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
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