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