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
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