I had time to spare and the course was practically empty, so I played the front nine again at Battlefield. It's amazing how much better you can play when you've already been through the course on a given day. The first time through, I scored 49, with two pars, a bogey, and six doubles. The second time through, I scored 42, with four pars, four bogeys, and one double. So what was different?
Hole 1 is a par-5 with significant bunkering in front of the green. Both times through, I hit my third shot to the safe area right of the green. The first time, I got up and down from there for par. The second time, I just needed an extra putt for bogey. Not much difference at all. Hole 2 is a par-4 that was playing quite long. Both times through, I failed to hit the green with a long approach. The first time, I hit out of a bunker and chipped on, followed by two putts for double-bogey. The second time, I pitched my third shot below the hole and drained a 10-footer for par. Big difference there – all attributable to the short game.
Hole 3 is a par-3. On both occasions, I was on the green in two. The first time, I 3-putt on the slick green for a double-bogey. The second time, I had a better feel of the green speed and 2-putt for a pretty easy bogey. Lag putting was actually one of the biggest differences overall. Hole 4 is a par-4 that I made par on both times. I had a better drive the second time through, but still missed the green with a much shorter approach. Once again, I chipped pretty close and made a single putt. Hole 5 produced bogey on both occasions, but in different fashions. The first time it came via a green in regulation and 3-putt. The second time, I missed the GIR, chipped on, and then 2-putt. Through five holes, I was just two strokes better than I was earlier in the day.
Most of the difference occurred over the final four holes. On hole 6, a par-5, I improved from double-bogey to par. The first time through, I had a duffed shot en route to the green. On the second attempt, I got up and down from the front of the green, effectively saving another stroke. Hole 7 was funny because I played it exactly the same way on both occasions. A safe drive on the dogleg left ran through the fairway and just into the rough. My second shot from a bit of a hook lie was pulled into a water hazard left of the green. After a penalty stroke and drop, my fourth was a pitch on the green, followed by a 2-put for double-bogey.
Hole 8 is a par-3 over water that gave me trouble the first time around. My tee shot was short and held up on some rocks near the water's edge. Two shots were required to get on the green from there, followed by two putts for double-bogey. The second time around, I hit the green in regulation and 2-putt for par. Big difference! Finally, there was hole 9, where I went from double-bogey to bogey. In both cases, I was short and right of the green on this par-4 after two shots. A pitch to the front flag came up short the first time, but I executed it well the next time. That was the difference, as I finished up with a couple of putts both times.
Overall, seven strokes is a significant improvement. I shot 92 over 18 holes earlier in the day. Had I played the front nine as I did the second time around, that score would have been 85. Unfortunately, golf doesn't work that way. LOL
Score: 42
Putts: 15
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
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