2020: Year in Review

What a year it's been. Early on, as Covid-19 spread across the globe, it was unclear if there would be a golf season at all. As it turned out, golf was one of the safest activities you could perform. Check-in procedures were modified slightly, by limiting the number of people allowed in the pro-shop, and requiring them to wear masks. Once out on the golf course, it was pretty much business as usual. The only noticeable differences were a lack of ball washers and bunker rakes. Flag sticks remained in holes, which I had already grown accustomed to over the previous year. In many ways, golf became a familiar respite from the upheaval caused by the pandemic.

While the on-course experience remained largely unaffected, there were other changes to the golf industry. For one thing, it became more difficult to find and book tee times. Demand for tee times surged, for a variety of reasons. People came back to the game, or took it up for the first time, as access to other leisure activities was restricted. International travel ceased, leaving some individuals with more time and money to devote to golf. People working from home, or perhaps not at all, as a result of the pandemic, had more flexibility to play on weekdays. In years past, I would book my golf rounds a day or two in advance. This year, I had to book a week in advance to have any hope of playing. Most significantly, deals and discounts were non-existent.

Despite the challenge of booking tee times, I played 38.7 rounds of golf in 2020, which is nearly identical to what I played in each of the previous two years. My goal is to play at least 40 rounds per year, but I'm happy with the total, all things considered. My season extended from May 18 to November 10, but that's a little misleading. My second round of the year didn't happen until June 2. By the start of June, I typically have 4 or 5 rounds under my belt. On the other hand, I played three rounds in November, which is more than usual. I avoided playing when it was too hot, most notably during a prolonged heat wave that lasted for two weeks in early July.

Where I Played Most

Where I played was a little different than usual, owing to competition for tee times. In previous years, I played at different courses all the time, with less than a handful of courses being played twice. This year, my 38.7 rounds of golf were played on just 25 courses, at 24 different clubs. I played Calerin three times, making it my most visited course. Legends on the Niagara was also the site of three rounds – two of them played on Ussher's Creek and one on Battlefield. I played 10 other courses twice: Oaks of St. George, Scenic Woods, Doon Valley, Settlers' Ghost, Rebel Creek, Silver Brooke, King's Forest, Braeben, Willodell, and Sawmill. Banty's Roost also received a second visit, but it was limited to 13 holes by darkness.

Looking at the list of courses visited, it's apparent that I travelled fairly far from home to play golf this year. I drove south to the Niagara region 9 times, including 7 trips in a row in October and early November. I drove west to the Kitchener area 4 times, and north to Barrie twice. To the east, I went as far as Lindsay for a singe round. Frankly, it was easier to find tee times the further you got from Toronto. It's also clear that I was looking for value. A dozen of my rounds were at GolfNorth properties. Though the company is sometimes criticised for cutting corners on course maintenance, I apppreciate that they try to keep the game affordable.

Handful of New Courses

The search for value pushed me to try new courses this year. Three of them came in quick succession in late July. First among these was the Beddoe course at Chedoke Golf Club, in Hamilton. Designed by Stanley Thompson, the parkland style course plays along the rolling terrain of the Niagara escarpment. Next was Silver Brooke Golf Club, which lies just southwest of CFB Borden. The course features two distinct nines, beginning with holes carved through mature woods, and ending with a series of links inspired designs. Finally, there was the Upper course at Remington Parkview G&CC. Much of this course traverses flat land and a hydro corridor. It's not exactly scenic, but decent enough for the price and conveniently located.

In August, I made my first ever visit to Trafalgar Golf & Country Club, in Milton. Formerly a private club, it was sold a couple years ago and operation was turned over to GolfNorth. The course is mostly flat, but there's enough variety in the holes to keep it interesting. My last round of October was my first ever visit to Sawmill Golf Course, west of St. Catharines. Half the holes play over gently rolling terrain, with enough space to get aggressive. The other half involve woods and water, requiring more accurate shot making. I played poorly there, but returned 8 days later and had a very respectable round. None of the new courses I played was spectacular, but they were mostly solid and worth a place in my regular rotation.

I Performed Fairly Well

Delving into performance numbers, I have to be fairly content. My handicap factor was 15.4 at the start of the year, and stood at 13.1 by season's end. November rounds don't count for handicap purposes in Ontario, or that number would be 12.7 – not bad. My factor dipped as low as 11.9 mid-season, which represents a personal best. I didn't stay there very long, but getting under 12 is an important accomplishment. Every new personal best gives me confidence that I can go a little lower. I'll be trying hard next year to reach the coveted single digit cap.

My average score in 2020 was 89.9 – the first time I've been able to keep that number under 90. Breaking 90 for a single round is one thing, but breaking 90 for your average score is a lot more satisfying. It indicates a level of consistency that has been absent from my game in the past. I broke 90 on 23 occasions this year, or 59% of the time. I did it seven times in a row over rounds 3 to 9, and nine times in a row over rounds 17 to 25. These were easily the best stretches of the season. I shot 100 or worse three times, but two of these were the first two rounds of the season. My average score improves to 89.1 if you take those two rounds out of the equation.

Best Rounds of the Year

My lowest score of the year was 80, coming mid-season on the New Course at Knollwood Golf Club. It was only my second ever visit to the course – the first was in 2017, when I managed a score of 88. The round was remarkable for the number of groups that let me play through as a single, allowing me to finish the round in under 3 hours. After waiting on the first three holes and shooting 4-over par as a result, I played the remainder of the front nine very quickly at even par. I matched the front nine 40 with another 40 on the back, to tie my second best score ever. A great approach shot on hole 18 gave me a great chance to shoot 79, but my birdie attempt burned the edge of the hole.

I shot 83 on two occasions, first at Doon Valley, and then at Rebel Creek. Kitchener golf treated me well, it seems. The 83 at Doon Valley was despite a couple of triple-bogeys on holes 1 and 15. On both occasions, I followed up with three consecutive pars. It was a similar story at Rebel Creek, where double-bogeys on the final two holes spoiled what could have been a very special round. We played the back nine first, and I then I played holes 1 through 7 at even par. Alas, a tricky little par-3 and a slick final green got the best of me. I shot 84 on four occasions, at the following courses: Calerin, Victoria Park East, Trafalgar, and Braeben.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Looking at more detailed statistics, I hit 5.9 fairways per round, compared to between 5.3 and 5.5 over each of the previous four years. It's a slight improvement, but I'd like that number to be higher. Hitting 50% of fairways, or 7 per round, should be an absolute minimum. Meanwhile, I hit 5 greens in regulation in 2020, compared to 4.8 in 2019, and between 3.7 and 3.9 over each of the three years before that. It's another improvement, albeit smaller than that of a year earlier. I'd like to hit at least 6 greens per round, however, so there is room to improve. These are modest targets and should be achievable. After that, I can set some new and improved goals.

When it comes to putts, I averaged 33.6 per round in 2020. This compares to between 34.3 and 35.4 over each of the previous four years. I'm glad to see this number also moving in the right direction. I've never considered myself a weak putter, so it's difficult to see how significant gains can be made in this area. I think there's much more room for improvement in chipping and pitching. Lastly, I averaged 2.7 penalty strokes per round in 2020, compared with 2.8 in 2019, and between 3.1 and 3.4 over each of the three years before that. Penalty strokes are score killers, so I'm pleased to maintain the improvement I made a year ago and eager to keep it going.

Overall then, it was a pretty good year. I shot in the 80s more often than not, which is great. I'd like to reach a point where 90 is my upper limit, but I'm not quite there yet. I'm not concerned about shooting 91 or 92 occasionally. What I want to eliminate completely is the odd round that balloons toward the century mark. My goals are the same as ever: drive the ball more consistently, hit more greens, and chip the ball closer to the hole.

Bring on 2021!

Hanging in There at Cardinal

It was November 10th and we reached 20 degrees Celsius yet again. My second round in two days came on the East Wing course at Cardinal Golf Club. I striped a drive down the fairway on the opening par-5, then hit a layup, leaving 120 yards into the severely elevated green. I thinned my pitching wedge into the hill, forcing a pitch and two putts for bogey.

I flared a 3-iron off the tee on hole 2, a 185-yard par-3 that was playing into the wind. My second shot was a fabulous punch under some tree branches and into a hill that settled on the edge of the green above the hole. My first putt was an attempt to reach a ridge that would take my ball the rest of the way to the hole. Unfortunately, it came up short, leading to a 3-putt double-bogey.

I reacted well, making two bogeys, followed by two pars over the next four holes. I hit all but one of these fairways, and the one I missed was by a mere 12 inches. I thinned an 8-iron approach on hole 3, finishing just short of the green. I hit a great 9-iron approach on hole 4, but the ball rolled just off the left side of the green. On hole 5, my sand wedge into the wind reached the front of the green. I did well to 2-putt from there. On hole 6, my gap wedge was just a little long, but a great up and down made up for it.

Hole 7, a 164-yard par-3, produced a disappointing double-bogey. The tee shot is over a deep valley to the green. I pulled the 7-iron slightly, hitting a tree left of the green. Unfortunately, my ball bounced backwards and rolled 40 yards down the hill. It got worse, as I thinned a wedge 30 yards over the green. My next pitch was a good one, setting up a 2-putt finish.

Hole 8, a 538-yard par-5, is the toughest on the course. I found the fairway with a decent drive, but was too far away to challenge a forced carry over a brush covered ridge with my second shot. I pitched an 8-iron about 80 yards ahead. I was about 230 yards away from the green and decided to hit 3-wood. I made good contact on a good line, but the ball came out low, smacking the slat of a wooden fence at the top of the ridge. The wood was angled such that my ball deflected way up in the air. It cleared all of the brush and landed safely below in the fairway, 120 yards from the flag. I hit pitching wedge past the hole, then 2-putt for a decent bogey.

After thinning a ball into a pond on hole 9, I was forced to hit my third from the tee. This is a par-3 that was playing about 195 yards, so I recovered well to make double-bogey. My score at the turn was 45.

The front nine was played at a reasonable pace, but things slowed greatly on the back nine. The greatest impact was to my driving. While I hit all of the fairways on the front side of the course, I only hit one on the back side. I began hitting slices, with a siginificant loss of distance. On hole 10, a par-5, it wasn't too bad. A tree kicked my ball back near the fairway, where I was able to connect on my second shot with a nice 4-iron. I thinned a wedge to just off the back of the green, but followed up with a great chip and putt for par.

On hole 11, the slice put me deep in some trees, forcing a punch back to the fairway. I missed the green from 150 yards, but followed up with a nice pitch to just below the hole. I felt confident about the bogey putt, which was about 7 feet. Unfortunately, I burned the edge of the cup and ended up taking a double.

On hole 12, a par-5, the slice off the tee found a pond protecting the right side. I was surprised, because the ball took a couple of bounces before going in the water, so I thought it was safe. After taking a penalty and drop, I hit 3-iron up the fairway. My fourth shot was a pitch from 50 yards that I hit a groove too thin, ultimately finishing five yards behind the green. Luckily, I got up and down nicely to save bogey.

The next three holes produced double-bogey, bogey, and par. The double on hole 13 was largely due to a putt from the back of the green that rolled right off the front. I should have been able to make bogey. The bogey on hole 14 was also due to bad putting. I hit a decent drive and a great approach shot to reach the green on this par-4 in regulation. Unfortunately, my first putt slid too far past the hole to make par. The par on hole 15, a par-3, featured some good putting. I lagged one fairly close from distance, then made a tricky 6-footer.

The final three holes also produced double-bogey, bogey, and par. The double on hole 16 began with a sharp pull off the tee that smacked a tree not very far ahead. A great 5-iron put me in position to hit the green with my third shot, but I was conscious of thinning the shot and came in way too steep. I took a huge divot and the ball went nowhere. A pitch and two putts were needed to finish. The bogey on hole 17 was a good save, considering I miss hit my tee shot on this 200-yard par-3. In fact, I almost drained a long putt for par. The par on hole 18 came thanks to a crafty punch second shot that finished near the front of the green. This was followed by a good chip and even better putt.

This is most likely the final round of the year.

Score: 90
Putts: 34
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2

Summer Weather, Summer Score

We were gifted with summer like weather in southern Ontario, so I booked as many rounds as I could. On November 9, the temperature surpassed 20 degrees Celsius and I was able to play in shorts. The scene of my round was Calerin Golf Club.

Hole 1, a par-5, resulted in par both times through the course. I missed the green in regulation both times, but was able to get up and down. A thinned 8-iron left me short of the green on the first pass, while a gap wedge missed slightly left on the second. The first chip was one that I got rolling quickly, as I had green to work with. The second was a flop that took its first bounce in the rough.

Hole 2, a par-3, produced bogey and par. Ironically, the bogey came from 108 yards, while the par came from 172 yards. I hit the green in regulation both times. On the first occasion, I faced a long uphill putt and I left it a bit too short. Two more putts were needed. On the second occasion, I left the ball flag high. It was still a fairly lengthy putt, but I lagged it nicely, then tapped in.

Hole 3, a par-4, resulted in a couple of bogeys. On the first pass, my second shot was a tad fat, finishing short of the green. My pitch was to the back of the green, leaving a very long putt. I did very well to 2-putt from here. On the second pass, my second shot rolled to the back of the green – virtually the same spot I had putt from before. This time, I needed three putts to finish.

Hole 4, a par-5, resulted in a couple of bogeys. The first time through, my third shot finished short and right of the green. A pitch and two putts completed the hole. The second time through, my third shot was pulled to a bunker 50 yards short of the green. My pitch out travelled half the intended distance and was still in a bunker. My next attempt was brilliant, setting up a 4-foot putt that I drained.

Hole 5, a par-3, produced bogey and par. I pushed a 7-iron right of the green on my first try. A pitch and two putts were needed to hole out. On the second try, the 7-iron finished right of the flag, but comfortably on the green. I made a pretty good lag and then finished with an uphill 3-footer.

Hole 6, a par-4, also produced bogey and par. I approached the green with a wedge the first time through and finished two yards short of the green. A chip and two putts ensued. I approached the green with an 8-iron the second time through and managed to find the putting surface. The birdie try didn't drop, but it was a comfortable par.

Hole 7, a par-4, also produced bogey and par. As you can see, I was playing better on the back nine. My approach shot both times through was from a similar position, with a very slight up slope. On the first attempt, I came up short of the green, setting up a chip and two putts. On the second attempt, I added a club. The ball launched high and finished very near the pin. I missed the birdie putt on the high side, settling for par.

Hole 8, a par-4, resulted in double-bogey and bogey. My only double of the day came after a short drive and a miss hit left me 50 yards short of the green. I duffed a pitch shot slightly, finishing in the rough by the green collar. A chip from there went well past the hole, requiring two putts to finish. On the second try, my drive was much better. My approach with the gap wedge finished near the spot I had chipped from earlier. This time, I was in the fringe. Unfortunately, I blasted the ball well past the hole, again requiring two putts to finish.

Hole 9, a par-4, resulted in a couple of bogeys. I matched or improved my result on every hole the second time around. Both my approach shots on Hole 9 missed the green. The first missed to the right, while my second was short. I flopped a pitch shot to the green from the right side, while playing a bump and run from in front. The bump and run finished closer to the hole, but a 2-putt was needed both times.

My final score was 85. A summer type score for a summer type day in November.

Score: 85
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 0

Some Sawmill Retribution

My debut at Sawmill Golf Course didn't go very well, but I returned a week later in search of retribution. Unusually warm weather for this time of year made it a very pleasant outing. While I didn't start the round particularly well, I finished on a hot streak and managed to collect a fairly good score.

I made bogey on almost every hole on the front nine, with the exceptions being a quadruple-bogey on hole 5 and a par on hole 7. More on those in a minute. Hole 1 is a long par-4 that's difficult to reach in two. I pulled my drive to the 9th fairway, forcing a punch back to the proper fairway. Pitching wedge and two putts completed the bogey.

My drive on hole 2, a par-5, was just left of the fairway, but this left an ideal angle to play my second shot. My third shot from 100 yards was directly in line with the flag, but came up a bit short and deflected into a bunker. I splashed out of the sand surprisingly well and 2-putt for another bogey.

The next two holes were similar, in that I just lacked a bit of precision. On hole 3, a par-3, my 7-iron finished just off the left collar of the green. I blasted a putt through the fringe, requiring two more putts to finish. On hole 4, a par-5, my drive was slightly right of the fairway. I was able to advance the ball, but less than I would have liked. As a result, my third shot was a long one and I came up short. A pitch and two putts finished the hole.

Hole 5 was the disastrous one. It began with a drive that split the fairway on this 390-yard par-4. I was protecting against pulling the ball with my second shot. As a result, I pushed the 7-iron slightly right of the green. Not being very familiar with the course, I forgot that there was water on that side. I took a penalty and drop, then pitched on the green, laying 4. My first putt was a lengthy downhill that slipped well past the hole. My second was an 8-foot uphill putt that I blasted past the left edge of the hole. This was followed by a short miss, before finally completing the hole with my fourth putt!

The remainder of the front nine was back to my typical golf. A great drive on hole 6 was followed by a thinned 7-iron. The ball finished just off the right collar of the green, requiring a chip and two putts to hole out. I got away with a mediocre 5-wood off the tee on hole 7, then followed up with a beautiful 9-iron, finishing 8 feet below the hole. I burned the left edge of the cup on the birdie try, but tapped in for par. Hole 8 is a long par-3 to an elevated green. I did well to find the putting surface with a smooth 5-wood, but then 3-putt. Hole 9 began with a great drive to the middle of the fairway, followed by a mid-iron that was pulled left into a bunker. To my credit, I splashed out well and then 2-putt. Bunker shots like that are never certain for me. My score at the turn was 47.

This mediocre kind of play continued through the first three holes of the back nine. Hole 10 is a ridiculously long par-4. The yardage is one thing, but it also plays uphill and into the wind. I hit a good driver, 3-wood combo and was still 50 yards short of the green. A pitch and two putts finished it off. Hole 11 is a dogleg left around a pond. I hit driver just off the right edge of the fairway, followed by 6-iron to the front of the green. Unfortunately, I 3-putt a healthy distance away from the cup. Hole 12 is a tricky par-5 requiring a couple of forced carries over a creek. My first shot along the tree line ended up lost in the leaves, or in the creek – I couldn't tell. I assumed the ball went in the creek and took a penalty and drop. I played the remainder of the hole reasonably well, but the damage was already done and I took double-bogey.

Beginning with hole 13, everything changed. I was just one over par for the final 6 holes, and that included a triple-bogey! Hole 13 is a short par-4 to an elevated green with two tiers. I drove the ball deep, leaving a 60-yard pitch to the back pin position. My pitch finished on the right fringe, but I nearly drained the birdie putt from there. I burned the left edge, settling for par. Hole 14 is a short par-3. I hit pitching wedge left of the flag and followed up with an easy 2-putt for another par.

Hole 15 is another short par-4, at 327 yards. I split the fairway with my tee shot, then hit a lovely 9-iron that finished flag high on the green. Though I was flag high, the birdie putt was a lengthy one. It had almost no break, however, which allowed me to sink it confidently. It was a great birdie. I drove the ball to the middle of the fairway once again on hole 16, a quirky par-4. The fairway drops down dramatically to the green, which I was able to find with the lob wedge. A solid 2-putt made the par look easy.

Hole 17 is a 170-yard par-3 that plays over and alongside a creek. The teeing area where the blues are located slopes backwards a bit. It gave me trouble the first time I played the course, and it did exactly the same thing again. In both cases, I hit the ball fat, sending it left and into the creek. I adjusted my body to follow the slope of the ground and this time I hit a lovely high 5-iron. The ball was flag high, but in a bunker right of the green. I splashed out well and 2-putt, but the first miscue off the tee meant this was a triple-bogey.

The final hole is a short par-4 at just 328 yards. Driver is not recommended off the tee, because of a creek that crosses the fairway in the landing zone. I laid back with a smooth 5-wood, leaving a 160 yard approach to the green. Mind you, this green is massively elevated. I hit 6-iron next and got the ball to the front of the green. However, this green has a false front. My ball rolled backwards, about 10 yards short of the green. No worries, as I used the 8-iron to chip one along the ground, ultimately hitting the flag stick and dropping for birdie!

I shot 40 on the back nine, which was good enough to break 90 overall.

Score: 87
Putts: 36
Fairways: 7
Greens: 7
Penalties: 3

First Ever Visit to Sawmill

Any golf played at this time of year is a bonus. I found a day when the weather was good and managed to find a tee time at Sawmill Golf Course, in Fenwick ON. Sawmill has been on my radar for a while. I've played nearby courses such as Peninsula Lakes, Twenty Valley, and Rockway Vineyards. Until now, however, I just never got around to visiting the course.

I played the blue tees, at 6,138 yards, but the course stretches out to 6,572 yards from the blacks. It's a par 71, with four par-3 holes and three par-5 designs. About half the holes play in a north-south direction, over gently rolling terrain. Mature trees frame the fairways, but there's ample room to be aggresive. The remaining holes, most of which play east-west, involve woods, or water. Although these holes are shorter, golfers need to be more careful in their shot selection to avoid penaltiy strokes and big numbers.

It was a great day to be out playing, but I just didn't have my “A” game. I had some good moments with some good shots, but the variety of errors was astonishing. My driver failed a few times, but that alone did not account for my poor play. I hit some irons that were unbelievably off line. I was inaccurate inside 100 yards. One moment, I would struggle chipping, and the next, I would have bunker trouble. Even the conditions conspired to hurt me. A soggy fairway ruined one hole, while a lack of light ruined a couple near the finish.

The front and back nines both begin with a long par-4 and these are the two hardest holes on the course. Despite two good shots to start the round, I was well short of the first green. A duffed pitch shot, followed by a very mediocre one did nothing but set up a 3-putt triple-bogey. I made bogey on the next two holes, a par-5 followed by a par-3, but this wasn't without some trouble. My drive attempt on hole 2 was a wicked pull that smacked a tree just a few yards ahead of the teeing ground. The ball settled under a spruce tree, unplayable. It took two fantastic 5-wood shots to get greenside, followed by a good up and down.

Hole 4 is the one that had a soggy fairway. I began the par-5 with a drive that sliced right. Spruce trees forced me to chip sideways, just to get back to the fairway. My next two shots went nowhere, as I couldn't manage the soft turf. My fifth shot was a pitch to the green, followed by two putts for double-bogey. I had the same result on hole 5, a par-4. After finding the fairway with a nice drive, I pulled my 7-iron unbelieveably to the left. This was not a slight pull, which happens sometimes. It was a sharp pull way off the intended line. My ball finished behind some bushes, forcing a pitch to an area in front of the green. A chip and two putts completed the hole.

I made par and bogey on holes 6 and 7, respectively, but even these had weird moments. A good drive on 6 was followed by a purely struck 7-iron. I was unlucky to have my ball deflected by some very slender tree branches. A ball that was certainly headed for the green ended up slightly left of it. Luckily, a great up and down saved the par. Hole 7 is a short par-4 that calls for a layup in front of a creek off the tee. I pulled an incredibly weak 4-iron and was lucky to find my ball near the edge of the woods. I was able to punch toward the creek, then attack the green with a 9-iron. Two putts finished off the bogey.

The 4-iron that failed me off the tee on hole 7 seemed to work wonderfully off the tee on hole 8, a 190-yard par-3. The only problem is that the green is elevated. When I got closer to the green, I realized that my ball actually hit the slope and rolled backwards. Even a mediocre chip and two putts would secure bogey, but I duffed my first chip completely, leading to a double. I had the same result on hole 9, a fairly long par-4. A great drive set me up well on the right side of the fairway, but I pulled a mid-iron, much like I had on hole 5. Once again, this was a massive, massive pull. From my new position, the green was blocked by trees, so I just couldn't recover.

I shot 50 at the turn, but my head was still in the game. I started the back nine going bogey, par. I hit a decent driver, 3-wood combo on hole 10, and was still 40 yards short of this par-4. It's a long hole to begin with, but it's also slightly uphill and was playing into the wind. Add some soft fairways and you have a recipe for trouble. At least my pitch shot worked better than it had on hole 1. Hole 11 is a short par-4 that doglegs around a pond, so par there was a good result.

Hole 12 is a par-5 through the woods, with two forced carries over a creek. My 4-iron off the tee was another one of those wicked pulls. I was lucky that the ball was found and was playable. My second shot was a punch to lay up in front of the creek. Two good iron shots then carried me just in front of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey. Hole 13 is a 310 yard par-4, with a slight dogleg to the right. I hit a perfect drive over the edge of a pond, which came to rest in the fairway, 50 yards from the flag. My pitch to the elevated green was the perfect distance, but pulled slightly, finishing off the green. I decided to putt from there, and the rough was a little thicker than it appeared. I reached the green, but my par putt lipped out and I took bogey.

Hole 14 is the easiest hole on the course – a 130 yard par 3 with a green protected by a front bunker. With the sun on the horizon directly in our faces, I struck a blind pitching wedge. It felt okay, but when I got near the green I spotted my ball in the front bunker. I must have thinned it a bit. Nonsense ensued, with three shots to get out of the bunker, followed by a putt for double-bogey. The first shot was all ball, which rammed into the lip. The second one barely got out of the bunker, before rolling back in. The third one was perfect! LOL

I rushed for the rest of the round, as we were losing light quickly. After splitting the fairway on hole 15, a short par-4, I hit my pitching wedge fat, sending the ball about 90 yards ahead. A pitch and two putts finished the hole for bogey. A sliced drive on hole 16 left me stymied behind a tree trunk. I pitched back to the fairway, which is severely downhill as you approach the green. With a very awkward stance, I hit my wedge shot fat, finishing short of the green. I chipped and 2-putt for double-bogey this time.

The last two holes were a complete write off, as the sun had gone down and you couldn't really see anything. Hole 17 is a 170-yard par-3 with a creek and thick vegetation on the left side. I pulled my tee shot to that side, but wasn't really sure where it went. After a penalty and drop for expediency, I pitched onto the green, only to set up a 3-putt from distance. Yes, it was a triple-bogey. I lost another ball with a similar tee shot on hole 4, a par-4. The left side of this hole is all out of bounds. To be honest, I don't know if I went OB, or if my ball was somewhere in the bushes. It was too dark to know. I took a penalty and drop, then hit 7-iron to a greenside bunker. This time, I splashed out well with a single shot. Two putts ensued for double-bogey.

Wow, what a rough day at the office!

Score: 99
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 0
Penalties: 3

Solo Round at Whirlpool

Time will tell if this is the last round of the year. It was an overcast day at Whirlpool Golf Course. Rain had fallen overnight and in the morning hours, but there was just a hint of mist at noon, when my round began. I played as a solo, which was a welcome change from my last two rounds.

I was hitting the driver with a slightly weaker right hand and it worked well, for the most part. I split the fairway on the opening hole, a 360-yard par-4. From 110 yards, my second shot was wasted, as I took a huge divot out of the soft fairway. For the rest of the round, I played to brush my irons more than I typically do, and soft turf was not a problem. I pushed a pitch shot into a bunker with my third shot, but splashed out well, giving me a chance at bogey. It didn't drop, so I took a double.

Hole 2 is a 361-yard par 4 that began much like the first, with a drive down the centre of the fairway. Bunkers, mounds, and a pond protect this green, so I did pretty well to hit sand wedge just off the left side. I lagged a putt from that position, setting up a tap-in par. I hit 5-wood off the tee on hole 3, a 189-yard par-3. It was playing a little longer than that with the flag in the back. A front right bunker snagged my ball, but I splashed out well and 2-putt for bogey.

My drive on hole 4, the first of back-to-back par-5 holes, was a weak slice that found a fairway bunker. Hitting a lofted club to clear the lip, I pushed my second shot to the paved cart path. There were some ruts in this path and my ball caught one such that the ball deflected sharply to the right, amidst some trees. All I could do was punch back to the fairway. My fourth shot was an 8-iron that came up three yards short of the green. Weary of stubbing a chip in the soft turf, I hit mine well past the hole. Two putts finished up for a double-bogey.

As I did after the first double of the day, I recovered well over the next few holes. This time, I followed up with bogey, par, bogey. The first bogey came on a par-5 that began with a perfect drive and second shot. My pitching wedge approach missed the green short and right by two yards. The par came on a 174-yard par-3 that was playing about 185. I made a nice up and down for that one. The last bogey came on a 404-yard par 4. It was a good result, considering my drive was short and a little right of the fairway.

Hole 8, a 414-yard par-4, was a fiasco. I pushed a drive into the woods right. All I could do from there was punch back to the left edge of the fairway. From 165 yards, I hit a pretty good 6-iron. It was headed to the left edge of the green, but clipped the top branches of a tree. I lost the ball, which was harsh, because there weren't any places for a ball to hide near that tree and beyond. I dropped in front of the tree, as I wasn't going to walk back down the fairway. From there, I pitched on and 2-putt. Luckily, I made a textbook par on hole 9 to ease some of the pain. I split the fairway with my drive, then hit a sand wedge just behind the flag. My birdie putt was very close to dropping. As it was, my score at the turn was 45.

Hole 10, a 438-yard par-4, is the hardest hole on the back nine. It began with a wild drive to the 18th fairway. I hit 3-wood back to the proper fairway, then got up and down from about 80 yards. What a recovery! My driver settled down after this, including a shot straight down the pipe on hole 11. My approach missed the green short and right, leading to bogey. It was the first of four consecutive bogeys. Two of these were par-3 holes, one measuring 186 yards and the other 149. I missed the green slightly in both cases. On the shorter one, I was flag high in a bunker and made another good out. My bunker play all day was surprisingly good.

Hole 15, a 481-yard par-5, was played about as perfectly as could be. My drive was a solid shot to the right centre of the fairway. From there, a 4-iron carried me nicely down the fairway, leaving 70 yards to the green. I had a great angle to the back left pin position and went after it. My ball mark was 2 yards behind the flag, with the ball releasing an additional yard. I made a perfect putt that just stopped on the lip. The greens at Whirlpool were a little shaggy and slow. I had about half a dozen putts that were headed for the centre of the cup, but stopped less than 12 inches from the hole. This was one of them, but par was still nice.

Hole 16 was a disaster that ruined what was looking like a comfortable round in the 80s. Though my driver was working well most of the day, I pulled it on this hole badly, smacking a tree just a few yards ahead of the teeing ground. A bunker low and branches high didn't allow me to play straight back to the fairway. I tried advancing along hole 12, but miss hit a mid iron. A punch intended for an opening through some trees smacked a trunk solidly. My fourth shot was punched to the area in front of the green. This was followed by a pitch and two putts for triple-bogey.

I was now in a foul mood and it cost me about a stroke on hole 17, a long par-3. An easy bogey ended up being a double. On a positive note, I did par the final hole, a 472-yard par-5. I hit driver to the right side of the fairway, followed by 3-wood about 50 yards short and a little right of the green. I pitched to the elevated green, but was a fair distance away, resulting in a 2-putt to finish. My back nine score was another 45, for a total of 90 even.

Score: 90
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 0

You Must be Kidding Me

After getting paired up with some hackers at Cardinal Lakes, I was eager to play another round. Less than 24 hours later, I checked in at Willodell Golf Club, about 20 km away. Imagine my horror when I was introduced to my playing partners – the exact same threesome from a day earlier! Are you kidding me? How unlucky can a person be? I tried not to let my disappointment show and resolved to try my best, regardless of the company.

For the first three holes, everything was fine. I went par, bogey, par over a couple of par-5 holes and a par-3. I hit one bad iron shot on hole 2, which caused the bogey. I had a very good chance at birdie on hole 3, but my putt finished 6 inches short.

Suddenly, I erupted for back-to-back triple-bogeys on holes 4 and 5. Hole 4 is the hardest on the course, due to its length. I began with a perfect 3-wood off the tee; the ball sailed over mature trees on the left side and came to rest in the left fairway, 200 yards from the green. I couldn't be in a better position, so I had to go for the green. I made good contact with the 3-iron, but pushed the ball ever so slightly to the right side. It bounced off a slope and careened further right into the bushes, about flag high. After a penalty and drop, I pitched over the edge of a bunker. The ball landed in an ideal spot, but still released off the other side of the green. A chip back and two putts completed the triple. If I knew that was going to happen, I would have hit my second shot 50 yards short of the green and played for bogey. I basically was penalized for hitting a good tee shot.

Hole 5 is a par-3 that was playing 190 yards. The last time I played the hole, a nice 4-iron failed to clear a front bunker by a yard, or my ball would have released nicely to the back pin location. I hit the same club this time, but with a higher flight. I thought it was a solid shot – high and directly at the left edge of the green. I saw the ball bounce a couple of times and figured I was just left of the green by a few yards. When I got up there, the ball was nowhere to be found. The only place it could have gone was long and into the bushes well behind the green. After a penalty and drop, I hit a great pitch shot reasonably close to the cup. Unfortunately, I rammed my first putt well past the hole, requirung two more to complete the triple. Wow! Two triples in a row that I felt I really didn't deserve.

Despite being upset, I rattled off a bogey and par on the next two holes. On hole 8, I tried to crush my drive – only to hit a low pull that smacked a tree trunk less than 100 yards away. I punched through some trees to get back to the fairway, but my ball finished a couple yards short of the fairway in the left rough. I was still almost 200 yards from the green and tried to hit a low bullet under some overhanging tree branches up ahead. I pulled the ball straight into the base of a small bush. I was forced to take a penalty and drop. My fifth shot was just off the front left edge of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for a quadruple-bogey. I made bogey on hole 9 for a score of 49 at the turn.

The triples on holes 4 and 5 were really too much to overcome. I was not in the right frame of mind, which showed on hole 8, even though I held it together on holes 6, 7, and 9. I didn't care about my score at this point and decided I would swing my driver with reckless abandon, to see if that would help my stress level. The swings weren't completely reckless, mind you. When I swing hard, I tend to yank the club at the start of the downswing. This time, I was trying to get my speed maximized at the bottom of the swing. I only hit one fairway on the back nine, but the timing felt pretty good and I was hitting the ball far. It was the epitome of bomb and gouge.

As it turned out, I also shot 49 on the back nine, comprised of one par, five bogeys, two doubles and a quad. The par came on a 150-yard par-3, after a beautiful 8-iron that was all over the flag. It was so nice, I thought I might have a hole-in-one, until I spotted my ball on the back fringe. The bogeys were of the usual variety, where I need an extra pitch or chip to get on the green, and then 2-putt. The two doubles were similar, except that they also included a penalty stroke for going into the bushes.

The quad was on hole 14, a short par-4. I tried to drive the green and my first ball popped up in the air. Not sure if I would find it, I hit a provisional. That one was a beauty, finishing five yards short of the putting surface. I found my first ball about 70 yards away from the green. I hit my pitch shot just a fraction right of target. The ball hit a slope and deflected into a bunker. My first sand shot was fat. Next came my patented clean pick (unintentional) that went 40 yards over the green. My pitch back hit the slender branch of a tree. My sixth shot found the green, followed by a 2-putt. I played out the provisional ball just for fun, and made par with that one. Of course.

What horrible luck to play twice with those hackers. Two horrible rounds were the result.

Score: 98
Putts: 34
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4

Tough Luck at Cardinal Lakes

The golf season is winding down; opportunities to play in good weather are becoming scarce. The weather for my latest round was perfect, which makes the outcome so difficult to stomach. I drove a fairly long distance to play the Heron course at Cardinal Lakes. When I reached for my driver on the first tee, it wasn't in my bag. I thought it might have been stolen, but a call home confirmed that I left my driver in a different bag. I would have to use 3-wood off the tee on the longer holes.

I lost my spot on the course while investigating the driver issue and was added to a later tee time. This placed me with a threesome of very lovely people, who were just horrible to play golf with. Two of them couldn't hit the ball very far or get it airborne. One was a complete beginner, playing only her third round of golf ever. Her second round had been the day before. She would whiff multiple times on the same shot attempt, before hitting the ball 50 yards at a time.

Amazingly, we kept a satisfactory pace for the round. When we stepped up to the tee on hole 18, which is a par-3, the group ahead was just finishing their putts. The only reason this happened was because I was dragging my group behind me the whole way. It was exhausting. It's bad enough when someone just can't hit the ball, but nobody had taught this beginner how to move along the golf course. She routinely left her pull cart immediately behind her ball. After pulling a club, taking her stance and addressing the ball, she would realize the cart was in her way and then awkwardy try to push it away, before repeating the routine. It was difficult to watch.

I knew it was going to be a mental challenge to play with this group. Overall, I think I did a pretty good job. Looking at my scorecard, 16 out of 18 holes played out in fairly typical fashion. I was 14 over par for those 16 holes, comprised of 6 pars, 6 bogeys, and 4 doubles. Slightly better than bogey pace over a full round results in a score somewhere in the 80s, which leaves me plenty satisfied. Unfortunately, on the two holes where things went badly, they went bad big time. I had a score of 10 on a par-3 and a score of 9 on a par-4. Boom!

The 3-wood worked pretty well for me as a driver replacement. I used it to hit 5 of 7 fairways on the front nine. Of course, I was sacrificing some distance. The first fairway I missed was on hole 4, a par-4. Like many holes on the Heron course, this one features a pond alongside the fairway. I made solid contact off the tee, but pushed the ball straight into the water. After a penalty and drop, a fantastic 8-iron carried me to the green and I saved bogey.

My irons were generally good. Though I wasn't hitting many greens, I was getting the ball close and staying out of danger. This was true of the long irons, as well. I was hitting more of them than usual, since my tee shots were shorter. Hole 5 is a par-3 that was playing about 200 yards. I hit 3-iron off the tee and managed to find the green in regulation. Two putts secured the par.

Both of the explosion holes occurred on the front nine. Hole 2 is a straightforward 166-yard par-3. Here's how I got a score of 10. My first shot was a 7-iron pulled out of bounds left. My third shot, which I thinned well right of the green, was lost in long fescue. My fifth shot was a 40-yard pitch that rolled off the green into a bunker. Shot 6 was an unintentional pick out of the sand, which travelled 30 yards over the green. Shot 7 was a duffed pitch that barely reached the green. A 3-putt was the cherry on top.

Hole 8 is a medium length par-4. My tee shot missed to the right, but that area is open and presented no problem. I had an open shot to the green from about 155 yards. The flag was in the back, so I opted for 7-iron, which I generally hit 160-165 yards. That was a mistake. I hit a perfect shot and saw the ball bounce a couple times near the right edge of the green. Unfortunately, the ball rolled down a slope behind the green, settling near the edge of a wooded penalty area. My lie was fine and I had no interference with my stance or swing. Nevertheless, it took me 4 shots just to pitch onto the green. For the minute it took me to hit those 4 shots, I was like the beginner I was playing with. It was unbelievable. Of course, I 3-putt again, because I like cherries.

With those two blowup holes, my score at the turn was 55. Fortunately, I scored 43 (7 over) on the back nine to at least break 100. I only hit 2 of 6 fairways with the 3-wood, making par on both of those occasions. My misses with the 3-wood were all to the right side. On holes 10 and 11, both of those misses ended up in ponds. If I have one complaint about the Heron course, it's the fact that dinky ponds are used far too much. Water is particulary penal, while other obstacles such as trees or fescue offer a chance at recovery. On hole 10, I saved bogey, but on hole 11, double-bogey was the result.

I played the par-3 holes on the back nine quite well. Hole 12 is one of these, measuring 165 yards. I hit 8-iron to the correct green level with a slight helping wind. A reasonable birdie chance was followed by a tap-in. Hole 16 is a similar length, but was playing into a strong headwind. I clubbed up to a 5-iron and found the green, but could have even used a 4-iron. I hammered my lag putt well past the hole, ultimately 3-putting for bogey. Hole 18 plays 155 yards over water. I hit 8-iron to the left edge of the green and judged a downhill lag very well, then tapping in for par.

Score: 98
Putts: 37
Fairways: 7
Greens: 5
Penalties: 6

Cursed at Legends on the Niagara

I made my third visit of the year to Legends on the Niagara. My second round of the year was on the Ussher's Creek course, where I shot 105 for the second consecutive round. Fortunately, two horrible rounds were enough to shake off the winter rust. I then went on a streak of seven rounds in the 80s. More concerning to me was a later round on the Battlefield course, where I shot 104. I can't blame winter rust for that one.

This time, I played Ussher's Creek once again. Early on, it looked like this was going to be a low scoring round, despite being extremely windy. A par, bogey, par, bogey, start was followed by a birdie, leaving me just one over par through the first five holes. I hit every fairway on this stretch, which is not easy to do with a howling wind. They were convincing drives too, with a penetrating flight to the centre of the fairways.

Other parts of my game were also working well. I actually got up and down for par from a greenside bunker on hole 1. The splash out of the sand was very competent and the ensuing putt was perfect. An excellent putt saved bogey on hole 2 after a fairway bunker gave me some trouble. Excellent putts on holes 3 and 4 just missed, otherwise I would have earned birdie and par. I did manage birdie on hole 5, thanks to a deep drive, followed by a crafty pitch from 50 yards and a convincing putt.

You could say I bent a little on holes 6 and 7, before breaking completely on holes 8 and 9. Hole 6 is one of the hardest on the course, a par-4 that wraps around a large lake from tee to green. Add an incredible headwind and the hole becomes that much harder. I flared my drive out to the right and the wind took it away. After a penalty and drop, I did well to escape with double-bogey. I also did well to bogey hole 7, a par-3 over water. The wind made it very difficult to choose a club off the tee.

I was 4 over par through seven holes, which is still good, but here's where I threw away the round. Hole 8 is a long one, ranked the hardest on the course. I thinned my drive attempt into a creek less than 100 yards from the teeing ground. After a penalty and drop, my third shot was a good 5-wood to the middle of the fairway. My fourth was a mid iron to the front of the green, but that left me a long way from the cup near the back of the green. I blew my first putt way past the hole, requiring two more for triple-bogey.

Hold on, it gets worse. Hole 9 is a par-5 that began with a pulled drive into a fairway bunker on the left side. This bunker has a high lip and is lined on the high side by thick weeds. All I could do was aim sideways to get back to the fairway. Unfortunately, my bunker shot carried across the entire fairway and rolled into woods on the other side. After a penalty and drop, I failed to execute a simple punch shot, slicing the ball to the edge of a penalty area on the right side. I was 150 yards from the hole, but my lie was bad and I bladed the ball deeper into the penalty area. I took my second penalty of the hole and dropped, then hit 8-iron just right of the green. A lovely chip buned the edge of the hole and the ball rolled a healthy distance away. Two putts completed the hole for a score of 10. Egads! Just like that, a promising start turned into a score of 48 at the turn.

I sat down near the teeing ground on hole 10 while we waited for players ahead to get out of range. The chance at a good score was already lost, but I didn't want the remainder of the round to be a rage fest. The wait helped me release any lingering resentment about the previous two holes. I played the remainder of the round with a quiet, laissez-faire attitude. I would hit my shots and whatever happened, happened. So be it.

Conditions were as windy as ever, which made hole 10 play extremely long. Despite a perfect drive to the centre of the fairway, I could not go for the green in two on this par-4. I hit a lay up in front of a creek on my second shot, then attacked the green, ultimately making bogey. Though I missed the fairway left on hole 11, I was in a similar situation. I opted to lay up in front of the creek on this par-4 as well. Bogey was once again the result.

My drives at this stage were getting airborne nicely, but missing the fairway, usually right. On hole 12, a par-5, that miss put me against the lip of a fairway bunker. All things considered, bogey was a good result. Same thing on hole 14, another par-5. My drive drifted right into an ungroomed area, but I got out of there well enough for another bogey. One drive I hit perfectly was on hole 15, a par-4. Sadly, I miss hit my approach shot, sending the ball to about 50 yards short of the green. The result, you guessed it, was bogey.

In fact, I bogeyed every hole on the back nine, except for number 16, a par-3 that was playing 200 yards. I duffed a 3-iron off the tee, then tried a bump and run with the 8-iron from 100 yards. It leaked just right of the green. I duffed a chip shot, but managed to reach the fringe. From there, I 3-putt for a triple-bogey. Whatever happened, happened. So be it.

My bogeys on each of the last two holes were well earned. After dunking an approach shot into a pond on hole 17, I hit my fourth over the pond from about 125 yards. This was followed by a fairly lengthy putt that dropped. I hit a really good drive on hole 18 – a must if you are to go for the shallow green protected in front by an ominous creek. I clubbed up for extra distance, but was one yard short of the green. The ball hit the steep slope and rolled backwards a bit, but remained playable. A chip and two putts completed the round.

It's a shame things didn't work out better. Given how I've played this year, it feels like failure when I don't break 90. It's also no fun to travel all the way to Legends on the Niagara, only to have a bad round.

Score: 95
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5

Barely Breaking 90 at Willodell

I've broken 90 many times this year, but not so much lately. My last four rounds produced scores of 94, 96, 91 and 92. I was pleased to return to the 80s at Willodell Golf Club. I played well, except for one disastrous hole.

I shot 45 (9 over par) on the front nine. Two pars offset two double-bogeys, while everything else was a bogey. The first double came on the opening hole after my tee shot found a fairway bunker. I hit the lip of the bunker with my second shot, despite hitting sand wedge. I have no other complaints about the hole; hitting that lip just cost me a stroke.

I got that stroke back on hole 2 by registering my first par of the day. The second of back-to-back par-5 holes began with a drive down the centre of the fairway. A controlled 7-iron, sand wedge combination carried me to just below the front pin position. That was crucial, as the green slopes significantly from back to front. I gave the birdie putt a good chance, but just missed.

A couple of bogeys followed, including a good one on hole 4, the hardest on the course. It's a long par-4, ideally played with a draw off the tee. I don't draw the driver, so I left it in the bag. Instead, I hit 5-wood to the right side of the fairway. I could not reach the green from there, which was fine. I basically played the hole to make bogey, which is what I did.

The second par of the day was on hole 5, a 189-yard par-3. I hit a 4-iron on a rope, but failed to clear a front bunker by a couple feet. The trajectory was a little low. Had I cleared the bunker, the ball would have released nicely to the rear pin location. No worries, as I hit a lovely pitch out of the bunker and 1-putt for the par. It was a true pitch shot out of the bunker, as I intentinally clipped the ball clean. The sand at Willodell isn't the greatest, and I stink at hitting properly out of greenside bunkers.

I closed out the remainder of the front nine with a string of bogeys, except for a double on hole 8. I was in good shape after my drive on this 403-yard par-4, but pulled my approach with the 7-iron well left of the green. The green is deep, but narrow, and flanked on both sides by large bunkers. I had to flop over one of these bunkers and get the ball to stop before rolling into the one on the other side. I managed to do so, but my ball was off the green in the rough. My chip went long and I missed the comeback putt, hence the double-bogey.

I shot 44 (8 over par) on the back nine, but it was a very different nine than the front. I collected a birdie and three pars, but also a double and quadruple-bogey. One of the pars was on hole 10, a par-5. I pulled my drive, but smacked a tree trunk and my ball came back to the fairway. I hit a long iron fat, essentially wasting a shot. My third was a good shot with the 5-wood, but I was still 50 yards short of the green. I then pitched below the hole at the front of the green and rolled in a putt to save the par.

The disastrous quad occurred on hole 11, a 400-yard par-4. I sliced a drive into the trees right of the fairway. I tried to punch out, but hit a lot of ground first. I was back in the fairway, but 100 yards from the green. From there, I pull hooked my sand wedge left of the green. I had quite a few of those pulled wedge shots all day. My fourth shot was a thinned pitch attempt that found a bunker on the other side of the green. Two shots to get out and two putts were needed to finish up. A sequence like that can come out of nowhere, it seems.

After a bogey and shaky double-bogey over the next two holes, I really had to buckle down. With five holes to play, my score was headed almost certainly into the 90s. Fortunately, I remained in the moment and played those last five holes just one over par. The finishing streak went par, birdie, bogey, par, and bogey.

Hole 14 is a short par-4 at just 300 yards. However, a creek crosses the fairway twice and some trees pinch the left side on low trajectory shots from the teeing ground. I was feeling good with the driver and promptly deposited the ball just 10 yards short of the green. It was a difficult up and down for birdie, due to the slope of the green, but I was happy with a chip and two putts for par.

Hole 15 is a 387-yard par-4 with a slight bend to the right and some woods that protect the green on the right side. I was playing with a member at the club who lamented that this was the only hole he hadn't been able to birdie all year. He pulled his drive to an opposite fairway, then clipped some trees trying to reach the green, ultimately making no better than bogey. Meanwhile, I split the fairway, then hit a mid iron to the front of the green. My partner just shook his head as I rolled a 10-foot birdie putt into the heart of the cup. LOL

The last three holes were played under good control. I failed to clear a front bunker on hole 16, a par-3, but played a clean pick out of the sand and followed it up with two solid putts. Driver set me up perfectly on each of the last two holes. On hole 17, I followed up with a mid-iron to the front of the green. The pin was way at the back, so I had to make a great lag putt. It was so good that it almost dropped for birdie. A 4-inch tap-in sealed the par. On hole 18, my approach was a tad short and right, requiring a chip and two putts to take bogey.

Score: 89
Putts: 31
Fairways: 8
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0

More Putz than Putts at Calerin

My latest round was at Calerin Golf Club, a 9-hole course that you can play twice for the full 18-hole experience. Here's how I played each hole, with the results of both passes shown.

Hole 1 (Par 5) – Par, Par

I employed a weaker than normal grip with my driver to see if I could gain some consistency. I missed this fairway to the left both times, but managed on each occasion to hit a mid iron back to the fairway. My first approach missed the green left, while my second found the heart of the putting surface. I was very lucky to get up and down on the first pass, despite a sculled pitch attempt.

Hole 2 (Par 3) – Par, Double

A sand wedge from 108 yards finished below the hole and was followed by a conventional 2-putt. An 8-iron from about 150 yards was hit so fat that the ball travelled just 40 yards or so. That was followed by a good sand wedge shot, but the ball bounced into a bunker long and left. I hit a respectable bunker shot, but was not very near the hole, requiring two putts to finish up.

Hole 3 (Par 4) – Bogey, Double

Using the weaker grip, my drive found the right edge of the fairway on both occasions. A great 5-iron barely hung up in the rough left of the green. I aimed there to avoid water on the right. After a good chip, I burned the edge of the cup on the low side. I topped a 4-iron approach the second time through, then hit pitching wedge to the safe left side. Again, I made a nice chip, but burned the edge on my putt, this time on the high side.

Hole 4 (Par 5) – Bogey, Double

I hit a perfect drive to the middle of the fairway, then hit a 4-iron fat. Too far to go for the green, I played a layup to about 100 yards. The second time through, my drive hit the top of the club face and popped up. Two good shots carried me to a similar position as the first time. On the first occasion, I found the green and 2-putt. On the second, I missed slightly and 3-putt from the fringe.

Hole 5 (Par 3) – Bogey, Bogey

A solid 9-iron into the green was followed by a bad 3-putt. I left my first putt way short and my second burned an edge – which happened over and over on the day. The next time, I pushed a 7-iron short and right of the green. I sculled a pitch attempt into a slope, but it didn't hurt me too badly, as I followed up with two putts.

Hole 6 (Par 4) – Double, Bogey

I played too much fade with the driver and ended up against some bushes on the inside corner of this dogleg. All I could do was pitch back to the fairway. My third shot barely missed the green. I made a decent chip, but had another edge burner. My second shot was a little long the second time through. Again, it was a decent pitch and an edge burner. Putts were not dropping!

Hole 7 (Par 4) – Bogey, Par

A solid drive to the left edge of the fairway was followed by a gap wedge that found the back tier of the green, where the hole was located. The slope of the green fooled me and I also left my lag putt way short. Two more putts were needed. A push slice found an opposite fairway the next time, but a great 7-iron landed on the green. An uphill breaking putt nearly dropped for birdie, but burned the edge, of course.

Hole 8 (Par 4) – Double, Double

My worst drives of the day were on this hole. Both times, I smother pulled the ball just a few yards ahead. My second shots were decent, but didn't finish in the fairway. Thick, lush rough decelerated my club head the first time and I needed another shot to reach the green. Two putts ensued. My third shot did find the green on the repeat, but a burned edge and a 3-putt resulted in the same score.

Hole 9 (Par 4) – Bogey, Bogey

I hit good drives both times through to the centre of the fairway. 6-iron was the approach club of choice, both times finishing a little short of the green. This was by design, as that's not a bad place to leave the ball. Three putts from there worked the first time. A pitch that I left short was followed by a good up and down the second time.

Putts were simply not dropping, otherwise I played well enough for this to be a score in the 80s.

Score: 92
Putts: 37
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0

Shortened Round Before Sunset

I was at Banty's Roost late in the afternoon and managed to play 13 holes before dark. There were few people on the course at that time, so I jumped around a bit, wherever I found an open hole. I finished 11 over par, or a bit better than bogey pace.

The first two holes produced par and bogey. The par was lucky, as I sculled a pitch attempt through the rough, with the ball stopping 8 feet from the hole. I took advantage of my luck with a good putt. The bogey occurred after a similarly sculled pitch. This time, I was further away from the hole and the putter couldn't save me.

I was up and down over the next couple holes, earning double-bogey and par. The double was on a par 5. After finding the fairway off the tee, I just hit a sequence of bad shots. I topped a couple of long irons and came up short on a couple of pitches. Conversely, I hit a good long iron approach on the next hole to earn par.

My next crack at a par-5 produced par, but it was a bit ugly. I push sliced my drive to an opposite fairway. From there, it was easier to play toward that hole's teeing area. I hit the target area with 5-wood, then flew a sand wedge over a fescue covered dune to reach the correct green. A nice lag and tap-in were more conventional.

The next two holes, a par-4 followed by a par-3, were a struggle. I pulled an iron off the tee on the former, finishing near a spruce tree that robbed me of a proper swing. I punched back to the fairway, but then duffed a pitch attempt. A pitch and two putts earned a double-bogey. My tee shot was fat on the par-3, requiring another shot to get on the putting surface. Unfortunately, I 3-putt from a difficult spot for another double.

Fortunately, I made a couple of pars in a row after that. 5-iron, followed by 7-iron carried me safely to the green on a short par-4. A lag and tap-in were easy from there. 5-iron also got me to the front of the green on the next hole, a par-3. A great lag from distance was rewarded with an easy par putt.

On to another par-5 and I earned double-bogey. I smother pulled a drive attempt and lost my ball. Hitting my third from the tee, I was able to drive one pretty deep down the fairway. Unfortunately, I hit a low slice with the 3-wood next. I was able to find the green with a wedge and 2-putt to finish up.

Two bogeys and a par concluded the outing. My 7-iron on a 161-yard par-3 missed the green right, requiring a pitch and two putts. After a good drive on a par-5, I topped another long iron. The hole was lengthy, so I needed a good 5-wood just to get near the green. A chip and two putts completed the hole. The final hole, a par-3 over water was textbook stuff, as I hit the green in regulation and two putt easily.

Score: 63 (11 over)
Putts: 24
Fairways: 4 of 9
Greens: 4 of 13
Penalties: 0

Two Holes Ruin Round at Banty's Roost

Banty's Roost? What am I doing playing there? Covid-19 has made this a strange golf year. Courses are full and tee times are harder to find than usual. Banty's Roost is certainly not the best place to play, but the location is convenient and the price was right.

I began on hole 1 of the Blue course with a drive that found the centre of the fairway. It was the only fairway I hit all day. I missed fairways with irons and I missed them with the driver. Many of these misses were still playable, but a couple of drive attempts were completely smothered and went nowhere. I made bogey on the opening hole after an approach from 100 yards came up short in a bunker. I made par on hole 2 after a similar scenario. Holes 3 and 4 produced another bogey and par. A 7-iron approach on the former went long, while I recovered well from a poor drive on the latter.

Hole 5 is a short par-4 at just 242 yards. It's also ranked the easiest hole on the course. Unfortunately, I pulled a 7-iron off the tee and ended up stymied by a spruce tree. After a pitch back to the fairway, I duffed with the sand wedge from 100 yards. I only reached the green with my fourth shot, which was followed by two putts for a double-bogey. It was ugly.

I went bogey, bogey, par over the next three holes. The bogeys came as I missed greens slightly and couldn't chip close enough to get up and down. On a positive note, I hit a great second shot on hole 7 just to be near the green. A spruce tree was interfering with my back swing, but I still carried a pond in front of the green.

The par on hole 8 came despite a poor drive that sliced toward the bushes. The guy I was playing with found my ball in a bad lie on the edge of the woods. He picked it up and said, “you're not hitting that.” Excuse me? I asked him to place it back where he found it and let me be the judge. I advanced the ball 50 yards to the left fairway with the lob wedge. From there, I hit the green with the gap wedge and then drained a par putt. Take that buddy!

Hole 9 is a par-3 all over water to a green pinched on three sides by bushes. I hit 9-iron on a good line, but thinned it. The ball cleared the water, but kicked left when it bounced short of the green. It was a bad break, as that pushed the ball into the bushes left. I took a penalty stroke and drop, followed by a chip and two putts. I couldn't believe the first putt missed. It was good stroke that burned the edge. I marked double-bogey on my card for a score of 43 (8 over par) at the turn.

We moved on to the Red course, which began with three consecutive bogeys. Hole 1 is another short par-3 over water. The flag was at the back left of the peanut shaped green. I hit gap wedge on a perfect line, but came up a yard short of the green. A chip and another missed putt resulted in the bogey. The other two bogeys resulted from missing the fairways slightly, then missing the greens slightly. My pitch or chip shots were just okay, requiring two putts to finish.

I ruined my score for the round over the next two holes. Hole 4 is a par-5 that was playing 500 yards. I used a 3-iron off the tee, but still missed the wide fairway to the right. The ball was on a side slope, at about mid thigh level. I made fantastic contact with a 6-iron, but pulled it a hair left of my intended line and smacked a spruce tree just a few yards ahead. The ball deflected into long fescue on the right. I took an unplayable, then hit my fourth shot with a lofted club to get over more spruce trees ahead. I only reached the green with my fifth shot, then made matters worse by 3-putting for a triple-bogey.

Hole 5 is a long par-4 and the result was even worse. The hole bends to the left, encouraging players to take their tee shot over the inside corner. A tree just ahead of the teeing ground makes this route very uncomfortable. If you can't hit a draw, your only option is to get your ball over that tree. I had too many thoughts going on and smothered a drive attempt left of the tree into a fescue covered dune. Hitting my third from the tee, I decided to aim for the right side, but that meant giving up distance so as not to run through the dogleg. I topped and duffed the next two shots, only reaching the green with my sixth. Two putts completed the quadruple-bogey.

I had only made three pars before these two disastrous holes, and there were only four holes remaining to play. I would have to par them all to break 90. Sadly, I finished bogey, bogey, par, par for a final score of 91. The bogey on hole 6, a par-3, was a typical green missed to the left, followed by a chip and two putts. The bogey on hole 7, a par-5, was well earned after a smothered pull on the tee. I hit a good punch and solid 5-wood to get back on track. The final two holes were another par-3, par-5 combination. The green on hole 8 is the only one I hit in regulation, leading to the par. Hole 9 is a beast at 576 yards. I was near the green in three, despite a weak tee shot. An up and down was a decent way to finish the day.

Score: 91
Putts: 30
Fairways: 1
Greens: 1
Penalties: 3

No Silver Lining at Silver Brooke

Most of my golf scores have been in the 80s this year, so when I climb into the 90s it's a bit of a letdown. One such round took place earlier in the season at Silver Brooke, where I shot 93. I returned looking to improve on that score, but ended up shooting 96 on a very frustrating day.

Weary of my driver, I opted for the 4-iron on the first tee. It wasn't a great shot, but a subsequent 6-iron and gap wedge carried me near the green on this par-5. A chip and two putts earned bogey. The next two holes are par-3 designs, so driver wasn't in play. I made par on hole 2, which is the shorter one at 126 yards. I took a double-bogey on hole 3, which is 169 yards, thanks to a fat 6-iron shot, followed by a fat wedge shot.

The next two holes are short par-4 designs, so driver remained in the bag. On hole 4, I hit an absolutely perfect 3-iron to the left fairway, followed by sand wedge into the green. Two putts completed the par. On hole 5, I hit 6-iron to the left edge of the fairway, followed by sand wedge that I pushed right of the green. I made a good pitch, but missed a makeable par putt and settled for bogey.

Hole 6 was the first where I used driver. A low fade settled about one yard into the right rough. I was concerned about overhead branches when I swung 8-iron, but they were high enough to have no effect. Instead, I clipped some branches further ahead, as my shot was pushed right of target. A 40-yard pitch found the green safely, and then I 2-putt for bogey.

Holes 7 and 8 produced disappointing double-bogeys. Hole 7 is a par-5 lined on both sides by thick woods. I chose 3-iron off the tee for safety, but pushed it enough to trickle into the woods on the right. Worse than taking the penalty was the fact that I had to lay up twice from that position – the first time due to a slight bend in the fairway, and the second time due to a creek in front of the green. I hit a great 5-wood off the tee on hole 8, but my 8-iron approach was a hair left. It hit an embankment and rolled backwards to the edge of a pond. A great effort from a bad lie stopped in the rough, two feet short of the green. Then I duffed a chip that went nowhere.

Hole 9 produced bogey, but was disappointing because I felt I should have made par. After a great drive to the left fairway, I missed the green short and right with my gap wedge. I was close to the pin and able to putt from that position. I played too little break on my first putt, but the weight was perfect. This left a straight uphill putt of about 4 feet for par. I was not pleased when I missed it. My score at the turn was 46.

Pace of play on the course was not good. Beginning with hole 5, we were waiting for a long time on every tee. For about nine holes, it didn't bother me, as I was playing well enough. I opened the back nine with four consecutive bogeys, but my play was up and down. A good drive on hole 10 was followed by a pushed approach shot. A sculled chip was followed by a nice up and down. Two weak shots on hole 11 were followed by a good one, then a nice pitch on this par-5. A hooked 6-iron on hole 12 was followed by a solid pitch that gave me a decent par chance. A severely pushed drive on hole 13 was followed by a perfect 7-iron to just in front of a well protected green.

On holes 14 and 15, my driver went to hell, leading to blowup holes that produced a quadruple and triple-bogey. A smothered pull did the trick on hole 14, sending my ball into some bushes. After a penalty and drop, I hit a good 3-wood from a side hill lie. Unfortunately, a pitch from 30 yards then rolled off the other side of the green. My fifth shot found the green, only to be followed by a 3-putt. I reacted poorly, because I knew the round was slipping away from me. Had there been more pars before this incident, I might have reacted differently. However, I had been on the bogey train for a long stretch. When that happens, you're looking for an eventual par to tilt you in the right direction. For the opposite to happen in such dramatic fashion is extremely frustrating.

Having suffered through a blowup hole, I could no longer tolerate the pace of play. In fact, I was livid. Of course, this never helps. I pulled my drive on hole 15 into the woods, taking another penalty. The drive was so bad, I could only pitch my third shot toward the 100-yard stick. After a long wait for the green to clear, I sculled a pitching wedge short and right. My fifth shot was a pitch that I thinned over the green. A chip and a putt finished off the triple-bogey and I stormed off the green toward the next tee.

I used the wait on 16 tee to release all the remaining anger that had built up over the previous two holes. I was not going to break 90 at this point, so my goal was just to complete the round and be done with it. I went on to bogey the last three holes, once again playing that up and down style that seemed to characterize much of this round. A fantastic drive on hole 17 was followed by a topped fairway wood when I tried to drive the green of this par-5 in two shots. I smothered a 5-wood terribly on hole 18, but also made a nice up and down from 40 yards.

Bogey golf feels fine when a par or two are achieved; replace those pars with a couple of triple-bogeys and it's a different story entirely.

Score: 96
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3

Familiar Place, Familiar Result

I've only played Kedron Dells four times in the past decade, but it still feels like a familiar place; I played there frequently when I started getting serious about the game, and routinely shot scores well over 100. While the last handful of scores have been in the 90s, they still felt like failure. This is especially true of my latest visit, since I've routinely been scoring in the 80s this year.

The front nine at Kedron Dells is usually the problem, especially the first few holes. The opening par-5 is nothing fancy – just long and straight. Invariably, I mess up either my tee shot or second shot, drifting into the trees on either side. It was my tee shot this time, and it didn't help that I duffed one after pitching back to the fairway. After reaching the green, I blew my first putt well past the hole, ultimately 3-putting for a triple-bogey.

Aside from a textbook par on hole 3, it didn't get any better over the next few holes. A 3-iron off the tee on hole 2 was pushed close enough to the trees that I couldn't attack the green. An imprecise pitch and a missed putt added up to double-bogey. On the beastly hole 4, I popped up my drive near the tree line on the right. After pitching to the fairway, I hit a great 3-wood. Unfortunately, I sculled a pitch across the green en route to triple-bogey. Hole 5 is a 195-yard par-3. I hit 4-iron flag high, but 15 yards left of the green. A fabulous flop shot carried a bunker, but hit a downslope and kicked off the other side of the green into another bunker. Double-bogey was the result.

The remainder of the front nine included a couple of pars, but also a couple more triples. On hole 6, a par-5, I got lucky when my sliced drive hit a tree and bounced back to the middle of the fairway. I took advantage, hitting a perfect 3-iron and lob wedge to set up par. A perfect 3-iron off the tee started hole 7, but I then pushed an 8-iron, smacking a large tree and dropping into a penalty area. I got near the green with my next shot, but 3-putt from the fringe for triple-bogey. Hole 8 is a 149-yard par-3 wedged between woods on both sides. A good 8-iron gave me a chance at birdie, but par it was. The triple on hole 9 was due to a duffed drive that dove into a penalty area ahead of the teeing ground.

The back nine at Kedron Dells was much better, but with a score of 52 at the turn, my fate was already sealed. I went bogey, bogey, par, par, bogey over holes 10 through 14. A 3-iron off the tee on hole 10 drifted close enough to a tree to cause trouble. A great punch shot and pitch gave me a chance to save par, but I just missed. I was all over the place on hole 11, a long par-5. I actually visited parts of holes 12 and 13 en route to a bogey there. Hole 12 is a par-3 that was playing about 195 yards. A beautiful 4-iron carried me near the back hole location, followed by an easy 2-putt. I saved par on hole 13 by getting up and down from about 50 yards. Hole 14 is a 222-yard par-3 that I played by laying up to about 40 yards in front of the green, then pitching on.

Over the last four holes, I went par, par, quadruple-bogey, par. As you can see, there was only one blemish on this back nine. I'll get to that in a minute; first, let's talk about the pars. Hole 15 is a par-4 with a huge dogleg to the right. I hit 6-iron to the left side, followed by a fantastic 8-iron that settled on the green. Hole 16 is a par-4 with a drop in elevation that occurs halfway down the fairway. A deep drive allowed me to attack the green with a lob wedge, but I didn't really get close enough to birdie range. Hole 18 is the only easy par-3 on the course, at just 144 yards. I hit a nice 9-iron flag high to set up the par.

Hole 17, a tough par-5, is the one that produced a quad. I pulled and popped up a horrible drive into a penalty area well left of the fairway. My third shot clipped the top of a tall tree as I was trying to get back to the fairway. The ball ended up against a root between two bushes. I was able to punch through the bushes, but the root prevented my ball from going very far. My fifth shot was an attempt to reach the green from 160 yards, on a downslope. The uneven lie caused me to hit it fat, sending the ball into another penalty area. My seventh shot bounced off the right edge of the green. Finally, I pitched on and made a putt to end the horror show.

That hole aside, I was happy with the back nine. Overall, it was typical Kedron disappointment.

Score: 94
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 4

Disappointing Greens at King's Forest

What a difference a change of scenery makes. My previous round was at Osprey Valley, where the greens were the fastest I've played this year. Two days later, I went to King's Forest, where the greens were the slowest I've played this year. They were healthy and smooth, but slow as molasses in January.

Driver, 8-iron carried me to the opening green, only to 3-putt for bogey. Driver and 5-wood left me in the woods off the tee on holes 2 and 3, respectively. In both cases, I punched out, then missed the green. A chip and two putts earned double-bogey on both holes.

I was in the trees and punching out again on hole 4, a par-5. This time, I nailed the green with my third shot – a towering 5-wood. Par was the result. A 4-iron reached the green off the tee on hole 5, a par-3. I was far from the cup, however, and 3-putt for bogey. Two consecutive 3-irons and a lob wedge carried me just off the back of the green on hole 6, another par-5. A chip and a tap-in finished the hole off for par.

I completed the front nine going bogey, par, par. My tee shot found a bunker on hole 7, a short par-3. I overshot the green with my bunker shot, trickling into a penalty area. My fourth shot was a nice pitch, followed by a short putt. Hole 8 was a textbook par, as I hit the fairway, then the green, followed by a 2-putt. My approach on hole 9 was from the right rough, and I needed an up and down from just off the green to convert the par.

I hit the fairway, then found the edge of the green on hole 10. I had a legitimate birdie chance, but the slow green killed that fairly quickly. The birdie putt was well short and I finished with par. I had the same result on hole 11, where the course really starts to get tough. After a green in regulation, I 2-putt well from distance. I was in a greenside bunker after two shots on hole 12, a tight dogleg. Like a bonehead, I picked the ball clean out of the bunker, sending it into the woods 30 yards behind the green. I was livid at the resulting triple-bogey.

Hole 13, a par-4, is among the hardest on the course. I hit the fairway with 3-iron, then pushed a 4-iron to the edge of the woods right of the green. I was short sided, with a massive bunker between me and the green. Oh yeah, overhead branches blocked the aerial route and I had a nasty lie. I pitched one sideways to the fairway in front of the green – that was all I could do. I was ten yards off the green, but lagged a putt to within 3 feet. It was a great recovery for bogey.

After par on a short par-3, I took double-bogey on a par-5. My drive was in the right rough, but the ball took a bad bounce off the hard ground and kicked into some bushes. I did hit a great cutting 5-wood after taking a penalty, but my short game let me down near the green. Hole 16 is a short par-4 that also produced double-bogey. I usually hit iron off the tee, but was feeling confident with driver. Unfortunately, I pushed one right into the woods. It didn't help that the slow green sabotaged my bogey attempt.

I finished the round reasonably strong with a bogey and birdie – the former coming on a par-3 and the latter on a par-5. My drive on the last hole was right of the fairway, but I hit a nice 8-iron over some small trees to get back in position, then followed up with a precise lob wedge from 75 yards. The ball released to very near the cup at the back of the green, leaving a virtual tap-in for the bird.

Score: 88
Putts: 31
Fairways: 7
Greens: 7
Penalties: 3

Slick Greens at Osprey Valley Hoot

It was a beautiful late summer day on the Hoot course at Osprey Valley. The course was in excellent condition and the greens were fast. I got my first crack at the greens by making a one putt on the opening par-5 to save bogey. It followed a stubbed chip and a fat shot out of a fairway bunker.

Despite hitting the first two fairways, my driver was not really working well. I was pulling the ball left and low. On hole 2, I hit 7-iron from the left edge of the fairway, coming up short of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt nicely for bogey. On hole 3, a terribly pulled drive smacked a tree trunk and bounced back to the left rough. A lovely 7-iron carried just right of the green. Once again, I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey. Hole 4 is a par-3 that resulted in another bogey. After missing the green short and left, I pitched well past the hole. It took an excellent lag and tap-in to hole out.

On hole 5, the hardest on the course, my weakly pulled drive put me in a tough situation. The hole is already a long par-4 and this shot effectively transformed it into a par-5. My second shot was pulled slightly toward a bunker. With a downhill stance and 100 yards to the green, I only managed to reach some thick fescue short and right. I did well from there to pitch on and 2-putt for double-bogey. Hole 6 is ten yards shorter than number 5, but a par-5. After a good drive to the left fairway, I thinned a 5-wood into a fairway bunker. My third shot hit the bunker lip, while my fourth safely found the green. A 2-putt converted the bogey.

My driving trouble caught up with me again on hole 7, as I smothered one into the trees left of the fairway. There were no trees in front of my ball, but overhead branches impeded my backswing. My second shot travelled a whole 2 yards. Worse than that, I was on the border of a bunker and didn't anticipate the lie being so sandy. My third shot barely got back to the fairway. A nice 8-iron left me on the green above the hole. I did really well to 2-putt from there for double-bogey.

The best putt of the day came on hole 8, a 166-yard par-3. My 8-iron finished on the front edge of the green, as I got no help from a tailwind. No worries, as I lined up the 16-foot putt and promptly drained it for birdie! The good vibes carried to hole 9, a par-4 that cuts through a pine forest. I drove the ball to the centre of the fairway, then found the front of the green from 150 yards. A long uphill lag putt was followed by a nice 5-footer for par. My score at the turn was 44.

I started the back nine as well as I had finished the front. Hole 10 is a 173-yard par-3. I hit 7-iron just right of the green, then managed to get up and down for par. Hole 11 is a 500-yard par-5. Driver, 4-iron carried me to some fescue bordering a bunker on the right side. I punched one out to in front of the green, with enough momentum to trickle onto the putting surface, three feet from the hole. There was some break to contend with, but I made the birdie!

I hit a great drive on hole 12, but this is a dogleg right and my ball travelled through the fairway and into a bunker. I clipped some overhead tree branches en route to the green, finishing just short. After a pitch well past the hole, I lagged my first putt close enough to finish with bogey. My drive on hole 13, a par-5, was a slight push to the right side. Unfortunately, I also pushed my second shot very close to the edge of some water. The lie was horrible, so I declared the ball unplayable. After taking my penalty and drop, I hit a wedge to the green and 2-putt for bogey.

My drive on hole 14 was among my worst of the day – a smothered shot that travelled very little distance into the left rough. I hit 5-wood next, but could not reach the green on this par-4. After a pitch and two putts, I took a bogey. Hole 15 is a 137-yard par-3 that is all carry over a massive waste bunker. With a stiff headwind, I hit 8-iron to find the fat part of the green. This left a very tricky putt, which I didn't navigate very well. I ended up with three putts to finish, and another bogey.

Hole 16 is a par-4 that I completed with four shots from tee to cup. Unfortunately, the tee shot was preceded by an earlier one that I smother pulled into the trees, costing me two strokes and ultimately, double-bogey. I finished the day with two consecutive bogeys. 5-wood and a thinned wedge got me greenside on hole 17, but I couldn't quite get up and down for the par. A pushed drive left me behind some tall trees on hole 18, so I couldn't attack the green with my second shot. I did get on with my third and closed with a good 2-putt.

Score: 87
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2

Scenic Woods More Like Misty Meadows

I drove through some fog to reach Scenic Woods Golf Club, and it was thickest near the course, atop the Niagara escarpment. Through the green, the course was ravaged; in fact, it was difficult to differentiate the fairways from the rough. By comparison, the greens were an absolute oasis: lush, receptive, and smooth.

My driver didn't work very well to start the round. I pulled my tee shot on the opening par-5, forcing a sideways pitch back to the fairway. Bogey was the result. I pulled another one on hole 2, a par-4. My ball came to rest against the tree line, inches away from being out of bounds. With no back swing available, I managed to punch a shot to the edge of the green. A nice up and down preserved par. I pulled my third drive of the day on hole 3, a dogleg left. This one bounced into the woods, leading to a penalty and another bogey.

I didn't use the driver again until hole 8, a short par-4. It worked well enough that time to produce par. On holes 4 through 7, my club of choice off the tee was 7-iron, 5-wood, 8-iron, and gap wedge, respectively. All of these are par-4 designs, except for the last, which is a par-3. I actually duffed the 7-iron on hole 4, but recovered well for bogey. A fantastic 5-iron into the green on hole 5 set up a par. Hole 6 produced par as well, thanks to an up and down from just off the green. Hole 7 resulted in bogey, as I thinned the gap wedge through the back of the green.

The front nine ends with a 168-yard par-3. After missing the green left with a 6-iron, I got up and down for par. My score at the turn was 39 (4 over).

There are three par-5 holes on the back nine at Scenic Woods, beginning with hole 10. I smothered my drive attempt there, with my ball ending up behind a spruce tree. My only option then was to hit a lob wedge over the tree. It ended up being the smart choice, as I managed to save bogey on the hole. I wasn't as lucky on holes 12 and 18, the other par-5 designs. I pulled my drive slightly on the former, and sliced one on the latter. In both cases, I was forced to take a penalty. I tried a heroic third shot on hole 12, which only lead to another penalty and triple-bogey. I recovered better on hole 18, but 3-putt from distance to take double-bogey.

Aside from the par-5 holes, my back nine was quite nice. Two nice shots, including a lovely 5-iron off the tee, got me to the green safely on hole 11. Unfortunately, I then 3-putt for bogey. I made par on hole 13, a par 3 with a green wedged between woods and an angled creek. A pure 8-iron off the tee paved the way to bogey on hole 14. My approach to the green was not so pure, forcing a chip and two putts to finish.

Holes 15 and 17 are very similar par-4 designs. Measuring 384 and 394 yards, respectively, both feature a slight dogleg left. The second shot on each hole is a forced carry over a wide creek in front of the greens. My best drive of the day came on hole 15, leaving just a 100-yard shot into the green from the middle of the fairway. I hit an easy sand wedge to below the hole, then 2-putt for par. My drive on hole 17 ran through the dogleg a bit, finishing under a spruce tree. I had only 125 yards to the green, but overhead branches eliminated any possibility of going for the green. I punched to just in front of the creek, then nailed the green with my third. I gave the par putt a good chance, but had to settle for bogey.

Hole 16 is the only one I haven't described yet. It's a 194-yard par-3. I pushed a 4-iron off the tee, dropping down beside a cluster of small trees in front and right of the green. After pitching over a bunker, I 2-putt nicely for bogey. I would say that despite having a couple of 3-putts, my putting was very good all day.

Score: 86
Putts: 31
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4

Braeben with a Buddy

I got to play with a buddy for the first time in a while, and we headed out to Braeben. Weather was perfect, but as always, the wind was a factor there. I played Braeben earlier this year and put on a driving clinic, finishing with a score of 87. My driving was nowhere near as good this time, but I finished with a score of 84. Does this mean that driving accuracy and distance is not important? I wouldn't go that far, but there's a lot more to the game, for sure.

I had two penalties on the day, both coming off tee shots early in the round. My drive on hole 1, a par-4, looked like a good one to the left fairway, but I couldn't find the ball. It must have hit some mounds and kicked left into the penalty area. After a drop, I hit my third left of the green. From this position, the green was severely elevated. I made a good pitch to within 6 feet, but missed the par putt and took bogey.

After an up and down for par on hole 2, a short par-3, I tried 3-iron off the tee on hole 3. It was a horrible shot that found the fescue left. After a drop, it took two decent shots to get near the green. My fifth shot was a chip, followed by two putts for an unnecessary triple-bogey. A three-putt bogey followed on hole 4, a par-3. It wasn't a bad three-putt, as I started a healthy distance from the cup.

Holes 5 through 7 are the ones that gave me trouble last time I played the course. This time, I handled them much better, going par, bogey, bogey. I definitely learned from the previous experience. My approach on hole 5 was more conservative, finishing off the front right side of the green. From there, I played a lovely up and down.

My approach on hole 6 was even more conservative than the last time. Instead of lofting one up in the air, where the wind can take it a mile away, I bumped a low 8-iron from 90 yards to the area in front and left of the green. A pitch and two putts sealed the bogey.

On hole 7, the dramatic par-3 from an elevated tee, I hit gap wedge instead of 9-iron, which sailed over the green and into the woods on the last occasion. This time, I finished in front and left of the green. I did mess up a pitch shot, but after a second try got up and down for bogey.

I was 7 over par through seven holes, which isn't bad, but also not great. I went 5 over par for the last eleven holes. The stretch included the final two holes of the front nine, both resulting in par. On hole 8, a par-5, I hit driver, 5-wood through the back of the green. A solid chip gave me a chance at birdie, but par it was. On hole 9, a par-4, a weak drive put me behind the proverbial 8-ball. My third shot was an 8-iron that I bumped along the ground from 75 yards to stop within 6 feet of the cup. I drained the putt for a score of 43 at the turn.

The back nine began with birdie on a par-3. I hit a fabulous 5-iron into the wind, finishing inside 8 feet. My approach shots over the next three holes weren't nearly as precise, as I failed to hit the greens in regulation. In each case, an extra shot was required to find the putting surface. One of those shots was a successful splash out of a greenside bunker. Another was a pitch from 40 yards. The final one was a much more delicate pitch from five yards off the green. In each case, two putts ensued for bogey.

I got another par on hole 14, a par-4 with a dogleg left. Driver, sand wedge carried me 10 feet left of the flag, but a solid birdie attempt just missed. I bogeyed hole 15, thanks to a 3-putt, before my next par on hole 16. This is a par-5 with a dogleg right very near the green. My drive was a short pop up, left of the fairway. A pure 8-iron, followed by a 70-yard pitch with the lob wedge carried me flag high on the left edge of the green. After a good lag putt, I tapped in for the par.

Hole 17 is a short par-4. I got away with a bad drive, managing to finish just two yards off the back of the green after my second shot. At worst, this should have been a bogey. Unfortunately, I left my chip shot well short of the hole, then blasted my first putt well past. Two more putts were required to hole out for double-bogey. It was no problem, however, as I went on to par the last hole of the day, a par-5. I hit driver, 4-iron into the wind, before finding the green with the lob wedge from 70 yards. My first putt up a steep section of green was a bit short, but I calmly drained a 5-footer to finish with a back nine score of 41.

Score: 84
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens:6
Penalties: 2

First Ever Visit to Trafalgar

Trafalgar Golf & Country Club was a private facility for 60 years. After being sold a couple of years ago, operation of the golf course was turned over to GolfNorth and public tee times were made available. I made my first visit to the club on the last day in August. The weather couldn't have been any better.

I got paired with two guys who were playing the blue tees (6557 yards), while I opted for the white (6211 yards). I pulled my drive on the opening par-5 into a fairway bunker. After hitting pitching wedge to safely clear the lip, I hit a fantastic approach with 7-iron. I left the uphill birdie putt short, but followed up with a good putt for par.

Hole 2 is a par-4 that was playing 410 yards from the blue tees and 400 yards from the white. My fellow competitors hit their tee shots first, one pushing his drive well into the right rough and the other finding the centre of the fairway. I went next, pummeling a laser down the right side of the fairway. I had a 10 yard advantage on the tee, but converted that into a much greater advantage with my 300-yard drive. My partner joked that I would absolutely have to drop back to the blue tees. I misjudged the wind with my sand wedge approach, coming up a couple yards short of the green, but made a lengthy 2-putt to convert the par.

After bombing a 300-yard drive, a 130-yard tee shot shouldn't be too difficult, right? On hole 3, that tee shot came up short of the green, as I greatly underestimated the headwind. I had to pitch over a bunker to get near the pin, but duffed one directly into the sand. My third shot was a good out, though the ball flew well past the hole. I severely underestimated the break on my first putt, leading to two more and a triple-bogey. Wow!

I got back on track quickly, making another par on hole 4, a 350-yard par-4. This prompted my playing partners to join me on the white tees, beginning with hole 5. Speaking of hole 5, I hit 5-wood to just right of the fairway on this dogleg left. I was far from the green, with a forced carry over a creek. Because my lie was mediocre, I lofted up, knowing I wouldn't reach the green. My third shot was a pitch from 40 yards that rolled off the back of the green. No worries, as I got up and down for bogey.

The rest of the front nine went bogey, par, par, double-bogey. The bogey came on a 200-yard par-3, while the pars came on a par-4 and par-5 that were playing directly into the wind. The wind prevented my drive from carrying a fairway bunker on hole 7. I needed pitching wedge to clear the lip, which left me well short of the green. Fortunately, I hit a wonderful pitch from 50 yards, then sunk a 5-footer for the par. I used driver, 3-iron, and lob wedge to get one close on hole 8. Unfortunately, the downhill breaking birdie putt just missed.

Hole 9 is another long par-3. It was playing 190 yards directly into the wind. I made great contact with the 4-iron, but the ball drew and finished 10 yards left of the green. A subsequent pitch and chip shot both overshot the target. I did well to close with a 2-putt, but carded a double-bogey. My score at the turn was 42.

I started the back nine with a bogey on hole 10, a par-4. My drive was too far left and my ball finished at the base of a tree, forcing me to chip back to the fairway. Next up were a pair of par-5 holes that finished with par and bogey. Driver, 3-iron carried me just off the front edge of the green on hole 11, but I messed up my pitch shot, negating a good chance at birdie. After a good drive on hole 12, I hit a poor second shot, finishing behind a massive tree on the right side. For some reason, I had opened the club face drastically. I hit a high pitching wedge over the tree, then chipped an 8-iron onto the green.

The next three holes resulted in par, double-bogey, and par. Hole 13 is a 169-yard par-3 with a forced carry that I navigated in textbook style. Hole 14 is a quirky par-4, at just 314 yards. 5-wood off the tee landed in a fairway bunker right. Next came a terrible shot with the pitching wedge. I think I hit the edge of the club face, near the toe. The ball came out low and well to the right, finishing in some deep fescue. I hacked the ball out, then pitched  onto the green. My long bogey putt looked like it was in, but it hit the flag stick and stayed out. I think the device in the bottom of the cup (used for COVID-19 reasons) prevented the ball from dropping, but I counted the result as a double nevertheless. The misadventure didn't bother me, as I made par on hole 15, thanks largely to a fantastic 4-iron into the wind on my second shot.

Hole 16 is perhaps the most interesting hole on the course. The 334-yard par-4 begins with a carry over an angled creek. The angle is such that if you go too far left, you risk running through the fairway, into some long fescue. The further right you go, the longer the carry becomes. My drive faded right of my intended target. While it cleared the creek, it did not carry over a steep incline to the fairway level. I hit a good second shot from an impossibly steep stance, ending in the fairway some 40 yards from the flag. From there, I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey.

I earned double bogey on hole 17, a 164-yard par 3 over water from an elevated tee. My 6-iron into the wind finished flag high, but about 15 yards left of the green. I had to pitch over a bunker and ended up rolling off the other side of the green. My chip back was no better, rolling well past the hole. Two putts finished the hole.

The final hole at Trafalgar is a 418-yard par-4. I began by pummeling a drive – this one even better than the one on hole 2. Straight as an arow, with a low, penetrating flight, this one travelled 309 yards to finish just behind the 100-yard stick. Next, I hit a precise lob wedge to finish below the hole at the front of the green. There was little break in this putt and I could be aggressive putting uphill. From about 13 feet, I lined it up and drained the birdie putt. Great way to finish!

With this result, my handicap factor dipped to 11.9 – the first time it's ever been below 12.

Score: 84
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens:8
Penalties: 0