I had time for nine holes at Carlisle, so I headed out to the East course. The opening par-5 started well with a driver, 3-wood combination. Unfortunately, I thinned my third shot from 50 yards away to just off the back of the green. A chip and two putts resulted in bogey. Driver, gap wedge got me safely to the front of the second green, setting up a 2-putt par. Hole 3 is a par-3 over water. My pitching wedge finished on a hill behind the green. I made a delicate chip and two putts for bogey.
Bogey was also the result on hole 4, a short par-4. I thought I hit a perfect drive, leaving just a short shot to the green. In fact, my ball bounced left of the fairway, where some overhead branches impeded my swing. It was borderline, so I tried to reach the green, but I topped the ball just a few yards ahead. Clear of the branches, I pitched on and 2-putt. Things got worse on hole 5, as I pulled my drive directly off the tee. Luckily, I hit some trees that kept the ball in bounds. I was so far back, however, that two more shots were required to reach the green. Actually, I was right of the green, and needed a pitch and two putts, just for double-bogey.
The best hole of the round was number 6, a 378-yard par-4. I hit a 260-yard drive just left of a large tree that pinches the right side of the fairway. The fairway is actually split here, so I was in some rough despite my ball travelling dead straight. From 118 yards away, I hit a beautiful sand wedge three feet right of the flag. It was an easy putt for birdie. Those don't happen very often.
Hole 7 is a par-5 that starts out pretty wide, but narrows significantly as you get toward the green. I thought I hit a perfect drive, but I actually finished in the left rough. From that position, trees up ahead prevent you from attacking the green in two. I hit a little wedge to the centre of the fairway, leaving 90 yards for my third shot. Though my third shot finished flag high, I pulled the ball just left of the green. A nice chip gave me a chance to save par, but I missed the putt and tapped in for bogey.
No worries, as I finished the last two holes with a couple of pars. Sand wedge was all I needed on hole 8, a par-3. My shot was all over the flag, but finished about 15 feet behind. I made an excellent putt that just failed to drop for birdie. 3-iron was the club of choice off the tee on hole 9, a 300-yard par-4. It was a thing of beauty, splitting the fairway and leaving just 90 yards to the flag. My lob wedge found the green from there, albeit pretty far from the hole. The lengthy lag was excellent, leaving just a tap-in for the par result.
I had another 9-hole result still on my scoring record. It was a 42 on the front 9 of Battlefield at Legends on the Niagara. For handicap purposes, these 9-hole scores get combined. The resulting score of 83 lowered my handicap factor from 15.8 to 15.0 – my lowest ever! 15.4 was my previous best, established in September 2017. Let's hope I can keep it here, or even drop it further.
Score: 41
Putts: 17
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0
July 31, 2019
July 30, 2019
Streak Ends at Carlisle
I headed out to Carlisle Golf Club, hoping to extend my streak of six consecutive rounds breaking 90. Typically at Carlisle, I play the North nine, followed by the East nine. This time, they told us to play North/South. I hadn't played the South nine in many years, so it would be interesting.
The North nine began with a double-bogey, solely because of my inability to get out of greenside bunkers. I was in one after my approach shot and proceeded to blast the ball clear over the entire green. For the life of me, I can't figure it out. I try to hit the sand behind the ball, but I get too much ball every time.
I went par, bogey, par over the next three holes, with both pars coming on par-3 holes. Holes 5 through 7 can be difficult, especially 6 and 7. Hole 5 is only trouble if you fail to hit a straight iron off the tee. That's exactly what happened. I duffed my tee shot into a small pond directly in front of the teeing ground. Hitting my third from the tee, I could do no better than double-bogey.
Hole 6 began with a drive into some trees right of the fairway. My ball finished in an opening on the side of a hill, giving me a good chance to recover. Unfortunately, a good 8-iron carried across the fairway, coming to rest against a chain link fence at the edge of the property. I had to declare an unplayable and finished with another double-bogey.
Hole 7 has a large forced carry over a naturalized area. The vegetation was so high that you couldn't even see the landing zone on the other side. It wasn't a huge problem, since I know the hole, but my 5-wood drifted slightly right, smacking a tree trunk and coming straight back about 20 yards. Blocked from attacking the green, all I could do was pitch the ball up to about 130 yards. My approach was short and right, requiring a chip and two putts for another double-bogey.
The double-bogey streak extended to four with another one coming on hole 8, a par-5. I hit driver, 3-iron nicely, but my ball finished in a bunker 40 yards in front of the green. It was right up against the lip, so I had to chip it out sideways. A mediocre pitch from there, combined with a bad bounce left me in a greenside bunker after my fourth shot. Given my struggles with bunker shots, I just used my putter to put one on the green. The left side of the bunker had no lip, so this was a decent play. Of course, I needed two more real putts to finish up. After bogey on hole 9, my score on the North course was 48.
The South nine was much better and could have been amazing, were it not for a triple-bogey on hole 3. I hit a good drive on this par-5, leaving just 180 yards into the green. Going for it comes with some risk, as there is a creek in front and left of the green, while out of bounds looms on the right. I was feeling confident, so I took a chance. My 5-iron was struck well, but pulled ever so slightly, finding the creek on the left side. After a penalty and drop, I butchered a pitch shot from 50 yards, leaving the ball unplayable in some long weeds. Another penalty and drop was followed by a pitch and two putts. Such a shame.
Aside from that, I collected four pars and four bogeys on the South course. A nice 3-iron off the tee on hole 2 set up a lob wedge approach that found the green, leading to the first of the pars. I hit an equally good 4-iron off the tee on hole 5 and once again hit the green in regulation, but a 3-putt spoiled the fun and resulted in bogey. This was followed by a pair of pars on back-to-back par-3 holes. A sweet 6-iron finished flag high on hole 6, while a little gap wedge did the same on hole 7. The latter offered the best chance at birdie, but I blew my attempt well past the hole.
The final par came on hole 8, a short par-4 that begins with a shot over water. My fellow competitors played it aggressively, opting for driver in an attempt to get as near the green as possible. One hit a steep bank and rolled back into the water. The other hit the same bank, but managed to keep his ball dry. I chose 6-iron off the tee and hit as pure a shot as you can possibly hit. I actually drove it through the dogleg fairway, but had a perfect lie and angle into the green from 90 yards. My approach hit a little backstop just behind the pin, leaving a good look at birdie. I didn't make the downhill putt, but tap-in for par was fine with me.
I shanked one of my shots en route to bogey on the final hole, but it was good enough for a score of 43 on the South course. My final score of 91 meant that my sub-90 streak was over. That's okay, a good consolation prize was about to make up for it.
Score: 91
Putts: 37
Fairways: 2
Greens: 7
Penalties: 4
The North nine began with a double-bogey, solely because of my inability to get out of greenside bunkers. I was in one after my approach shot and proceeded to blast the ball clear over the entire green. For the life of me, I can't figure it out. I try to hit the sand behind the ball, but I get too much ball every time.
I went par, bogey, par over the next three holes, with both pars coming on par-3 holes. Holes 5 through 7 can be difficult, especially 6 and 7. Hole 5 is only trouble if you fail to hit a straight iron off the tee. That's exactly what happened. I duffed my tee shot into a small pond directly in front of the teeing ground. Hitting my third from the tee, I could do no better than double-bogey.
Hole 6 began with a drive into some trees right of the fairway. My ball finished in an opening on the side of a hill, giving me a good chance to recover. Unfortunately, a good 8-iron carried across the fairway, coming to rest against a chain link fence at the edge of the property. I had to declare an unplayable and finished with another double-bogey.
Hole 7 has a large forced carry over a naturalized area. The vegetation was so high that you couldn't even see the landing zone on the other side. It wasn't a huge problem, since I know the hole, but my 5-wood drifted slightly right, smacking a tree trunk and coming straight back about 20 yards. Blocked from attacking the green, all I could do was pitch the ball up to about 130 yards. My approach was short and right, requiring a chip and two putts for another double-bogey.
The double-bogey streak extended to four with another one coming on hole 8, a par-5. I hit driver, 3-iron nicely, but my ball finished in a bunker 40 yards in front of the green. It was right up against the lip, so I had to chip it out sideways. A mediocre pitch from there, combined with a bad bounce left me in a greenside bunker after my fourth shot. Given my struggles with bunker shots, I just used my putter to put one on the green. The left side of the bunker had no lip, so this was a decent play. Of course, I needed two more real putts to finish up. After bogey on hole 9, my score on the North course was 48.
The South nine was much better and could have been amazing, were it not for a triple-bogey on hole 3. I hit a good drive on this par-5, leaving just 180 yards into the green. Going for it comes with some risk, as there is a creek in front and left of the green, while out of bounds looms on the right. I was feeling confident, so I took a chance. My 5-iron was struck well, but pulled ever so slightly, finding the creek on the left side. After a penalty and drop, I butchered a pitch shot from 50 yards, leaving the ball unplayable in some long weeds. Another penalty and drop was followed by a pitch and two putts. Such a shame.
Aside from that, I collected four pars and four bogeys on the South course. A nice 3-iron off the tee on hole 2 set up a lob wedge approach that found the green, leading to the first of the pars. I hit an equally good 4-iron off the tee on hole 5 and once again hit the green in regulation, but a 3-putt spoiled the fun and resulted in bogey. This was followed by a pair of pars on back-to-back par-3 holes. A sweet 6-iron finished flag high on hole 6, while a little gap wedge did the same on hole 7. The latter offered the best chance at birdie, but I blew my attempt well past the hole.
The final par came on hole 8, a short par-4 that begins with a shot over water. My fellow competitors played it aggressively, opting for driver in an attempt to get as near the green as possible. One hit a steep bank and rolled back into the water. The other hit the same bank, but managed to keep his ball dry. I chose 6-iron off the tee and hit as pure a shot as you can possibly hit. I actually drove it through the dogleg fairway, but had a perfect lie and angle into the green from 90 yards. My approach hit a little backstop just behind the pin, leaving a good look at birdie. I didn't make the downhill putt, but tap-in for par was fine with me.
I shanked one of my shots en route to bogey on the final hole, but it was good enough for a score of 43 on the South course. My final score of 91 meant that my sub-90 streak was over. That's okay, a good consolation prize was about to make up for it.
Score: 91
Putts: 37
Fairways: 2
Greens: 7
Penalties: 4
July 27, 2019
Streak Continues at Century Pines
My streak of scores under 90 extended to six consecutive rounds, thanks to a score of 88 at Century Pines Golf Club. The front nine produced a couple of pars, five bogeys, and a couple of doubles. One of the pars was on the first hole, which has given me trouble in the past. This time, I managed to avoid out of bounds, which runs along the entire left side of this par-5. After my drive found the left fairway, I took a half swing at the ball, just to advance it slightly. It was a good decision, because the ball finished in the left rough. From there, a great gap wedge finished flag high, setting up a 2-putt.
A horribly pulled drive led to double-bogey on hole 2, before I settled into a streak of bogey golf that lasted for four holes. On hole 3, a perfect drive was followed by a weak approach shot. On hole 4, a poor tee shot was followed by a well placed second and some nice putting. On hole 5, a par-3, my 9-iron off the tee found a bunker short and left. For once, I actually made a decent bunker shot, managing to find the putting surface.
Hole 6 was perhaps the most impressive of the bogeys. My drive carried over a naturalized area to the angled fairway. Since I can't shape the driver right to left, my ball went through the fairway toward hole 8. My second shot was a lovely gap wedge over some high trees to get back to the proper fairway, 40 yards in front of the green. It was the smart decision. I recognized my position and didn't try to do too much. My first priority was to get over the tall trees and I needed loft for that. A large bunker also fronts the green and I wanted no part of it. I pitched on and 2-putt, with no issue.
Hole 7 is a par-3 over water that was playing about 177 yards. I hit a silky 5-iron to the right side of the green, that finished on the upper tier. However, the hole was cut on the lower tier near the front of the green. I hit a putt to the ridge that then carried perfectly near the hole. A two foot putt earned the par. The par was followed by double-bogey on the next hole, as my second shot from the left rough suffered from a bad lie. If my third shot was a little more precise, I could have saved bogey, but it didn't happen.
Hole 9 is a par-5 that produced bogey, thanks in part to a lovely 5-iron for my second shot. My drive was mediocre, but that second shot put me back in perfect position. Amazingly, I made another decent shot from a green side bunker en route to the bogey. Kudos to Century Pines, who actually had some very nice sand in their bunkers. That hasn't always been the case in the past.
Holes 10, 11 and 12 at Century Pines are all short par-4 holes. However, you can't really hit driver off the tee without taking on some risk, in the form of trees and penalty areas. 4-iron off the tee on hole 10 was good, as was my gap wedge approach. Unfortunately, I 3-putt for bogey. 7-iron off the tee on hole 11 was weak, but safe. Unfortunately, I pulled my 8-iron approach left of the green. A pitch and two putts resulted in bogey. 7-iron off the tee on hole 12 was better, but I was still blocked out by some trees. I punched a nice low shot to the left fairway, 50 yards from the green. Another pitch and two putts produced yet another bogey. The lengthy par putt very nearly dropped though.
Holes 13, 14 and 15 produced bogey, par and birdie, respectively. The first of these is a 155-yard par-3 over water. My tee shot hooked left of the green, but I bumped my second shot into a mound, allowing the ball to release to the green. The par putt was close, but didn't drop. Hole 14 is a par-5 with a dogleg left. I did well to set up an approach from 125 yards, but pulled the gap wedge left of the green. No worries, as a lovely up and down followed for the par. That was nice, but the birdie on the next hole was better. A perfect 8-iron finished flag high on this par-3, setting up a 10-foot putt that curled cooperatively into the hole.
Hole 16 is the hardest on the course, in my opinion. If your tee shot is not deep and perfectly placed, you're resigned to playing this par-4 as a par-5. My tee shot found the fairway, but I was too far back and left to go for the green. I pitched the ball 50 yards ahead to the end of the fairway, then attacked the green with a gap wedge. A lengthy lag putt was followed by a 2-footer for bogey.
Hole 17 is a difficult hole as well, owing to its length and dogleg left. At 440 yards, it's a challenging par-4. My drive nestled beneath a spruce tree on the inside corner of the dogleg. I had no option but to declare the ball unplayable and take a penalty. The worst part is I still couldn't reach the green after taking my drop. I hit a nice 4-iron to the middle of the fairway, then pitched on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
The final hole is a par-5 that resulted in bogey. Hey, a final score of 88? I'll take it!
Score: 88
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 1
A horribly pulled drive led to double-bogey on hole 2, before I settled into a streak of bogey golf that lasted for four holes. On hole 3, a perfect drive was followed by a weak approach shot. On hole 4, a poor tee shot was followed by a well placed second and some nice putting. On hole 5, a par-3, my 9-iron off the tee found a bunker short and left. For once, I actually made a decent bunker shot, managing to find the putting surface.
Hole 6 was perhaps the most impressive of the bogeys. My drive carried over a naturalized area to the angled fairway. Since I can't shape the driver right to left, my ball went through the fairway toward hole 8. My second shot was a lovely gap wedge over some high trees to get back to the proper fairway, 40 yards in front of the green. It was the smart decision. I recognized my position and didn't try to do too much. My first priority was to get over the tall trees and I needed loft for that. A large bunker also fronts the green and I wanted no part of it. I pitched on and 2-putt, with no issue.
Hole 7 is a par-3 over water that was playing about 177 yards. I hit a silky 5-iron to the right side of the green, that finished on the upper tier. However, the hole was cut on the lower tier near the front of the green. I hit a putt to the ridge that then carried perfectly near the hole. A two foot putt earned the par. The par was followed by double-bogey on the next hole, as my second shot from the left rough suffered from a bad lie. If my third shot was a little more precise, I could have saved bogey, but it didn't happen.
Hole 9 is a par-5 that produced bogey, thanks in part to a lovely 5-iron for my second shot. My drive was mediocre, but that second shot put me back in perfect position. Amazingly, I made another decent shot from a green side bunker en route to the bogey. Kudos to Century Pines, who actually had some very nice sand in their bunkers. That hasn't always been the case in the past.
Holes 10, 11 and 12 at Century Pines are all short par-4 holes. However, you can't really hit driver off the tee without taking on some risk, in the form of trees and penalty areas. 4-iron off the tee on hole 10 was good, as was my gap wedge approach. Unfortunately, I 3-putt for bogey. 7-iron off the tee on hole 11 was weak, but safe. Unfortunately, I pulled my 8-iron approach left of the green. A pitch and two putts resulted in bogey. 7-iron off the tee on hole 12 was better, but I was still blocked out by some trees. I punched a nice low shot to the left fairway, 50 yards from the green. Another pitch and two putts produced yet another bogey. The lengthy par putt very nearly dropped though.
Holes 13, 14 and 15 produced bogey, par and birdie, respectively. The first of these is a 155-yard par-3 over water. My tee shot hooked left of the green, but I bumped my second shot into a mound, allowing the ball to release to the green. The par putt was close, but didn't drop. Hole 14 is a par-5 with a dogleg left. I did well to set up an approach from 125 yards, but pulled the gap wedge left of the green. No worries, as a lovely up and down followed for the par. That was nice, but the birdie on the next hole was better. A perfect 8-iron finished flag high on this par-3, setting up a 10-foot putt that curled cooperatively into the hole.
Hole 16 is the hardest on the course, in my opinion. If your tee shot is not deep and perfectly placed, you're resigned to playing this par-4 as a par-5. My tee shot found the fairway, but I was too far back and left to go for the green. I pitched the ball 50 yards ahead to the end of the fairway, then attacked the green with a gap wedge. A lengthy lag putt was followed by a 2-footer for bogey.
Hole 17 is a difficult hole as well, owing to its length and dogleg left. At 440 yards, it's a challenging par-4. My drive nestled beneath a spruce tree on the inside corner of the dogleg. I had no option but to declare the ball unplayable and take a penalty. The worst part is I still couldn't reach the green after taking my drop. I hit a nice 4-iron to the middle of the fairway, then pitched on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
The final hole is a par-5 that resulted in bogey. Hey, a final score of 88? I'll take it!
Score: 88
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 1
July 17, 2019
Breaking 90 The New Norm?
I don't want to jinx this, but I've now scored less than 90 in five straight rounds and six of my last seven. I can't recall breaking 90 so often in such a short time span. Could this be the new norm? I certainly hope so. The latest sub-90 round came on the familiar grounds of Lowville Golf Club. It was a fairly hot day and I help up fine during the round, but I didn't feel so great immediately afterwards.
I shot 46 on the front nine, and that was with a score of 9 on hole 2, a downhill par-4. My drive flared right a bit, near a spruce tree. With no backswing, all I could do was punch back to the fairway. From 120 yards, I hit a decent gap wedge, but found a bunker on the right side of the green. My trouble with bunkers has been well documented and right now, it's as bad as it's ever been. I simply don't know what I'm doing. I try to hit the sand behind the ball and I end up catching the ball clean, often sending it 30 yards over the green. Well, it happened again. My pitch back to the green rolled off and into the bunker once again. The next bunker attempt wasn't as bad as the first, but I still failed to hold the green. A chip and two putts put the finishing touch on the 9 score.
It's a shame my bunker play is in such shambles, because I'm in a good groove with the rest of my game, especially iron play and putting. I had four pars on the front nine at Lowville, beginning with the opening par-5. My drive was a mediocre pull to the left rough, but a crisp 8-iron, followed by a crisp lob wedge set up an easy lag and tap-in. On hole 4, another par-5, a good drive was followed by a pretty 3-iron, leaving a 30-yard pitch to the green. I handled that well and then 2-putt to finish. On hole 5, a 177-yard par-3, my 6-iron was utter perfection. The ball finished flag high, 10 feet from the cup. The birdie putt didn't drop, but I'll take tap-in pars all day long.
Hole 6 should have been another par, but a silly 3-putt turned that into bogey. 6-iron off the tee went 200 yards straight down the middle. What a feeling! From there, a lob wedge found the green and actually gave me a legit birdie chance. Unfortunately, I left my first putt way short and sealed my fate. No worries, as I collected another par on hole 8, a devilish little par-3. I hit a perfect sand wedge on this 121-yard hole, leaving the ball in a perfect spot below the hole. Long on this hole is disastrous and short left is no picnic either. I took that all out of play with the accuracy of my tee shot.
I improved on the back nine with a score of 43. Actually, it was a similar nine to the front. The only difference is that one blowup hole wasn't quite so disastrous as hole 2. It was a triple-bogey on hole 15, a 180-yard par-3. I topped my tee shot, sending the ball into a penalty area just ahead of us. After my only penalty of the day, I dropped 130 yards from the green and hit a beautiful pitching wedge to just behind the cup. Unfortunately, I left my first putt short again, and needed two more to finish things off. A couple days earlier, I had volunteered at the Osprey Valley Open, which is an event on the Mackenzie Tour (PGA Tour Canada). The greens at that event were very fast, and I think that was in the back of my head. Go figure.
Once again, I made four pars on the back half of the course, beginning with hole 10, a 352-yard par-4. A perfect drive allowed me to attack the green with a lob wedge from 95 yards. I actually came up a yard short, but made a nice chip and putt for the up and down. I got the next par on hole 12, a par-5, despite a mediocre drive that leaked a bit right to the side of a steep hill. A crisp 8-iron followed and it couldn't have been placed any better, coming to rest in a deep gulley 30 yards short of the green. The ensuing pitch and two putts were no problem. The birdie putt very nearly went in, but not quite.
Holes 14 and 16 produced the other pars. The former is a 354-yard par-4 that also plays downhill. Driver, lob wedge is all I needed to find the green. The latter is a 422-yard par-4 that plays uphill, so it is much more challenging. A good drive was followed by a beautiful 5-iron from 180 yards. I've been hitting those long irons nicely and this one was on a bee line to the flag. It ended up two yards short of the green, as a slope prevented the ball from rolling onto the putting surface. I putt from there and judged the speed perfectly, leaving a tap-in for the par.
Hole 18 features a long carry over a naturalized area and can intimidate many a player. I stepped up and hit a nice drive over all the danger and just right of the fairway. I ended with bogey, but that was good for that hole and good enough to break 90. Let's see if I can do it again next time!
Score: 89
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 7
Penalties: 1
I shot 46 on the front nine, and that was with a score of 9 on hole 2, a downhill par-4. My drive flared right a bit, near a spruce tree. With no backswing, all I could do was punch back to the fairway. From 120 yards, I hit a decent gap wedge, but found a bunker on the right side of the green. My trouble with bunkers has been well documented and right now, it's as bad as it's ever been. I simply don't know what I'm doing. I try to hit the sand behind the ball and I end up catching the ball clean, often sending it 30 yards over the green. Well, it happened again. My pitch back to the green rolled off and into the bunker once again. The next bunker attempt wasn't as bad as the first, but I still failed to hold the green. A chip and two putts put the finishing touch on the 9 score.
It's a shame my bunker play is in such shambles, because I'm in a good groove with the rest of my game, especially iron play and putting. I had four pars on the front nine at Lowville, beginning with the opening par-5. My drive was a mediocre pull to the left rough, but a crisp 8-iron, followed by a crisp lob wedge set up an easy lag and tap-in. On hole 4, another par-5, a good drive was followed by a pretty 3-iron, leaving a 30-yard pitch to the green. I handled that well and then 2-putt to finish. On hole 5, a 177-yard par-3, my 6-iron was utter perfection. The ball finished flag high, 10 feet from the cup. The birdie putt didn't drop, but I'll take tap-in pars all day long.
Hole 6 should have been another par, but a silly 3-putt turned that into bogey. 6-iron off the tee went 200 yards straight down the middle. What a feeling! From there, a lob wedge found the green and actually gave me a legit birdie chance. Unfortunately, I left my first putt way short and sealed my fate. No worries, as I collected another par on hole 8, a devilish little par-3. I hit a perfect sand wedge on this 121-yard hole, leaving the ball in a perfect spot below the hole. Long on this hole is disastrous and short left is no picnic either. I took that all out of play with the accuracy of my tee shot.
I improved on the back nine with a score of 43. Actually, it was a similar nine to the front. The only difference is that one blowup hole wasn't quite so disastrous as hole 2. It was a triple-bogey on hole 15, a 180-yard par-3. I topped my tee shot, sending the ball into a penalty area just ahead of us. After my only penalty of the day, I dropped 130 yards from the green and hit a beautiful pitching wedge to just behind the cup. Unfortunately, I left my first putt short again, and needed two more to finish things off. A couple days earlier, I had volunteered at the Osprey Valley Open, which is an event on the Mackenzie Tour (PGA Tour Canada). The greens at that event were very fast, and I think that was in the back of my head. Go figure.
Once again, I made four pars on the back half of the course, beginning with hole 10, a 352-yard par-4. A perfect drive allowed me to attack the green with a lob wedge from 95 yards. I actually came up a yard short, but made a nice chip and putt for the up and down. I got the next par on hole 12, a par-5, despite a mediocre drive that leaked a bit right to the side of a steep hill. A crisp 8-iron followed and it couldn't have been placed any better, coming to rest in a deep gulley 30 yards short of the green. The ensuing pitch and two putts were no problem. The birdie putt very nearly went in, but not quite.
Holes 14 and 16 produced the other pars. The former is a 354-yard par-4 that also plays downhill. Driver, lob wedge is all I needed to find the green. The latter is a 422-yard par-4 that plays uphill, so it is much more challenging. A good drive was followed by a beautiful 5-iron from 180 yards. I've been hitting those long irons nicely and this one was on a bee line to the flag. It ended up two yards short of the green, as a slope prevented the ball from rolling onto the putting surface. I putt from there and judged the speed perfectly, leaving a tap-in for the par.
Hole 18 features a long carry over a naturalized area and can intimidate many a player. I stepped up and hit a nice drive over all the danger and just right of the fairway. I ended with bogey, but that was good for that hole and good enough to break 90. Let's see if I can do it again next time!
Score: 89
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 7
Penalties: 1
July 10, 2019
Sprint to the Finish at Glen Eagle
I played the Original 18 at Glen Eagle and things were looking good after the first two holes. Hole 1 is the harder of the two, but I hit the fairway with a great drive, then nailed the green with a pitching wedge. On hole 2, a par-5, I hit driver to left fairway, followed by a silky 5-iron to the right fairway, and a lob wedge into the green. On both occasions, I made a good lag putt and tapped in for par. Textbook stuff.
Then suddenly, things fell apart. I hooked a 7-iron on hole 3, a par-3, leaving me in a tough position in front of the green. I faced a huge slope to an elevated green, but tree branches interfered overhead. I bumped a shot into the hill, hoping to bounce onto the green. It worked, but the bounce didn't scrub enough ball speed and I rolled off the back of the green. I made a downhill chip and followed with two putts for double-bogey.
You can recover from something like that. What you can't recover from is a score of 11 on a par-5, which is what I registered on hole 4. I pulled my drive badly, hitting some trees left, but followed up with a perfect lob wedge to get back in position. Unfortunately, a side hill lie affected my next shot. It was another pull that ended up lost, perhaps in the woods. The course was dry and hard and the shot was a bullet, so the rough likely didn't slow the ball down much. After taking a penalty and drop, I hit my fifth shot – a punch that finished flag high in a bunker. A splash out and 2-putt would give me a triple-bogey. Instead, I sculled one across the green, then slid a wedge under the ball on bone dry grass, dribbling forward into another bunker. The next shot barely emerged from the sand, only reaching some rough. A chip and two putts were needed to end the misery.
What a bad sequence! It was a comedy of errors. A bogey and par followed on the next two holes, as I tried to put the hole 4 fiasco out of my mind. It appeared I was doing that successfully, but then a green side bunker started another bad sequence. Hole 7 is a straightforward par-4. My second shot found a bunker and I didn't want to repeat what happened earlier in the round. I tried to pick the ball clean this time, and it failed badly. With the ball still in the bunker, I tried the more conventional shot. It was actually pretty good, but the ball carried off the back of the green. I needed a chip and two putts to finish. It was a disappointing triple-bogey. I made bogey on hole 8, but then another triple-bogey on hole 9, thanks to a pushed iron off the tee that earned my second penalty stroke of the day. 52 was my score at the turn.
I wasn't feeling bad, despite the poor front nine. For whatever reason, I just moved along one shot at a time with no regard for earlier results. I carried this attitude for the entire back nine and was rewarded with a 1-over score of 37. Wow, what a turn of events! It helped that I started with a par on hole 10. I didn't even hit the fairway with my drive, but a lovely punch under some trees finished in the fairway, 50 yards from the flag. Up and down from there was well earned.
Hole 11 produced another par, beginning with a 260-yard drive over a pond to an angled fairway. From 95 yards, my lob wedge rolled off the back of the green. No worries, as I made a decent chip, followed by an excellent putt. Holes 12 and 13 both resulted in bogey. A 275-yard drive split the fairway on the former, but my 9-iron leaked right into a bunker. I finally hit a decent bunker shot, then 2-putt. A terrible drive on the latter was saved by a pristine 5-iron that got me to the right fairway, 150 yards from the green. What a sweet shot! My approach was only good enough to find the right fringe, quite a distance from the hole. I 3-putt from there to finish.
Now into the final stretch. I played holes 14 through 18 with a score of 1 under par. Four pars and a birdie did the trick. On hole 14, a 160-yard par-3, I hit the green and 2-putt a good distance from the cup. Putting well helps tremendously. On hole 15, I placed a drive perfectly in the fairway, avoiding a large tree that sits smack dab in the middle. From there, I hit lob wedge into the green and 2-putt once again. On hole 16, my drive landed on the left side of the fairway, but the slope carried it close to the right edge. From 150 yards, I hit the elevated green and was flag high. The birdie putt almost dropped, but an additional tap-in was required. Hole 17 is a short par-3. I hit gap wedge to within 10 feet and stroked in the birdie putt with no difficulty.
Hole 18 is a fun par-5, measuring 537 yards from the white tees. The blues are almost 100 yards further back. I hit a laser drive about 250 yards. From the centre of the fairway, I hit a syrupy 6-iron to the fairway just in front of the green. I mean, this shot was pure as pure can be. I've been hitting the 4, 5, and 6-irons really well. Perfect contact and the ball just pops off the club face, propelled deep on the target line. My approach into the green was a lob wedge from 70 yards that finished behind the hole. The birdie putt stopped on the lip of the cup, forcing a tap-in to finish.
What a wicked finish! This may have been my best nine holes ever.
Score: 89
Putts: 34
Fairways: 8
Greens: 9
Penalties: 2
Then suddenly, things fell apart. I hooked a 7-iron on hole 3, a par-3, leaving me in a tough position in front of the green. I faced a huge slope to an elevated green, but tree branches interfered overhead. I bumped a shot into the hill, hoping to bounce onto the green. It worked, but the bounce didn't scrub enough ball speed and I rolled off the back of the green. I made a downhill chip and followed with two putts for double-bogey.
You can recover from something like that. What you can't recover from is a score of 11 on a par-5, which is what I registered on hole 4. I pulled my drive badly, hitting some trees left, but followed up with a perfect lob wedge to get back in position. Unfortunately, a side hill lie affected my next shot. It was another pull that ended up lost, perhaps in the woods. The course was dry and hard and the shot was a bullet, so the rough likely didn't slow the ball down much. After taking a penalty and drop, I hit my fifth shot – a punch that finished flag high in a bunker. A splash out and 2-putt would give me a triple-bogey. Instead, I sculled one across the green, then slid a wedge under the ball on bone dry grass, dribbling forward into another bunker. The next shot barely emerged from the sand, only reaching some rough. A chip and two putts were needed to end the misery.
What a bad sequence! It was a comedy of errors. A bogey and par followed on the next two holes, as I tried to put the hole 4 fiasco out of my mind. It appeared I was doing that successfully, but then a green side bunker started another bad sequence. Hole 7 is a straightforward par-4. My second shot found a bunker and I didn't want to repeat what happened earlier in the round. I tried to pick the ball clean this time, and it failed badly. With the ball still in the bunker, I tried the more conventional shot. It was actually pretty good, but the ball carried off the back of the green. I needed a chip and two putts to finish. It was a disappointing triple-bogey. I made bogey on hole 8, but then another triple-bogey on hole 9, thanks to a pushed iron off the tee that earned my second penalty stroke of the day. 52 was my score at the turn.
I wasn't feeling bad, despite the poor front nine. For whatever reason, I just moved along one shot at a time with no regard for earlier results. I carried this attitude for the entire back nine and was rewarded with a 1-over score of 37. Wow, what a turn of events! It helped that I started with a par on hole 10. I didn't even hit the fairway with my drive, but a lovely punch under some trees finished in the fairway, 50 yards from the flag. Up and down from there was well earned.
Hole 11 produced another par, beginning with a 260-yard drive over a pond to an angled fairway. From 95 yards, my lob wedge rolled off the back of the green. No worries, as I made a decent chip, followed by an excellent putt. Holes 12 and 13 both resulted in bogey. A 275-yard drive split the fairway on the former, but my 9-iron leaked right into a bunker. I finally hit a decent bunker shot, then 2-putt. A terrible drive on the latter was saved by a pristine 5-iron that got me to the right fairway, 150 yards from the green. What a sweet shot! My approach was only good enough to find the right fringe, quite a distance from the hole. I 3-putt from there to finish.
Now into the final stretch. I played holes 14 through 18 with a score of 1 under par. Four pars and a birdie did the trick. On hole 14, a 160-yard par-3, I hit the green and 2-putt a good distance from the cup. Putting well helps tremendously. On hole 15, I placed a drive perfectly in the fairway, avoiding a large tree that sits smack dab in the middle. From there, I hit lob wedge into the green and 2-putt once again. On hole 16, my drive landed on the left side of the fairway, but the slope carried it close to the right edge. From 150 yards, I hit the elevated green and was flag high. The birdie putt almost dropped, but an additional tap-in was required. Hole 17 is a short par-3. I hit gap wedge to within 10 feet and stroked in the birdie putt with no difficulty.
Hole 18 is a fun par-5, measuring 537 yards from the white tees. The blues are almost 100 yards further back. I hit a laser drive about 250 yards. From the centre of the fairway, I hit a syrupy 6-iron to the fairway just in front of the green. I mean, this shot was pure as pure can be. I've been hitting the 4, 5, and 6-irons really well. Perfect contact and the ball just pops off the club face, propelled deep on the target line. My approach into the green was a lob wedge from 70 yards that finished behind the hole. The birdie putt stopped on the lip of the cup, forcing a tap-in to finish.
What a wicked finish! This may have been my best nine holes ever.
Score: 89
Putts: 34
Fairways: 8
Greens: 9
Penalties: 2
July 08, 2019
Finally...Deerfield
If it's a public golf course with 18 holes, measuring at least 6,000 yards, and within a 1.5 hour drive of Toronto, I've probably played it. The only exceptions might be a few courses with astronomical green fees. Copper Creek and Glen Abbey come to mind. Oh yes, there's also Lebovic Golf Club, which joined this club just a couple of years ago. In fact, Lebovic might be the poster child for the bunch. At the moment, they don't even have rates posted on their website. If you have to ask, you can't afford it, I suppose.
However, there is a reasonably priced golf course that meets the other specifications, which I had never played – until now. Deerfield Golf Club has 18 holes, measuring 6,301 yards from the back tees, and it's extremely easy for me to get to. Back in the day, I used to play Richview, which was a course just up the road. Richview has been closed for many years now. I also played Saw Whet many times, which was a course directly adjacent to Deerfield. It too, is now closed. Playing Saw Whet #3, I used to look over at Deerfield #14 and wonder about the course. In fact, I may have even sliced a drive or two onto Deerfield property, as there was no fence or other clear division between the holes.
So, I finally made it to Deerfield and the result was excellent. They do say that good things come to those who wait. I managed a final score of 84, or 13 over par for the round, just failing to make the list of my Top 10 rounds of all time. The final spot on that list was also for a round of 84, but it was just 12 over par. There's no reason to split hairs, however. The point is, this was a good round for me. I'm in a good groove, as this was the third time in a row that I broke 90, and the fourth time in my last five attempts.
I started the opening par-5 with a very mediocre drive, but conservative play got me safely over some water fronting the green and I made bogey. Hole 2 is a 188-yard par-3 with water along the entire left side, including up against the green. I hit a beautiful 5-iron to the right side and got the benefit of the ball finishing in the heart of the green. Par was the result. Hole 3, a short par-4, was arguably my worst of the day, as I took two penalty strokes and made double bogey. My 5-iron off the tee was very nice, but it had a hint of draw to it and bounced into the edge of a pond. After taking my first penalty and a drop, my third shot was a sculled attempt that found the water again. I did well to get up and down from about about 70 yards.
I had a couple more 1-putts on the front nine, which helped prevent my score from getting out of hand. The greens at Deerfield were in very good condition, and I had the speed judged very well. The 5-iron continued to work like a charm, including off the tee on hole 5, another short par-4. A wedge into the green helped me finish that hole with par. The only trouble came when I went with driver off the tee. I push sliced my drives on holes 6 and 7, producing a couple of double-bogeys in the process. However, I figured the driver out on hole 8, with a gem right down the middle. The 6-iron that followed was a beauty as well. My score after nine holes was a modest 44.
On the back nine, the round got special, beginning with three consecutive pars. 5-iron off the tee on hole 10 was the correct call, and it was lovely. The tee shot favours a draw around a large tree on the left side of the fairway. A couple of wedge shots got me to the green, followed by a 2-putt. A pretty 9-iron found the green on hole 11, a par-3. Again, two putts finished the job. On hole 12, a towering drive split the fairway, and a gap wedge found the green, giving a good look at birdie. I burned the edge of the cup, settling for the par.
After a bogey on hole 13, a par-3, I got back on the par train with a very nice one on hole 14. This is a long par-5 that begins with a challenging tee shot. Water lines the left side of the landing zone, while woods pinch in on the right. The fairway does widen substantially beyond the pinching trees, but you still need to be precise. I couldn't have done better. After a 3-iron, 7-iron combination, I calmly 2-putt to complete the hole.
Holes 15 through 17 all resulted in bogeys. I was still playing well, just a hair less precise than the previous few holes. On 15, my drive came to rest near a small tree just left of the fairway. With no backswing available, I could not attack the green of this par-4. A punch out was followed by a good wedge shot, but I still needed two putts to finish. On hole 16, my drive just missed the fairway right, and my approach just missed the green left. A chip and two putts were needed to finish. On hole 17, I made a bad putt from the back fringe. It was my only 3-putt of the day.
Now, let's talk about hole 18, which put the finishing touch on a great day. This is a 547-yard par-5. There is OB on the left side and a pond on the right, which can come into play on your tee shot. I smoked a drive straight down the pipe. The ball travelled 280 yards, finishing on the right side of the fairway. Next, I reached for the 6-iron and struck an absolutely pure ball. I love connecting like that with the lower irons. The ball popped off the club face effortlessly, on a beautiful trajectory. As the fairway bends slightly to the right, and my ball was dead straight, it ended up just in the left rough, 100 yards from the green.
Those two shots, back-to-back, felt like absolute perfection and they prove that I can play. My next shot, however, shows how it pays to be lucky. I thinned a sand wedge badly, the ball never getting more than a few feet off the ground. Luckily, it was directly in line with the flag. The ball bounced through some rough, over a hump in front of the green and came to rest four feet from the cup! I'll take it! I lined up the putt and drained it for birdie. How sweet it is!
Score: 84
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 8
Penalties: 3
However, there is a reasonably priced golf course that meets the other specifications, which I had never played – until now. Deerfield Golf Club has 18 holes, measuring 6,301 yards from the back tees, and it's extremely easy for me to get to. Back in the day, I used to play Richview, which was a course just up the road. Richview has been closed for many years now. I also played Saw Whet many times, which was a course directly adjacent to Deerfield. It too, is now closed. Playing Saw Whet #3, I used to look over at Deerfield #14 and wonder about the course. In fact, I may have even sliced a drive or two onto Deerfield property, as there was no fence or other clear division between the holes.
So, I finally made it to Deerfield and the result was excellent. They do say that good things come to those who wait. I managed a final score of 84, or 13 over par for the round, just failing to make the list of my Top 10 rounds of all time. The final spot on that list was also for a round of 84, but it was just 12 over par. There's no reason to split hairs, however. The point is, this was a good round for me. I'm in a good groove, as this was the third time in a row that I broke 90, and the fourth time in my last five attempts.
I started the opening par-5 with a very mediocre drive, but conservative play got me safely over some water fronting the green and I made bogey. Hole 2 is a 188-yard par-3 with water along the entire left side, including up against the green. I hit a beautiful 5-iron to the right side and got the benefit of the ball finishing in the heart of the green. Par was the result. Hole 3, a short par-4, was arguably my worst of the day, as I took two penalty strokes and made double bogey. My 5-iron off the tee was very nice, but it had a hint of draw to it and bounced into the edge of a pond. After taking my first penalty and a drop, my third shot was a sculled attempt that found the water again. I did well to get up and down from about about 70 yards.
I had a couple more 1-putts on the front nine, which helped prevent my score from getting out of hand. The greens at Deerfield were in very good condition, and I had the speed judged very well. The 5-iron continued to work like a charm, including off the tee on hole 5, another short par-4. A wedge into the green helped me finish that hole with par. The only trouble came when I went with driver off the tee. I push sliced my drives on holes 6 and 7, producing a couple of double-bogeys in the process. However, I figured the driver out on hole 8, with a gem right down the middle. The 6-iron that followed was a beauty as well. My score after nine holes was a modest 44.
On the back nine, the round got special, beginning with three consecutive pars. 5-iron off the tee on hole 10 was the correct call, and it was lovely. The tee shot favours a draw around a large tree on the left side of the fairway. A couple of wedge shots got me to the green, followed by a 2-putt. A pretty 9-iron found the green on hole 11, a par-3. Again, two putts finished the job. On hole 12, a towering drive split the fairway, and a gap wedge found the green, giving a good look at birdie. I burned the edge of the cup, settling for the par.
After a bogey on hole 13, a par-3, I got back on the par train with a very nice one on hole 14. This is a long par-5 that begins with a challenging tee shot. Water lines the left side of the landing zone, while woods pinch in on the right. The fairway does widen substantially beyond the pinching trees, but you still need to be precise. I couldn't have done better. After a 3-iron, 7-iron combination, I calmly 2-putt to complete the hole.
Holes 15 through 17 all resulted in bogeys. I was still playing well, just a hair less precise than the previous few holes. On 15, my drive came to rest near a small tree just left of the fairway. With no backswing available, I could not attack the green of this par-4. A punch out was followed by a good wedge shot, but I still needed two putts to finish. On hole 16, my drive just missed the fairway right, and my approach just missed the green left. A chip and two putts were needed to finish. On hole 17, I made a bad putt from the back fringe. It was my only 3-putt of the day.
Now, let's talk about hole 18, which put the finishing touch on a great day. This is a 547-yard par-5. There is OB on the left side and a pond on the right, which can come into play on your tee shot. I smoked a drive straight down the pipe. The ball travelled 280 yards, finishing on the right side of the fairway. Next, I reached for the 6-iron and struck an absolutely pure ball. I love connecting like that with the lower irons. The ball popped off the club face effortlessly, on a beautiful trajectory. As the fairway bends slightly to the right, and my ball was dead straight, it ended up just in the left rough, 100 yards from the green.
Those two shots, back-to-back, felt like absolute perfection and they prove that I can play. My next shot, however, shows how it pays to be lucky. I thinned a sand wedge badly, the ball never getting more than a few feet off the ground. Luckily, it was directly in line with the flag. The ball bounced through some rough, over a hump in front of the green and came to rest four feet from the cup! I'll take it! I lined up the putt and drained it for birdie. How sweet it is!
Score: 84
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 8
Penalties: 3
July 06, 2019
Finding a Groove at Cardinal
I had a rain check for Cardinal Golf Club, so I booked a round on the East Wing course. Hole 1 is a 3-shot par-5 with a severely elevated green. After a 290-yard drive to the left fairway, I placed a 100-yard layup perfectly, leaving 95 yards to the green. They were the two best shots I've ever played on that hole. Lob wedge hit the crest of the hill and rolled backwards a bit, but I then chipped on and drained a putt for par.
Hole 2 is a 185-yard par-3 with a forced carry over a brush covered valley. I hit a sweet 5-iron that was all over the flag, but released to just off the back of the green. I sculled the downhill chip attempt, forcing another chip from the low side of the green. It wasn't a bad one, but I couldn't make the putt and had to settle for a double-bogey. The chips were disappointing, but I loved that 5-iron, so I was feeling good.
I closed out the front nine with a miraculous stretch of golf, commencing with six consecutive pars, followed by a bogey. Driver, 8-iron found the fairway and green, respectively, on hole 3. I missed the fairway badly on hole 4, but a wedge back to the 150-yard stick was followed by a beautiful up and down from that position. Driver on hole 5 travelled through the dogleg, leaving a 70-yard pitch to the green. A pitch and two putts did the trick.
A perfectly placed drive on hole 6 was followed by a flag high gap wedge to the elevated green, leading to an easy 2-putt. Hole 7 is a 164-yard par-3 over a deep valley. My 7-iron was straight at the front flag location. My ball mark was 6 inches in front of the cup, though the ball released toward the back of the deep green. A beautiful lag putt set up a stress-free par.
Hole 8 is the #1 handicap hole on the course, with good reason. Your drive on this par-5 needs to be perfect in order to attack with your second shot, which is through a chute and over a cliff, with a wide area of brush on the other side. My drive was plenty deep and perfectly straight. My next shot was a bullet 4-iron that took me to the left fairway, 70 yards from the flag. Again, these were the two best shots I've ever played on this hole. My pitch shot trickled off the back left side of the green, but I chipped to within a foot and tapped in for the par.
A beautiful 6-iron finished just left of the green, but flag high, on hole 9, a 186-yard par-3. I had visions of getting up and down for my 8th par of the front nine, just as I had on the previous hole, but my chip was a little less precise this time and I 2-putted for bogey. Still, I shot a 3-over score of 38 on the front, which put me on pace to challenge my best ever score of 78.
Unfortunately, the magic wore off on the back nine. A couple things got me. My third shot on hole 10, a par-5, was good, but finished in a front right bunker. I rammed one shot into the lip, before emerging from the sand with my fifth shot. Two putts later, I had recorded a double-bogey. I have no confidence with bunker shots beside the green, as it's been many years since I had any proficiency with them. It's a real weakness of my game.
I pulled my drive on hole 11 into some water, resulting in a penalty stroke and drop. I got up and down from about 40 yards to save bogey, so I still had some good momentum. In fact, I think that helped me tremendously on the next hole, a par-5 where I managed to make eagle last year. The drive is through a chute of trees and must carry some brush to reach safety. When I made eagle, I hit a 280-yard drive to the right fairway, followed by a 3-iron that travelled 200 yards to the green. This time, I really focused on the drive and found the centre of the fairway. The best part was that I had only 160 yards remaining to the green. Yes, it was a 320-yard drive! What a beauty! Sadly, my second shot rolled into a right side bunker, albeit flag high. Given my poor bunker game, all I could do was get out and 2-putt for par.
The remaining holes produced three bogeys, which were solid, and three double-bogeys, thanks to some unfortunate situations. On hole 14, a beautiful drive bounced into the right rough. I was only 120 yards from the flag, but a slender tree was partly in my way. I opened up my club face to get the ball up quickly and I just overdid it. Sure, I got over the tree, but I was 50 yards short of the green. It didn't help that I shanked my next shot into a bad position right of the green. On hole 16, I had to punch under some tree limbs from 100 yards out. Those are always hard to judge and my ball bounced through the green and off the back. Hole 17, a long par-3, began with a miss hit 5-wood, followed by a wayward pitching wedge.
Overall, it was good enough to shoot a respectable 86.
Score: 86
Putts: 31
Fairways: 8
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
Hole 2 is a 185-yard par-3 with a forced carry over a brush covered valley. I hit a sweet 5-iron that was all over the flag, but released to just off the back of the green. I sculled the downhill chip attempt, forcing another chip from the low side of the green. It wasn't a bad one, but I couldn't make the putt and had to settle for a double-bogey. The chips were disappointing, but I loved that 5-iron, so I was feeling good.
I closed out the front nine with a miraculous stretch of golf, commencing with six consecutive pars, followed by a bogey. Driver, 8-iron found the fairway and green, respectively, on hole 3. I missed the fairway badly on hole 4, but a wedge back to the 150-yard stick was followed by a beautiful up and down from that position. Driver on hole 5 travelled through the dogleg, leaving a 70-yard pitch to the green. A pitch and two putts did the trick.
A perfectly placed drive on hole 6 was followed by a flag high gap wedge to the elevated green, leading to an easy 2-putt. Hole 7 is a 164-yard par-3 over a deep valley. My 7-iron was straight at the front flag location. My ball mark was 6 inches in front of the cup, though the ball released toward the back of the deep green. A beautiful lag putt set up a stress-free par.
Hole 8 is the #1 handicap hole on the course, with good reason. Your drive on this par-5 needs to be perfect in order to attack with your second shot, which is through a chute and over a cliff, with a wide area of brush on the other side. My drive was plenty deep and perfectly straight. My next shot was a bullet 4-iron that took me to the left fairway, 70 yards from the flag. Again, these were the two best shots I've ever played on this hole. My pitch shot trickled off the back left side of the green, but I chipped to within a foot and tapped in for the par.
A beautiful 6-iron finished just left of the green, but flag high, on hole 9, a 186-yard par-3. I had visions of getting up and down for my 8th par of the front nine, just as I had on the previous hole, but my chip was a little less precise this time and I 2-putted for bogey. Still, I shot a 3-over score of 38 on the front, which put me on pace to challenge my best ever score of 78.
Unfortunately, the magic wore off on the back nine. A couple things got me. My third shot on hole 10, a par-5, was good, but finished in a front right bunker. I rammed one shot into the lip, before emerging from the sand with my fifth shot. Two putts later, I had recorded a double-bogey. I have no confidence with bunker shots beside the green, as it's been many years since I had any proficiency with them. It's a real weakness of my game.
I pulled my drive on hole 11 into some water, resulting in a penalty stroke and drop. I got up and down from about 40 yards to save bogey, so I still had some good momentum. In fact, I think that helped me tremendously on the next hole, a par-5 where I managed to make eagle last year. The drive is through a chute of trees and must carry some brush to reach safety. When I made eagle, I hit a 280-yard drive to the right fairway, followed by a 3-iron that travelled 200 yards to the green. This time, I really focused on the drive and found the centre of the fairway. The best part was that I had only 160 yards remaining to the green. Yes, it was a 320-yard drive! What a beauty! Sadly, my second shot rolled into a right side bunker, albeit flag high. Given my poor bunker game, all I could do was get out and 2-putt for par.
The remaining holes produced three bogeys, which were solid, and three double-bogeys, thanks to some unfortunate situations. On hole 14, a beautiful drive bounced into the right rough. I was only 120 yards from the flag, but a slender tree was partly in my way. I opened up my club face to get the ball up quickly and I just overdid it. Sure, I got over the tree, but I was 50 yards short of the green. It didn't help that I shanked my next shot into a bad position right of the green. On hole 16, I had to punch under some tree limbs from 100 yards out. Those are always hard to judge and my ball bounced through the green and off the back. Hole 17, a long par-3, began with a miss hit 5-wood, followed by a wayward pitching wedge.
Overall, it was good enough to shoot a respectable 86.
Score: 86
Putts: 31
Fairways: 8
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
July 05, 2019
Breaking 90 at Peninsula Lakes
Round 2 of the Deepwoods season got off to a great start with a pair of pars. A perfect drive and perfect 6-iron set up a birdie chance that just failed on Quarry 1. On the next hole, a solid mid iron and two putts accomplished the feat. It was bogeys for the rest of the front nine, except for doubles on Quarry 4 and 5. A pulled drive forced a sideways chip on the former and my third shot from 130 yards was also lacking. A messed up pitch shot took away what was a certain bogey on the latter. Overall, I was getting around fairly comfortably. My score at the turn was 44.
The back nine began with near perfection on Hillside 1. A nice drive was followed by a better gap wedge, leaving a birdie chance. The breaking putt was very well read, barely missing on the high side. Still, it was a stress-free par. Solid bogeys followed on the next two holes, a long par-3 and par-5. Unfortunately, the hardest hole on the course got me good, producing a quadruple-bogey. My drive was decent, but left a long carry over a pond to a green wedged between the water and OB. I laid up to the 150-yard stick, confident that an 8-iron over the water was a safe bet. Sadly, I thinned the ball into the water. After a penalty and drop, my next attempt was no better, hitting the bank on the other side of the water before curling back in. In retrospect, I should have tried to clear the water with my second shot. Laying up did nothing for me except add one stroke.
I wasn't angry with the result on Hillside 4, as I know it's a very challenging hole. Perhaps it was this mindset that helped me go 3-over par for the remaining five holes. Two bogeys were followed by a birdie, a par, and a double-bogey. The birdie on Hillside 7 was fantastic. A deep drive to the left fairway gave me a perfect view of this par-5. A pure 5-iron flew off the club head effortlessly. A lob wedge finished flag high, just right of the hole, and I drained a 10-foot putt. Hillside 9 gave me a little trouble, as my drive finished right of the fairway, in amongst the trees. The hole has become a lot harder since they let the entire hillside on the left side grow out. It now plays as a red penalty area. The proper strategy may now be to sacrifice distance off the tee in order to hit the crucial fairway.
Score: 89
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
The back nine began with near perfection on Hillside 1. A nice drive was followed by a better gap wedge, leaving a birdie chance. The breaking putt was very well read, barely missing on the high side. Still, it was a stress-free par. Solid bogeys followed on the next two holes, a long par-3 and par-5. Unfortunately, the hardest hole on the course got me good, producing a quadruple-bogey. My drive was decent, but left a long carry over a pond to a green wedged between the water and OB. I laid up to the 150-yard stick, confident that an 8-iron over the water was a safe bet. Sadly, I thinned the ball into the water. After a penalty and drop, my next attempt was no better, hitting the bank on the other side of the water before curling back in. In retrospect, I should have tried to clear the water with my second shot. Laying up did nothing for me except add one stroke.
I wasn't angry with the result on Hillside 4, as I know it's a very challenging hole. Perhaps it was this mindset that helped me go 3-over par for the remaining five holes. Two bogeys were followed by a birdie, a par, and a double-bogey. The birdie on Hillside 7 was fantastic. A deep drive to the left fairway gave me a perfect view of this par-5. A pure 5-iron flew off the club head effortlessly. A lob wedge finished flag high, just right of the hole, and I drained a 10-foot putt. Hillside 9 gave me a little trouble, as my drive finished right of the fairway, in amongst the trees. The hole has become a lot harder since they let the entire hillside on the left side grow out. It now plays as a red penalty area. The proper strategy may now be to sacrifice distance off the tee in order to hit the crucial fairway.
Score: 89
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
July 04, 2019
Two Thirds Decent at Bond Head South
I returned to Bond Head South not long after my last visit. I shot 46 on the front nine, which was two strokes better than the last time. There were just a few bad sequences. On hole 2, I duffed my first drive attempt and had to shoot my third from the tee, leading to triple-bogey. On hole 4, my drive found a right fairway bunker. I then went bunker to bunker, just trying to get over a high lip and lay up. The result was double-bogey. On hole 9, a par-5, I wasted a perfect drive, by pushing a 100-yard layup slightly right to the edge of a bunker. With a terrible stance and lie, my ball went into some woods ahead. Final result was another double-bogey.
I should dedicate some words to the good moments as well. There was a beauty 5-wood off the first tee and a lovely high 3-iron off the third tee, even though it missed the green right. The best was a stretch of three consecutive pars, beginning with hole 6. I hit driver to the fairway, followed by lob wedge to the well protected green. Hole 7 began with a straight drive, followed by a lovely 5-iron. I love smacking those long irons pure like that. I found the green in regulation with my third and then 2-putt. Hole 8 began with a drive to the right rough. The lie prevented me from reaching the green, but I pitched one close from 40 yards and made the putt.
Holes 10 and 11 were fine, producing a couple of bogeys. Then, disaster struck on hole 12, a long par-5. My drive was perfect, in the middle of the fairway. Then, I topped a 5-wood...twice! This really rubbed me the wrong way. My fourth (again with the 5-wood) was good. From 60 yards, I duffed a pitch shot. Really? My next one finally made the green. What happens after you struggle to reach the green like that? Well, you 3-putt, of course. I took a score of 9 and was seething.
I tried to forget about it and carry on. I was unlucky to get a double-bogey on hole 13. A par chip from just off the front of the green hit the flagstick, but didn't drop. The bogey putt from just above the hole lipped out cruelly. I did manage bogey on hole 14, a tough par-4, but even that result had me shaking my head. I hit a beautiful drive, but it carried so deep and then rolled into unplayable fescue. When I blew up for a triple-bogey on hole 15, a 200-yard par-3, the round was over. I spent the rest of the round cursing and going through the motions. I really had no desire to grind for a 99. The last three holes produced two doubles and one triple-bogey. So be it.
Score: 101
Putts: 38
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
I should dedicate some words to the good moments as well. There was a beauty 5-wood off the first tee and a lovely high 3-iron off the third tee, even though it missed the green right. The best was a stretch of three consecutive pars, beginning with hole 6. I hit driver to the fairway, followed by lob wedge to the well protected green. Hole 7 began with a straight drive, followed by a lovely 5-iron. I love smacking those long irons pure like that. I found the green in regulation with my third and then 2-putt. Hole 8 began with a drive to the right rough. The lie prevented me from reaching the green, but I pitched one close from 40 yards and made the putt.
Holes 10 and 11 were fine, producing a couple of bogeys. Then, disaster struck on hole 12, a long par-5. My drive was perfect, in the middle of the fairway. Then, I topped a 5-wood...twice! This really rubbed me the wrong way. My fourth (again with the 5-wood) was good. From 60 yards, I duffed a pitch shot. Really? My next one finally made the green. What happens after you struggle to reach the green like that? Well, you 3-putt, of course. I took a score of 9 and was seething.
I tried to forget about it and carry on. I was unlucky to get a double-bogey on hole 13. A par chip from just off the front of the green hit the flagstick, but didn't drop. The bogey putt from just above the hole lipped out cruelly. I did manage bogey on hole 14, a tough par-4, but even that result had me shaking my head. I hit a beautiful drive, but it carried so deep and then rolled into unplayable fescue. When I blew up for a triple-bogey on hole 15, a 200-yard par-3, the round was over. I spent the rest of the round cursing and going through the motions. I really had no desire to grind for a 99. The last three holes produced two doubles and one triple-bogey. So be it.
Score: 101
Putts: 38
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
July 02, 2019
Cementing My Legacy at Woodington Lake
Okay, the title is a bit much, but I recently played the Legacy course at Woodington Lake and was happy to break 90 for the second time this year. I played alone, which seems to bring out the best in my game, as there are fewer distractions. I was 6 over par for the front nine, coming off three pars and six bogeys. I 2-putt every green, so I wasn't saving scores with the flat stick. Rather, I was hitting good shots off the tee, or recovering well whenever I didn't. Most importantly, I never allowed more than one mistake per hole.
On hole 1, a nice par-5, I striped my drive down the middle of the fairway. Though I topped my second from 210 yards out, I recovered with a precise wedge shot and 2-putt for par. On hole 2, a par-4, I hit the nicest 3-wood I can recall off the tee. It was a laser down the middle of the fairway that stopped short of a pond that you must carry on your second shot. My 9-iron drew into a left green side bunker, but I got out and 2-putt for bogey.
And so it continued for the remainder of the front nine. I hit near perfect drives on holes 5 and 7. The former set up a par after a pitching wedge approach found the green. The latter used a bit of a down slope to travel 290 yards. I opted to lay up on this par-5, even though I was only 210 yards out. Water short and left of the green didn't make it worth the risk. My wedge approach drew into the left green side bunker again, but I got out and 2-putt for bogey.
I hit poor drives on holes 3 and 6. Rather than try to reach the greens of these par-4 holes from difficult positions, I opted for layups to comfortable yardages, then nailed the greens from there and 2-putt for bogeys. I hit a poor iron off the tee on hole 4, a long par-3, but followed with a spectacular pitch that set up another 2-putt bogey. On hole 9, my drive was in the rough, just outside a fairway bunker. I attacked the green with a gap wedge and it was perfect. I basically made good decisions.
The back nine wasn't quite as smooth. I managed another three pars, but they came along with three bogeys and three doubles. Hole 10 produced the first double. After a horrible pulled tee shot into some fescue, I was forced to take a penalty and drop. I actually hit a great 6-iron for my third shot, but my ball landed a couple yards short of the green, on a bank that kicked my ball left and into some water. After another penalty stroke, I did well to save the double-bogey with an up and down.
The other doubles came on holes 13 and 14. The former started with a miss hit drive that was again pulled left into some fescue. After a penalty and drop, I actually hit a very nice 5-iron to just right of the green. Alas, I couldn't get up and down for bogey. The latter started with a drive that finished in a bad lie just ahead of a fairway bunker. My attempt to advance the ball went nowhere, dribbling into another bunker just a few yards ahead. Shot 3 was a similar miss. I did hit a beautiful 7-iron for my fourth shot and was unlucky not to hold the left edge of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for the double on this par-5.
Luckily, my finish was strong. The back nine pars came on holes 15, 17 and 18. The first of these is a very short par-3. I hit a beautiful sand wedge to within a couple feet of the pin at the front of the green, and was very unlucky when my birdie putt lipped out. The last couple pars began with laser drives to the centre of the fairways. Wedges helped me approach the greens and I finished calmly with the putter. It felt good.
Score: 87
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 7
Penalties: 3
On hole 1, a nice par-5, I striped my drive down the middle of the fairway. Though I topped my second from 210 yards out, I recovered with a precise wedge shot and 2-putt for par. On hole 2, a par-4, I hit the nicest 3-wood I can recall off the tee. It was a laser down the middle of the fairway that stopped short of a pond that you must carry on your second shot. My 9-iron drew into a left green side bunker, but I got out and 2-putt for bogey.
And so it continued for the remainder of the front nine. I hit near perfect drives on holes 5 and 7. The former set up a par after a pitching wedge approach found the green. The latter used a bit of a down slope to travel 290 yards. I opted to lay up on this par-5, even though I was only 210 yards out. Water short and left of the green didn't make it worth the risk. My wedge approach drew into the left green side bunker again, but I got out and 2-putt for bogey.
I hit poor drives on holes 3 and 6. Rather than try to reach the greens of these par-4 holes from difficult positions, I opted for layups to comfortable yardages, then nailed the greens from there and 2-putt for bogeys. I hit a poor iron off the tee on hole 4, a long par-3, but followed with a spectacular pitch that set up another 2-putt bogey. On hole 9, my drive was in the rough, just outside a fairway bunker. I attacked the green with a gap wedge and it was perfect. I basically made good decisions.
The back nine wasn't quite as smooth. I managed another three pars, but they came along with three bogeys and three doubles. Hole 10 produced the first double. After a horrible pulled tee shot into some fescue, I was forced to take a penalty and drop. I actually hit a great 6-iron for my third shot, but my ball landed a couple yards short of the green, on a bank that kicked my ball left and into some water. After another penalty stroke, I did well to save the double-bogey with an up and down.
The other doubles came on holes 13 and 14. The former started with a miss hit drive that was again pulled left into some fescue. After a penalty and drop, I actually hit a very nice 5-iron to just right of the green. Alas, I couldn't get up and down for bogey. The latter started with a drive that finished in a bad lie just ahead of a fairway bunker. My attempt to advance the ball went nowhere, dribbling into another bunker just a few yards ahead. Shot 3 was a similar miss. I did hit a beautiful 7-iron for my fourth shot and was unlucky not to hold the left edge of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for the double on this par-5.
Luckily, my finish was strong. The back nine pars came on holes 15, 17 and 18. The first of these is a very short par-3. I hit a beautiful sand wedge to within a couple feet of the pin at the front of the green, and was very unlucky when my birdie putt lipped out. The last couple pars began with laser drives to the centre of the fairways. Wedges helped me approach the greens and I finished calmly with the putter. It felt good.
Score: 87
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 7
Penalties: 3
July 01, 2019
We The Bond Head North
I already played the South course at Bond Head this year, so this time I played the North course, which is more difficult. Early on, it was looking promising. I hit driver, gap wedge to find the first green, just below the hole. Par was the result. I missed my second shot on hole 2, but almost got up and down for par. An excellent putt barely lipped out, resulting in bogey.
That was the end of the good times. I struggled with my short game on hole 3, a par-3. I failed to get the ball airborne with my drive on hole 4, a par-5. I pulled my drive in the direction of an opposite fairway on hole 5, a par-4. Bond Head North is not the place to be making mistakes like that. Balls in the fescue and weeds are simply unplayable. I made triple-bogey on all three of those holes.
Not everything was bad. Beginning with my third from the tee on hole 6, I holed out with four shots. That's essentially par, but a wasted drive into the weeds converted it into a double-bogey. I made a legit par on hole 7, a 149-yard par-3 from an elevated tee. I made a solid bogey on hole 9 to make the turn with a score of 52.
The back nine was quite similar, as reflected in my score of 51. I found myself in the weeds again on hole 11, a long par-3. Short game struggles re-emerged on hole 13, a medium length par-4. Those were the worst of the back nine, resulting in a couple of triple-bogeys. There were double-bogeys as well, namely after poor pitching and putting negated decent tee shots on numbers 14 and 16, a couple of par-3 holes.
Having said that, I wasn't displeased with everything about the round. There are some intimidating shots on the North course that I handled perfectly well. It also helped that it was a beautiful day to be outside in that setting. I wasn't sharp this time, but there's always the next opportunity.
Score: 103
Putts: 39
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
That was the end of the good times. I struggled with my short game on hole 3, a par-3. I failed to get the ball airborne with my drive on hole 4, a par-5. I pulled my drive in the direction of an opposite fairway on hole 5, a par-4. Bond Head North is not the place to be making mistakes like that. Balls in the fescue and weeds are simply unplayable. I made triple-bogey on all three of those holes.
Not everything was bad. Beginning with my third from the tee on hole 6, I holed out with four shots. That's essentially par, but a wasted drive into the weeds converted it into a double-bogey. I made a legit par on hole 7, a 149-yard par-3 from an elevated tee. I made a solid bogey on hole 9 to make the turn with a score of 52.
The back nine was quite similar, as reflected in my score of 51. I found myself in the weeds again on hole 11, a long par-3. Short game struggles re-emerged on hole 13, a medium length par-4. Those were the worst of the back nine, resulting in a couple of triple-bogeys. There were double-bogeys as well, namely after poor pitching and putting negated decent tee shots on numbers 14 and 16, a couple of par-3 holes.
Having said that, I wasn't displeased with everything about the round. There are some intimidating shots on the North course that I handled perfectly well. It also helped that it was a beautiful day to be outside in that setting. I wasn't sharp this time, but there's always the next opportunity.
Score: 103
Putts: 39
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
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