I had a nice round on the Hoot course at Osprey Valley. Were it not for a tiny blemish on the front nine and a massive one on the back nine, this would have produced a score in the mid eighties. As such, I finished with a score of 90 even, or perfect bogey golf.
The small blemish on the front nine came on the very first hole, a par-5. I hit a weak drive off the heel of the club, followed by two iron shots that were topped slightly and went nowhere. My fourth shot was a 5-iron from 180 yards that I finally struck well, though the ball stopped just in front of the green. A pitch and two putts finished things off for a double-bogey.
The rest of the front nine was smooth sailing, as I collected a couple of pars and six bogeys. The first of the pars was on hole 6, a par-5 that is reachable with two good shots. I hit an excellent drive over the waste bunker on the right side, setting up a 5-iron approach from 180 yards. I pushed it ever so slightly, catching a slope on the first bounce that pushed the ball right into some rough. I chipped on from there, but failed to make the birdie putt, settling for the par.
The second par was on hole 8, a 166-yard par-3. I hit a buttery 7-iron that flew over a deep bunker protecting the front right of the green and took its first bounce flag high, just six feet from the hole. The ball released forward however, so I had a longer putt than that for birdie. I didn't make it, but I'll take a tap-in par every time.
Notable shots on the remaining holes included my drives on holes 3 and 9. The first of these was a blast over another waste bunker that travelled nice and deep to the centre of the fairway. The latter was much the same, splitting the pine forest to find the centre fairway. I hit a nice 6-iron off the elevated tee on hole 4, a par-3, and a lovely 4-iron into the green on hole 5, a long par-4. My score after nine holes was 44.
Now for the huge and only blemish on the back nine. It came on unlucky number 13, a par-5. All the danger on this hole is near the green. The fairway wraps around a huge pond, often forcing you to carry the water on your approach shot. The tee shot features no real danger at all. Nevertheless, I smothered my drive left into the woods. The fairway is massive, so there's really no excuse for that. I took a penalty and hit my third to the 150 yard stick. Next, I dunked one in the pond. After another penalty, I hit my sixth over the back of the green into more woods. Forced to take my third penalty of the hole, I chipped my eighth shot onto the green. I then 2-putt for a score of 10. Unreal!
That nonsense aside, the back nine was great, featuring three pars and five bogeys. The first of the pars was on hole 12. I hit driver, sand wedge into this par-4, followed by a lag putt and tap-in. The next par was on hole 15, a par-3 that's all carry over a massive waste bunker. An 8-iron set up a birdie putt at the back hole location, but I just missed and then tapped in for the par. The last par was on hole 17 – the waterfall hole. Everybody loves Hoot, but some people don't care much for the waterfall. I quite like it. I hit 5-wood, 9-iron into the green and had a very good chance at birdie. Unfortunately, I just missed the hole on the low side. That's okay, par is fine.
Other notable shots included my driver, 4-iron combo to begin hole 11, a par-5. I played through another single on this hole. He reasoned that I should play through, rather than join up, as I was “much better than him and that he would just slow me down.” LOL, I won't argue. It wasn't exactly the truth, but after witnessing those two shots of mine, I don't blame him for thinking that. I hit another beautiful drive on hole 14, and a slick up and down near the green on hole 16. A final score of 90 ain't bad, I'll take it.
Score: 90
Putts: 34
Fairways: 9
Greens: 5
Penalties: 3
September 28, 2019
September 21, 2019
Personal Best at King's Forest
I booked a last minute round as a single at King's Forest Golf Club. While checking in with the starter, I noticed a familiar name alongside mine on the tee sheet. Sure enough, it was someone I met over a decade earlier while playing in a golf association. To top it all off, his guest was another familiar member of the same group! It was great seeing those guys again and it was a treat to play together.
King's Forest is a course that has punished me over the years, to put it mildly. My best score there was my very first visit, and that was only a 95. Even during good stretches of golf, I would show up at King's Forest, only to blow up for a huge score. I shot 100 or worse there more times than I care to remember. I'm glad to say that I shot 90 even this time around – easily a personal best for the course.
I shot 42 on the front nine, with four pars, four bogeys, and one double-bogey. After missing fairways on the first two holes, I played smart second shots that enabled me to save a couple of bogeys. I missed the fairway on hole 3 as well, but a brilliant second shot found the green and set up a par.
Hole 4 is the one that resulted in double-bogey. My third shot into this par-5 was pulled into a bunker left of the green. As the bunker had no real lip, I tried to putt one out. I've used this technique successfully before, but this time I finished short of the green. My fifth shot was a chip that went a little long, and it was followed by two putts.
The rest of the front nine was very nice indeed: par, par, bogey, par, bogey. The first of these pars came on a 200-yard par-3 after I found the green in regulation. Up and down from right of the green earned the second par on a par-5 hole. A bunker shot on hole 7 was good enough to set up bogey. Par on hole 8, a 355-yard par-4 was textbook stuff.
The bogey on hole 9 was actually great. I pulled my drive left into a penalty area. After taking a penalty and drop, I faced an extremely steep downslope. Trees on the left were blocking my path to the green. I took a more lofted club to account for the downslope and tried to play a huge hook shot into the green. It came off exactly as I pictured, with the ball finishing 10 feet from the hole. Even though I didn't make the par saving putt, it was a great recovery. That hook was a fun shot to pull off.
I made par on hole 10 before reaching the section of King's Forest that destroys many a round. Holes 11 through 13 can be deadly. I've had success on some of these holes before, but have never been able to make it through all three unscathed. I pulled my drive from the elevated tee on hole 11, but was lucky to avoid trees and catch the cart path, with my ball finishing with an unobstructed path to the green. My approach with sand wedge was flared a little, finishing a yard right of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 12 is a tight dogleg to the right. Your tee shot has to be straight and also the perfect distance to allow you to even go for the green with your second shot. I hit a laser 3-iron, 220 yards to the right edge of the fairway. It was long enough to get around the corner, leaving an open path to the green. My gap wedge approach was a little disappointing, finishing just right of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt to finish with another bogey. So far, so good.
Sadly, hole 13 got me, producing a triple-bogey. The tee shot on this par-4 does not suit my game. The teeing ground is pressed against the tree line on the left, forcing you to start the ball out to the right. If you can draw the ball, that's fine. If you tend to fade the ball, there's a good chance of finding the woods right of the fairway. You have more margin for error if you play shorter off the tee, but then you face a long second shot over the imposing river, which crosses the fairway. I flared my tee shot right into the woods. After a penalty and drop, I tried to shoot over the river, but dove in the water for another penalty. A brilliant fifth shot from 150 yards gave me a chance to save double-bogey, but I missed the putt, hence taking the triple.
The rest of the round was just bad enough that I failed to break 90; I went bogey, double, double, bogey, bogey. A tiny tree interfered with my second shot on hole 15, a par-5. I recovered with a decent third that finished left of the green. Unfortunately, I duffed a pitch attempt, with my club face sliding right under the ball. Double-bogey was the end result.
A terrible tee shot on hole 16 caused the other double. This is a really short par-4 at just 295 yards. I don't think I was trying to crush the ball off the tee, but I topped it badly. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes. On a positive note, I did save bogey on hole 18, despite taking a penalty stroke for another drive pulled into the woods.
Score: 90
Putts: 33
Fairways: 1
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
King's Forest is a course that has punished me over the years, to put it mildly. My best score there was my very first visit, and that was only a 95. Even during good stretches of golf, I would show up at King's Forest, only to blow up for a huge score. I shot 100 or worse there more times than I care to remember. I'm glad to say that I shot 90 even this time around – easily a personal best for the course.
I shot 42 on the front nine, with four pars, four bogeys, and one double-bogey. After missing fairways on the first two holes, I played smart second shots that enabled me to save a couple of bogeys. I missed the fairway on hole 3 as well, but a brilliant second shot found the green and set up a par.
Hole 4 is the one that resulted in double-bogey. My third shot into this par-5 was pulled into a bunker left of the green. As the bunker had no real lip, I tried to putt one out. I've used this technique successfully before, but this time I finished short of the green. My fifth shot was a chip that went a little long, and it was followed by two putts.
The rest of the front nine was very nice indeed: par, par, bogey, par, bogey. The first of these pars came on a 200-yard par-3 after I found the green in regulation. Up and down from right of the green earned the second par on a par-5 hole. A bunker shot on hole 7 was good enough to set up bogey. Par on hole 8, a 355-yard par-4 was textbook stuff.
The bogey on hole 9 was actually great. I pulled my drive left into a penalty area. After taking a penalty and drop, I faced an extremely steep downslope. Trees on the left were blocking my path to the green. I took a more lofted club to account for the downslope and tried to play a huge hook shot into the green. It came off exactly as I pictured, with the ball finishing 10 feet from the hole. Even though I didn't make the par saving putt, it was a great recovery. That hook was a fun shot to pull off.
I made par on hole 10 before reaching the section of King's Forest that destroys many a round. Holes 11 through 13 can be deadly. I've had success on some of these holes before, but have never been able to make it through all three unscathed. I pulled my drive from the elevated tee on hole 11, but was lucky to avoid trees and catch the cart path, with my ball finishing with an unobstructed path to the green. My approach with sand wedge was flared a little, finishing a yard right of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 12 is a tight dogleg to the right. Your tee shot has to be straight and also the perfect distance to allow you to even go for the green with your second shot. I hit a laser 3-iron, 220 yards to the right edge of the fairway. It was long enough to get around the corner, leaving an open path to the green. My gap wedge approach was a little disappointing, finishing just right of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt to finish with another bogey. So far, so good.
Sadly, hole 13 got me, producing a triple-bogey. The tee shot on this par-4 does not suit my game. The teeing ground is pressed against the tree line on the left, forcing you to start the ball out to the right. If you can draw the ball, that's fine. If you tend to fade the ball, there's a good chance of finding the woods right of the fairway. You have more margin for error if you play shorter off the tee, but then you face a long second shot over the imposing river, which crosses the fairway. I flared my tee shot right into the woods. After a penalty and drop, I tried to shoot over the river, but dove in the water for another penalty. A brilliant fifth shot from 150 yards gave me a chance to save double-bogey, but I missed the putt, hence taking the triple.
The rest of the round was just bad enough that I failed to break 90; I went bogey, double, double, bogey, bogey. A tiny tree interfered with my second shot on hole 15, a par-5. I recovered with a decent third that finished left of the green. Unfortunately, I duffed a pitch attempt, with my club face sliding right under the ball. Double-bogey was the end result.
A terrible tee shot on hole 16 caused the other double. This is a really short par-4 at just 295 yards. I don't think I was trying to crush the ball off the tee, but I topped it badly. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes. On a positive note, I did save bogey on hole 18, despite taking a penalty stroke for another drive pulled into the woods.
Score: 90
Putts: 33
Fairways: 1
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
September 15, 2019
Deepwoods Champ Despite Poor Round
The final round of the 2019 Deepwoods season was held on the West Course at The Country Club. I was the leader at the start of play, with four other players still alive in the hunt for the championship. The one closest to me in the standings made a serious charge over the first third of the round, but he couldn't sustain it and ultimately fell short. The others struggled for most of the round, as did I. When all was said and done, I captured the title on the strength of my previous four rounds.
Hole 1 is a long par-4 that was playing even longer into a stiff wind. I was smart to play it like a par-5 by laying up on my second shot and walked away with a bogey. Hole 2 is a par-4 that was also playing into the wind, but it was 65 yards shorter than the previous hole. I tried to hit a 5-iron out of the left rough on my second shot, but the rough made all the difference, and I pulled the ball into a penalty area short and left of the green. I should have used a more lofted club and laid up as I had on hole 1. Instead, I ended up with a triple-bogey.
I made a mess of hole 3, a little 134-yard par-3. The front flag position caused me to choose less club, and when I missed the sweet spot, the ball came up short into a pond. My third from the tee drew too much and finished in a left side bunker. My ball was near the back edge and I had no backswing available. I finished with a quadruple-bogey. Hole 4 is a par-5 that began with some shaky iron shots. When I finally hit a good one from 150 yards, I was unlucky to just miss the green left. I finished with a double-bogey.
Holes 5 through 15 weren't that bad, as I played them just a couple of strokes over bogey pace. This stretch of holes included two pars, five bogeys, and four doubles. I smartly laid up in front of the river from the right rough on hole 5. The green wasn't out of my range, but that rough was going to cause a problem. I hit a beautiful approach with my third shot into this par-4, but failed to make an uphill putt from 6 feet to save par. Still, bogey wasn't bad. The bogey on the next hole was a bit worse, as I 3-putt after hitting the green of this par-3 in regulation.
Holes 7 and 8 both produced double-bogeys. A wedge shot with the ball below my feet failed to find the green on the former. After pitching on, I should have made no worse than bogey, but I 3-putt once again. The greens at The Country Club are very sloped and you're in trouble if putting from above the hole. I hit a perfect drive on hole 8 to the left fairway, stopping just in front of the river. Actually, my ball ran 6 inches through the fairway. You couldn't ask for a better angle to the flag and I was just 130 yards away. I proceeded to scull a wedge shot barely across the river, and then I fluffed one from a spongy lie. My fourth shot finally made the green and then I 2-putt. What a waste!
Hole 9, a par-4, resulted in my first par of the day. I found the green from the left rough, then 2-putt from below the hole. Holes 10 and 11 were typical bogeys, where I required one extra chip to reach the green, followed by two putts. I should have had the same result on hole 12, but I had to flop my pitch over a bunker. The ball released off the other side of the green, ultimately leading to double-bogey. On hole 13, I was back to the prototypical bogey. Hole 14 is a par-3 and I pulled my tee shot into a bunker left. My bunker shot couldn't hold the green and I had to chip on with my third. Two putts resulted in double-bogey. Fortunately, I made par on hole 15, thanks to an excellent drive and pretty good approach shot.
I finished the round with a bogey and two doubles. The first of the doubles, on hole 16, was an ugly one. This is a 148-yard par-3 that began with a hook that overshot the green by a large margin. I did well to punch below tree branches into some mounds beside the green, but the ball released off the other side into a bunker. Hole 17 was fine and resulted in the bogey. Hole 18, a par-5, should have been no worse than bogey. I reached the green in regulation with three excellent shots, but proceeded to 4-putt. Yes, a 4-putt!
I'll try to forget this round, but I'll hold on to the memory of winning the Deepwoods championship.
Score: 99
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
Hole 1 is a long par-4 that was playing even longer into a stiff wind. I was smart to play it like a par-5 by laying up on my second shot and walked away with a bogey. Hole 2 is a par-4 that was also playing into the wind, but it was 65 yards shorter than the previous hole. I tried to hit a 5-iron out of the left rough on my second shot, but the rough made all the difference, and I pulled the ball into a penalty area short and left of the green. I should have used a more lofted club and laid up as I had on hole 1. Instead, I ended up with a triple-bogey.
I made a mess of hole 3, a little 134-yard par-3. The front flag position caused me to choose less club, and when I missed the sweet spot, the ball came up short into a pond. My third from the tee drew too much and finished in a left side bunker. My ball was near the back edge and I had no backswing available. I finished with a quadruple-bogey. Hole 4 is a par-5 that began with some shaky iron shots. When I finally hit a good one from 150 yards, I was unlucky to just miss the green left. I finished with a double-bogey.
Holes 5 through 15 weren't that bad, as I played them just a couple of strokes over bogey pace. This stretch of holes included two pars, five bogeys, and four doubles. I smartly laid up in front of the river from the right rough on hole 5. The green wasn't out of my range, but that rough was going to cause a problem. I hit a beautiful approach with my third shot into this par-4, but failed to make an uphill putt from 6 feet to save par. Still, bogey wasn't bad. The bogey on the next hole was a bit worse, as I 3-putt after hitting the green of this par-3 in regulation.
Holes 7 and 8 both produced double-bogeys. A wedge shot with the ball below my feet failed to find the green on the former. After pitching on, I should have made no worse than bogey, but I 3-putt once again. The greens at The Country Club are very sloped and you're in trouble if putting from above the hole. I hit a perfect drive on hole 8 to the left fairway, stopping just in front of the river. Actually, my ball ran 6 inches through the fairway. You couldn't ask for a better angle to the flag and I was just 130 yards away. I proceeded to scull a wedge shot barely across the river, and then I fluffed one from a spongy lie. My fourth shot finally made the green and then I 2-putt. What a waste!
Hole 9, a par-4, resulted in my first par of the day. I found the green from the left rough, then 2-putt from below the hole. Holes 10 and 11 were typical bogeys, where I required one extra chip to reach the green, followed by two putts. I should have had the same result on hole 12, but I had to flop my pitch over a bunker. The ball released off the other side of the green, ultimately leading to double-bogey. On hole 13, I was back to the prototypical bogey. Hole 14 is a par-3 and I pulled my tee shot into a bunker left. My bunker shot couldn't hold the green and I had to chip on with my third. Two putts resulted in double-bogey. Fortunately, I made par on hole 15, thanks to an excellent drive and pretty good approach shot.
I finished the round with a bogey and two doubles. The first of the doubles, on hole 16, was an ugly one. This is a 148-yard par-3 that began with a hook that overshot the green by a large margin. I did well to punch below tree branches into some mounds beside the green, but the ball released off the other side into a bunker. Hole 17 was fine and resulted in the bogey. Hole 18, a par-5, should have been no worse than bogey. I reached the green in regulation with three excellent shots, but proceeded to 4-putt. Yes, a 4-putt!
I'll try to forget this round, but I'll hold on to the memory of winning the Deepwoods championship.
Score: 99
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
September 13, 2019
Wasted Trip to Tangle Creek
I booked a round at Tangle Creek less than 24 hours before my tee time, making sure the weather would be nice before I did so. The forecast called for a mix of sun and cloud, with just a 30 percent chance of rain. When the chance of rain is 30 percent or lower, it almost always never rains. Well, this was the exception.
There was no sun at all for the entire day. The sky was completely overcast. When I teed off on the first hole, it was already drizzling, and it persisted for the entire front nine. In fact, it intensified. By the time I played the tenth hole, it turned into a steady rain. It went back to a drizzle by the end of the round, but no matter how you slice it, the weather was horrible.
To make matters worse, the club had very recently aerated its greens. Some clubs will roll and top dress their greens after aeration, making them a little nicer to putt on. I don't know what Tangle Creek did as part of their aeration process, but the greens were absolutely terrible. Balls would veer left and right on a single putt, which was even worse than bumping up and down as they rolled.
Despite the poor conditions, the first third of my round was great. I made five bogeys and a par over the first six holes. Two of the bogeys were disappointing because marvellous drives were followed by wedge shots that missed the greens short. The same thing happened on hole 5, but that time I got up and down for the par.
Hole 7 is a challenging par-5 and I messed it up early by failing to carry a naturalized area off the tee with my 5-wood. After taking a penalty stroke, I hit my third from the tee, followed by a good layup. Unfortunately, I messed up over the final 150 yards, finishing with a quadruple-bogey 9. One hole undid all the good I had done earlier.
The next nine holes produced six bogeys and three double-bogeys. Marvellous drives on holes 10 and 11 were wasted by subsequent wedge shots. The fairways were damp and soft, requiring shots to be picked or brushed clean. I tend to hit down on those shots, which works well under normal conditions. When the ground is soft, the divots get huge and these shots tend to come up short.
Beginning on hole 13, I got caught behind slower groups ahead of me. Some people got off the course when the rain intensified, while others paused and waited for the worst of the rain to pass. This threw off the spacing greatly. The two guys I played with on the front nine called it quits at the turn, so I played holes 10 through 12 quickly as a single. Hole 13, a par-5, took forever to play, as I was then behind a foursome. With all the waiting around, I pulled two shots into penalty areas and ended up making double-bogey.
Fortunately, the foursome let me play through on hole 14, and I made bogey. I caught the next foursome on the tee of hole 15, but they drove off without acknowledging me. As a result, this hole also took forever to play. I actually hit a fantastic drive on this 346-yard par-4, running a yard through the end of the fairway. I stood at my ball for ages as the foursome looked for balls just a few yards ahead of me in a creek. With the waiting and the soft ground, my wedge shot into the green came up short again and I made bogey.
The second group did let me through on hole 16, a par-3. Of course, with them all watching me tee off, I failed to carry the naturalized area covering most of the area between the teeing ground and the green. I was forced to take a penalty and ended up with double-bogey. Between the bad weather, the aerated greens, and all of the waiting, the focus just wasn't there. I finished the round with a triple-bogey and bogey.
I produced a lot of rounds in the 80s recently, and on the rare occasions when I didn't, I missed by only one or two strokes. This time, I shot a disappointing 96. It really was a wasted trip, I must say.
Score: 96
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 0
Penalties: 5
There was no sun at all for the entire day. The sky was completely overcast. When I teed off on the first hole, it was already drizzling, and it persisted for the entire front nine. In fact, it intensified. By the time I played the tenth hole, it turned into a steady rain. It went back to a drizzle by the end of the round, but no matter how you slice it, the weather was horrible.
To make matters worse, the club had very recently aerated its greens. Some clubs will roll and top dress their greens after aeration, making them a little nicer to putt on. I don't know what Tangle Creek did as part of their aeration process, but the greens were absolutely terrible. Balls would veer left and right on a single putt, which was even worse than bumping up and down as they rolled.
Despite the poor conditions, the first third of my round was great. I made five bogeys and a par over the first six holes. Two of the bogeys were disappointing because marvellous drives were followed by wedge shots that missed the greens short. The same thing happened on hole 5, but that time I got up and down for the par.
Hole 7 is a challenging par-5 and I messed it up early by failing to carry a naturalized area off the tee with my 5-wood. After taking a penalty stroke, I hit my third from the tee, followed by a good layup. Unfortunately, I messed up over the final 150 yards, finishing with a quadruple-bogey 9. One hole undid all the good I had done earlier.
The next nine holes produced six bogeys and three double-bogeys. Marvellous drives on holes 10 and 11 were wasted by subsequent wedge shots. The fairways were damp and soft, requiring shots to be picked or brushed clean. I tend to hit down on those shots, which works well under normal conditions. When the ground is soft, the divots get huge and these shots tend to come up short.
Beginning on hole 13, I got caught behind slower groups ahead of me. Some people got off the course when the rain intensified, while others paused and waited for the worst of the rain to pass. This threw off the spacing greatly. The two guys I played with on the front nine called it quits at the turn, so I played holes 10 through 12 quickly as a single. Hole 13, a par-5, took forever to play, as I was then behind a foursome. With all the waiting around, I pulled two shots into penalty areas and ended up making double-bogey.
Fortunately, the foursome let me play through on hole 14, and I made bogey. I caught the next foursome on the tee of hole 15, but they drove off without acknowledging me. As a result, this hole also took forever to play. I actually hit a fantastic drive on this 346-yard par-4, running a yard through the end of the fairway. I stood at my ball for ages as the foursome looked for balls just a few yards ahead of me in a creek. With the waiting and the soft ground, my wedge shot into the green came up short again and I made bogey.
The second group did let me through on hole 16, a par-3. Of course, with them all watching me tee off, I failed to carry the naturalized area covering most of the area between the teeing ground and the green. I was forced to take a penalty and ended up with double-bogey. Between the bad weather, the aerated greens, and all of the waiting, the focus just wasn't there. I finished the round with a triple-bogey and bogey.
I produced a lot of rounds in the 80s recently, and on the rare occasions when I didn't, I missed by only one or two strokes. This time, I shot a disappointing 96. It really was a wasted trip, I must say.
Score: 96
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 0
Penalties: 5
September 12, 2019
Another Decent Result at Scenic Woods
I headed out to Scenic Woods, where I've had quite a bit of success in the past. My front nine was good, despite making double-bogey on the opening par-5. This is a wide open hole and totally flat, so the start was somewhat disappointing. I simply hit a number of bad shots in succession, all from the left rough, after beginning with a very serviceable drive.
I made par on four of the next five holes, so I got on track very quickly. Key to the streak was hitting good irons to reach the greens in regulation. Wedges did the trick on holes 2 and 4, while a 9-iron got me safely to the putting surface on hole 6. Though I didn't get a GIR on hole 5, I hit a great 5-iron to just in front of the green, which set up a perfect chip and putt.
I closed out the front nine with three bogeys for a score of 42. A couple of these holes are par-3 designs. I hit a good tee shot on each, but barely missed the greens. My subsequent chips were mediocre, so I was unable to get up and down. The other hole is a short par-4. I failed to get my second shot close and went on to 3-putt.
The back nine wasn't nearly as consistent. Once again, I began with double-bogey on a par-5. Hole 10 always seems to play into a headwind, making the tee shot very uncomfortable. I sliced my drive well right, leading to a lost ball and penalty stroke. I hit some good shots on the remainder of the hole, but the damage was done.
I averaged bogey golf over the next four holes, with two actual bogeys accompanied by a par and a double-bogey. The bogey on hole 11 was a good result after a poor tee shot that I pushed to the right. The bogey on hole 12 was a bad result after it ended with a 3-putt. The par came on hole 14, a short par-4, after a couple of iron shots lead me safely to the green.
The last four holes were a bit disappointing, mostly because I collected a penalty stroke on three of them. I pulled my drive into a penalty area on hole 15, leading to double-bogey. I failed to carry a creek with my second shot on hole 17. Once again, double-bogey was the result. I tried to reach hole 18, a par-5, in two shots, but my second was a miss hit that landed in a pond. After a penalty stroke, I dropped at the same location and nailed the green with a 5-wood from 220 yards. That great shot and a 2-putt saved bogey.
I just missed breaking 90 for the second time in a row, but I can't really be disappointed.
Score: 91
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 5
I made par on four of the next five holes, so I got on track very quickly. Key to the streak was hitting good irons to reach the greens in regulation. Wedges did the trick on holes 2 and 4, while a 9-iron got me safely to the putting surface on hole 6. Though I didn't get a GIR on hole 5, I hit a great 5-iron to just in front of the green, which set up a perfect chip and putt.
I closed out the front nine with three bogeys for a score of 42. A couple of these holes are par-3 designs. I hit a good tee shot on each, but barely missed the greens. My subsequent chips were mediocre, so I was unable to get up and down. The other hole is a short par-4. I failed to get my second shot close and went on to 3-putt.
The back nine wasn't nearly as consistent. Once again, I began with double-bogey on a par-5. Hole 10 always seems to play into a headwind, making the tee shot very uncomfortable. I sliced my drive well right, leading to a lost ball and penalty stroke. I hit some good shots on the remainder of the hole, but the damage was done.
I averaged bogey golf over the next four holes, with two actual bogeys accompanied by a par and a double-bogey. The bogey on hole 11 was a good result after a poor tee shot that I pushed to the right. The bogey on hole 12 was a bad result after it ended with a 3-putt. The par came on hole 14, a short par-4, after a couple of iron shots lead me safely to the green.
The last four holes were a bit disappointing, mostly because I collected a penalty stroke on three of them. I pulled my drive into a penalty area on hole 15, leading to double-bogey. I failed to carry a creek with my second shot on hole 17. Once again, double-bogey was the result. I tried to reach hole 18, a par-5, in two shots, but my second was a miss hit that landed in a pond. After a penalty stroke, I dropped at the same location and nailed the green with a 5-wood from 220 yards. That great shot and a 2-putt saved bogey.
I just missed breaking 90 for the second time in a row, but I can't really be disappointed.
Score: 91
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 5
September 11, 2019
First Crack at Caledon Woods
It was nearly four weeks since my last round of golf, in part due to some poor weather in the Toronto region, but mostly because I traveled to Europe for a couple of weeks. About 36 hours after returning home, I played in a Deepwoods event at Caledon Woods Golf Club. I had broken 90 in nine of my previous ten rounds, but I worried how the time off might affect my game. I had also never played Caledon Woods before.
It turns out I had nothing to worry about. I didn't score in the eighties, as I shot 90 even, but I had the best point tally among Deepwoods members, and by a healthy margin. In fact, I moved into first place in the season long standings. I began with a pair of double-bogeys, thanks to a drive that was hit fat, a couple of imprecise wedge shots, and a 3-putt. I improved to 4-over through the next four holes, including a par, two bogeys, and a double. The par, on hole 4, came after a 5-iron, sand wedge combination left me within 8 feet of the hole.
I finished the front nine with a trio of pars. The 5-iron, sand wedge combo worked its magic again on hole 7, a short par-4. A lengthy lag putt was followed by an easy tap-in. Hole 8 is a 496 yard par-5 that began with a perfect drive to the right fairway. A laser like 4-iron carried me to an area of fairway right of the green. Finally, a 50-yard pitch and two putts sealed the deal. Hole 9 is a fairly lengthy par-4 at 417 yards, but par was once again the result as my confidence grew.
The back nine began with a triple-bogey on a par-5, and that was with a chip-in from off the green! The hole had a promising start, with a nice drive to the left side of the fairway. Unfortunately, I then thinned an 8-iron into a creek up ahead. This produced my only penalty stroke of the day. Another shot landed in a bunker with a high lip. I was forced to splash out, rather than go for the green. Just before the chip-in, a pitch shot rolled off the back of the green. Everything just seemed to go wrong at once.
Perhaps the chip-in gave me hope, as I seemingly shook off the bad hole and immediately started playing well again. I played at bogey pace over the remaining eight holes, with two actual bogeys and three pars that offset three double-bogeys. Two of the pars were on holes 11 and 13, which are both par-3 designs. One required an up and down from just off the green, while the other was a conventional green in regulation and 2-putt. Two of the double-bogeys were on holes 14 and 15. Both holes featured great shots, with one bad shot that spoiled the fun. On 14, it was a thinned second shot that settled in a fairway bunker with a high lip. On 15, it was a duffed pitch shot over a creek fronting the green.
I very nearly broke 90 again. That's okay, I'm still pleased.
Score: 90
Putts: 34
Fairways: 10
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
It turns out I had nothing to worry about. I didn't score in the eighties, as I shot 90 even, but I had the best point tally among Deepwoods members, and by a healthy margin. In fact, I moved into first place in the season long standings. I began with a pair of double-bogeys, thanks to a drive that was hit fat, a couple of imprecise wedge shots, and a 3-putt. I improved to 4-over through the next four holes, including a par, two bogeys, and a double. The par, on hole 4, came after a 5-iron, sand wedge combination left me within 8 feet of the hole.
I finished the front nine with a trio of pars. The 5-iron, sand wedge combo worked its magic again on hole 7, a short par-4. A lengthy lag putt was followed by an easy tap-in. Hole 8 is a 496 yard par-5 that began with a perfect drive to the right fairway. A laser like 4-iron carried me to an area of fairway right of the green. Finally, a 50-yard pitch and two putts sealed the deal. Hole 9 is a fairly lengthy par-4 at 417 yards, but par was once again the result as my confidence grew.
The back nine began with a triple-bogey on a par-5, and that was with a chip-in from off the green! The hole had a promising start, with a nice drive to the left side of the fairway. Unfortunately, I then thinned an 8-iron into a creek up ahead. This produced my only penalty stroke of the day. Another shot landed in a bunker with a high lip. I was forced to splash out, rather than go for the green. Just before the chip-in, a pitch shot rolled off the back of the green. Everything just seemed to go wrong at once.
Perhaps the chip-in gave me hope, as I seemingly shook off the bad hole and immediately started playing well again. I played at bogey pace over the remaining eight holes, with two actual bogeys and three pars that offset three double-bogeys. Two of the pars were on holes 11 and 13, which are both par-3 designs. One required an up and down from just off the green, while the other was a conventional green in regulation and 2-putt. Two of the double-bogeys were on holes 14 and 15. Both holes featured great shots, with one bad shot that spoiled the fun. On 14, it was a thinned second shot that settled in a fairway bunker with a high lip. On 15, it was a duffed pitch shot over a creek fronting the green.
I very nearly broke 90 again. That's okay, I'm still pleased.
Score: 90
Putts: 34
Fairways: 10
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
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