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
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