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
September 30, 2017
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
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