I had a good round going at King's Forest, except for the course's toughest stretch. More on that later. The front nine produced three pars, five bogeys, and a double. The first par was on hole 4, a par-5. I hit driver, 4-iron to get on in two. The pin was way at the back of the deep green and I made a decent lag, but missed the 4-foot birdie. The second par was on hole 6, another par-5. I messed up my second shot, but hit a marvellous 3-wood to reach the green in regulation. The final par was achieved in textbook fashion on hole 9, a par-4.
Some of the bogeys on the front nine featured very good recoveries. After pulling an approach shot on hole 2, my next shot was a pitch that I had to keep under some branches, while carrying a bunker and stopping the ball on the elevated green. On hole 3, a poor tee shot was followed by a punch out layup and a pretty 100-yard shot near the flag. On hole 5, a long par 3, my duff off the tee was followed by a mediocre shot to the left rough. No worries, as I finished with a good up and down. The only hole I couldn't recover on was number 7. I pulled a 9-iron off the tee on this par-3 into a hazard left, resulting in a penalty stroke and ultimately, a double-bogey.
The toughest stretch at King's Forest is comprised of holes 10 through 13. Number 10 is a difficult one to par, but bogey is quite achievable, and that's what I scored. The really though stretch is from hole 11 through 13. I've played some of these holes well during previous visits, but I've never been able to escape the entire stretch unscathed. On hole 11, I opted for driver off the elevated tee and pulled it left into some trees. I had an opening to punch a low one toward the green from 150 yards away and gave it a go. I was protecting from pulling the ball into bushes on the left side and flared one out to the right as a result. It dove into a water hazard, leading to double-bogey. The result on hole 12 was the same. I pushed a 3-iron off the tee into the trees on the right and there was no recovery.
Worst of all was hole 13, where I exploded for a score of 9 on this par-4. The teeing ground is wedged against trees and bushes on the left, forcing you to play out to the right. I went too far right with the 5-wood, into some waist high fescue and weeds. After taking a drop, I tried to blast another 5-wood near the green, but duffed it completely, my ball stopping 20 yards in front of a large creek. It was an unintentional layup. Next, I sculled an 8-iron into the creek. After another drop, I pulled my shot left of the green. I finished with a pitch and 2-putt.
I averaged bogey for the remainder of the round. Good pars on holes 15 and 17 were spoiled a bit by double-bogeys on holes 16 and 18. The former is a par-4 that was playing about 300 yards and I tried to blast the driver as close as possible. I buried it in the fescue and had to declare the ball unplayable. A beautiful wedge over some trees found the green, but then came a 3-putt. After two perfect shots to start hole 18, a par-5, I shanked a wedge shot from 100 yards into the lateral hazard on the right. It was just one of those weird things.
Score: 94
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 6
Penalties: 7
July 30, 2018
July 23, 2018
Jekyll and Hyde Round at Glen Eagle
I headed out to Glen Eagle later than planned and traffic didn't cooperate. Despite rushing to the course, I got there a few minutes late. The starter sent me out with a threesome on the Red nine. They were nice guys, just there to have some fun. Unfortunately, I sometimes score poorly when playing with people who joke around a lot. I did well enough to reach the first green in three shots, but a terrible 3-putt resulted in double-bogey. Needless to say, I didn't do any practice putting before the round. I played the next two holes fairly well, recording a pair of solid bogeys.
For the remainder of the Red nine, I played terribly. A lot of my trouble came off the tee. On hole 4, a par-5, I smothered one off the heel of the driver. A great follow-up with the 5-wood was ruined when I proceeded to pull a 5-iron into the trees left. On hole 5, a par-3, a miss hit was 40 yards short of the green. My pitch then went long, requiring an additional chip to get on the putting surface. On hole 6, my drive ended behind a tree located in the middle of the fairway. A pitch near the green also went long. All of these holes produced double-bogey. It got worse, with triple-bogeys on holes 7 and 9. The former featured a sculled ball out of a bunker, while the latter featured a pair of penalty strokes. Mercifully I made par on hole 8. My score on the Red nine was 52.
My companions headed for the Yellow nine, while I decided to play the Blue nine. Playing as a solo, I made a respectable bogey on hole 1. Beginning on hole 2, I joined up with a man and woman, whom I played with for the remainder of the round. Despite a poor drive on hole 2, I recovered for a par on this par-5. I also made par on hole 3, a long par-3. It soon got even better, with back-to-back birdies on holes 4 and 5. The former featured a punch out from the trees that found the green, followed by a successful 60-foot putt. The latter featured a drive and 5-wood that got me just left of the green in two shots on this par-5. My eagle chip almost went in, but birdie was still nice.
I made bogey on hole 6, before finishing par, par, and par. On hole 7, a par-5, my birdie putt from just in front of the green very nearly dropped. On hole 8, a long par-3, I chipped from under some trees left of the green and left a comfortable par putt to finish. On hole 9, I drove my ball well right, finishing near Yellow 1 fairway. I then hit a towering gap wedge over a wall of tall trees right of the green. The ball landed softly, allowing me to lag one close and then tap in. It was a marvelous recovery shot. My score on the Blue nine was an even par 36! That is my best score ever for nine holes. I believe my previous best was 38.
Score: 88
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2
For the remainder of the Red nine, I played terribly. A lot of my trouble came off the tee. On hole 4, a par-5, I smothered one off the heel of the driver. A great follow-up with the 5-wood was ruined when I proceeded to pull a 5-iron into the trees left. On hole 5, a par-3, a miss hit was 40 yards short of the green. My pitch then went long, requiring an additional chip to get on the putting surface. On hole 6, my drive ended behind a tree located in the middle of the fairway. A pitch near the green also went long. All of these holes produced double-bogey. It got worse, with triple-bogeys on holes 7 and 9. The former featured a sculled ball out of a bunker, while the latter featured a pair of penalty strokes. Mercifully I made par on hole 8. My score on the Red nine was 52.
My companions headed for the Yellow nine, while I decided to play the Blue nine. Playing as a solo, I made a respectable bogey on hole 1. Beginning on hole 2, I joined up with a man and woman, whom I played with for the remainder of the round. Despite a poor drive on hole 2, I recovered for a par on this par-5. I also made par on hole 3, a long par-3. It soon got even better, with back-to-back birdies on holes 4 and 5. The former featured a punch out from the trees that found the green, followed by a successful 60-foot putt. The latter featured a drive and 5-wood that got me just left of the green in two shots on this par-5. My eagle chip almost went in, but birdie was still nice.
I made bogey on hole 6, before finishing par, par, and par. On hole 7, a par-5, my birdie putt from just in front of the green very nearly dropped. On hole 8, a long par-3, I chipped from under some trees left of the green and left a comfortable par putt to finish. On hole 9, I drove my ball well right, finishing near Yellow 1 fairway. I then hit a towering gap wedge over a wall of tall trees right of the green. The ball landed softly, allowing me to lag one close and then tap in. It was a marvelous recovery shot. My score on the Blue nine was an even par 36! That is my best score ever for nine holes. I believe my previous best was 38.
Score: 88
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2
July 21, 2018
First Time at Doon Valley
I never played Doon Valley before because it's a little far from home, but I recently gave it a try and was fairly satisfied. I was 5-over par through the first five holes, with three bogeys, a double and a par. The double was on hole 2, a par-3. After missing the green to the right, I slid a wedge under the ball, failing to find the putting surface. Another pitch was required, plus a couple of putts. The par was on hole 5, a 400-yard par-4. After splitting the fairway with a drive, an 8-iron reached the green safely, followed by two putts.
Disaster struck on hole 6, the first par-5 of the day. I pulled my drive unbelievably to the left, to an opposite fairway. I attempted to lift one over a wall of trees to get back to the proper fairway. I thinned the ball and failed to get over. A low punch got me back to the fairway, but then I topped a 5-wood. The next 5-wood shot got me to the right of the green, followed by a pitch and two putts for a triple-bogey. Thankfully, I made par on hole 9, which was the next par-5. It came despite taking a penalty stroke for depositing my drive into a hazard on the right side. At the turn, I was shooting 47.
Holes 8 through 15 at Doon Valley are played after crossing under Highway 401, and they seemed to be more exposed to the wind than the rest of the course. This produced a mix of good, great and bad. Good was a par on hole 11, a 150-yard par-3 featuring a carry over a naturalized area. I bailed to the open side, but made a long chip and putt for the par. Great was a birdie on hole 13, a short par-4. I hit 5-wood to the right rough, followed by a lovely 9-iron to 8 feet below the hole. Of course, I drained the birdie putt. Bad was a triple-bogey on 12, a par-4 measuring a mere 294 yards. I pushed an iron off the tee into the marsh land. After taking a penalty and drop, I pulled an iron that found marsh land to the left of the green. Another penalty, a pitch and two putts completed the ordeal.
I ended the round as I had started, going 5-over par through the last five holes, with three bogeys, a double and a par. The double was on hole 15, a par-4 with a dogleg left. Again, it was a wickedly pulled drive off the tee that was the culprit. The ball was lost in a naturalized area. The par came on hole 16, a par-5. I was on the green in three and nearly drained the long birdie attempt. My best drive of the day was on hole 18, the last par-5. With the Grand River on the right side, I bombed one over the right corner, travelling about 295 yards. I couldn't go for the green in two from 180 yards because of a massive tree on the right edge of the fairway. I punched one under its branches, finishing in the fairway, 50 yards from the severely elevated green. I botched my way to a bogey finish, which was a shame after two great shots to start.
Score: 91
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 4
Penalties: 5
Disaster struck on hole 6, the first par-5 of the day. I pulled my drive unbelievably to the left, to an opposite fairway. I attempted to lift one over a wall of trees to get back to the proper fairway. I thinned the ball and failed to get over. A low punch got me back to the fairway, but then I topped a 5-wood. The next 5-wood shot got me to the right of the green, followed by a pitch and two putts for a triple-bogey. Thankfully, I made par on hole 9, which was the next par-5. It came despite taking a penalty stroke for depositing my drive into a hazard on the right side. At the turn, I was shooting 47.
Holes 8 through 15 at Doon Valley are played after crossing under Highway 401, and they seemed to be more exposed to the wind than the rest of the course. This produced a mix of good, great and bad. Good was a par on hole 11, a 150-yard par-3 featuring a carry over a naturalized area. I bailed to the open side, but made a long chip and putt for the par. Great was a birdie on hole 13, a short par-4. I hit 5-wood to the right rough, followed by a lovely 9-iron to 8 feet below the hole. Of course, I drained the birdie putt. Bad was a triple-bogey on 12, a par-4 measuring a mere 294 yards. I pushed an iron off the tee into the marsh land. After taking a penalty and drop, I pulled an iron that found marsh land to the left of the green. Another penalty, a pitch and two putts completed the ordeal.
I ended the round as I had started, going 5-over par through the last five holes, with three bogeys, a double and a par. The double was on hole 15, a par-4 with a dogleg left. Again, it was a wickedly pulled drive off the tee that was the culprit. The ball was lost in a naturalized area. The par came on hole 16, a par-5. I was on the green in three and nearly drained the long birdie attempt. My best drive of the day was on hole 18, the last par-5. With the Grand River on the right side, I bombed one over the right corner, travelling about 295 yards. I couldn't go for the green in two from 180 yards because of a massive tree on the right edge of the fairway. I punched one under its branches, finishing in the fairway, 50 yards from the severely elevated green. I botched my way to a bogey finish, which was a shame after two great shots to start.
Score: 91
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 4
Penalties: 5
July 12, 2018
Just a Few Miscues at Bond Head
Playing the South Course, it took me most of the front nine to get warmed up. I began with a perfectly placed 7-iron off the tee on hole 1, but the subsequent wedge shot was fat, barely crossing a hazard up ahead. Bogey was the result, as it was on holes 3, 5 and 7. The even numbered holes were more penal, as I registered a triple-bogey, double-bogey, triple and double on holes 2, 4, 6 and 8.
In the case of hole 2, I lost my first tee shot in the weeds, as I failed to get the ball airborne. I had to hit my third shot from the tee. In the case of hole 4, I hit a beautiful 6-iron approach shot that was headed straight at the flag. Unfortunately, I was a yard short and my ball rolled back on a steep slope above a bunker. The vegetation was weird in that area and it took two more shots just to get on the green. Hole 6 was just playing very tough with the wind, while I messed up greenside on hole 8.
I started an amazing streak on hole 9 that carried through hole 14. The results were par, birdie, par, par, par, bogey. Hole 9 is a par-5 that began with my first really good drive of the day. I only needed 8-iron to reach the green with my second shot, though I found a greenside bunker. A good out left a legit chance at birdie, but I just missed. A deep drive on hole 10 left just 50 yards to the green, albeit from the fescue. It wasn't thick in that spot, so I stuck one 9 feet from the cup and then drained it.
Holes 11 and 12 featured great shots into or near the green. On the former, I had to flop one over a large bunker, while preventing the ball from rolling off the other side. I executed it perfectly. On the latter, I once again had to flop over a bunker, though this one was from closer range and I could allow the ball to release a bit. It was a great up and down. On hole 13, a 290-yard drive could not have been placed any better. I hit a lob wedge to within 10 feet and barely missed the birdie.
The streak ended on hole 14 with a 3-putt. I then struggled a bit for three holes, taking two doubles and a triple-bogey. A bad 3-iron off the tee on a par-3 left me in fescue and stymied by some bushes. I wasted a great drive on a par-5 by flaring my second shot into the long weeds. On another par-3, I duffed two chips from very near the flag. Once again, a weird combination of grass and other vegetation made it difficult to contact the ball properly.
Score: 94
Putts: 36
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2
In the case of hole 2, I lost my first tee shot in the weeds, as I failed to get the ball airborne. I had to hit my third shot from the tee. In the case of hole 4, I hit a beautiful 6-iron approach shot that was headed straight at the flag. Unfortunately, I was a yard short and my ball rolled back on a steep slope above a bunker. The vegetation was weird in that area and it took two more shots just to get on the green. Hole 6 was just playing very tough with the wind, while I messed up greenside on hole 8.
I started an amazing streak on hole 9 that carried through hole 14. The results were par, birdie, par, par, par, bogey. Hole 9 is a par-5 that began with my first really good drive of the day. I only needed 8-iron to reach the green with my second shot, though I found a greenside bunker. A good out left a legit chance at birdie, but I just missed. A deep drive on hole 10 left just 50 yards to the green, albeit from the fescue. It wasn't thick in that spot, so I stuck one 9 feet from the cup and then drained it.
Holes 11 and 12 featured great shots into or near the green. On the former, I had to flop one over a large bunker, while preventing the ball from rolling off the other side. I executed it perfectly. On the latter, I once again had to flop over a bunker, though this one was from closer range and I could allow the ball to release a bit. It was a great up and down. On hole 13, a 290-yard drive could not have been placed any better. I hit a lob wedge to within 10 feet and barely missed the birdie.
The streak ended on hole 14 with a 3-putt. I then struggled a bit for three holes, taking two doubles and a triple-bogey. A bad 3-iron off the tee on a par-3 left me in fescue and stymied by some bushes. I wasted a great drive on a par-5 by flaring my second shot into the long weeds. On another par-3, I duffed two chips from very near the flag. Once again, a weird combination of grass and other vegetation made it difficult to contact the ball properly.
Score: 94
Putts: 36
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2
July 03, 2018
A Top 10 Performance at Victoria Park East
My Top 10 rounds of all time list has to be revised, thanks to my latest result at Victoria Park East. While my final score of 84 just squeaks into the Top 10, this round rivals many of those on the list. Considering that I had a pair of triple-bogeys, the result could have been even better. If just a couple of pitch shots held the greens, the final tally would have been 81. That's Top 3 material we're talking about.
Which of the following doesn't fit? Par, bogey, par, bogey, par, bogey, par, par, triple-bogey. That's how the front nine played out. Driver, 3-wood got me very near the green on the opening par-5. After a nice pitch, I missed a legit birdie chance. On hole 3, I nailed the green from the left rough with a lovely iron shot. Hole 5 featured a great second shot through some trees. I got up and down on that hole and on numbers 7 and 8. Two out of three bogeys only occurred because of 3-putts. On hole 2, I played too much break on my first attempt. On hole 6, I just started a long way from the hole.
My drive on hole 9 was a little loose, finishing in some trees right of the fairway. I attempted a low punch that didn't completely escape the trees. My third shot was a good one to an area left of the green. Unfortunately, my subsequent 40 yard pitch rolled off the green. I think I lost my focus a little, as I blasted my first putt way past the hole. Two more were required to close out the front nine with a score of 42.
Which of the following doesn't fit? Bogey, double-bogey, par, par, par, par, par, bogey, triple-bogey. That's how the back nine played out. That run of pars felt particularly good. Holes 12 and 13 featured birdie putts, but they were fairly lengthy. Hole 14 offered the best chance at birdie, after an approach with the 60-degree wedge hit the green and zipped back to within 6 feet of the cup. It was a straight birdie putt that I pulled ever so slightly. The pars on 15 and 16 came with the help of up and downs.
I hit a conservative drive on hole 18, which was the correct play. My ball trickled a foot into the left rough. From 185 yards away, I tried hitting 5-wood to the elevated green. I somehow hooked the ball, hitting some trees near a creek, 40 yards short of the green. A pitch and two putts was my goal, but my pitch shot rolled to a hill behind the green. I sculled my chip from the awkward lie, then went a little too far past the hole with my comebacker. Two putts finished up the dreaded triple. Still, I was happy with the overall outcome.
Score: 84
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 7
Penalties: 0
Which of the following doesn't fit? Par, bogey, par, bogey, par, bogey, par, par, triple-bogey. That's how the front nine played out. Driver, 3-wood got me very near the green on the opening par-5. After a nice pitch, I missed a legit birdie chance. On hole 3, I nailed the green from the left rough with a lovely iron shot. Hole 5 featured a great second shot through some trees. I got up and down on that hole and on numbers 7 and 8. Two out of three bogeys only occurred because of 3-putts. On hole 2, I played too much break on my first attempt. On hole 6, I just started a long way from the hole.
My drive on hole 9 was a little loose, finishing in some trees right of the fairway. I attempted a low punch that didn't completely escape the trees. My third shot was a good one to an area left of the green. Unfortunately, my subsequent 40 yard pitch rolled off the green. I think I lost my focus a little, as I blasted my first putt way past the hole. Two more were required to close out the front nine with a score of 42.
Which of the following doesn't fit? Bogey, double-bogey, par, par, par, par, par, bogey, triple-bogey. That's how the back nine played out. That run of pars felt particularly good. Holes 12 and 13 featured birdie putts, but they were fairly lengthy. Hole 14 offered the best chance at birdie, after an approach with the 60-degree wedge hit the green and zipped back to within 6 feet of the cup. It was a straight birdie putt that I pulled ever so slightly. The pars on 15 and 16 came with the help of up and downs.
I hit a conservative drive on hole 18, which was the correct play. My ball trickled a foot into the left rough. From 185 yards away, I tried hitting 5-wood to the elevated green. I somehow hooked the ball, hitting some trees near a creek, 40 yards short of the green. A pitch and two putts was my goal, but my pitch shot rolled to a hill behind the green. I sculled my chip from the awkward lie, then went a little too far past the hole with my comebacker. Two putts finished up the dreaded triple. Still, I was happy with the overall outcome.
Score: 84
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 7
Penalties: 0
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