My last two rounds of golf were quite satisfactory, so with the weather getting too cold to play, I was content to let the season end on something of a high note. However, an uncharacteristically warm day proved to be too tempting. I snagged a perfect tee time at King's Forest – a course I've come to like quite a bit over the past couple of years.
For the first seven holes, it looked like a smart decision. I collected two pars and five bogeys primarily by staying out of trouble. I hit a good drive on hole #1 and a rocket on hole #2, leaving just 100 yards to the flag from the middle of the fairway. A 3-iron off the tee on the short hole #3 was hit off centre, but I was still in the middle of the fairway, 160 yards from the flag. The driver served me well on hole #4, a par-5, while the 3-iron came around with a pretty good tee shot on hole #5, a long par-3.
I played safely, not only from the tee, but also on approach shots. I took a cluster of trees fronting the right side of the first green out of play by laying up to the left, 30 yards short. I avoided woods that pinch the left side of the sixth fairway by taking quite a bit off my swing and aiming right. When I needed a chip shot, I focused simply on making the greens. This avoided any duffs or sculled shots. My putting was solid, as I 2-putt all holes, except for one that required three strokes from distance after hitting the green in regulation.
The turning point came on the tee of hole #8. This is not a difficult hole, a straightaway par-4 measuring just 358 yards. I opted for driver and topped the ball badly, dribbling into the bush just below the slightly elevated tee. I was forced to take a penalty and hit my third off the tee once again. I smacked a beautiful drive to the centre of the fairway, leaving 100 yards to the flag. I was proud of myself for following up a terrible shot with a great one. The feeling didn't last long, however, as I completely duffed my next two shots. With my sixth shot, I finally reached the green, then 2-putt for a momentum shattering score of eight.
Though I felt like I put the hole behind me immediately, I hit a badly pulled drive off the very next tee. A sideways chip to the fairway was followed by a weak approach that came up short. After a medium length pitch shot, I 3-putt for a triple-bogey. Through seven holes, my score was a very nice 33. After just two more holes, I was at 48. Ugh!
Still, I was comfortably on pace to break 100, so I pressed on. I made bogey on hole #10 before entering the hardest stretch of the course. Holes #11 through #13 didn't destroy me completely (that would happen on the very tame hole #14), but they definitely put a chink in my armour. On #11, I flared my first tee shot right, but less so than one of my playing partners. The area was full of leaves and while I managed to find my partner's ball, I did not find my own. Typical. I was forced to continue with the provisional I had played earlier, and finished the hole with a triple-bogey as a result.
I mis-hit a 3-iron off the tee on hole #12, but it put me in a position to hit a 9-iron, gap wedge to about a yard or two off the back left of the green. A chip and 2-putt produced a double-bogey. A perfect 4-iron off the tee on hole #13 was followed by an 8-iron to a greenside bunker. I hit the sand shot way too thin and sailed 30 yards past the green into the weeds. Next, I hit an amazing shot to make the green. I 2-putt for another double-bogey.
I was hanging in there, but the next hole was my undoing. A poor pitching wedge shot on this short par-3 left me between two large tree trunks left of the green. Going straight at the flag meant flying over a bunker, and I had no backswing on that line. I made a good decision to aim away from the flag, avoiding the bunker altogether, just looking for a piece of the green. Unfortunately, I mis-hit the ball completely and it ended up – you guessed it – in the bunker. Sheesh! The worst part was that this bunker looked like it had been hit by mortar fire. There were massive footprints all over that had not been raked. Of course, my ball was right in one. I took three shots to get out of that bunker and two of them were from giant holes. For patrons to leave the bunker in that condition is absolutely inconsiderate and unacceptable. I ended up with a quadruple-bogey and was psychologically done for the day.
I closed out the round with four consecutive double-bogeys, as I was no longer focused and knew that breaking 100 was unlikely. It's a shame because the round began with such promise. So, instead of ending the season feeling good about a couple of rounds, I ended it with another disappointment. Sigh.
Score: 104
Putts: 38
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
November 13, 2012
October 26, 2012
Tangling with Tangle Creek
Wow, my last post was long. What a bore! I'll keep it shorter this time.
The long term weather forecast was bleak, calling for steady rain and cold temperatures. There was one exception, a sunny and remarkably warm Thursday, so I had to take advantage of it. I found a good deal at Tangle Creek Golf Club, so I headed out for what might be my last round of the season.
I began with a great drive to the right fairway of hole #1, followed by a pitching wedge to the centre of the fairway. My lob wedge into the par-5 green drifted right of target, into a bunker. After a good out, I 2-putt for a solid bogey. Given the trouble I've had with bunker shots this season, I felt good.
I pushed an approach shot on hole #2 out of bounds, leading to a triple-bogey, but then settled into a nice groove. I hit the next two greens in regulation, 3-putting the first for a bogey, while navigating the second for par. The first putt on each hole was from distance, so the overall result was good.
Two more pars ensued on the front nine, one coming thanks to a terrific approach shot, followed by a chip and a putt, the other coming in standard fashion on a medium length par-3. A couple of bogeys also made their way to my scorecard. At the turn, I was shooting a solid 45.
I made a mess of hole #10, carding a triple-bogey after playing through the group ahead. There is always a tendency to rush in that situation. On hole #11, a par-4 playing 410 yards, I got my revenge with a sweet 320-yard drive. Sure, there was a helping wind, but I hit that shot so pure it was a thing of beauty! From 90 yards out, I hit a lob wedge close, but burned the edge of the cup on the birdie attempt. Still, par was a good result.
I made a bad decision on hole #13, opting to go for the green with my third shot on this par-5. I was 175 yards out, but there is a hazard crossing right in front of the green, with a steep slope on the opposite side. I thought seriously about laying up to 100 yards or so, but didn't do it. This set off a sequence of events that lead to a quadruple-bogey. I also made a bad decision on the tee of hole #14, hitting driver into a pond on this short par-4. Chalk that one up to lack of familiarity with the course. The good news is I hit a perfect 6-iron after taking a drop and salvaged bogey.
I held it together for the rest of the round, recovering from some bad shots with some very good ones. I hit some pure irons, nice chips and another good bunker shot. The latter came from a very difficult stance, with one foot inside the bunker and the other outside. While the back nine was not nearly as good as the front nine, I managed things well enough to finish with a satisfying score of 95.
This year, I'll take that!
Score: 95
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 6
The long term weather forecast was bleak, calling for steady rain and cold temperatures. There was one exception, a sunny and remarkably warm Thursday, so I had to take advantage of it. I found a good deal at Tangle Creek Golf Club, so I headed out for what might be my last round of the season.
I began with a great drive to the right fairway of hole #1, followed by a pitching wedge to the centre of the fairway. My lob wedge into the par-5 green drifted right of target, into a bunker. After a good out, I 2-putt for a solid bogey. Given the trouble I've had with bunker shots this season, I felt good.
I pushed an approach shot on hole #2 out of bounds, leading to a triple-bogey, but then settled into a nice groove. I hit the next two greens in regulation, 3-putting the first for a bogey, while navigating the second for par. The first putt on each hole was from distance, so the overall result was good.
Two more pars ensued on the front nine, one coming thanks to a terrific approach shot, followed by a chip and a putt, the other coming in standard fashion on a medium length par-3. A couple of bogeys also made their way to my scorecard. At the turn, I was shooting a solid 45.
I made a mess of hole #10, carding a triple-bogey after playing through the group ahead. There is always a tendency to rush in that situation. On hole #11, a par-4 playing 410 yards, I got my revenge with a sweet 320-yard drive. Sure, there was a helping wind, but I hit that shot so pure it was a thing of beauty! From 90 yards out, I hit a lob wedge close, but burned the edge of the cup on the birdie attempt. Still, par was a good result.
I made a bad decision on hole #13, opting to go for the green with my third shot on this par-5. I was 175 yards out, but there is a hazard crossing right in front of the green, with a steep slope on the opposite side. I thought seriously about laying up to 100 yards or so, but didn't do it. This set off a sequence of events that lead to a quadruple-bogey. I also made a bad decision on the tee of hole #14, hitting driver into a pond on this short par-4. Chalk that one up to lack of familiarity with the course. The good news is I hit a perfect 6-iron after taking a drop and salvaged bogey.
I held it together for the rest of the round, recovering from some bad shots with some very good ones. I hit some pure irons, nice chips and another good bunker shot. The latter came from a very difficult stance, with one foot inside the bunker and the other outside. While the back nine was not nearly as good as the front nine, I managed things well enough to finish with a satisfying score of 95.
This year, I'll take that!
Score: 95
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 6
October 25, 2012
Lessons of Lowville
Perched on the Niagara Escarpment, Lowville Golf Club offers a nice view of the surrounding countryside, particularly in autumn, when the trees transform into a pretty collection of reds, oranges and yellows. I paid a return visit to the club, hoping not only for pleasant scenery, but also for a solid performance.
Prior to the round, I had been reading various golf articles on the Internet. Specifically, I was looking for advice on preventing blowup holes, like the one that ruined an otherwise decent round recently at Twenty Valley. Most of the articles stressed the importance of game management, or more precisely, the need to play within one's skill level. I've heard this message before and wholeheartedly agree, but nevertheless, I continue to experience blowup holes all too regularly.
One particular article repeated the message, but did so in a way that really struck a chord. The author of the article advised taking a particular shot only if you could convert that shot at least 60 percent of the time. So, for instance, if your approach to the green is impeded by a tree, one option is to play a draw or cut around the offending obstacle. That's fine, so long as you can execute that option successfully at least six times out of ten. If you can't do that, a better option is to chip the ball to an open area and then attack the green on your next shot.
Many times, we attempt the more difficult option because we've “done it before.” Sure, but what is the probability of doing it again? That's what really matters. I would venture to say that it is often much less that 60 percent. Incidentally, the actual percentage isn't that critical. One could argue that one should have 75 percent confidence, or even more. The point is that the odds should be in your favour, otherwise it's a bad decision.
Determined to put this into practice, I teed off on Lowville's opening par-5. Right of the green after three, I made a decent chip and 2-putt for bogey. After missing the fairway right on hole #2, I punched a low one under some tree branches to the front of the green. A great chip and putt earned par. Poor iron play gave me a scare on the par-3 third hole, but I drained a long putt to salvage bogey.
On hole #4, I put into practice another method for avoiding blowup holes: I avoided out of bounds at all cost. OB lines the entire left side of this straightaway par-5. I favoured the right side with my driver, hitting a tree and ricocheting to the right rough. It was not a great shot, but it was better than being OB. In lush rough, I opted for a 7-iron. Adding extra loft was the right call, as I hit a beauty to the centre of the fairway, just 115 yards from the flag. My gap wedge came up short and the ensuing chip was a little too hot, leaving a longer putt than desired. Sure enough, I 3-putt for a double bogey. That can be considered a blowup, but I didn't mind, because I felt like I had made some good decisions.
Hole #5, a par-3, played out in similar fashion, albeit with a better result. Once again, OB lines the entire left side of this hole. I hit a 6-iron well right of the green and quite short, as I contacted the ball off centre. It was not a good shot, but completely safe. I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey. The lesson here is that a mediocre shot to a safe location is better than a pretty good shot to a risky location.
Holes #6 through #9 produced four consecutive pars. Yes, you heard correctly. An up and down from a fescue-covered mound right of the sixth green got things rolling. On hole #7, an uphill par-5, I took aim at the extreme left side of the fairway. Once again, OB lurked along the entire right side. The last time I played Lowville, I put two consecutive balls off the tee out of bounds on this hole. There went four strokes, just like that. There was none of that this time. I caught the left centre of the fairway, then hit a 4-iron straight, leaving a 50-yard pitch to the green. Two putts finished the hole.
Hole #8 is a par-3 measuring just 121 yards, but don't let that fool you. Anything hit long drops off a severely sloped hill, covered in fescue. Anything short has a good chance of finding a large bunker. The green is on the small side and angled in a way that makes play around it very delicate. I hit a perfect sand wedge to the back of the green and had a good look at birdie. I rolled an inch right of the hole, leaving a tap-in to finish. Hole #9 is a par-4 that I played in textbook style: hit the fairway, hit the green, and 2-putt.
At the turn, I was shooting 41 and feeling great. However, things began to unravel slowly. I slid my lob wedge right under an approach shot on hole #10, leading to double-bogey. Solid bogeys came next on holes #11 and #12. On hole #13, a par-3 with OB along the right side, I once again played to the safe side. I missed the green left, but had plenty of green to work with and a good lie. Just as I took my chip, something made noise in the nearby woods. Bad luck, as I sculled the shot. From the opposite fringe, I 3-putt for double-bogey.
The green on hole #14 was under construction and replaced with a temporary green, just 100 yards from the teeing ground. It was pretty lame, but what can you do. I registered a boring bogey. On hole #15, a par-3 with OB left, I bailed out to the right. Can you see the pattern here? This time, I messed up a chip attempt, so I had to settle for double-bogey.
Hole #16 was more disappointing, as I registered a triple-bogey. I hit a perfect drive, leaving 175 yards to this long, uphill par-4. My next shot was the worst of the day. I topped a 5-iron, which sent the ball dribbling to the right, down a steep hillside. With a terrible stance, I pulled one long and left of the green, into a lateral hazard. It was my first penalty of the day and it rattled me.
I sliced a drive on the next hole, but recovered well for bogey. On the tee of hole #18, all I needed was a bogey to shoot 89. Unfortunately, this hole provided no opportunity to do what I had been doing all day – avoiding OB and hazards at all cost. That's because golfers must carry their tee shots over a marshy area that is about 180 yards long, and more than that the further left you go. There is no safe bailout area. I hit two drives very low off the club face, failing to clear the marsh each time. Just like that, I wasted four strokes. I finished the hole with a score of 10 and the round with a score of 94.
I could have broken 90, but in the grand scheme of things, this was still one of my better rounds of this difficult year.
Score: 94
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
Prior to the round, I had been reading various golf articles on the Internet. Specifically, I was looking for advice on preventing blowup holes, like the one that ruined an otherwise decent round recently at Twenty Valley. Most of the articles stressed the importance of game management, or more precisely, the need to play within one's skill level. I've heard this message before and wholeheartedly agree, but nevertheless, I continue to experience blowup holes all too regularly.
One particular article repeated the message, but did so in a way that really struck a chord. The author of the article advised taking a particular shot only if you could convert that shot at least 60 percent of the time. So, for instance, if your approach to the green is impeded by a tree, one option is to play a draw or cut around the offending obstacle. That's fine, so long as you can execute that option successfully at least six times out of ten. If you can't do that, a better option is to chip the ball to an open area and then attack the green on your next shot.
Many times, we attempt the more difficult option because we've “done it before.” Sure, but what is the probability of doing it again? That's what really matters. I would venture to say that it is often much less that 60 percent. Incidentally, the actual percentage isn't that critical. One could argue that one should have 75 percent confidence, or even more. The point is that the odds should be in your favour, otherwise it's a bad decision.
Determined to put this into practice, I teed off on Lowville's opening par-5. Right of the green after three, I made a decent chip and 2-putt for bogey. After missing the fairway right on hole #2, I punched a low one under some tree branches to the front of the green. A great chip and putt earned par. Poor iron play gave me a scare on the par-3 third hole, but I drained a long putt to salvage bogey.
On hole #4, I put into practice another method for avoiding blowup holes: I avoided out of bounds at all cost. OB lines the entire left side of this straightaway par-5. I favoured the right side with my driver, hitting a tree and ricocheting to the right rough. It was not a great shot, but it was better than being OB. In lush rough, I opted for a 7-iron. Adding extra loft was the right call, as I hit a beauty to the centre of the fairway, just 115 yards from the flag. My gap wedge came up short and the ensuing chip was a little too hot, leaving a longer putt than desired. Sure enough, I 3-putt for a double bogey. That can be considered a blowup, but I didn't mind, because I felt like I had made some good decisions.
Hole #5, a par-3, played out in similar fashion, albeit with a better result. Once again, OB lines the entire left side of this hole. I hit a 6-iron well right of the green and quite short, as I contacted the ball off centre. It was not a good shot, but completely safe. I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey. The lesson here is that a mediocre shot to a safe location is better than a pretty good shot to a risky location.
Holes #6 through #9 produced four consecutive pars. Yes, you heard correctly. An up and down from a fescue-covered mound right of the sixth green got things rolling. On hole #7, an uphill par-5, I took aim at the extreme left side of the fairway. Once again, OB lurked along the entire right side. The last time I played Lowville, I put two consecutive balls off the tee out of bounds on this hole. There went four strokes, just like that. There was none of that this time. I caught the left centre of the fairway, then hit a 4-iron straight, leaving a 50-yard pitch to the green. Two putts finished the hole.
Hole #8 is a par-3 measuring just 121 yards, but don't let that fool you. Anything hit long drops off a severely sloped hill, covered in fescue. Anything short has a good chance of finding a large bunker. The green is on the small side and angled in a way that makes play around it very delicate. I hit a perfect sand wedge to the back of the green and had a good look at birdie. I rolled an inch right of the hole, leaving a tap-in to finish. Hole #9 is a par-4 that I played in textbook style: hit the fairway, hit the green, and 2-putt.
At the turn, I was shooting 41 and feeling great. However, things began to unravel slowly. I slid my lob wedge right under an approach shot on hole #10, leading to double-bogey. Solid bogeys came next on holes #11 and #12. On hole #13, a par-3 with OB along the right side, I once again played to the safe side. I missed the green left, but had plenty of green to work with and a good lie. Just as I took my chip, something made noise in the nearby woods. Bad luck, as I sculled the shot. From the opposite fringe, I 3-putt for double-bogey.
The green on hole #14 was under construction and replaced with a temporary green, just 100 yards from the teeing ground. It was pretty lame, but what can you do. I registered a boring bogey. On hole #15, a par-3 with OB left, I bailed out to the right. Can you see the pattern here? This time, I messed up a chip attempt, so I had to settle for double-bogey.
Hole #16 was more disappointing, as I registered a triple-bogey. I hit a perfect drive, leaving 175 yards to this long, uphill par-4. My next shot was the worst of the day. I topped a 5-iron, which sent the ball dribbling to the right, down a steep hillside. With a terrible stance, I pulled one long and left of the green, into a lateral hazard. It was my first penalty of the day and it rattled me.
I sliced a drive on the next hole, but recovered well for bogey. On the tee of hole #18, all I needed was a bogey to shoot 89. Unfortunately, this hole provided no opportunity to do what I had been doing all day – avoiding OB and hazards at all cost. That's because golfers must carry their tee shots over a marshy area that is about 180 yards long, and more than that the further left you go. There is no safe bailout area. I hit two drives very low off the club face, failing to clear the marsh each time. Just like that, I wasted four strokes. I finished the hole with a score of 10 and the round with a score of 94.
I could have broken 90, but in the grand scheme of things, this was still one of my better rounds of this difficult year.
Score: 94
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
October 08, 2012
Catastrophic Finish at Twenty Valley
The cold weather is here. I'm writing this one week after my latest round of golf, which was played at Twenty Valley Golf Club in Vineland, Ontario. I wore shorts that day, as the temperature climbed into the low twenties. Now, I fear that may have been my last round of the season. Two days ago, the high was less than 10 degrees Celsius. The forecast for the upcoming week indicates temperatures in the very low teens. I was hoping for a couple more rounds of golf this year; if that's going to happen, I'll need to take advantage of any break in the cold snap.
I played the entire round at Twenty Valley on my own. There was a twosome in front and a twosome behind, but nobody asked to join up and I would just as well play by myself. The round slowed down on the back nine, thanks to a foursome two groups ahead of me. Nevertheless, I finished the round in about three and a half hours. With respect to the course and conditions, it was a pleasant outing.
I started things off on the opening par-5 with a controlled 3-iron, my ball stopping about a yard into the right rough. From there, I hit a pure 8-iron to the centre of the fairway, leaving 130 yards to the green. Once again, I focused on keeping a short backswing, allowing some wrist cock and the unwinding of the club to do the work. I felt confident and my first two swings helped the cause.
Flag-high and just off the green after three, I needed a chip and a putt for par. It shouldn't have been a problem from my position, but I duffed the chip. The ball hit the top of a ridge and rolled away from the hole. I was on the green, but further from the hole than I was before the chip shot. Of course, I then made a 3-putt for double bogey.
The opening hole exemplified most of my round. I drove the ball safely and hit good iron shots, but my chipping was as bad as it's ever been and my putting was suspect. I made par on hole #2, but a 4-putt on hole #3 lead to a triple-bogey. A missed approach from 75 yards, followed by a bad chip, turned a certain par on hole #4 into a double-bogey. A green in regulation on hole #5 was followed by a 3-putt.
The worst of it came on hole #6, a short par-4 featuring a fairway that drops dramatically from an elevated tee, before climbing up steeply to the green. I got away with a bad drive, clipping a tree left of the landing zone. I had an open shot from 115 yards out, but sculled the ball into the hill. Luckily, it came to rest just five yards left of the green. I would have been happy with a chip and two putts, but my first attempt landed on a downslope and rolled across the entire green. My second attempt was once again sculled across the entire green to the fringe. I topped things off with a 3-putt for my second triple-bogey of the day.
With one third of the round, or six holes played, I had already amassed 36 strokes. Sixteen of those were putts! I was striking the ball well, but my short game was non-existent. It was surprising that I managed to break 50 through nine holes, making the turn with a score of 49. I did it with a par on hole #9, a pretty par-3 with an elevated tee and a forced carry over a creek. Breaking the earlier trend, I made a fabulous up and down a good distance away from the green.
On the back nine, my putting got a little better, as did my chipping. Still, I was collecting bogeys and double-bogeys. My driving was good, with the exception of a pulled ball out of bounds on hole #11. My irons were also good, but I could have used more precision on approach shots. My best shot was a 3-iron off the tee on hole #16, a par-3 measuring 200 yards. The flag was at the back of the green, adding about 10 yards to the total distance. I struck a beauty, as the ball hit the front of the green and released to the back fringe. After a good lag, I tapped in for par.
Even with some difficulties, I had a good chance to break 100. I didn't know it at the time, but all I needed was a double bogey on the final hole, a very nice par-5. Unfortunately, I blew up on the hole for a score of 12. It all started with a low drive off the heel of the club that travelled a mere 100 yards. The worst part was that my ball was in the rough and on a severe slope, leaving me with an extreme side hill lie and the ball well above my feet. I had to choke up on my club so much that my hands were off the grip. My first attempt was a shank that sent the ball 80 degrees off line and out of bounds on the other side of the fairway. Penalty stroke, new ball, and try again. The next attempt was on the proper line, but had no distance whatsoever. I advanced the ball 100 yards and faced the same situation. With my next shot, the result was the same. I managed to reach a flat zone of the fairway, but just barely. I had collected five strokes and was still 180 yards from the green. Worse yet, a creek crosses just in front of the green, with a steep rise on the other side. The probability of going in the hazard was high, but I had to go for it in order to break 100. Of course, I went straight into it and that was the end of that. After another penalty stroke, a thinly hit approach, two bad chips and a couple of putts, 12 was the result. So be it.
Too bad, because I hit the ball well for the most part. Short game was the killer.
Score: 104
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
I played the entire round at Twenty Valley on my own. There was a twosome in front and a twosome behind, but nobody asked to join up and I would just as well play by myself. The round slowed down on the back nine, thanks to a foursome two groups ahead of me. Nevertheless, I finished the round in about three and a half hours. With respect to the course and conditions, it was a pleasant outing.
I started things off on the opening par-5 with a controlled 3-iron, my ball stopping about a yard into the right rough. From there, I hit a pure 8-iron to the centre of the fairway, leaving 130 yards to the green. Once again, I focused on keeping a short backswing, allowing some wrist cock and the unwinding of the club to do the work. I felt confident and my first two swings helped the cause.
Flag-high and just off the green after three, I needed a chip and a putt for par. It shouldn't have been a problem from my position, but I duffed the chip. The ball hit the top of a ridge and rolled away from the hole. I was on the green, but further from the hole than I was before the chip shot. Of course, I then made a 3-putt for double bogey.
The opening hole exemplified most of my round. I drove the ball safely and hit good iron shots, but my chipping was as bad as it's ever been and my putting was suspect. I made par on hole #2, but a 4-putt on hole #3 lead to a triple-bogey. A missed approach from 75 yards, followed by a bad chip, turned a certain par on hole #4 into a double-bogey. A green in regulation on hole #5 was followed by a 3-putt.
The worst of it came on hole #6, a short par-4 featuring a fairway that drops dramatically from an elevated tee, before climbing up steeply to the green. I got away with a bad drive, clipping a tree left of the landing zone. I had an open shot from 115 yards out, but sculled the ball into the hill. Luckily, it came to rest just five yards left of the green. I would have been happy with a chip and two putts, but my first attempt landed on a downslope and rolled across the entire green. My second attempt was once again sculled across the entire green to the fringe. I topped things off with a 3-putt for my second triple-bogey of the day.
With one third of the round, or six holes played, I had already amassed 36 strokes. Sixteen of those were putts! I was striking the ball well, but my short game was non-existent. It was surprising that I managed to break 50 through nine holes, making the turn with a score of 49. I did it with a par on hole #9, a pretty par-3 with an elevated tee and a forced carry over a creek. Breaking the earlier trend, I made a fabulous up and down a good distance away from the green.
On the back nine, my putting got a little better, as did my chipping. Still, I was collecting bogeys and double-bogeys. My driving was good, with the exception of a pulled ball out of bounds on hole #11. My irons were also good, but I could have used more precision on approach shots. My best shot was a 3-iron off the tee on hole #16, a par-3 measuring 200 yards. The flag was at the back of the green, adding about 10 yards to the total distance. I struck a beauty, as the ball hit the front of the green and released to the back fringe. After a good lag, I tapped in for par.
Even with some difficulties, I had a good chance to break 100. I didn't know it at the time, but all I needed was a double bogey on the final hole, a very nice par-5. Unfortunately, I blew up on the hole for a score of 12. It all started with a low drive off the heel of the club that travelled a mere 100 yards. The worst part was that my ball was in the rough and on a severe slope, leaving me with an extreme side hill lie and the ball well above my feet. I had to choke up on my club so much that my hands were off the grip. My first attempt was a shank that sent the ball 80 degrees off line and out of bounds on the other side of the fairway. Penalty stroke, new ball, and try again. The next attempt was on the proper line, but had no distance whatsoever. I advanced the ball 100 yards and faced the same situation. With my next shot, the result was the same. I managed to reach a flat zone of the fairway, but just barely. I had collected five strokes and was still 180 yards from the green. Worse yet, a creek crosses just in front of the green, with a steep rise on the other side. The probability of going in the hazard was high, but I had to go for it in order to break 100. Of course, I went straight into it and that was the end of that. After another penalty stroke, a thinly hit approach, two bad chips and a couple of putts, 12 was the result. So be it.
Too bad, because I hit the ball well for the most part. Short game was the killer.
Score: 104
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
October 05, 2012
Slow Start Ruins Tarandowah Debut
Over its brief history, Tarandowah Golfers Club has managed to collect some interesting accolades. In 2008, it was nominated for Best New Course in Canada by ScoreGolf Magazine. In 2010, the publication heaped further praise on Tarandowah, including the London area course in its list of the Top 100 Golf Courses in Canada.
Intrigued by that kind of endorsement, I have been interested in playing the course for some time. The only thing holding me back was travelling the 170 km required to get there from downtown Toronto. I am willing to travel further than most for some good golf, but this was pushing the limit. Since my game went into a downward spiral this year, I decided I might as well suck it up and venture a little further. If my game wasn't going to improve, at least I would get to experience a new course.
The weather forecast was good and indeed I saw lots of sunshine while driving to and from the course. Then again, when you're in the car that long, I suppose you're bound to see periods of sunshine. While actually on the course, there seemed to be quite a bit of cloud cover, which put a bit of a damper on things. As one would expect on a faux links course, there was a significant amount of wind, but nothing ridiculous.
Overall, I have to say the course let me down a little bit. That may not be fair to the course designers or operators; perhaps my expectations were simply too high. The terrain is relatively flat, with little in the way of topographical interest. Swaths of fescue and little else separate many of the holes. Contrast this with a course like Eagle's Nest, which uses dramatic dunes as well as fescue to define many of its fairways. In terms of visual appeal, Tarandowah was just average. A course like Piper's Heath, also a faux links style, has much greater aesthetics. On a positive note, Tarandowah offers better value than either of those other courses, which in my opinion are ridiculously priced.
My game got off to a terrible start. My tee shot on hole #1 found a fairway bunker alongside hole #2. I struggled to get out, then messed up a pitch shot from 20 yards in front of the green. After a 3-putt, I chalked up a quadruple bogey. It wasn't much better on hole #2, where I registered a triple-bogey. My tee shot found the same bunker I was in earlier and I was forced to play it like a greenside bunker just to clear the high lip. Worse yet, I duffed a chip attempt near the green into another bunker.
I registered two more triples over the rest of the round, but added fourteen fairly well played holes. Most of these produced bogeys, while a couple of double-bogeys were offset by an equal number of pars. I drove the ball reasonably well and hit a lot of good iron shots. In both cases, I focused on keeping a short backswing. This helps me maintain a proper swing plane, which increases accuracy with no real loss of distance.
The bad start is what killed my score; otherwise, I was pretty pleased with my round. On a couple of occasions when mistakes happened, I compounded matters by following up with another mis-hit. On one hole, this came at the hand of some attempted strokes with the 5-wood. The fairway woods continue to be a problem. Over the front nine, the greens also had me fooled. The putting surfaces were faster than they appeared and I only got the speed correct on the back nine.
Score: 98
Putts: 36
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
September 23, 2012
Like Old Times at Kedron Dells
Kedron Dells is a course that punished me many times in my early days as a golfer. Back then, I played a big slice with my driver, which meant I gave away a lot of distance. My low irons were also weak, so I was at a huge disadvantage on long holes, of which there are plenty at Kedron. By 2009, my game was much stronger, and I finally managed a decent round at the Oshawa area course. Perhaps because I was satisfied with that personal victory, I hadn't returned to Kedron Dells...until now.
Teeing off in the mid afternoon, I began hole #1 with a strong drive to the right side of the fairway, followed by a low stinger to just past the 200 yard marker. From 190 yards out, I failed to recognize how much the ball was above my feet and hit my next shot fat. My next approach attempt from 150 yards was short and left of the green. A pitch shot over a bunker got me safely on the green, but I then 3-putt for a disappointing triple-bogey. I made some god shots along the way, but the result was terrible nevertheless.
The result was also terrible on the next three holes. A duffed 3-iron off the tee started things poorly on hole #2, while another 3-putt ruined hole #3. It didn't matter that some good shots were sprinkled along the way. I collected a quadruple and triple-bogey for my efforts. Hole #4 was playing impossibly long. At 444 yards, this par-4 is lengthy to begin with. A stiff wind made it play even longer. A sculled chip contributed to another triple-bogey.
It wasn't until hole #5, a 195-yard par-3, that I got a decent result. I hit a pure 3-iron just left of the green. My chip rolled well past the hole, so I followed up with a 2-putt for bogey. I also bogeyed hole #6, a par-5, after a nice up and down from 140 yards.
On hole #7, a par-4 measuring 340 yards, I exploded for a score of 13. I didn't even play out the hole properly, as I was holding up a pair of golfers playing behind my group. I pulled a 5-wood off the tee into some trees, then duck-hooked a wild one in the same direction when I re-teed. Every once in a while, I try a fairway wood to see if I can regain some control with them, only to be woefully disappointed.
I finished the front nine with a score of 63. What could I say? I was absolutely toasted over the first four holes. The debacle on hole #7 was just an extra burn to make sure I was done for the day.
I shot a better score of 50 on the back nine, which would have been better if not for a quadruple-bogey on hole #17, the course's signature par-5. Over the back nine, my irons were actually very good, much like they were at Willow Valley. The short backswing and a bit of wrist cock let the club do the work, producing straight shots that felt very nice. My short game was also good, as I collected only 14 putts. Still, I had some bad misses every now and then, which nullified all the good shots.
My golf game is in bad shape. There's no other way to say it.
Score: 113
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 1
Penalties: 6
Teeing off in the mid afternoon, I began hole #1 with a strong drive to the right side of the fairway, followed by a low stinger to just past the 200 yard marker. From 190 yards out, I failed to recognize how much the ball was above my feet and hit my next shot fat. My next approach attempt from 150 yards was short and left of the green. A pitch shot over a bunker got me safely on the green, but I then 3-putt for a disappointing triple-bogey. I made some god shots along the way, but the result was terrible nevertheless.
The result was also terrible on the next three holes. A duffed 3-iron off the tee started things poorly on hole #2, while another 3-putt ruined hole #3. It didn't matter that some good shots were sprinkled along the way. I collected a quadruple and triple-bogey for my efforts. Hole #4 was playing impossibly long. At 444 yards, this par-4 is lengthy to begin with. A stiff wind made it play even longer. A sculled chip contributed to another triple-bogey.
It wasn't until hole #5, a 195-yard par-3, that I got a decent result. I hit a pure 3-iron just left of the green. My chip rolled well past the hole, so I followed up with a 2-putt for bogey. I also bogeyed hole #6, a par-5, after a nice up and down from 140 yards.
On hole #7, a par-4 measuring 340 yards, I exploded for a score of 13. I didn't even play out the hole properly, as I was holding up a pair of golfers playing behind my group. I pulled a 5-wood off the tee into some trees, then duck-hooked a wild one in the same direction when I re-teed. Every once in a while, I try a fairway wood to see if I can regain some control with them, only to be woefully disappointed.
I finished the front nine with a score of 63. What could I say? I was absolutely toasted over the first four holes. The debacle on hole #7 was just an extra burn to make sure I was done for the day.
I shot a better score of 50 on the back nine, which would have been better if not for a quadruple-bogey on hole #17, the course's signature par-5. Over the back nine, my irons were actually very good, much like they were at Willow Valley. The short backswing and a bit of wrist cock let the club do the work, producing straight shots that felt very nice. My short game was also good, as I collected only 14 putts. Still, I had some bad misses every now and then, which nullified all the good shots.
My golf game is in bad shape. There's no other way to say it.
Score: 113
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 1
Penalties: 6
Deepwoods Finale at Willow Valley
Last year, a tremendous final round at Willow Valley eased the pain of an otherwise disappointing season on the Deepwoods Golf Association Tour. This year, I had no such luck. I shot a familiar score of 102 and finished well back in the overall standings. The Deepwoods championship that I earned in 2008 now feels like a distant memory. Second place finishes in 2007 and 2010 now smell of opportunity lost.
On the practice range before the final round was played, I tried shortening my backswing and focused on trapping the ball with the irons. The result was good, so I took the new approach to the course itself. I must say, my irons were better than they have been all year. I had absolutely no side spin on my iron shots, producing very straight trajectories. A few of my irons came out lower than usual, but nevertheless, my distances were very predictable. I experienced a feeling of control with the irons that has been absent for a long time.
On hole #3, a 7-iron into the wind from 150 yards found the green left of the flag. On the next hole, a 4-iron off the tee stopped just off the green but flag high, 190 yards away. On hole #5, a 6-iron from 170 yards felt rock solid, but found water right of the green. After taking a drop, I hit an immaculate shot with the gap wedge to within three feet of the cup. On hole #8, a 9-iron off the tee found the centre of the green. Great iron shots continued on the back nine, including wonderful approaches that found the green on holes #10, #15 and #17. I managed to make par on each of those holes.
With my irons working so well, how did I manage to score 102? For one thing, my driver was poor. I pulled drives into opposite fairways and even into bunkers of opposite fairways. I also hit drives into some gnarly fescue. From those positions, all one could do is take a hack to get the ball back in play. On one occasion, I tried a 5-wood off the tee with disastrous results. While my driver seems to come and go, I have not been able to hit my fairway woods for a long time.
In addition, my putting was terrible. I had only 34 putts overall and just two 3-putts, but I missed some very short ones. On hole #2, I missed a two and a half footer after a great chip. The same thing happened on hole #13. On hole #5, I missed another of similar length after a great approach. On holes #3 and #8, I made terrible lag attempts, resulting in a pair of 3-putts. Right there, you can see I gave away about five strokes through putting alone.
It's one of the cruel things about golf that even with improvements in mechanics, your scores don't necessarily get better. That certainly was the case this time around. My dreams of another Deepwoods championship will have to wait at least one more year.
Score: 102
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 4
On the practice range before the final round was played, I tried shortening my backswing and focused on trapping the ball with the irons. The result was good, so I took the new approach to the course itself. I must say, my irons were better than they have been all year. I had absolutely no side spin on my iron shots, producing very straight trajectories. A few of my irons came out lower than usual, but nevertheless, my distances were very predictable. I experienced a feeling of control with the irons that has been absent for a long time.
On hole #3, a 7-iron into the wind from 150 yards found the green left of the flag. On the next hole, a 4-iron off the tee stopped just off the green but flag high, 190 yards away. On hole #5, a 6-iron from 170 yards felt rock solid, but found water right of the green. After taking a drop, I hit an immaculate shot with the gap wedge to within three feet of the cup. On hole #8, a 9-iron off the tee found the centre of the green. Great iron shots continued on the back nine, including wonderful approaches that found the green on holes #10, #15 and #17. I managed to make par on each of those holes.
With my irons working so well, how did I manage to score 102? For one thing, my driver was poor. I pulled drives into opposite fairways and even into bunkers of opposite fairways. I also hit drives into some gnarly fescue. From those positions, all one could do is take a hack to get the ball back in play. On one occasion, I tried a 5-wood off the tee with disastrous results. While my driver seems to come and go, I have not been able to hit my fairway woods for a long time.
In addition, my putting was terrible. I had only 34 putts overall and just two 3-putts, but I missed some very short ones. On hole #2, I missed a two and a half footer after a great chip. The same thing happened on hole #13. On hole #5, I missed another of similar length after a great approach. On holes #3 and #8, I made terrible lag attempts, resulting in a pair of 3-putts. Right there, you can see I gave away about five strokes through putting alone.
It's one of the cruel things about golf that even with improvements in mechanics, your scores don't necessarily get better. That certainly was the case this time around. My dreams of another Deepwoods championship will have to wait at least one more year.
Score: 102
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 4
September 08, 2012
One Third at The Highlands
There are a few courses that I've played twice this year: Granite Ridge Cobalt, Century Pines, Victoria Park East, and King's Forest. You can add The Highlands to that list, as I returned to the Bradford area course for my latest round of golf. I fired my second-worst score of the season, matching the 111 that I tallied in my return visit to Granite Ridge. A debacle at Bond Head's South Course is the only round that was more pitiful...and painful too.
I won't bore you with shot-by-shot accounts of the holes that were played. I do that far too much on this blog, admittedly for my own benefit rather than for readers. Suffice to say that just one third of the eighteen holes played were acceptable. Four of these produced pars, while the other two resulted in bogeys. If one half represents a passing grade (and one can make a very good argument that it shouldn't), then one third is a clear and utter failure. It's a fraction that also applies to my entire season, but more on that later.
The remaining two thirds of my round were comprised of four double-bogeys, four triples, three quads, and a quintuple! We're talking bogeys here, not toe-loops, salchows or Dionne siblings. I had no control off the tee and hit practically every other shot thin. In fact, to describe some of my shots as thin wold be generous; many of them were stone cold sculls. On a couple of occasions when my playing partners had moved ahead of me, they had to be very attentive, lest they receive a screaming Titleist to the knee caps or family jewels.
I've now played 21 rounds this season and just one third of those (there's that number again) have produced a score below 100. After levelling off in 2010 and taking a bit of a step backwards in 2011, this represents a huge setback for my game. It reminds me of my very early days in golf, when breaking 100 was considered something of an achievement. However, after going through a period when I shot consistently in the low 90's and occasionally in the high 80's, breaking 100 just doesn't cut it anymore.
To put things in perspective, take a look at my handicap factor. In 2009, it dipped to 15.7, a personal best. I spent the entire 2010 season at about 17.5, then crept up to 19.0 by the end of 2011. At the moment, my handicap factor is 22.0, or six points higher than it was three years ago. If I don't have a good round next time out, my handicap will likely jump to about 23.5. This is because my sensational round at Willow Valley late last year will come off my scoring record.
As fate would have it, my next round happens to be this weekend at Willow Valley. We'll see what happens.
Score: 111
Putts: 38
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
I won't bore you with shot-by-shot accounts of the holes that were played. I do that far too much on this blog, admittedly for my own benefit rather than for readers. Suffice to say that just one third of the eighteen holes played were acceptable. Four of these produced pars, while the other two resulted in bogeys. If one half represents a passing grade (and one can make a very good argument that it shouldn't), then one third is a clear and utter failure. It's a fraction that also applies to my entire season, but more on that later.
The remaining two thirds of my round were comprised of four double-bogeys, four triples, three quads, and a quintuple! We're talking bogeys here, not toe-loops, salchows or Dionne siblings. I had no control off the tee and hit practically every other shot thin. In fact, to describe some of my shots as thin wold be generous; many of them were stone cold sculls. On a couple of occasions when my playing partners had moved ahead of me, they had to be very attentive, lest they receive a screaming Titleist to the knee caps or family jewels.
I've now played 21 rounds this season and just one third of those (there's that number again) have produced a score below 100. After levelling off in 2010 and taking a bit of a step backwards in 2011, this represents a huge setback for my game. It reminds me of my very early days in golf, when breaking 100 was considered something of an achievement. However, after going through a period when I shot consistently in the low 90's and occasionally in the high 80's, breaking 100 just doesn't cut it anymore.
To put things in perspective, take a look at my handicap factor. In 2009, it dipped to 15.7, a personal best. I spent the entire 2010 season at about 17.5, then crept up to 19.0 by the end of 2011. At the moment, my handicap factor is 22.0, or six points higher than it was three years ago. If I don't have a good round next time out, my handicap will likely jump to about 23.5. This is because my sensational round at Willow Valley late last year will come off my scoring record.
As fate would have it, my next round happens to be this weekend at Willow Valley. We'll see what happens.
Score: 111
Putts: 38
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
September 07, 2012
Satisfied at King's Forest
My first visit to King's Forest Golf Club was in competition four years ago. I shot a gross score 95, which was good enough for low net and victory on the now defunct Duffer's Dream Tour. Since then, I returned to the club four times and have never broken 100. I'm glad to report that I finally broke that streak with my latest visit. I didn't play especially well, but I avoided big numbers and finished with a satisfactory score of 97.
At the start of the round, it looked like I was set to do much better. I opened with a couple of pars, thanks to drives that found the fairways, followed by flag-high approach shots that just missed the greens. On both occasions, I made the up and down look easy. Unfortunately, I made hole #3 look ugly. I topped a 3-iron off the tee, forcing a layup to the 120-yard area. A brutal approach with the gap wedge ensued, followed by a great lofted pitch to a plateau on the green. Unfortunately, I didn't capitalize, making a 3-putt for triple-bogey.
Luckily, that was the first and last blowup of the day. I spent the rest of the round making bogeys and double-bogeys. The only exception was a par on hole #17, a medium length par-3. I was not sharp, but I managed to space out my mistakes. On a couple of occasions, I was forced to take penalty strokes. Whenever that happened, I managed to limit the damage. It's amazing how mistakes in quick succession can have an exponential effect on your score.
Key to breaking 100 was my play on holes #11 through #13, which I consider the hardest stretch on the course. I made a nice drive from the elevated tee on hole #11, leaving about 120 yards to the green. The gap wedge got me safely on the green, but I 3-putt for bogey. Still, it wasn't too bad. On hole #12, my 3-iron off the tee drifted right toward the forest. I found my ball and was able to chip back to the fairway. My third was struck thin and stopped short of the green, but I made a great chip and putt for another bogey.
On hole #13, I hit what I thought was the perfect drive. The ball dropped at the end of the fairway, right in front of the river that bisects the hole. I saw the ball bounce two or three times, so I figured I was safe. When I approached my ball, I saw that I had in fact slipped over the edge of the hazard, by about a foot. I tried to hit the ball as it lay, which was about waist high after I took my stance. It was a dumb move, as I proceeded to shank it. The ball nestled down in some fescue and this time I declared it unplayable. Now playing my fourth, I was unable to clear some trees between me and the green. The ball lay in the right rough, 50 yards from the flag. My next shot was the shot of the day, as I stuck it within two feet of the pin. With a lone putt, I managed to save double-bogey.
Overall, I felt like this was a round I could build on.
Score: 97
Putts: 32
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
At the start of the round, it looked like I was set to do much better. I opened with a couple of pars, thanks to drives that found the fairways, followed by flag-high approach shots that just missed the greens. On both occasions, I made the up and down look easy. Unfortunately, I made hole #3 look ugly. I topped a 3-iron off the tee, forcing a layup to the 120-yard area. A brutal approach with the gap wedge ensued, followed by a great lofted pitch to a plateau on the green. Unfortunately, I didn't capitalize, making a 3-putt for triple-bogey.
Luckily, that was the first and last blowup of the day. I spent the rest of the round making bogeys and double-bogeys. The only exception was a par on hole #17, a medium length par-3. I was not sharp, but I managed to space out my mistakes. On a couple of occasions, I was forced to take penalty strokes. Whenever that happened, I managed to limit the damage. It's amazing how mistakes in quick succession can have an exponential effect on your score.
Key to breaking 100 was my play on holes #11 through #13, which I consider the hardest stretch on the course. I made a nice drive from the elevated tee on hole #11, leaving about 120 yards to the green. The gap wedge got me safely on the green, but I 3-putt for bogey. Still, it wasn't too bad. On hole #12, my 3-iron off the tee drifted right toward the forest. I found my ball and was able to chip back to the fairway. My third was struck thin and stopped short of the green, but I made a great chip and putt for another bogey.
On hole #13, I hit what I thought was the perfect drive. The ball dropped at the end of the fairway, right in front of the river that bisects the hole. I saw the ball bounce two or three times, so I figured I was safe. When I approached my ball, I saw that I had in fact slipped over the edge of the hazard, by about a foot. I tried to hit the ball as it lay, which was about waist high after I took my stance. It was a dumb move, as I proceeded to shank it. The ball nestled down in some fescue and this time I declared it unplayable. Now playing my fourth, I was unable to clear some trees between me and the green. The ball lay in the right rough, 50 yards from the flag. My next shot was the shot of the day, as I stuck it within two feet of the pin. With a lone putt, I managed to save double-bogey.
Overall, I felt like this was a round I could build on.
Score: 97
Putts: 32
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
September 03, 2012
Pressing Late at Woodington Lake
Round 4 of the Deepwoods Golf Association season was contested on the Legend Course at Woodington Lake Golf Club. In order to have a realistic chance at the championship, I needed to score 40 points. Given my Deepwoods handicap, that translates roughly into a gross score of 90, or perhaps a little bit better. In other words, I needed to have my best round of the season.
On the front nine, I played mostly well, amassing 18 points with a gross score of 45. I messed up only the fourth hole, a par-5 that is fairly straightforward, though ranked as the course's most difficult. I topped my tee shot, sending the ball just 75 yards ahead. Next, I pushed one well right of the fairway. After a good shot to advance the ball to within 100 yards of the flag, I pulled my approach just left of the green. A chip and three putts ensued for a triple-bogey.
I gave away a stroke on the first hole as well. A perfect 3-iron off the tee was followed by a fairly good approach with the 6-iron. I was a couple yards off the green, but had lots of putting surface to work with. The problem was the angle I was left with to the pin. A mound on the back of the green would push a low runner well left of the flag, while the flop shot over the mound carried its own risks. I left my chip well short of the target, then 3-putt for a double-bogey. I really should have done no worse than bogey.
Aside from those mistakes, the front nine was marvellous. I hit a good drive and striped a scintillating 3-iron on my second shot, leaving a 50-yard pitch to the par-5 second hole. The pitch wasn't great, but I still made par. A poor tee shot on hole #3, a short par-3, was followed by a great pitch and a couple of putts for bogey. I made par on hole #5 with a magnificent sand save and on hole #9 with a 2-putt from distance. I bogeyed holes #6 through #8 with good chips and putts.
In spite of my solid front nine, I felt like I was a couple of points behind the pace I needed to keep. I opened the back nine with a double-bogey and two bogeys, so I didn't make up any ground. A birdie putt on hole #12 passed right over the hole, but had too much pace and I needed two more putts to hole out. The real turning point, however, was hole #13.
On this par-4 measuring 386 yards, I hit a beautiful drive to the left fairway. Actually, I just thought it was in the fairway. As I approached my ball, I saw that it was a yard or two in the left rough. No worries though, as I had a good lie and just 140 yards to the flag. Next, I pulled a 9-iron left of the green, though flag-high. With the green falling away from me, I tried to bounce the ball through the rough in order to scrub some speed off. The ball carried two feet further than I wanted, bouncing in the fringe, which carried it right off the green on the other side. I slid my wedge right under the ball on my next chip attempt and 2-putt for a double-bogey.
It's fair to say that I lost some composure at that point. I was four points behind pace, with just five holes to play, so I could see the writing on the wall. I felt like I got robbed on hole #13, which really upset me. As a result, I proceeded to collect a pair of triple-bogeys and a quadruple-bogey over the next three holes. Golf is as much a mental sport as it is physical, and at that point my head was not in the game.
On hole #18, a real killer to finish things off, I decided to blast one off the tee. The hole measures only 361 yards from the white tees, but it is a dogleg left, so the distance directly to the green is quite a bit less. The problem is that the direct line forces you to go over the edge of a lake and some thick trees. It is also a blind shot, as the trees obscure the view of the landing area. I hit a monster shot exactly on the line I wanted and sky high. I had no problem clearing the lake or trees and expected to find my ball very near the green. As it turned out, I never found the ball. It was disappointing, because I felt that I had hit a spectacular tee shot.
Score: 102
Putts: 36
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
On the front nine, I played mostly well, amassing 18 points with a gross score of 45. I messed up only the fourth hole, a par-5 that is fairly straightforward, though ranked as the course's most difficult. I topped my tee shot, sending the ball just 75 yards ahead. Next, I pushed one well right of the fairway. After a good shot to advance the ball to within 100 yards of the flag, I pulled my approach just left of the green. A chip and three putts ensued for a triple-bogey.
I gave away a stroke on the first hole as well. A perfect 3-iron off the tee was followed by a fairly good approach with the 6-iron. I was a couple yards off the green, but had lots of putting surface to work with. The problem was the angle I was left with to the pin. A mound on the back of the green would push a low runner well left of the flag, while the flop shot over the mound carried its own risks. I left my chip well short of the target, then 3-putt for a double-bogey. I really should have done no worse than bogey.
Aside from those mistakes, the front nine was marvellous. I hit a good drive and striped a scintillating 3-iron on my second shot, leaving a 50-yard pitch to the par-5 second hole. The pitch wasn't great, but I still made par. A poor tee shot on hole #3, a short par-3, was followed by a great pitch and a couple of putts for bogey. I made par on hole #5 with a magnificent sand save and on hole #9 with a 2-putt from distance. I bogeyed holes #6 through #8 with good chips and putts.
In spite of my solid front nine, I felt like I was a couple of points behind the pace I needed to keep. I opened the back nine with a double-bogey and two bogeys, so I didn't make up any ground. A birdie putt on hole #12 passed right over the hole, but had too much pace and I needed two more putts to hole out. The real turning point, however, was hole #13.
On this par-4 measuring 386 yards, I hit a beautiful drive to the left fairway. Actually, I just thought it was in the fairway. As I approached my ball, I saw that it was a yard or two in the left rough. No worries though, as I had a good lie and just 140 yards to the flag. Next, I pulled a 9-iron left of the green, though flag-high. With the green falling away from me, I tried to bounce the ball through the rough in order to scrub some speed off. The ball carried two feet further than I wanted, bouncing in the fringe, which carried it right off the green on the other side. I slid my wedge right under the ball on my next chip attempt and 2-putt for a double-bogey.
It's fair to say that I lost some composure at that point. I was four points behind pace, with just five holes to play, so I could see the writing on the wall. I felt like I got robbed on hole #13, which really upset me. As a result, I proceeded to collect a pair of triple-bogeys and a quadruple-bogey over the next three holes. Golf is as much a mental sport as it is physical, and at that point my head was not in the game.
On hole #18, a real killer to finish things off, I decided to blast one off the tee. The hole measures only 361 yards from the white tees, but it is a dogleg left, so the distance directly to the green is quite a bit less. The problem is that the direct line forces you to go over the edge of a lake and some thick trees. It is also a blind shot, as the trees obscure the view of the landing area. I hit a monster shot exactly on the line I wanted and sky high. I had no problem clearing the lake or trees and expected to find my ball very near the green. As it turned out, I never found the ball. It was disappointing, because I felt that I had hit a spectacular tee shot.
Score: 102
Putts: 36
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
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