Wow, the last time I played Hornby Glen was ten years ago! I headed there recently and got off to a good start, shooting 43 on the front nine. I made par on holes 2, 6 and 8. The first two of these are par-5 holes, while the latter is a par-3. The best result on the front nine was birdie on hole 3, a par-4. I drove the ball to the left side of the fairway, then stuck a gap wedge flag high. I judged the downhill putt perfectly.
Although the front nine was good, it wasn't perfect. I made a trio of double-bogeys, for various reasons. On hole 1, I drove my tee shot into some thick fescue. On hole 4, I pulled my tee shot and it rolled into a drainage ditch left of the green. On hole 9, I flared a wedge right of the flag, missing the green. A poor chip and three putts made a mess of what should have been an easy par.
On the back nine, the pars disappeared, while the double-bogeys persisted. The first double was on hole 11, a par-3. I hit a gorgeous 7-iron off the tee, but it was so pure that it bounced off the very back of the green into a bunker. I tried to pick a couple of shots clean out of the sand with disastrous results. Such is my fear of hitting a proper bunker shot. I had three doubles in a row on holes 13 through 15. A pulled 5-wood on the first of these found the thick fescue. A poor wedge shot and a duffed drive attempt were the culprits on the next two holes.
Fortunately, the back nine also featured another birdie. It was on hole 17, a 383-yard par-4. I hit a laser drive just past a fairway bunker on the right, with my ball finishing in the middle of the fairway, 90 yards from the green centre. I caught my next shot with the lob wedge a tad thin, finishing near the back of the green. No problem, as I calmly drained a downhill breaking putt, much to the amazement of my fellow competitors. It was nice to get two birds for the day.
A bogey on the final hole and my score was 90. Should have been sub-90 for sure. Next time!
Score: 90
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Penalties: 4
June 23, 2018
June 22, 2018
Hot and Cold at Woodington Lake
I played the Legend course at Woodington Lake and the round was up and down, as exemplified by the first two holes. I pulled a 5-wood off the tee on hole 1, losing the ball in the long grass under some pine trees. A 7-iron approach into the green also found trees right, leading to a quadruple-bogey. On hole 2, a par-5, I found the fairway with my drive and the green with my second shot, thanks to the 5-wood. Two putts finished up the hole for a birdie!
On holes 5 and 9, I once again exploded for big numbers, earning a pair of triple-bogeys. Again, the problem was off the tee. On the first of these, I hit the very top of the driver face, sending the ball high and left. A couple of attempted recovery shots just didn't work. On the latter, I once again pulled the 5-wood off the tee. Funny enough, I lost the ball in the same grass and trees that got me on hole 1.
As I hinted at, not all was bad. I made solid bogeys on holes 3, 4 and 6, plus very nice pars on holes 7 and 8. This continued with a trio of bogeys to begin the back nine. Tee shots were working on these occasions, whether I used the driver, 5-wood, or an iron. I got up and down near the greens on a couple of occasions. Unfortunately, another quadruple-bogey came out of nowhere on hole 13. A tee shot that drifted right caught a severe slope that pushed the ball into an environmental area.
Had that been the last blowup, I may have salvaged a respectable score. Alas, I made another triple-bogey on hole 17, a par-5. After a perfect drive to the centre of the fairway, I tried to go for the green with the 5-wood. I topped the ball, sending it to the left and into the woods. As bad as that was, I was proud of the way I regrouped on hole 18. A seemingly perfect drive went through the dogleg of this par-4, nestling a foot behind the trunk of a pine tree. Forced to chip sideways, I followed up with a beautiful gap wedge into the green surrounded by water. I almost made the par putt, but needed a tap-in to register bogey.
Score: 97
Putts: 34
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 5
On holes 5 and 9, I once again exploded for big numbers, earning a pair of triple-bogeys. Again, the problem was off the tee. On the first of these, I hit the very top of the driver face, sending the ball high and left. A couple of attempted recovery shots just didn't work. On the latter, I once again pulled the 5-wood off the tee. Funny enough, I lost the ball in the same grass and trees that got me on hole 1.
As I hinted at, not all was bad. I made solid bogeys on holes 3, 4 and 6, plus very nice pars on holes 7 and 8. This continued with a trio of bogeys to begin the back nine. Tee shots were working on these occasions, whether I used the driver, 5-wood, or an iron. I got up and down near the greens on a couple of occasions. Unfortunately, another quadruple-bogey came out of nowhere on hole 13. A tee shot that drifted right caught a severe slope that pushed the ball into an environmental area.
Had that been the last blowup, I may have salvaged a respectable score. Alas, I made another triple-bogey on hole 17, a par-5. After a perfect drive to the centre of the fairway, I tried to go for the green with the 5-wood. I topped the ball, sending it to the left and into the woods. As bad as that was, I was proud of the way I regrouped on hole 18. A seemingly perfect drive went through the dogleg of this par-4, nestling a foot behind the trunk of a pine tree. Forced to chip sideways, I followed up with a beautiful gap wedge into the green surrounded by water. I almost made the par putt, but needed a tap-in to register bogey.
Score: 97
Putts: 34
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 5
June 12, 2018
Putter Goes Cold at Carlisle
I headed out to Carlisle to see if I could get my driver under control. On the East nine, I only hit one fairway in regulation, and that was with the 5-wood. Holes 1, 4 and 7 produced low pulls to the left, while holes 2, 5 and 6 produced high blocks to the right. I had more control than I did at Lowville, but nowhere near the accuracy I had to open the season at Granite Ridge. The pull on hole 4 was particularly bad, as my ball went out of bounds, leading to a double-bogey.
Fortunately, I hit some good iron shots. The best was a 7-iron from an opposite fairway on hole 5. I judged the distance well and nailed a high shot to the front of the green. A great lag putt and tap-in earned my first par of the day. An equally great 7-iron from a mound right of the fairway found the green on hole 6. Unfortunately, it came after a failed attempt from the same spot moments earlier. I pulled that ball into a tree just ahead and couldn't find it. The penalty stroke led to a double-bogey.
Two pars finished the East for a score of 44 and off I went to play the North nine. I continued to block my drives to the right. The only fairway I hit was on hole 8, a par-5 that finished with par. The 5-wood served me well on shorter holes, such as 3 and 5. Hole 3 resulted in par after a great approach with the sand wedge. My wedges were also great on anything less than 100 yards. It's nice to know you can pitch one close when necessary. I hit a beauty 4-iron into the green on hole 9 that rivalled the 7-iron from East 5.
Unfortunately, my putter was letting me down. I shot a decent score of 92, but 40 of those were putts! That's a bit misleading because I made many great lag putts from distance that were followed up with mere tap-ins. However, I didn't have a 1-putt on a single hole. There were really just three bad putting holes. I 3-putt hole 1 after my first attempt rolled 10 feet past. I 3-putt hole 7 after the opposite; my first attempt was woefully short. The worst was hole 6, which finished with 4 putts after reaching the green in regulation.
Score: 92
Putts: 40
Fairways: 2
Greens: 7
Penalties: 3
Fortunately, I hit some good iron shots. The best was a 7-iron from an opposite fairway on hole 5. I judged the distance well and nailed a high shot to the front of the green. A great lag putt and tap-in earned my first par of the day. An equally great 7-iron from a mound right of the fairway found the green on hole 6. Unfortunately, it came after a failed attempt from the same spot moments earlier. I pulled that ball into a tree just ahead and couldn't find it. The penalty stroke led to a double-bogey.
Two pars finished the East for a score of 44 and off I went to play the North nine. I continued to block my drives to the right. The only fairway I hit was on hole 8, a par-5 that finished with par. The 5-wood served me well on shorter holes, such as 3 and 5. Hole 3 resulted in par after a great approach with the sand wedge. My wedges were also great on anything less than 100 yards. It's nice to know you can pitch one close when necessary. I hit a beauty 4-iron into the green on hole 9 that rivalled the 7-iron from East 5.
Unfortunately, my putter was letting me down. I shot a decent score of 92, but 40 of those were putts! That's a bit misleading because I made many great lag putts from distance that were followed up with mere tap-ins. However, I didn't have a 1-putt on a single hole. There were really just three bad putting holes. I 3-putt hole 1 after my first attempt rolled 10 feet past. I 3-putt hole 7 after the opposite; my first attempt was woefully short. The worst was hole 6, which finished with 4 putts after reaching the green in regulation.
Score: 92
Putts: 40
Fairways: 2
Greens: 7
Penalties: 3
June 10, 2018
Fairways Shmairways at Lowville
The weather was cool and comfortable at Lowville Golf Club. I could not hit my driver to save my life. Some of my drives were low runners that worked out just fine, such as on holes #1 and #4, a pair of par-5 holes that resulted in bogey and par, respectively. Other drives were low pulls that barely went anywhere, such as on holes #2 and #9. The first of these left me on some massive mounds with terrible lies, en route to triple-bogey. The second required a follow-up with the 5-wood, just to save a double-bogey.
Aside from those two holes, the rest of my front nine was nice, with a pair of pars and five bogeys. I did it with serviceable iron shots, chips and putts. I got up and down for par on holes #4 and #5. I also got up and down on holes #7 and #8, but those were for bogeys. The new driver I acquired in the off season was causing me grief, while the new putter I acquired was bailing me out. I made the turn shooting a respectable 46.
The back nine was much the same as the front. A horrible drive attempt on hole #10 put me in trouble right off the bat. A weird shot from the rough, 150 yards from the green, went inexplicably sideways. Another bad drive on hole #11 came with the 5-wood. Each attempted recovery shot left me in a worse position. I finished both holes with triple-bogeys. I only figured out the driver on hole #18, and thankfully so. The drive is all carry over marsh land, with no tolerance for a miss hit.
Aside from the first two holes, the rest of the back nine was fine, producing a birdie, two pars and four bogeys. While the driver was failing, the 5-wood was a good recovery club. Iron shots were working well and the short game was excellent. Up and downs were the story again, resulting in bogey on hole #12 and par on #17. The birdie was on hole #14, after a drive to the left rough, followed by a 9-iron to within 6 feet. The downhill putt found the centre of the cup. My back nine score was 44.
Score: 90
Putts: 30
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 0
Aside from those two holes, the rest of my front nine was nice, with a pair of pars and five bogeys. I did it with serviceable iron shots, chips and putts. I got up and down for par on holes #4 and #5. I also got up and down on holes #7 and #8, but those were for bogeys. The new driver I acquired in the off season was causing me grief, while the new putter I acquired was bailing me out. I made the turn shooting a respectable 46.
The back nine was much the same as the front. A horrible drive attempt on hole #10 put me in trouble right off the bat. A weird shot from the rough, 150 yards from the green, went inexplicably sideways. Another bad drive on hole #11 came with the 5-wood. Each attempted recovery shot left me in a worse position. I finished both holes with triple-bogeys. I only figured out the driver on hole #18, and thankfully so. The drive is all carry over marsh land, with no tolerance for a miss hit.
Aside from the first two holes, the rest of the back nine was fine, producing a birdie, two pars and four bogeys. While the driver was failing, the 5-wood was a good recovery club. Iron shots were working well and the short game was excellent. Up and downs were the story again, resulting in bogey on hole #12 and par on #17. The birdie was on hole #14, after a drive to the left rough, followed by a 9-iron to within 6 feet. The downhill putt found the centre of the cup. My back nine score was 44.
Score: 90
Putts: 30
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 0
June 09, 2018
Tying My Copetown Woods Personal Best
I shot 84 in the Deepwoods Golf Association season opener at Copetown Woods, equalling my personal best at the course, which came in the same Deepwoods event in 2015. I shot 42 on the front nine, or 7 over par, thanks to 4 pars, 3 bogeys and 2 doubles. After a 280-yard drive on the opening par-5, I needed just 9-iron to reach the green in two. Sadly, I pulled the ball 10 yards left of the green. I needed a good pitch shot just to stay on the green and finished up with a solid 2-putt.
Not surprisingly, most of the other pars also came when I was able to hit greens in regulation. One of these was off the tee on a short par-3, while the other came from a downhill lie in the right rough of a par-4. The two doubles came about for different reasons. On the first, a 50-yard pitch shot from the fescue rolled off the back of the green and was followed by a duffed chip shot. On the other, I pulled my tee shot badly into a strand of pine trees. This inexplicably seems to be my pattern on hole #8 at Copetown Woods.
On the back nine, I also shot 42, but that's just 5 over par. The stretch included 5 pars, 3 bogeys and just 1 double. Hole #10 is a par-5 that began with a drive that split the fairway. Then I hit 5-wood over a massive waste bunker, settling in a greenside bunker. My eagle attempt from the bunker rolled one inch by the hole, setting up a 2-putt par. The other pars once again resulted from good approach shots. There was a 5-wood off the tee on a par-3, a pitching wedge and lob wedge from the right rough, and an 8-iron from the left rough that gave me my best look at birdie all day.
The only trouble on the back nine was on hole #14, which started with a weak drive pulled very near some trees along the OB line. With my backswing impeded, I only advanced the ball a few yards ahead into the fescue. It took two hacks to get back to the fairway. A good approach and two putts followed on the par-5 hole, but that was enough for the double-bogey. The last four holes were also tough due to the intense heat, but I survived.
Score: 84
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 7
Penalties: 0
Not surprisingly, most of the other pars also came when I was able to hit greens in regulation. One of these was off the tee on a short par-3, while the other came from a downhill lie in the right rough of a par-4. The two doubles came about for different reasons. On the first, a 50-yard pitch shot from the fescue rolled off the back of the green and was followed by a duffed chip shot. On the other, I pulled my tee shot badly into a strand of pine trees. This inexplicably seems to be my pattern on hole #8 at Copetown Woods.
On the back nine, I also shot 42, but that's just 5 over par. The stretch included 5 pars, 3 bogeys and just 1 double. Hole #10 is a par-5 that began with a drive that split the fairway. Then I hit 5-wood over a massive waste bunker, settling in a greenside bunker. My eagle attempt from the bunker rolled one inch by the hole, setting up a 2-putt par. The other pars once again resulted from good approach shots. There was a 5-wood off the tee on a par-3, a pitching wedge and lob wedge from the right rough, and an 8-iron from the left rough that gave me my best look at birdie all day.
The only trouble on the back nine was on hole #14, which started with a weak drive pulled very near some trees along the OB line. With my backswing impeded, I only advanced the ball a few yards ahead into the fescue. It took two hacks to get back to the fairway. A good approach and two putts followed on the par-5 hole, but that was enough for the double-bogey. The last four holes were also tough due to the intense heat, but I survived.
Score: 84
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 7
Penalties: 0
June 08, 2018
Misty Day at Tangle Creek
It was overcast and a slight mist fell all day as I headed up to Tangle Creek. It was never bad enough to cause any trouble and the course was mostly empty, so it wasn't really that bad. I started on the back nine and never really got any strong momentum going. I had a few trouble holes, but contained the damage to no worse than double-bogey. A couple of those were due to poor tee shots – one with driver, one with 5-wood. A couple more were due to poor approach shots – one that found some fescue behind a green and another that landed in a greenside bunker.
The remainder of the front nine was fine, with four bogeys and a par. I had slight miscues on the holes that resulted in bogey, but limiting those errors to one per hole was key. The par came on hole #18, a dogleg right par-5. I hit a laser drive to the centre of the fairway, reaching the dogleg easily. Next, a good 3-wood finished in the fairway, 20 yards in front of the green. A good chip set up a legit birdie chance, but I burned the edge and settled for par and a score of 48 at the turn.
My back nine is where I heated up, especially holes #1 through #5, which produced four pars and a bogey. My drive on #1 was pulled terribly to an opposite fairway, but a smashing 5-wood carried back over the dunes, leaving 80 yards to the flag. I was unlucky to put my third flag-high, but a foot into the rough. No worries as I made a perfect chip and 6-inch tap-in. In fact, great chips also contributed to pars on holes #4 and #5. Chips are only as good as the subsequent putts and I nailed them. I had 5 1-putts and 14 putts total over my back nine.
Two more great up-and-downs occurred on holes #6 and #7, albeit to save a double-bogey and bogey, respectively. Still, those felt good. It's very common to struggle on a hole, only to lip out at the end to rub salt in the wound. That didn't happen this time. A couple of bogeys finished the round for a second nine score of 42 and 90 overall. Tangle Creek is a good test, so I'm happy with that result.
Score: 90
Putts: 32
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
The remainder of the front nine was fine, with four bogeys and a par. I had slight miscues on the holes that resulted in bogey, but limiting those errors to one per hole was key. The par came on hole #18, a dogleg right par-5. I hit a laser drive to the centre of the fairway, reaching the dogleg easily. Next, a good 3-wood finished in the fairway, 20 yards in front of the green. A good chip set up a legit birdie chance, but I burned the edge and settled for par and a score of 48 at the turn.
My back nine is where I heated up, especially holes #1 through #5, which produced four pars and a bogey. My drive on #1 was pulled terribly to an opposite fairway, but a smashing 5-wood carried back over the dunes, leaving 80 yards to the flag. I was unlucky to put my third flag-high, but a foot into the rough. No worries as I made a perfect chip and 6-inch tap-in. In fact, great chips also contributed to pars on holes #4 and #5. Chips are only as good as the subsequent putts and I nailed them. I had 5 1-putts and 14 putts total over my back nine.
Two more great up-and-downs occurred on holes #6 and #7, albeit to save a double-bogey and bogey, respectively. Still, those felt good. It's very common to struggle on a hole, only to lip out at the end to rub salt in the wound. That didn't happen this time. A couple of bogeys finished the round for a second nine score of 42 and 90 overall. Tangle Creek is a good test, so I'm happy with that result.
Score: 90
Putts: 32
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
June 06, 2018
Scenic Woods Cures All Ills
I don't know what it is about Scenic Woods, but I usually score well there. I shot 85 each of my first four visits, before an uncharacteristic 103 and then 90. I dipped back into the eighties this time with a final tally of 87. I was on fire on the front nine, with 1 birdie, 5 pars, and 3 bogeys. The birdie was on hole #4, a short and deceptively tough par-4. I missed the fairway slightly right with my tee shot. No worries, as I stuck the pitching wedge within 8 feet from the cup, and then rolled in the putt.
I hit 5 of 7 fairways on the front nine and only missed one with the driver. The best drive may have been on hole #5, a dogleg left with a ditch that crosses the fairway at a dangerous place. I picked the correct line and finished past the ditch, with a clear shot to the green. Though I had good tee shots, it was my approach shots that really paid off. I hit six consecutive greens in regulation, ending with hole #8. I usually hit two or three GIR for an entire round, so this was unexpected.
The back nine at Scenic Woods is harder and I had my share of trouble, with a trio of triple-bogeys. A couple came on holes #10 and #11. A strong headwind messed up my tee shot on #10, then I topped a ball and hit a spruce tree just trying to get to the fairway. My approach on #11 failed to carry a creek and then I botched a pitch before 3-putting. The other triple was on hole #14. I pulled a 4-iron off the tee out of bounds. I played the hole well after re-teeing, but the damage was done.
The rest of the back nine was fine, as I played 3-over through 6 holes. This included pars on hole #13, which is a great par-3, and on hole #15, a par-4. The best result though, was a birdie on hole #18, a 451-yard par-5. My drive was a decent distance, but I was in the right rough, leaving a huge pond all the way between me and the green. I pounded a high 5-wood straight over the flag at the front of the green, ultimately releasing off the back of the deep green. I then duffed my pitch back, followed by what must have been a 60 foot putt. Amazing!
Score: 87
Putts: 34
Fairways: 7
Greens: 9
Penalties: 2
I hit 5 of 7 fairways on the front nine and only missed one with the driver. The best drive may have been on hole #5, a dogleg left with a ditch that crosses the fairway at a dangerous place. I picked the correct line and finished past the ditch, with a clear shot to the green. Though I had good tee shots, it was my approach shots that really paid off. I hit six consecutive greens in regulation, ending with hole #8. I usually hit two or three GIR for an entire round, so this was unexpected.
The back nine at Scenic Woods is harder and I had my share of trouble, with a trio of triple-bogeys. A couple came on holes #10 and #11. A strong headwind messed up my tee shot on #10, then I topped a ball and hit a spruce tree just trying to get to the fairway. My approach on #11 failed to carry a creek and then I botched a pitch before 3-putting. The other triple was on hole #14. I pulled a 4-iron off the tee out of bounds. I played the hole well after re-teeing, but the damage was done.
The rest of the back nine was fine, as I played 3-over through 6 holes. This included pars on hole #13, which is a great par-3, and on hole #15, a par-4. The best result though, was a birdie on hole #18, a 451-yard par-5. My drive was a decent distance, but I was in the right rough, leaving a huge pond all the way between me and the green. I pounded a high 5-wood straight over the flag at the front of the green, ultimately releasing off the back of the deep green. I then duffed my pitch back, followed by what must have been a 60 foot putt. Amazing!
Score: 87
Putts: 34
Fairways: 7
Greens: 9
Penalties: 2
June 05, 2018
Small Positive Step at Shawneeki
Not a great round, but at least I broke 100 at Shawneeki. The front nine produced a trio of pars and a well-earned bogey, but unfortunately, the remaining holes were all double-bogeys. One of the pars featured an up-and-down from a greenside bunker, while the others were textbook results where you hit the green in regulation and then 2-putt. The doubles were not fun, but they included some nice shots, including recovery shots.
Holes #2 and #8 are both par-5 holes. I started both with excellent drives to the centre of the fairway. Both then require a second shot over water. On #2, I opted for a high lofted club, but sculled the ball into the water. On #8, I was resolved not to try the same approach, so I pulled out 5-wood. Bad idea, as the result was the same. On holes #1 and #5, I hit great recovery shots after errant drives. The first was a wedge with backswing issues to get back to the fairway. The second was a low punch 3-iron to stay under some branches yet over a bunker.
The back nine started with more excellent recovery shots, but I couldn't make them pay off. On hole #11, I hit a great high wedge over trees to get back to the correct fairway. Unfortunately, I 3-putt the hole for double-bogey. On hole #11, I followed a miserable drive with a fabulous punch through trees to get right back on track for this par-5. I was unlucky when a bombed 3-wood from the fairway struck a tree left and short of the green. Another 3-putt compounded things for a triple-bogey.
I averaged bogey golf for the remainder of the round, with the exception of hole #17, which resulted in a triple. This includes some tricky holes, so I was doing alright. Five of these holes required just a single putt, which is always good. Of course, when you have a single putt, it should really be for birdie or par, not bogey. The problem on #17 was a low punched second shot, which travelled across the fairway and into some bushes. I thought I could find it, but had no such luck and had to take one of my three penalties on the day.
Score: 98
Putts: 32
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
Holes #2 and #8 are both par-5 holes. I started both with excellent drives to the centre of the fairway. Both then require a second shot over water. On #2, I opted for a high lofted club, but sculled the ball into the water. On #8, I was resolved not to try the same approach, so I pulled out 5-wood. Bad idea, as the result was the same. On holes #1 and #5, I hit great recovery shots after errant drives. The first was a wedge with backswing issues to get back to the fairway. The second was a low punch 3-iron to stay under some branches yet over a bunker.
The back nine started with more excellent recovery shots, but I couldn't make them pay off. On hole #11, I hit a great high wedge over trees to get back to the correct fairway. Unfortunately, I 3-putt the hole for double-bogey. On hole #11, I followed a miserable drive with a fabulous punch through trees to get right back on track for this par-5. I was unlucky when a bombed 3-wood from the fairway struck a tree left and short of the green. Another 3-putt compounded things for a triple-bogey.
I averaged bogey golf for the remainder of the round, with the exception of hole #17, which resulted in a triple. This includes some tricky holes, so I was doing alright. Five of these holes required just a single putt, which is always good. Of course, when you have a single putt, it should really be for birdie or par, not bogey. The problem on #17 was a low punched second shot, which travelled across the fairway and into some bushes. I thought I could find it, but had no such luck and had to take one of my three penalties on the day.
Score: 98
Putts: 32
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
June 04, 2018
Disasters Early at Century Pines
Blowup holes came early this time at Century Pines. My second shot on the opening par-5 was headed out of bounds, but a favourable bounce off a tree kept the ball in play and I finished with a bogey. I wasn't so lucky on the next two holes, recording a pair of quadruple bogeys. I messed up my drives, as well as simple pitch shots that were attempts to get back to safety. A thinned approach on hole #3 hit the cart path and went OB.
The rest of the front nine was fine, including pars on a couple of par-3 holes. One is short and simple, while the other is fairly lengthy, with a forced carry over a meandering creek. Most of the other holes produced bogey. I recovered well after mediocre drives on holes #6 and #8. A towering 7-iron over the trees on #6 was particularly impressive. I took double-bogey on hole #9, mostly because my second shot drifted right, behind a tree. I was forced to chip the ball ten yards sideways to get back in play.
The start of the back nine was a little disappointing, with three double-bogeys over the first four holes. A couple of these are real scoring holes, so I blew an opportunity. A sand wedge approach on hole #11 amazingly carried 40 yards further than normal, finishing up in a water hazard, albeit playable. Par, bogey were good results on holes #14 and #15, but then I succumbed to holes #16 and #17, among the hardest on the course. A double and another quad were the result. I need to find a way to avoid the trees on #17 that sit just left and ahead of the teeing ground. Bogey finish on the final hole was okay, but I couldn't keep my score under 100.
Score: 101
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2
The rest of the front nine was fine, including pars on a couple of par-3 holes. One is short and simple, while the other is fairly lengthy, with a forced carry over a meandering creek. Most of the other holes produced bogey. I recovered well after mediocre drives on holes #6 and #8. A towering 7-iron over the trees on #6 was particularly impressive. I took double-bogey on hole #9, mostly because my second shot drifted right, behind a tree. I was forced to chip the ball ten yards sideways to get back in play.
The start of the back nine was a little disappointing, with three double-bogeys over the first four holes. A couple of these are real scoring holes, so I blew an opportunity. A sand wedge approach on hole #11 amazingly carried 40 yards further than normal, finishing up in a water hazard, albeit playable. Par, bogey were good results on holes #14 and #15, but then I succumbed to holes #16 and #17, among the hardest on the course. A double and another quad were the result. I need to find a way to avoid the trees on #17 that sit just left and ahead of the teeing ground. Bogey finish on the final hole was okay, but I couldn't keep my score under 100.
Score: 101
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2
June 03, 2018
Starting Out at Granite Ridge
I started the 2018 season in the last week of April, with a visit to the Cobalt Course at Granite Ridge. Over the winter, I picked up a Callaway XR16 Pro driver with a Fujikura Pro Green 62 shaft, and I was eager to see what I could do with it. I scrubbed the ground in front of the ball with it on hole 1 and pushed one well right on hole 4. On the other hand, I hit lasers with it on holes 2, 8 and 9. I liked the feel, and the ball was travelling straight, with virtually no side spin.
In fact, the driver was my best club off the tee. I tried 5-wood on holes 6 and 7, with disastrous results. Hole 6 is a short par-4 with out of bounds along the entire left side. I hit a strong pull that had no chance of avoiding OB. On hole 7, I hit another straight pull, but this one never got more than five feet off the ground. A group of players near the 16th tee was lucky to escape alive. Two of them were standing about eight feet apart and my shot passed right between them, about chest high.
On the back nine, I used the driver on all but the par-3 16th. On holes 10 and 11, it produced a straight blast that barely trickled into the right rough. Then I rattled off three drives in a row that absolutely split the fairways. Straight, straight, and straight. It was a thing of beauty. On hole 15, I was playing away from OB on the right side and pulled the ball ever so slightly into a water hazard. On hole 17, I hit a bit of a stronger pull that found another water hazard. However, I finished strong, with a laser to the right centre of the fairway on hole 18.
While my driving was fine, the same could not be said about my irons. I thinned a gap wedge on hole 2 and pulled a 7-iron OB on hole 3. I topped a pitching wedge badly on hole 4 just trying to get back to the fairway. I eventually realized I was coming out of my iron shots, or lifting up on the down swing. I was not maintaining my spine angle, so the club was bottoming out too high. I also made some bad decisions, trying to curve balls around trees or advance the ball too much when I had no back swing.
When I stayed down on my iron shots and started managing the game better, the results improved. I was 8 over par for an eight hole stretch ending with hole 15. A greenside bunker and water hazards on the next two holes put an end to that, but at least I found a little groove. My putting was okay most of the day, but I did collect a trio of 3-putts. The final score was bad, but the season is just beginning.
Score: 102
Putts: 37
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 6
In fact, the driver was my best club off the tee. I tried 5-wood on holes 6 and 7, with disastrous results. Hole 6 is a short par-4 with out of bounds along the entire left side. I hit a strong pull that had no chance of avoiding OB. On hole 7, I hit another straight pull, but this one never got more than five feet off the ground. A group of players near the 16th tee was lucky to escape alive. Two of them were standing about eight feet apart and my shot passed right between them, about chest high.
On the back nine, I used the driver on all but the par-3 16th. On holes 10 and 11, it produced a straight blast that barely trickled into the right rough. Then I rattled off three drives in a row that absolutely split the fairways. Straight, straight, and straight. It was a thing of beauty. On hole 15, I was playing away from OB on the right side and pulled the ball ever so slightly into a water hazard. On hole 17, I hit a bit of a stronger pull that found another water hazard. However, I finished strong, with a laser to the right centre of the fairway on hole 18.
While my driving was fine, the same could not be said about my irons. I thinned a gap wedge on hole 2 and pulled a 7-iron OB on hole 3. I topped a pitching wedge badly on hole 4 just trying to get back to the fairway. I eventually realized I was coming out of my iron shots, or lifting up on the down swing. I was not maintaining my spine angle, so the club was bottoming out too high. I also made some bad decisions, trying to curve balls around trees or advance the ball too much when I had no back swing.
When I stayed down on my iron shots and started managing the game better, the results improved. I was 8 over par for an eight hole stretch ending with hole 15. A greenside bunker and water hazards on the next two holes put an end to that, but at least I found a little groove. My putting was okay most of the day, but I did collect a trio of 3-putts. The final score was bad, but the season is just beginning.
Score: 102
Putts: 37
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 6
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)