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
No comments:
Post a Comment