If there was a twelve-step program for disconsolate golfers, it would probably begin with each participant acknowledging that he is a hack. Well, sign me up for the first available program, because I fully admit it. Where I stand today is not the result of bad luck, faulty equipment, tricked-up courses, poor weather, or stupid playing partners. It is a reflection of my current skill level and ability (or lack thereof). There is a reason my handicap factor has jumped almost five points over the past two years. I'm simply not as good as I was back then.
I just finished my latest round on the Old Course at Hidden Lake Golf Club. Having played a few rounds on less familiar territory this season, I was looking forward to playing a course I know very well. My last three visits to the Old Course produced scores of 92, 90, and 87. At that rate, I was on pace to shoot about 85, right? Well, let's just say it didn't work out that way. Though conditions were ideal, I struggled all day long and had to grind hard just to break 100. It was a good thing I broke the century mark, otherwise authorities may have had to pull a body from the bottom of Hidden Lake - mine! Drowning would be a cakewalk compared to the suffering I endure at the hands of this wretched game.
I won't bore you with any shot by shot accounts. Instead, allow me to analyse the major components of the game, with the inclusion of a few examples to add some colour.
Driver. This has been the worst part of my game this season, by far. Early in the year, I was pulling a lot of drives left. There was no hook to the ball flight, just a straight pull off the tee. Occasionally, I would pipe a beauty deep and straight down the fairway. These good shots actually made it harder to determine what I was doing wrong on the bad ones. To me, they all felt the same. Sometimes, a reverse pivot was the obvious culprit. I could feel my left foot lose traction or even come off the ground, while my weight shifted violently to the right foot. However, this only explains a small percentage of the misses.
Over the last few rounds, my misses with the driver have become more varied. The full variety was on display at Hidden Lake. Of twelve shots taken with the driver, four were straight pulls, one was a pull-hook, three were fades or slices, and one was a topped ball. Only three of the drives were well struck. Many of the pulls involved trees just ahead of the teeing ground. These trees intimidate players who can only hit the ball from left to right. Hole #15 is a classic example, and I fell into the trap sure as God made little green apples. Hole #17 is another example, so I opted to play a 3-iron for safety. Too bad that shot was a complete duff that didn't even reach the forward tees.
I am at a complete loss with the driver right now. I'm all over the place, looking for a swing that I can control, but I'm not finding it. Maybe I should start from the beginning and try to build it out piece by piece. Look at ball position at address, posture, grip, takeaway, swing plane, swing length, tempo, balance, etc. I don't know.
Fairway woods. These used to be a strength of my game, but I completely lost any feel I had with them beginning two years ago. It hasn't been a huge problem, since my long irons improved substantially and I use them when I might have used a fairway wood in the past. Still, it's nice to have options. Surprisingly, my woods worked well at Hidden Lake. I hit 5-wood a couple of times after duffed or topped tee shots to good effect.
Irons. Early in the season, I was hooking my irons too much for my liking. The problem was more pronounced with the short irons, say 7-iron and up. This was disappointing because these are supposed to be your scoring clubs. It was also more pronounced off the tee, for reasons I can't explain. After working on this during a round at Tunberry, I largely corrected the problem. At Hidden Lake, my irons were only so-so. Actually, I didn't have a lot of iron shots that I could hit full out. Most of the time, I was using them to punch low shots underneath tree branches. With the exception of a 195-yard tee shot on the par-3 eighth hole, my tee shots with irons were a letdown. I came up short on hole #2, while hooking the approach to holes #4, #14, and #18.
Wedges. Full wedge shots have been satisfactory this season, but they could have been better. While I can't recall any disastrous wedge shots, I can recall a few that missed the green when they really shouldn't have. At Hidden Lake, wedge shots were the best part of my game. Out of position on holes #1, #6, #7, and #16, I used the 52 degree club to clear high trees while advancing the ball in the direction of the green. It was the right call each time and execution was flawless. On the other hand, I topped the ball with the same club on my approach to hole #13. I also sculled the ball with the 56 degree club on my approach to hole #9. Nobody's perfect.
Pitching & chipping. My short game has been less than stellar a couple of times this season, but overall, I've been quite pleased. I'd love to get up and down more routinely, but as long as no egregious errors are committed, I'm generally happy. My pitching and chipping worked pretty well at Hidden Lake. I was able to get up and down four times. On many other occasions, I chipped reasonably well, but left the ball outside of single-putt range. On three separate occasions, I had a pitch shot land shorter than I wanted it to. Two of those resulted in a 3-putt, while one required an additional chip to get on the green.
Bunkers. Two years ago, my bunker play went to pieces. I used to have no trouble with sand near the green, then all of a sudden, I was vacillating between picking balls clean and catching too much sand. I lost my confidence and I'm still trying to get it back. I only had one bunker shot at Hidden Lake, my second on hole #18, a par-3. It was a good one, even though it rolled well past the hole.
Putting. I have no complaints with my putting this year. Some days are better than others, that's just the way it goes. My putting at Hidden Lake was solid, though I did have a pair of 3-putts. One of these came on hole #1, before I had an opportunity to feel the speed of the greens. The other came on hole #10, where my second putt was a short miss. This miss, along with another short one, were the only putts that left me disappointed.
Score: 99
Putts: 34
Fairways: 3
Greens: 1
Penalties: 0
July 26, 2011
July 18, 2011
Oakridge Result Typical for Season
Deepwoods events have been a special part of my golf season dating back to 2006, when I first joined the association. This year, I have looked forward to these events even more than usual, as I have yet to play any other organized events during 2011. After a poor showing in the season opener at Copetown Woods, I bounced back with a decent performance at Peninsula Lakes, which remains my best result of the 2011 season. Unfortunately, any hope of recapturing the Deepwoods championship went out the window with my latest effort at Oakridge Golf Club.
On a hot and humid Sunday afternoon, I teed off determined to survive the first three holes at Oakridge. My 5-wood on the opening hole was struck well, but the ball was pulled left, ending up in some fescue and pine trees. Lost ball. Hitting three from the tee, my next shot with the 5-wood was perfect, leaving a 130-yard approach from the right edge of the fairway. I curled a pitching wedge just past the flag at the back of the green and 2-putt for double-bogey. If not for the opening miscue, this would have been a pretty par. On hole #2, a 182-yard par-3, my tee shot landed in the rough two yards left of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. Not bad.
Hole #3 was the real killer. Then again, it usually is. At 377 yards from the gold tees, the hole is not overly long. However, an elevated tee and a small landing zone bordered by out-of bounds, a pond and some forest conspire to make the opening shot very challenging. Hitting 5-wood, my first attempt was struck well, but a little too far left for my liking. Fearing that I had gone out of bounds, I hit a provisional ball. This one was also a tad left, but not in danger of being OB. Approaching the landing zone, I saw that my first ball was indeed OB by about five yards. My provisional ball was in play, but directly behind a small, low bush. With my fourth shot, I was forced to chip sideways to the fairway. My next shot, 125 yards from the green, was a shank into the pond. The ball was below my feet in a drainage ditch of sorts. Taking a penalty, I hit my seventh shot pin high, but off the green. After a chip and two putts, I recorded an ugly 10 on my scorecard. Of all the shots I took, I felt like only the shank was a truly bad shot. Nevertheless, the rest were bad enough that they added up to a horrific score for the hole.
I bogeyed the next hole, a short par-3, in much the same fashion as I had the previous par-3. Tee shot just off the green, followed by a chip and two putts. In contrast to hole #3, I played hole #5 like a pro. Driver off the tee was straight and plenty deep, leaving a pitching wedge to the green. My approach rolled off the back of the green, but was very near the pin. I hit a great chip and tap-in for an easy-looking up and down. Par seems so simple at times. In fact, my short game was strong all day. After topping some balls en route to green #6, I finished with a chip and tap-in. It was for a triple-bogey, but the finish was strong. The same thing happened on hole #7, though this time the chip and tap-in were for bogey. Actually, I did very well to bogey that hole after my tee shot was lost in a hazard and my third was a chip to the fairway from a cluster of trees. On hole #8, a chip and a putt once again helped me earn bogey. The up-and-down streak ended at four consecutive holes, as I earned par on hole #9 with a conventional green in regulation, followed by two putts.
Half way through the round my score was at 50 even. Considering I scored 10 on a single hole, I felt like I was playing decently.
Unfortunately, I managed to "out-do" that score of 10 on hole #10. At just 324 yards from the gold tees, you would think that this hole should not pose a problem. My 4-iron off the tee was pulled left into a cluster of trees and fescue. The ball was unplayable, so I was forced to take a penalty. With my third shot, I tried to advance the ball through an opening in the trees. I smacked a tree trunk and had no idea where the ball deflected. Add another penalty. With my fifth shot, I successfully executed the chip through the opening. My sixth shot, 130 yards from the flag in the right fairway, found a bunker fronting the right edge of the green. Next, I picked the ball too clean, overshooting the green into another bunker. Of course, this bunker shot was too fat, stopping in the rough near the green edge. After a chip and two putts, the final damage was 11 on the scorecard. It seems almost impossible, yet it happened.
Over the next few holes, I was back to playing bogey golf. Once again, a chip and putt earned that result on hole #12. However, whenever I hit a bad shot, it turned out to be very costly. My tee shot on hole #13, a par-3 over water was struck thin and found the drink. My drive on hole #14 faded a tad too much into the forest. Hitting three from the tee, I finished that hole with a double bogey. Much like hole #1, if not for the opening error, this would have been a pretty par. A bad tee shot on hole #15 put me into a temporary mental funk that ruined the hole. I smothered the ball off the tee, then topped a couple more shots en route to the green. A two putt would have salvaged double-bogey, but after a great lag, I missed an easy two-footer. It was my only 3-putt of the day and I promptly threw the offending ball into the woods.
The highlight of the day came on hole #16, a par-3 measuring 130 yards from the gold tees. The flag was at the back of the green, adding about 15 yards of distance. In addition, there was a 2-club wind directly in our face. I hit an 8-iron pure and straight, landing on the green about 15 feet short of the cup. The birdie putt was slightly uphill, with little break. Thankfully, I drained it. I almost made another birdie on the next hole, after a thundering drive to the fairway and an 88-yard approach to within 8 feet. The birdie putt burned the right edge of the cup, so I walked away with par.
The final hole of the day produced another great shot, even though the result wasn't perfect. This par-5 measures just 446 yards, but getting to the green in two is tough, due to a bend in the fairway, which is bordered by many trees, as well as a pond that protects the front of the green. I aimed my tee shot over the trees on the left, hoping to get over them entirely, or at least to a place where I could punch out to the fairway. Sure enough, I was among the trees. My punch attempt hit the base of a tree trunk and I was left in the trees and in the rough. However, there was enough of an opening or chute that I could see the area just right of the green. I was 160 yards away and my swing was unimpeded. My next shot with the 7-iron was a thing of beauty. Contact was crisp. The ball jumped off the club face and exited the opening in the trees. It then started drawing left, toward the centre of the green. It missed a large tree that fronts the green. For a moment, it looked like I would be putting for birdie. However, the ball carried to the back of the green, ending up in a shallow bunker sitting above the putting surface. I used the putter to get out of the bunker then hit two more traditional putts to finish with a bogey. So while the final result was nothing special, that shot with the 7-iron felt really good.
Wen all was said and done, I finished with a disappointing score of 102. Overlook the two holes where I shot 10 and 11 however, and things don't look all that bad. An 81 through 16 holes is pretty good for me. Then again, you have to play all 18 holes in golf. You don't have the luxury of dropping your two worst holes. So, I'm left with a mixed bag once again. Drives that alternate between excellent and horrific. A couple of blowup holes mixed in with quite a few good ones. Poor sand play, along with great chipping and putting. I need to put it all together to save this season. If I do however, it will be too late to earn the Deepwoods crown.
Score: 102
Putts: 31
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 8
On a hot and humid Sunday afternoon, I teed off determined to survive the first three holes at Oakridge. My 5-wood on the opening hole was struck well, but the ball was pulled left, ending up in some fescue and pine trees. Lost ball. Hitting three from the tee, my next shot with the 5-wood was perfect, leaving a 130-yard approach from the right edge of the fairway. I curled a pitching wedge just past the flag at the back of the green and 2-putt for double-bogey. If not for the opening miscue, this would have been a pretty par. On hole #2, a 182-yard par-3, my tee shot landed in the rough two yards left of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. Not bad.
Hole #3 was the real killer. Then again, it usually is. At 377 yards from the gold tees, the hole is not overly long. However, an elevated tee and a small landing zone bordered by out-of bounds, a pond and some forest conspire to make the opening shot very challenging. Hitting 5-wood, my first attempt was struck well, but a little too far left for my liking. Fearing that I had gone out of bounds, I hit a provisional ball. This one was also a tad left, but not in danger of being OB. Approaching the landing zone, I saw that my first ball was indeed OB by about five yards. My provisional ball was in play, but directly behind a small, low bush. With my fourth shot, I was forced to chip sideways to the fairway. My next shot, 125 yards from the green, was a shank into the pond. The ball was below my feet in a drainage ditch of sorts. Taking a penalty, I hit my seventh shot pin high, but off the green. After a chip and two putts, I recorded an ugly 10 on my scorecard. Of all the shots I took, I felt like only the shank was a truly bad shot. Nevertheless, the rest were bad enough that they added up to a horrific score for the hole.
I bogeyed the next hole, a short par-3, in much the same fashion as I had the previous par-3. Tee shot just off the green, followed by a chip and two putts. In contrast to hole #3, I played hole #5 like a pro. Driver off the tee was straight and plenty deep, leaving a pitching wedge to the green. My approach rolled off the back of the green, but was very near the pin. I hit a great chip and tap-in for an easy-looking up and down. Par seems so simple at times. In fact, my short game was strong all day. After topping some balls en route to green #6, I finished with a chip and tap-in. It was for a triple-bogey, but the finish was strong. The same thing happened on hole #7, though this time the chip and tap-in were for bogey. Actually, I did very well to bogey that hole after my tee shot was lost in a hazard and my third was a chip to the fairway from a cluster of trees. On hole #8, a chip and a putt once again helped me earn bogey. The up-and-down streak ended at four consecutive holes, as I earned par on hole #9 with a conventional green in regulation, followed by two putts.
Half way through the round my score was at 50 even. Considering I scored 10 on a single hole, I felt like I was playing decently.
Unfortunately, I managed to "out-do" that score of 10 on hole #10. At just 324 yards from the gold tees, you would think that this hole should not pose a problem. My 4-iron off the tee was pulled left into a cluster of trees and fescue. The ball was unplayable, so I was forced to take a penalty. With my third shot, I tried to advance the ball through an opening in the trees. I smacked a tree trunk and had no idea where the ball deflected. Add another penalty. With my fifth shot, I successfully executed the chip through the opening. My sixth shot, 130 yards from the flag in the right fairway, found a bunker fronting the right edge of the green. Next, I picked the ball too clean, overshooting the green into another bunker. Of course, this bunker shot was too fat, stopping in the rough near the green edge. After a chip and two putts, the final damage was 11 on the scorecard. It seems almost impossible, yet it happened.
Over the next few holes, I was back to playing bogey golf. Once again, a chip and putt earned that result on hole #12. However, whenever I hit a bad shot, it turned out to be very costly. My tee shot on hole #13, a par-3 over water was struck thin and found the drink. My drive on hole #14 faded a tad too much into the forest. Hitting three from the tee, I finished that hole with a double bogey. Much like hole #1, if not for the opening error, this would have been a pretty par. A bad tee shot on hole #15 put me into a temporary mental funk that ruined the hole. I smothered the ball off the tee, then topped a couple more shots en route to the green. A two putt would have salvaged double-bogey, but after a great lag, I missed an easy two-footer. It was my only 3-putt of the day and I promptly threw the offending ball into the woods.
The highlight of the day came on hole #16, a par-3 measuring 130 yards from the gold tees. The flag was at the back of the green, adding about 15 yards of distance. In addition, there was a 2-club wind directly in our face. I hit an 8-iron pure and straight, landing on the green about 15 feet short of the cup. The birdie putt was slightly uphill, with little break. Thankfully, I drained it. I almost made another birdie on the next hole, after a thundering drive to the fairway and an 88-yard approach to within 8 feet. The birdie putt burned the right edge of the cup, so I walked away with par.
The final hole of the day produced another great shot, even though the result wasn't perfect. This par-5 measures just 446 yards, but getting to the green in two is tough, due to a bend in the fairway, which is bordered by many trees, as well as a pond that protects the front of the green. I aimed my tee shot over the trees on the left, hoping to get over them entirely, or at least to a place where I could punch out to the fairway. Sure enough, I was among the trees. My punch attempt hit the base of a tree trunk and I was left in the trees and in the rough. However, there was enough of an opening or chute that I could see the area just right of the green. I was 160 yards away and my swing was unimpeded. My next shot with the 7-iron was a thing of beauty. Contact was crisp. The ball jumped off the club face and exited the opening in the trees. It then started drawing left, toward the centre of the green. It missed a large tree that fronts the green. For a moment, it looked like I would be putting for birdie. However, the ball carried to the back of the green, ending up in a shallow bunker sitting above the putting surface. I used the putter to get out of the bunker then hit two more traditional putts to finish with a bogey. So while the final result was nothing special, that shot with the 7-iron felt really good.
Wen all was said and done, I finished with a disappointing score of 102. Overlook the two holes where I shot 10 and 11 however, and things don't look all that bad. An 81 through 16 holes is pretty good for me. Then again, you have to play all 18 holes in golf. You don't have the luxury of dropping your two worst holes. So, I'm left with a mixed bag once again. Drives that alternate between excellent and horrific. A couple of blowup holes mixed in with quite a few good ones. Poor sand play, along with great chipping and putting. I need to put it all together to save this season. If I do however, it will be too late to earn the Deepwoods crown.
Score: 102
Putts: 31
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 8
July 13, 2011
Mixed Bag at Glen Eagle
I ventured out to Glen Eagle Golf Club, a 27-hole facility in Caledon, Ontario, and the starter told me I would be playing the Original 18. Dating back to the club's inception in the early 1960's, the Original 18 are comprised of the first three holes of today's Blue nine, followed by the last six holes of the Yellow nine and finishing up with the Red nine.
Three guys were teeing off as I approached the first tee, so I asked if I could join them. As a single, I would be right on their heels anyway, so it seemed to make sense. As it turned out, this was a mistake. I lost my putter's head cover somewhere between the first tee and the middle of the first fairway, but none of these guys (who were in power carts, while I was walking) offered to drive back for a quick look. That was the first strike.
My approach to the first green came up a few yards short, but was on the short grass near the right edge of the fairway. The three guys were already on the green as I approached the area where I last saw my ball. Now, it was nowhere to be seen. I found a different ball in the rough, a couple of yards to the right. I asked the guys if it belonged to any of them and one guy said it was his. Clearly, he had hit my ball instead of his. I asked if anyone hit my ball by mistake, but nobody admitted it.
At this point, I thought maybe I was wrong about my ball stopping in the fairway. I walked away from the green to see if my ball was in the rough somewhere and the guys came over to help. Seeing nothing, I turned around to face the green once again. Lo and behold, my ball was now propped up in the rough, just two yards away from my stand bag. There is no way I failed to see that ball the first time. Obviously, the guy who hit my ball took advantage of the time my back was turned to drop it in the rough. How stupid is that? It's not uncommon to hit a playing partner's ball by mistake every now and then. Just admit it. What's the big deal? There is no penalty to the guy who has his ball hit by someone else. Is there really a need for these stupid games? Unbelievable! That was strike two.
Incidentally, I made double-bogey on the opening hole. Next up was a par-5 measuring 524 yards from the blue tees, which I was playing. I hit a slight fade off the tee, sending the ball about five yards right of the fairway. There were some trees there, but nothing that should conceal a ball. When I approached the area, I could not find the ball. The trees were well spaced and the rough beneath them was regular length. There were no weeds or anything else where a ball could hide. There was no cart path, off which a ball could ricochet. There was a slight hump, which might propel a ball forward, but I covered a wide swath and still came up empty.
What bothered me was that my playing partners didn't even help me look. One guy drove his cart around for ten seconds before giving up. The other two did nothing. Having spent five minutes looking, I just dropped a ball in the area and proceeded. On a subsequent shot, my backswing hit a tree branch, ruining the attempt. I took a swipe at the offensive branch in frustration and the momentum of the club carried it forward, smashing into the top of my right foot. I played in some pain for the rest of the round and it got worse after the round was over. The foot incident was no fault of my playing partners, but their failure to help me find a lost ball was strike three. I teed off with them on the next hole, a 188-yard par-3, but stayed on the tee and told them to go ahead without me. It was the smartest thing I did all day.
By the way, that last tee shot ended up being another lost ball, so I re-teed (in blissful solitude) en route to a triple bogey, one of two on the day. With the annoying partners gone, I settled into a stretch of bogey golf over the last six holes of the Yellow nine. My scores would have been better, if not for a series of missed putts, all in the five to six-foot range. I missed a pair of these while playing with The Three Stooges, but I added four more of them over the remainder of the front nine. My pace on these putts was good, finishing just past the hole every time. Unfortunately, I did not judge the break equally well. I was off by just a fraction, burning the edge of the cup either high or low.
The highlight of the front nine was Yellow #9, a par-4 measuring 354 yards from the blue tees. I hit 4-iron from the tee, sending the ball over some trees that pinch the right side of the fairway. The ball came to rest in the right rough, exactly 150 yards from the pin. Ninety percent of the green was blocked out by trees on the right, leaving just a sliver of green available for an approach. I took dead aim at the left edge of the green with an 8-iron, figuring that a miss on the left would leave plenty of green to work with on a subsequent chip shot. The approach came off perfectly, as the ball nailed the green and trickled to the edge of the fringe. Even though I was flag high, I was over 30 feet away from the cup. However, I judged the speed and line perfectly, earning the lone birdie of the day.
The Red nine proceeded much like the first nine did. When I missed a shot, I missed badly, almost embarassingly so. I pull-hooked a 4-iron of the tee on hole #1 and did the same thing with the driver on hole #2. Speaking of hooks, I also hit a wicked one off the tee on hole #8, a medium length par-3. On the other hand, when I hit a good shot, I hit it really good. I hit my driver sky-high and deep on hole #3, travelling 280 yards to the left centre of the fairway. Timing was perfect, as the par-4 measures 430 yards from the blue tees. I followed up with a pitching wedge, as the flag was situated at the front of the green. My birdie putt lipped out, leaving a tap-in for par. Solid tee shots were also registered on holes #5 and #6, thanks to the 6-iron and 5-iron, respectively. On hole #7, a 412-yard par-4, it was back to the driver and I piped another beauty 280 yards down the fairway.
I double-bogeyed the final hole for a total score of 99. Good thing I didn't check my score before I teed off, or I almost certainly would have reached the century mark. Overall, I am still not happy with my game. I am inconsistent off the tee, either hitting a perfect shot or pulling one badly. The slice has disappeared from my game entirely and I am even hitting very few fades. My short game is average, including my putting. I have struggled to judge the distance on low punch shots, which I've been forced to hit a lot of lately. Worst of all, my handicap is consistently creeping up, which is hurting my confidence.
Score: 99
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
Three guys were teeing off as I approached the first tee, so I asked if I could join them. As a single, I would be right on their heels anyway, so it seemed to make sense. As it turned out, this was a mistake. I lost my putter's head cover somewhere between the first tee and the middle of the first fairway, but none of these guys (who were in power carts, while I was walking) offered to drive back for a quick look. That was the first strike.
My approach to the first green came up a few yards short, but was on the short grass near the right edge of the fairway. The three guys were already on the green as I approached the area where I last saw my ball. Now, it was nowhere to be seen. I found a different ball in the rough, a couple of yards to the right. I asked the guys if it belonged to any of them and one guy said it was his. Clearly, he had hit my ball instead of his. I asked if anyone hit my ball by mistake, but nobody admitted it.
At this point, I thought maybe I was wrong about my ball stopping in the fairway. I walked away from the green to see if my ball was in the rough somewhere and the guys came over to help. Seeing nothing, I turned around to face the green once again. Lo and behold, my ball was now propped up in the rough, just two yards away from my stand bag. There is no way I failed to see that ball the first time. Obviously, the guy who hit my ball took advantage of the time my back was turned to drop it in the rough. How stupid is that? It's not uncommon to hit a playing partner's ball by mistake every now and then. Just admit it. What's the big deal? There is no penalty to the guy who has his ball hit by someone else. Is there really a need for these stupid games? Unbelievable! That was strike two.
Incidentally, I made double-bogey on the opening hole. Next up was a par-5 measuring 524 yards from the blue tees, which I was playing. I hit a slight fade off the tee, sending the ball about five yards right of the fairway. There were some trees there, but nothing that should conceal a ball. When I approached the area, I could not find the ball. The trees were well spaced and the rough beneath them was regular length. There were no weeds or anything else where a ball could hide. There was no cart path, off which a ball could ricochet. There was a slight hump, which might propel a ball forward, but I covered a wide swath and still came up empty.
What bothered me was that my playing partners didn't even help me look. One guy drove his cart around for ten seconds before giving up. The other two did nothing. Having spent five minutes looking, I just dropped a ball in the area and proceeded. On a subsequent shot, my backswing hit a tree branch, ruining the attempt. I took a swipe at the offensive branch in frustration and the momentum of the club carried it forward, smashing into the top of my right foot. I played in some pain for the rest of the round and it got worse after the round was over. The foot incident was no fault of my playing partners, but their failure to help me find a lost ball was strike three. I teed off with them on the next hole, a 188-yard par-3, but stayed on the tee and told them to go ahead without me. It was the smartest thing I did all day.
By the way, that last tee shot ended up being another lost ball, so I re-teed (in blissful solitude) en route to a triple bogey, one of two on the day. With the annoying partners gone, I settled into a stretch of bogey golf over the last six holes of the Yellow nine. My scores would have been better, if not for a series of missed putts, all in the five to six-foot range. I missed a pair of these while playing with The Three Stooges, but I added four more of them over the remainder of the front nine. My pace on these putts was good, finishing just past the hole every time. Unfortunately, I did not judge the break equally well. I was off by just a fraction, burning the edge of the cup either high or low.
The highlight of the front nine was Yellow #9, a par-4 measuring 354 yards from the blue tees. I hit 4-iron from the tee, sending the ball over some trees that pinch the right side of the fairway. The ball came to rest in the right rough, exactly 150 yards from the pin. Ninety percent of the green was blocked out by trees on the right, leaving just a sliver of green available for an approach. I took dead aim at the left edge of the green with an 8-iron, figuring that a miss on the left would leave plenty of green to work with on a subsequent chip shot. The approach came off perfectly, as the ball nailed the green and trickled to the edge of the fringe. Even though I was flag high, I was over 30 feet away from the cup. However, I judged the speed and line perfectly, earning the lone birdie of the day.
The Red nine proceeded much like the first nine did. When I missed a shot, I missed badly, almost embarassingly so. I pull-hooked a 4-iron of the tee on hole #1 and did the same thing with the driver on hole #2. Speaking of hooks, I also hit a wicked one off the tee on hole #8, a medium length par-3. On the other hand, when I hit a good shot, I hit it really good. I hit my driver sky-high and deep on hole #3, travelling 280 yards to the left centre of the fairway. Timing was perfect, as the par-4 measures 430 yards from the blue tees. I followed up with a pitching wedge, as the flag was situated at the front of the green. My birdie putt lipped out, leaving a tap-in for par. Solid tee shots were also registered on holes #5 and #6, thanks to the 6-iron and 5-iron, respectively. On hole #7, a 412-yard par-4, it was back to the driver and I piped another beauty 280 yards down the fairway.
I double-bogeyed the final hole for a total score of 99. Good thing I didn't check my score before I teed off, or I almost certainly would have reached the century mark. Overall, I am still not happy with my game. I am inconsistent off the tee, either hitting a perfect shot or pulling one badly. The slice has disappeared from my game entirely and I am even hitting very few fades. My short game is average, including my putting. I have struggled to judge the distance on low punch shots, which I've been forced to hit a lot of lately. Worst of all, my handicap is consistently creeping up, which is hurting my confidence.
Score: 99
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
July 06, 2011
Return to Westview
A month and a half after my 54-hole introduction to Westview Golf Club, I returned with the aim of improving upon my early scores. Since my feet took some punishment during the last visit, I decided to play a mere 36 holes this time around. I'm happy to report that my scores improved, but I'm still very disappointed with my performance this season. My handicap factor is now over 20, which is about five points higher than it was two years ago.
Middle / Lakeland
Starting on the Middle nine, I opened with a triple bogey. The opening holes on the Middle and Lakeland nines, which run parallel to eachother, are pretty stiff indeed. Besides being long, they both play severely uphill from tee to green. While the fairways are straight, mature trees line both sides. If your tee shot misses the short grass, there is little chance of reaching the green in regulation. The greens are also tilted from back to front, making front pin positions especially testy. Where were the pins on this day? You guessed it.
My struggles continued for the first four holes, as I amassed a couple of double-bogeys, along with a quadruple. The quad came on a par-5 after a topped second shot and a third that dribbled into a hazard on the right side. However, I played the remainder of the Middle nine fairly well. A par on hole #6 was particularly satisfying. Right handers who hit driver on this hole must fade the ball, or they will run through the end of the fairway on this dog-leg par-4. My fade worked like a charm, coming to rest a yard into the right rough, but just 110 yards from the flag. My approach with a gap wedge flew high and landed just in front of the pin, but the green contour pushed the ball to the fringe. Nevertheless, I two-putt for the par.
The Lakeland nine brought a slight improvement, but I still made triple bogey on the opening hole. I tell you, those holes are beasts. Aside from the opening hole, I also had trouble with #6, another straight and long par-4 that plays uphill. Playing my third from the fairway, 100 yards from the pin, I hit the shank to end all shanks! I mean, this thing went immediately to the right, almost 90 degrees from my intended direction of travel. I almost hit one of the guys who was playing with me. It was ugly. On the positive side, I made par on hole #7, a shorter par-4 from an elevated tee. I wasted a nice drive on hole #8, when my approach from a downhill lie came up short and found a hazard.
Overall, I was not happy to exceed 100, but I improved my lone previous score on Middle / Lakeland by five strokes.
Score: 104
Putts: 34
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
Middle / Lakeland
The good news is that I played Middle / Lakeland again for my second round of the day. Once again, I played the opening holes terribly. Middle #1 produced a quadruple-bogey this time, thanks to a careless short putt thrown into the mix. On the next few holes I struggled with different parts of the game. I mis-hit my tee shot on hole #2, had a low punch shot carry too far on hole #3, topped an approach on hole #4, and so on. I thought I turned things around when my tee shot on hole #5, a par-3 measuring 200 yards, came to rest on the putting surface some 15 feet from the hole. Unfortunately, my birdie putt came up way short. I was misled by the speed of the greens earlier in the day. I ended that hole with a 3-putt bogey. The Middle nine ended well, with pars on the last two holes, helping me shave one stroke from my score earlier in the day.
My second crack at the Lakeland nine went well, except for the opening hole which I've already described. It was another triple-bogey to get things started. Aside from that, I played bogey golf the rest of the way. I learned from my first pass on the course where to aim my tee shot on hole #2, leading to a par. My tee shot actually ran through the end of the fairway on this dog-leg par-4, but a solid approach and textbook up-and-down saw me safely to par. I also made par on hole #8, making up for the wasted tee-shot the first time around. Once again, I piped a drive deep down the fairway. This time however, my approach shot found the green and par was the result. A par on hole #9, a par-3 playing 172 yards, would have given me a final score of 99. Unfortunately, I messed up my tee shot. With some rain falling at this point, I felt some moisture on my grip. Instead of backing off and wiping the water away, I proceeded and duffed the ball. After I wiped the grips I was fine and finished with a bogey.
In the end it was a score of 100, which I hate. On the positive side, I lowered my score once again, so it can't be all bad. Still, my handicap is now 20.5, which is painful to see. I must turn things around. I must!
Score: 100
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 1
Middle / Lakeland
Starting on the Middle nine, I opened with a triple bogey. The opening holes on the Middle and Lakeland nines, which run parallel to eachother, are pretty stiff indeed. Besides being long, they both play severely uphill from tee to green. While the fairways are straight, mature trees line both sides. If your tee shot misses the short grass, there is little chance of reaching the green in regulation. The greens are also tilted from back to front, making front pin positions especially testy. Where were the pins on this day? You guessed it.
My struggles continued for the first four holes, as I amassed a couple of double-bogeys, along with a quadruple. The quad came on a par-5 after a topped second shot and a third that dribbled into a hazard on the right side. However, I played the remainder of the Middle nine fairly well. A par on hole #6 was particularly satisfying. Right handers who hit driver on this hole must fade the ball, or they will run through the end of the fairway on this dog-leg par-4. My fade worked like a charm, coming to rest a yard into the right rough, but just 110 yards from the flag. My approach with a gap wedge flew high and landed just in front of the pin, but the green contour pushed the ball to the fringe. Nevertheless, I two-putt for the par.
The Lakeland nine brought a slight improvement, but I still made triple bogey on the opening hole. I tell you, those holes are beasts. Aside from the opening hole, I also had trouble with #6, another straight and long par-4 that plays uphill. Playing my third from the fairway, 100 yards from the pin, I hit the shank to end all shanks! I mean, this thing went immediately to the right, almost 90 degrees from my intended direction of travel. I almost hit one of the guys who was playing with me. It was ugly. On the positive side, I made par on hole #7, a shorter par-4 from an elevated tee. I wasted a nice drive on hole #8, when my approach from a downhill lie came up short and found a hazard.
Overall, I was not happy to exceed 100, but I improved my lone previous score on Middle / Lakeland by five strokes.
Score: 104
Putts: 34
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
Middle / Lakeland
The good news is that I played Middle / Lakeland again for my second round of the day. Once again, I played the opening holes terribly. Middle #1 produced a quadruple-bogey this time, thanks to a careless short putt thrown into the mix. On the next few holes I struggled with different parts of the game. I mis-hit my tee shot on hole #2, had a low punch shot carry too far on hole #3, topped an approach on hole #4, and so on. I thought I turned things around when my tee shot on hole #5, a par-3 measuring 200 yards, came to rest on the putting surface some 15 feet from the hole. Unfortunately, my birdie putt came up way short. I was misled by the speed of the greens earlier in the day. I ended that hole with a 3-putt bogey. The Middle nine ended well, with pars on the last two holes, helping me shave one stroke from my score earlier in the day.
My second crack at the Lakeland nine went well, except for the opening hole which I've already described. It was another triple-bogey to get things started. Aside from that, I played bogey golf the rest of the way. I learned from my first pass on the course where to aim my tee shot on hole #2, leading to a par. My tee shot actually ran through the end of the fairway on this dog-leg par-4, but a solid approach and textbook up-and-down saw me safely to par. I also made par on hole #8, making up for the wasted tee-shot the first time around. Once again, I piped a drive deep down the fairway. This time however, my approach shot found the green and par was the result. A par on hole #9, a par-3 playing 172 yards, would have given me a final score of 99. Unfortunately, I messed up my tee shot. With some rain falling at this point, I felt some moisture on my grip. Instead of backing off and wiping the water away, I proceeded and duffed the ball. After I wiped the grips I was fine and finished with a bogey.
In the end it was a score of 100, which I hate. On the positive side, I lowered my score once again, so it can't be all bad. Still, my handicap is now 20.5, which is painful to see. I must turn things around. I must!
Score: 100
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 1
June 27, 2011
Finally...A Good Result!
To say it has been a tough season would be an understatement. Nobody likes to see their game regress, but that's exactly what I have observed early this season. It's not as though my game has been a complete mess. I fixed some early trouble with my irons and have been largely satisfied with my short game and course management. On the other hand, driving has been a complete crapshoot all season. All it takes is a few wild drives each round to rack up the penalty strokes and some big scores.
Thankfully, I managed to keep the driver in check during my last round. It was just enough to register my first decent score of the season. It was Round 2 of the Deepwoods season at Peninsula Lakes, where I played a bit of a warmup just two weeks before. As luck would have it, Deepwoods members played the same 18 holes that I played during my prior visit. In previous years, Deepwoods had always played the Quarry and Hillside nines, but this time it was Orchard and Quarry, which suited me just fine.
I began with a par on Orchard #1, which was a good ice-breaker. My drive was two feet left of the fairway and my approach was the same distance short of the green. A great lag putt left a tap-in for the easy par. Hole #2, a par-3 measuring 136 yards from the white tees, resulted in a hard-earned bogey. I duffed my tee shot, sending it 70 yards to the closely mown area leading to the green. My pitch shot skidded over the green, forcing a chip shot next. I was left with a 10-foot putt that I drained to maintain some momentum.
Hole #3 was one of my problem holes on the day, producing a triple-bogey. Guarding against a pull shot off the tee, which would end up out of bounds, I hit a big fade right of the fairway. I was amidst the trees, but had a clear chute toward the green. Unfortunately, my ball was lying terribly in a hole. A lofted club would help extract the ball, but overhanging limbs meant I had to keep the ball low. I took a hack and advanced the ball a mere 40 yards or so. Now I was under a tree with branches impeding my backswing. All I could do was advance the ball another 40 yards to a fairway bunker. My approach from the bunker was hooked to some trees left of the green. From that position, I was pleased to hole out with just three more strokes.
I got right back in the groove with a par on the very next hole. I hit a perfect drive deep and straight. I followed up with a perfect 3-iron, leaving just a 50-yard pitch into this par-5 green. I actually messed up the pitch, coming up short of the green. It probably had something to do with the sucker pin at the very front of the putting surface. No worries however, as I two-putt from off the green. And so it was for the rest of the Orchard nine. I wasted some shots here and there, but usually followed up with a good streak that earned par or bogey. I finished Orchard with a satisfactory score of 46.
The Quarry nine is where my game really came together. I registered eight bogeys and one par, for a score of 43. I love looking at a scorecard where none of the holes are worse than bogey. More pars and a birdie would look even better, but I'm not greedy. A long stretch of bogeys or better speak to consistency and I know that over 18 holes that means a score below 90, which for me is an important watermark.
There were many highlights on the Quarry nine, including nice drives that found the fairway on holes #1, #4, #5 and #7. Irons were also working off the tee, including a 170-yard 6-iron on hole #6, which set me up nicely for a birdie attempt on this par-3. In fact, my irons seemed to be working from all distances, ranging from 100 to 200 yards. I even hit great bunker shots on holes #2 and #4. Imagine that! Putting was solid, though I didn't drain any putts of significant length.
When all was said and done, I finished with a score of 89, my best of this season so far. Let's hope this is the start of something good.
Score: 89
Putts: 33
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 1
Thankfully, I managed to keep the driver in check during my last round. It was just enough to register my first decent score of the season. It was Round 2 of the Deepwoods season at Peninsula Lakes, where I played a bit of a warmup just two weeks before. As luck would have it, Deepwoods members played the same 18 holes that I played during my prior visit. In previous years, Deepwoods had always played the Quarry and Hillside nines, but this time it was Orchard and Quarry, which suited me just fine.
I began with a par on Orchard #1, which was a good ice-breaker. My drive was two feet left of the fairway and my approach was the same distance short of the green. A great lag putt left a tap-in for the easy par. Hole #2, a par-3 measuring 136 yards from the white tees, resulted in a hard-earned bogey. I duffed my tee shot, sending it 70 yards to the closely mown area leading to the green. My pitch shot skidded over the green, forcing a chip shot next. I was left with a 10-foot putt that I drained to maintain some momentum.
Hole #3 was one of my problem holes on the day, producing a triple-bogey. Guarding against a pull shot off the tee, which would end up out of bounds, I hit a big fade right of the fairway. I was amidst the trees, but had a clear chute toward the green. Unfortunately, my ball was lying terribly in a hole. A lofted club would help extract the ball, but overhanging limbs meant I had to keep the ball low. I took a hack and advanced the ball a mere 40 yards or so. Now I was under a tree with branches impeding my backswing. All I could do was advance the ball another 40 yards to a fairway bunker. My approach from the bunker was hooked to some trees left of the green. From that position, I was pleased to hole out with just three more strokes.
I got right back in the groove with a par on the very next hole. I hit a perfect drive deep and straight. I followed up with a perfect 3-iron, leaving just a 50-yard pitch into this par-5 green. I actually messed up the pitch, coming up short of the green. It probably had something to do with the sucker pin at the very front of the putting surface. No worries however, as I two-putt from off the green. And so it was for the rest of the Orchard nine. I wasted some shots here and there, but usually followed up with a good streak that earned par or bogey. I finished Orchard with a satisfactory score of 46.
The Quarry nine is where my game really came together. I registered eight bogeys and one par, for a score of 43. I love looking at a scorecard where none of the holes are worse than bogey. More pars and a birdie would look even better, but I'm not greedy. A long stretch of bogeys or better speak to consistency and I know that over 18 holes that means a score below 90, which for me is an important watermark.
There were many highlights on the Quarry nine, including nice drives that found the fairway on holes #1, #4, #5 and #7. Irons were also working off the tee, including a 170-yard 6-iron on hole #6, which set me up nicely for a birdie attempt on this par-3. In fact, my irons seemed to be working from all distances, ranging from 100 to 200 yards. I even hit great bunker shots on holes #2 and #4. Imagine that! Putting was solid, though I didn't drain any putts of significant length.
When all was said and done, I finished with a score of 89, my best of this season so far. Let's hope this is the start of something good.
Score: 89
Putts: 33
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 1
June 22, 2011
Eleventh Hour Collapse Ruins Round
Eager to turn my season around, I headed out for a morning round at Century Pines Golf Club. The first hole is a straight par-5 with out of bounds along the entire left side. As a right handed player, if you're going to miss your tee shot, you're better off slicing it into the opposing fairway, which is #18. From there, you can salvage bogey, maybe even par if you put together a couple of good shots. Despite knowing this, I pulled my drive wickedly off the tee out of bounds. It was a terrible start and disconcerting to know that I had no control of my driver whatsoever. I had to hit my third from the tee and finished with a triple bogey.
I didn't make the same mistake on hole #2, that's for sure. A par-4, this hole also features out of bounds along the entire left side. I promptly sliced my drive into the #3 fairway on the right side. I followed up with a pitching wedge over some tall trees to get back to the #2 fairway, about 35 yards in front of the green. After a smart pitch to the front edge of the green, I two-putt for a respectable bogey. There is a pond right of the green on this hole which often comes into play, so I was happy with my result.
I was relatively happy with the rest of the front nine. I made par on hole #4 after wisely electing to hit 4-iron off the tee. A somewhat lengthy putt also helped my cause. I hit a nice punch through the trees on the preceeding hole, as well as a decent bunker shot. I had a nice chip on hole #5 and a nice approach on hole #9. I felt like I was doing quite a few things well. The real problem was still the driver. On hole #6, I pulled my drive left into some long weeds. With no chance to find balls in there, I was forced to re-tee. All of a sudden, I drilled a perfect drive to the fairway, a full 275 yards. What the hell? On hole #8, I plastered another drive straight and deep, this one flying 260 yards to the middle of the fairway. However, on hole #9 I hit a brutal drive once again, pulling it left into some trees. I just had no idea what would show up with each drive.
On the back nine, I started heating up. I hit a perfect 4-iron off the tee on #10 to find the middle of the fairway. My pitch bounced into a mound fronting the green, but still managed to reach the back of the green. With the pin at the extreme front, I unfortunately three-putt for bogey. My 4-iron wasn't so good on the next hole, as I hit a bit of a pull-hook into a hazard. When I finally got to the green, I three-putt again for double bogey. On hole #12, I "murdalized" my tee shot, driving the ball 270 yards down the fairway, leaving a 40-yard pitch to the green. Par was the result. I also made par on the subsequent par-3, a 150-yard carry all over water. Despite a bad drive on hole #14, I still made par. A 3-iron from 250 yards away, followed by a 40-yard pitch and solid putt did the trick.
The par streak ended at three in a row, but I was still playing solid golf. I made bogeys on holes #15 and #16 with smart, conservative play. On #15, a par-3 measuring 150 yards, my tee shot was flag-high, just right of the green. On #16, I hit a 3-iron off the tee, but missed the sweet spot, losing about 30 yards of distance. I was 160 yards from the green, but blocked out by some tall trees. This green is also surrounded by water, so there's no reason to be a hero. I pitched my second shot through the end of the fairway to some rough, leaving an unobstructed 100-yard shot to the green, which I nailed exactly as planned.
This is when the stupidity began. On hole #17, a lengthy par-4 measuring 440 yards, I hit a small tree 50 yards in front of the tee and off to the left side. It was the type I affectionately refer to as a "Vince" tree. Some of my fellow golf enthusiasts will know what I am talking about. The ball rebounded backward, right into a pond on the right. After a re-tee, I hit my third shot left of the fairway. I topped my fourth shot and that was enough to ruin the hole. I finished it five over par. On hole #18, which is a par-5, I made a mental mistake. I tried to "make up" for the previous hole, which was the wrong thing to do. My drive was another terrible one short and left, leaving a bad lie. After two more shots, I was still 210 yards from the green, which is fronted by a meandering creek. Not content to lay up, I hit a 5-wood and of course ended up in the creek. After taking a drop, I mis-hit a pitch shot and that was all she wrote. I hit another pitch to the green and two-putt for my second 9 in a row.
I shot 32 through the first seven holes of the back nine, which is good. Unfortunately, I added 18 on the last two holes. That is simply unacceptable! I have to stop this Jeckyl and Hyde type play. I feel like I'm doing many things well. I've fixed the hook that was plaguing my irons early in the season and my low irons are especially good. I am hitting nice pitches and chips around the greens and also putting well. I have made some inventive shots when called for and been conservative when dictated by the situation. My driving is all over the map though and that is the big problem. I either stripe a great one straight, or more often pull one terribly, leaving me in a bad position from which it is difficult or impossible to recover.
My handicap factor has climbed all the way to 19.8 after being as low as 15.7 two years ago. I am heading in the wrong direction.
Score: 101
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 5
I didn't make the same mistake on hole #2, that's for sure. A par-4, this hole also features out of bounds along the entire left side. I promptly sliced my drive into the #3 fairway on the right side. I followed up with a pitching wedge over some tall trees to get back to the #2 fairway, about 35 yards in front of the green. After a smart pitch to the front edge of the green, I two-putt for a respectable bogey. There is a pond right of the green on this hole which often comes into play, so I was happy with my result.
I was relatively happy with the rest of the front nine. I made par on hole #4 after wisely electing to hit 4-iron off the tee. A somewhat lengthy putt also helped my cause. I hit a nice punch through the trees on the preceeding hole, as well as a decent bunker shot. I had a nice chip on hole #5 and a nice approach on hole #9. I felt like I was doing quite a few things well. The real problem was still the driver. On hole #6, I pulled my drive left into some long weeds. With no chance to find balls in there, I was forced to re-tee. All of a sudden, I drilled a perfect drive to the fairway, a full 275 yards. What the hell? On hole #8, I plastered another drive straight and deep, this one flying 260 yards to the middle of the fairway. However, on hole #9 I hit a brutal drive once again, pulling it left into some trees. I just had no idea what would show up with each drive.
On the back nine, I started heating up. I hit a perfect 4-iron off the tee on #10 to find the middle of the fairway. My pitch bounced into a mound fronting the green, but still managed to reach the back of the green. With the pin at the extreme front, I unfortunately three-putt for bogey. My 4-iron wasn't so good on the next hole, as I hit a bit of a pull-hook into a hazard. When I finally got to the green, I three-putt again for double bogey. On hole #12, I "murdalized" my tee shot, driving the ball 270 yards down the fairway, leaving a 40-yard pitch to the green. Par was the result. I also made par on the subsequent par-3, a 150-yard carry all over water. Despite a bad drive on hole #14, I still made par. A 3-iron from 250 yards away, followed by a 40-yard pitch and solid putt did the trick.
The par streak ended at three in a row, but I was still playing solid golf. I made bogeys on holes #15 and #16 with smart, conservative play. On #15, a par-3 measuring 150 yards, my tee shot was flag-high, just right of the green. On #16, I hit a 3-iron off the tee, but missed the sweet spot, losing about 30 yards of distance. I was 160 yards from the green, but blocked out by some tall trees. This green is also surrounded by water, so there's no reason to be a hero. I pitched my second shot through the end of the fairway to some rough, leaving an unobstructed 100-yard shot to the green, which I nailed exactly as planned.
This is when the stupidity began. On hole #17, a lengthy par-4 measuring 440 yards, I hit a small tree 50 yards in front of the tee and off to the left side. It was the type I affectionately refer to as a "Vince" tree. Some of my fellow golf enthusiasts will know what I am talking about. The ball rebounded backward, right into a pond on the right. After a re-tee, I hit my third shot left of the fairway. I topped my fourth shot and that was enough to ruin the hole. I finished it five over par. On hole #18, which is a par-5, I made a mental mistake. I tried to "make up" for the previous hole, which was the wrong thing to do. My drive was another terrible one short and left, leaving a bad lie. After two more shots, I was still 210 yards from the green, which is fronted by a meandering creek. Not content to lay up, I hit a 5-wood and of course ended up in the creek. After taking a drop, I mis-hit a pitch shot and that was all she wrote. I hit another pitch to the green and two-putt for my second 9 in a row.
I shot 32 through the first seven holes of the back nine, which is good. Unfortunately, I added 18 on the last two holes. That is simply unacceptable! I have to stop this Jeckyl and Hyde type play. I feel like I'm doing many things well. I've fixed the hook that was plaguing my irons early in the season and my low irons are especially good. I am hitting nice pitches and chips around the greens and also putting well. I have made some inventive shots when called for and been conservative when dictated by the situation. My driving is all over the map though and that is the big problem. I either stripe a great one straight, or more often pull one terribly, leaving me in a bad position from which it is difficult or impossible to recover.
My handicap factor has climbed all the way to 19.8 after being as low as 15.7 two years ago. I am heading in the wrong direction.
Score: 101
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 5
June 20, 2011
Pen Lakes Warmup
Anticipating the next event of the Deepwoods championship, which will be played at Peninsula Lakes Golf Club, I invited a friend to join me in something of a practice round at the Fenwick, Ontario course.
Prior to the round, I had an opportunity to work on some things at the driving range. I began with my irons, working my way from pitching wedge to 3-iron. For most of the season, I have been hooking my irons. This time, I was pleased to see the ball travel consistently in a straight line. I concentrated on ball position relative to my stance. I also focused on club face angle, both at address and at impact. I find opening the face at address by a couple of degrees helps me keep it square at impact. My 4-iron and 3-iron were especially strong. It's funny because low irons were a nemesis of mine years ago. Today, they're my favourite irons to hit.
While my irons were working like a charm on the range, the same could not be said of my driving. I was searching for some consistency and just couldn't find it. For most of the year, I have been pulling my drives low and straight off the tee. On this occasion, I was hitting a lot of high, weak fades. I tried various adjustments, but was frankly at a loss for a solution. I wrapped up the practice session and set out to try my luck on the course.
Opening on the Quarry nine, I began with a trio of bogeys. A lovely approach with the 4-iron saved me on the first hole after I topped my second from a bad lie in the rough. On the third hole, I played a 3-iron off the tee, followed by another to the edge of the green. The long irons were certainly working well for me. The next few holes brought a few double-bogeys, for various reasons. On one hole, I accidentally picked a ball clean out of a greenside bunker. On another, I registered a dreaded 3-putt. On yet another, I topped my second shot from the rough. I finished the front nine with a score of 49, but felt pretty good about my game nevertheless.
Moving to the Orchard nine, my game continued in much the same fashion. Just as on the practice range, I was driving the ball poorly, but making up for it with nice long irons. The best example was hole #4, a par-5 measuring 532 yards. I hooked my drive terribly off the tee. Luckily, I caught the ball on the heel of the club, so it didn't travel far. Next, I hit a beautiful 5-iron out of the rough, sending the ball deep to the right side of the fairway. With 200 yards still remaining to the green, I hit a perfect 3-iron flag high and left of the pin. Par was the final result. The only real blemish on the back nine came on a couple of par-3 holes, where I needlessly found a couple of water hazards.
When it was all said and done, my final score was 96. While not great, that's the best score I've posted this year, so I can't complain. More importantly, it was a great day and I had a good time.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2
Prior to the round, I had an opportunity to work on some things at the driving range. I began with my irons, working my way from pitching wedge to 3-iron. For most of the season, I have been hooking my irons. This time, I was pleased to see the ball travel consistently in a straight line. I concentrated on ball position relative to my stance. I also focused on club face angle, both at address and at impact. I find opening the face at address by a couple of degrees helps me keep it square at impact. My 4-iron and 3-iron were especially strong. It's funny because low irons were a nemesis of mine years ago. Today, they're my favourite irons to hit.
While my irons were working like a charm on the range, the same could not be said of my driving. I was searching for some consistency and just couldn't find it. For most of the year, I have been pulling my drives low and straight off the tee. On this occasion, I was hitting a lot of high, weak fades. I tried various adjustments, but was frankly at a loss for a solution. I wrapped up the practice session and set out to try my luck on the course.
Opening on the Quarry nine, I began with a trio of bogeys. A lovely approach with the 4-iron saved me on the first hole after I topped my second from a bad lie in the rough. On the third hole, I played a 3-iron off the tee, followed by another to the edge of the green. The long irons were certainly working well for me. The next few holes brought a few double-bogeys, for various reasons. On one hole, I accidentally picked a ball clean out of a greenside bunker. On another, I registered a dreaded 3-putt. On yet another, I topped my second shot from the rough. I finished the front nine with a score of 49, but felt pretty good about my game nevertheless.
Moving to the Orchard nine, my game continued in much the same fashion. Just as on the practice range, I was driving the ball poorly, but making up for it with nice long irons. The best example was hole #4, a par-5 measuring 532 yards. I hooked my drive terribly off the tee. Luckily, I caught the ball on the heel of the club, so it didn't travel far. Next, I hit a beautiful 5-iron out of the rough, sending the ball deep to the right side of the fairway. With 200 yards still remaining to the green, I hit a perfect 3-iron flag high and left of the pin. Par was the final result. The only real blemish on the back nine came on a couple of par-3 holes, where I needlessly found a couple of water hazards.
When it was all said and done, my final score was 96. While not great, that's the best score I've posted this year, so I can't complain. More importantly, it was a great day and I had a good time.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2
June 02, 2011
Struggle Continues at Deepwoods Event
The first round of the Deepwoods Golf Association Championship took place at Copetown Woods Golf Club. The course has hosted Round 1 of the Deepwoods Championship for many years. I played well at Copetown in seasons past, setting the stage for a win and two second place finishes over the last four years. This year was different.
I went into the round with very little confidence, owing to the poor showings I've had early this year. I was encouraged when I found myself able to control my drives and iron shots on the practice range. I was still pulling my drives and drawing my irons more than desired, but at least the path of the ball in the air seemed to be predictable.
That all went out the window when I teed off on my first hole of the day, which was #10, a short par-5. I popped my drive straight in the air, maybe 50 yards. Hitting next from the rough, I topped my 5-wood. I followed up with a trio of good shots and a couple of putts, but the damage had been done. Double-bogey was not the start I was looking for.
The rest of the back nine was a struggle all the way through. I especially made a mess of holes #13 and #14, collecting a penalty stroke on the former for a pulled drive into a pond, and another on the latter for a hooked iron into deep fescue that swallowed my ball never to be seen again. Triple-bogey was the result on both holes. The back nine produced a lone par, which came on hole #15, a rather straightforward affair.
The front nine was much better, as I managed a birdie on hole #6, followed by a par on hole #7. I also posted five bogeys on this half of the scorecard. I hit two or three drives that I was happy with, along with some nice approach shots. Nevertheless, I still had two disaster holes, which ruined any chance of offsetting the back nine that began my day.
The only real positive I can take out of this round was the fact that I broke 100. You know things are going badly when breaking 100 is considered encouraging. I have to figure out why I'm pulling all my drives. I also have to find a way to prevent the clubface from shutting on most of my iron shots. At least chipping and putting are OK.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Penalties: 6
I went into the round with very little confidence, owing to the poor showings I've had early this year. I was encouraged when I found myself able to control my drives and iron shots on the practice range. I was still pulling my drives and drawing my irons more than desired, but at least the path of the ball in the air seemed to be predictable.
That all went out the window when I teed off on my first hole of the day, which was #10, a short par-5. I popped my drive straight in the air, maybe 50 yards. Hitting next from the rough, I topped my 5-wood. I followed up with a trio of good shots and a couple of putts, but the damage had been done. Double-bogey was not the start I was looking for.
The rest of the back nine was a struggle all the way through. I especially made a mess of holes #13 and #14, collecting a penalty stroke on the former for a pulled drive into a pond, and another on the latter for a hooked iron into deep fescue that swallowed my ball never to be seen again. Triple-bogey was the result on both holes. The back nine produced a lone par, which came on hole #15, a rather straightforward affair.
The front nine was much better, as I managed a birdie on hole #6, followed by a par on hole #7. I also posted five bogeys on this half of the scorecard. I hit two or three drives that I was happy with, along with some nice approach shots. Nevertheless, I still had two disaster holes, which ruined any chance of offsetting the back nine that began my day.
The only real positive I can take out of this round was the fact that I broke 100. You know things are going badly when breaking 100 is considered encouraging. I have to figure out why I'm pulling all my drives. I also have to find a way to prevent the clubface from shutting on most of my iron shots. At least chipping and putting are OK.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Penalties: 6
May 25, 2011
54-hole Marathon at Westview
Looking forward to the opening round of the 2011 Deepwoods Championship and feeling like I hadn't played enough this year to properly evaluate my game, I decided to try one of these "play all day" deals that a number of golf courses offer. The club I chose was Westview, a 27-hole facility that has been serving Greater Toronto Area patrons for over fifty years.
I've played almost every 18-hole golf course in the GTA, or at least those that are full length (6,000+ yards) and open to the public. For whatever reason however, I had never played Westview. Thus, it was with some anticipation that I ventured to the Aurora area course. Arriving at 7:30 am, I decided I would squeeze 54 holes out of the day, provided I didn't get slowed down by a throng of other patrons.
Homestead / Middle
Playing as a single, I opened with a round on the Homestead and Middle nines, in that order. We've had a lot of rain over the past month, which has left a lot of local courses somewhat soggy. Grass has been growing faster than most homeowners could cut it, so I'm sure golf courses have been struggling with the same issue. The grass cutting crews at Westview were out in full force, but much of my first round was played before they were able to finish the job. As a result, it was very tough going. Playing from the fairways was fine, but hitting anything out of the rough was a monumental task.
I held my own, playing bogey golf for six of the first nine holes. The remaining holes, a couple of which were of the par-5 variety, resulted in triple-bogeys. In each case, my drive found the rough and I struggled to hack the ball out safely. I was forced to use highly lofted clubs, thereby giving up a lot of distance. My drives were generally pulled, while my irons were hooking more than desired. Putting was fine. It was more of the same on the back nine, with a triple-bogey and a couple of doubles ruining an otherwise decent stretch of bogey golf. Putting faltered a bit as I racked up a trio of 3-putts.
Score: 102
Putts: 38
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
Lakeland / Homestead
With 18 holes under my belt, I moved on to the next round over the Lakeland and Homestead nines, in that order. Lakeland is the toughest of the nines at Westview, featuring a pair of par-5 holes that are particularly tricky. Hole #3, which measures 592 yards from the white tees, demands length off the tee and in the setup to the approach. Thick woods swallow up any errant shots. I sliced my tee shot into the woods on the right, forcing a second attempt. After making my way to the 200-yard marker, I foolishly decided to go for the green with a 3-iron. It was foolish because the fairway narrows approaching the green, pinched on the right side by a large pond. Sure enough, my ball found the water and I took my second penalty of the hole, which I finished with a score of 10. Nasty!
My score on the Lakeland nine was a despicable 60, so I needed my second look at the Homestead nine to be good in order to salvage a respectable 18-hole score. Thankfully, I proceeded to play my best nine holes of the day. By this time, the crews had cut most of the grass. The sun also made an appearance, helping to dry out the course substantially. I made one par and one double-bogey while registering bogey on the rest of the holes. I hit four of seven fairways thanks to some much better drives. I stopped analyzing my drives and just hit the ball. I also got my irons to straighten out slightly. Chipping and putting was excellent.
Score: 105
Putts: 31
Fairways: 4
Greens: 1
Penalties: 6
Middle / Lakeland
The last round of the day took place with my second look at the Middle and Lakeland nines, in that order. By this time, my feet were getting pretty sore. I should mention that I walked and carried my bag for all 54 holes. I changed socks and shoes after 27 holes, so at least my sore feet were dry. Anyway, my score on the Middle nine actually got worse the second time around. It was a Jekyll and Hyde period, as I played some really solid holes along with some stinkers. On one hole, I striped my best drive of the day, leaving just 115 yards to the green. Par was the result. On the very next hole, I pulled my drive 30 degrees left of target, smacking a cluster of trees 50 yards from the teeing area. Notably, two stinkers came on holes #8 and #9, as I started to fatigue in earnest.
I won't lie. The last nine holes of the day were a struggle, as I hobbled along on my sore feet. I could tell my swing was also getting sloppy. It didn't help that these were played on the tough Lakeland nine. Even so, I improved my score over Lakeland by four strokes. Two of those strokes were saved on hole #5, the second of the tricky par-5 holes that I mentioned earlier. At just 480 yards from the white tees, the hole is not long. However, it features two carries over water and a dogleg left. I hit a great 3-wood off the tee and survived a bad second shot to reach the green in four. Even with a silly 3-putt, the result was better than the first time around.
Score: 109
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 0
Penalties: 6
Overall, it was an interesting experience. I don't think I'll be playing 54 holes again in a single day any time soon though. If I ever do it again, I'll probably take a cart! I'm not happy with my scores, but I have to take them with a grain of salt. I had never played this course before and the long, wet grass early on was difficult. That's not saying anything about the fact that I played three rounds in a row! A few times when I played through groups I also rushed way too much. You want to maintain your focus, but at the same time, you don't want to hold up people who are generous enough to let you play through.
Ready or not, Deepwoods here I come!
I've played almost every 18-hole golf course in the GTA, or at least those that are full length (6,000+ yards) and open to the public. For whatever reason however, I had never played Westview. Thus, it was with some anticipation that I ventured to the Aurora area course. Arriving at 7:30 am, I decided I would squeeze 54 holes out of the day, provided I didn't get slowed down by a throng of other patrons.
Homestead / Middle
Playing as a single, I opened with a round on the Homestead and Middle nines, in that order. We've had a lot of rain over the past month, which has left a lot of local courses somewhat soggy. Grass has been growing faster than most homeowners could cut it, so I'm sure golf courses have been struggling with the same issue. The grass cutting crews at Westview were out in full force, but much of my first round was played before they were able to finish the job. As a result, it was very tough going. Playing from the fairways was fine, but hitting anything out of the rough was a monumental task.
I held my own, playing bogey golf for six of the first nine holes. The remaining holes, a couple of which were of the par-5 variety, resulted in triple-bogeys. In each case, my drive found the rough and I struggled to hack the ball out safely. I was forced to use highly lofted clubs, thereby giving up a lot of distance. My drives were generally pulled, while my irons were hooking more than desired. Putting was fine. It was more of the same on the back nine, with a triple-bogey and a couple of doubles ruining an otherwise decent stretch of bogey golf. Putting faltered a bit as I racked up a trio of 3-putts.
Score: 102
Putts: 38
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
Lakeland / Homestead
With 18 holes under my belt, I moved on to the next round over the Lakeland and Homestead nines, in that order. Lakeland is the toughest of the nines at Westview, featuring a pair of par-5 holes that are particularly tricky. Hole #3, which measures 592 yards from the white tees, demands length off the tee and in the setup to the approach. Thick woods swallow up any errant shots. I sliced my tee shot into the woods on the right, forcing a second attempt. After making my way to the 200-yard marker, I foolishly decided to go for the green with a 3-iron. It was foolish because the fairway narrows approaching the green, pinched on the right side by a large pond. Sure enough, my ball found the water and I took my second penalty of the hole, which I finished with a score of 10. Nasty!
My score on the Lakeland nine was a despicable 60, so I needed my second look at the Homestead nine to be good in order to salvage a respectable 18-hole score. Thankfully, I proceeded to play my best nine holes of the day. By this time, the crews had cut most of the grass. The sun also made an appearance, helping to dry out the course substantially. I made one par and one double-bogey while registering bogey on the rest of the holes. I hit four of seven fairways thanks to some much better drives. I stopped analyzing my drives and just hit the ball. I also got my irons to straighten out slightly. Chipping and putting was excellent.
Score: 105
Putts: 31
Fairways: 4
Greens: 1
Penalties: 6
Middle / Lakeland
The last round of the day took place with my second look at the Middle and Lakeland nines, in that order. By this time, my feet were getting pretty sore. I should mention that I walked and carried my bag for all 54 holes. I changed socks and shoes after 27 holes, so at least my sore feet were dry. Anyway, my score on the Middle nine actually got worse the second time around. It was a Jekyll and Hyde period, as I played some really solid holes along with some stinkers. On one hole, I striped my best drive of the day, leaving just 115 yards to the green. Par was the result. On the very next hole, I pulled my drive 30 degrees left of target, smacking a cluster of trees 50 yards from the teeing area. Notably, two stinkers came on holes #8 and #9, as I started to fatigue in earnest.
I won't lie. The last nine holes of the day were a struggle, as I hobbled along on my sore feet. I could tell my swing was also getting sloppy. It didn't help that these were played on the tough Lakeland nine. Even so, I improved my score over Lakeland by four strokes. Two of those strokes were saved on hole #5, the second of the tricky par-5 holes that I mentioned earlier. At just 480 yards from the white tees, the hole is not long. However, it features two carries over water and a dogleg left. I hit a great 3-wood off the tee and survived a bad second shot to reach the green in four. Even with a silly 3-putt, the result was better than the first time around.
Score: 109
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 0
Penalties: 6
Overall, it was an interesting experience. I don't think I'll be playing 54 holes again in a single day any time soon though. If I ever do it again, I'll probably take a cart! I'm not happy with my scores, but I have to take them with a grain of salt. I had never played this course before and the long, wet grass early on was difficult. That's not saying anything about the fact that I played three rounds in a row! A few times when I played through groups I also rushed way too much. You want to maintain your focus, but at the same time, you don't want to hold up people who are generous enough to let you play through.
Ready or not, Deepwoods here I come!
May 21, 2011
Turnberry Debut
With rain in the forecast for the upcoming week, I decided to get out for a round of golf while I still could. Looking for something close to home, I opted for Turnberry Golf Club, located in Brampton, Ontario. Featuring 16 par-3 holes, bookended by a pair of par-4's, Turnberry is not your average golf course. What the design lacks in length, it makes up for in beauty and layout. Massive dunes define each hole, providing the sense of isolation one feels on a much larger property. Elevation changes add interest and challenge, as do a couple of ponds and a meandering stream. Most importantly, holes are of varying lengths, giving golfers a chance to use nearly every club in the bag. In terms of feel, Turnberry is every bit the equal of its famous sister course, Eagle's Nest.
This was my first ever visit to Turnberry and the timing couldn't have been better. I had been struggling with par-3 holes, so what better way to fix that than to play 16 of them in a row? I got off to a poor start on the opening par-4 as a result of a very poor drive. I caught the ball low on the club face, sending it to a steep, fescue-covered embankment opposite a stream. It took a couple hacks to get out, leading to a quadruple-bogey. Certainly, this wasn't the start I had envisioned. On hole #2, my tee shot hooked slightly, finding the stream left of the green. After a penalty stroke, I landed on the green, but proceeded to 3-putt my way to a triple-bogey. Another terrible result, but at least I was moving in the right direction!
At this point I began to settle down. My first par of the day came on hole #4, a short one at 120 yards. My tee shot was pin high, about ten feet left of the hole. The approach even garnered a compliment from a couple of groundskeepers who were working in the area. The birdie attempt slid just past the hole, but a tap-in for par is always good. While I settled down, I still wasn't hitting a lot of greens. Almost all of my tee shots were hooking more than I wanted them to. I don't mind a nice little draw, but when a draw becomes a hook, you've got a problem. So I basically spent the day trying to correct the hook. With each hole, I got a little straighter. I played the ball a little further back in my stance with more of a forward press. I also thought of "finishing down the line," which keeps me from shutting the club face too much. These things all seemed to help.
Overall, it was an enjoyable and productive round. Once again, my score left a lot to be desired, but I wasn't very disappointed since I felt like I made some useful discoveries. As far as the course goes, I'll definitely be back.
Score: 83 (par 56)
Putts: 37
Fairways: 1 (of 2)
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
This was my first ever visit to Turnberry and the timing couldn't have been better. I had been struggling with par-3 holes, so what better way to fix that than to play 16 of them in a row? I got off to a poor start on the opening par-4 as a result of a very poor drive. I caught the ball low on the club face, sending it to a steep, fescue-covered embankment opposite a stream. It took a couple hacks to get out, leading to a quadruple-bogey. Certainly, this wasn't the start I had envisioned. On hole #2, my tee shot hooked slightly, finding the stream left of the green. After a penalty stroke, I landed on the green, but proceeded to 3-putt my way to a triple-bogey. Another terrible result, but at least I was moving in the right direction!
At this point I began to settle down. My first par of the day came on hole #4, a short one at 120 yards. My tee shot was pin high, about ten feet left of the hole. The approach even garnered a compliment from a couple of groundskeepers who were working in the area. The birdie attempt slid just past the hole, but a tap-in for par is always good. While I settled down, I still wasn't hitting a lot of greens. Almost all of my tee shots were hooking more than I wanted them to. I don't mind a nice little draw, but when a draw becomes a hook, you've got a problem. So I basically spent the day trying to correct the hook. With each hole, I got a little straighter. I played the ball a little further back in my stance with more of a forward press. I also thought of "finishing down the line," which keeps me from shutting the club face too much. These things all seemed to help.
Overall, it was an enjoyable and productive round. Once again, my score left a lot to be desired, but I wasn't very disappointed since I felt like I made some useful discoveries. As far as the course goes, I'll definitely be back.
Score: 83 (par 56)
Putts: 37
Fairways: 1 (of 2)
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
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