphill. That makes the hole hard enough, but it also faces east, so the early morning sun shines right in your eyes. I hit my tee shot and didn't see the ball at all. I had a feeling that I sliced it right, so I headed out in that direction. Sure enough, I found my ball in the middle of an adjacent fairway. I tried to pitch back to the proper fairway, but duffed a shot, then sculled one to the other side. I was still blocked by trees, but finally pitched safely back to the fairway. My approach was short and my chip was long, followed by a 3-putt for a score of 9. Great!
I was immediately in a bad frame of mind and it would take me a while to get over it. I spent the next three holes cursing the low hanging sun, as I repeatedly failed to see where my ball even went. Remarkably, I managed to find it every time, but certainly not in the fairways. The grounds crew was also out in full force, cutting grass and getting bunkers ready for the day. Every time I stood over a shot, it seemed a tractor would pay me a friendly visit. To say that I struggled to keep my focus is an understatement. When you're thinking about the sun and lawn mowers, you're not going to make good golf shots. I rattled off three double-bogeys in a row.
The remainder of the Middle nine was more normal. I made par on #5, a 201-yard par-3, and that seemed to get me back on track. My 3-iron off the tee was low and straight, settling in the correct portion of the green, very near the hole. Though I didn't make the birdie putt, I still felt good. I made bogey on hole #6, before making par on #7, another par-3. That one was playing 170 yards and a lovely 6-iron from the tee was just right. Another bogey followed on hole #8, setting up the final hole of the front nine. I hit a 235-yard laser of a 3-iron off the tee, splitting the fairway of this par-4. Yes, the teeing ground is elevated, which accounted for the healthy distance. Unfortunately, I ruined the hole with my wedge play and short game, finishing with a double-bogey.
The Lakeland nine started like the Middle nine – with a blowup hole! This time it was a score of 8 on the uphill par-4. Playing as a single, I breezed through the front nine, so the sun was still an issue. Once again, I had trouble pitching back to the fairway. However, most of the added strokes came after I sculled one out of a greenside bunker and through a hedge that sits behind the green. From that position, I had to play around the hedge to get back to the green. There was simply no chance to go over, under, or through it.
Nothing really good happened on the remainder of Lakeland. My best two holes were #6 and #7 – and those only produced bogey. When your best holes consist of a couple of bogeys, you know things aren't going well. Errors came in all facets of the game. Sometimes it was a bad drive, while other times it was an inability to hit the green or chip it anywhere close. I made a mess on the final hole, an easy par-3, finishing with a triple bogey and an overall score of 107. Okay, next!
Score: 107
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
I was immediately in a bad frame of mind and it would take me a while to get over it. I spent the next three holes cursing the low hanging sun, as I repeatedly failed to see where my ball even went. Remarkably, I managed to find it every time, but certainly not in the fairways. The grounds crew was also out in full force, cutting grass and getting bunkers ready for the day. Every time I stood over a shot, it seemed a tractor would pay me a friendly visit. To say that I struggled to keep my focus is an understatement. When you're thinking about the sun and lawn mowers, you're not going to make good golf shots. I rattled off three double-bogeys in a row.
The remainder of the Middle nine was more normal. I made par on #5, a 201-yard par-3, and that seemed to get me back on track. My 3-iron off the tee was low and straight, settling in the correct portion of the green, very near the hole. Though I didn't make the birdie putt, I still felt good. I made bogey on hole #6, before making par on #7, another par-3. That one was playing 170 yards and a lovely 6-iron from the tee was just right. Another bogey followed on hole #8, setting up the final hole of the front nine. I hit a 235-yard laser of a 3-iron off the tee, splitting the fairway of this par-4. Yes, the teeing ground is elevated, which accounted for the healthy distance. Unfortunately, I ruined the hole with my wedge play and short game, finishing with a double-bogey.
The Lakeland nine started like the Middle nine – with a blowup hole! This time it was a score of 8 on the uphill par-4. Playing as a single, I breezed through the front nine, so the sun was still an issue. Once again, I had trouble pitching back to the fairway. However, most of the added strokes came after I sculled one out of a greenside bunker and through a hedge that sits behind the green. From that position, I had to play around the hedge to get back to the green. There was simply no chance to go over, under, or through it.
Nothing really good happened on the remainder of Lakeland. My best two holes were #6 and #7 – and those only produced bogey. When your best holes consist of a couple of bogeys, you know things aren't going well. Errors came in all facets of the game. Sometimes it was a bad drive, while other times it was an inability to hit the green or chip it anywhere close. I made a mess on the final hole, an easy par-3, finishing with a triple bogey and an overall score of 107. Okay, next!
Score: 107
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
August 06, 2017
Nobody Gives a Hoot
Having completed the other two courses at Osprey Valley, we headed to the Hoot to complete the tripartite. My last visit to Hoot was in 2009 on the GTA Amateur Tour; it was a 2-day major where I shot rounds of 90 and 89. It's hard to believe that was eight years ago, but the numbers don't lie.
I hit driver, 3-iron, lob wedge into the opening par-5 and then drained an 8-footer for birdie. Boom! Then I hit the second green in regulation, but 3-putt for bogey. What's the opposite of boom? A group of young lads let us through on the third tee and I proceeded to duff my drive just 60 yards ahead. That was embarrassing, but I followed up with a nice deep 5-wood. I had more trouble near the green and finished with a double-bogey.
I made the turn with a 10-over score of 46. That's not bad, but it certainly wasn't very good, either. I was hitting some good shots, but I was also sprinkling in some not so good ones. A giant pull hook off the tee on hole #4 comes to mind. Shots like that are just inexplicable; they seem to come out of nowhere. On hole #8, which is another par-3, albeit shorter, my tee shot was excellent, setting up a routine par. Sometimes the game just doesn't make much sense.
On the back nine, I started thinking about whether or not we would finish the round before sunset. I was pretty confident we would, so it didn't really affect my play. Holes #10 through #15 produced pretty good results, with the exception of #13. I recorded four bogeys over the stretch, plus a par on hole #11, a fun par-5. Unlucky #13 started out with a great drive, but the hole was ruined when my second shot layup was pulled into some woods. I also struggled near the green and finished with a triple-bogey.
Dusk started to affect my play beginning with hole #16. From the fairway, I spotted a group of players making their way to hole #17. In front of us had been clear, but this group jumped in, no doubt to start making their way to the clubhouse. It really wasn't an issue, but I wasn't focused on the right thing. I pulled my approach into a water hazard and finished with a double-bogey.
I was in rushing mode over the last two holes, which is never a good thing. Not surprisingly, I collected a pair of triple-bogeys. An approach shot over a water hazard was pulled on hole #17, resulting in a penalty stroke. On hole #18, the sun was right in our face as we teed off. Without another person watching your ball, there would be no way to track it. I took an aggressive line over a pond and just failed to carry the water. Hitting three from the tee, I completed the hole just fine, but the damage to the score was already done.
In the end, my score was nothing to write home about. However, the round on Hoot wrapped up an epic golf outing that I will remember for some time.
Score: 97
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 8
I hit driver, 3-iron, lob wedge into the opening par-5 and then drained an 8-footer for birdie. Boom! Then I hit the second green in regulation, but 3-putt for bogey. What's the opposite of boom? A group of young lads let us through on the third tee and I proceeded to duff my drive just 60 yards ahead. That was embarrassing, but I followed up with a nice deep 5-wood. I had more trouble near the green and finished with a double-bogey.
I made the turn with a 10-over score of 46. That's not bad, but it certainly wasn't very good, either. I was hitting some good shots, but I was also sprinkling in some not so good ones. A giant pull hook off the tee on hole #4 comes to mind. Shots like that are just inexplicable; they seem to come out of nowhere. On hole #8, which is another par-3, albeit shorter, my tee shot was excellent, setting up a routine par. Sometimes the game just doesn't make much sense.
On the back nine, I started thinking about whether or not we would finish the round before sunset. I was pretty confident we would, so it didn't really affect my play. Holes #10 through #15 produced pretty good results, with the exception of #13. I recorded four bogeys over the stretch, plus a par on hole #11, a fun par-5. Unlucky #13 started out with a great drive, but the hole was ruined when my second shot layup was pulled into some woods. I also struggled near the green and finished with a triple-bogey.
Dusk started to affect my play beginning with hole #16. From the fairway, I spotted a group of players making their way to hole #17. In front of us had been clear, but this group jumped in, no doubt to start making their way to the clubhouse. It really wasn't an issue, but I wasn't focused on the right thing. I pulled my approach into a water hazard and finished with a double-bogey.
I was in rushing mode over the last two holes, which is never a good thing. Not surprisingly, I collected a pair of triple-bogeys. An approach shot over a water hazard was pulled on hole #17, resulting in a penalty stroke. On hole #18, the sun was right in our face as we teed off. Without another person watching your ball, there would be no way to track it. I took an aggressive line over a pond and just failed to carry the water. Hitting three from the tee, I completed the hole just fine, but the damage to the score was already done.
In the end, my score was nothing to write home about. However, the round on Hoot wrapped up an epic golf outing that I will remember for some time.
Score: 97
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 8
August 05, 2017
Tooting My Own Horn
Fresh off a round at Osprey Valley Heathlands, it was time to challenge the Toot course. This is the only course at Osprey Valley that I hadn't played before, so I was looking forward to it. My first impression of the course was that it was big – as in big fairways, big bunkers, big greens. It definitely encourages you to bomb away.
Driver, 5-wood, lob wedge got me to the green on the opening par-5, but I 3-putt for bogey. The greens were as slick as Heathlands, so 3-putts were possible if starting out far from the hole. My drive on hole #2 found a fairway bunker and my second shot was fat. My third into this par-4 was short, requiring a chip and two putts for double-bogey. It got worse on hole #3, another par-4. I pulled my second shot into a fescue covered hillside, with no chance to find the ball. Yes, there is some fescue on Toot as well. I finished the hole with a triple-bogey.
Holes #4 through #6 were the start of a turnaround, but I was still victimized by the greens. On #4, a par-3, my tee shot was just short of the green on a severe up-slope. I chipped on , but wasn't really near the cup. Three putts ensued for a double. On holes #5 and #6, I nailed the fairways with some good drives and made bogeys. On the latter, I hit the green in regulation, but once again ruined it with a 3-putt. Despite the putting woes, I was feeling good about the round.
On holes #7 through #9, the turnaround kicked into high gear. On #7, a par-3, my tee shot missed the green to the left. I was flag high, but impeded by a tree. Nevertheless, I chipped right beside the cup and followed up with a successful par putt. On hole #8, a 494-yard par-5, I hit driver, 3-wood to about 5 yards short of the green. My drive was only about 250 yards and my 3-wood went almost the same distance. It was only the feeling of “room” that enabled me to go for it with 3-wood. I have not tried that in a long time and it felt great. After the 3-wood bomb, I pitched on and made the birdie putt! On hole #9, I hit the fairway, but my approach was just right of the green. I played a deft little chip and drained the putt for par. Three holes, three putts. You gotta love that!
A 9-over score of 45 at the turn was pretty respectable and I thought perhaps I could actually score well here. Four pars in a row to start the back nine only boosted my confidence. Driver, pitching wedge worked like a charm on hole #10, followed by two putts. A pretty 8-iron off the tee set up a 2-putt par on hole #11. Driver, sand wedge set up the 2-putt routine on hole #12. On hole #13, I busted out the driver, 3-wood combo once again in an attempt to reach the par-5 in two. This one was playing 514 yards, so I didn't come as close as the last time. Nevertheless, I had a short pitch to hit the green in regulation and followed up with two solid putts.
The first hiccup on the back nine came on hole #14, a par-3. My tee shot was pulled into a massive greenside bunker – my current nemesis. Conscious of avoiding the clean pick, my first bunker shot was a tiny bit fat. My second bunker shot was also fat, only emerging to the rough. Fortunately, I got up and down from there to limit the damage to double-bogey.
After that it was solid play once again – not like the par streak I had earlier, but four consecutive bogeys. Hey, I don't mind the bogey train at all. I'll ride that train all day long and take my chances at sneaking in a par or two. My drive on hole #15 was too far right, leaving the green blocked out by some trees. I hit a wedge back to the fairway and attacked the hole from there. I had a chance at a par save, but just missed. On holes #16 and #17, my drives finished in great places – it was my approach shots that were less precise. Still, a chip and two putts to finish off a par-4 ain't bad. Hole #18 is a par-5 that I reached in regulation with three great shots. Alas, I was above the hole and a long way from it, so I succumbed to a 3-putt.
When I tallied it all up, I scored 42 on the back nine and 87 in total. That is my second best score of the year. I don't like to “toot” my own horn, but that's pretty decent.
Score: 87
Putts: 34
Fairways: 10
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
Driver, 5-wood, lob wedge got me to the green on the opening par-5, but I 3-putt for bogey. The greens were as slick as Heathlands, so 3-putts were possible if starting out far from the hole. My drive on hole #2 found a fairway bunker and my second shot was fat. My third into this par-4 was short, requiring a chip and two putts for double-bogey. It got worse on hole #3, another par-4. I pulled my second shot into a fescue covered hillside, with no chance to find the ball. Yes, there is some fescue on Toot as well. I finished the hole with a triple-bogey.
Holes #4 through #6 were the start of a turnaround, but I was still victimized by the greens. On #4, a par-3, my tee shot was just short of the green on a severe up-slope. I chipped on , but wasn't really near the cup. Three putts ensued for a double. On holes #5 and #6, I nailed the fairways with some good drives and made bogeys. On the latter, I hit the green in regulation, but once again ruined it with a 3-putt. Despite the putting woes, I was feeling good about the round.
On holes #7 through #9, the turnaround kicked into high gear. On #7, a par-3, my tee shot missed the green to the left. I was flag high, but impeded by a tree. Nevertheless, I chipped right beside the cup and followed up with a successful par putt. On hole #8, a 494-yard par-5, I hit driver, 3-wood to about 5 yards short of the green. My drive was only about 250 yards and my 3-wood went almost the same distance. It was only the feeling of “room” that enabled me to go for it with 3-wood. I have not tried that in a long time and it felt great. After the 3-wood bomb, I pitched on and made the birdie putt! On hole #9, I hit the fairway, but my approach was just right of the green. I played a deft little chip and drained the putt for par. Three holes, three putts. You gotta love that!
A 9-over score of 45 at the turn was pretty respectable and I thought perhaps I could actually score well here. Four pars in a row to start the back nine only boosted my confidence. Driver, pitching wedge worked like a charm on hole #10, followed by two putts. A pretty 8-iron off the tee set up a 2-putt par on hole #11. Driver, sand wedge set up the 2-putt routine on hole #12. On hole #13, I busted out the driver, 3-wood combo once again in an attempt to reach the par-5 in two. This one was playing 514 yards, so I didn't come as close as the last time. Nevertheless, I had a short pitch to hit the green in regulation and followed up with two solid putts.
The first hiccup on the back nine came on hole #14, a par-3. My tee shot was pulled into a massive greenside bunker – my current nemesis. Conscious of avoiding the clean pick, my first bunker shot was a tiny bit fat. My second bunker shot was also fat, only emerging to the rough. Fortunately, I got up and down from there to limit the damage to double-bogey.
After that it was solid play once again – not like the par streak I had earlier, but four consecutive bogeys. Hey, I don't mind the bogey train at all. I'll ride that train all day long and take my chances at sneaking in a par or two. My drive on hole #15 was too far right, leaving the green blocked out by some trees. I hit a wedge back to the fairway and attacked the hole from there. I had a chance at a par save, but just missed. On holes #16 and #17, my drives finished in great places – it was my approach shots that were less precise. Still, a chip and two putts to finish off a par-4 ain't bad. Hole #18 is a par-5 that I reached in regulation with three great shots. Alas, I was above the hole and a long way from it, so I succumbed to a 3-putt.
When I tallied it all up, I scored 42 on the back nine and 87 in total. That is my second best score of the year. I don't like to “toot” my own horn, but that's pretty decent.
Score: 87
Putts: 34
Fairways: 10
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
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