I was in a scramble tournament at Piper's Heath, but played only eight holes, as the event was cut short by rain and lightning. Prior to teeing off, I spent some time on the driving range, attempting to fix the problems I've been having with my driver. I straightened my left elbow on setup, which seemed to improve my takeaway. In turn, this improved my swing path, whch had been terribly outside-in. I made solid contact on the course, though I was still pulling the ball slightly.
Making use of a rain check, I returned to Piper's Heath after a weekend with no golf. Once again, the weather did not cooperate. I managed nine holes this time and took home yet another rain check. The driver was good at times, bad at others. In fact, the same was true of my irons. A poor 5-iron from a par-3 teeing ground put me in trouble, leading to a quadruple-bogey. I launched the ball from one patch of fescue to another, resulting in a lost ball. It's just not possible to score well with penalty strokes.
Another problem was holding the greens when pitching the ball from inside 100 yards. I hit some high pitch shots with my most lofted club directly on target, only to watch the ball release forward and roll right off the green. It was frustrating to say the least. It's one thing to take your medicine after making bad shots, but being forced to take that medicine after seemingly good shots is pretty cruel. Alas, such is the game of golf at times.
Score: 51 (9 holes)
Putts: 18
Fairways: 2
Greens: 0
Penalties: 1
August 28, 2010
August 14, 2010
Familiar Story at The Highlands
My latest round at The Highlands had the same rotten stench of previous visits gone bad.
Every time I play this course, I have three or four disastrous holes that ruin my score. Aside from those holes however, I seem to play quite well. It was no different this time. I played fourteen holes in a score of thirteen over par. Better than bogey golf is fantastic, if only I could do it over all eighteen holes. On this occasion, the remaining four holes resulted in two triple-bogeys, a quadruple-bogey, and one hole where I was an embarassing six over par.
Three of the bad holes came on the front nine. On one hole, my tee shot with the 3-iron was lost in the fescue right of the fairway. On another, my bunker shot from beside the green sailed twenty yards over the putting surface. On the last of the terrible holes, a mis-hit tee shot with the driver rolled into a pond. On the same hole, I also duffed a couple of pitch shots from in front of the green. As you can see, trouble came in all forms.
I didn't hit a single green in regulation on the front nine. On the back nine, I suddenly got hot, hitting five of the first six greens in regulation. The only problem was that I finished with a 3-putt on four of those greens. It was frustrating to remedy one part of my game, only to have another break down at precisely the same time.
In the end, I felt good about my game despite the score. I felt like I corrected a flaw that had plagued my driver for a number of rounds, and I'm confident that my putting will get better again.
Score: 101
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
Penalties: 4
Every time I play this course, I have three or four disastrous holes that ruin my score. Aside from those holes however, I seem to play quite well. It was no different this time. I played fourteen holes in a score of thirteen over par. Better than bogey golf is fantastic, if only I could do it over all eighteen holes. On this occasion, the remaining four holes resulted in two triple-bogeys, a quadruple-bogey, and one hole where I was an embarassing six over par.
Three of the bad holes came on the front nine. On one hole, my tee shot with the 3-iron was lost in the fescue right of the fairway. On another, my bunker shot from beside the green sailed twenty yards over the putting surface. On the last of the terrible holes, a mis-hit tee shot with the driver rolled into a pond. On the same hole, I also duffed a couple of pitch shots from in front of the green. As you can see, trouble came in all forms.
I didn't hit a single green in regulation on the front nine. On the back nine, I suddenly got hot, hitting five of the first six greens in regulation. The only problem was that I finished with a 3-putt on four of those greens. It was frustrating to remedy one part of my game, only to have another break down at precisely the same time.
In the end, I felt good about my game despite the score. I felt like I corrected a flaw that had plagued my driver for a number of rounds, and I'm confident that my putting will get better again.
Score: 101
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
Penalties: 4
August 06, 2010
Catching Up
Blogging about golf has been impossible lately. To make up for it, I hereby present a stream of concise updates. Rounds are listed in reverse chronological order. The format is:
Course (Score, Putts, Fairways, Greens, Penalties) Description
Cardinal West (94, 29, 2, 1, 5) First round of the year with The Unreliables. Nervous start, then settled down. Driver still erratic, but short game was best it's been all year. Par on all five par-3 holes, without hitting any of the greens in regulation. Chipping and putting saved my bacon.
Century Pines (97, 37, 2, 5, 3) Terrible with the driver. Wicked pulls off the tee or a big slice. Nothing in between. Can't stop swinging from the outside-in. Irons not so bad. Bogey golf, except for two blowup holes. Putting not bad, but stats say otherwise. Every green in regulation followed by a 3-putt.
Dragon's Fire (98, 39, 8, 6, 5) Round 3 of Deepwoods Tour. Solid front nine, marred only by a duffed tee shot on hole #8. Shot 45 at the turn, which was good for 18 points. Wayward iron shots on holes #10 and #12 cost me some points and had me pressing the rest of the way. Played better than the score reflects.
Lionhead Masters (100, 43, 10, 6, 3) Five over par through the first six holes, followed by three double-bogeys for a score of 47 going out. Hit every fairway on the front nine, but only three greens in regulation. Bogey golf on the back nine until a blowup on hole #16 ruined everything. Putting numbers brutal.
Whitevale (101, 35, 5, 4, 1) GTA Amateur Tour major. Four over par through the first five holes, followed by a disastrous quadruple bogey. Duffed a 3-iron off the tee, then struggled with chipping near the green. Driver let me down a few times on the back nine. Straight pull or big slice the only options.
Century Pines (93, 33, 5, 6, 3) Course better than I remembered. Great start with five pars on the front nine. Short par-4 holes #11 and #12 killed me. Went out of bounds from a bunker on the former, and failed to clear a forced carry on the latter. If not for those holes, would have scored in the eighties.
Riverstone (87, 32, 6, 5, 3) Something different, as I don't usually play this kind of course. Short and tight, with small greens and water often in play. Must plot your way around, which I did well. Rarely used driver and erred to the side of caution often. Eight pars, but an admitted easy course.
Lionhead Legends (101, 38, 5, 4, 5) Playing consistently, I felt ready to tackle the beast. Bunker trouble on hole #5 led to a triple-bogey. Why the trouble with sand? Pulled iron on hole #7 went out of bounds. Same on hole #16. Played well overall, but just enough mistakes to reach the dreaded century mark.
Peninsula Lakes (91, 29, 3, 2, 2) Round 2 of Deepwoods Tour. In the water on Quarry #1, and shenanigans on #8. Otherwise a good front nine. Excellent play on the back nine, including a birdie on Hillside #3. Putting got hot on the back nine. A couple fewer mistakes and score would have been in the eighties.
North Halton (91, 32, 8, 4, 2) GTA Amateur Tour event. Amazing start, just two over par through the first six holes, including a birdie on hole #3. Score of 42 at the turn still very strong. Then the rain came and shot everything to hell. Did well to finish with a 91 in the torrential downpour.
Glen Eagle (92, 34, 9, 5, 2) First visit here in a long time. Started and ended the front (Blue) nine with a par, but the rest was not so great. Gave strokes away by duffing from the fairway with the 60-degree wedge. Made up for it with a 42 on the back (Yellow) nine, including a birdie on the last hole.
Osprey Valley Heathlands (85, 34, 8, 3, 0) Day 2 of the GTA Amateur Tour major. Easily my best round of the season. Practically flawless front nine, with five bogeys and four pars. A few double-bogeys on the back nine, but also a birdie on hole #16. In control with all parts of the game. Nice feeling.
Osprey Valley Heathlands (96, 35, 8, 5, 3) Day 1 of a 2-day GTA Amateur Tour major. Would have been a great round, if not for a buried ball in the greenside bunker of hole #12. It was a freak incident, so I have to put it aside. Six pars on the day was nice. Felt like I managed my game very well.
Lionhead Masters (91, 35, 8, 5, 3) Best result ever for this course. Shot 42 on the front nine, including four pars, four bogeys, and one double-bogey. Faltered a little on the back nine after losing a ball inexplicably on hole #13, but held it together for a satisfying final tally of 91. Could have been in the eighties.
Course (Score, Putts, Fairways, Greens, Penalties) Description
Cardinal West (94, 29, 2, 1, 5) First round of the year with The Unreliables. Nervous start, then settled down. Driver still erratic, but short game was best it's been all year. Par on all five par-3 holes, without hitting any of the greens in regulation. Chipping and putting saved my bacon.
Century Pines (97, 37, 2, 5, 3) Terrible with the driver. Wicked pulls off the tee or a big slice. Nothing in between. Can't stop swinging from the outside-in. Irons not so bad. Bogey golf, except for two blowup holes. Putting not bad, but stats say otherwise. Every green in regulation followed by a 3-putt.
Dragon's Fire (98, 39, 8, 6, 5) Round 3 of Deepwoods Tour. Solid front nine, marred only by a duffed tee shot on hole #8. Shot 45 at the turn, which was good for 18 points. Wayward iron shots on holes #10 and #12 cost me some points and had me pressing the rest of the way. Played better than the score reflects.
Lionhead Masters (100, 43, 10, 6, 3) Five over par through the first six holes, followed by three double-bogeys for a score of 47 going out. Hit every fairway on the front nine, but only three greens in regulation. Bogey golf on the back nine until a blowup on hole #16 ruined everything. Putting numbers brutal.
Whitevale (101, 35, 5, 4, 1) GTA Amateur Tour major. Four over par through the first five holes, followed by a disastrous quadruple bogey. Duffed a 3-iron off the tee, then struggled with chipping near the green. Driver let me down a few times on the back nine. Straight pull or big slice the only options.
Century Pines (93, 33, 5, 6, 3) Course better than I remembered. Great start with five pars on the front nine. Short par-4 holes #11 and #12 killed me. Went out of bounds from a bunker on the former, and failed to clear a forced carry on the latter. If not for those holes, would have scored in the eighties.
Riverstone (87, 32, 6, 5, 3) Something different, as I don't usually play this kind of course. Short and tight, with small greens and water often in play. Must plot your way around, which I did well. Rarely used driver and erred to the side of caution often. Eight pars, but an admitted easy course.
Lionhead Legends (101, 38, 5, 4, 5) Playing consistently, I felt ready to tackle the beast. Bunker trouble on hole #5 led to a triple-bogey. Why the trouble with sand? Pulled iron on hole #7 went out of bounds. Same on hole #16. Played well overall, but just enough mistakes to reach the dreaded century mark.
Peninsula Lakes (91, 29, 3, 2, 2) Round 2 of Deepwoods Tour. In the water on Quarry #1, and shenanigans on #8. Otherwise a good front nine. Excellent play on the back nine, including a birdie on Hillside #3. Putting got hot on the back nine. A couple fewer mistakes and score would have been in the eighties.
North Halton (91, 32, 8, 4, 2) GTA Amateur Tour event. Amazing start, just two over par through the first six holes, including a birdie on hole #3. Score of 42 at the turn still very strong. Then the rain came and shot everything to hell. Did well to finish with a 91 in the torrential downpour.
Glen Eagle (92, 34, 9, 5, 2) First visit here in a long time. Started and ended the front (Blue) nine with a par, but the rest was not so great. Gave strokes away by duffing from the fairway with the 60-degree wedge. Made up for it with a 42 on the back (Yellow) nine, including a birdie on the last hole.
Osprey Valley Heathlands (85, 34, 8, 3, 0) Day 2 of the GTA Amateur Tour major. Easily my best round of the season. Practically flawless front nine, with five bogeys and four pars. A few double-bogeys on the back nine, but also a birdie on hole #16. In control with all parts of the game. Nice feeling.
Osprey Valley Heathlands (96, 35, 8, 5, 3) Day 1 of a 2-day GTA Amateur Tour major. Would have been a great round, if not for a buried ball in the greenside bunker of hole #12. It was a freak incident, so I have to put it aside. Six pars on the day was nice. Felt like I managed my game very well.
Lionhead Masters (91, 35, 8, 5, 3) Best result ever for this course. Shot 42 on the front nine, including four pars, four bogeys, and one double-bogey. Faltered a little on the back nine after losing a ball inexplicably on hole #13, but held it together for a satisfying final tally of 91. Could have been in the eighties.
June 16, 2010
Strong Finish Saves Round at Copetown Woods
Mother Nature turned up the heat for the opening round of the Deepwoods 2010 Tour at Copetown Woods. After a solid opening drive, I fumbled my way to a regretable triple bogey on hole #10, a short par-5.
A good drive was also wasted on hole #14, a par-5 measuring 469 yards. With just 195 yards to the flag on my second shot, I pulled my trusty 4-iron from the bag. Unfortunately, it was no match for the rough where my ball lay, a mere yard from the edge of the fairway. The ball bounced into a waste bunker and settled in a nasty crater. When all was said and done, I registered another triple-bogey.
Thankfully, it wasn't all bad. On hole #12, a dog-leg par-4 measuring 294 yards, I drove the ball to the centre of the fairway, leaving just 50 yards to the flag. After a well-executed bump and run, I drained a 10-foot putt for only my second birdie of the season. I closed out the first nine holes with a trio of bogeys and a satisfying par on a short par-3.
To salvage a good round, I needed to play well over the last nine holes. I did exactly that, piling up five pars, two bogeys and two double-bogeys. On hole #1, a par-5, I was at the front of the green after two shots. An excellent chip left a legitimate chance at birdie, but my attempt burned the edge of the cup. The double-bogeys came back-to-back on the next two holes.
A streak of steady golf over the last six holes really saved my bacon. I was not driving the ball particularly well, but I maintained control and took up the slack with good iron play and strong putting. If not for a 3-putt on hole #5 and a burned edge putt on hole #18, I would have finished the round with six consecutive pars.
Score: 89
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
A good drive was also wasted on hole #14, a par-5 measuring 469 yards. With just 195 yards to the flag on my second shot, I pulled my trusty 4-iron from the bag. Unfortunately, it was no match for the rough where my ball lay, a mere yard from the edge of the fairway. The ball bounced into a waste bunker and settled in a nasty crater. When all was said and done, I registered another triple-bogey.
Thankfully, it wasn't all bad. On hole #12, a dog-leg par-4 measuring 294 yards, I drove the ball to the centre of the fairway, leaving just 50 yards to the flag. After a well-executed bump and run, I drained a 10-foot putt for only my second birdie of the season. I closed out the first nine holes with a trio of bogeys and a satisfying par on a short par-3.
To salvage a good round, I needed to play well over the last nine holes. I did exactly that, piling up five pars, two bogeys and two double-bogeys. On hole #1, a par-5, I was at the front of the green after two shots. An excellent chip left a legitimate chance at birdie, but my attempt burned the edge of the cup. The double-bogeys came back-to-back on the next two holes.
A streak of steady golf over the last six holes really saved my bacon. I was not driving the ball particularly well, but I maintained control and took up the slack with good iron play and strong putting. If not for a 3-putt on hole #5 and a burned edge putt on hole #18, I would have finished the round with six consecutive pars.
Score: 89
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
Delightful Day at Woodington Lake Legacy
I played the Legacy Course at Woodington Lake and it ended up being a fantastic day. It's a course I enjoyed the first time I played it and it seems to grow on me with each return visit. Conditions were quite windy, but that only added to the challenge.
To say my driver was hit and miss would be an understatement. I hit a number of sliced drives that found the fairway, but which were extremely short. I can control those "baby slices" rather well, but that's not at all the shot shape I want. It tends to be the result when I get tentative off the tee. When I got more aggressive, I actually hit some pretty straight drives. The key is to do this consistently. It's tough because every once in a while I'll connect with a straight pull that goes well left of target.
Unlike my driver, my irons were consistent all day. A few years ago, I rarely played my low irons, as I found it difficult to get the ball launched in the air. Nowadays, I have no reservations when hitting a 4-iron or 3-iron. In fact, I often have more confidence with the low irons because I feel like I can control the ball better with a lower trajectory.
My short game was also pretty good this day. I made decent pitch and chip shots when necessary, getting up and down on a couple of occasions. My putting was solid, though not spectacular. I had five 3-putts, but made up for them with an equal number of 1-putts.
Overall, it was a solid result on a really great day.
Score: 92
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
To say my driver was hit and miss would be an understatement. I hit a number of sliced drives that found the fairway, but which were extremely short. I can control those "baby slices" rather well, but that's not at all the shot shape I want. It tends to be the result when I get tentative off the tee. When I got more aggressive, I actually hit some pretty straight drives. The key is to do this consistently. It's tough because every once in a while I'll connect with a straight pull that goes well left of target.
Unlike my driver, my irons were consistent all day. A few years ago, I rarely played my low irons, as I found it difficult to get the ball launched in the air. Nowadays, I have no reservations when hitting a 4-iron or 3-iron. In fact, I often have more confidence with the low irons because I feel like I can control the ball better with a lower trajectory.
My short game was also pretty good this day. I made decent pitch and chip shots when necessary, getting up and down on a couple of occasions. My putting was solid, though not spectacular. I had five 3-putts, but made up for them with an equal number of 1-putts.
Overall, it was a solid result on a really great day.
Score: 92
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
Hot and Cold at Devil's Pulpit
I played the back nine first and got shellacked right off the bat. A 3-iron pulled into the woods, a topped punch shot, a successful punch that ended up lost and a 3-putt were some of the misadventures that led to a score of 10 on hole #10. Brutal.
I followed this up with a beautiful par, first hitting the fairway, then hitting a spectacular 4-iron 190 yards to the flag. A good lag and great finishing putt completed the feat.
The rest of the round was as hot and cold as the first two holes played. I was able to control the driver, as shown by the fact that I hit ten fairways. My long irons were also very good. However, my short game left a lot to be desired. I shanked wedge shots from 80 yards out, duffed or blasted some greenside chips, and left some putts way short of the hole.
On the front nine, I shot a respectable 44, including four pars and three bogeys. These holes were played very well. Sand saves on holes #2 and #5 were especially satisfying. Unfortunately, the front nine was marred by a pair of triple bogeys, both on par-3 holes. Hole #7 was particularly bedevilling.
Score: 101
Putts: 40
Fairways: 10
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
I followed this up with a beautiful par, first hitting the fairway, then hitting a spectacular 4-iron 190 yards to the flag. A good lag and great finishing putt completed the feat.
The rest of the round was as hot and cold as the first two holes played. I was able to control the driver, as shown by the fact that I hit ten fairways. My long irons were also very good. However, my short game left a lot to be desired. I shanked wedge shots from 80 yards out, duffed or blasted some greenside chips, and left some putts way short of the hole.
On the front nine, I shot a respectable 44, including four pars and three bogeys. These holes were played very well. Sand saves on holes #2 and #5 were especially satisfying. Unfortunately, the front nine was marred by a pair of triple bogeys, both on par-3 holes. Hole #7 was particularly bedevilling.
Score: 101
Putts: 40
Fairways: 10
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
Bad Company at Ussher's Creek
Last year I made my first visit to Legends on the Niagara, playing the Battlefield course designed by Doug Carrick. On a recent return to Legends, I made my debut on the Ussher's Creek course designed by Tom McBroom. This isn't going to be a course comparison, but from my perspective, there's little to differentiate one from the other.
Ponds feature a little more prominently on Battlefield, while the creek that gives Ussher's its name is that course's dominant water feature. Otherwise, the courses traverse very similar terrain. Both tracks feature wide fairways, often bounded by strands of thick woods. Flip a coin when deciding which course to play and you won't really go wrong.
The problem this day was that I ventured out as a solo. To be more accurate, the problem was the people I happened to get paired up with. One was a solo player herself, while the other two were a couple of long-time buddies. As a group, they were slow as molasses. I was practically dragging them behind me at every hole. It was simply impossible to get into any kind of rhythm.
Worse than the pace of play was one particular guy's personality. He talked too much, boasted even more, and was an all-around clown. In a previous post, I wrote about the dos and don'ts of playing with strangers. This guy was basically a poster-child for the don'ts.
If you're preoccupied with the personality of your playing partners, chances are you're not concentrating as you should on your golf game. This was certainly the case on this occasion. I hit plenty of good shots, but golf is a game that demands your full attention on every shot. I just didn't have the focus this time. I was more concerned with finishing the round and getting out of the heat than I was with my shots.
In the end, I suffered a double whammy; I didn't have fun, and I produced a terrible score. My next visit to Legends will have to be with friends.
Score: 110
Putts: 40
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
Ponds feature a little more prominently on Battlefield, while the creek that gives Ussher's its name is that course's dominant water feature. Otherwise, the courses traverse very similar terrain. Both tracks feature wide fairways, often bounded by strands of thick woods. Flip a coin when deciding which course to play and you won't really go wrong.
The problem this day was that I ventured out as a solo. To be more accurate, the problem was the people I happened to get paired up with. One was a solo player herself, while the other two were a couple of long-time buddies. As a group, they were slow as molasses. I was practically dragging them behind me at every hole. It was simply impossible to get into any kind of rhythm.
Worse than the pace of play was one particular guy's personality. He talked too much, boasted even more, and was an all-around clown. In a previous post, I wrote about the dos and don'ts of playing with strangers. This guy was basically a poster-child for the don'ts.
If you're preoccupied with the personality of your playing partners, chances are you're not concentrating as you should on your golf game. This was certainly the case on this occasion. I hit plenty of good shots, but golf is a game that demands your full attention on every shot. I just didn't have the focus this time. I was more concerned with finishing the round and getting out of the heat than I was with my shots.
In the end, I suffered a double whammy; I didn't have fun, and I produced a terrible score. My next visit to Legends will have to be with friends.
Score: 110
Putts: 40
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
Nauseous in Willow Valley Heat
I've had golf rounds cut short due to rain, but never due to illness. I've felt terrible during a few rounds, but always found a way to finish eighteen holes. I can't say the same for my recent round at Willow Valley Golf Club.
The day was not particularly hot, but it was extremely humid. I teed off late in the afternoon, joining up with with a very nice lady and two gentlemen. The company was fine, but I only managed 11 holes before calling it quits.
My tee shot on hole #1 was a complete mis-hit. I have been struggling badly with my fairway woods, whether hitting off the tee or otherwise. This was a 5-wood that I topped left of the teeing area into a fescue-covered hillside. It took a few hacks to get out, leading to a triple-bogey.
It was too early to get upset over a bad hole, so I focused on each hole as I played it and on each individual shot. On hole #2, I hit a great approach shot, but it trickled off the back of the green, setting up a tricky downhill chip. The approach on hole # 3 was better, setting up a par. I struck another great approach on the ensuing par-3, but followed with a 3-putt for bogey.
On hole #5, I employed a different strategy than I normally do. This par-4, which measures 360 yards, is a sharp dogleg, with out of bounds along the entire left side and a pond along the entire right side. I usually try to hit a straight, low-iron about 190-200 yards, setting up a 150-160 yard approach to the green. This time, I decided to cut the corner with my driver, which involves carrying the water. The shot came off perfectly, leaving just 100 yards to the green. I placed the approach shot on the green and 2-putt for par. Nice!
The round continued this way until about the ninth hole. I made a sand save for par on hole #8, so I was feeling good, even if the humidity was already getting to me. I had trouble with my approach from 100 yards, finding a large bunker in front of the green. I struggled getting out, leading to a triple bogey. Still, my score at the turn was 47, which isn't bad.
At this point, I was really battling the heat and humidity. I made a pit-stop at the clubhouse, where I doused myself with cool water and replenished the water I had for drinking. I also got started eating a granola bar that I had brought with me. By the time I reached the tenth green, I was hurting bad. I quickly putted out, then walked to the side of the green because I was suddenly feeling nauseous. I threw up almost immediately, but it was a painful, dry heave.
I decided to try playing on, just to see if I would begin feeling better. I had another dry heaving incident on the side of the eleventh fairway. After hitting a tee shot on hole #12, I still wasn't feeling better. The prospect of another hour and a half in the heat and humidity wasn't very appealing, so I called it quits and walked off the course.
Score: 47 (9 holes)
Putts: 21
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
The day was not particularly hot, but it was extremely humid. I teed off late in the afternoon, joining up with with a very nice lady and two gentlemen. The company was fine, but I only managed 11 holes before calling it quits.
My tee shot on hole #1 was a complete mis-hit. I have been struggling badly with my fairway woods, whether hitting off the tee or otherwise. This was a 5-wood that I topped left of the teeing area into a fescue-covered hillside. It took a few hacks to get out, leading to a triple-bogey.
It was too early to get upset over a bad hole, so I focused on each hole as I played it and on each individual shot. On hole #2, I hit a great approach shot, but it trickled off the back of the green, setting up a tricky downhill chip. The approach on hole # 3 was better, setting up a par. I struck another great approach on the ensuing par-3, but followed with a 3-putt for bogey.
On hole #5, I employed a different strategy than I normally do. This par-4, which measures 360 yards, is a sharp dogleg, with out of bounds along the entire left side and a pond along the entire right side. I usually try to hit a straight, low-iron about 190-200 yards, setting up a 150-160 yard approach to the green. This time, I decided to cut the corner with my driver, which involves carrying the water. The shot came off perfectly, leaving just 100 yards to the green. I placed the approach shot on the green and 2-putt for par. Nice!
The round continued this way until about the ninth hole. I made a sand save for par on hole #8, so I was feeling good, even if the humidity was already getting to me. I had trouble with my approach from 100 yards, finding a large bunker in front of the green. I struggled getting out, leading to a triple bogey. Still, my score at the turn was 47, which isn't bad.
At this point, I was really battling the heat and humidity. I made a pit-stop at the clubhouse, where I doused myself with cool water and replenished the water I had for drinking. I also got started eating a granola bar that I had brought with me. By the time I reached the tenth green, I was hurting bad. I quickly putted out, then walked to the side of the green because I was suddenly feeling nauseous. I threw up almost immediately, but it was a painful, dry heave.
I decided to try playing on, just to see if I would begin feeling better. I had another dry heaving incident on the side of the eleventh fairway. After hitting a tee shot on hole #12, I still wasn't feeling better. The prospect of another hour and a half in the heat and humidity wasn't very appealing, so I called it quits and walked off the course.
Score: 47 (9 holes)
Putts: 21
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
Good Improvement at Coppinwood
This is another summary that I'm writing well after the round was played, so it may lack some of the more vivid details. A year after playing Coppinwood for the first time ever, I returned to play my second event of the season on the GTA Amateur Tour.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with my performance. I improved my score by twenty strokes over the previous visit to Coppinwood. What was the difference? In one word: experience.
I've said this before and I'll say it again: knowledge of a course goes an extremely long way in helping a golfer score well. Golf is a game of decisions. Do I hit driver or 3-iron off the tee? Do I go for the par-5 green in two, or do I lay up? Can I get out of the rough with a 4-iron, or do I need more loft? Do I give this putt 2 feet or 4 feet of break? How firmly do I have to hit it? Knowledge of a course helps immensely with all of these questions.
At Coppinwood, even a single round played there previously helped me make good choices. I knew what line to take off the tee to avoid hazards and other danger zones. I knew how the greens were tilted and hence, how to approach them. I knew the importance of keeping the ball below the hole. I also knew which holes called for conservative play and which ones I could get aggressive on.
The round was a little bit like my previous round at Hidden Lake. I had a few double-bogeys on the front nine, but I kept my head in the game and avoided any disaster holes. With a score of 49 at the turn, I started to play better, producing bogeys and pars. A couple of those pars were very nearly birdies, but the putts lipped out for me. Once again, I finished with a 43 on the back nine, and 92 overall.
I'll take it. That's three decent results in a row!
Score: 92
Putts: 38
Fairways: 10
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0
Overall, I am extremely pleased with my performance. I improved my score by twenty strokes over the previous visit to Coppinwood. What was the difference? In one word: experience.
I've said this before and I'll say it again: knowledge of a course goes an extremely long way in helping a golfer score well. Golf is a game of decisions. Do I hit driver or 3-iron off the tee? Do I go for the par-5 green in two, or do I lay up? Can I get out of the rough with a 4-iron, or do I need more loft? Do I give this putt 2 feet or 4 feet of break? How firmly do I have to hit it? Knowledge of a course helps immensely with all of these questions.
At Coppinwood, even a single round played there previously helped me make good choices. I knew what line to take off the tee to avoid hazards and other danger zones. I knew how the greens were tilted and hence, how to approach them. I knew the importance of keeping the ball below the hole. I also knew which holes called for conservative play and which ones I could get aggressive on.
The round was a little bit like my previous round at Hidden Lake. I had a few double-bogeys on the front nine, but I kept my head in the game and avoided any disaster holes. With a score of 49 at the turn, I started to play better, producing bogeys and pars. A couple of those pars were very nearly birdies, but the putts lipped out for me. Once again, I finished with a 43 on the back nine, and 92 overall.
I'll take it. That's three decent results in a row!
Score: 92
Putts: 38
Fairways: 10
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0
Comfortable on Old Course at Hidden Lake
I'm writing this well after the round was played, so forgive me if my memory is a little sketchy. My recent visits to Hidden Lake have been to the New Course, so I was glad to challenge the Old Course once again.
The front nine featured a lot of double-bogeys - six of them, to be exact. I was playing inconsistently, alternating between good shots and bad ones. On hole #1 for instance, I hit an excellent drive, straight and long. On hole #3 however, I pull-sliced one. On hole #2, a par-3, I had trouble getting up and down. On hole #4 however, which is also a par-3, I got up and down beautifully to save par.
Though I was inconsistent, I was happy that I avoided any blow-up holes - those where the result is triple-bogey or worse. My score at the turn was 49, which meant I had some work to do to salvage a good score.
On the back nine, I played very well. The driver was working fairly, as were the irons. If I have one complaint, it was the fact that I missed some greens from the middle of the fairway and inside 150 yards. You have to hit those if you want to reach the next level. My putting was not spectacular, but I got the job done.
A couple of pars on the last two holes gave me a 43 for the back nine, and 92 overall. That's a decent result - one I can build on next time out.
Score: 92
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
The front nine featured a lot of double-bogeys - six of them, to be exact. I was playing inconsistently, alternating between good shots and bad ones. On hole #1 for instance, I hit an excellent drive, straight and long. On hole #3 however, I pull-sliced one. On hole #2, a par-3, I had trouble getting up and down. On hole #4 however, which is also a par-3, I got up and down beautifully to save par.
Though I was inconsistent, I was happy that I avoided any blow-up holes - those where the result is triple-bogey or worse. My score at the turn was 49, which meant I had some work to do to salvage a good score.
On the back nine, I played very well. The driver was working fairly, as were the irons. If I have one complaint, it was the fact that I missed some greens from the middle of the fairway and inside 150 yards. You have to hit those if you want to reach the next level. My putting was not spectacular, but I got the job done.
A couple of pars on the last two holes gave me a 43 for the back nine, and 92 overall. That's a decent result - one I can build on next time out.
Score: 92
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
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