I'm not superstitious, but my most recent visit to Bradford Highlands has me thinking. In July 2012, I shot a 99 there, including 14 on hole #6. Yes, that's right. In late 2009, I also shot 99 at the club, including 11 on hole #6. Yesterday, I shot 97 at Bradford, including 12 on, you guessed it, hole #6. By the way, hole #6 is a modest par-4 measuring 357 yards. It is rated the #6 handicap hole on the course. There must be another 6 related to the hole, because it obviously has the mark of the beast written all over it.
It is a straightaway hole, though the right side is out of bounds from tee to green. In the 2012 round I described earlier, I pushed four consecutive balls out of bounds off the tee. In the 2009 round, I “merely” sliced two balls OB off the tee. This time, I smother hooked my tee ball into a small pond left of the fairway. After taking a drop, I thinned one into the very same pond. My next attempt was short and right, finding another hazard that crosses the fairway nearer the green. Next, I came up short in a bunker, then picked one clean into a hazard behind the green. I collected four penalty strokes on that hole alone!
It was really incredible, especially because the rest of my round was fantastic. I struggled to quadruple bogey on the opening hole, but otherwise played better than bogey golf. For sixteen holes, I was 13 over par. This included five pars, nine bogeys, and two doubles. If you eliminate the two bad holes, this actually felt like my best round of the year. I hit a decent number of fairways with the driver, as well as some good 5-woods. My irons weren't laser sharp, but good enough to get in the vicinity of the greens. My chipping was pretty good and so was my putting. I tallied 33 putts on the day, but only made one really bad one. It was a lag on a par-3 that came up well short, leading to my only 3-putt of the day.
My two worst irons of the day were responsible for the two double-bogeys. The first of these was a hooked 6-iron off the tee on hole #2, a par-3. The ball ended up under a bush and very nearly out of bounds. I was forced to declare it unplayable. The second was a thinned lob wedge from 90 yards out on hole #10. I had just piped a 280-yard drive straight down the centre of the fairway. What a waste! The worst part of the wedge shot was the fact that the ball ended up in a creek that crosses in front of the green.
Overall, I'm happy. I consider the 12 on hole #6 an aberration, even though I've blown up there before.
Score: 97
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 7
July 14, 2014
July 09, 2014
Reasonable at Century Pines
By my count, I've played Century Pines about ten times. The first time was in 2006 – a rather inauspicious debut that produced a score of 109. My next two visits, which took place in 2010, produced my best results at the course – a seemingly easy 93 and 97. I played the course three times in 2011 and twice each of the last two years. You would think that my scores would get better as my knowledge of the course improved, but that was not the case. After scoring 101 in early 2011, my scores went like this: 112, 111, 106, 103, 101, 100.
I didn't realize how poorly I've played this course until I looked up the numbers. The good news is that the scores have been trending in the right direction. That is really looking for a silver lining, but you've gotta start somewhere, right? One thing I remember about recent visits is how terribly I started, particularly on the opening par-5 hole. If I'm not mistaken, I've reached double digits on that hole a couple of times, which absolutely kills your round before it truly begins.
I'm happy to say that I managed to make par on that hole this time around. I hit driver to the opposite fairway (trust me, it's better that way), followed by 5-iron back to the proper fairway, 7-iron to the area in front of the green, a serviceable pitch shot and a lengthy putt. I also made par on hole #3, a 380-yard par-4. I hit driver to the middle of the fairway, followed by a 9-iron from 140 yards that just rolled off the back of the green. My chip shot was pretty good, leaving a 5-footer that I drained.
It was bogeys the rest of the way on the front nine, except for a triple on hole #6. After driving the ball right of the fairway (the safe play), I failed to punch through a couple of trees to get back to the fairway. My third shot was a good punch toward the green, but it was inevitable that my ball would get caught in a large bunker there. I picked the ball out too cleanly, overshooting the green. I absolutely must stop doing that! It's totally a mental thing that has been killing me for years now. I dread the greenside bunker shot.
Let's not lament that too much, because things were going pretty well. They got even better on hole #11, a short par-4 measuring 309 yards. I hit driver off this tee once and finished 5 yards off the front of the green. That was great, but it was the exception, rather than the rule. When going for distance off the tee, I've also sliced into the trees on the right and pulled into the hazard on the left. Usually, I just try to hit a mid-iron to the 150-yard stick, followed by a similar club into the green. It's the better strategy for me, as there is less danger with a conservative tee shot. This time, I hit a 6-iron right to the 150 yard stick, followed by a beauty of an 8-iron that had me thinking about eagle. Alas, I needed a three foot putt for birdie, which I drained!
Up to this point, my round was penalty-free. That changed with my tee shot on hole #12, a pulled shot with the 5-wood that was lost in a hazard. As a result of that error, I made triple bogey. I collected two more penalty strokes over the remainder of the round. Coincidentally, they both came on par-5 holes. Once again, they were the main reason for two more triple bogeys. I averaged bogey for the remaining holes, which was enough to salvage a final score of 95.
While there were plenty of good shots in this round, as with many of my recent rounds, there were also some costly mistakes. Still, I managed my second best score ever at Century Pines, which isn't bad. I guess it shows how horrific some of my earlier visits had been.
One last thing I noticed while looking at my scores, so far, for 2014. Aside from three throwaway rounds of 119, 115, and 106, my remaining scores read like this: 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101. Talk about having your bases covered! LOL
Score: 95
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
I didn't realize how poorly I've played this course until I looked up the numbers. The good news is that the scores have been trending in the right direction. That is really looking for a silver lining, but you've gotta start somewhere, right? One thing I remember about recent visits is how terribly I started, particularly on the opening par-5 hole. If I'm not mistaken, I've reached double digits on that hole a couple of times, which absolutely kills your round before it truly begins.
I'm happy to say that I managed to make par on that hole this time around. I hit driver to the opposite fairway (trust me, it's better that way), followed by 5-iron back to the proper fairway, 7-iron to the area in front of the green, a serviceable pitch shot and a lengthy putt. I also made par on hole #3, a 380-yard par-4. I hit driver to the middle of the fairway, followed by a 9-iron from 140 yards that just rolled off the back of the green. My chip shot was pretty good, leaving a 5-footer that I drained.
It was bogeys the rest of the way on the front nine, except for a triple on hole #6. After driving the ball right of the fairway (the safe play), I failed to punch through a couple of trees to get back to the fairway. My third shot was a good punch toward the green, but it was inevitable that my ball would get caught in a large bunker there. I picked the ball out too cleanly, overshooting the green. I absolutely must stop doing that! It's totally a mental thing that has been killing me for years now. I dread the greenside bunker shot.
Let's not lament that too much, because things were going pretty well. They got even better on hole #11, a short par-4 measuring 309 yards. I hit driver off this tee once and finished 5 yards off the front of the green. That was great, but it was the exception, rather than the rule. When going for distance off the tee, I've also sliced into the trees on the right and pulled into the hazard on the left. Usually, I just try to hit a mid-iron to the 150-yard stick, followed by a similar club into the green. It's the better strategy for me, as there is less danger with a conservative tee shot. This time, I hit a 6-iron right to the 150 yard stick, followed by a beauty of an 8-iron that had me thinking about eagle. Alas, I needed a three foot putt for birdie, which I drained!
Up to this point, my round was penalty-free. That changed with my tee shot on hole #12, a pulled shot with the 5-wood that was lost in a hazard. As a result of that error, I made triple bogey. I collected two more penalty strokes over the remainder of the round. Coincidentally, they both came on par-5 holes. Once again, they were the main reason for two more triple bogeys. I averaged bogey for the remaining holes, which was enough to salvage a final score of 95.
While there were plenty of good shots in this round, as with many of my recent rounds, there were also some costly mistakes. Still, I managed my second best score ever at Century Pines, which isn't bad. I guess it shows how horrific some of my earlier visits had been.
One last thing I noticed while looking at my scores, so far, for 2014. Aside from three throwaway rounds of 119, 115, and 106, my remaining scores read like this: 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101. Talk about having your bases covered! LOL
Score: 95
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
July 08, 2014
Good Start, Bad Finish at Granite Ridge
The Cobalt Course at Granite Ridge is where I shot my second lowest score ever (on a par 70 or greater). I was 10 over par that day, finishing with a score of 82. When I go back there, which doesn't happen often, I always feel like I could do it again. On my most recent visit, I wasn't close at all, finishing with an even 100. The round included some good shots, but the bad ones were very costly, often resulting in a penalty of stroke and distance.
I actually got off to a good start, with a pair of pars on the first two holes. My drives missed the fairways slightly, but on both occasions, I hit a good pitching wedge to reach the green in regulation. I was in good shape through four holes, before making three consecutive triple bogeys. Holes #2 through #6 wrap around the perimeter of the property, making the left side of that stretch out of bounds. Hole #5 is a par-3, with water guarding the right and front of the green. My first tee shot was OB. Hole #6 is a short par-4, with bushes and weeds guarding the entire right side. Again, my first tee shot was OB. Costly indeed!
I bogeyed holes #8 through #11 with some pretty good shot making. There were a couple of bad shots mixed in there, but on both occasions, I recovered very well. On hole #12, I hooked my tee shot short and into some trees, leading to double-bogey. I almost saved bogey with an 8-foot putt, but just burned the edge. It was that kind of day. Whenever I had a putt of that length to save a stroke, I managed to burn the edge. It happened to me on holes #14, #16, and #17. As a result, I was robbed of a bogey and two pars.
I had every opportunity to break 100, but hole #15 eliminated the breathing room I needed. This is a long par-5 with OB along the entire right side. The left side is peppered with a series of small water hazards. I hit a perfect drive to the centre of the fairway, followed by a solid 5-iron that barely trickled into the right rough at 100 yards out. I had navigated all of the real danger, but then flared a sand wedge right of target, into a lateral hazard. After taking my penalty stroke, the follow up attempt wasn't much better. I was still off the green and needed a chip and 2 putts to finish with a triple bogey.
I bogeyed the next two holes and the same on #18 would have earned a score of 99. Alas, I thinned a sand wedge from 100 yards out, smacking a tree trunk. My next attempt was in a greenside bunker. If I got up and down, I would still salvage 99. The weakness of my bunker play has been well documented, so it wasn't looking good. Sure enough, I barely emerged from the bunker. A chip and a putt later, and it was the dreaded century mark once again.
I'm not too upset. I hit a decent number of shots well – it's just that the bad ones resulted in penalty strokes. I also didn't catch a break with my putting. I feel like I putt pretty well, but the ball just didn't want to drop.
Score: 100
Putts: 37
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
I actually got off to a good start, with a pair of pars on the first two holes. My drives missed the fairways slightly, but on both occasions, I hit a good pitching wedge to reach the green in regulation. I was in good shape through four holes, before making three consecutive triple bogeys. Holes #2 through #6 wrap around the perimeter of the property, making the left side of that stretch out of bounds. Hole #5 is a par-3, with water guarding the right and front of the green. My first tee shot was OB. Hole #6 is a short par-4, with bushes and weeds guarding the entire right side. Again, my first tee shot was OB. Costly indeed!
I bogeyed holes #8 through #11 with some pretty good shot making. There were a couple of bad shots mixed in there, but on both occasions, I recovered very well. On hole #12, I hooked my tee shot short and into some trees, leading to double-bogey. I almost saved bogey with an 8-foot putt, but just burned the edge. It was that kind of day. Whenever I had a putt of that length to save a stroke, I managed to burn the edge. It happened to me on holes #14, #16, and #17. As a result, I was robbed of a bogey and two pars.
I had every opportunity to break 100, but hole #15 eliminated the breathing room I needed. This is a long par-5 with OB along the entire right side. The left side is peppered with a series of small water hazards. I hit a perfect drive to the centre of the fairway, followed by a solid 5-iron that barely trickled into the right rough at 100 yards out. I had navigated all of the real danger, but then flared a sand wedge right of target, into a lateral hazard. After taking my penalty stroke, the follow up attempt wasn't much better. I was still off the green and needed a chip and 2 putts to finish with a triple bogey.
I bogeyed the next two holes and the same on #18 would have earned a score of 99. Alas, I thinned a sand wedge from 100 yards out, smacking a tree trunk. My next attempt was in a greenside bunker. If I got up and down, I would still salvage 99. The weakness of my bunker play has been well documented, so it wasn't looking good. Sure enough, I barely emerged from the bunker. A chip and a putt later, and it was the dreaded century mark once again.
I'm not too upset. I hit a decent number of shots well – it's just that the bad ones resulted in penalty strokes. I also didn't catch a break with my putting. I feel like I putt pretty well, but the ball just didn't want to drop.
Score: 100
Putts: 37
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
July 04, 2014
Plenty of Good at Bushwood
Bushwood is a course I've played about eight times, but the last time was back in 2008. I have fond memories of playing there with The Unreliables as I started to get more and more into the game. So it was with a bit of nostalgia that I returned to the Markham area course for a late afternoon round. A peek at some previous blog entries showed that I had scored 98, 97, and 97 in my last three visits there. That's nowhere near the course record – 61 by Bubba Watson in July 2005 – but good enough to have some optimism.
I got paired up with another player, who introduced himself on the first tee. In a strange coincidence, it turns out we had the same first name! I've been paired up with plenty of strangers in the past and that has never happened before. He was a good playing partner – friendly, but not too chatty. He wasn't the greatest golfer, but neither am I, and that's neither here nor there.
I struggled to poor scores on just three of the holes played. One produced a double bogey after I inadvertently picked the ball clean from a greenside bunker. This happens way too often! Another produced a triple bogey after a failed layup attempt on my second shot. I was merely trying to pitch the ball 40 yards ahead and duffed it completely. The conservative play was designed to avoid out of bounds on the right and a large pond on the left. Forced to go for the green after the duff, I managed to find the water. The last of the poor holes produced a quadruple bogey, thanks to a second shot that I blocked with the 6-iron out of bounds.
With all the bad stuff out of the way, let's focus on the good, because there was a lot of it. On the remaining fifteen holes, I registered thirteen bogeys and two pars. My driver was not particularly good, but it didn't get me in trouble. In my practice swings, I was trying to make sure I approached the ball from the inside. I tried to shorten the backswing a little and drop the clubhead to the inside at the start of the downswing. In certain situations (i.e. when there was more room for error) I deliberately went back to my “normal” swing. The result of all this was mixed. I pulled a couple to opposite fairways, while flaring a couple others. I also hit some very nice ones, including one on the par-5 fifth hole and my best of the day on the par-4 tenth.
The real story of the day was my iron play. Kudos to a fellow Deepwoods member for pointing out that I was collapsing the left elbow far too early on almost all of my shots. Since that bit of advice, I made an adjustment and the results have been noticeable. It hasn't helped me with the driver, mind you, but it really has improved the feeling I have with all of the irons – from wedges all the way to 3-iron. With high lofted irons, my accuracy has gotten better. With the long irons, I'm just getting much better contact and ball flight.
At Bushwood, I hit great 5 and 3-iron shots especially. I hit a solid 5-iron into the green on hole #2, followed by a marvellous one on hole #7. This is the #3 handicap hole on the course, a long par-4. From 195 yards in the right rough, I took aim over a spruce tree in the distance. Contact was crisp, the ball got up over the tree quickly, and carried easily over a valley in front of the green. The ball came to rest flag high, a yard off the right edge of the green. Only a lip-out from five feet prevented the par. The 5-iron was also good off the tee on hole #8, a par-3.
Perhaps the most impressive 5-iron shot was my third on hole #9, a par-5. From 180 yards out in the left rough, I absolutely launched one toward the green. I had to start it right to avoid a tree just ahead. The ball was a sky high draw. That's right, a high draw! When I draw the ball, it usually flies fairly low, but this one was spectacular. I overshot the green with it, but I loved the contact and shape of the ball flight. Heck, the 5-iron was even useful on my approach on hole #17. It found a greenside bunker, but once again, it was the contact and high ball flight that I liked.
A few 3-iron shots also deserve mention. One was the tee shot on hole #4, a short par 4 that was playing 290 yards. Iron off the tee is the smart play on this one, but as I've said before, good decision making means nothing if you can't follow up with execution. This time, I did precisely that, with a straight, piercing shot that set up a wedge approach. Another great 3-iron shot was also off the tee – this time on hole #13, which was playing 221 yards. There was a bit of a helping wind and the flag was at the front of the green, so I figured 3-iron was a good choice. I hit a crisp laser, right on line. The ball bounced in front of the green, but rolled past the flag and up a steep ridge before settling near the back of the putting surface. I finished with a 3-putt there, but wasn't perturbed, as the tee shot left me with a good feeling.
I could go on describing good iron shots, but you get the picture. What pleases me most is the fact that all my irons were good. I can recall a great 8-iron from an opposite fairway, another over the edge of some trees that was all over the flag. There was a similar shot over some trees with the gap wedge that found the green, and a great shot with the lob wedge from 85 yards to help save bogey on a hole that started poorly. A great putt helped me that time, and in fact I had good putting almost all day. I registered 31 putts for the round, and that could have been lower as I had three or four near misses for par. As usual, when putting numbers are lower, it's usually because your chipping is pretty good. I messed up the odd chip or pitch shot, but I got up and down a fair number of times.
Looking at my final score, the result is merely OK. However, I'm taking away a lot of positives from this round. It really was a fun outing. I've now broken 100 more times in 2014 (six) than I did all of last season (five). Baby steps, for sure, but I've got to start somewhere if I'm to regain my form from three or four years ago.
Score: 94
Putts: 31
Fairways: 6
Greens: 1
Penalties: 3
I got paired up with another player, who introduced himself on the first tee. In a strange coincidence, it turns out we had the same first name! I've been paired up with plenty of strangers in the past and that has never happened before. He was a good playing partner – friendly, but not too chatty. He wasn't the greatest golfer, but neither am I, and that's neither here nor there.
I struggled to poor scores on just three of the holes played. One produced a double bogey after I inadvertently picked the ball clean from a greenside bunker. This happens way too often! Another produced a triple bogey after a failed layup attempt on my second shot. I was merely trying to pitch the ball 40 yards ahead and duffed it completely. The conservative play was designed to avoid out of bounds on the right and a large pond on the left. Forced to go for the green after the duff, I managed to find the water. The last of the poor holes produced a quadruple bogey, thanks to a second shot that I blocked with the 6-iron out of bounds.
With all the bad stuff out of the way, let's focus on the good, because there was a lot of it. On the remaining fifteen holes, I registered thirteen bogeys and two pars. My driver was not particularly good, but it didn't get me in trouble. In my practice swings, I was trying to make sure I approached the ball from the inside. I tried to shorten the backswing a little and drop the clubhead to the inside at the start of the downswing. In certain situations (i.e. when there was more room for error) I deliberately went back to my “normal” swing. The result of all this was mixed. I pulled a couple to opposite fairways, while flaring a couple others. I also hit some very nice ones, including one on the par-5 fifth hole and my best of the day on the par-4 tenth.
The real story of the day was my iron play. Kudos to a fellow Deepwoods member for pointing out that I was collapsing the left elbow far too early on almost all of my shots. Since that bit of advice, I made an adjustment and the results have been noticeable. It hasn't helped me with the driver, mind you, but it really has improved the feeling I have with all of the irons – from wedges all the way to 3-iron. With high lofted irons, my accuracy has gotten better. With the long irons, I'm just getting much better contact and ball flight.
At Bushwood, I hit great 5 and 3-iron shots especially. I hit a solid 5-iron into the green on hole #2, followed by a marvellous one on hole #7. This is the #3 handicap hole on the course, a long par-4. From 195 yards in the right rough, I took aim over a spruce tree in the distance. Contact was crisp, the ball got up over the tree quickly, and carried easily over a valley in front of the green. The ball came to rest flag high, a yard off the right edge of the green. Only a lip-out from five feet prevented the par. The 5-iron was also good off the tee on hole #8, a par-3.
Perhaps the most impressive 5-iron shot was my third on hole #9, a par-5. From 180 yards out in the left rough, I absolutely launched one toward the green. I had to start it right to avoid a tree just ahead. The ball was a sky high draw. That's right, a high draw! When I draw the ball, it usually flies fairly low, but this one was spectacular. I overshot the green with it, but I loved the contact and shape of the ball flight. Heck, the 5-iron was even useful on my approach on hole #17. It found a greenside bunker, but once again, it was the contact and high ball flight that I liked.
A few 3-iron shots also deserve mention. One was the tee shot on hole #4, a short par 4 that was playing 290 yards. Iron off the tee is the smart play on this one, but as I've said before, good decision making means nothing if you can't follow up with execution. This time, I did precisely that, with a straight, piercing shot that set up a wedge approach. Another great 3-iron shot was also off the tee – this time on hole #13, which was playing 221 yards. There was a bit of a helping wind and the flag was at the front of the green, so I figured 3-iron was a good choice. I hit a crisp laser, right on line. The ball bounced in front of the green, but rolled past the flag and up a steep ridge before settling near the back of the putting surface. I finished with a 3-putt there, but wasn't perturbed, as the tee shot left me with a good feeling.
I could go on describing good iron shots, but you get the picture. What pleases me most is the fact that all my irons were good. I can recall a great 8-iron from an opposite fairway, another over the edge of some trees that was all over the flag. There was a similar shot over some trees with the gap wedge that found the green, and a great shot with the lob wedge from 85 yards to help save bogey on a hole that started poorly. A great putt helped me that time, and in fact I had good putting almost all day. I registered 31 putts for the round, and that could have been lower as I had three or four near misses for par. As usual, when putting numbers are lower, it's usually because your chipping is pretty good. I messed up the odd chip or pitch shot, but I got up and down a fair number of times.
Looking at my final score, the result is merely OK. However, I'm taking away a lot of positives from this round. It really was a fun outing. I've now broken 100 more times in 2014 (six) than I did all of last season (five). Baby steps, for sure, but I've got to start somewhere if I'm to regain my form from three or four years ago.
Score: 94
Putts: 31
Fairways: 6
Greens: 1
Penalties: 3
July 02, 2014
Canada Day at Hunters Pointe
What better way to spend Canada Day than to golf? Since I couldn't find an answer, I headed out to Hunters Pointe Golf Course, located in Welland, Ontario. I arrived 25 minutes before my tee time and was greeted immediately by the starter in the parking lot. A pair of players was preparing to tee off, but I was free to go ahead of them – if I didn't mind playing alone, that is. Mind? Are you kidding me? I love playing alone! No small talk, no distractions, and complete focus on my own game. It's the closest thing to a Zen experience you can have on the golf course. I was all over that!
With the pair who let me through watching on the tenth tee, and the wind whipping across from left to right, I placed a perfect drive just left of the 150-yard stick. I love when that happens! It's too bad I hit a 9-iron off the heel next, sending the ball into a bunker, still 120 yards from the flag. Good thing the two guys were still back at the tee. My next approach from the bunker was OK, but I caught a greenside bunker just left of target. I made a good out, but still 2-putt for an opening double-bogey. I topped my drive attempt on hole #11, ending up in some nasty fescue. I managed to hack the ball out, only to land in even worse fescue, where the ball was unplayable. I ruined the hole early, en route to a quadruple bogey.
Thankfully, things turned around at that point. I hit a good 6-iron off the tee on hole #12, a 160-yard par-3 that was playing into the wind. My ball was flag high, but in a deep bunker right of the green. I hit my next shot thin, sending it to the fescue on the other side of the green. My next shot was great, but I still needed two putts to finish with double bogey. That's not a great score, but I felt good about my tee shot and the recovery from the fescue. It could have easily been a higher number.
Over the remainder of the back nine, I tallied four pars and two double-bogeys. One of the doubles came on a par-5. I found myself right of the green after three good shots, so really should have had no worse than bogey. I tried the high flopping pitch that worked well for me in my previous round, but sculled it over the green. The other double came on a par-3. This time, I was just left of the green after a good tee shot. I pitched on well, but a 3-putt was my undoing. Despite the shaky results, I was feeling good because those holes included some nice ball striking, which was not easy given the strong winds.
The pars were nice, especially three in a row to close out my opening nine. Hole #16 is a short par-4. I drove the ball to the left side of the fairway, then judged the wind well, just to land on the green in regulation. Hole #17 is the #2 handicap hole at Hunters Pointe, so that was a treat to par. Hole #18 was the best of all. There is a forced carry off the tee on this picturesque par-5. Water lines the entire right side of the hole, then wraps in front of the green, setting up a forced carry on the approach. I hit a driver safely to the left side, followed by a beautiful 5-iron to the middle of the fairway, 100 yards from the flag. My sand wedge got me to the green with a legitimate birdie chance. I didn't make it, but tapped in easily for par.
On my back nine, it was a lot of the same. The wind, which was fierce all day, actually got a little worse. I had trouble keeping my hat on and my ball was blown off the tee at least three times. I even had to factor the wind into my putting! My driving off the tee wasn't spectacular, but I was focused on getting to the ball from the inside. This worked well under the conditions, because it promotes a draw and lower ball flight. I lost a little bit of distance, as I also shortened my swing significantly, but the added control was well worth it. I did not flare or slice a single drive.
The best part was my second shots, with irons in hand. At the last Deepwoods event, where I struggled, my playing partner noticed that I was bending at the left elbow very early in my swing. When he told me that, I made an adjustment and promptly hit my best drive of the day. It didn't help me the rest of that day, but I realized he was right. Since then, I've focused on keeping the left elbow straight during my swing and “finishing down the line.” What a difference it made with my irons at Hunters Pointe! I hit a lot of nice irons, even a couple of long ones than penetrated right into the wind. A 3-iron on hole #2 was the best, travelling 200 yards to set up a birdie chance. Unfortunately, I 3-putt that hole, but I still felt good because of the iron shot.
I had one blowup hole on my second nine – a quadruple bogey on hole #3. My second shot on this par-5 trickled into a water hazard, and I had trouble with a greenside bunker. However, the last six holes of the day produced one par, four bogeys, and a double-bogey. For me, that's good! The way the wind was whipping incessantly, it was excellent. Sometimes, strong wind like that can ruin a round. I remember a number of rounds at Piper's Heath years ago where that was the case. This time, it was actually fun for me. On my last hole of the day, the wind was at my back. Normally, I would hit driver off the tee, finishing in front of a creek that crosses the fairway if everything went well. This time, I took an easy 5-wood and reached the same spot. I was proud of the decision and the execution, not only for that shot, but for many during the round.
On a final note, I broke 100 for the fifth time this year. It took nine rounds to do so. Considering I broke 100 just five times last season, which covered 31 rounds, that's encouraging. Maybe I'm coming back?
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
With the pair who let me through watching on the tenth tee, and the wind whipping across from left to right, I placed a perfect drive just left of the 150-yard stick. I love when that happens! It's too bad I hit a 9-iron off the heel next, sending the ball into a bunker, still 120 yards from the flag. Good thing the two guys were still back at the tee. My next approach from the bunker was OK, but I caught a greenside bunker just left of target. I made a good out, but still 2-putt for an opening double-bogey. I topped my drive attempt on hole #11, ending up in some nasty fescue. I managed to hack the ball out, only to land in even worse fescue, where the ball was unplayable. I ruined the hole early, en route to a quadruple bogey.
Thankfully, things turned around at that point. I hit a good 6-iron off the tee on hole #12, a 160-yard par-3 that was playing into the wind. My ball was flag high, but in a deep bunker right of the green. I hit my next shot thin, sending it to the fescue on the other side of the green. My next shot was great, but I still needed two putts to finish with double bogey. That's not a great score, but I felt good about my tee shot and the recovery from the fescue. It could have easily been a higher number.
Over the remainder of the back nine, I tallied four pars and two double-bogeys. One of the doubles came on a par-5. I found myself right of the green after three good shots, so really should have had no worse than bogey. I tried the high flopping pitch that worked well for me in my previous round, but sculled it over the green. The other double came on a par-3. This time, I was just left of the green after a good tee shot. I pitched on well, but a 3-putt was my undoing. Despite the shaky results, I was feeling good because those holes included some nice ball striking, which was not easy given the strong winds.
The pars were nice, especially three in a row to close out my opening nine. Hole #16 is a short par-4. I drove the ball to the left side of the fairway, then judged the wind well, just to land on the green in regulation. Hole #17 is the #2 handicap hole at Hunters Pointe, so that was a treat to par. Hole #18 was the best of all. There is a forced carry off the tee on this picturesque par-5. Water lines the entire right side of the hole, then wraps in front of the green, setting up a forced carry on the approach. I hit a driver safely to the left side, followed by a beautiful 5-iron to the middle of the fairway, 100 yards from the flag. My sand wedge got me to the green with a legitimate birdie chance. I didn't make it, but tapped in easily for par.
On my back nine, it was a lot of the same. The wind, which was fierce all day, actually got a little worse. I had trouble keeping my hat on and my ball was blown off the tee at least three times. I even had to factor the wind into my putting! My driving off the tee wasn't spectacular, but I was focused on getting to the ball from the inside. This worked well under the conditions, because it promotes a draw and lower ball flight. I lost a little bit of distance, as I also shortened my swing significantly, but the added control was well worth it. I did not flare or slice a single drive.
The best part was my second shots, with irons in hand. At the last Deepwoods event, where I struggled, my playing partner noticed that I was bending at the left elbow very early in my swing. When he told me that, I made an adjustment and promptly hit my best drive of the day. It didn't help me the rest of that day, but I realized he was right. Since then, I've focused on keeping the left elbow straight during my swing and “finishing down the line.” What a difference it made with my irons at Hunters Pointe! I hit a lot of nice irons, even a couple of long ones than penetrated right into the wind. A 3-iron on hole #2 was the best, travelling 200 yards to set up a birdie chance. Unfortunately, I 3-putt that hole, but I still felt good because of the iron shot.
I had one blowup hole on my second nine – a quadruple bogey on hole #3. My second shot on this par-5 trickled into a water hazard, and I had trouble with a greenside bunker. However, the last six holes of the day produced one par, four bogeys, and a double-bogey. For me, that's good! The way the wind was whipping incessantly, it was excellent. Sometimes, strong wind like that can ruin a round. I remember a number of rounds at Piper's Heath years ago where that was the case. This time, it was actually fun for me. On my last hole of the day, the wind was at my back. Normally, I would hit driver off the tee, finishing in front of a creek that crosses the fairway if everything went well. This time, I took an easy 5-wood and reached the same spot. I was proud of the decision and the execution, not only for that shot, but for many during the round.
On a final note, I broke 100 for the fifth time this year. It took nine rounds to do so. Considering I broke 100 just five times last season, which covered 31 rounds, that's encouraging. Maybe I'm coming back?
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
Saving Face at Lowville
OK, so my latest round of golf was played at Lowville Golf Club, in Burlington. I sliced my opening drive into the knee-high weeds, as it seems I've done in all of my recent visits there. I found the ball and managed to hack it out, but just barely, en route to a double bogey. After a perfect drive on hole #2, I hit a 9-iron off the heel, well left of the green. I did well to bump the ball under a tree and into a mound fronting the green to escape with bogey. Bogey was also the result on hole #3, a par-3. After three holes, things were looking OK.
Unfortunately, I took a triple bogey on the next hole, a par-5. My trouble came off the tee, when I pulled one into the woods. I found the ball and punched back to open space, but wasn't precise the rest of the way and also finished with a 3-putt. This was followed by double-bogey on the next two holes, the second of which was more disappointing, because I needed a chip and three putts to close out a hole that started out promising. After six holes, things were looking decidedly worse.
Luckily, I tallied two pars and a bogey to close out the front nine. Hole #7, an uphill par-5 was especially satisfying. I hit driver, 5-wood, managing to get the ball flag-high after two shots. My chip was mediocre and my birdie putt just missed, but I was still pleased. Hole #9 was a textbook par that also felt very good. A group of young guys let me and my partner play through on this hole, so it was great to have that success with a little audience watching. I split the fairway off the tee and nailed the green with my approach. After a lag and a tap-in, I recorded a 48 for the front nine. Back on track.
The back nine started out as a bogey fest, with the exception of hole #11, where I registered triple bogey. My second shot found a greenside bunker and my typical bunker problems surfaced. I caught my first attempt thin, but a high lip kept the ball in the hazard. My next attempt was fat, barely getting out. A chip and two putts finished things off. The triple was offset by five bogeys on the back nine through Hole #15. One shot that was working for me was the high flopping pitch shot. With the 60 degree wedge slightly open, I was able to swing aggressively, without decelerating the club. I produced some great shots, even when I had little green to work with. The best was on hole #12, a par-5. I was in a bit of trouble, but that one helped me get up and down nicely.
I had a bit of a debacle on hole #16, a long, uphill par-4. I pulled my tee shot into a bunker. Though the ball was in the bunker, I had to take my stance outside of it. The ball was well below my feet, which were planted in knee-high weeds. The weeds just managed to grab hold of my club when I swung. I was only able to get the ball to the flat part of the bunker. Unfortunately, I clipped the lip of the bunker on my next shot, then hooked one into the woods left of the green. When all was said and done, I tallied a quadruple bogey.
I double bogeyed the last two holes and was a little surprised when my final score turned out to be 99. I thought I had more wiggle room to avoid the dreaded century mark. Perhaps it was good that I didn't know, otherwise I may have tensed up and really blown up. Overall, I was satisfied with the round. There were some problems, for sure, but there were enough good shots to make the round enjoyable.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
Unfortunately, I took a triple bogey on the next hole, a par-5. My trouble came off the tee, when I pulled one into the woods. I found the ball and punched back to open space, but wasn't precise the rest of the way and also finished with a 3-putt. This was followed by double-bogey on the next two holes, the second of which was more disappointing, because I needed a chip and three putts to close out a hole that started out promising. After six holes, things were looking decidedly worse.
Luckily, I tallied two pars and a bogey to close out the front nine. Hole #7, an uphill par-5 was especially satisfying. I hit driver, 5-wood, managing to get the ball flag-high after two shots. My chip was mediocre and my birdie putt just missed, but I was still pleased. Hole #9 was a textbook par that also felt very good. A group of young guys let me and my partner play through on this hole, so it was great to have that success with a little audience watching. I split the fairway off the tee and nailed the green with my approach. After a lag and a tap-in, I recorded a 48 for the front nine. Back on track.
The back nine started out as a bogey fest, with the exception of hole #11, where I registered triple bogey. My second shot found a greenside bunker and my typical bunker problems surfaced. I caught my first attempt thin, but a high lip kept the ball in the hazard. My next attempt was fat, barely getting out. A chip and two putts finished things off. The triple was offset by five bogeys on the back nine through Hole #15. One shot that was working for me was the high flopping pitch shot. With the 60 degree wedge slightly open, I was able to swing aggressively, without decelerating the club. I produced some great shots, even when I had little green to work with. The best was on hole #12, a par-5. I was in a bit of trouble, but that one helped me get up and down nicely.
I had a bit of a debacle on hole #16, a long, uphill par-4. I pulled my tee shot into a bunker. Though the ball was in the bunker, I had to take my stance outside of it. The ball was well below my feet, which were planted in knee-high weeds. The weeds just managed to grab hold of my club when I swung. I was only able to get the ball to the flat part of the bunker. Unfortunately, I clipped the lip of the bunker on my next shot, then hooked one into the woods left of the green. When all was said and done, I tallied a quadruple bogey.
I double bogeyed the last two holes and was a little surprised when my final score turned out to be 99. I thought I had more wiggle room to avoid the dreaded century mark. Perhaps it was good that I didn't know, otherwise I may have tensed up and really blown up. Overall, I was satisfied with the round. There were some problems, for sure, but there were enough good shots to make the round enjoyable.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
June 25, 2014
Pen Lakes Pain
Round 2 of the Deepwoods championship took place at Peninsula Lakes Golf Club last Sunday. I arrived more than two hours before the first tee time, as I had volunteered to check-in players and help with any issues that might arise. Ironically, I didn't even have time to practice on the range, as a last-minute scheduling change bumped my foursome up by about 50 minutes. I quickly hit a half dozen balls and rushed to the tee. Worst of all, I didn't get to take a single putt or chip.
My first ball was in the water, but I followed up with a surprisingly good 5-iron to reach the par-4 opening hole in three strokes. With two putts, I managed to save a bogey. I hit the green in regulation on hole #2, a par-3. Facing a long putt, I had no sense of the green speeds. Of course, I 3-putt for another bogey. The short game imploded on the next hole, a par-4 with a sharp dogleg to the left. I was just off the back edge of the green after my first two shots. My first chip of the day was miserable, barely getting on the green. From there, I needed 4 putts to hole out, including two misses from less than 2 feet!
Now, I have been struggling with my golf game for a long time. On any given day, my shots could be doing a number of things. I could be slicing drives one moment, and pulling or hooking them the next. I could be hitting irons fat, then suddenly catching them thin. I could be chipping and putting well for a bit of a stretch, followed by another where the short game disappears. It is what it is, but the last thing I need is to enter a competition without taking a single chip or putt beforehand, especially when I arrive at the course 3 hours before my scheduled tee time!
On hole #4, a drive that wasn't terrible managed to settle under a spruce tree. The ball was unplayable. After a penalty stroke, an 8-iron that wasn't terrible managed to settle – you guessed it – under a spruce tree. I did manage to hack that one out to the green, finishing with a double bogey. Something similar happened on hole #8, the second of two back-to-back par-5 holes. My drive drifted right and luck was once again not on my side. With branches severely impeding my backswing, I advanced the ball a whole 4 yards! The end result was another double-bogey.
Worse than bad luck is when good decisions go unrewarded. On hole #6, a long par-3, I duffed my tee shot into a pond. The ball entered the hazard, but did not actually make it to the water. Unfortunately, it was in a rut that made playing it very tricky. The wise thing to do was to declare the ball unplayable and just take the penalty. That's exactly what I did. I dropped behind the hazard, keeping the point where the ball last crossed the margin between me and the hole. Then I absolutely butchered a 60-yard pitch attempt from a nice, flat lie, failing to get anywhere near the green. Good decision making is of little use when you can't execute the subsequent shot. I finished the hole with a quadruple bogey.
I could go on, but what's the point? I made the turn with a score of 54. I played the back nine even worse, piling up another 61 strokes. For goodness sake, I amassed 12 strokes on the tenth hole alone, a puny 290-yard par-4. I topped a 5-wood off the tee. I shanked a 9-iron out of bounds. I almost went out of bounds again after taking a penalty. I hit another spruce tree trying to get back to the fairway, where my ball ended up unplayable. Geez!
I hit only one fairway the entire round. It came on Hillside #4, which is the toughest on the course. A slight mis-hit on my approach to the green came up short. I should have finished with no worse than bogey, but a duffed pitch attempt bumped that up to a double. I salvaged two consecutive pars near the end of the round, but even those were ugly. The first came after a terrible drive to an opposite fairway. It was a miracle that my second shot, with the 5-wood, cleared a group of trees and rolled down a hill back to the fairway.
Whatever. It's been 10 years since I started playing this game and this is the type of result I had in the first few games I ever played. #@&*!
Score: 115
Putts: 40
Fairways: 1
Greens: 1
Penalties: 7
My first ball was in the water, but I followed up with a surprisingly good 5-iron to reach the par-4 opening hole in three strokes. With two putts, I managed to save a bogey. I hit the green in regulation on hole #2, a par-3. Facing a long putt, I had no sense of the green speeds. Of course, I 3-putt for another bogey. The short game imploded on the next hole, a par-4 with a sharp dogleg to the left. I was just off the back edge of the green after my first two shots. My first chip of the day was miserable, barely getting on the green. From there, I needed 4 putts to hole out, including two misses from less than 2 feet!
Now, I have been struggling with my golf game for a long time. On any given day, my shots could be doing a number of things. I could be slicing drives one moment, and pulling or hooking them the next. I could be hitting irons fat, then suddenly catching them thin. I could be chipping and putting well for a bit of a stretch, followed by another where the short game disappears. It is what it is, but the last thing I need is to enter a competition without taking a single chip or putt beforehand, especially when I arrive at the course 3 hours before my scheduled tee time!
On hole #4, a drive that wasn't terrible managed to settle under a spruce tree. The ball was unplayable. After a penalty stroke, an 8-iron that wasn't terrible managed to settle – you guessed it – under a spruce tree. I did manage to hack that one out to the green, finishing with a double bogey. Something similar happened on hole #8, the second of two back-to-back par-5 holes. My drive drifted right and luck was once again not on my side. With branches severely impeding my backswing, I advanced the ball a whole 4 yards! The end result was another double-bogey.
Worse than bad luck is when good decisions go unrewarded. On hole #6, a long par-3, I duffed my tee shot into a pond. The ball entered the hazard, but did not actually make it to the water. Unfortunately, it was in a rut that made playing it very tricky. The wise thing to do was to declare the ball unplayable and just take the penalty. That's exactly what I did. I dropped behind the hazard, keeping the point where the ball last crossed the margin between me and the hole. Then I absolutely butchered a 60-yard pitch attempt from a nice, flat lie, failing to get anywhere near the green. Good decision making is of little use when you can't execute the subsequent shot. I finished the hole with a quadruple bogey.
I could go on, but what's the point? I made the turn with a score of 54. I played the back nine even worse, piling up another 61 strokes. For goodness sake, I amassed 12 strokes on the tenth hole alone, a puny 290-yard par-4. I topped a 5-wood off the tee. I shanked a 9-iron out of bounds. I almost went out of bounds again after taking a penalty. I hit another spruce tree trying to get back to the fairway, where my ball ended up unplayable. Geez!
I hit only one fairway the entire round. It came on Hillside #4, which is the toughest on the course. A slight mis-hit on my approach to the green came up short. I should have finished with no worse than bogey, but a duffed pitch attempt bumped that up to a double. I salvaged two consecutive pars near the end of the round, but even those were ugly. The first came after a terrible drive to an opposite fairway. It was a miracle that my second shot, with the 5-wood, cleared a group of trees and rolled down a hill back to the fairway.
Whatever. It's been 10 years since I started playing this game and this is the type of result I had in the first few games I ever played. #@&*!
Score: 115
Putts: 40
Fairways: 1
Greens: 1
Penalties: 7
June 23, 2014
Sneaking One In at King's Forest
The weather “experts” were predicting doom and gloom, what with their severe weather alerts and “worst storm ever” hyperbole. A look outside my window, however, revealed cloudy skies, but no rain. It had been two weeks since I last played, so I booked a last minute round at King's Forest Golf Club in Hamilton and hoped for the best. Except for some stiff wind at times, conditions were ideal. Temperature was warm, the skies were partly cloudy, and not a single drop of water fell while I was on the course.
On the opening par-4, my drive sailed right of the fairway. With access to the green blocked by a cluster of trees, I tried laying up about 30 yards in front of the green. Instead of travelling 130 yards, my pitching wedge went 160 yards, right into a creek. It was a pattern that would repeat itself many times over the course of the round. Every time I tried to punch out of trouble or pitch back to safety, my ball would bound across the entire fairway, finding more trouble on the other side. On the opening hole, it cost me a double-bogey.
On the second hole, another par-4, I found myself deep in the trees right of the fairway. My first punch attempt smacked a tree trunk and came backwards. My second attempt clipped another trunk and deflected into a tiny water hazard, which was nothing more than a culvert. It was dry and I found my ball, but it was deep in a rut and unplayable. Triple bogey ensued. On hole #4 and in the trees right of the fairway once again, I managed to avoid tree trunks with my punch out. Unfortunately, I ran right through the fairway to the rough on the other side. Despite a couple small trees in my line, I hit a great 3-iron from there to the greenside bunker on this par-5 hole. I wasted my first bunker shot, before hitting a good one and one putting for bogey.
Suspect putting on the next few holes led to a trio of double-bogeys. On hole #6, a par-5, it ruined what would have been a good recovery. My drive off the tee found the weeds right of the fairway. After a penalty stroke, my 6-iron clipped a small tree, also on the right of the fairway. However, from 185 yards out, I hit a masterful shot to find the green. It was a high 5-iron over a large bunker in front and gently onto the green that was not even visible from my position. I should have been able to two putt for bogey, but it didn't happen. I did manage par on hole #8 and made the turn with a score of 51.
The toughest part of the course is the stretch from hole #10 through #13. In the trees left of the fairway on #11, I made one of my bonehead punch outs. Instead of simply punching back to the fairway, I tried to hook one closer to the green. Well, it didn't hook and instead found a water hazard on the other side of the fairway. The final result was double-bogey. That was nothing, compared to the 11 strokes I amassed on hole #12, a par-4 that doglegs through thick trees. I duffed a 3-iron off the tee, then flared an attempted layup into the forest. I smacked a tree trunk with a punch attempt, then guess what? I punched out, only to find the trees clear across the other side of the fairway! The ball was unplayable, so I took a penalty. Finally, my approach to the green with the gap wedge sailed 20 yards further than normal, finding another hazard and earning another penalty. Two more shots to get on and two putts later, 11 was the final tally.
With a respectable score now out of the question, I rattled off three pars in a row, beginning with #14, a short par-3 hole. Hole #15, a par-5, was more impressive, as I earned par despite taking a penalty stroke. My drive was straight and deep, but bounced through the end of the bending fairway and into some weeds. After taking a drop, I was 200 yards from the green, which was once again not visible over the crest of the hill. I hit a fabulous high 3-iron that settled 15 feet behind the pin. Those shots are what make golf fun. Unfortunately, they are so few and far between. I just missed the birdie putt, but I was satisfied.
I was disappointed with a poor pitch shot on hole #17, a long par-3 that was playing directly into the wind. After a decent tee shot, I should have finished with no worse than bogey, but double bogey was the result. With one hole to play, it was not possible to break 100. Subconsciously, that must have affected me. I played the hole poorly, including another failed punch hook attempt that didn't hook and ended up unplayable in trees opposite the fairway. I finished with a quadruple-bogey and a pathetic final tally.
Score: 106
Putts: 37
Fairways: 2
Greens: 4
Penalties: 9
On the opening par-4, my drive sailed right of the fairway. With access to the green blocked by a cluster of trees, I tried laying up about 30 yards in front of the green. Instead of travelling 130 yards, my pitching wedge went 160 yards, right into a creek. It was a pattern that would repeat itself many times over the course of the round. Every time I tried to punch out of trouble or pitch back to safety, my ball would bound across the entire fairway, finding more trouble on the other side. On the opening hole, it cost me a double-bogey.
On the second hole, another par-4, I found myself deep in the trees right of the fairway. My first punch attempt smacked a tree trunk and came backwards. My second attempt clipped another trunk and deflected into a tiny water hazard, which was nothing more than a culvert. It was dry and I found my ball, but it was deep in a rut and unplayable. Triple bogey ensued. On hole #4 and in the trees right of the fairway once again, I managed to avoid tree trunks with my punch out. Unfortunately, I ran right through the fairway to the rough on the other side. Despite a couple small trees in my line, I hit a great 3-iron from there to the greenside bunker on this par-5 hole. I wasted my first bunker shot, before hitting a good one and one putting for bogey.
Suspect putting on the next few holes led to a trio of double-bogeys. On hole #6, a par-5, it ruined what would have been a good recovery. My drive off the tee found the weeds right of the fairway. After a penalty stroke, my 6-iron clipped a small tree, also on the right of the fairway. However, from 185 yards out, I hit a masterful shot to find the green. It was a high 5-iron over a large bunker in front and gently onto the green that was not even visible from my position. I should have been able to two putt for bogey, but it didn't happen. I did manage par on hole #8 and made the turn with a score of 51.
The toughest part of the course is the stretch from hole #10 through #13. In the trees left of the fairway on #11, I made one of my bonehead punch outs. Instead of simply punching back to the fairway, I tried to hook one closer to the green. Well, it didn't hook and instead found a water hazard on the other side of the fairway. The final result was double-bogey. That was nothing, compared to the 11 strokes I amassed on hole #12, a par-4 that doglegs through thick trees. I duffed a 3-iron off the tee, then flared an attempted layup into the forest. I smacked a tree trunk with a punch attempt, then guess what? I punched out, only to find the trees clear across the other side of the fairway! The ball was unplayable, so I took a penalty. Finally, my approach to the green with the gap wedge sailed 20 yards further than normal, finding another hazard and earning another penalty. Two more shots to get on and two putts later, 11 was the final tally.
With a respectable score now out of the question, I rattled off three pars in a row, beginning with #14, a short par-3 hole. Hole #15, a par-5, was more impressive, as I earned par despite taking a penalty stroke. My drive was straight and deep, but bounced through the end of the bending fairway and into some weeds. After taking a drop, I was 200 yards from the green, which was once again not visible over the crest of the hill. I hit a fabulous high 3-iron that settled 15 feet behind the pin. Those shots are what make golf fun. Unfortunately, they are so few and far between. I just missed the birdie putt, but I was satisfied.
I was disappointed with a poor pitch shot on hole #17, a long par-3 that was playing directly into the wind. After a decent tee shot, I should have finished with no worse than bogey, but double bogey was the result. With one hole to play, it was not possible to break 100. Subconsciously, that must have affected me. I played the hole poorly, including another failed punch hook attempt that didn't hook and ended up unplayable in trees opposite the fairway. I finished with a quadruple-bogey and a pathetic final tally.
Score: 106
Putts: 37
Fairways: 2
Greens: 4
Penalties: 9
June 04, 2014
First Ever Visit to Calerin
Doug Carrick has designed some of the most acclaimed golf courses in Ontario, including Copper Creek, Eagle's Nest, Angus Glen, Osprey Valley, Greystone, Magna, King Valley, Muskoka Bay, Bigwin Island, and Battlefield at Legends on the Niagara. I've played my fair share of these and enjoy them thoroughly. Though each course is unique, one can definitely notice a common thread woven through them all. I guess you could call it the designer's signature.
One Carrick designed course that I hadn't played was Calerin Golf Club, located in Erin, Ontario. The only reason I hadn't played there is the fact that it is “merely” a 9-hole layout. I'm a traditionalist. I like to play 18-hole courses and I insist on them being full length. Executive, par-3, and 9-hole courses serve a useful purpose, but I don't consider them a pure test of golf. Thus, I have stayed away from Calerin – until now.
The holes at Calerin feature two very different sets of tees. Sometimes, the difference alters the length of the holes. A par-5, for example, can be reachable in two shots from one set of tees, while playing as a full three shot par-5 from the other. A par-3 can call for a sand wedge from 110 yards when teeing off from one area, while requiring a 6-iron from 170 yards when teeing off from another. But it's not just about length. The two sets of tees often alter the angle of attack, either to the green or fairway. This brings different bunkers and other hazards into play. Golfers may find that one set of tees suits their eye much more than the other.
The idea is to play 18 holes – the front nine played from one set of tees and the back nine played from the other set. I must admit, it's quite effective. Though the greens and pin locations are obviously the same, tee shots are completely different, and due to differing lengths, you're usually attacking the greens with different clubs. Total length over 18 holes is 6500 yards, so this is no slouch. In fact, I liked the course design very much. The greens, unfortunately, were in poor condition, with patches of dead grass making for a bumpy ride. However, so many courses suffered this winter that I'm willing to cut the club some slack. The outhouse (or clubhouse), on the other hand, smelled like urine. Then again, I wasn't there to entertain clients – I was there to golf.
I went bogey, par on the first two holes – a par 5, followed by a par-3. A dark cloud passed overhead right after teeing off on hole #3, dumping enough rain to soak us before we reached shelter at the clubhouse. After about ten minutes, the rain stopped, and the sun came out for the rest of the round. The golf cart had no bag covers, so my clubs got wet. I struggled to keep my grips dry on the third and fourth holes, and my soaked towel was no help. Maybe it was that, or maybe I just lost focus, but I started making some bad shots. Even with my grips dry, I struggled to finish the front nine with a score of 55.
The back nine – which was really the same nine, played from the other set of tees – was a very different story, as I shot a score of 46. For starters, I had seen the holes at least once, so I had a better idea of what to expect and where to miss. I also played better with my wedges. Early on, I was consistently going long on pitch shots in the 40 to 60 yard range. Coupled with some very poor chip shots, this was adding many unnecessary strokes. The poor chips usually came on flop attempts, where I had a lot of rough to fly over, but little green between me and the hole. Once I started hitting the greens with those 50-yard pitch shots, there was no need to chip. Hence, the improvement.
One thing that didn't change was my putting. I putt well for almost the entire round, but the greens were not rolling well enough to sink putts of any length. I therefore 2-putt everything, except for a pair of 3-putts the first time through on holes #8 and #9. The second time through on those same holes, I played my best golf of the round. In both cases, I played through strong winds to first find the fairway, and then cozy an approach to within birdie range. Those holes felt really good – it's a shame the birdies didn't drop on the less than perfect greens.
Score: 101
Putts: 38
Fairways: 2
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
One Carrick designed course that I hadn't played was Calerin Golf Club, located in Erin, Ontario. The only reason I hadn't played there is the fact that it is “merely” a 9-hole layout. I'm a traditionalist. I like to play 18-hole courses and I insist on them being full length. Executive, par-3, and 9-hole courses serve a useful purpose, but I don't consider them a pure test of golf. Thus, I have stayed away from Calerin – until now.
The holes at Calerin feature two very different sets of tees. Sometimes, the difference alters the length of the holes. A par-5, for example, can be reachable in two shots from one set of tees, while playing as a full three shot par-5 from the other. A par-3 can call for a sand wedge from 110 yards when teeing off from one area, while requiring a 6-iron from 170 yards when teeing off from another. But it's not just about length. The two sets of tees often alter the angle of attack, either to the green or fairway. This brings different bunkers and other hazards into play. Golfers may find that one set of tees suits their eye much more than the other.
The idea is to play 18 holes – the front nine played from one set of tees and the back nine played from the other set. I must admit, it's quite effective. Though the greens and pin locations are obviously the same, tee shots are completely different, and due to differing lengths, you're usually attacking the greens with different clubs. Total length over 18 holes is 6500 yards, so this is no slouch. In fact, I liked the course design very much. The greens, unfortunately, were in poor condition, with patches of dead grass making for a bumpy ride. However, so many courses suffered this winter that I'm willing to cut the club some slack. The outhouse (or clubhouse), on the other hand, smelled like urine. Then again, I wasn't there to entertain clients – I was there to golf.
I went bogey, par on the first two holes – a par 5, followed by a par-3. A dark cloud passed overhead right after teeing off on hole #3, dumping enough rain to soak us before we reached shelter at the clubhouse. After about ten minutes, the rain stopped, and the sun came out for the rest of the round. The golf cart had no bag covers, so my clubs got wet. I struggled to keep my grips dry on the third and fourth holes, and my soaked towel was no help. Maybe it was that, or maybe I just lost focus, but I started making some bad shots. Even with my grips dry, I struggled to finish the front nine with a score of 55.
The back nine – which was really the same nine, played from the other set of tees – was a very different story, as I shot a score of 46. For starters, I had seen the holes at least once, so I had a better idea of what to expect and where to miss. I also played better with my wedges. Early on, I was consistently going long on pitch shots in the 40 to 60 yard range. Coupled with some very poor chip shots, this was adding many unnecessary strokes. The poor chips usually came on flop attempts, where I had a lot of rough to fly over, but little green between me and the hole. Once I started hitting the greens with those 50-yard pitch shots, there was no need to chip. Hence, the improvement.
One thing that didn't change was my putting. I putt well for almost the entire round, but the greens were not rolling well enough to sink putts of any length. I therefore 2-putt everything, except for a pair of 3-putts the first time through on holes #8 and #9. The second time through on those same holes, I played my best golf of the round. In both cases, I played through strong winds to first find the fairway, and then cozy an approach to within birdie range. Those holes felt really good – it's a shame the birdies didn't drop on the less than perfect greens.
Score: 101
Putts: 38
Fairways: 2
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
June 01, 2014
Great Day at Glencairn
The best rounds of golf are the ones you can play with your friends, regardless of individual performance. I had a chance to play with some buddies at Glencairn Golf Club, which was a new course for me. The course is a links style layout, with 27 holes. We played the Speyside nine, followed by Scotch Block. It was one of the more enjoyable rounds I've had in a while. Besides being able to catch up and joke around with some friends, the course was nice and the weather was perfect. In the end, I even played pretty well.
My drives missed the fairway on the first couple of holes, but just barely. Likewise, my approaches barely missed the green. On the first hole, I chipped and 2-putt for bogey, but a poor chip and 3-putt produced double-bogey on the second. We had spent some time on the practice range before the round, but didn't get a chance to practice any putting. After a couple of holes, I had a pretty good sense of the pace to expect on the greens.
I began hole #4, a short par-5, with a perfect drive to the left side of the fairway. Next, I hit a great wedge to lay up in front of a marsh, leaving 130 yards to the flag. I hit a good 9-iron into the green, but came up short due to a headwind and found myself in a bunker. I caught too much ball, sending it over the green. Next, I duffed a chip attempt, en route to a triple bogey. My long play was good, but the short game, specifically sand play and chip shots, killed me.
I only found one other bunker the entire round, and failed to emerge cleanly once again. That time, I hit too much sand, leaving the ball in the bunker. There were other occasions where poor chips also inflated my score. I was often short sided, which forced me to flop the ball. These are the chip attempts I'm most likely to duff. When I had green to work with, I actually hit a couple of chip shots that were real gems. On a few occasions, I cozied a chip right near the pin, leaving an easy gimme putt.
I had a pair of pars on Speyside – one on the par-3 fifth hole, and the other on the par-5 sixth. The first of these was textbook, as I hit the green, made a long lag and an easy tap-in. The second was also routine, as I piped a pair of 5-woods, followed by a wedge to reach the green. A long lag and easy tap-in finished things up. The 5-wood and driver both served me well off the tee. I employed the former on shorter holes, while using the big boy on longer tests.
Pars were more plentiful on Scotch Block nine. In fact, I made par on four of the first five holes. The first featured a laser of a drive, a wicked 3-wood to reach the green in regulation after topping my second shot, and another great lag putt. The second was more of a scramble, but a great up and down saved me. My approach flew the green on the third, but I hit the edging along the cart path, keeping my ball in bounds. From there, it was a satisfying up and down. The fourth par featured a good drive and excellent approach with the 5-iron. Hitting from the rough and into the wind, I was able to draw the ball, avoiding bunkers front left and finishing up at the back of the green, flag high.
I cooled down a bit over the last four holes, but managed to finish the round with a score of 97. Given the length of the course and degree of difficulty, it was probably my best round of the season so far. Sure, I could have saved some strokes by avoiding a few bad chips, a few bad putts, and a couple of blatant mishits, but I also had many good chips, good putts, and full shots. I'm satisfied.
Score: 97
Putts: 37
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
My drives missed the fairway on the first couple of holes, but just barely. Likewise, my approaches barely missed the green. On the first hole, I chipped and 2-putt for bogey, but a poor chip and 3-putt produced double-bogey on the second. We had spent some time on the practice range before the round, but didn't get a chance to practice any putting. After a couple of holes, I had a pretty good sense of the pace to expect on the greens.
I began hole #4, a short par-5, with a perfect drive to the left side of the fairway. Next, I hit a great wedge to lay up in front of a marsh, leaving 130 yards to the flag. I hit a good 9-iron into the green, but came up short due to a headwind and found myself in a bunker. I caught too much ball, sending it over the green. Next, I duffed a chip attempt, en route to a triple bogey. My long play was good, but the short game, specifically sand play and chip shots, killed me.
I only found one other bunker the entire round, and failed to emerge cleanly once again. That time, I hit too much sand, leaving the ball in the bunker. There were other occasions where poor chips also inflated my score. I was often short sided, which forced me to flop the ball. These are the chip attempts I'm most likely to duff. When I had green to work with, I actually hit a couple of chip shots that were real gems. On a few occasions, I cozied a chip right near the pin, leaving an easy gimme putt.
I had a pair of pars on Speyside – one on the par-3 fifth hole, and the other on the par-5 sixth. The first of these was textbook, as I hit the green, made a long lag and an easy tap-in. The second was also routine, as I piped a pair of 5-woods, followed by a wedge to reach the green. A long lag and easy tap-in finished things up. The 5-wood and driver both served me well off the tee. I employed the former on shorter holes, while using the big boy on longer tests.
Pars were more plentiful on Scotch Block nine. In fact, I made par on four of the first five holes. The first featured a laser of a drive, a wicked 3-wood to reach the green in regulation after topping my second shot, and another great lag putt. The second was more of a scramble, but a great up and down saved me. My approach flew the green on the third, but I hit the edging along the cart path, keeping my ball in bounds. From there, it was a satisfying up and down. The fourth par featured a good drive and excellent approach with the 5-iron. Hitting from the rough and into the wind, I was able to draw the ball, avoiding bunkers front left and finishing up at the back of the green, flag high.
I cooled down a bit over the last four holes, but managed to finish the round with a score of 97. Given the length of the course and degree of difficulty, it was probably my best round of the season so far. Sure, I could have saved some strokes by avoiding a few bad chips, a few bad putts, and a couple of blatant mishits, but I also had many good chips, good putts, and full shots. I'm satisfied.
Score: 97
Putts: 37
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
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