My last round convinced me it had been too long since my previous visit to Osprey Valley, so I decided to play all three courses there in an epic golf outing. First up was another crack at the classic Heathlands. This time, I played the current day routing, which begins on the original hole #11.
The start on the par-5 was good, with three controlled shots navigating the fairway and reaching the edge of the green. I was a long way from the hole and 3-putt for bogey, despite a couple of pretty good efforts. I also made bogey on hole #2, a 168-yard par-3. To do so required a fabulous up and down from the opposite side of the green to where the hole was cut.
The next two holes produced a pair of triple-bogeys. On #3, a par-4, my second shot landed in a greenside bunker. The dreaded clean pick soared past the entire green, while the comebacker was a bit short, setting up another 3-putt. On #4, a par-5, my second shot hit the lone tree on the hole, leading to a lost ball in the fescue. By the way, when I say fescue at Heathlands, I'm talking about knee to waist high stuff. It's no joke!
The remainder of the front nine included a pair of bogeys and three doubles. I hit a horrific 7-iron into the fescue on hole #6, a 173-yard par-3. I butchered the hole last time as well. On hole #7, my problem was a drive that landed in the fescue. On #8, it was a drive that sliced into the forest. I pumped a beautiful drive down the fairway on hole #9, but visited the fescue after trying to reach this par-5 in two.
I was shooting 53 at the turn, which is what I shot the last time around. To break 100, I would have to finish a lot stronger. Holes #10 through #15 produced three bogeys and three doubles. Sometimes, I found the fescue with my drives. When I actually found the fairway, it was my approach shots that dove into the long grass. When I avoided the fescue altogether, it seemed I would 3-putt.
Finally, I caught a break on hole #16, a 131-yard par-3 over water. I hit the green last time I played the hole, but 3-putt from above the hole for bogey. This time, my pitching wedge carried the ball five feet past the hole. The ball spun back and left, finishing about 8 feet below the hole. Alleluia! It was a straight putt, so I stepped up and drained it for birdie!
I ended up shooting 45 on the back nine and 98 overall. Not great, but at least I kept it under 100.
Score: 98
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
August 04, 2017
August 03, 2017
Heathlands 25th Anniversary
Osprey Valley Heathlands celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special promotion on the 25th of July. The event sold out in about 15 minutes and the best I could do was take a spot well down on the waiting list. Fortunately, I hooked up with someone who managed to snag a tee time – and it was the first of the day to boot!
As our foursome prepared to tee off on the first hole of the original routing, a piper perched atop a nearby mound played the bagpipes for the small crowd that was on hand. Shortly thereafter, the course architect, Doug Carrick, was introduced. He took the ceremonial tee shot before our group followed suit.
The last time I played Heathlands was in 2010, as part of the GTA Amateur Tour. It was a 2-day major, in which I managed to collect rounds of 96 and 85. If I could replicate that sort of form, especially that of the second day, I would have been very happy. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Though I had a fantastic time on a great course, I blew up for a massive score on hole #9. I also struggled over the last four holes with some more big numbers.
The first eight holes were decent enough. I got up and down for bogey from a tough bunker on hole #1, before making a textbook par on #2. My only penalty stroke during this stretch came on hole #3, when I pulled my approach shot into a water hazard. That led to double-bogey, which was the same score I hand on hole #4. My approach from 140 yards found a deep bunker and though I splashed out well, I was above the hole and 3-putt.
A bogey on hole #5 was followed by a double on #6. I made my first excursion into the long fescue on this hole and wasted a shot completely trying to hit it out of there. I went on to bogey the next two holes, mostly by staying out of trouble. The last one was a bit disappointing, as it came on a par-3 after I hit the green in regulation. Once again, I was above the hole, with little chance to stop the ball near the cup.
On hole #9, a long par-5, I sliced my tee shot into a water hazard. Despite the penalty stroke, I managed to get beside the green with my fourth shot. Unfortunately, I was in a bunker. The rest of the hole played out like this. My fifth shot released off the back of the green into a water hazard. After another penalty, I sculled one back into the bunker I had already been in. I hit one fat, then rammed two more into the lip. My 11th shot found the green and I 2-putt for a score of 13. The round was ruined right there.
I averaged bogey golf on the first five holes of the back nine. This included a par on hole #11 and a double-bogey on hole #14. The others were bogeys, obviously. I needed to play bogey golf the rest of the way just to break 100. Instead, I collected a couple of quadruple-bogeys and a triple. On hole #15, my drive went into the fescue. I hacked it out to the fairway, but then found the fescue again near the green. This time, the ball was lost. On hole #16, a par-3, I pulled an iron into the thick fescue again. Another lost ball. On hole #17, my drive wasn't terrible but dove into the fescue. I found that one, but it took three hacks just to get out to the fairway. You get the picture.
To score well at Heathlands you MUST avoid the fescue. On a few occasions, I wasn't able to do that and that's what killed me. You also have to putt from below the hole. I was often putting from the high side with no chance of stopping the ball near the cup. Oh well, maybe next time.
Score: 107
Putts: 41
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 5
As our foursome prepared to tee off on the first hole of the original routing, a piper perched atop a nearby mound played the bagpipes for the small crowd that was on hand. Shortly thereafter, the course architect, Doug Carrick, was introduced. He took the ceremonial tee shot before our group followed suit.
The last time I played Heathlands was in 2010, as part of the GTA Amateur Tour. It was a 2-day major, in which I managed to collect rounds of 96 and 85. If I could replicate that sort of form, especially that of the second day, I would have been very happy. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Though I had a fantastic time on a great course, I blew up for a massive score on hole #9. I also struggled over the last four holes with some more big numbers.
The first eight holes were decent enough. I got up and down for bogey from a tough bunker on hole #1, before making a textbook par on #2. My only penalty stroke during this stretch came on hole #3, when I pulled my approach shot into a water hazard. That led to double-bogey, which was the same score I hand on hole #4. My approach from 140 yards found a deep bunker and though I splashed out well, I was above the hole and 3-putt.
A bogey on hole #5 was followed by a double on #6. I made my first excursion into the long fescue on this hole and wasted a shot completely trying to hit it out of there. I went on to bogey the next two holes, mostly by staying out of trouble. The last one was a bit disappointing, as it came on a par-3 after I hit the green in regulation. Once again, I was above the hole, with little chance to stop the ball near the cup.
On hole #9, a long par-5, I sliced my tee shot into a water hazard. Despite the penalty stroke, I managed to get beside the green with my fourth shot. Unfortunately, I was in a bunker. The rest of the hole played out like this. My fifth shot released off the back of the green into a water hazard. After another penalty, I sculled one back into the bunker I had already been in. I hit one fat, then rammed two more into the lip. My 11th shot found the green and I 2-putt for a score of 13. The round was ruined right there.
I averaged bogey golf on the first five holes of the back nine. This included a par on hole #11 and a double-bogey on hole #14. The others were bogeys, obviously. I needed to play bogey golf the rest of the way just to break 100. Instead, I collected a couple of quadruple-bogeys and a triple. On hole #15, my drive went into the fescue. I hacked it out to the fairway, but then found the fescue again near the green. This time, the ball was lost. On hole #16, a par-3, I pulled an iron into the thick fescue again. Another lost ball. On hole #17, my drive wasn't terrible but dove into the fescue. I found that one, but it took three hacks just to get out to the fairway. You get the picture.
To score well at Heathlands you MUST avoid the fescue. On a few occasions, I wasn't able to do that and that's what killed me. You also have to putt from below the hole. I was often putting from the high side with no chance of stopping the ball near the cup. Oh well, maybe next time.
Score: 107
Putts: 41
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 5
July 24, 2017
Attitude Adjustment at Glen Eagle
During my last few rounds in Deepwoods competition, I was keeping track of my score and points throughout the round. Years ago, this seemed to work well for me. If I was playing well, it gave me the confidence to continue or to put a poor hole behind me. However, this hasn't been the case lately. Instead, I found that I was rueing over points lost early and then pressing to get them back immediately. This was a big reason for my terrible round earlier in the year at Peninsula Lakes. For the latest Deepwoods event at Glen Eagle, I decided to play without keeping track of my score and to let the chips fall where they may.
I hit some balls on the range prior to the round and was pull hooking almost everything. I was unable to figure out a solution, so I just put it out of my mind completely. I don't want to think about that stuff during a round, so I was happy to accept whatever showed up on the course itself. We teed off on the Red nine and my start was excellent. I was just 2 over par through the first five holes (par, bogey, par, bogey, par). There were some great signs early. I hit the first green in regulation from a fairway bunker. I found the putting surface from a green side bunker on hole #2. I got up and down for par on hole #3. Miraculously, I did the same from a green side bunker on hole #5.
I sculled a 70-yard approach shot on hole #6, then sculled a chip from the back of the green en route to a double-bogey and the first blemish on my scorecard. On hole #7, a par-4, I was just in front of the green after two shots. What should have been a simple pitch and 2-putt began instead with another sculled pitch and finished with a 3-putt triple-bogey. You could say I had a momentary lapse in my short game. I recovered well, finishing the front nine with a bogey and another par. My score at the turn was 44, though I didn't know it, since I wasn't keeping track.
Moving to the Blue nine, I began with a solid bogey. Blue #1 at Glean Eagle has given me trouble in the past, though always when played as the first hole of the day. This time, I drilled a drive down the pipe, which the sloped fairway pushed into the right rough. From 150 yards, some overhanging branches forced me to play a lower lofted club into the green. I took a half swing with the 5-iron, finishing flag high, just right of the green. A chip and two putts finished the hole.
I scrambled my way to a double-bogey on Blue #2, a par-5. However, the real tragedy came on Blue #3. This is a par-3 over a valley that was playing 176 yards to the flag. I hit a 5-iron the perfect distance, finding the green to the right of the hole. In fact, this hole was being used for the “closest to the pin” competition, and I ended up taking the honours. Closest or not, I faced a long birdie putt and proceeded to race one 8 feet past the hole. The downhill comebacker missed as well. Worse yet, I missed a two footer for bogey. I actually earned a 4-putt double-bogey after making the best tee shot of the entire Deepwoods group. Unbelievable.
I missed another short putt for par on Blue #6. On those two holes alone, putting cost me 3 Deepwoods points. I say that in retrospect, as I wasn't thinking about that at all during play. One reason I was able to do so is that I was still hitting lots of very solid shots. One of the nicest was my tee shot on Blue #8, a long par-3 with two ponds protecting the front of the green. Playing into the wind, I launched an easy 5-wood over the pond on the right to the pin that was tucked in behind. I finished on the back fringe, then 2-putt for par. On the last hole of the day, a short par-4, I hit my best drive of the day, followed by an accurate sand wedge and two putts for another par.
When I tallied my score, I was satisfied with 90, though it would have been nice to break that level, even by one stroke. I earned 35 Deepwoods points, which is good, but I really had an opportunity to reach the 40-point maximum. It's okay, I had a good time and the attitude adjustment I made for this round was a big reason for that.
Score: 90
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
I hit some balls on the range prior to the round and was pull hooking almost everything. I was unable to figure out a solution, so I just put it out of my mind completely. I don't want to think about that stuff during a round, so I was happy to accept whatever showed up on the course itself. We teed off on the Red nine and my start was excellent. I was just 2 over par through the first five holes (par, bogey, par, bogey, par). There were some great signs early. I hit the first green in regulation from a fairway bunker. I found the putting surface from a green side bunker on hole #2. I got up and down for par on hole #3. Miraculously, I did the same from a green side bunker on hole #5.
I sculled a 70-yard approach shot on hole #6, then sculled a chip from the back of the green en route to a double-bogey and the first blemish on my scorecard. On hole #7, a par-4, I was just in front of the green after two shots. What should have been a simple pitch and 2-putt began instead with another sculled pitch and finished with a 3-putt triple-bogey. You could say I had a momentary lapse in my short game. I recovered well, finishing the front nine with a bogey and another par. My score at the turn was 44, though I didn't know it, since I wasn't keeping track.
Moving to the Blue nine, I began with a solid bogey. Blue #1 at Glean Eagle has given me trouble in the past, though always when played as the first hole of the day. This time, I drilled a drive down the pipe, which the sloped fairway pushed into the right rough. From 150 yards, some overhanging branches forced me to play a lower lofted club into the green. I took a half swing with the 5-iron, finishing flag high, just right of the green. A chip and two putts finished the hole.
I scrambled my way to a double-bogey on Blue #2, a par-5. However, the real tragedy came on Blue #3. This is a par-3 over a valley that was playing 176 yards to the flag. I hit a 5-iron the perfect distance, finding the green to the right of the hole. In fact, this hole was being used for the “closest to the pin” competition, and I ended up taking the honours. Closest or not, I faced a long birdie putt and proceeded to race one 8 feet past the hole. The downhill comebacker missed as well. Worse yet, I missed a two footer for bogey. I actually earned a 4-putt double-bogey after making the best tee shot of the entire Deepwoods group. Unbelievable.
I missed another short putt for par on Blue #6. On those two holes alone, putting cost me 3 Deepwoods points. I say that in retrospect, as I wasn't thinking about that at all during play. One reason I was able to do so is that I was still hitting lots of very solid shots. One of the nicest was my tee shot on Blue #8, a long par-3 with two ponds protecting the front of the green. Playing into the wind, I launched an easy 5-wood over the pond on the right to the pin that was tucked in behind. I finished on the back fringe, then 2-putt for par. On the last hole of the day, a short par-4, I hit my best drive of the day, followed by an accurate sand wedge and two putts for another par.
When I tallied my score, I was satisfied with 90, though it would have been nice to break that level, even by one stroke. I earned 35 Deepwoods points, which is good, but I really had an opportunity to reach the 40-point maximum. It's okay, I had a good time and the attitude adjustment I made for this round was a big reason for that.
Score: 90
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
July 18, 2017
Wolf Run Outing
My last round at Wolf Run was a solid 86, so I was looking forward to another crack at the course. I arrived 30 minutes before my tee time, but the first tee was open, so they let me start right away. I hit driver, 3-iron to start the long par-5, but still had 180 yards to the green. I pulled the 5-iron a bit, finishing in the left rough, 30 yards short. This was actually a decent spot. Unfortunately, I sculled my pitch attempt to the back of the green, while the flag was at the front. I proceeded to blast three puts well past the hole, finishing with a 4-putt triple-bogey. I guess I should have taken at least a couple putts before the round began. Oh well.
With that nonsense out of the way, I settled into some nice golf for most of the front nine. Three consecutive bogeys were followed by a nice birdie on hole #5. I went driver, 3-iron once again on this par-5, but this time I had just 90 yards remaining to the green. I hit lob wedge back and left of the flag, then drained a sold 12-footer for the bird. It was my second fabulous putt in a row. On hole #4, I followed a mediocre chip with a great putt for the up and down that saved bogey.
I went bogey, par, bogey over holes #6 through #8. The first of these bogeys was a drag, as I registered a dreaded 3-putt. Nevertheless, I was feeling good. Unfortunately, I finished the front nine just as I started it – with a triple-bogey. I was in a green side bunker on this par-4 after my first two shots. At worst, this should take one shot to get on the green and two putts to finish up for bogey. Instead, I delivered my patented clean pick out of the bunker. The ball rammed into the lip, but still finished on the other side of the green. After a weak chip, I 3-putt for good measure.
Seven pretty good holes bookended by a pair of triples. I vowed to do better on the back. The driver, 3-iron combo worked perfectly to begin hole #10, a long par-5. From 110 yards, my sand wedge came up two yards short of the green. I then 3-putt from the fringe for bogey. A string of bogeys followed me through hole #15. Actually, the string was only broken up by a double-bogey on hole #11. I was on the green of this par-3 in two, but my first putt hit a ball mark that hadn't been fixed. The ball popped a foot into the air and lost all momentum. It wasn't really fair, but those are the breaks.
I had a lovely par on hole #16, a very nice par-4. Measuring 350 yards from the white tees, you must pick the club that will leave a comfortable yardage into the green on your second shot. A water hazard crosses just in front of the green, so the second shot is critical. I hit a 260-yard drive to the centre of the fairway, leaving just 90 yards to go. My trusty lob wedge got the ball behind and to the right of the flag. From there, I made a nice lag and easy tap-in.
The bogey train resumed on hole #17, before shenanigans once again on the last hole of the day. I hit my worst drive of the day – a slice that disappeared behind some trees. There was plenty of room there, but the ground was really soft from all the rain we've had and I suspect my ball plugged somewhere. Rather than go back to the tee, I took a penalty and just dropped in that area. Up near the green, I 3-putt for the seventh time of the day, leading to a triple-bogey. Overall, it was a good day, but my lag putting prevented me from breaking 90.
Score: 93
Putts: 39
Fairways: 8
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
With that nonsense out of the way, I settled into some nice golf for most of the front nine. Three consecutive bogeys were followed by a nice birdie on hole #5. I went driver, 3-iron once again on this par-5, but this time I had just 90 yards remaining to the green. I hit lob wedge back and left of the flag, then drained a sold 12-footer for the bird. It was my second fabulous putt in a row. On hole #4, I followed a mediocre chip with a great putt for the up and down that saved bogey.
I went bogey, par, bogey over holes #6 through #8. The first of these bogeys was a drag, as I registered a dreaded 3-putt. Nevertheless, I was feeling good. Unfortunately, I finished the front nine just as I started it – with a triple-bogey. I was in a green side bunker on this par-4 after my first two shots. At worst, this should take one shot to get on the green and two putts to finish up for bogey. Instead, I delivered my patented clean pick out of the bunker. The ball rammed into the lip, but still finished on the other side of the green. After a weak chip, I 3-putt for good measure.
Seven pretty good holes bookended by a pair of triples. I vowed to do better on the back. The driver, 3-iron combo worked perfectly to begin hole #10, a long par-5. From 110 yards, my sand wedge came up two yards short of the green. I then 3-putt from the fringe for bogey. A string of bogeys followed me through hole #15. Actually, the string was only broken up by a double-bogey on hole #11. I was on the green of this par-3 in two, but my first putt hit a ball mark that hadn't been fixed. The ball popped a foot into the air and lost all momentum. It wasn't really fair, but those are the breaks.
I had a lovely par on hole #16, a very nice par-4. Measuring 350 yards from the white tees, you must pick the club that will leave a comfortable yardage into the green on your second shot. A water hazard crosses just in front of the green, so the second shot is critical. I hit a 260-yard drive to the centre of the fairway, leaving just 90 yards to go. My trusty lob wedge got the ball behind and to the right of the flag. From there, I made a nice lag and easy tap-in.
The bogey train resumed on hole #17, before shenanigans once again on the last hole of the day. I hit my worst drive of the day – a slice that disappeared behind some trees. There was plenty of room there, but the ground was really soft from all the rain we've had and I suspect my ball plugged somewhere. Rather than go back to the tee, I took a penalty and just dropped in that area. Up near the green, I 3-putt for the seventh time of the day, leading to a triple-bogey. Overall, it was a good day, but my lag putting prevented me from breaking 90.
Score: 93
Putts: 39
Fairways: 8
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
July 13, 2017
Small Mistakes at Scenic Woods
The first four times I visited Scenic Woods, I shot a very respectable 85. The fifth time, which was also my last, I shot 103. The streak was bound to end, but to surpass the century mark was pretty disappointing. I headed out for an early afternoon round to see if I could break 90 once again.
I've had many great shots at Scenic Woods, but I've also had some bad ones. It's amazing how your memory of these shots affects your current play. Hole #1 is a perfect example. It's a long par-5, but very flat and with a wide fairway. I've always felt like I could let loose with the driver here and as a result, I've nailed the centre of the fairway every single time. This time was no exception. In the past, however, I've pulled or hooked a long iron into the weeds with my second shot. That memory must have crept into my subconscious, because I did exactly the same thing this time around. The ball was lost and I was forced to take a penalty, leading to a double-bogey.
I went par, bogey, par over the next three holes, so I was doing okay. The bogey came when I just barely missed an up and down, while the last par came when I successfully pulled one off. A double-bogey resulted on hole #5, only because of some bad chipping near the green. I was right beside the green in two on this par-4, but duffed my first chip and then made a mediocre one, before finishing up with a 2-putt. I was thinking about following through to the target, as I usually pull my chips slightly. The thought was too technical – my thought should have simply been to get the ball near the hole.
The tee shot on hole #6 is one that has given me problems in the past. This is a par-4 with a creek crossing the fairway and then running along the right side of the fairway toward the green. I decided to lay up behind the creek the first time I played this hole and it worked well. The next time, I hit driver over the creek and it also worked well. I guess that second instance convinced me that driver was a good option. On subsequent visits though, it has not worked at all. I've sliced a couple near the 7th hole, right of the creek, and I've also pulled one into some trees very near the teeing area. This time, I sliced one deep toward the 7th hole, leaving me stymied by the tall trees on the banks of the creek. I had to put one in the creek intentionally, just so I could drop back on the other side of the lateral hazard. It all lead to a double-bogey. Next time, I will lay up off the tee.
I went bogey, par, par to finish the front nine, for a score of 43 at the turn. The par on hole #9 was well earned, but should have been a birdie. This is a 168-yard par-3. I have hit very nice tee shots on this hole before. Those positive memories give you confidence, which is priceless. I took aim at the flag just back and left of the green centre and it was a beauty. The 6-iron struck the ball perfectly, launching it on a direct line to the target. The ball bounced a foot and a half in front of the hole and hit the flag stick, ricocheting slightly behind and to the right of the hole. I had about six feet left for birdie, with a putt that broke right to left. I made a really good effort, but it lipped out and I settled for the par.
An atrocious drive on hole #10 struck some trees just ahead of the teeing ground and I found myself just in front of #18 green. A good 5-wood got me back to the right rough on this par-5 hole. I was 210 yards from the green, so it had been a pretty good recovery. I tried to hit another 5-wood, but the rough closed the face of the club and I pulled one into the weeds left. One mistake on a hole is something you can overcome. Two mistakes is another story. I had to take a penalty stroke and finished with a triple-bogey.
I went par, bogey, par, double-bogey, par over the next five holes. Three over par for five holes of golf is pretty good. This included a great approach shot on hole #11, where I was partially blocked out by a large tree. It also included a great 8-iron off the tee on hole #13, a par-3 with a forced carry over a creek. The creek angles back toward the green, hugging the entire left side. It's a great hole. I nailed the right side of the green, then hit a perfect lag to within 12 inches.
Unfortunately, this stretch also included more chipping trouble on hole #14. It was a repeat of what happened on hole #5. Beside the green on this par-4 after two, I duffed a chip, then hit a mediocre one, before 2-putting for double-bogey. An up and down for par on hole #15 took some of the sting out, but those were strokes I just gave away.
Hole #16 is a par-3 that was playing 200 yards. I've hit good tee shots on this hole, but I've also hit some real stinkers, which flooded back to memory as I stood on the tee. As a result, it was another stinker – a duff that travelled 25 yards ahead. My second shot was just off the green, followed by a chip and two putts for double-bogey. Bogey, bogey finish gave me 47 on the back nine and 90 overall. Not bad, but could have been better.
Score: 90
Putts: 30
Fairways: 7
Greens: 4
Penalties: 5
I've had many great shots at Scenic Woods, but I've also had some bad ones. It's amazing how your memory of these shots affects your current play. Hole #1 is a perfect example. It's a long par-5, but very flat and with a wide fairway. I've always felt like I could let loose with the driver here and as a result, I've nailed the centre of the fairway every single time. This time was no exception. In the past, however, I've pulled or hooked a long iron into the weeds with my second shot. That memory must have crept into my subconscious, because I did exactly the same thing this time around. The ball was lost and I was forced to take a penalty, leading to a double-bogey.
I went par, bogey, par over the next three holes, so I was doing okay. The bogey came when I just barely missed an up and down, while the last par came when I successfully pulled one off. A double-bogey resulted on hole #5, only because of some bad chipping near the green. I was right beside the green in two on this par-4, but duffed my first chip and then made a mediocre one, before finishing up with a 2-putt. I was thinking about following through to the target, as I usually pull my chips slightly. The thought was too technical – my thought should have simply been to get the ball near the hole.
The tee shot on hole #6 is one that has given me problems in the past. This is a par-4 with a creek crossing the fairway and then running along the right side of the fairway toward the green. I decided to lay up behind the creek the first time I played this hole and it worked well. The next time, I hit driver over the creek and it also worked well. I guess that second instance convinced me that driver was a good option. On subsequent visits though, it has not worked at all. I've sliced a couple near the 7th hole, right of the creek, and I've also pulled one into some trees very near the teeing area. This time, I sliced one deep toward the 7th hole, leaving me stymied by the tall trees on the banks of the creek. I had to put one in the creek intentionally, just so I could drop back on the other side of the lateral hazard. It all lead to a double-bogey. Next time, I will lay up off the tee.
I went bogey, par, par to finish the front nine, for a score of 43 at the turn. The par on hole #9 was well earned, but should have been a birdie. This is a 168-yard par-3. I have hit very nice tee shots on this hole before. Those positive memories give you confidence, which is priceless. I took aim at the flag just back and left of the green centre and it was a beauty. The 6-iron struck the ball perfectly, launching it on a direct line to the target. The ball bounced a foot and a half in front of the hole and hit the flag stick, ricocheting slightly behind and to the right of the hole. I had about six feet left for birdie, with a putt that broke right to left. I made a really good effort, but it lipped out and I settled for the par.
An atrocious drive on hole #10 struck some trees just ahead of the teeing ground and I found myself just in front of #18 green. A good 5-wood got me back to the right rough on this par-5 hole. I was 210 yards from the green, so it had been a pretty good recovery. I tried to hit another 5-wood, but the rough closed the face of the club and I pulled one into the weeds left. One mistake on a hole is something you can overcome. Two mistakes is another story. I had to take a penalty stroke and finished with a triple-bogey.
I went par, bogey, par, double-bogey, par over the next five holes. Three over par for five holes of golf is pretty good. This included a great approach shot on hole #11, where I was partially blocked out by a large tree. It also included a great 8-iron off the tee on hole #13, a par-3 with a forced carry over a creek. The creek angles back toward the green, hugging the entire left side. It's a great hole. I nailed the right side of the green, then hit a perfect lag to within 12 inches.
Unfortunately, this stretch also included more chipping trouble on hole #14. It was a repeat of what happened on hole #5. Beside the green on this par-4 after two, I duffed a chip, then hit a mediocre one, before 2-putting for double-bogey. An up and down for par on hole #15 took some of the sting out, but those were strokes I just gave away.
Hole #16 is a par-3 that was playing 200 yards. I've hit good tee shots on this hole, but I've also hit some real stinkers, which flooded back to memory as I stood on the tee. As a result, it was another stinker – a duff that travelled 25 yards ahead. My second shot was just off the green, followed by a chip and two putts for double-bogey. Bogey, bogey finish gave me 47 on the back nine and 90 overall. Not bad, but could have been better.
Score: 90
Putts: 30
Fairways: 7
Greens: 4
Penalties: 5
July 06, 2017
Glorious Return to Lakeview
Lakeview is one of the golf courses closest to me, but the last time I played it was nine years ago! It's a decent track, steeped in history, but it does tend to get busy. I had the opportunity to play there recently and was looking forward to it. I played an afternoon round with three ladies and it ended up being a great day.
It was round #15 of the season and the first time I broke 90. Last year, I broke 90 five times over the first 15 rounds, with scores of 85, 86, 87, 86, and 87. I guess the consolation is that I smashed 90 this time around, with a final score of 83. That ranks very close to my best of all time: BraeBen 78, Deer Creek South 81, Granite Ridge Cobalt 82, Willow Valley 83, and Carlisle North/East 83. Those other scores of 83 get the nod because they were on par 72 courses. Lakeview is a par 71.
That's good enough for a hole by hole breakdown, so here we go:
Hole 1 – Par 4 (326 yards)
A straight hole, with trees on either side. I hit 5-wood just left of the fairway, leaving 100 yards to the green. Overhanging tree branches meant I had to punch one low. I took a half swing with the 5-iron, but smacked the ball 15 yards behind the green into some mounds. I hit a fabulous pitch with the lob wedge, just landing on the green and releasing downhill near the hole. A five foot putt with slight break earned a great par.
Hole 2 – Par 4 (423 yards)
The blue tees on this hole are well back, but I didn't let it faze me, delivering a 250-yard drive to the middle of the fairway. A 6-iron off the carpet was a slight miss hit, flying over a deep valley, but short and right of the green. The ball was unplayable in some weeds, so I took a penalty. A 40-yard pitch found the safety of the green. A lengthy bogey putt was a good try, but I finished with a tap in for double-bogey.
Hole 3 – Par 3 (136 yards)
A lateral water hazard protects the right side of this hole. I hit pitching wedge straight, but caught it thin. The ball rolled through the green and off the back right side, very near the flag. It set up the type of chip shot you envision making and I gave it a really god try, finishing a foot short of the cup. No worries, as I collected the tap-in par.
Hole 4 – Par 4 (366 yards)
There is OB along the right side of this hole, but I was in the zone and didn't think about it. I drove the ball a couple yards off the right edge of the fairway, leaving about 140 yards to the flag. The wind was hurting slightly, so I opted for an 8-iron. The ball finished flag high, albeit quite left of the hole location. I cozied up a nice lag and then drained the short par putt.
Hole 5 – Par 5 (591 yards)
A long par-5 with trees bordering the fairway and a creek that angles close as you approach the green. I made good contact with the driver, but was left of target. Overhanging branches demanded another low punch. The 3-iron never got more than chest high and finished well down the fairway. From 180 yards out, I pull hooked a 5-iron that flew over the creek, settling short of some fescue. The grass interfered with my backswing so I gave my next shot a little extra. Sadly, I failed to hold the green, rolling into a bunker. A terrible fifth shot just managed to get out of the trap. A chip and putt finished things off for double-bogey.
Hole 6 – Par 4 (441 yards)
The #1 handicap hole on the course, owing mostly to its length. I sliced my drive right into fairway #5. From there, I punched a 3-iron beneath the trees back across the correct fairway. I was now on the left side with more overhanging branches. From 90 yards, I punched a soft 5-iron and rolled the ball flag high. A great lag and short putt earned a pretty good bogey. This hole is a beast.
Hole 7 – Par 5 (476 yards)
OB covers the entire right side of this hole and can come into play. I made good contact with the driver, finishing on a mound just left of the fairway. I hit 3-iron off a pretty severe up slope, propelling the ball to within 90 yards of the green. Next, a full lob wedge got me to the front of the green. My birdie putt was too aggressive, rolling well past the hole. I just missed the comebacker, taking my only 3-putt of the day and a somewhat disappointing bogey.
Hole 8 – Par 4 (345 yards)
There's no need for driver on this hole, but I didn't see any down side to using it, either. I hit a straight shot, but caught it a hair fat, scrubbing some speed off before contact and hence, losing distance. I still carried a water hazard crossing the fairway and had just 130 yards to the green. Pitching wedge got me to the back of the green and I needed a delicate lag on the sloped putting surface. I judged the speed perfectly, leaving a short par putt.
Hole 9 – Par 3 (217 yards)
I hit my 3-iron low all the time, but this one was even lower than usual – a bullet that skimmed right over the entire green, finishing just short of some long fescue. The flag was nearby, but the grass was interfering with my backswing and my first priority was to keep the ball on the green. I managed that, but had a long par putt. I actually blew the putt well past the hole and had to make a tricky 6-footer for bogey. Not bad.
Hole 10 – Par 3 (151 yards)
This hole was playing a little shorter, so I went with pitching wedge off the tee. I missed the sweet spot and finished just short of the green. I tried to chip one close, but clipped the top of a mound, which scrubbed some distance. I was left with a long uphill par putt, which I left four feet short. I calmly hit the next one for bogey.
Hole 11 – Par 4 (415 yards)
Like the previous hole, this one plays over the course driveway, which is always a little disconcerting. I focused and nailed the fairway with a 275-yard drive. It was a front flag position and I judged the distance perfectly with pitching wedge. I finished two yards right of the green. My chip came up short and then I missed a makeable par putt, settling for bogey.
Hole 12 – Par 4 (328 yards)
The Bell Hole. No other hole at Lakeview garners as much attention. The hole wraps around the corner of a condominium property, so OB is definitely in play. I hit a perfect 5-wood to the fairway at the bottom of the steep hill. Any further and the ball would have gone into a creek, but instead, I had exactly 100 yards to the severely elevated green on the right side. A lovely sand wedge carried the ball flag high. Nailing this green in regulation is a feat. I made a good uphill attempt at birdie, but finished with a tap-in par.
Hole 13 – Par 4 (413 yards)
The teeing ground on this hole is a little awkward, in relation to the fairway up ahead. I aimed over a tree on the left side and carried it nicely, finishing right beside the 150-yard stick. My 8-iron came up a little short and right of the green. I pitched past the hole to make sure I was on the correct green level. This left a long par putt that didn't drop. Bogey was the result.
Hole 14 – Par 4 (339 yards)
I did not hit a great drive on this hole, but still found the right centre of the fairway, 130 yards from the green. Pitching wedge carried the ball to the front of the green, pretty close to the flag. I had a good look at birdie here and gave it a go. Unfortunately, the ball didn't drop and I settled for an easy par.
Hole 15 – Par 4 (329 yards)
I wasn't really trying to, but I cut the corner on this short, dogleg par-4. I flirted with some tree branches, but my ball got through, settling on the left edge of the fairway, just 40 yards from the green. It's downhill and the green slopes away from you, so I landed a little wedge shot short of the green and let it trickle on. The 13-foot birdie putt was downhill, with not much break. This was all about speed and I judged it perfectly for birdie!
Hole 16 – Par 5 (466 yards)
The shortest par-5 at Lakeview, but maybe the hardest. I pulled my drive slightly, finishing under a spruce tree. I did well to punch a 3-iron through a couple more spruce trees ahead, five yards short of the perfect layup spot. I was in decent position, but in the rough and on a down slope. I hit 6-iron, but came up 15 yards short of the green. Next, I plunked my pitch shot into a bunker. The rough was thick and lush and I just didn't swing hard enough. One shot to get out of the sand trap and two putts earned a double-bogey on this one.
Hole 17 – Par 3 (95 yards)
One of two holes that can be played as #17, this devilish little one is the original. You tee off and shoot over the creek to a postage stamp sized green cut into the side of a hill. It is sloped severely from back to front. I hit sand wedge, launching a ball way in the air. It landed one yard short, bouncing back to the low spot well below the surface of the green. I lobbed one on, then hit a huge breaking putt to within a foot. The final stroke was for bogey.
Hole 18 – Par 4 (440 yards)
I don't think this hole was playing its full length. I got a hold of one with the driver and let out a satisfied “Wooo” in celebration. I was surprised to see later that it caught a mound just left of the fairway. I had a slight up slope and was 140 yards from the green, which is perched atop a steep hill. Not wanting to be short, I opted for 7-iron and it was the perfect choice. It launched high in the air and hit the green, finishing just behind and left of the back pin position. The downhill birdie was makeable, but I just missed, taking an easy par instead.
Woohoo! I love games like these.
Score: 83
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 7
Penalties: 1
It was round #15 of the season and the first time I broke 90. Last year, I broke 90 five times over the first 15 rounds, with scores of 85, 86, 87, 86, and 87. I guess the consolation is that I smashed 90 this time around, with a final score of 83. That ranks very close to my best of all time: BraeBen 78, Deer Creek South 81, Granite Ridge Cobalt 82, Willow Valley 83, and Carlisle North/East 83. Those other scores of 83 get the nod because they were on par 72 courses. Lakeview is a par 71.
That's good enough for a hole by hole breakdown, so here we go:
Hole 1 – Par 4 (326 yards)
A straight hole, with trees on either side. I hit 5-wood just left of the fairway, leaving 100 yards to the green. Overhanging tree branches meant I had to punch one low. I took a half swing with the 5-iron, but smacked the ball 15 yards behind the green into some mounds. I hit a fabulous pitch with the lob wedge, just landing on the green and releasing downhill near the hole. A five foot putt with slight break earned a great par.
Hole 2 – Par 4 (423 yards)
The blue tees on this hole are well back, but I didn't let it faze me, delivering a 250-yard drive to the middle of the fairway. A 6-iron off the carpet was a slight miss hit, flying over a deep valley, but short and right of the green. The ball was unplayable in some weeds, so I took a penalty. A 40-yard pitch found the safety of the green. A lengthy bogey putt was a good try, but I finished with a tap in for double-bogey.
Hole 3 – Par 3 (136 yards)
A lateral water hazard protects the right side of this hole. I hit pitching wedge straight, but caught it thin. The ball rolled through the green and off the back right side, very near the flag. It set up the type of chip shot you envision making and I gave it a really god try, finishing a foot short of the cup. No worries, as I collected the tap-in par.
Hole 4 – Par 4 (366 yards)
There is OB along the right side of this hole, but I was in the zone and didn't think about it. I drove the ball a couple yards off the right edge of the fairway, leaving about 140 yards to the flag. The wind was hurting slightly, so I opted for an 8-iron. The ball finished flag high, albeit quite left of the hole location. I cozied up a nice lag and then drained the short par putt.
Hole 5 – Par 5 (591 yards)
A long par-5 with trees bordering the fairway and a creek that angles close as you approach the green. I made good contact with the driver, but was left of target. Overhanging branches demanded another low punch. The 3-iron never got more than chest high and finished well down the fairway. From 180 yards out, I pull hooked a 5-iron that flew over the creek, settling short of some fescue. The grass interfered with my backswing so I gave my next shot a little extra. Sadly, I failed to hold the green, rolling into a bunker. A terrible fifth shot just managed to get out of the trap. A chip and putt finished things off for double-bogey.
Hole 6 – Par 4 (441 yards)
The #1 handicap hole on the course, owing mostly to its length. I sliced my drive right into fairway #5. From there, I punched a 3-iron beneath the trees back across the correct fairway. I was now on the left side with more overhanging branches. From 90 yards, I punched a soft 5-iron and rolled the ball flag high. A great lag and short putt earned a pretty good bogey. This hole is a beast.
Hole 7 – Par 5 (476 yards)
OB covers the entire right side of this hole and can come into play. I made good contact with the driver, finishing on a mound just left of the fairway. I hit 3-iron off a pretty severe up slope, propelling the ball to within 90 yards of the green. Next, a full lob wedge got me to the front of the green. My birdie putt was too aggressive, rolling well past the hole. I just missed the comebacker, taking my only 3-putt of the day and a somewhat disappointing bogey.
Hole 8 – Par 4 (345 yards)
There's no need for driver on this hole, but I didn't see any down side to using it, either. I hit a straight shot, but caught it a hair fat, scrubbing some speed off before contact and hence, losing distance. I still carried a water hazard crossing the fairway and had just 130 yards to the green. Pitching wedge got me to the back of the green and I needed a delicate lag on the sloped putting surface. I judged the speed perfectly, leaving a short par putt.
Hole 9 – Par 3 (217 yards)
I hit my 3-iron low all the time, but this one was even lower than usual – a bullet that skimmed right over the entire green, finishing just short of some long fescue. The flag was nearby, but the grass was interfering with my backswing and my first priority was to keep the ball on the green. I managed that, but had a long par putt. I actually blew the putt well past the hole and had to make a tricky 6-footer for bogey. Not bad.
Hole 10 – Par 3 (151 yards)
This hole was playing a little shorter, so I went with pitching wedge off the tee. I missed the sweet spot and finished just short of the green. I tried to chip one close, but clipped the top of a mound, which scrubbed some distance. I was left with a long uphill par putt, which I left four feet short. I calmly hit the next one for bogey.
Hole 11 – Par 4 (415 yards)
Like the previous hole, this one plays over the course driveway, which is always a little disconcerting. I focused and nailed the fairway with a 275-yard drive. It was a front flag position and I judged the distance perfectly with pitching wedge. I finished two yards right of the green. My chip came up short and then I missed a makeable par putt, settling for bogey.
Hole 12 – Par 4 (328 yards)
The Bell Hole. No other hole at Lakeview garners as much attention. The hole wraps around the corner of a condominium property, so OB is definitely in play. I hit a perfect 5-wood to the fairway at the bottom of the steep hill. Any further and the ball would have gone into a creek, but instead, I had exactly 100 yards to the severely elevated green on the right side. A lovely sand wedge carried the ball flag high. Nailing this green in regulation is a feat. I made a good uphill attempt at birdie, but finished with a tap-in par.
Hole 13 – Par 4 (413 yards)
The teeing ground on this hole is a little awkward, in relation to the fairway up ahead. I aimed over a tree on the left side and carried it nicely, finishing right beside the 150-yard stick. My 8-iron came up a little short and right of the green. I pitched past the hole to make sure I was on the correct green level. This left a long par putt that didn't drop. Bogey was the result.
Hole 14 – Par 4 (339 yards)
I did not hit a great drive on this hole, but still found the right centre of the fairway, 130 yards from the green. Pitching wedge carried the ball to the front of the green, pretty close to the flag. I had a good look at birdie here and gave it a go. Unfortunately, the ball didn't drop and I settled for an easy par.
Hole 15 – Par 4 (329 yards)
I wasn't really trying to, but I cut the corner on this short, dogleg par-4. I flirted with some tree branches, but my ball got through, settling on the left edge of the fairway, just 40 yards from the green. It's downhill and the green slopes away from you, so I landed a little wedge shot short of the green and let it trickle on. The 13-foot birdie putt was downhill, with not much break. This was all about speed and I judged it perfectly for birdie!
Hole 16 – Par 5 (466 yards)
The shortest par-5 at Lakeview, but maybe the hardest. I pulled my drive slightly, finishing under a spruce tree. I did well to punch a 3-iron through a couple more spruce trees ahead, five yards short of the perfect layup spot. I was in decent position, but in the rough and on a down slope. I hit 6-iron, but came up 15 yards short of the green. Next, I plunked my pitch shot into a bunker. The rough was thick and lush and I just didn't swing hard enough. One shot to get out of the sand trap and two putts earned a double-bogey on this one.
Hole 17 – Par 3 (95 yards)
One of two holes that can be played as #17, this devilish little one is the original. You tee off and shoot over the creek to a postage stamp sized green cut into the side of a hill. It is sloped severely from back to front. I hit sand wedge, launching a ball way in the air. It landed one yard short, bouncing back to the low spot well below the surface of the green. I lobbed one on, then hit a huge breaking putt to within a foot. The final stroke was for bogey.
Hole 18 – Par 4 (440 yards)
I don't think this hole was playing its full length. I got a hold of one with the driver and let out a satisfied “Wooo” in celebration. I was surprised to see later that it caught a mound just left of the fairway. I had a slight up slope and was 140 yards from the green, which is perched atop a steep hill. Not wanting to be short, I opted for 7-iron and it was the perfect choice. It launched high in the air and hit the green, finishing just behind and left of the back pin position. The downhill birdie was makeable, but I just missed, taking an easy par instead.
Woohoo! I love games like these.
Score: 83
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 7
Penalties: 1
July 05, 2017
Century Pines Turnaround
My dilemma in golf has always been the same. I miss the majority of my targets, but I can at least get the ball around the course reasonably well with my home-made swing. It's not the swing any professional would teach – relatively little shoulder and hip turn, combined with too much arm movement, resulting in a steep, outside-in swing path. When I try to increase rotation or flatten my swing, I can barely make contact with the ball. The result is either topped shots, fat shots, smother shots or hooks. It only takes a few of these at the start of a round to remind me that I can't possibly continue that way. If I did, my score would be well over 100. And so, I go back to my old faithful swing and just try to “tone it down” a bit. Pretty soon, I'm getting around the course pretty well, but of course, never really improving either.
My last round at the Deepwoods event was so bad that I was, once again, contemplating a swing makeover. As long as I was careful not to over-correct, I felt like I could make some positive changes while still enjoying a round. I hate swing analysis; I'm much more of a feel golfer, so this was a bit unusual. Nevertheless, I headed out to Century Pines to put some of these swing thoughts and changes into effect.
Hole #1 at Century Pines has not been kind to me in the past. This par-5 seems like it should be pretty easy, but it's not. Out of bounds protects the entire left side from tee to green. A large pond protects the right side from about 150 yards out. If you bail right on your tee shot, you'll find an opposite fairway. Any shots from there will angle toward the pond or back across the fairway and out of bounds. Even from the 150-yard stick, it's very easy to hook one OB. Perhaps if it was played in the middle of a round, it wouldn't be so tough. But as a starting hole, it's no picnic.
Fighting myriad swing thoughts, I blew up on this hole even worse than I ever have before. My drive was smothered and went about 60 yards. I had to flop one over a large tree and a creek, just to reach the start of the fairway. A 5-wood was pulled OB. After a penalty and drop, I pushed one to the right rough. The rough was lush and I advanced the ball about 40 yards. Next, I hooked my approach to the green OB. Another penalty and drop. My next approach attempt was pushed right into a bunker. The bunker shot was a little fat, but the ball got out into the rough. This was followed by a chip and two putts for a score of 13. Oh geez!
Any chance at a good score for the round was ruined by the first hole, so I put it behind me and resolved to take one hole at a time. Through hole #6, I had some good moments, but they were outnumbered by the bad. A pulled drive on hole #3 meant I was hitting my third from the tee. Double-bogey ensued. A smothered 5-iron from tee #4 left a bad taste, even though I recovered for a bogey. A short iron was hooked badly on hole #5 for another double. Finally, a pulled drive on hole #6 produced another penalty. Hitting my third from the tee once again, I could only manage a quadruple-bogey.
At this point, I said forget it. I could not continue this way and had to go back to old faithful. The “better” approach had me 19-over through just six holes. At that rate, I was destined for a score of 129. No way! Hole #7 is a 170-yard par-3 with a forced carry over a creek and pond. I cleared my mind and went for it, nailing the green. I then made two great putts for my first par of the day. That's better! On hole #8, I hit the fairway and just missed the green, chipping on and 2-putting for a bogey. On hole #9, a par-5, I hit three good shots to nail the green, then 2-putt for another par.
From the seventh hole onward, I only had one bad hole, and that was #10. I pulled a 5-iron into some trees then had to chip sideways, away from the fairway. My third shot hit a tree trunk, while my fourth landed in a bunker. I barely got out with my fifth, then chipped on and 1-putt for a triple bogey 7. Even with that hole, I scored 42 on the back nine, which is great! For the final 12 holes, I was just 7-over. Think about that. I was 19-over for one third of the round while I tried to swing “the right way,” and I was 7-over for two thirds of the round while I tried to swing “my way.”
I made birdie on hole #11, bombing a drive 15 yards short of the green to set up a chip and putt. After bogey on hole #12, I made par on #13. This 155-yard par-3 is all carry over a pond. Another par ensued on hole #14, a par-5. Driver, 9-iron, sand wedge got me to the green, followed by two putts. A 3-putt bogey was the result on #15, a 150-yard par-3. Hole #16 may be the hardest hole on the course and I made par with a precision 3-iron off the tee and a pitching wedge into the well protected green. I scrambled my way to a double-bogey on hole #17, a long par-4, before finishing with par on #18.
I feel like I exorcised the demons from the Deepwoods round. They lingered through the first third of this outing, but over the final two thirds, I was back in full force. “My way” will be the way going forward.
Score: 98
Putts: 32
Fairways: 6
Greens: 7
Penalties: 4
My last round at the Deepwoods event was so bad that I was, once again, contemplating a swing makeover. As long as I was careful not to over-correct, I felt like I could make some positive changes while still enjoying a round. I hate swing analysis; I'm much more of a feel golfer, so this was a bit unusual. Nevertheless, I headed out to Century Pines to put some of these swing thoughts and changes into effect.
Hole #1 at Century Pines has not been kind to me in the past. This par-5 seems like it should be pretty easy, but it's not. Out of bounds protects the entire left side from tee to green. A large pond protects the right side from about 150 yards out. If you bail right on your tee shot, you'll find an opposite fairway. Any shots from there will angle toward the pond or back across the fairway and out of bounds. Even from the 150-yard stick, it's very easy to hook one OB. Perhaps if it was played in the middle of a round, it wouldn't be so tough. But as a starting hole, it's no picnic.
Fighting myriad swing thoughts, I blew up on this hole even worse than I ever have before. My drive was smothered and went about 60 yards. I had to flop one over a large tree and a creek, just to reach the start of the fairway. A 5-wood was pulled OB. After a penalty and drop, I pushed one to the right rough. The rough was lush and I advanced the ball about 40 yards. Next, I hooked my approach to the green OB. Another penalty and drop. My next approach attempt was pushed right into a bunker. The bunker shot was a little fat, but the ball got out into the rough. This was followed by a chip and two putts for a score of 13. Oh geez!
Any chance at a good score for the round was ruined by the first hole, so I put it behind me and resolved to take one hole at a time. Through hole #6, I had some good moments, but they were outnumbered by the bad. A pulled drive on hole #3 meant I was hitting my third from the tee. Double-bogey ensued. A smothered 5-iron from tee #4 left a bad taste, even though I recovered for a bogey. A short iron was hooked badly on hole #5 for another double. Finally, a pulled drive on hole #6 produced another penalty. Hitting my third from the tee once again, I could only manage a quadruple-bogey.
At this point, I said forget it. I could not continue this way and had to go back to old faithful. The “better” approach had me 19-over through just six holes. At that rate, I was destined for a score of 129. No way! Hole #7 is a 170-yard par-3 with a forced carry over a creek and pond. I cleared my mind and went for it, nailing the green. I then made two great putts for my first par of the day. That's better! On hole #8, I hit the fairway and just missed the green, chipping on and 2-putting for a bogey. On hole #9, a par-5, I hit three good shots to nail the green, then 2-putt for another par.
From the seventh hole onward, I only had one bad hole, and that was #10. I pulled a 5-iron into some trees then had to chip sideways, away from the fairway. My third shot hit a tree trunk, while my fourth landed in a bunker. I barely got out with my fifth, then chipped on and 1-putt for a triple bogey 7. Even with that hole, I scored 42 on the back nine, which is great! For the final 12 holes, I was just 7-over. Think about that. I was 19-over for one third of the round while I tried to swing “the right way,” and I was 7-over for two thirds of the round while I tried to swing “my way.”
I made birdie on hole #11, bombing a drive 15 yards short of the green to set up a chip and putt. After bogey on hole #12, I made par on #13. This 155-yard par-3 is all carry over a pond. Another par ensued on hole #14, a par-5. Driver, 9-iron, sand wedge got me to the green, followed by two putts. A 3-putt bogey was the result on #15, a 150-yard par-3. Hole #16 may be the hardest hole on the course and I made par with a precision 3-iron off the tee and a pitching wedge into the well protected green. I scrambled my way to a double-bogey on hole #17, a long par-4, before finishing with par on #18.
I feel like I exorcised the demons from the Deepwoods round. They lingered through the first third of this outing, but over the final two thirds, I was back in full force. “My way” will be the way going forward.
Score: 98
Putts: 32
Fairways: 6
Greens: 7
Penalties: 4
July 01, 2017
Feeling the Deepwoods Pressure
Oh, Lordy! This will be a brief summary. After a Saturday afternoon round in Niagara Falls that was delayed by thunder and lightning, I got back to Toronto pretty late. I returned to the Niagara area the following afternoon for a Deepwoods event. Once again, the round was delayed by thunder and lightning, and we barely finished by sunset. Between the long drives fighting traffic and the weather delays, it was a tough slog. I played terribly, which only made things worse.
I began the Quarry nine at Peninsula Lakes with a pretty good bogey. I split the fairway with my drive, but shanked a 7-iron into the trees right. Fortunately, I finished with a great up and down. On hole #2, a par-3, I hit a lovely 8-iron off the tee. It was so lovely that it bounced into a back bunker. Across the green from me was a pond, so I was not going to play a regular bunker shot. With my propensity to unwittingly pick those shots clean, it was a recipe for disaster. Instead, I took a small swing and tried to pick it clean intentionally. I got out of the bunker, but stayed in the rough. A chip was followed by a great putt that lipped out, producing a double-bogey.
I made another double on hole #3, and was keenly aware that I was letting points slip away. That hole started with a duffed 5-wood off the tee. I duffed another one off the tee with driver on hole #4, but followed up with a monstrous 5-wood that stopped 15 yards in front of the green. A great up and down saved par and earned back one of those lost points. I was still in the game. On the next hole, I hit driver, 5-iron to the green fringe. My long lag putt was pretty good and so was my par attempt, but it lipped out disappointingly. In Deepwoods competitions, I feel like I really need those ones. Inevitably, there will be blowup holes, so I need to maximize points when things are going well.
Quarry #6 is a 181-yard par-3 that I don't like at all. It's not poorly designed – it just seems to kill me every time. The entire left side is out of bounds, while the right side is protected by a pond. With steep embankments around the pond, it plays much larger than it is. There is no bail out, unless you want to hit a 90-yard shot off the tee. I hit 6-iron and pulled it out of bounds. Hitting my third from the tee, I avoided some bunkers left of the green. A weak chip got me on the green, but a 3-putt finished things off for a quadruple-bogey.
Snap! That was the end of it. I had no hope of making up the lost points, so the rest of the round was a write-off. I checked out mentally and just went through the motions. I didn't care about my score – I knew I wouldn't earn the points needed to get back in the Deepwoods race, so it didn't really matter. I started swinging as hard as I could on my drives. I tried about six of these “berserk” swings and not one of them worked well. Sometimes, I pull off a berserk swing and it does wonders to relieve frustration and stress. Not this time.
I shot a woeful 104, but like I said, the score is irrelevant. The first third of this round was the only part that mattered and once I made a mess of that, the rest was pointless.
Score: 104
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
I began the Quarry nine at Peninsula Lakes with a pretty good bogey. I split the fairway with my drive, but shanked a 7-iron into the trees right. Fortunately, I finished with a great up and down. On hole #2, a par-3, I hit a lovely 8-iron off the tee. It was so lovely that it bounced into a back bunker. Across the green from me was a pond, so I was not going to play a regular bunker shot. With my propensity to unwittingly pick those shots clean, it was a recipe for disaster. Instead, I took a small swing and tried to pick it clean intentionally. I got out of the bunker, but stayed in the rough. A chip was followed by a great putt that lipped out, producing a double-bogey.
I made another double on hole #3, and was keenly aware that I was letting points slip away. That hole started with a duffed 5-wood off the tee. I duffed another one off the tee with driver on hole #4, but followed up with a monstrous 5-wood that stopped 15 yards in front of the green. A great up and down saved par and earned back one of those lost points. I was still in the game. On the next hole, I hit driver, 5-iron to the green fringe. My long lag putt was pretty good and so was my par attempt, but it lipped out disappointingly. In Deepwoods competitions, I feel like I really need those ones. Inevitably, there will be blowup holes, so I need to maximize points when things are going well.
Quarry #6 is a 181-yard par-3 that I don't like at all. It's not poorly designed – it just seems to kill me every time. The entire left side is out of bounds, while the right side is protected by a pond. With steep embankments around the pond, it plays much larger than it is. There is no bail out, unless you want to hit a 90-yard shot off the tee. I hit 6-iron and pulled it out of bounds. Hitting my third from the tee, I avoided some bunkers left of the green. A weak chip got me on the green, but a 3-putt finished things off for a quadruple-bogey.
Snap! That was the end of it. I had no hope of making up the lost points, so the rest of the round was a write-off. I checked out mentally and just went through the motions. I didn't care about my score – I knew I wouldn't earn the points needed to get back in the Deepwoods race, so it didn't really matter. I started swinging as hard as I could on my drives. I tried about six of these “berserk” swings and not one of them worked well. Sometimes, I pull off a berserk swing and it does wonders to relieve frustration and stress. Not this time.
I shot a woeful 104, but like I said, the score is irrelevant. The first third of this round was the only part that mattered and once I made a mess of that, the rest was pointless.
Score: 104
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
June 27, 2017
Thundering Clouds at Thundering Waters
A day before the next Deepwoods event, I headed out to Thundering Waters Golf Club, in Niagara Falls. It was a long drive, thanks to the weekend traffic. Weather was fine on the drive over, but as I approached the Falls, I saw a black cloud hanging directly over the course. We had a late tee time to begin with, so I was worried that any delay would make it hard for us to finish before sunset. Rain fell as I took my clubs out of the trunk and walked over to the clubhouse. It passed fairly quickly and we were sent off at our scheduled tee time.
I had never played Thundering Waters before, so I was looking forward to it. The reviews I had seen over the years were mixed, so I was anxious to reach my own conclusion. I made bogey on the opening par-4, then piped a drive straight down fairway #2. At this point, it started raining again. I played two poor shots in the rain and then we experienced some thunder and lightning, so we took shelter in the golf carts beside the green. We had to wait a while for the system to pass, after which I chipped on and 2-putt for a double-bogey.
Hole #3 is a very challenging par-3 at 195 yards. I hit what looked like a perfect 3-iron. It was flag high, but rolled off the closely mowed area right of the green. A chip and two putts earned bogey and we were off to the next hole. On tee #4, the rain came back again and not surprisingly, I started hitting bad shots. I sliced my drive into the weeds right. I pulled an iron to the water hazard left. My fifth shot settled just right of the green and we waited there as the thunder and lightning came back. When it was over, I chipped on and 2-putt for a triple-bogey.
The good news is that was the end of the rain, thunder and lightning. I averaged bogey over the remainder of the front nine. Specifically, I collected one par, three bogeys and a double. The par was on a short par-3. It was the only hole on the front nine where I hit the green in regulation. The double was on a long par-3. I pushed my tee shot right near some trees. Some branches interfered with my backswing and cause me to plunk the next shot into a bunker. I then got out safely and 2-putt for the double. At the turn I was shooting 48.
After a bogey on hole #10, another long par-3, I had my best hole of the day. Hole #11 is a 304-yard par-4. If you drive in the direction of the green, you have to carry water most of the way. The safe play is to hit a mid iron toward the fairway and then attack the green with a wedge. I didn't hit a great tee shot, but I finished in the left rough, 135 yards from the green. My next shot was a spectacular pitching wedge that rolled to a stop two inches from the cup for a tap-in birdie.
Hole #12 is a par-5 that was playing straight into the wind. I tried to split two tree trunks on my second shot, but caught one solidly, which deflected the ball to the fairway, but well back. My third shot failed to clear a water hazard crossing the fairway and I was forced to take a penalty stroke. After pitching on the green with my fifth shot, I 3-putt for a disappointing triple-bogey. A bogey on a long par-3 and par on a par-4 helped ease some of the pain.
Unfortunately, the last four holes were something of a struggle. After the long drive to the course and the rain delays, I was feeling pretty tired. We had enough daylight remaining to finish the round, but it was close. I don't like playing while fighting the light – it's just a distraction. I started hitting some bad drives off the heel of the club. I think I was reverse pivoting and sweeping the club face sharply from the outside-in. In some cases, I got away with it, while in others, I didn't. I took a quadruple-bogey on hole #15 and #17. On the former, I pushed my second shot into the woods. On the latter, I pulled my drive into the woods left. In both cases, I had to take a penalty stroke. In fact, I had six penalty strokes on the day. Far too many!
I did manage to make par on hole #16, a par-3 that is all carry over water. I also made bogey on the final hole, a 526-yard par-5. I reached the green fringe in three shots, but a poor lag attempt left me little chance at the par.
Score: 97
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 6
I had never played Thundering Waters before, so I was looking forward to it. The reviews I had seen over the years were mixed, so I was anxious to reach my own conclusion. I made bogey on the opening par-4, then piped a drive straight down fairway #2. At this point, it started raining again. I played two poor shots in the rain and then we experienced some thunder and lightning, so we took shelter in the golf carts beside the green. We had to wait a while for the system to pass, after which I chipped on and 2-putt for a double-bogey.
Hole #3 is a very challenging par-3 at 195 yards. I hit what looked like a perfect 3-iron. It was flag high, but rolled off the closely mowed area right of the green. A chip and two putts earned bogey and we were off to the next hole. On tee #4, the rain came back again and not surprisingly, I started hitting bad shots. I sliced my drive into the weeds right. I pulled an iron to the water hazard left. My fifth shot settled just right of the green and we waited there as the thunder and lightning came back. When it was over, I chipped on and 2-putt for a triple-bogey.
The good news is that was the end of the rain, thunder and lightning. I averaged bogey over the remainder of the front nine. Specifically, I collected one par, three bogeys and a double. The par was on a short par-3. It was the only hole on the front nine where I hit the green in regulation. The double was on a long par-3. I pushed my tee shot right near some trees. Some branches interfered with my backswing and cause me to plunk the next shot into a bunker. I then got out safely and 2-putt for the double. At the turn I was shooting 48.
After a bogey on hole #10, another long par-3, I had my best hole of the day. Hole #11 is a 304-yard par-4. If you drive in the direction of the green, you have to carry water most of the way. The safe play is to hit a mid iron toward the fairway and then attack the green with a wedge. I didn't hit a great tee shot, but I finished in the left rough, 135 yards from the green. My next shot was a spectacular pitching wedge that rolled to a stop two inches from the cup for a tap-in birdie.
Hole #12 is a par-5 that was playing straight into the wind. I tried to split two tree trunks on my second shot, but caught one solidly, which deflected the ball to the fairway, but well back. My third shot failed to clear a water hazard crossing the fairway and I was forced to take a penalty stroke. After pitching on the green with my fifth shot, I 3-putt for a disappointing triple-bogey. A bogey on a long par-3 and par on a par-4 helped ease some of the pain.
Unfortunately, the last four holes were something of a struggle. After the long drive to the course and the rain delays, I was feeling pretty tired. We had enough daylight remaining to finish the round, but it was close. I don't like playing while fighting the light – it's just a distraction. I started hitting some bad drives off the heel of the club. I think I was reverse pivoting and sweeping the club face sharply from the outside-in. In some cases, I got away with it, while in others, I didn't. I took a quadruple-bogey on hole #15 and #17. On the former, I pushed my second shot into the woods. On the latter, I pulled my drive into the woods left. In both cases, I had to take a penalty stroke. In fact, I had six penalty strokes on the day. Far too many!
I did manage to make par on hole #16, a par-3 that is all carry over water. I also made bogey on the final hole, a 526-yard par-5. I reached the green fringe in three shots, but a poor lag attempt left me little chance at the par.
Score: 97
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 6
June 26, 2017
Welcome to Slowville
I last played golf at Lowville Golf Club, home of the five hour round. There's a lot to like about the club, but pace of play is not one of them. By no means am I one of those pace of play nazis, but even I was frustrated with the glacial rate of progress on this particular day. And let's be clear: the pace of play had nothing to do with the players out on the course and what they were or were not doing. Rather, it had everything to do with the club itself and how it manages its tee sheet.
Enough of that, let's move on to the actual golf. The front nine at Lowville consists of three par-5, three par-4, and three par-3 holes. I made bogey on all of the par-5 holes, beginning with #1. My third shot from 110 yards ended up on the left fringe and I took a chip and two putts to finish. On #4, I was behind and right of the green after getting there in just two shots. A great pitch shot wasn't rewarded, as the ball rolled off the other side of the green into the rough. The comeback chip was okay, but I missed the par putt and hence, the bogey. So much for reaching the green in two. On #7, I pumped a drive deep, leaving 190 yards to the green. After a terribly pulled 4-iron, I did well just to get on the green in four, setting up a 2-putt.
I made double-bogey on the par-3 holes, beginning with #3. I hit a good looking 5-iron off the tee, but found a green side bunker, flag high. That's what accounted for the double, as I flew right across the green with my bunker shot. A pitch and two putts wrapped things up. On hole #5, I hit a 6-iron so pure that it went 200 yards and ended up behind the green. I made a nice pitch, but then 3-putt like an idiot. On hole #8, my sand wedge off the tee was a little thin. I was lucky that a bunker snagged my ball behind the green. I was unlucky that I was on the down slope, facing a massive lip. I rammed one into the lip, before popping out safely. Two putts ended it.
I made triple-bogey on two of the first three par-4 holes. After visiting an opposite fairway with my drive on hole #2, I practically shanked a 7-iron way to the right side. Unfortunately, I hit a cart path, which carried my ball to yet another fairway. With a terrible downhill lie, I could not pitch over a large bunker that was in my way. From the bunker, I flew over the green. A chip and two putts ended the misery. On hole #6, I waited forever to hit my second shot with the gap wedge. After the massive wait, I proceeded to scull one right and into waist high fescue and weeds. With a wedge! I took a penalty and drop, then hit the green, only to set up a 3-putt. Fortunately, I made par on the last of the par-4 holes, which was #9. Amazingly, I did it by getting up and down from a green side bunker, proving that miracles can indeed happen. I was shooting 51 at the turn.
The rest of the round highlights one of the frustrating things about this game. I shot 42 on the back nine. That's pretty good! So why did I happen to shoot 51, 42 and not 42, 42 or even something like 46, 42? I'll tell you why. It's because golf is evil. It has to be, because there is no other logical explanation. Anyway, I started the back nine with three consecutive bogeys, including one on hole #10 when my birdie chip lipped out and my par putt stopped one inch in front of the cup. To be honest, none of these holes featured a good drive, but I missed to the correct side and made good follow-up shots.
I made par on hole #13, a 150-yard par-3. This was the only green that I hit in regulation, but I was nowhere near the hole and had to make a fantastic 2-putt to earn the result. I went one better on hole #14, collecting a birdie on this downhill par-4. My drive was perfect, leaving just 120 yards to the green. I thinned a wedge to the low spot just in front of the green. It was a really terrible effort. Fortunately, I drained the uphill chip to save the day.
Now, some stupidity – the kind that makes me really irate. Hole #15, a par-3, was playing 180 yards. The entire left side of this hole is red staked marshland. Everything slopes toward the marsh as well. Fortunately, the right side of the hole is fairly benign. As long as you carry the ball over a weed covered gulley, you have plenty of room right of the green. I made the correct decision to aim for the right edge of the green, or even a bit right of that. I hit a perfect 5-iron (my 180-yard club) directly on my intended line. It was so perfect that I didn't even bother watching the ball come to rest. It was perfect, after all. Well, when I walked over to that area, my ball was nowhere to be seen. There are no trees there, no shrubs, no long grass – just some very tame rough. Where the hell was my ball? The only thing remotely close that could conceal a ball was a flower bed well behind the green. I looked there to no avail. I hate losing balls in wide open spaces. It boggles the mind. Anyway, I took a double-bogey reward for my “perfect” tee shot.
More frustration ensued on hole #16, a 422-yard par 4 that plays much longer because it's all uphill. Fuming over the lost ball on the previous hole, I decided to go with the “berserk” swing on my drive. I swung as fast as I could and drilled the ball deep to the left side of the fairway. I had played this course a dozen times and never been in such a good position on this hole. I had a little 9-iron left into the green, but what did I do? I pulled it ever so slightly, but enough to trickle on the cart path and bounce into a hazard. The path is too close to the green here if you ask me. If you miss the green by five yards, the path kicks your ball out. I ALWAYS end up going there with my approach shot. In the past, it has happened with a 4-iron or maybe 5-iron, but for it to happen again with a 9-iron is so frustrating! After a penalty and drop, I chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
Luckily, that was the last of the stupidity. I made par on hole #17, a 412-yard par-4. My approach was in the low spot just in front of the green. I chipped uphill to within 3 feet and drained the uphill par putt. On hole #18, I made a nice drive over the intimidating marshland. I hit a pretty good looking iron toward the green, but came up short and right. My wedge slid right under the ball on the first pitch attempt. My second was much better and a single putt was all I needed for bogey.
Overall, a 93 ain't bad, but the question remains. If I can shoot 42 for nine holes, why can't I approximate that for the other nine and finish with a sub 90 round? It's evil, I tell you.
Score: 93
Putts: 33
Fairways: 4
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2
Enough of that, let's move on to the actual golf. The front nine at Lowville consists of three par-5, three par-4, and three par-3 holes. I made bogey on all of the par-5 holes, beginning with #1. My third shot from 110 yards ended up on the left fringe and I took a chip and two putts to finish. On #4, I was behind and right of the green after getting there in just two shots. A great pitch shot wasn't rewarded, as the ball rolled off the other side of the green into the rough. The comeback chip was okay, but I missed the par putt and hence, the bogey. So much for reaching the green in two. On #7, I pumped a drive deep, leaving 190 yards to the green. After a terribly pulled 4-iron, I did well just to get on the green in four, setting up a 2-putt.
I made double-bogey on the par-3 holes, beginning with #3. I hit a good looking 5-iron off the tee, but found a green side bunker, flag high. That's what accounted for the double, as I flew right across the green with my bunker shot. A pitch and two putts wrapped things up. On hole #5, I hit a 6-iron so pure that it went 200 yards and ended up behind the green. I made a nice pitch, but then 3-putt like an idiot. On hole #8, my sand wedge off the tee was a little thin. I was lucky that a bunker snagged my ball behind the green. I was unlucky that I was on the down slope, facing a massive lip. I rammed one into the lip, before popping out safely. Two putts ended it.
I made triple-bogey on two of the first three par-4 holes. After visiting an opposite fairway with my drive on hole #2, I practically shanked a 7-iron way to the right side. Unfortunately, I hit a cart path, which carried my ball to yet another fairway. With a terrible downhill lie, I could not pitch over a large bunker that was in my way. From the bunker, I flew over the green. A chip and two putts ended the misery. On hole #6, I waited forever to hit my second shot with the gap wedge. After the massive wait, I proceeded to scull one right and into waist high fescue and weeds. With a wedge! I took a penalty and drop, then hit the green, only to set up a 3-putt. Fortunately, I made par on the last of the par-4 holes, which was #9. Amazingly, I did it by getting up and down from a green side bunker, proving that miracles can indeed happen. I was shooting 51 at the turn.
The rest of the round highlights one of the frustrating things about this game. I shot 42 on the back nine. That's pretty good! So why did I happen to shoot 51, 42 and not 42, 42 or even something like 46, 42? I'll tell you why. It's because golf is evil. It has to be, because there is no other logical explanation. Anyway, I started the back nine with three consecutive bogeys, including one on hole #10 when my birdie chip lipped out and my par putt stopped one inch in front of the cup. To be honest, none of these holes featured a good drive, but I missed to the correct side and made good follow-up shots.
I made par on hole #13, a 150-yard par-3. This was the only green that I hit in regulation, but I was nowhere near the hole and had to make a fantastic 2-putt to earn the result. I went one better on hole #14, collecting a birdie on this downhill par-4. My drive was perfect, leaving just 120 yards to the green. I thinned a wedge to the low spot just in front of the green. It was a really terrible effort. Fortunately, I drained the uphill chip to save the day.
Now, some stupidity – the kind that makes me really irate. Hole #15, a par-3, was playing 180 yards. The entire left side of this hole is red staked marshland. Everything slopes toward the marsh as well. Fortunately, the right side of the hole is fairly benign. As long as you carry the ball over a weed covered gulley, you have plenty of room right of the green. I made the correct decision to aim for the right edge of the green, or even a bit right of that. I hit a perfect 5-iron (my 180-yard club) directly on my intended line. It was so perfect that I didn't even bother watching the ball come to rest. It was perfect, after all. Well, when I walked over to that area, my ball was nowhere to be seen. There are no trees there, no shrubs, no long grass – just some very tame rough. Where the hell was my ball? The only thing remotely close that could conceal a ball was a flower bed well behind the green. I looked there to no avail. I hate losing balls in wide open spaces. It boggles the mind. Anyway, I took a double-bogey reward for my “perfect” tee shot.
More frustration ensued on hole #16, a 422-yard par 4 that plays much longer because it's all uphill. Fuming over the lost ball on the previous hole, I decided to go with the “berserk” swing on my drive. I swung as fast as I could and drilled the ball deep to the left side of the fairway. I had played this course a dozen times and never been in such a good position on this hole. I had a little 9-iron left into the green, but what did I do? I pulled it ever so slightly, but enough to trickle on the cart path and bounce into a hazard. The path is too close to the green here if you ask me. If you miss the green by five yards, the path kicks your ball out. I ALWAYS end up going there with my approach shot. In the past, it has happened with a 4-iron or maybe 5-iron, but for it to happen again with a 9-iron is so frustrating! After a penalty and drop, I chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
Luckily, that was the last of the stupidity. I made par on hole #17, a 412-yard par-4. My approach was in the low spot just in front of the green. I chipped uphill to within 3 feet and drained the uphill par putt. On hole #18, I made a nice drive over the intimidating marshland. I hit a pretty good looking iron toward the green, but came up short and right. My wedge slid right under the ball on the first pitch attempt. My second was much better and a single putt was all I needed for bogey.
Overall, a 93 ain't bad, but the question remains. If I can shoot 42 for nine holes, why can't I approximate that for the other nine and finish with a sub 90 round? It's evil, I tell you.
Score: 93
Putts: 33
Fairways: 4
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2
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