Indian Wells is the new Kedron Dells, or so it seems. For those unfamiliar with my golfing history, Kedron Dells was a nemesis of mine for quite some time. It seemed like I would have a bad round every time I ventured to the Oshawa area course. Last summer, I finally got the Kedron monkey off my back.
No sooner did I rid myself of one nemesis than have another step up to take its place. The new nemesis is Indian Wells, a Burlington area course situated in the shadow of the Niagara escarpment. I have played the course in the past without incident, but recent visits have been less than pleasant.
In fact, these unfortunate experiences encouraged me to re-visit the course. I want to replace the bad memories with good ones, or perhaps I'm a glutton for punishment. Either way, I returned to Indian Wells on a cold and windy weekend.
The fact that I hit my first shot out of bounds was a very bad omen. There is a lot of room on the first hole and no need to bring out of bounds into play. Almost every shot I atempted on the first hole was a bad one, leading to a terrible score of nine. I quickly repeated the feat, scoring a nine on hole #2. My round was over practically before it started, and I knew it. I would soldier on for the remaining holes, but there was really nothing left to salvage.
I tried to focus on every shot and actually played half of the holes very well. When I found myself in trouble however, there was simply no recovery. The rough at Indian Wells has been particularly lush of late, making it highly penal to miss the fairway. On a couple of occasions, I ventured into the woods and could not easily chip out. To top it all off, I had way too many 3-putts.
Chalk it up as a learning experience and move on.
Score: 108
Putts: 39
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
Penalties: 4
June 16, 2010
Successful Debut at Eagle's Nest
Owing to its stratospheric green fees, I had never played at Eagle's Nest Golf Club, though I had always heard good things about the course. On a wet weekend in May, I finally had a chance to play the Doug Carrick designed course in Maple, Ontario.
The front nine began and ended with textbook pars on a couple of par-5 holes. In each case, I hit the fairway with my tee shot, advanced the ball with a mid-iron, hit the green with a short iron, and two-putt to hole out. It makes for a boring story, but a very satisfying experience.
Between those two holes, I registered four bogeys, two doubles, and one triple. For the most part, I was hitting the ball decently. A fairway bunker on hole #2 was the cause of the triple, while an uneven fairway lie on hole #6 and a poor pitch shot on hole #7 produced the doubles.
The back nine got off to a rough start on hole #10, a par-4 measuring 383 yards. After hitting the fairway off the tee, I flared my approach shot into a massive waste bunker right of the green. I had trouble getting out, leading to a score of eight. Luckily, I bounced right back on the next hole, hitting a great approach shot to set up par.
This was followed by a pair of bogeys and two more pars, in a stretch of well controlled golf. Unfortunately, the stretch was cut short by a hazard lining the right side of hole #16. My second shot was in there and I had trouble getting out cleanly. Triple bogey ensued.
Overall, I was pleased with a score of 95 on a tough track I had never played before.
Score: 95
Putts: 37
Fairways: 8
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0
The front nine began and ended with textbook pars on a couple of par-5 holes. In each case, I hit the fairway with my tee shot, advanced the ball with a mid-iron, hit the green with a short iron, and two-putt to hole out. It makes for a boring story, but a very satisfying experience.
Between those two holes, I registered four bogeys, two doubles, and one triple. For the most part, I was hitting the ball decently. A fairway bunker on hole #2 was the cause of the triple, while an uneven fairway lie on hole #6 and a poor pitch shot on hole #7 produced the doubles.
The back nine got off to a rough start on hole #10, a par-4 measuring 383 yards. After hitting the fairway off the tee, I flared my approach shot into a massive waste bunker right of the green. I had trouble getting out, leading to a score of eight. Luckily, I bounced right back on the next hole, hitting a great approach shot to set up par.
This was followed by a pair of bogeys and two more pars, in a stretch of well controlled golf. Unfortunately, the stretch was cut short by a hazard lining the right side of hole #16. My second shot was in there and I had trouble getting out cleanly. Triple bogey ensued.
Overall, I was pleased with a score of 95 on a tough track I had never played before.
Score: 95
Putts: 37
Fairways: 8
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0
First Visit to Bond Head
On my first ever visit to Bond Head, I was eager to tackle the South Course. Considering I had never played the course before, I was relatively happy to register three bogeys and three double-bogeys through the first six holes. I was making some mistakes, but I was hanging in there.
Once again, I managed to score a birdie on hole #7, a par-5. My drive was left of the fairway, but I followed up with a good 5-wood to a position right of the fairway, about 175 yards from the flag. The next shot, using a 5-iron, was pure magic. It came off exactly as I envisioned, landing on the green and funneling toward the hole. This was followed by a lengthy downhill putt for bird. Sweet!
On the back nine, my driver and fairway woods became very erratic once again, leading to a couple of bad holes. To be honest, my putting was also quite bad. OK, it was terrible. On the positive side, my irons were working well. I am struggling to find the right swing path with the longer clubs right now. Need to fix that!
Score: 97
Putts: 44
Fairways: 2
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2
Once again, I managed to score a birdie on hole #7, a par-5. My drive was left of the fairway, but I followed up with a good 5-wood to a position right of the fairway, about 175 yards from the flag. The next shot, using a 5-iron, was pure magic. It came off exactly as I envisioned, landing on the green and funneling toward the hole. This was followed by a lengthy downhill putt for bird. Sweet!
On the back nine, my driver and fairway woods became very erratic once again, leading to a couple of bad holes. To be honest, my putting was also quite bad. OK, it was terrible. On the positive side, my irons were working well. I am struggling to find the right swing path with the longer clubs right now. Need to fix that!
Score: 97
Putts: 44
Fairways: 2
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2
Coming Around at Glen Cedars
I hadn't played Glen Cedars in a couple of years, so I was looking forward to it. Bad tee shots early in the round forced me to scramble often, but I didn't let the score get out of hand. Bad shots were usually followed by good ones, keeping me in the game.
A birdie on hole #7 was the turning point. A huge drive left me just 160 yards from the green on this par-5, albeit from the opposite fairway. My 8-iron had to clear some tall trees to reach the green and it just failed to do so. From 90 yards, I had the same trees to clear and this time did so with a beautiful 60 degree wedge shot. The ball stopped six feet in front of the pin and I easily drained the putt.
I was 8 over par for the last 12 holes, including that birdie and five pars. I still had a couple of bad drives, but the good ones were beginning to appear. Most of all, I felt very comfortable with short irons, such as 7-iron and above. I hit some very pure approach shots, which felt good. Putting was just average.
Score: 92
Putts: 36
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
A birdie on hole #7 was the turning point. A huge drive left me just 160 yards from the green on this par-5, albeit from the opposite fairway. My 8-iron had to clear some tall trees to reach the green and it just failed to do so. From 90 yards, I had the same trees to clear and this time did so with a beautiful 60 degree wedge shot. The ball stopped six feet in front of the pin and I easily drained the putt.
I was 8 over par for the last 12 holes, including that birdie and five pars. I still had a couple of bad drives, but the good ones were beginning to appear. Most of all, I felt very comfortable with short irons, such as 7-iron and above. I hit some very pure approach shots, which felt good. Putting was just average.
Score: 92
Putts: 36
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
Crossed Up at Crosswinds
I've had some great rounds at Crosswinds and I've had some stinkers. This was one of the latter. A lost ball on my very first shot was a bad way to start. After hitting my third from the tee, I effectively made par on the hole, but that equates to a double bogey.
Holes #2 through #4 set the tone for the rest of the day. I could not hit a shot to save my life! It didn't matter what club I was hitting either. I hooked shots with the driver, duffed others with fairway woods, and zeroed in on bunkers and trees with my irons. It was the kind of round you just want to forget.
In the greenside bunker on hole #10, I accidentally picked another ball clean, sending it somewhere into the woods behind the green. That was my cue to abandon any hope of salvaging a decent finish. I soldiered on, but it was not a fun day.
Score: 114
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 9
Holes #2 through #4 set the tone for the rest of the day. I could not hit a shot to save my life! It didn't matter what club I was hitting either. I hooked shots with the driver, duffed others with fairway woods, and zeroed in on bunkers and trees with my irons. It was the kind of round you just want to forget.
In the greenside bunker on hole #10, I accidentally picked another ball clean, sending it somewhere into the woods behind the green. That was my cue to abandon any hope of salvaging a decent finish. I soldiered on, but it was not a fun day.
Score: 114
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 9
Some Tough Moments at Saw-Whet
There were no birdies at Saw-Whet a week later; the best I could muster was a couple of pars on holes #10 and #12. Driver play was still very erratic, with many shots off the heel of the club. At times, I set up a couple inches away from the ball and it seemed to help.
Hole #9 inflated my score as I took eleven strokes to complete this par-5. In the greenside bunker after four, I proceeded to pick the ball clean and launch it out of bounds into the driving range. After a penalty stroke and a drop, of course my next attempt was hit fat. It was a giant comedy of errors.
I settled down and went 11 over par for the back nine. On hole #12, a par-3 playing 175 yards, I nearly made a hole-in-one. My tee shot rode the wind and dropped a foot in front of the pin, coming to rest about six feet left of the cup.
Score: 104
Putts: 39
Fairways: 4
Greens: 1
Penalties: 3
Hole #9 inflated my score as I took eleven strokes to complete this par-5. In the greenside bunker after four, I proceeded to pick the ball clean and launch it out of bounds into the driving range. After a penalty stroke and a drop, of course my next attempt was hit fat. It was a giant comedy of errors.
I settled down and went 11 over par for the back nine. On hole #12, a par-3 playing 175 yards, I nearly made a hole-in-one. My tee shot rode the wind and dropped a foot in front of the pin, coming to rest about six feet left of the cup.
Score: 104
Putts: 39
Fairways: 4
Greens: 1
Penalties: 3
Great Start at Piper's Heath
It was Easter Sunday and the golf season started out well with a birdie on the first hole at Piper's Heath. I drove the ball to the centre of the fairway, hit an 8-iron to the front of the green, then drained a long putt. Good vibes.
I pulled my drive on the second hole and topped my tee shot on the fourth, which was pretty typical for the day. Poor scores resulted on both of those holes. Though I scored better on the remaining holes, my driver and especially my fairway woods were very inconsistent.
I was 13 over par for the last 14 holes, including 5 pars. My irons were decent and my play around the greens was actually quite good. I chipped a number of shots smartly into the mounds surrounding the greens. Overall, my putting was pretty solid.
Score: 92
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
I pulled my drive on the second hole and topped my tee shot on the fourth, which was pretty typical for the day. Poor scores resulted on both of those holes. Though I scored better on the remaining holes, my driver and especially my fairway woods were very inconsistent.
I was 13 over par for the last 14 holes, including 5 pars. My irons were decent and my play around the greens was actually quite good. I chipped a number of shots smartly into the mounds surrounding the greens. Overall, my putting was pretty solid.
Score: 92
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
May 05, 2010
Be Water, My Friend
Empty your mind
Be formless, shapeless, like water
Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup
You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle
You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot
Now water can flow, or it can crash
Be water, my friend
-Bruce Lee
Be formless, shapeless, like water
Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup
You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle
You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot
Now water can flow, or it can crash
Be water, my friend
-Bruce Lee
December 12, 2009
2009: Year in Review
It was a busy year, with 46 rounds played from late April to mid November. That's one round more than last year and two more than each of the previous two years. I certainly can't complain about the number of rounds played. Weather was generally co-operative, though there were some notable exceptions.
Successful debut on GTA Amateur Tour
Competitively speaking, the highlight of the year was my participation on the GTA Amateur Tour. This was my first year on Tour and I enjoyed it thoroughly. From registration and sign-in, to officiating and prizes, organization of the events was impeccable. Competing on a high-calibre tour certainly improved my game. Above all, I learned to hang in there with every single shot, even when a round isn't going very well. The fact is, every golfer makes a bad shot from time to time. Instead of getting frustrated, figure out what caused the bad shot and try not to repeat the same mistake. Over the long haul, the golfer with the fewest errors is the one who wins. Every stroke counts - even the 5-foot putt to "save" triple-bogey.
I played a total of eleven different golf courses on the GTA Amateur Tour. Among them were some of the nicest courses I played all year. Topping the list of private courses was Georgian Bay Club, a spectacular Michael Hurdzan design. Other notables included Devil's Pulpit, Coppinwood, and Wildfire. Unfortunately, most of these were played early in the year, before I was able to shake off the winter rust. Topping the list of public courses played on Tour was The Hoot at Osprey Valley. Other greats included The Heathlands, also at Osprey Valley, and Grand Niagara. I fared much better at these events, probably because they took place later in the season. The Hoot yielded scores of 90 on Day One and 89 on Day Two, while I scored 95 at The Heathlands and 95 at Grand Niagara. My best result on Tour was an 89 at Brampton Golf Club, which was good enough for third place in my flight.
Relinquishing the Deepwoods trophy
In 2009, I also tried (unsuccessfully) to defend the Deepwoods Golf Association Championship. I played steadily to earn victory the previous year, but was unable to sustain that level of consistency this time around. I opened the season well at Copetown Woods and closed it solidly at Willow Valley, but had a couple of uninspiring efforts in between. My play at Peninsula Lakes was a downer, since I have played well there before, while Oakridge burned me for the second year in a row. The fifth Deepwoods event, held at Dragon's Fire Golf Club, was rained out after just six holes. Without the flexibility of dropping one low score, defending the title was not easy.
In terms of my handicap, I am relatively pleased with the progress made this year. I started the season with a handicap factor of 21.4 and ended at 17.0, for an improvement of over four. During the year, my factor dipped as low as 15.8, but it crept up as some good rounds faded into history. I attribute almost all of the improvement to better game management, rather than swing mechanics. Next year, I am aiming to reduce my handicap factor to 12.0, which will be pretty tough. There is still room to improve game management, but to reach the level I'm aiming for, I will need to address some obvious swing deficiencies.
The best and worst rounds of the year
Though I had a lot of fun competing in 2009, my best and most enjoyable rounds of the year came during friendly matches. In mid September, I put together back-to-back rounds in the mid 80's. The first of these was a pretty 85 at Lochness Links, a course I had been meaning to play for a while but never got around to. One week later, I improved my season low, registering a delightful 83 at Carlisle. Both of those rounds felt effortless. When you hit a decent number of fairways and are near or on the greens with your approach shots, golf is more fun than ever.
If I highlight the enjoyable rounds of the year, I suppose I should pay equal attention to the horrific rounds as well. These are very easy to pick. I had a complete debacle at Crosswinds, to the point that I didn't even bother keeping score. I played terribly while dealing with Mega Man at Indian Wells. Finally, I ruined unseasonably warm weather by playing a late season dud at Lionhead.
A host of courses played for the first time
In 2009, I played a number of courses that had been on my to-do list for some time. Besides Grand Niagara, Osprey Valley, and Lochness Links, which I've already mentioned, these included Wooden Sticks, Angus Glen North, and Battlefield at Legends on the Niagara. An unexpected treat came when I had a chance to play at St. George's Golf & Country Club, a Stanley Thompson designed classic that frequently makes the lists of top courses in Canada and even the world. I didn't play very well that day, but still enjoyed myself greatly.
Overall, I feel like it was a successful year. The fact that I saw improvement was the main reason I did not take any lessons this year. Don't get me wrong - lessons always help. It's just that I didn't have anything specific that I needed help with. As problems crept into my game, I seemed to make good adjustments. Mind you, as soon as one thing was fixed, something else would break, but that is the nature of golf. I did struggle with bunker shots for an extended period, which was very strange. Most amateurs decelerate the club head or intentinally try to pick the ball clean out of the sand, but my problem was neither of these. I was blasting the ball well past my target, either with a lot of accompanying sand or with no sand at all when I unintentionally hit the ball thin.
For next year, I have to maintain solid driving. I am not concerned very much about distance, as I have enough to play well. What I'm after is a consistent and controllable flight path. I also need to dial in my short iron approach shots to give myself more birdie opportunities. A huge opportunity is chipping and putting. While my chipping hasn't been bad, it hasn't been good enough to get up and down on most occasions. Similarly, I need to improve my putting. It seems like the simplest part of the game, but it really isn't. This will be my focus during the winter.
Looking forward to next season!
Successful debut on GTA Amateur Tour
Competitively speaking, the highlight of the year was my participation on the GTA Amateur Tour. This was my first year on Tour and I enjoyed it thoroughly. From registration and sign-in, to officiating and prizes, organization of the events was impeccable. Competing on a high-calibre tour certainly improved my game. Above all, I learned to hang in there with every single shot, even when a round isn't going very well. The fact is, every golfer makes a bad shot from time to time. Instead of getting frustrated, figure out what caused the bad shot and try not to repeat the same mistake. Over the long haul, the golfer with the fewest errors is the one who wins. Every stroke counts - even the 5-foot putt to "save" triple-bogey.
I played a total of eleven different golf courses on the GTA Amateur Tour. Among them were some of the nicest courses I played all year. Topping the list of private courses was Georgian Bay Club, a spectacular Michael Hurdzan design. Other notables included Devil's Pulpit, Coppinwood, and Wildfire. Unfortunately, most of these were played early in the year, before I was able to shake off the winter rust. Topping the list of public courses played on Tour was The Hoot at Osprey Valley. Other greats included The Heathlands, also at Osprey Valley, and Grand Niagara. I fared much better at these events, probably because they took place later in the season. The Hoot yielded scores of 90 on Day One and 89 on Day Two, while I scored 95 at The Heathlands and 95 at Grand Niagara. My best result on Tour was an 89 at Brampton Golf Club, which was good enough for third place in my flight.
Relinquishing the Deepwoods trophy
In 2009, I also tried (unsuccessfully) to defend the Deepwoods Golf Association Championship. I played steadily to earn victory the previous year, but was unable to sustain that level of consistency this time around. I opened the season well at Copetown Woods and closed it solidly at Willow Valley, but had a couple of uninspiring efforts in between. My play at Peninsula Lakes was a downer, since I have played well there before, while Oakridge burned me for the second year in a row. The fifth Deepwoods event, held at Dragon's Fire Golf Club, was rained out after just six holes. Without the flexibility of dropping one low score, defending the title was not easy.
In terms of my handicap, I am relatively pleased with the progress made this year. I started the season with a handicap factor of 21.4 and ended at 17.0, for an improvement of over four. During the year, my factor dipped as low as 15.8, but it crept up as some good rounds faded into history. I attribute almost all of the improvement to better game management, rather than swing mechanics. Next year, I am aiming to reduce my handicap factor to 12.0, which will be pretty tough. There is still room to improve game management, but to reach the level I'm aiming for, I will need to address some obvious swing deficiencies.
The best and worst rounds of the year
Though I had a lot of fun competing in 2009, my best and most enjoyable rounds of the year came during friendly matches. In mid September, I put together back-to-back rounds in the mid 80's. The first of these was a pretty 85 at Lochness Links, a course I had been meaning to play for a while but never got around to. One week later, I improved my season low, registering a delightful 83 at Carlisle. Both of those rounds felt effortless. When you hit a decent number of fairways and are near or on the greens with your approach shots, golf is more fun than ever.
If I highlight the enjoyable rounds of the year, I suppose I should pay equal attention to the horrific rounds as well. These are very easy to pick. I had a complete debacle at Crosswinds, to the point that I didn't even bother keeping score. I played terribly while dealing with Mega Man at Indian Wells. Finally, I ruined unseasonably warm weather by playing a late season dud at Lionhead.
A host of courses played for the first time
In 2009, I played a number of courses that had been on my to-do list for some time. Besides Grand Niagara, Osprey Valley, and Lochness Links, which I've already mentioned, these included Wooden Sticks, Angus Glen North, and Battlefield at Legends on the Niagara. An unexpected treat came when I had a chance to play at St. George's Golf & Country Club, a Stanley Thompson designed classic that frequently makes the lists of top courses in Canada and even the world. I didn't play very well that day, but still enjoyed myself greatly.
Overall, I feel like it was a successful year. The fact that I saw improvement was the main reason I did not take any lessons this year. Don't get me wrong - lessons always help. It's just that I didn't have anything specific that I needed help with. As problems crept into my game, I seemed to make good adjustments. Mind you, as soon as one thing was fixed, something else would break, but that is the nature of golf. I did struggle with bunker shots for an extended period, which was very strange. Most amateurs decelerate the club head or intentinally try to pick the ball clean out of the sand, but my problem was neither of these. I was blasting the ball well past my target, either with a lot of accompanying sand or with no sand at all when I unintentionally hit the ball thin.
For next year, I have to maintain solid driving. I am not concerned very much about distance, as I have enough to play well. What I'm after is a consistent and controllable flight path. I also need to dial in my short iron approach shots to give myself more birdie opportunities. A huge opportunity is chipping and putting. While my chipping hasn't been bad, it hasn't been good enough to get up and down on most occasions. Similarly, I need to improve my putting. It seems like the simplest part of the game, but it really isn't. This will be my focus during the winter.
Looking forward to next season!
November 14, 2009
November at Hidden Lake
After nearly three weeks without playing, I headed to Hidden Lake Golf Club for a much needed round. I was worried that the time off might have a negative effect on my performance, but that wasn't the case.
My drive on the first hole gave me some confidence. Even though it was pulled left of target, the contact was good, as were the flight path and distance. My second shot, 200 yards into the green with a 3-iron, was also good. Hitting a long iron like that can give you a nice jolt of energy. When it comes early in a round, it can set the tone for the rest of the day.
I felt like I was striking the ball rather well on the front nine. I was concentrating intently on "finishing down the line" with each stroke. My tendency has always been to get steep at the top of my backswing. This can lead to an outside-in swing path, which produces a straight pull or a left-to-right slice. For me, thinking about finishing down the line seems to encourage a flatter swing plane. It also helps me transfer my weight to the left side, which is something I fail to do on occasion.
Though I was striking the ball well, I made a couple of mental mistakes. On one hole, I selected the wrong approach iron. As a result, my ball sailed clear past the green. On another hole, I took four putts to hole out after reaching the green in regulation. The green was quite sloped, but there really was no reason for such trouble. On yet another hole, I laid up 60 yards from a reachable green, thinking there was a small pond in front. As I approached the green, I realized there was no pond whatsoever. I must have been thinking about a hole on a diferent course!
On the back nine, I played at a similar level, but I felt like there were a few more mis-hits. A couple of these came with the driver, while a few others came with the wedges. With some good recovery shots, I was able to keep my scores in check.
At the end of the day, I tallied a 93, which is not bad for November golf.
Score: 93
Par: 71
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
My drive on the first hole gave me some confidence. Even though it was pulled left of target, the contact was good, as were the flight path and distance. My second shot, 200 yards into the green with a 3-iron, was also good. Hitting a long iron like that can give you a nice jolt of energy. When it comes early in a round, it can set the tone for the rest of the day.
I felt like I was striking the ball rather well on the front nine. I was concentrating intently on "finishing down the line" with each stroke. My tendency has always been to get steep at the top of my backswing. This can lead to an outside-in swing path, which produces a straight pull or a left-to-right slice. For me, thinking about finishing down the line seems to encourage a flatter swing plane. It also helps me transfer my weight to the left side, which is something I fail to do on occasion.
Though I was striking the ball well, I made a couple of mental mistakes. On one hole, I selected the wrong approach iron. As a result, my ball sailed clear past the green. On another hole, I took four putts to hole out after reaching the green in regulation. The green was quite sloped, but there really was no reason for such trouble. On yet another hole, I laid up 60 yards from a reachable green, thinking there was a small pond in front. As I approached the green, I realized there was no pond whatsoever. I must have been thinking about a hole on a diferent course!
On the back nine, I played at a similar level, but I felt like there were a few more mis-hits. A couple of these came with the driver, while a few others came with the wedges. With some good recovery shots, I was able to keep my scores in check.
At the end of the day, I tallied a 93, which is not bad for November golf.
Score: 93
Par: 71
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
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