My third event on the GTA Amateur Tour took place at Wildfire Golf Club, a lovely Tom McBroom design in the Kawartha region. It was overcast and windy when I teed off in the late afternoon with the last group of the day.
I tallied six bogeys and a par on the front nine, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The driver never came out of my bag, as I opted for the 3-wood on the relatively short holes. On the second hole, I topped my tee shot. On the fourth hole, I hit my tee shot very thin. Fortunately, the ball skipped over a creek and carried well along the fairway. I hit some good tee shots as well, but it was a very mixed bag.
Similarly, my irons varied from spectacular to outright disgusting - even on the same hole! After a solid tee shot on hole #7, a par-5 measuring 486 yards, I completely messed up my second shot with a 7-iron. This left me with a 195-yard approach to the green, which I nailed with a fantastic 4-iron. Overall, there were far too many worm-burners resulting from my iron shots. They didn't hurt the score tremendously because the ball still advanced, but they were ugly. On a couple iron shots I opened the club face far too much, with predictable results.
Bunker play, chipping and putting were all good on the front nine.
On the back nine there were a couple moments of brilliance amidst a sea of errors. I birdied hole #11, a par-3 measuring 140 yards. After hitting the green in regulation, I sank a long putt from about 25 feet. On the next hole, a par-5, I hit two perfect shots to lay up in front of a pond guarding the green. From 135 yards out, I mis-hit the approach ever so slightly and the ball came down a yard short of crossing the water. I proceeded to hit two more balls into the water, catching the ball fat on both occasions.
After that disastrous hole, I felt I was still mentally in the game, but my scores tell another story. On one hole, I lost a ball in the woods after hitting a 7-iron with the club face way too open again. I duffed a 6-iron off the tee on a short par-4. I picked a ball clean out of a greenside bunker, launching it out of bounds. I even pulled a drive left of the fairway into the woods. They were the kind of errors that involve penalty strokes, so my score got terribly inflated.
On hole #17, a par-3 measuring 142 yards, I hit my tee shot into a bunker guarding the left side of the green. With lots of green to work with, I hit a perfect sand shot, rolling the ball to about five feet from the cup. Finally, I made the straight uphill putt to save par.
Chipping and putting remained solid on the back nine.
Right now, my game is all over the place. It seems each round I fix one problem, only to have a new one emerge. My handicap is inching up instead of going down. It's frustrating to say the least. Patience, I guess. Patience.
Score: 111
Par: 72
Putts: 35
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
June 11, 2009
June 07, 2009
Setback at Kleinburg
With my last three rounds in the nineties (94, 98, 94) it looked like I was headed in the right direction. If those rounds represented two steps forward, then my last round at Kleinburg Golf Club was most definitely a step backward.
My tee shot on the frst hole of the Gold course was a sign of things to come. I realize now that I shifted my weight to the right foot (the classic reverse pivot), causing me to hit the ball very low on the clubface. The flaw led to a double-bogey on that hole, but it would lead to much worse on the next hole. Visual intimidation is plentiful on hole #2, especially from the blue tees which I was playing. Anyone watching might have thought I was psyched out by the gulley and trees immediately in front of the teeing ground. In fact, visual intimidation had nothing to do with my poor shots. I felt very comfortable. The problem was the reverse pivot, which crept into my swing for some reason. On two successive occasions, the flaw caused me to top the ball, sending it dribbling just a few yards into the junk ahead. It was only with my third attempt that I got the ball airborne.
On holes #3 through #8, I continued to make the same mistake but got away with it, putting together a string of bogeys and double-bogeys. On hole #9 I wasn't so lucky. The same move caused me to top the ball again, sending it into some trees just left of the tee box. I actually did well to record a triple-bogey from that position.
I finished the Gold nine with a score of 55. As it turns out, I still have the scorecard from my last visit to Kleinburg in 2007. That day, I shot 41 on the same course, albeit from the white tees. That's a difference of 14 strokes over just nine holes! It's remarkable to see how things can go so well on one day, and so terrible on another.
My 2007 visit to Kleinburg concluded by playing the White course, while this round ended by playing the Red course. On hole #1, I smoked a 3-wood off the tee, leaving just 30 yards to the green. My pitch shot was pretty good, leaving an uphill putt for birdie. I put a good stroke on the putt, but it caught a damaged patch of grass and actually veered to the right. I was extremely upset. The greens at Kleinburg were in absolutely terrible shape, but this was beyond anything I've seen before. I had a hard time clearing my mind for my next putt and missed it as a result. Instead of birdie, I walked away with bogey. A pair of bogeys on the next two holes was easier to take, as I had less than perfect approaches to the greens.
On hole #4, the reverse pivot reared its ugly head again, sending my tee shot left into some trees just ahead of the tee. The ball was lost in the fescue and I was forced to re-tee. When I reached the green, my second putt skimmed the edge of the cup and that upset me again. It's bad enough that I had to hit my third shot from the tee - the last thing I needed was more bad luck on a makeable putt. This put me in a poor mental state and I played the next two holes in a rather undisciplined fashion. It's not surprising then, that I recorded a quadruple and a triple-bogey.
Oh hole #7, I hit a good drive long and in the centre of the fairway. From 85 yards out, I judged the stroke perfectly, landing the ball flag-high, left of the cup. I took my time and nailed the 13-footer for only my second birdie of the season. I followed this up with a textbook par on the next hole, a 166-yard par-3. I closed out the round with a solid bogey. The last three holes helped ease some of the anguish I was feeling.
Overall, I can't sugar-coat anything here. This was a terrible round. I don't know why the reverse pivot surfaced, but I have to eliminate it at my next round, which will be a GTA Amateur Tour event.
Score: 104
Par: 72
Putts: 40
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
My tee shot on the frst hole of the Gold course was a sign of things to come. I realize now that I shifted my weight to the right foot (the classic reverse pivot), causing me to hit the ball very low on the clubface. The flaw led to a double-bogey on that hole, but it would lead to much worse on the next hole. Visual intimidation is plentiful on hole #2, especially from the blue tees which I was playing. Anyone watching might have thought I was psyched out by the gulley and trees immediately in front of the teeing ground. In fact, visual intimidation had nothing to do with my poor shots. I felt very comfortable. The problem was the reverse pivot, which crept into my swing for some reason. On two successive occasions, the flaw caused me to top the ball, sending it dribbling just a few yards into the junk ahead. It was only with my third attempt that I got the ball airborne.
On holes #3 through #8, I continued to make the same mistake but got away with it, putting together a string of bogeys and double-bogeys. On hole #9 I wasn't so lucky. The same move caused me to top the ball again, sending it into some trees just left of the tee box. I actually did well to record a triple-bogey from that position.
I finished the Gold nine with a score of 55. As it turns out, I still have the scorecard from my last visit to Kleinburg in 2007. That day, I shot 41 on the same course, albeit from the white tees. That's a difference of 14 strokes over just nine holes! It's remarkable to see how things can go so well on one day, and so terrible on another.
My 2007 visit to Kleinburg concluded by playing the White course, while this round ended by playing the Red course. On hole #1, I smoked a 3-wood off the tee, leaving just 30 yards to the green. My pitch shot was pretty good, leaving an uphill putt for birdie. I put a good stroke on the putt, but it caught a damaged patch of grass and actually veered to the right. I was extremely upset. The greens at Kleinburg were in absolutely terrible shape, but this was beyond anything I've seen before. I had a hard time clearing my mind for my next putt and missed it as a result. Instead of birdie, I walked away with bogey. A pair of bogeys on the next two holes was easier to take, as I had less than perfect approaches to the greens.
On hole #4, the reverse pivot reared its ugly head again, sending my tee shot left into some trees just ahead of the tee. The ball was lost in the fescue and I was forced to re-tee. When I reached the green, my second putt skimmed the edge of the cup and that upset me again. It's bad enough that I had to hit my third shot from the tee - the last thing I needed was more bad luck on a makeable putt. This put me in a poor mental state and I played the next two holes in a rather undisciplined fashion. It's not surprising then, that I recorded a quadruple and a triple-bogey.
Oh hole #7, I hit a good drive long and in the centre of the fairway. From 85 yards out, I judged the stroke perfectly, landing the ball flag-high, left of the cup. I took my time and nailed the 13-footer for only my second birdie of the season. I followed this up with a textbook par on the next hole, a 166-yard par-3. I closed out the round with a solid bogey. The last three holes helped ease some of the anguish I was feeling.
Overall, I can't sugar-coat anything here. This was a terrible round. I don't know why the reverse pivot surfaced, but I have to eliminate it at my next round, which will be a GTA Amateur Tour event.
Score: 104
Par: 72
Putts: 40
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Solid at Deepwoods Opener
I began my defence of the Deepwoods Golf Association Championship with the opening round of the 2009 season at Copetown Woods Golf Club. Strong wind made it tough for most competitors, but I was in a good zone and pulled out a solid result.
Playing the back nine first, I wasted a perfect drive on hole #10 when my second shot on the par-5 from only 165 yards out was hit fat. The ball came up well short of the green in a large waste bunker. Of course, it was also nestled behind a shrub within the bunker, forcing me to chip out sideways. After a double bogey on #10, I made par on the next two holes. Both were textbook plays, as I hit the greens in regulation and 2-putted to finish. On hole #14 I hit a nice drive, which was good enough to win the longest drive competition. There are much longer hitters on the Deepwoods Tour, but I'm sure the wind made it tough on them. I got near the green with my second shot, but ended up beneath a pine tree, which led to a double-bogey.
Hole #16, the third par-5 on the back nine at Copetown, was notable as I registered an impressive par. I hit the fairway, advanced the ball to the 100-yard marker, then hit the green and made a couple of putts. Easy stuff. The only terrible hole on the back nine was #17, a par-3 measuring 137 yards and rated the easiest hole on the course. I mis-hit my wedge off the tee, sending the ball to a bunker on the left side. It took a couple of swipes to get the ball out, followed by three putts for a triple-bogey.
Playing the front nine, I scrambled well to save par on hole #1, a par-5 stretching 439 yards. I pulled my drive left, then played the next two shots hugging the trees along that side. A chip and a putt finished it up. On hole #2, my drive came to rest about a foot into the long fescue. It didn't appear very thick, but the long grass wraps around the clubhead and shaft, making it tough to get out. A triple bogey was the result. On hole #4, a short par-3 measuring 139 yards, I missed a par putt from within 3 feet. The wind was incredibly strong and I found it impacted my putting more than anything else.
Some bad luck on hole #6 produced another triple-bogey. After duffing my tee shot and advancing the ball with two more strokes, I was 50 yards away from the green, near the tee area of hole #5. I hit a sand wedge shot that went high in the air, hitting an overhanging electrical wire before coming to rest on the lower tier of the large green. I opted to replay the shot, figuring I could stick the ball on the top tier of the green near the flag. Sure enough, I mis-hit the replayed shot and came up well short of the green. Following that episode, I made par on the next two holes. Pars are very boring to describe, but extremely satisfying to make.
Overall, I was happy with my score, especially given the terrible weather conditions. I actually shot the same score as I did last year at Copetown Woods. This year my handicap is lower, so it didn't produce as many points according to the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods. Still, it was good enough for seventh place. A cluster of players directly ahead of me means that third place is just two points away. It's a long season and I am still in the hunt.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Playing the back nine first, I wasted a perfect drive on hole #10 when my second shot on the par-5 from only 165 yards out was hit fat. The ball came up well short of the green in a large waste bunker. Of course, it was also nestled behind a shrub within the bunker, forcing me to chip out sideways. After a double bogey on #10, I made par on the next two holes. Both were textbook plays, as I hit the greens in regulation and 2-putted to finish. On hole #14 I hit a nice drive, which was good enough to win the longest drive competition. There are much longer hitters on the Deepwoods Tour, but I'm sure the wind made it tough on them. I got near the green with my second shot, but ended up beneath a pine tree, which led to a double-bogey.
Hole #16, the third par-5 on the back nine at Copetown, was notable as I registered an impressive par. I hit the fairway, advanced the ball to the 100-yard marker, then hit the green and made a couple of putts. Easy stuff. The only terrible hole on the back nine was #17, a par-3 measuring 137 yards and rated the easiest hole on the course. I mis-hit my wedge off the tee, sending the ball to a bunker on the left side. It took a couple of swipes to get the ball out, followed by three putts for a triple-bogey.
Playing the front nine, I scrambled well to save par on hole #1, a par-5 stretching 439 yards. I pulled my drive left, then played the next two shots hugging the trees along that side. A chip and a putt finished it up. On hole #2, my drive came to rest about a foot into the long fescue. It didn't appear very thick, but the long grass wraps around the clubhead and shaft, making it tough to get out. A triple bogey was the result. On hole #4, a short par-3 measuring 139 yards, I missed a par putt from within 3 feet. The wind was incredibly strong and I found it impacted my putting more than anything else.
Some bad luck on hole #6 produced another triple-bogey. After duffing my tee shot and advancing the ball with two more strokes, I was 50 yards away from the green, near the tee area of hole #5. I hit a sand wedge shot that went high in the air, hitting an overhanging electrical wire before coming to rest on the lower tier of the large green. I opted to replay the shot, figuring I could stick the ball on the top tier of the green near the flag. Sure enough, I mis-hit the replayed shot and came up well short of the green. Following that episode, I made par on the next two holes. Pars are very boring to describe, but extremely satisfying to make.
Overall, I was happy with my score, especially given the terrible weather conditions. I actually shot the same score as I did last year at Copetown Woods. This year my handicap is lower, so it didn't produce as many points according to the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods. Still, it was good enough for seventh place. A cluster of players directly ahead of me means that third place is just two points away. It's a long season and I am still in the hunt.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
June 05, 2009
More Progress at Silver Lakes
A day after having a decent round at Lowville, I headed out to Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club. It was only my second ever visit to the club, the first coming near the end of the 2007 season. I recalled that many of the holes cut through thick forest, so accuracy would be critical.
I played well on the front nine, registering a score of 45 at the turn. On a couple of occasions when I made a bad shot, the forest literally spit my ball back toward the fairway. Golf is primarily a game of skill, but luck comes into play every now and then. Most of the time it's of the bad variety, but sometimes it's good. The key is to capitalize on luck when it's in your favour. I did precisely that on the front nine, hitting four greens in regulation, which translated into four pars. I played very conservatively and felt that I managed my game very well. I used the driver very sparingly, relying on the 3-wood or 5-wood off the tee on most occasions. When I was in a tough position, I took my medicine and simply put the ball back in play.
On the back nine, I started to falter a little bit as my luck turned from good to bad. On hole #11 for instance, a par-3 measuring 158 yards, I made a decent tee shot, but the ball hit a cambered cart path which directed it out of bounds. That hole seemed to take the wind out of my sails and a few mis-hits followed throughout the rest of the round. I still made plenty of good shots, just less consistently than I had over the first nine holes. The back nine produced only one par, which came on hole #14, a par-5 which is the longest hole on the course at 570 yards. My drive was not especially long, but safely in the fairway. The key was a fabulous second shot, a monster with the 3-wood. From 125 yards away, I stuck the ball flag-high, on the low side of the hole. It was a great birdie opportunity, but I just missed and had to settle for par.
Overall, I was satisfied that I broke 100 at Silver Lakes. Over the full round, I collected just one penalty stroke, which was a key stat. The only aspect of the game I was unhappy with was my putting. Just as with the previous round, I had way too many putts. This is definitely something I have to work on.
Score: 98
Par: 72
Putts: 43
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
I played well on the front nine, registering a score of 45 at the turn. On a couple of occasions when I made a bad shot, the forest literally spit my ball back toward the fairway. Golf is primarily a game of skill, but luck comes into play every now and then. Most of the time it's of the bad variety, but sometimes it's good. The key is to capitalize on luck when it's in your favour. I did precisely that on the front nine, hitting four greens in regulation, which translated into four pars. I played very conservatively and felt that I managed my game very well. I used the driver very sparingly, relying on the 3-wood or 5-wood off the tee on most occasions. When I was in a tough position, I took my medicine and simply put the ball back in play.
On the back nine, I started to falter a little bit as my luck turned from good to bad. On hole #11 for instance, a par-3 measuring 158 yards, I made a decent tee shot, but the ball hit a cambered cart path which directed it out of bounds. That hole seemed to take the wind out of my sails and a few mis-hits followed throughout the rest of the round. I still made plenty of good shots, just less consistently than I had over the first nine holes. The back nine produced only one par, which came on hole #14, a par-5 which is the longest hole on the course at 570 yards. My drive was not especially long, but safely in the fairway. The key was a fabulous second shot, a monster with the 3-wood. From 125 yards away, I stuck the ball flag-high, on the low side of the hole. It was a great birdie opportunity, but I just missed and had to settle for par.
Overall, I was satisfied that I broke 100 at Silver Lakes. Over the full round, I collected just one penalty stroke, which was a key stat. The only aspect of the game I was unhappy with was my putting. Just as with the previous round, I had way too many putts. This is definitely something I have to work on.
Score: 98
Par: 72
Putts: 43
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
June 04, 2009
Signs of Progress at Lowville
Six rounds of golf in 2009 and I still have not broken 100. That's pretty alarming, considering that I began 2008 shooting 100 or better in eight of my first nine rounds. In the first round of 2009, I had no distance control with my irons and my chipping was bad. By the second round, I solved the distance problem, but chipping was still bad, as was sand play. These problems persisted in the third round and I also struggled with putting. In the fourth round, I greatly improved my chipping, but I was no match for some slick greens, so my putting numbers were still bad. In the fifth round, my putting was better, but I had a heck of a time getting out of bunkers. In the sixth round, inconsistency crept into my iron play. Looking at the whole season, the bulk of my problems have been with the short game. The greatest problem has been sand play, followed by putting and then chipping.
I headed out to Lowville Golf Club to see what the next round would bring. Things started well with a par on the first hole, a par-5 measuring 480 yards. As is usually the case with pars, there is not much to tell. I hit three trouble-free shots to reach the green, then made a solid lag putt and a tap-in. I double-bogeyed the second hole, but the real trouble came on hole #3 and hole #4. Measuring 181 yards, the third hole is a fairly non-descript par-3. My tee shot was pin-high in a bunker left of the green. Well, it took me four shots to get out of the bunker and three putts to hole out. My sand play has been bad all year, but not that bad! On the fourth hole, another par-5, I pulled my second shot and it bounced about a yard out of bounds, leading to a triple-bogey.
I'm glad to say that I scored no worse than double-bogey for the remainder of the round. In fact, there were only two double bogeys in the rest of the round, thanks to some 3-putts, along with eight bogeys and four pars. I was hitting a decent number of fairways, but I was also hitting an unusually high number of greens, including five straight beginning on hole #6. It seemed I was always going at the green with the gap wedge in hand, resulting in a high, soft approach shot. These successful approach shots gave me confidence on each subsequent attempt. Every part of the game was suddenly working, except for putting. A pair of 3-putts spoiled certain pars on hole #6 and hole #7. Two bogeys were the result. I did make three consecutive pars beginning with hole #8, which felt good. However, three more 3-putts would take some of the shine off the back nine.
On hole #16, a par-5 measuring 489 yards, I hit my best drive of the day, leaving just 149 yards to the centre of the green. The drive was good, but I don't think it was 340 yards, so the tees must have been playing up that day. With thoughts of eagle on my mind, I pulled my approach shot near a hazard left of the green. It took two chips to get on and two putts to hole out for bogey. A squandered eagle chance is always disappointing.
Overall, I was happy with all aspects of my game, except for sand play and putting. Since my approach shots were excellent, poor sand play did not hurt my score too much. However, thee is no denying that putting cost me the chance of breaking 90.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 5
Greens: 8
I headed out to Lowville Golf Club to see what the next round would bring. Things started well with a par on the first hole, a par-5 measuring 480 yards. As is usually the case with pars, there is not much to tell. I hit three trouble-free shots to reach the green, then made a solid lag putt and a tap-in. I double-bogeyed the second hole, but the real trouble came on hole #3 and hole #4. Measuring 181 yards, the third hole is a fairly non-descript par-3. My tee shot was pin-high in a bunker left of the green. Well, it took me four shots to get out of the bunker and three putts to hole out. My sand play has been bad all year, but not that bad! On the fourth hole, another par-5, I pulled my second shot and it bounced about a yard out of bounds, leading to a triple-bogey.
I'm glad to say that I scored no worse than double-bogey for the remainder of the round. In fact, there were only two double bogeys in the rest of the round, thanks to some 3-putts, along with eight bogeys and four pars. I was hitting a decent number of fairways, but I was also hitting an unusually high number of greens, including five straight beginning on hole #6. It seemed I was always going at the green with the gap wedge in hand, resulting in a high, soft approach shot. These successful approach shots gave me confidence on each subsequent attempt. Every part of the game was suddenly working, except for putting. A pair of 3-putts spoiled certain pars on hole #6 and hole #7. Two bogeys were the result. I did make three consecutive pars beginning with hole #8, which felt good. However, three more 3-putts would take some of the shine off the back nine.
On hole #16, a par-5 measuring 489 yards, I hit my best drive of the day, leaving just 149 yards to the centre of the green. The drive was good, but I don't think it was 340 yards, so the tees must have been playing up that day. With thoughts of eagle on my mind, I pulled my approach shot near a hazard left of the green. It took two chips to get on and two putts to hole out for bogey. A squandered eagle chance is always disappointing.
Overall, I was happy with all aspects of my game, except for sand play and putting. Since my approach shots were excellent, poor sand play did not hurt my score too much. However, thee is no denying that putting cost me the chance of breaking 90.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 5
Greens: 8
June 03, 2009
Back to St. Andrew's Valley?
A day after playing the Legends course at Lionhead, I played my first ever round at St. Andrew's Valley - or so I thought.
Things went terribly wrong from the opening tee shot. I made excellent contact with the 5-wood, but pulled the ball toward a lone tree on the left side of the fairway. The ball was lost and I collected the first of many penalty strokes on the day. On the second hole, I duffed an iron shot off the tee and promptly followed it up with a shot into a water hazard. Four of the first six holes resulted in triple-bogey or worse. The only relief came in the form of a pair of par-3 holes - the 153-yard fourth hole and the 179-yard sixth. In both cases, I hit the green with a good tee shot, followed by two putts for par. I closed out the front nine with a bogey and a pair of double-bogeys. I deserved a better result on hole #9, a par-5 that bends around a creek and then forces players to carry the ball directly over it. I made good decisions, but simply failed to execute my tee shot.
On the back nine, I had better results, with the exception of hole #14 and hole #18. My 3-wood off the tee on #14 drifted a tiny bit right, taking the first bounce off the cart path, which directed the ball into a water hazard. From that point onward, I actually played the hole very well. My second shot on #18 came up short of the green, landing in some thick fescue near the margin of another water hazard. It took a couple of hacks to get the ball out, which led to a triple-bogey. Apart from those two holes, I was reasonably satisfied with my game on the back nine. Sure, there were a couple of 3-putts and a few wayward shots, but there were some very good shots mixed in with the bad. It appears I am as inconsistent as I ever have been, but my good shots now are better than they ever have been.
The unusual thing about the round was my walk up the 18th fairway. As I approached my ball following my tee shot, the green came into view, neatly tucked beside a pond with the clubhouse perched in behind. At that moment, I realized I had in fact played the course once before. Nothing about the previous seventeen holes had jogged my memory. I guess the course is just not a memorable one. No offense.
Score: 104
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Things went terribly wrong from the opening tee shot. I made excellent contact with the 5-wood, but pulled the ball toward a lone tree on the left side of the fairway. The ball was lost and I collected the first of many penalty strokes on the day. On the second hole, I duffed an iron shot off the tee and promptly followed it up with a shot into a water hazard. Four of the first six holes resulted in triple-bogey or worse. The only relief came in the form of a pair of par-3 holes - the 153-yard fourth hole and the 179-yard sixth. In both cases, I hit the green with a good tee shot, followed by two putts for par. I closed out the front nine with a bogey and a pair of double-bogeys. I deserved a better result on hole #9, a par-5 that bends around a creek and then forces players to carry the ball directly over it. I made good decisions, but simply failed to execute my tee shot.
On the back nine, I had better results, with the exception of hole #14 and hole #18. My 3-wood off the tee on #14 drifted a tiny bit right, taking the first bounce off the cart path, which directed the ball into a water hazard. From that point onward, I actually played the hole very well. My second shot on #18 came up short of the green, landing in some thick fescue near the margin of another water hazard. It took a couple of hacks to get the ball out, which led to a triple-bogey. Apart from those two holes, I was reasonably satisfied with my game on the back nine. Sure, there were a couple of 3-putts and a few wayward shots, but there were some very good shots mixed in with the bad. It appears I am as inconsistent as I ever have been, but my good shots now are better than they ever have been.
The unusual thing about the round was my walk up the 18th fairway. As I approached my ball following my tee shot, the green came into view, neatly tucked beside a pond with the clubhouse perched in behind. At that moment, I realized I had in fact played the course once before. Nothing about the previous seventeen holes had jogged my memory. I guess the course is just not a memorable one. No offense.
Score: 104
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
May 30, 2009
Unrewarded at Lionhead Legends
Where do you play on a windy Saturday when you've been struggling with your golf game? How about the toughest course in the country? What tees do you play from once you get there? Not the tips, where the slope rating is 150 - that would be plain foolish. Instead, dial it back a set, where the slope is a mere 148. Such was the case on my visit to the Legends course at Lionhead Golf & Country Club.
On the front nine holes I drove the ball well, hitting five of seven fairways. Unfortunately, I did not follow the drives up with good iron play, hitting just one of nine greens in regulation. On the second hole, a mis-hit approach with an 8-iron left me 20 yards short of the green. On a number of occasions my approach shots drifted off line just enough to find a greenside bunker. That was my fate on holes 1, 3, 5, 6, and 9. In every case, I managed to get out of the bunker with a single shot, but required a subsequent chip to get on the green. My sand play has simply been poor all season. My putting was hot and cold, as I collected three 1-putts to go along with four 3-putts. I was penalty free on the front nine, which is no small feat at Legends.
On the back nine my driving faltered, forcing me to play harder second shots. My irons were still not great, leading to a few encounters with the many water hazards at Legends. I wasn't in the sand as often as I was on the front nine, but the result was the same on the couple of occasions when I found myself standing on silica. The one aspect of the game that worked well on the back nine was putting. I avoided any 3-putts, while collecting three 1-putts. One of those came on hole #18, which I played wonderfully for just the second par of the day.
Score: 111
Par: 72
Putts: 34
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
On the front nine holes I drove the ball well, hitting five of seven fairways. Unfortunately, I did not follow the drives up with good iron play, hitting just one of nine greens in regulation. On the second hole, a mis-hit approach with an 8-iron left me 20 yards short of the green. On a number of occasions my approach shots drifted off line just enough to find a greenside bunker. That was my fate on holes 1, 3, 5, 6, and 9. In every case, I managed to get out of the bunker with a single shot, but required a subsequent chip to get on the green. My sand play has simply been poor all season. My putting was hot and cold, as I collected three 1-putts to go along with four 3-putts. I was penalty free on the front nine, which is no small feat at Legends.
On the back nine my driving faltered, forcing me to play harder second shots. My irons were still not great, leading to a few encounters with the many water hazards at Legends. I wasn't in the sand as often as I was on the front nine, but the result was the same on the couple of occasions when I found myself standing on silica. The one aspect of the game that worked well on the back nine was putting. I avoided any 3-putts, while collecting three 1-putts. One of those came on hole #18, which I played wonderfully for just the second par of the day.
Score: 111
Par: 72
Putts: 34
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
May 29, 2009
GTA Amateur Tour Visits Coppinwood
My second stop on the GTA Amateur Tour was at Coppinwood, a Tom Fazio design featuring ribbons of lush fairway and white sand bunkers against rolling terrain and dramatic fescue. Unhappy with my chipping and putting at the previous stop on the tour, I arrived at the club early to practice my short game.
The practice worked wonders and I must say, I was very happy with the way I chipped during the entire round. Unfortunately, I was simply no match for the slick greens at Coppinwood. Time after time, I executed chip shots exactly as I envisioned, only to have the ball travel well past the hole and almost off the green. In almost every case, I bounced the ball barely on the green or even in the fringe, but it didn't matter. Up and down at Coppinwood is tough, especially when you find yourself on the high side of the green. I actually made a few up and downs when my putting was good, but these were offset by a bunch of 3-putts when my putting was off.
The first five holes were a mix of bogeys and double-bogeys, the latter coming thanks to the tricky greens. On the sixth hole, a par-5 measuring 484 yards from the blue tees, a pair of fairway bunkers between 80 and 100 yards from the green spelled disaster. When I finally got to the green, a 4-putt resulted in a score of 10 for that hole alone. On the eighth hole, a fairway bunker with a massive lip once again got the best of me. In retrospect, I should have played a sideways shot to take the high lip out of play. I tried a more heroic shot and the result was a triple-bogey.
And so it continued pretty much through hole #14. Lacking confidence, I mis-hit a few iron shots here and there, including a couple that resulted in penalty strokes on holes ten and eleven. It was only on hole #15 that I settled back into something resembling my usual game. A great drive, followed by a good second shot and a medium range pitch shot set me up for a bogey on the par-5 test. Two more bogeys and a par (the only one of the day) rounded out the day. The best shot of the day may have been my approach shot on hole #18, a picturesque 7-iron that was hit flag-high from the fescue well right of the fairway. The guys on the patio overlooking the 18th green must have thought I could really play. Little did they know how terrible the previous 17 holes had been.
Needless to say, I was disappointed with my overall score. I tried to stay positive by convincing myself it was just another learning experience.
Score: 112
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
The practice worked wonders and I must say, I was very happy with the way I chipped during the entire round. Unfortunately, I was simply no match for the slick greens at Coppinwood. Time after time, I executed chip shots exactly as I envisioned, only to have the ball travel well past the hole and almost off the green. In almost every case, I bounced the ball barely on the green or even in the fringe, but it didn't matter. Up and down at Coppinwood is tough, especially when you find yourself on the high side of the green. I actually made a few up and downs when my putting was good, but these were offset by a bunch of 3-putts when my putting was off.
The first five holes were a mix of bogeys and double-bogeys, the latter coming thanks to the tricky greens. On the sixth hole, a par-5 measuring 484 yards from the blue tees, a pair of fairway bunkers between 80 and 100 yards from the green spelled disaster. When I finally got to the green, a 4-putt resulted in a score of 10 for that hole alone. On the eighth hole, a fairway bunker with a massive lip once again got the best of me. In retrospect, I should have played a sideways shot to take the high lip out of play. I tried a more heroic shot and the result was a triple-bogey.
And so it continued pretty much through hole #14. Lacking confidence, I mis-hit a few iron shots here and there, including a couple that resulted in penalty strokes on holes ten and eleven. It was only on hole #15 that I settled back into something resembling my usual game. A great drive, followed by a good second shot and a medium range pitch shot set me up for a bogey on the par-5 test. Two more bogeys and a par (the only one of the day) rounded out the day. The best shot of the day may have been my approach shot on hole #18, a picturesque 7-iron that was hit flag-high from the fescue well right of the fairway. The guys on the patio overlooking the 18th green must have thought I could really play. Little did they know how terrible the previous 17 holes had been.
Needless to say, I was disappointed with my overall score. I tried to stay positive by convincing myself it was just another learning experience.
Score: 112
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
May 09, 2009
GTA Amateur Tour at Devil's Pulpit
My first GTA Amateur Tour event took place on a beautiful Monday afternoon at Devil's Pulpit, a Michael Hurdzan design that has received plenty of acclaim since opening in 1990. Situated in Caledon Village, northwest of Toronto, the course is nestled against the Niagara Escarpment, making for complex topography and spectacular views.
I struggled with the greens on the first three holes, amassing three, four and three putts respectively. My putting on the first hole was decent, but a bad chip put me in definite 3-putt territory. A hot chip on the second hole also left me with a long first putt. The slope of the green fooled me, as the ball broke opposite to the direction I had anticipated. A careless third putt missed the mark from within two feet. On the third hole, my second putt from a makeable distance just burned the edge. Nerves may have been a factor.
Hole #5, a par-4 measuring 371 yards from the white tees, proved to be very difficult. I duffed my tee shot, but followed it up with a good 8-iron, recovering to the middle of the fairway. With a downhill lie, I faced the green 115 yards away. To reach the green, I needed to carry a water hazard and avoid a massive bunker that wraps around three sides of the putting surface. My ball flew just over the bunker in the back and came to rest about a foot past the margin of a lateral hazard. With no backswing available, all I could do was punch the ball into the bunker. Three bunker shots followed, the first two being simply terrible. After two putts, I walked away with a disappointing 9 on my scorecard.
Hole #7, a tricky little par-3 with its green nestled atop a mound, also posed some trouble, resulting in triple-bogey. However, I played some fine shots on holes 6, 8 and 9, resulting in a couple of bogeys and a par. The par on hole #9 was textbook, as I hit fairway, then green, followed by a long breaking lag putt and a tap-in. Sometimes the game seems so easy, I wonder how all the trouble surfaces.
On the back nine, I played wonderful, steady golf, with the exception of hole #13, a par-5 measuring 493 yards that features a large pond stretching from the mid-point of the fairway to the green. My drive was perfect, but my second shot was a pull hook into the pond. After taking a drop, I failed to carry the pond with my next shot. I dropped once again and this time was able to carry the pond, but my ball came to rest in some fescue left of the green. Two shots were required to dislodge the ball from the nasty fescue, and after two putts I marked a 10 on my scorecard.
Aside from the adventures on #13, the back nine produced good results, namely a double-bogey, six bogeys, and a birdie. The birdie came on hole #16, a par-3 that was being used for the closest to the pin competition. The hole was playing about 160 yards long, all carry over a large pond. I hit an easy 6-iron to the right edge of the green, where some slope directed the ball closer to the pin. I missed closest to the pin by about eight inches, but made the birdie putt, which felt relly good.
Overall, I was disappointed with my score. I could have easily broken 100, but did not. My chipping and putting left a lot to be desired. I really have to get my chipping feel back, after the long winter layoff. However, I was satisfied with my driving and iron play. I hit 10 of 15 fairways, which is quite good. I also hit some nice, pure iron shots. Let's see what the next round brings.
Score: 102
Par: 71
Putts: 42
Fairways: 10
Greens: 3
I struggled with the greens on the first three holes, amassing three, four and three putts respectively. My putting on the first hole was decent, but a bad chip put me in definite 3-putt territory. A hot chip on the second hole also left me with a long first putt. The slope of the green fooled me, as the ball broke opposite to the direction I had anticipated. A careless third putt missed the mark from within two feet. On the third hole, my second putt from a makeable distance just burned the edge. Nerves may have been a factor.
Hole #5, a par-4 measuring 371 yards from the white tees, proved to be very difficult. I duffed my tee shot, but followed it up with a good 8-iron, recovering to the middle of the fairway. With a downhill lie, I faced the green 115 yards away. To reach the green, I needed to carry a water hazard and avoid a massive bunker that wraps around three sides of the putting surface. My ball flew just over the bunker in the back and came to rest about a foot past the margin of a lateral hazard. With no backswing available, all I could do was punch the ball into the bunker. Three bunker shots followed, the first two being simply terrible. After two putts, I walked away with a disappointing 9 on my scorecard.
Hole #7, a tricky little par-3 with its green nestled atop a mound, also posed some trouble, resulting in triple-bogey. However, I played some fine shots on holes 6, 8 and 9, resulting in a couple of bogeys and a par. The par on hole #9 was textbook, as I hit fairway, then green, followed by a long breaking lag putt and a tap-in. Sometimes the game seems so easy, I wonder how all the trouble surfaces.
On the back nine, I played wonderful, steady golf, with the exception of hole #13, a par-5 measuring 493 yards that features a large pond stretching from the mid-point of the fairway to the green. My drive was perfect, but my second shot was a pull hook into the pond. After taking a drop, I failed to carry the pond with my next shot. I dropped once again and this time was able to carry the pond, but my ball came to rest in some fescue left of the green. Two shots were required to dislodge the ball from the nasty fescue, and after two putts I marked a 10 on my scorecard.
Aside from the adventures on #13, the back nine produced good results, namely a double-bogey, six bogeys, and a birdie. The birdie came on hole #16, a par-3 that was being used for the closest to the pin competition. The hole was playing about 160 yards long, all carry over a large pond. I hit an easy 6-iron to the right edge of the green, where some slope directed the ball closer to the pin. I missed closest to the pin by about eight inches, but made the birdie putt, which felt relly good.
Overall, I was disappointed with my score. I could have easily broken 100, but did not. My chipping and putting left a lot to be desired. I really have to get my chipping feel back, after the long winter layoff. However, I was satisfied with my driving and iron play. I hit 10 of 15 fairways, which is quite good. I also hit some nice, pure iron shots. Let's see what the next round brings.
Score: 102
Par: 71
Putts: 42
Fairways: 10
Greens: 3
May 03, 2009
Testing the Knee at Piper's Heath
I rarely go an entire weekend without golf, but it happened recently. I took the time off to rest my chronically injured knee, which flared up due to a street crossing incident. Yes, I injured my knee crossing the street. Pathetic, I know. After two weeks off, the knee was still sketchy, but I wanted to test it out before my first event on the GTA Amateur Tour, which was fast approaching. I headed over to Piper's Heath Golf Club on a Saturday afternoon.
Starting on the back nine, I bogeyed three of the first four holes played. My tee shot on the 11th hole, a par-3 measuring 187 yards, found a bunker left of the green. An awkward stance made it difficult to get the ball out of the trap. On the second attempt from a better lie, I carried the ball over the green. A chip and two-putt produced a triple bogey. Clearly, the short game needs work.
The 14th hole, a par-4 that usually plays 415 yards, should have been a breeze, but circumstances conspired to produce a score of 6 over par. The tees were playing up, shortening the hole significantly. I hit a perfect 3-wood off the tee, leaving 130 yards to the pin. A water hazard crosses the fairway about 60 yards in front of the green. Sure enough, I skulled my shot into the hazard. After taking a drop, I chunked a wedge only half way to the green. From that position, I chunked another one to a bunker guarding the front of the green. From the bunker, I carried the ball over the green. My chip back to the green went way too long, from whence I proceeded to 3-putt. When it rains, it pours. Did I mention the short game needs work?
Speaking of the dreaded 3-putt, another one occurred on hole #15, resulting in double-bogey. I managed to two-putt the 16th hole, a short par-3, but the first of those putts was inside two feet, so my putting was still terrible. On a positive note, I made a fantastic second shot out of the bunker. The result was bogey, but it really should have been par. On the 17th hole, I went from tee to fairway bunker, to greenside bunker, to over the green, en route to another triple bogey. Yikes! After the first nine holes, I was sitting at 56 strokes.
I'm happy to say I played a bit more consistently on holes 1 thru 9. That stretch included five bogeys and three double-bogeys. While I would certainly prefer to see some pars thrown in there, there is a certain amount of satisfaction in limiting the blowup holes (those that produce triple-bogey or worse). I did shoot an 8 on hole #5, a par-4 measuring 353 yards. My tee shot found a water hazard right of the fairway. After taking a drop, I skulled the next shot into the same hazard. When you string together mistakes like that, the result is never good.
Overall, I hit a few fairways and some decent mid-iron shots. My play with the wedges was terrible and my play out of the bunkers left a lot to be desired. I stumbled on some putts, but on the whole, putting was average. Most importantly, my knee did not explode and I was able to walk off the course on my own power. At this point, that was the most important thing. I can now go to my first GTA Amateur Tour event knowing that it's possible for me to walk 18 holes and swing the golf club. Still, I have to be careful not to get careless. I know from experience that one bad move - like crossing the street incorrectly - can have dire consequences.
Score: 107
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 0
Starting on the back nine, I bogeyed three of the first four holes played. My tee shot on the 11th hole, a par-3 measuring 187 yards, found a bunker left of the green. An awkward stance made it difficult to get the ball out of the trap. On the second attempt from a better lie, I carried the ball over the green. A chip and two-putt produced a triple bogey. Clearly, the short game needs work.
The 14th hole, a par-4 that usually plays 415 yards, should have been a breeze, but circumstances conspired to produce a score of 6 over par. The tees were playing up, shortening the hole significantly. I hit a perfect 3-wood off the tee, leaving 130 yards to the pin. A water hazard crosses the fairway about 60 yards in front of the green. Sure enough, I skulled my shot into the hazard. After taking a drop, I chunked a wedge only half way to the green. From that position, I chunked another one to a bunker guarding the front of the green. From the bunker, I carried the ball over the green. My chip back to the green went way too long, from whence I proceeded to 3-putt. When it rains, it pours. Did I mention the short game needs work?
Speaking of the dreaded 3-putt, another one occurred on hole #15, resulting in double-bogey. I managed to two-putt the 16th hole, a short par-3, but the first of those putts was inside two feet, so my putting was still terrible. On a positive note, I made a fantastic second shot out of the bunker. The result was bogey, but it really should have been par. On the 17th hole, I went from tee to fairway bunker, to greenside bunker, to over the green, en route to another triple bogey. Yikes! After the first nine holes, I was sitting at 56 strokes.
I'm happy to say I played a bit more consistently on holes 1 thru 9. That stretch included five bogeys and three double-bogeys. While I would certainly prefer to see some pars thrown in there, there is a certain amount of satisfaction in limiting the blowup holes (those that produce triple-bogey or worse). I did shoot an 8 on hole #5, a par-4 measuring 353 yards. My tee shot found a water hazard right of the fairway. After taking a drop, I skulled the next shot into the same hazard. When you string together mistakes like that, the result is never good.
Overall, I hit a few fairways and some decent mid-iron shots. My play with the wedges was terrible and my play out of the bunkers left a lot to be desired. I stumbled on some putts, but on the whole, putting was average. Most importantly, my knee did not explode and I was able to walk off the course on my own power. At this point, that was the most important thing. I can now go to my first GTA Amateur Tour event knowing that it's possible for me to walk 18 holes and swing the golf club. Still, I have to be careful not to get careless. I know from experience that one bad move - like crossing the street incorrectly - can have dire consequences.
Score: 107
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 0
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