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