Exactly one month since my last visit to Settlers' Ghost, I returned to see if I could improve on my score. I shot well the first time around, but a couple of bad moments turned a good score into one that was just okay. It was much the same the second time around. There were plenty of good shots, but a couple of unfortunate moments ended up producing the same score.
I drove the ball terribly the round before this one, but I knew what I was doing wrong. My test would come on the very first hole. The tee shot looks harder than it really is, as a couple of trees on the right side give the false impression that the fairway is tight. In reality, there's lots of room to miss on the right. I didn't need it though, as I striped my drive to the middle of the fairway. The key was getting more rotation on the back swing, so that I would return to square at the point of impact.
An imprecise approach shot resulted in bogey on hole 1, but I followed up with two consecutive pars. I hit a fantastic 5-wood off the tee on hole 2, a 200-yard par-3. A lovely 9-iron approach on hole 3 also found the green. Both birdie putts missed, but I was left with mere tap-ins for par.
Holes 4 and 5 were not good, and it was the driver that messed me up again. I was so focused on rotating during the back swing, that I may have overdone it. I lost control and was unable to make clean contact. The penalty was worse on hole 4, as my ball finished in some long grass just ahead of the teeing ground. It took two hacks to get out of there, and that was with an 8-iron. I finished the hole with a triple-bogey. It really only cost me one stroke on hole 5, which ended with a double-bogey. I made an adjustment with the driver and was fine for the rest of the round.
I used 5-wood off the tee on hole 6, an uphill par-4, which put me on track for par. Hole 7, a short par-3 over water, produced another par. This was the best chance at birdie so far, but it didn't drop. Hole 8, a par-5, was the next chance to use driver and it worked out well. My third shot was from an impossible stance, with the ball at knee level. Nevertheless, I made bogey. A more subtle stance issue on hole 9, resulted in a penalty stroke. From 120 yards away with the ball slightly below my feet, I thinned a wedge shot into a pond fronting the green. Double-bogey was all I could salvage, for a score of 45 at the turn.
I started the back nine going bogey, double-bogey, bogey. The bogeys came on par-5 holes that run parallel to each other. Hole 10 plays substantially uphill, while hole 12 is the opposite. I burned a shot on the former getting back to the fairway after a drive that missed left. On the latter, my approach from 140 yards went over the green. In between these holes was a par-3. My tee shot found a bunker, which we all know give me problems. I made it out with one shot, but rolled off the other side of the green. A chip and two putts finished off the double.
Holes 13 through 15 resulted in par, par, par. The first of these is a short dogleg par-4. 5-wood, 8-iron got me safely to the green. After a lengthy lag, I tapped in for par. The next is a 180-yard par-3. The flag was at the front of the green, so I opted for 6-iron. It was the perfect choice, finishing flag high in the fringe, on the low side of the hole. After a firm uphill lag, I tapped in again. Hole 15 is a 561-yard par-5. Driver, 3-wood carried me within 60 yards of the flag. I pitched on and 2-putt for the simple par.
I finished the round going double-bogey, bogey, bogey. Hole 16 is a 152-yard par-3. My tee shot missed slightly right, bouncing off a mound and trickling into the woods. I was forced to take a penalty stroke. I wasted a shot near the green on hole 17, but then 1-putt to save the bogey. Hole 18 is a downhill par-4 with woods on both sides of the fairway. I nailed the fairway with my drive and made a good approach to just in front of the green. The flag was way at the back, however. Despite a good chip shot, I couldn't get up and down for par. My putt stopped 2 inches short of the hole.
Overall, 89 ain't bad. I'm glad to break 90 again. Let's see if I can start a new sub-90 streak.
Score: 89
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 7
Penalties: 2
July 31, 2020
July 29, 2020
Woeful Driving at Remington Parkview
Much like Chedoke Golf Club, Remington Parkview is a 2-course facility, with only the longer of its courses playing over 6,000 yards. Known as the Upper Course, it extends up to 6,185 yards. Unlike Chedoke, the Upper Course at Remington Parkview plays over flat terrain. Half of the holes follow a hydro corridor, which doesn't exactly add to the ambiance. I never played the course before, but was desperate to find something at the last minute, so off I went to give it a try.
The story of the day was horrible driving. During my last round at Silver Brooke, horrible drives came in spurts. This time, they persisted for almost the entire round. On hole 1, I pulled my drive to an adjacent fairway. A good 5-wood then got me near the proper green and I scraped out a bogey. On hole 2, I actually drove the ball straight down the fairway, setting up a par. It would be an outlier for the day. On hole 3, I hit a weak drive off the heel of the club, sending the ball into some bushes left of the fairway. After a penalty and drop, I hit a 4-iron fat and then 3-putt en route to a triple-bogey.
The next four holes produced bogey, bogey, par, and bogey. The first of these was a 197-yard par-3, so I was reasonably satisfied with the result. The next was a par-5 that began with another drive attempt off the heel of the club. It was absolutely horrible! Another decent 5-wood helped me recover for the bogey. Hole 6 is a short par-4, so I used an iron off the tee. It was a good call, as I found the fairway and finished with par. Hole 7 is another par-3, so the driver didn't come into play.
The next opportunity for the driver came on hole 8, a dogleg par-4. This drive attempt was just as ugly as those on holes 3 and 5. Unfortunately, this one dove into some long grass and I was forced to take a penalty. It was the first of two penalties on the hole, as a pulled approach shot hit some tall trees and I was unable to find my ball. Quadruple-bogey was fully deserved. I botched another drive attempt on hole 9, failing to get the ball airborne and landing in a penalty area just ahead of the teeing ground. That hole finished with a double-bogey and my score at the turn was 48.
Some relief came over the next four holes, as I finished par, par, bogey, and bogey. Holes 10 and 11 are short par-4 holes, measuring just 277 and 295 yards, respectively. I hit a great 4-iron off the tee on hole 10, and one that was good enough on hole 11. While my approach shot on the former found the green, my approach on the latter was a tad short. Whether coming after a conventional 2-putt, or after an up-and-down, I'll take pars any day! Hole 12 was a par-3, while hole 13 was another short par-4, measuring 302 yards. I decided to go back to driver, and this time I hit a good one. A 50-yard pitch shot rolled off the left side of the green, or this would have been another par.
Hole 15 is a 357-yard par-4, but I went back to 4-iron off the tee, as OB looms on the left side and there is a bit of a chute to emerge from the teeing ground. It was a good call, as I hit the fairway and eventually tallied another par. The final three holes on the course are a par-5, followed by two lengthy par-4 holes. These are all driving holes, so I was a little worried. As it turned out, I only hit the fairway on hole 16, but my other drives were plenty deep and didn't miss by much, so I ended the day with three consecutive bogeys. 44 on the back nine was only good enough for a final score of 92 overall.
After the fact, I realized what was wrong with my driving. I had little or no rotation of my shoulders and hips on the backswing. I was taking the club back with arms only. I then started the downswing by rotating the hips and shoulders. This is what you want when you've taken a proper backswing, but in my case, it just created a massive out-to-in swing path. It's near impossible to strike the ball well when you do that. I need to get some rotation back into my backswing, to enable that uncoiling motion to bring me back to square.
Score: 92
Putts: 31
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4
The story of the day was horrible driving. During my last round at Silver Brooke, horrible drives came in spurts. This time, they persisted for almost the entire round. On hole 1, I pulled my drive to an adjacent fairway. A good 5-wood then got me near the proper green and I scraped out a bogey. On hole 2, I actually drove the ball straight down the fairway, setting up a par. It would be an outlier for the day. On hole 3, I hit a weak drive off the heel of the club, sending the ball into some bushes left of the fairway. After a penalty and drop, I hit a 4-iron fat and then 3-putt en route to a triple-bogey.
The next four holes produced bogey, bogey, par, and bogey. The first of these was a 197-yard par-3, so I was reasonably satisfied with the result. The next was a par-5 that began with another drive attempt off the heel of the club. It was absolutely horrible! Another decent 5-wood helped me recover for the bogey. Hole 6 is a short par-4, so I used an iron off the tee. It was a good call, as I found the fairway and finished with par. Hole 7 is another par-3, so the driver didn't come into play.
The next opportunity for the driver came on hole 8, a dogleg par-4. This drive attempt was just as ugly as those on holes 3 and 5. Unfortunately, this one dove into some long grass and I was forced to take a penalty. It was the first of two penalties on the hole, as a pulled approach shot hit some tall trees and I was unable to find my ball. Quadruple-bogey was fully deserved. I botched another drive attempt on hole 9, failing to get the ball airborne and landing in a penalty area just ahead of the teeing ground. That hole finished with a double-bogey and my score at the turn was 48.
Some relief came over the next four holes, as I finished par, par, bogey, and bogey. Holes 10 and 11 are short par-4 holes, measuring just 277 and 295 yards, respectively. I hit a great 4-iron off the tee on hole 10, and one that was good enough on hole 11. While my approach shot on the former found the green, my approach on the latter was a tad short. Whether coming after a conventional 2-putt, or after an up-and-down, I'll take pars any day! Hole 12 was a par-3, while hole 13 was another short par-4, measuring 302 yards. I decided to go back to driver, and this time I hit a good one. A 50-yard pitch shot rolled off the left side of the green, or this would have been another par.
Hole 15 is a 357-yard par-4, but I went back to 4-iron off the tee, as OB looms on the left side and there is a bit of a chute to emerge from the teeing ground. It was a good call, as I hit the fairway and eventually tallied another par. The final three holes on the course are a par-5, followed by two lengthy par-4 holes. These are all driving holes, so I was a little worried. As it turned out, I only hit the fairway on hole 16, but my other drives were plenty deep and didn't miss by much, so I ended the day with three consecutive bogeys. 44 on the back nine was only good enough for a final score of 92 overall.
After the fact, I realized what was wrong with my driving. I had little or no rotation of my shoulders and hips on the backswing. I was taking the club back with arms only. I then started the downswing by rotating the hips and shoulders. This is what you want when you've taken a proper backswing, but in my case, it just created a massive out-to-in swing path. It's near impossible to strike the ball well when you do that. I need to get some rotation back into my backswing, to enable that uncoiling motion to bring me back to square.
Score: 92
Putts: 31
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4
July 28, 2020
Wild Spurts at Silver Brooke
There's a simple reason I've never played Silver Brooke Golf Club: it's not very convenient to reach. It's not just the distance from home, but the fact that it's tucked away from major highways. Despite all that, I resolved to head out there and see what the course is all about.
I gave myself plenty of time and there were no traffic delays. Nevertheless, I arrived at the course with little time to spare. They were having computer issues in the pro shop, which delayed me further. With the computer issue resolved, they asked me to catch up with another single who was already on the first tee.
He teed off just as I arrived on the scene, and invited me to join up. I fumbled around to get my ball, tee, and other necessary paraphernalia. I felt rushed, which is one of the worst feelings to start a round. It was made worse by the fact that I was unfamiliar with the course layout.
I proceeded to pull four consecutive drives into the woods lining the left side of the first hole. The guy I paired up with must have thought I was a hacker! I never take Mulligans, but these were exceptional circumstances. My fifth drive was flared to a fescue covered mound right of the fairway. I started keeping score with that stroke, and still struggled to a triple-bogey result. A 3-putt added a little extra salt to the wound.
I was worried that my play would sour my opinion of the course, but over the next seven holes, I settled down nicely. I collected four pars and three bogeys during that run. I went bogey, par on holes 2 and 3, which are back-to-back par-3 designs. The latter is much longer and more difficult, but I hit a perfect 6-iron to start it off. I hit a horrible drive on hole 4, a par-4, but still managed bogey. In fact, I nearly chipped in for par.
Holes 5 through 8 produced par, bogey, par, and par. I finally hit a good drive on hole 5, nearly driving the green of this short par-4. My drives on holes 6 and 7 were satisfactory, both finding the fairway. A 6-iron approach shot just missed the green on the former, while an 8-iron approach nailed the green on the latter. My best drive of the front nine came on hole 8, a 339-yard par-4. It allowed me to attack the pin with a lob wedge. Although I hit a nice approach shot, I wasn't able to convert the birdie.
On hole 9, a par-4, my driver went wild again. I pulled my tee shot, but was lucky that it also popped up high and didn't go very far, otherwise it would have been out of bounds. I found the ball under a bush very near the OB stakes. I was forced to declare the ball unplayable and take a penalty. My third shot was a towering 5-iron, but it was also pulled, finishing on the edge of the woods. I was able to chip out of there, but not all the way to the green. I burned another shot getting on the green, before 3-putting for a quadruple-bogey. Ugh!
I played seven great holes, sandwiched by two atrocious ones, to make the turn with a score of 46.
While the front nine at Silver Brooke plays through mature forest, the back nine opens up into a faux links style. I made par on Hole 10, thanks in part to a lovely 9-iron approach. After that, the wild drives returned. Hole 11 is a 522-yard par-5 with a generous fairway. I'm not sure if that enticed me to try crushing the ball, but I pulled two consecutive drives into a water feature left of the teeing ground that shouldn't even be in play. Hitting my fifth from the tee, I finished the hole with a quadruple-bogey. Basically, I made par after wasting four strokes.
Fortunately, that was the last bit of real nonsense for the round. I went 7 over par for the last seven holes, including a par, five bogeys, and a double-bogey. The double-bogey, which came on hole 12, was due to a pointless 3-putt. Bogey golf isn't bad, but I was still struggling to hit decent drives. I popped one short and left on hole 13, then sliced one to the right on hole 14. In both cases, it was my iron play that allowed me to salvage bogey.
I hit a decent drive on hole 15, but that one was with the 5-wood. I followed up with a gorgeous 7-iron over trees and bushes to the front of a hidden green, leading to par. On hole 17, I pulled a low bullet off the tee, smacking a tree trunk and ricocheting to the opposite side of the fairway. A good 5-wood, 5-iron combination helped me save bogey on this par-5. My drive on hole 18 wasn't as bad as the previous one, but it wasn't pretty either. Again, I needed the 5-wood to bail me out on my second shot, and I hit it well enough to set up a final bogey.
I liked Silver Brooke and will probably return some day. It won't be any time soon though, as it's quite a pain for me to get there.
Score: 93
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 4
I gave myself plenty of time and there were no traffic delays. Nevertheless, I arrived at the course with little time to spare. They were having computer issues in the pro shop, which delayed me further. With the computer issue resolved, they asked me to catch up with another single who was already on the first tee.
He teed off just as I arrived on the scene, and invited me to join up. I fumbled around to get my ball, tee, and other necessary paraphernalia. I felt rushed, which is one of the worst feelings to start a round. It was made worse by the fact that I was unfamiliar with the course layout.
I proceeded to pull four consecutive drives into the woods lining the left side of the first hole. The guy I paired up with must have thought I was a hacker! I never take Mulligans, but these were exceptional circumstances. My fifth drive was flared to a fescue covered mound right of the fairway. I started keeping score with that stroke, and still struggled to a triple-bogey result. A 3-putt added a little extra salt to the wound.
I was worried that my play would sour my opinion of the course, but over the next seven holes, I settled down nicely. I collected four pars and three bogeys during that run. I went bogey, par on holes 2 and 3, which are back-to-back par-3 designs. The latter is much longer and more difficult, but I hit a perfect 6-iron to start it off. I hit a horrible drive on hole 4, a par-4, but still managed bogey. In fact, I nearly chipped in for par.
Holes 5 through 8 produced par, bogey, par, and par. I finally hit a good drive on hole 5, nearly driving the green of this short par-4. My drives on holes 6 and 7 were satisfactory, both finding the fairway. A 6-iron approach shot just missed the green on the former, while an 8-iron approach nailed the green on the latter. My best drive of the front nine came on hole 8, a 339-yard par-4. It allowed me to attack the pin with a lob wedge. Although I hit a nice approach shot, I wasn't able to convert the birdie.
On hole 9, a par-4, my driver went wild again. I pulled my tee shot, but was lucky that it also popped up high and didn't go very far, otherwise it would have been out of bounds. I found the ball under a bush very near the OB stakes. I was forced to declare the ball unplayable and take a penalty. My third shot was a towering 5-iron, but it was also pulled, finishing on the edge of the woods. I was able to chip out of there, but not all the way to the green. I burned another shot getting on the green, before 3-putting for a quadruple-bogey. Ugh!
I played seven great holes, sandwiched by two atrocious ones, to make the turn with a score of 46.
While the front nine at Silver Brooke plays through mature forest, the back nine opens up into a faux links style. I made par on Hole 10, thanks in part to a lovely 9-iron approach. After that, the wild drives returned. Hole 11 is a 522-yard par-5 with a generous fairway. I'm not sure if that enticed me to try crushing the ball, but I pulled two consecutive drives into a water feature left of the teeing ground that shouldn't even be in play. Hitting my fifth from the tee, I finished the hole with a quadruple-bogey. Basically, I made par after wasting four strokes.
Fortunately, that was the last bit of real nonsense for the round. I went 7 over par for the last seven holes, including a par, five bogeys, and a double-bogey. The double-bogey, which came on hole 12, was due to a pointless 3-putt. Bogey golf isn't bad, but I was still struggling to hit decent drives. I popped one short and left on hole 13, then sliced one to the right on hole 14. In both cases, it was my iron play that allowed me to salvage bogey.
I hit a decent drive on hole 15, but that one was with the 5-wood. I followed up with a gorgeous 7-iron over trees and bushes to the front of a hidden green, leading to par. On hole 17, I pulled a low bullet off the tee, smacking a tree trunk and ricocheting to the opposite side of the fairway. A good 5-wood, 5-iron combination helped me save bogey on this par-5. My drive on hole 18 wasn't as bad as the previous one, but it wasn't pretty either. Again, I needed the 5-wood to bail me out on my second shot, and I hit it well enough to set up a final bogey.
I liked Silver Brooke and will probably return some day. It won't be any time soon though, as it's quite a pain for me to get there.
Score: 93
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 4
July 18, 2020
First Visit to Chedoke
Chedoke Golf Club in Hamilton features two 18-hole courses: Martin and Beddoe. Neither is particularly long, but Beddoe manages to reach 6,084 yards as a par-70, which isn't bad. I'm always looking for new courses to play, so I decided to give Beddoe a try.
I shot 44 on the front nine, with four pars, two bogeys, two double-bogeys, and a triple. One of the pars came on the opening par-4, after a 4-iron, 8-iron combination got me safely to an elevated green. The next was on hole 5, a 459-yard par-5. Driver, 5-iron were as lovely as can be, taking me to the right fairway, just a pitch shot away from the green. I got up and down for par on hole 8, a short par-3. Finally, I made par on hole 9, an uphill par-5, despite a poor second shot.
The trouble on the front nine came mostly on par-3 holes. I thinned my tee shot on hole 3 into a penalty area that needed to be carried. After a penalty and drop, I missed the green, chipped on and 2-putt for triple-bogey. On hole 6, which measures 206 yards, my tee shot was in some trees short and right. I punched under some branches, but my ball got caught up in the rough near the green apron. A chip and two putts earned a double-bogey.
The most disappointing result was a double-bogey on hole 4, a 357-yard par-4. The fairway rises slightly, before cresting and going back down to the green. Not knowing the course, I just aimed for the middle of the fairway and let it rip with driver. It was perfectly straight and absolutely crushed. I walked up to the landing area to find that the fairway ended 150 yards from the green. From there, the terrain dropped off steeply to a creek that crossed in front of the green. My ball was near the bottom of the hill, 100 yards from the green. I had a downhill lie in the rough and needed to get the ball airborne quickly to clear the creek. Of course, I thinned the ball right into the penalty area. Talk about bad luck. I hit a perfect drive and was penalized for it!
I shot 42 on the back nine, with four more pars, three bogeys, and two doubles. Hole 10 is a long par-4 measuring 454 yards. The good news is it plays downhill. My drive didn't quite reach the main down slope, so I had 190 yards remaining to the green on my second shot. I hit a nice 4-iron just right of the green. I almost chipped in for birdie, but tapped in for par.
I made a textbook par on hole 12, a par-4, by hitting the fairway, then the green in regulation, before 2 putting. Par on hole 14, a 516-yard par-5, was anything but textbook. My first two shots were wild ones that ended up in an opposite fairway. Luckily, I closed out strongly. The last par of the day came on the final hole, thanks to a lovely up and down from 100 yards away. The putt was a perfectly judged breaker from 8 feet away.
Trouble on the back nine was relatively minor. On hole 13, a 176-yard par-3, my tee shot settled in the front left bunker. I got out safely, but the ball rolled into the rough on the opposite side of the green. A very average chip was then followed by two putts for double-bogey. On hole 16, a 356-yard par-4, my drive leaked right into the woods, forcing me to take a penalty stroke. I played the remaining shots well enough, but the damage was already done.
Beddoe was okay. I won't be in any rush to go back, but I will under the right circumstances.
Score: 86
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
Penalties: 3
I shot 44 on the front nine, with four pars, two bogeys, two double-bogeys, and a triple. One of the pars came on the opening par-4, after a 4-iron, 8-iron combination got me safely to an elevated green. The next was on hole 5, a 459-yard par-5. Driver, 5-iron were as lovely as can be, taking me to the right fairway, just a pitch shot away from the green. I got up and down for par on hole 8, a short par-3. Finally, I made par on hole 9, an uphill par-5, despite a poor second shot.
The trouble on the front nine came mostly on par-3 holes. I thinned my tee shot on hole 3 into a penalty area that needed to be carried. After a penalty and drop, I missed the green, chipped on and 2-putt for triple-bogey. On hole 6, which measures 206 yards, my tee shot was in some trees short and right. I punched under some branches, but my ball got caught up in the rough near the green apron. A chip and two putts earned a double-bogey.
The most disappointing result was a double-bogey on hole 4, a 357-yard par-4. The fairway rises slightly, before cresting and going back down to the green. Not knowing the course, I just aimed for the middle of the fairway and let it rip with driver. It was perfectly straight and absolutely crushed. I walked up to the landing area to find that the fairway ended 150 yards from the green. From there, the terrain dropped off steeply to a creek that crossed in front of the green. My ball was near the bottom of the hill, 100 yards from the green. I had a downhill lie in the rough and needed to get the ball airborne quickly to clear the creek. Of course, I thinned the ball right into the penalty area. Talk about bad luck. I hit a perfect drive and was penalized for it!
I shot 42 on the back nine, with four more pars, three bogeys, and two doubles. Hole 10 is a long par-4 measuring 454 yards. The good news is it plays downhill. My drive didn't quite reach the main down slope, so I had 190 yards remaining to the green on my second shot. I hit a nice 4-iron just right of the green. I almost chipped in for birdie, but tapped in for par.
I made a textbook par on hole 12, a par-4, by hitting the fairway, then the green in regulation, before 2 putting. Par on hole 14, a 516-yard par-5, was anything but textbook. My first two shots were wild ones that ended up in an opposite fairway. Luckily, I closed out strongly. The last par of the day came on the final hole, thanks to a lovely up and down from 100 yards away. The putt was a perfectly judged breaker from 8 feet away.
Trouble on the back nine was relatively minor. On hole 13, a 176-yard par-3, my tee shot settled in the front left bunker. I got out safely, but the ball rolled into the rough on the opposite side of the green. A very average chip was then followed by two putts for double-bogey. On hole 16, a 356-yard par-4, my drive leaked right into the woods, forcing me to take a penalty stroke. I played the remaining shots well enough, but the damage was already done.
Beddoe was okay. I won't be in any rush to go back, but I will under the right circumstances.
Score: 86
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
Penalties: 3
July 16, 2020
Good Run at Rebel Creek
Early July brought with it a sustained heat wave, so I opted not to golf at all. When the heat finally relented, I jumped at the opportunity. I booked a tee time at Rebel Creek Golf Club, hoping that the time off would not adversely affect my game.
I pummelled my drive on the opening par-5, making use of the downhill slope to reach a distance of 365 yards. The green was just 210 yards away, but a nasty penalty area crosses in front, so I didn't even think about going for it. I hit a sand wedge to the 100 yard marker. Another sand wedge was pulled 3 yards left of the green. Unfortunately, I completely duffed a chip shot. After a better chip, I 2-putt for double-bogey.
With good driving and some accurate iron shots, I went on a very good run of six holes. Beginning with hole 2, I went bogey, par, par, bogey, par, par. I split the fairway on hole 2 and finished it with an up and down from behind the flag. I 2-putt smartly from off the green on hole 3. I crushed a 304-yard drive on hole 4, which plays level. A 60-yard pitch to below the hole gave me a good look at birdie, which I barely missed.
A bad drive on hole 5 forced me to pitch back to the fairway on this par-4. I almost got up and down from 130 yards, but my putt just missed. No problem, bogey was fair. Holes 6 and 7 began with excellent drives, followed by solid shots into the greens. I did very well to 2-putt on the former, and nearly birdied the latter.
Hole 8 is a short par 3 to a green protected in front and on the left by a creek. I tried to aim well right; I was even content to miss the green on that side. Unfortunately, I hit a big hook and found the creek nevertheless. Double bogey was the result. No problem though, as I immediately followed up with a birdie on hole 9, an uphill par-5. I hit driver to the right fairway, followed by 4-iron just off the right side of the fairway. From 75 yards, I hit a lovely lob wedge behind the flag, which spun back to flag high. This was followed by a gently breaking 10-foot putt.
I was shooting 41 at the turn and feeling good. After a 303-yard drive on hole 10, another downhill par-5, I had just 190 yards remaining to reach the green. I decided to go for this one, pulling out the trusty 4-iron. Unfortunately, I still had a bit of a downhill lie, which complicated the shot. I hit it fat, sending the ball into a bunker 40 yards short of the green. I thinned my third shot over the back of the green, requiring a chip and two putts to earn bogey. So disappointing after that drive!
Silliness ensued on hole 11, a 182-yard par-3. It was playing shorter than that, with the flag at the front of the green. My tee shot was hole high, but 10 yards right of the green. I sculled a pitch shot over the green, then fluffed one coming back, with the green falling away from me. Though I made two good putt attempts, it was too much to ask. I 3-putted for a triple-bogey.
On hole 12, a par-4, I nailed the fairway and placed my approach shot six feet below the hole. The birdie attempt ended with a violent lip-out, so I had to settle for par. Another lip-out from a similar distance denied me par on hole 13. The 3-putt bogey was disappointing, but only half as disappointing as the double-bogey I earned on hole 14. Though I hit a good drive on this par-4, my ball finished in front of a bunker. I didn't have a proper stance, and therefore thinned a wedge shot into a pond right of the green.
I went par, bogey, bogey over the next three holes, with the bogeys coming thanks to another lip-out and a putt that finished with part of the ball overhanging the hole. I slipped up a bit on the back nine, but it looked like I would still finish comfortably in the 80s. I was sitting at 81, with a par-5 remaining to play. I cut it really close, taking two penalty strokes on that hole en route to a triple-bogey. This was only my third visit to Rebel Creek, and I didn't recall the details of the hole. My third shot was over the crest of a hill to a blind spot and I picked the completely wrong line. In the end, I was happy that I still broke 90.
Score: 89
Putts: 32
Fairways: 8
Greens: 7
Penalties: 4
I pummelled my drive on the opening par-5, making use of the downhill slope to reach a distance of 365 yards. The green was just 210 yards away, but a nasty penalty area crosses in front, so I didn't even think about going for it. I hit a sand wedge to the 100 yard marker. Another sand wedge was pulled 3 yards left of the green. Unfortunately, I completely duffed a chip shot. After a better chip, I 2-putt for double-bogey.
With good driving and some accurate iron shots, I went on a very good run of six holes. Beginning with hole 2, I went bogey, par, par, bogey, par, par. I split the fairway on hole 2 and finished it with an up and down from behind the flag. I 2-putt smartly from off the green on hole 3. I crushed a 304-yard drive on hole 4, which plays level. A 60-yard pitch to below the hole gave me a good look at birdie, which I barely missed.
A bad drive on hole 5 forced me to pitch back to the fairway on this par-4. I almost got up and down from 130 yards, but my putt just missed. No problem, bogey was fair. Holes 6 and 7 began with excellent drives, followed by solid shots into the greens. I did very well to 2-putt on the former, and nearly birdied the latter.
Hole 8 is a short par 3 to a green protected in front and on the left by a creek. I tried to aim well right; I was even content to miss the green on that side. Unfortunately, I hit a big hook and found the creek nevertheless. Double bogey was the result. No problem though, as I immediately followed up with a birdie on hole 9, an uphill par-5. I hit driver to the right fairway, followed by 4-iron just off the right side of the fairway. From 75 yards, I hit a lovely lob wedge behind the flag, which spun back to flag high. This was followed by a gently breaking 10-foot putt.
I was shooting 41 at the turn and feeling good. After a 303-yard drive on hole 10, another downhill par-5, I had just 190 yards remaining to reach the green. I decided to go for this one, pulling out the trusty 4-iron. Unfortunately, I still had a bit of a downhill lie, which complicated the shot. I hit it fat, sending the ball into a bunker 40 yards short of the green. I thinned my third shot over the back of the green, requiring a chip and two putts to earn bogey. So disappointing after that drive!
Silliness ensued on hole 11, a 182-yard par-3. It was playing shorter than that, with the flag at the front of the green. My tee shot was hole high, but 10 yards right of the green. I sculled a pitch shot over the green, then fluffed one coming back, with the green falling away from me. Though I made two good putt attempts, it was too much to ask. I 3-putted for a triple-bogey.
On hole 12, a par-4, I nailed the fairway and placed my approach shot six feet below the hole. The birdie attempt ended with a violent lip-out, so I had to settle for par. Another lip-out from a similar distance denied me par on hole 13. The 3-putt bogey was disappointing, but only half as disappointing as the double-bogey I earned on hole 14. Though I hit a good drive on this par-4, my ball finished in front of a bunker. I didn't have a proper stance, and therefore thinned a wedge shot into a pond right of the green.
I went par, bogey, bogey over the next three holes, with the bogeys coming thanks to another lip-out and a putt that finished with part of the ball overhanging the hole. I slipped up a bit on the back nine, but it looked like I would still finish comfortably in the 80s. I was sitting at 81, with a par-5 remaining to play. I cut it really close, taking two penalty strokes on that hole en route to a triple-bogey. This was only my third visit to Rebel Creek, and I didn't recall the details of the hole. My third shot was over the crest of a hill to a blind spot and I picked the completely wrong line. In the end, I was happy that I still broke 90.
Score: 89
Putts: 32
Fairways: 8
Greens: 7
Penalties: 4
July 12, 2020
Holding on at Settlers' Ghost
After using a pull cart for the first five rounds of the season, I recently made the switch back to carrying my golf clubs. If you golf to help stay in shape, walking with a pull cart is better than riding, but carrying is best of all. After five rounds, I felt like I had eased into the season enough, so the switch to carrying was made. At the same time, I'm always careful about exerting myself too much, particularly in hot weather. My latest round was an afternoon visit to Settler's Ghost, which has a fair bit of elevation changes. It was fairly hot, so I had to be careful.
I felt good on the front nine, which was reflected in my score of 42, including four pars, four bogeys, and a double-bogey. After missing badly with my second shot on the opening par-4, I made a lovely up and down from 30 yards away. I had some trouble reaching the greens on holes 2 and 3, respectively, but recovered well for a pair of bogeys. On hole 4, a 369-yard par-4, I striped the fairway with my drive and nailed the green with a lob wedge from 100 yards. After a solid lag putt, I tapped in for my second par of the day.
Hole 5 is a 526-yard par-5. My second shot from the left rough was topped and went a very short distance. However, I played the hole well from that point to salvage bogey. This was followed up with back-to-back pars on holes 6 and 7. The former is an uphill par-4. I hit the green with gap wedge from the right rough and lagged a long putt very close. The latter is a short par-3 over water. I hit a pitching wedge flag high that released behind the pin. A hard breaking lag was well judged, leaving just a tap-in for par.
Hole 8 is the one that produced double-bogey. I pulled my second shot on this par-5 into some trees left of the cart path. I decided the ball was unplayable and took a penalty stroke. Hitting from a downhill / side hill lie, my approach failed to reach the green. Despite a lovely pitch to the back pin position, I still required two putts to finish. I earned bogey on hole 9, despite finding the green with a 4-iron, sand wedge combination. Had I used lob wedge on the approach, I might have had a better chance at par. As it was, I 3-putt from a healthy distance.
I was drinking plenty of water and feeling pretty good at this point, though very conscious of the heat. Hole 10 is a 558-yard par-5 that plays substantially uphill. I've struggled on this hole in the past, and consider it the hardest on the course. Too much thinking about this ruined my tee shot. I hit the heel of the driver, barely blooping the ball 80 yards ahead and left to an opposite fairway. I had lots of room to play back to the proper fairway, but opted to hit a 5-wood instead of a mid-iron. It was a bad decision. I had a bit of an uphill lie, and I scrubbed the ground in front of the ball. The ball rolled a few yards ahead, nestling under a spruce tree. A left handed putter shot was all I could use to get out of there. Now on a severe side hill lie, I pulled a mid iron into a large tree. It was one disaster after another. I played decent for the rest of the hole, but finished with a quadruple-bogey 9.
The next three holes were not very smooth, as I struggled to cope with the change of events. My tee shot on hole 11, a 158-yard par-3, was pushed slightly right into a bunker. I splashed out from there, but barely. A chip and two putts earned a double-bogey. Hole 12, a downhill par-5 that plays parallel to #10, was a bit better with bogey. Still, I was disappointed with my second shot after a perfect drive. There are not many flat lies at Settlers' Ghost. Some are subtle, like the downhill one I topped on this occasion. Hole 13 is a short par-4 with a forced carry off the tee. I cleared the water easily, but lost my ball in the fescue right of the fairway. It's an easy hole, unless you slice your drive badly, as I did. The consequence was a double-bogey.
Fortunately, I played the remaining five holes just two over par to salvage a score of 89. Beginning with hole 14, I went par, bogey, par, par, and bogey. Hole 14 is a 180-yard par 3. I hit 6-iron to the centre of the green, then 2-putt back to the front pin position. Hole 15 is a 561-yard par-5 that goes back uphill a bit. I hit decent long irons, but they weren't pure, resulting in lost distance. I needed an extra little pitch to find the green and then 2-put.
Hole 16 is a 152-yard par-3, and I hit perhaps my best iron of the day. It was a 7-iron into a slight breeze that carried a front bunker and then released past the hole. It was an absolutely towering shot. I made a great attempt at the long birdie putt, but had to follow up with a tap-in. Hole 17 is a dogleg par-4. I went driver, lob wedge to find the green, but my approach drifted well right of the hole. I did very well to 2-putt from that position.
I didn't know my score, so I paused on the 18th tee to see where I stood. Sure enough, a bogey on the downhill par-4 would be enough to break 90. With trees on both sides of the fairway, I shortened my backswing and let it fly. Oh what a beauty ! It was my best drive of the day – straight down the middle and 300 yards to boot. Sure, some of that was because I caught a downhill section just right, but I didn't care. At this point, I felt like par was possible, and certainly I would finish with no worse than bogey.
Well, I hit my sand wedge fat, thanks to a slight downhill lie. From 15 yards in front of the green, I sculled one straight across to the other side. Oh no! Given the contours of the green, it would be very difficult to get up and down for bogey. I chipped reasonably well, but the ball finished 12 feet below the hole. The good news is that it was a straight putt. I lined it up and gave it a firm tap, drilling the centre to break 90 after all. Woohoo!
Score: 89
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 7
Penalties: 2
I felt good on the front nine, which was reflected in my score of 42, including four pars, four bogeys, and a double-bogey. After missing badly with my second shot on the opening par-4, I made a lovely up and down from 30 yards away. I had some trouble reaching the greens on holes 2 and 3, respectively, but recovered well for a pair of bogeys. On hole 4, a 369-yard par-4, I striped the fairway with my drive and nailed the green with a lob wedge from 100 yards. After a solid lag putt, I tapped in for my second par of the day.
Hole 5 is a 526-yard par-5. My second shot from the left rough was topped and went a very short distance. However, I played the hole well from that point to salvage bogey. This was followed up with back-to-back pars on holes 6 and 7. The former is an uphill par-4. I hit the green with gap wedge from the right rough and lagged a long putt very close. The latter is a short par-3 over water. I hit a pitching wedge flag high that released behind the pin. A hard breaking lag was well judged, leaving just a tap-in for par.
Hole 8 is the one that produced double-bogey. I pulled my second shot on this par-5 into some trees left of the cart path. I decided the ball was unplayable and took a penalty stroke. Hitting from a downhill / side hill lie, my approach failed to reach the green. Despite a lovely pitch to the back pin position, I still required two putts to finish. I earned bogey on hole 9, despite finding the green with a 4-iron, sand wedge combination. Had I used lob wedge on the approach, I might have had a better chance at par. As it was, I 3-putt from a healthy distance.
I was drinking plenty of water and feeling pretty good at this point, though very conscious of the heat. Hole 10 is a 558-yard par-5 that plays substantially uphill. I've struggled on this hole in the past, and consider it the hardest on the course. Too much thinking about this ruined my tee shot. I hit the heel of the driver, barely blooping the ball 80 yards ahead and left to an opposite fairway. I had lots of room to play back to the proper fairway, but opted to hit a 5-wood instead of a mid-iron. It was a bad decision. I had a bit of an uphill lie, and I scrubbed the ground in front of the ball. The ball rolled a few yards ahead, nestling under a spruce tree. A left handed putter shot was all I could use to get out of there. Now on a severe side hill lie, I pulled a mid iron into a large tree. It was one disaster after another. I played decent for the rest of the hole, but finished with a quadruple-bogey 9.
The next three holes were not very smooth, as I struggled to cope with the change of events. My tee shot on hole 11, a 158-yard par-3, was pushed slightly right into a bunker. I splashed out from there, but barely. A chip and two putts earned a double-bogey. Hole 12, a downhill par-5 that plays parallel to #10, was a bit better with bogey. Still, I was disappointed with my second shot after a perfect drive. There are not many flat lies at Settlers' Ghost. Some are subtle, like the downhill one I topped on this occasion. Hole 13 is a short par-4 with a forced carry off the tee. I cleared the water easily, but lost my ball in the fescue right of the fairway. It's an easy hole, unless you slice your drive badly, as I did. The consequence was a double-bogey.
Fortunately, I played the remaining five holes just two over par to salvage a score of 89. Beginning with hole 14, I went par, bogey, par, par, and bogey. Hole 14 is a 180-yard par 3. I hit 6-iron to the centre of the green, then 2-putt back to the front pin position. Hole 15 is a 561-yard par-5 that goes back uphill a bit. I hit decent long irons, but they weren't pure, resulting in lost distance. I needed an extra little pitch to find the green and then 2-put.
Hole 16 is a 152-yard par-3, and I hit perhaps my best iron of the day. It was a 7-iron into a slight breeze that carried a front bunker and then released past the hole. It was an absolutely towering shot. I made a great attempt at the long birdie putt, but had to follow up with a tap-in. Hole 17 is a dogleg par-4. I went driver, lob wedge to find the green, but my approach drifted well right of the hole. I did very well to 2-putt from that position.
I didn't know my score, so I paused on the 18th tee to see where I stood. Sure enough, a bogey on the downhill par-4 would be enough to break 90. With trees on both sides of the fairway, I shortened my backswing and let it fly. Oh what a beauty ! It was my best drive of the day – straight down the middle and 300 yards to boot. Sure, some of that was because I caught a downhill section just right, but I didn't care. At this point, I felt like par was possible, and certainly I would finish with no worse than bogey.
Well, I hit my sand wedge fat, thanks to a slight downhill lie. From 15 yards in front of the green, I sculled one straight across to the other side. Oh no! Given the contours of the green, it would be very difficult to get up and down for bogey. I chipped reasonably well, but the ball finished 12 feet below the hole. The good news is that it was a straight putt. I lined it up and gave it a firm tap, drilling the centre to break 90 after all. Woohoo!
Score: 89
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 7
Penalties: 2
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