After playing Victoria Park East for the first time earlier this year, I decided to return for another round. My debut at the course was fairly good, except for a couple of par-3 holes where I repeatedly dunked balls in the water. That experience was rather unusual, so I felt pretty good about the layout.
When all was said and done, I finished with a score of 93, which is my lowest so far of this difficult season. The funny thing is that, for the most part, I didn't feel like I played any better than I have during my other rounds this year. I hit some good drives, but I also mis-hit a couple. I avoided the hooks that have plagued my iron play recently, but I wasn't exactly striking the ball with precision. The fact is, I hit a modest number of fairways and greens. My chipping was just okay and my putting was rather routine.
So what made the difference? In a nutshell, it was sand play. On the first hole, a par-5, I found myself in a greenside bunker after four shots. With lots of green between me and the flagstick, I barely managed to get the ball on the green. It wasn't a good sand shot at all, but at least I got the ball on the green. In similar situations over the last couple years, I have either picked the ball clean and sent it 50 yards past the target, or hit too much sand and left the ball in the bunker.
On hole #2, a par-4 measuring 396 yards, I hit a straight, deep drive. Unfortunately, I pulled my approach with the 9-iron, landing in a bunker. Once again, I had a lot of green between me and the flag. This time, I hit a perfect out, with the ball releasing on contact with the putting surface and coming to rest just a couple feet from the hole. I tapped in for a satisfying par save.
On hole #3, a longer par-4 at 424 yards, I hit another straight drive to the fairway. This was straight into a strong wind, so I was left with 190 yards to the flag. This time, I pulled a 4-iron to a bunker left of the green. I had played three holes and already found three bunkers. No worries though, as I hit an even better sand shot than the last time. This one came out high on a cushion of sand and landed ultra soft, right beside the cup. Again, I tapped in for an up and down par.
Those sand shots gave me some much needed confidence, which carried through for the rest of the round. I believe that mindset was a large factor in collecting a pair of birdies on the back nine. The first came on hole #14, a short par 4 at 340 yards. After a drive into the right rough, a couple of yards off the fairway, I hit a sand wedge safely onto the green. From there I drained a pretty 15 footer.
The second birdie came on hole #17, another short par-4 measuring 356 yards. My approach from the fairway, 120 yards away from the flag, was pulled left of the green. From there, I lofted up a chip shot that took its first bounce on the fringe. The ball released and rolled, taking a slight break to the right and finding the centre of the cup. What a great feeling!
My final score was certainly not spectacular, but given the trouble I've had this year, it felt good to score comfortably. During most of my other rounds, I've unwillingly flirted with the dreaded century mark. This time, it felt like it was never a possibility.
Score: 93
Putts: 31
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
August 12, 2012
August 05, 2012
Return to King's Forest
Last year, I played King's Forest a number of times and took a liking to it, which is not to say that I played well there. In fact, I failed to break 100 on three separate occasions. With a new season comes new hope, so I decided to try my luck once again. While I may have had new hope, I certainly didn't have new skill or new talent, so the result was regrettably the same.
One of my downfalls on this occasion was putting. More disappointing than the fact I amassed 39 putts in total was that I 3-putt three of the first four holes and seven holes overall. It is simply impossible to score well with that many putts. On hole #1, a bogey turned into double-bogey with a poor lag, followed by a burned edge. On holes #3 and #4, pars turned into bogeys when greens in regulation were wasted with suspect putting. Throughout the entire round, my lag putts from distance were just too short.
Another downfall, not surprisingly, was my play from bunkers. I've consumed a lot of bits over the last couple of years describing my bunker trouble. At this point, every time I step into a bunker, I fear either picking the ball clean and blasting it past the green or hitting too much sand and failing to get the ball out at all. On hole #7, after a trio of bogeys and a birdie had steadied my game, I found a greenside bunker with my tee shot. Of course, I blasted the ball 40 yards past the green, behind some tall trees. I made a complete mess of the hole, finishing with a score of 7 on this par-3.
Last, but certainly not least, was some wildness with the driver. I hit some good shots with it throughout the round, but when I missed, I missed badly. On hole #8, I sliced one right into some long fescue. On the next hole, I sliced another into the trees. Both balls were lost, resulting in penalty strokes and re-teeing. Both holes produced a double-bogey, which is essentially a par after hitting your third shot from the tee. Considering that I've spent most of the past two years trying to avoid straight pulls, I was perplexed by the sudden regression to wild slices.
And so it was for yet another round. I hit some beautiful 3-irons, including a tee shot on hole #12, which I consider to be the most intimidating tee shot on the course. Another came on my second at hole #18, a par-5. It was also a 3-iron that set up my birdie on hole #5, a par-3 measuring 203 yards. Generally, my low irons were better than my high irons. It seems like I can't even hit a green with a wedge in my hands. Overall, the bright spots were few and far between.
Score: 102
Putts: 39
Fairways: 7
Greens: 5
Penalties: 4
One of my downfalls on this occasion was putting. More disappointing than the fact I amassed 39 putts in total was that I 3-putt three of the first four holes and seven holes overall. It is simply impossible to score well with that many putts. On hole #1, a bogey turned into double-bogey with a poor lag, followed by a burned edge. On holes #3 and #4, pars turned into bogeys when greens in regulation were wasted with suspect putting. Throughout the entire round, my lag putts from distance were just too short.
Another downfall, not surprisingly, was my play from bunkers. I've consumed a lot of bits over the last couple of years describing my bunker trouble. At this point, every time I step into a bunker, I fear either picking the ball clean and blasting it past the green or hitting too much sand and failing to get the ball out at all. On hole #7, after a trio of bogeys and a birdie had steadied my game, I found a greenside bunker with my tee shot. Of course, I blasted the ball 40 yards past the green, behind some tall trees. I made a complete mess of the hole, finishing with a score of 7 on this par-3.
Last, but certainly not least, was some wildness with the driver. I hit some good shots with it throughout the round, but when I missed, I missed badly. On hole #8, I sliced one right into some long fescue. On the next hole, I sliced another into the trees. Both balls were lost, resulting in penalty strokes and re-teeing. Both holes produced a double-bogey, which is essentially a par after hitting your third shot from the tee. Considering that I've spent most of the past two years trying to avoid straight pulls, I was perplexed by the sudden regression to wild slices.
And so it was for yet another round. I hit some beautiful 3-irons, including a tee shot on hole #12, which I consider to be the most intimidating tee shot on the course. Another came on my second at hole #18, a par-5. It was also a 3-iron that set up my birdie on hole #5, a par-3 measuring 203 yards. Generally, my low irons were better than my high irons. It seems like I can't even hit a green with a wedge in my hands. Overall, the bright spots were few and far between.
Score: 102
Putts: 39
Fairways: 7
Greens: 5
Penalties: 4
July 27, 2012
Century Pines...Literally
I've played Century Pines a number of times over the last two years and the results have not been good. In fact, the last time I had a decent result there was back in 2010. Since then, I haven't even been able to break 100 at the Troy, Ontario course. I guess the course has lived up to its name, as the century mark has proven to be a tough level for me to break there.
The opening hole invariably sets me off on the wrong path. Out of bounds lines the entire left side of this straightaway par-5. Lately, I have taken to hitting my tee shot to the opposite fairway on the right hand side. This is better than OB, but I've been so far right, that I've had to chip out of trees just to get the ball to a fairway. This time was no different. My third shot left me in the proper fairway, 170 yards from the green. I made good contact on the next shot, but pushed the ball slightly right into a large tree. A low punch travelled well past the green, so I required a pitch to get on. Facing a lengthy putt, I was well short, as I failed to factor how the morning dew would slow the ball down. Two more putts finished things for a quadruple-bogey. I struggled similarly on the next two holes, slicing drives and finding hazards on my way to a pair of triple-bogeys.
Then for a while, it seemed like I got the junk out of my system. I made three consecutive pars, beginning with a short par-4, followed by a par-3 and a more lengthy par-4. Irons worked off the tee and off the grass, giving me chances at birdies. These mini stretches of good golf are so tantalizing. They make the poor stretches all the more confounding.
On hole #7, a par-3 over water, I landed in a greenside bunker, flag high. I had a good lie and stance, no lip to speak of, and plenty of green to work with. What I didn't have is confidence, as I have been terrible at bunker shots for the past three years. Sure enough, I unintentionally picked the ball clean, sending it 60 yards past the green. I needed a pitch shot and two putts to salvage double-bogey. A double ensued on the next hole as well, thanks to a 3-putt, while I blew up for a quad on hole #9. At the turn, I was shooting 54.
My back nine was better, as I shot 49, but I still hit a number of disappointing shots. On holes #10 and #11, I hit some fat wedges from the fairway, failing to convert some great drives. Frustration probably spilled over to the next two holes, where I collected penalty strokes for finding hazards. Over the last five holes, I collected two pars and two bogeys, but also recorded a triple-bogey on hole #16, the toughest on the course.
In the end, I finished with a score of 103. My handicap inched up to 21.5, a full six points higher than it was two years ago. That is a huge increase. At the moment, I am basically no better than a hacker who has just picked up the game and perhaps played a handful of rounds. Pretty sad.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
The opening hole invariably sets me off on the wrong path. Out of bounds lines the entire left side of this straightaway par-5. Lately, I have taken to hitting my tee shot to the opposite fairway on the right hand side. This is better than OB, but I've been so far right, that I've had to chip out of trees just to get the ball to a fairway. This time was no different. My third shot left me in the proper fairway, 170 yards from the green. I made good contact on the next shot, but pushed the ball slightly right into a large tree. A low punch travelled well past the green, so I required a pitch to get on. Facing a lengthy putt, I was well short, as I failed to factor how the morning dew would slow the ball down. Two more putts finished things for a quadruple-bogey. I struggled similarly on the next two holes, slicing drives and finding hazards on my way to a pair of triple-bogeys.
Then for a while, it seemed like I got the junk out of my system. I made three consecutive pars, beginning with a short par-4, followed by a par-3 and a more lengthy par-4. Irons worked off the tee and off the grass, giving me chances at birdies. These mini stretches of good golf are so tantalizing. They make the poor stretches all the more confounding.
On hole #7, a par-3 over water, I landed in a greenside bunker, flag high. I had a good lie and stance, no lip to speak of, and plenty of green to work with. What I didn't have is confidence, as I have been terrible at bunker shots for the past three years. Sure enough, I unintentionally picked the ball clean, sending it 60 yards past the green. I needed a pitch shot and two putts to salvage double-bogey. A double ensued on the next hole as well, thanks to a 3-putt, while I blew up for a quad on hole #9. At the turn, I was shooting 54.
My back nine was better, as I shot 49, but I still hit a number of disappointing shots. On holes #10 and #11, I hit some fat wedges from the fairway, failing to convert some great drives. Frustration probably spilled over to the next two holes, where I collected penalty strokes for finding hazards. Over the last five holes, I collected two pars and two bogeys, but also recorded a triple-bogey on hole #16, the toughest on the course.
In the end, I finished with a score of 103. My handicap inched up to 21.5, a full six points higher than it was two years ago. That is a huge increase. At the moment, I am basically no better than a hacker who has just picked up the game and perhaps played a handful of rounds. Pretty sad.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
July 26, 2012
Opportunity Squandered at Oakridge
An old playing partner once told me that golf is not a game of aggression. There's a lot of wisdom in that statement, but then again, this particular playing partner didn't see how I played the final hole at Oakridge Golf Club during my last round. More on that in a moment.
It was Round 3 of the Deepwoods Golf Association championship, and I needed a good result to stay in contention. My plan was to survive the first three holes and to remain patient. Even if the opening trio of holes did not go well, there would be plenty of golf left to make up some points.
I played the first two holes rather well. A solid 3-iron off the tee on hole #1 found the right rough, taking a pesky pond out of play on the approach to the green. Unfortunately, this area is severely sloped, which complicates the approach in a different manner. Pick your poison. My approach was well short of the green, but I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. On hole #2, a par-3 measuring 182 yards, my 6-iron just failed to clear a bunker on the right side. Surprisingly, I hit a great bunker shot, rolling just past the hole. My par putt was good, but just missed. Bogey was the final result.
On hole #3, the hardest on the course, I finished with a triple-bogey. My 3-iron off the elevated tee was off the toe and dribbled into a hazard. After a penalty stroke and drop, all I could do was punch the ball to the fairway. From 200 yards out, I went for the green, but came up short. No doubt the water on the right side had a lot to do with that. A medium length pitch shot and two putts closed out the troublesome hole.
Hole #4, a 140-yard par-4,is the easiest on the course, but you wouldn't know that from my result. I came up short of the green, then sculled one over the green entirely and into a hazard. I found the ball, but it was unplayable. After a penalty stroke and drop, I completely duffed two chip attempts. My sixth shot stopped on the putting surface and a pair of strokes with the flat stick produced a disgusting score of 8 for the hole.
On hole #5, I was finally able to get driver in my hands. The result was my first fairway hit. Unfortunately, my approach with the gap wedge was short and in a bunker. This time, I picked the ball too clean, overshooting the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey. Another great drive on hole #6 split a couple of ponds and came to rest in the fairway. My approach with the 8-iron was also good, coming to rest on the green and flag high. After a good lag, I made par with a tap-in.
The first par of the day was followed by the first birdie. Hole #7 is a par-5 measuring 453 yards from the tees we were playing. I hit a piercing drive deep through some trees protecting the corner of this slight dogleg. From the left rough 180 yards out, I hit a nice 5-iron just off the right edge of the green. Reaching a par-5 in two shots is one of the best feelings in golf. It paid off, as I completed the up and down for birdie.
A bogey and par ensued on holes #8 and #9 respectively. At the turn, I had already made up for my early troubles and was on pace to score valuable Deepwoods points. The good streak continued through hole #10, but stalled beginning at hole #11. I hit my first slice of the day, forcing a sideways chip back to the fairway. This left me on a downslope, and as a result, my ball found a bunker 20 yards in front of the green. I hit a great out to the fringe, flag high. My bogey putt burned the edge of the cup, so double-bogey was the final result.
On hole #12, a poor drive was pulled into the trees. After a penalty stroke, I hit a nice lob wedge to get the ball over some high trees. This left me with 75 yards to the flag. Like an idiot, I duffed the approach and landed in a bunker. After a pair of shots to get out, another to get on the green, and three putts, I marked a 10 on my scorecard. Hole #13, a par-3 was almost as bad. I pulled my 9-iron slightly, but this left me in a terrible position behind some trees. I declared the ball unplayable and took my drop well back, on a line from the flag to the point where my ball lay, extended. My third shot failed to clear the trees, so I had to repeat the process. My fifth shot was good, and two putts closed things out for a score of 7.
On hole #14, I earned a bogey and on hole #15, I began with a great drive. My third shot into this par-5 was terribly unlucky. I was near a large net that protects the adjoining property from flying golf balls. The posts that support the net are tethered to the ground with wires. From 50 yards away, I hit one of these tiny wires. To make matters worse, the ball deflected out of bounds, through a gap under the net. If I miss that wire, my ball ends up somewhere very near the green. Instead, I get a penalty and have to shoot again from the location of my last shot. This irritated me to no end, and I finished with a quadruple-bogey.
At this point, the round was basically lost, which brings me to the very last hole. This is a par- 5 measuring 446 yards. To reach the green in two, you have to fly some trees left of the fairway. Then you have to carry a pond and navigate a large tree smack dab in front of the green. On the tee, I pummelled a monster drive right on target. I let out a primal scream in reaction to the shot, then cursed this game for thinking it could keep me down. I was left with 180 yards to the green from the right rough. I hit a beautiful 4-iron that carried the water and skirted the tree, finishing on the green, behind the flag. Again, I let out a guttural scream of aggression. I studied my eagle putt carefully. It looked like there was no break, just a bit of a downhill. Unfortunately, I left the putt four feet short. Thankfully, I salvaged the birdie.
So golf is not a game of aggression. Perhaps it's true, but I have to tell you, aggression worked pretty well on that final hole.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 7
It was Round 3 of the Deepwoods Golf Association championship, and I needed a good result to stay in contention. My plan was to survive the first three holes and to remain patient. Even if the opening trio of holes did not go well, there would be plenty of golf left to make up some points.
I played the first two holes rather well. A solid 3-iron off the tee on hole #1 found the right rough, taking a pesky pond out of play on the approach to the green. Unfortunately, this area is severely sloped, which complicates the approach in a different manner. Pick your poison. My approach was well short of the green, but I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. On hole #2, a par-3 measuring 182 yards, my 6-iron just failed to clear a bunker on the right side. Surprisingly, I hit a great bunker shot, rolling just past the hole. My par putt was good, but just missed. Bogey was the final result.
On hole #3, the hardest on the course, I finished with a triple-bogey. My 3-iron off the elevated tee was off the toe and dribbled into a hazard. After a penalty stroke and drop, all I could do was punch the ball to the fairway. From 200 yards out, I went for the green, but came up short. No doubt the water on the right side had a lot to do with that. A medium length pitch shot and two putts closed out the troublesome hole.
Hole #4, a 140-yard par-4,is the easiest on the course, but you wouldn't know that from my result. I came up short of the green, then sculled one over the green entirely and into a hazard. I found the ball, but it was unplayable. After a penalty stroke and drop, I completely duffed two chip attempts. My sixth shot stopped on the putting surface and a pair of strokes with the flat stick produced a disgusting score of 8 for the hole.
On hole #5, I was finally able to get driver in my hands. The result was my first fairway hit. Unfortunately, my approach with the gap wedge was short and in a bunker. This time, I picked the ball too clean, overshooting the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey. Another great drive on hole #6 split a couple of ponds and came to rest in the fairway. My approach with the 8-iron was also good, coming to rest on the green and flag high. After a good lag, I made par with a tap-in.
The first par of the day was followed by the first birdie. Hole #7 is a par-5 measuring 453 yards from the tees we were playing. I hit a piercing drive deep through some trees protecting the corner of this slight dogleg. From the left rough 180 yards out, I hit a nice 5-iron just off the right edge of the green. Reaching a par-5 in two shots is one of the best feelings in golf. It paid off, as I completed the up and down for birdie.
A bogey and par ensued on holes #8 and #9 respectively. At the turn, I had already made up for my early troubles and was on pace to score valuable Deepwoods points. The good streak continued through hole #10, but stalled beginning at hole #11. I hit my first slice of the day, forcing a sideways chip back to the fairway. This left me on a downslope, and as a result, my ball found a bunker 20 yards in front of the green. I hit a great out to the fringe, flag high. My bogey putt burned the edge of the cup, so double-bogey was the final result.
On hole #12, a poor drive was pulled into the trees. After a penalty stroke, I hit a nice lob wedge to get the ball over some high trees. This left me with 75 yards to the flag. Like an idiot, I duffed the approach and landed in a bunker. After a pair of shots to get out, another to get on the green, and three putts, I marked a 10 on my scorecard. Hole #13, a par-3 was almost as bad. I pulled my 9-iron slightly, but this left me in a terrible position behind some trees. I declared the ball unplayable and took my drop well back, on a line from the flag to the point where my ball lay, extended. My third shot failed to clear the trees, so I had to repeat the process. My fifth shot was good, and two putts closed things out for a score of 7.
On hole #14, I earned a bogey and on hole #15, I began with a great drive. My third shot into this par-5 was terribly unlucky. I was near a large net that protects the adjoining property from flying golf balls. The posts that support the net are tethered to the ground with wires. From 50 yards away, I hit one of these tiny wires. To make matters worse, the ball deflected out of bounds, through a gap under the net. If I miss that wire, my ball ends up somewhere very near the green. Instead, I get a penalty and have to shoot again from the location of my last shot. This irritated me to no end, and I finished with a quadruple-bogey.
At this point, the round was basically lost, which brings me to the very last hole. This is a par- 5 measuring 446 yards. To reach the green in two, you have to fly some trees left of the fairway. Then you have to carry a pond and navigate a large tree smack dab in front of the green. On the tee, I pummelled a monster drive right on target. I let out a primal scream in reaction to the shot, then cursed this game for thinking it could keep me down. I was left with 180 yards to the green from the right rough. I hit a beautiful 4-iron that carried the water and skirted the tree, finishing on the green, behind the flag. Again, I let out a guttural scream of aggression. I studied my eagle putt carefully. It looked like there was no break, just a bit of a downhill. Unfortunately, I left the putt four feet short. Thankfully, I salvaged the birdie.
So golf is not a game of aggression. Perhaps it's true, but I have to tell you, aggression worked pretty well on that final hole.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 7
July 24, 2012
Destiny at The Highlands of Bradford
Anticipating the next Deepwoods Golf Association event, I headed out to The Highlands of Bradford for a much needed tune-up. The course is usually in good shape and offers a decent golf experience at good value. Long rounds can be a problem on weekends, but since I was playing on a Thursday, I had nothing to worry about.
I hit my opening drive fat, which meant I had to lay up in front of a hazard with my second shot on this par-4. My third shot from 90 yards was just off the back of the green. Patchy rough resulted in a sculled chip shot, which I followed up with a 3-putt for a depressing triple bogey. I've stalled out of the gate a few times this year, and I can tell you it's not fun.
Despite stumbling on the first hole, I put together quite a good round. There was one exception, which I'll get to in a moment. Over the last 17 holes, I tallied six pars, six bogeys, and four double bogeys. Half of the pars were of the traditional variety (i.e. reach the green in regulation, lag one close, then tap in to finish), while the rest resulted from excellent putting.
My driving was not especially sharp, but I did hit a number of good shots off the tee. My irons were not as bad as they have been lately, but I still managed to hook some balls and top some others. These miscues were behind most of the bogeys on my scorecard. The double-bogeys resulted from an encounter with a water hazard, poor bunker play, an untimely 3-putt, and a couple of bad chip shots.
The real story of the day was hole #6, a par-4 measuring just 361 yards. I've struggled, indeed blown up, on this hole before. Out of bounds lines the entire right side, while the left is protected by a small pond off the tee. The prevailing wind always seems to push balls OB. Players must carry a creek on their approach to a shallow green, also protected in front by an expansive bunker.
To make a long story short, I pushed four consecutive balls out of bounds off the tee. With a penalty stroke each, I was lying 8 and still on the tee! After finally hitting the fairway, my approach shot was short and in the bunker. Next, I overshot the green, then chipped on. Ultimately, a 2-putt finished things up for a score of 14.
How does something like that happen? I'm not really sure, but it does. Just ask John Daly, who famously (infamously?) poured (hehe) seven consecutive balls into the water at the 2011 Australian Open. Daly had the sense to call it quits that day. I don't know the meaning of quit, or perhaps I'm just a glutton for punishment – either way, I played on and was glad that I did.
On the eighteenth tee, I needed a par to break 100. I hit a fantastic drive, followed by a weak iron. My third into this par-5 was not great, but I still ended up on the green and 2-putt to get the necessary par. Considering that I scored 14 on a single hole, 99 looks pretty good indeed.
Score: 99
Putts: 32
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 5
I hit my opening drive fat, which meant I had to lay up in front of a hazard with my second shot on this par-4. My third shot from 90 yards was just off the back of the green. Patchy rough resulted in a sculled chip shot, which I followed up with a 3-putt for a depressing triple bogey. I've stalled out of the gate a few times this year, and I can tell you it's not fun.
Despite stumbling on the first hole, I put together quite a good round. There was one exception, which I'll get to in a moment. Over the last 17 holes, I tallied six pars, six bogeys, and four double bogeys. Half of the pars were of the traditional variety (i.e. reach the green in regulation, lag one close, then tap in to finish), while the rest resulted from excellent putting.
My driving was not especially sharp, but I did hit a number of good shots off the tee. My irons were not as bad as they have been lately, but I still managed to hook some balls and top some others. These miscues were behind most of the bogeys on my scorecard. The double-bogeys resulted from an encounter with a water hazard, poor bunker play, an untimely 3-putt, and a couple of bad chip shots.
The real story of the day was hole #6, a par-4 measuring just 361 yards. I've struggled, indeed blown up, on this hole before. Out of bounds lines the entire right side, while the left is protected by a small pond off the tee. The prevailing wind always seems to push balls OB. Players must carry a creek on their approach to a shallow green, also protected in front by an expansive bunker.
To make a long story short, I pushed four consecutive balls out of bounds off the tee. With a penalty stroke each, I was lying 8 and still on the tee! After finally hitting the fairway, my approach shot was short and in the bunker. Next, I overshot the green, then chipped on. Ultimately, a 2-putt finished things up for a score of 14.
How does something like that happen? I'm not really sure, but it does. Just ask John Daly, who famously (infamously?) poured (hehe) seven consecutive balls into the water at the 2011 Australian Open. Daly had the sense to call it quits that day. I don't know the meaning of quit, or perhaps I'm just a glutton for punishment – either way, I played on and was glad that I did.
On the eighteenth tee, I needed a par to break 100. I hit a fantastic drive, followed by a weak iron. My third into this par-5 was not great, but I still ended up on the green and 2-putt to get the necessary par. Considering that I scored 14 on a single hole, 99 looks pretty good indeed.
Score: 99
Putts: 32
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 5
July 11, 2012
Fiasco at Hidden Lake
I headed out to the Old Course at Hidden Lake Golf Club after a week and a half without playing. I teed off early in the morning and the weather was perfect. Unfortunately, I could not say the same about the course conditions. The greens had been aerated and top-dressed recently, creating a terrible putting experience. The putting surface was extremely bumpy and varying levels of sand on each green made the speed unpredictable. Every time I go to Hidden Lake, regardless of the time of year, it seems the greens have been recently punched and covered with sand. What the hell?
Anyway, I started by blowing up for a score of eight on the opening par-4. I drove the ball well right of the fairway, then was stymied by trees all the way to the green. Blowing up on the opening hole is always disappointing; you feel like you're in the hole before the round has even really started. Fortunately, I rattled off a couple of pars and a couple of bogeys over the next four holes to settle down somewhat.
Even though my scores were getting better, I was not striking the ball particularly well. My drives, which had been pretty steady for a while, were completely off. The technique of stepping back at address with my right foot suddenly stopped working. I was flaring the ball short and right of target. My iron play continued to be woeful. To avoid hooking the ball, I went back to my natural takeaway, which is a straight back move, followed by a lift into a step, upright backswing. For most of the year, I had been taking the club away to the inside, then coming back to the ball from the same direction. In theory, this is good; in practice, it made me hook the ball with alarming consistency.
The only good part of my game was pitching, chipping and putting. Through the remainder of the front nine, the short game allowed me to salvage some bogeys, even though I was struggling to reach greens. At the turn, I had just 15 putts, thanks to chips and pitch shots that left me close to the hole. Considering how badly I was playing overall, I was lucky to be shooting 48 heading to the back nine.
Holes #10 through #15 were played much like the earlier holes of the round. My drives continued to miss right, except for a beauty down the pipe on hole #13. My irons were still pathetic, including some pulls and slight hooks. Worst of all, I hit a couple of shanks that seemed to defy the laws of physics. Nevertheless, I pitched and putt the ball well, salvaging quite a few bogeys.
The real problems came with three holes to play. On hole #16, I once again flared my drive to the right side. That side of the hole features a steep embankment, with not a flat stance in sight. This made it very difficult to reach the green. After two attempted approaches, I was in a bunker fronting the putting surface. My bunker play has been terrible for a few years now and I know it, which only seems to further impair my ability to hit sand shots. My first attempt was extremely fat. My second attempt was caught thin, sending the ball over the green and out of bounds. After a penalty stroke and drop, my third attempt finally landed safely on the green. Two putts gave me a score of nine on the hole.
As poorly as I had been playing, before that hole I was on pace for a round in the mid nineties. Suddenly, the dreaded century mark was a distinct possibility. I let out a few expletives in an attempt to rid myself of the disgust that I was feeling. It didn't work. On hole #17, I popped my drive straight up, failing to reach the fairway. An ensuing 6-iron was pulled left under a tree. Next, I hit a shocking shank that bounded across the fairway and through a bunker, coming to rest in some knee-high fescue. Are you kidding me? I hacked it out, but crossed entirely over the fairway, once again under some trees. A low punch bounded off the back of the green. After a chip and two putts, I recorded an eight on this par-4 hole. Needless to say, the expletives continued.
I needed a birdie on hole #18, a 180-yard par-3, in order to break 100. Instead, I made bogey and walked away with a gag-inducing score of 101. One of the reasons I play golf is to generate positive feelings that carry over into other parts of life. When the only feelings generated by the game are negative, this approach backfires completely and utterly – one ends up creating exactly the opposite effect than desired.
Score: 101
Putts: 32
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
Anyway, I started by blowing up for a score of eight on the opening par-4. I drove the ball well right of the fairway, then was stymied by trees all the way to the green. Blowing up on the opening hole is always disappointing; you feel like you're in the hole before the round has even really started. Fortunately, I rattled off a couple of pars and a couple of bogeys over the next four holes to settle down somewhat.
Even though my scores were getting better, I was not striking the ball particularly well. My drives, which had been pretty steady for a while, were completely off. The technique of stepping back at address with my right foot suddenly stopped working. I was flaring the ball short and right of target. My iron play continued to be woeful. To avoid hooking the ball, I went back to my natural takeaway, which is a straight back move, followed by a lift into a step, upright backswing. For most of the year, I had been taking the club away to the inside, then coming back to the ball from the same direction. In theory, this is good; in practice, it made me hook the ball with alarming consistency.
The only good part of my game was pitching, chipping and putting. Through the remainder of the front nine, the short game allowed me to salvage some bogeys, even though I was struggling to reach greens. At the turn, I had just 15 putts, thanks to chips and pitch shots that left me close to the hole. Considering how badly I was playing overall, I was lucky to be shooting 48 heading to the back nine.
Holes #10 through #15 were played much like the earlier holes of the round. My drives continued to miss right, except for a beauty down the pipe on hole #13. My irons were still pathetic, including some pulls and slight hooks. Worst of all, I hit a couple of shanks that seemed to defy the laws of physics. Nevertheless, I pitched and putt the ball well, salvaging quite a few bogeys.
The real problems came with three holes to play. On hole #16, I once again flared my drive to the right side. That side of the hole features a steep embankment, with not a flat stance in sight. This made it very difficult to reach the green. After two attempted approaches, I was in a bunker fronting the putting surface. My bunker play has been terrible for a few years now and I know it, which only seems to further impair my ability to hit sand shots. My first attempt was extremely fat. My second attempt was caught thin, sending the ball over the green and out of bounds. After a penalty stroke and drop, my third attempt finally landed safely on the green. Two putts gave me a score of nine on the hole.
As poorly as I had been playing, before that hole I was on pace for a round in the mid nineties. Suddenly, the dreaded century mark was a distinct possibility. I let out a few expletives in an attempt to rid myself of the disgust that I was feeling. It didn't work. On hole #17, I popped my drive straight up, failing to reach the fairway. An ensuing 6-iron was pulled left under a tree. Next, I hit a shocking shank that bounded across the fairway and through a bunker, coming to rest in some knee-high fescue. Are you kidding me? I hacked it out, but crossed entirely over the fairway, once again under some trees. A low punch bounded off the back of the green. After a chip and two putts, I recorded an eight on this par-4 hole. Needless to say, the expletives continued.
I needed a birdie on hole #18, a 180-yard par-3, in order to break 100. Instead, I made bogey and walked away with a gag-inducing score of 101. One of the reasons I play golf is to generate positive feelings that carry over into other parts of life. When the only feelings generated by the game are negative, this approach backfires completely and utterly – one ends up creating exactly the opposite effect than desired.
Score: 101
Putts: 32
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
July 03, 2012
Bust at Bond Head
Most people would agree that you can't simply will something to happen; desire just isn't enough. In fact, desire may even get in the way. I can't help but feel that this applies to my latest round of golf, played on The Club at Bond Head's South course. It was my second ever trip to the club, two years removed from my initial visit.
With the exception of Deepwoods Golf Association events, all of my rounds this year have been played as a single. There are a few nice things about that. For one thing, it's easy to play whenever and wherever you want, as there are no schedules to accommodate but your own. Occasionally, you also meet some pleasant people. On the whole, however, playing as a single just isn't as fun as playing with friends. To begin with, you miss out on the banter and good natured joking that only comes with familiarity. Most of all, you miss out on the shared experience – the opportunity to follow your partners' development and to offer support and encouragement, while they do the same for you.
The visit to Bond Head was a chance to play with some good friends whom I haven't seen in over a year. As a result, I was incredibly pumped up about the outing. I arrived at the club later than planned, thanks to heavier than expected traffic. More unsettling was the stiff wind whipping about as we emerged from the clubhouse and made our way over to the first tee. Hole #1 is a short par-4 that calls for an iron off the tee. My irons have been uncontrollable lately, even under ideal conditions. Throw in a strong wind and you have a recipe for disaster. I hooked a 3-iron into the fescue, which required two hacks to get out. Next, I duffed a pitch shot before placing one near the green. Up and down was only good for a triple-bogey.
With driver in my hands on the second tee, the result was no better. I failed to clear a hazard, earning a penalty stroke. My approach shot hooked into some knee-high fescue, which forced me to declare the ball unplayable. After another penalty stroke, I chipped and 2-putt for another triple-bogey.
All of this was just a warmup for what would ensue on hole #3, a par-3 measuring 190 yards. Battling the tendency to hook the ball, I pushed two consecutive balls right off the tee. The first hit a tree and was lost, while the second required a sideways chip to get to the shorter grass. My fifth shot found a greenside bunker, while my sixth sailed clear over the green. After a poor chip and a 3-putt, I marked a ten on my scorecard. Unbelievable!
At this point, it was hard to recover. I was not in the right frame of mind and the severe wind clearly had me rattled. Beginning with the third hole, I managed to 3-putt six consecutive holes. My putting has been good all year, so this had to be a mental issue. Mind you, I tallied 44 putts during my first visit to Bond Head, so maybe it has something to do with the greens there. I registered 42 putts this time around.
I only played two decent holes on the front nine. On hole #4, I hit the fairway with a low trajectory drive, then drew a 7-iron into the green. On hole #7, another low drive found the left rough. This was followed by a good 5-iron, leaving 100 yards into this par-5. Next, I hit a lob wedge thin, but nevertheless found the green in regulation. On both holes, a 3-putt turned a potential par into bogey.
On the back nine, the wind subsided. A slow group ahead of us also let us play through. Both of these factors helped me play a more regular game, coming in with a score of 51. A great up and down earned par on hole #10, while bogeys and double-bogeys began to replace triples or worse. My driving was not as sharp as it has been, but I did manage a couple of good ones. My irons were still bad, but my short game was better. In spite of the improvement, I collected three additional 3-putts.
In the end, I had mixed feelings. I was thankful to have had the opportunity to play with some good buddies and enjoyed our time on the course. However, I was terribly disappointed in my personal performance. I wanted a good result more than at any other time this year, but actually walked away with my worst score. The experience confirmed what I already knew: desire just isn't enough.
Score: 115
Putts: 42
Fairways: 2
Greens: 3
Penalties: 5
With the exception of Deepwoods Golf Association events, all of my rounds this year have been played as a single. There are a few nice things about that. For one thing, it's easy to play whenever and wherever you want, as there are no schedules to accommodate but your own. Occasionally, you also meet some pleasant people. On the whole, however, playing as a single just isn't as fun as playing with friends. To begin with, you miss out on the banter and good natured joking that only comes with familiarity. Most of all, you miss out on the shared experience – the opportunity to follow your partners' development and to offer support and encouragement, while they do the same for you.
The visit to Bond Head was a chance to play with some good friends whom I haven't seen in over a year. As a result, I was incredibly pumped up about the outing. I arrived at the club later than planned, thanks to heavier than expected traffic. More unsettling was the stiff wind whipping about as we emerged from the clubhouse and made our way over to the first tee. Hole #1 is a short par-4 that calls for an iron off the tee. My irons have been uncontrollable lately, even under ideal conditions. Throw in a strong wind and you have a recipe for disaster. I hooked a 3-iron into the fescue, which required two hacks to get out. Next, I duffed a pitch shot before placing one near the green. Up and down was only good for a triple-bogey.
With driver in my hands on the second tee, the result was no better. I failed to clear a hazard, earning a penalty stroke. My approach shot hooked into some knee-high fescue, which forced me to declare the ball unplayable. After another penalty stroke, I chipped and 2-putt for another triple-bogey.
All of this was just a warmup for what would ensue on hole #3, a par-3 measuring 190 yards. Battling the tendency to hook the ball, I pushed two consecutive balls right off the tee. The first hit a tree and was lost, while the second required a sideways chip to get to the shorter grass. My fifth shot found a greenside bunker, while my sixth sailed clear over the green. After a poor chip and a 3-putt, I marked a ten on my scorecard. Unbelievable!
At this point, it was hard to recover. I was not in the right frame of mind and the severe wind clearly had me rattled. Beginning with the third hole, I managed to 3-putt six consecutive holes. My putting has been good all year, so this had to be a mental issue. Mind you, I tallied 44 putts during my first visit to Bond Head, so maybe it has something to do with the greens there. I registered 42 putts this time around.
I only played two decent holes on the front nine. On hole #4, I hit the fairway with a low trajectory drive, then drew a 7-iron into the green. On hole #7, another low drive found the left rough. This was followed by a good 5-iron, leaving 100 yards into this par-5. Next, I hit a lob wedge thin, but nevertheless found the green in regulation. On both holes, a 3-putt turned a potential par into bogey.
On the back nine, the wind subsided. A slow group ahead of us also let us play through. Both of these factors helped me play a more regular game, coming in with a score of 51. A great up and down earned par on hole #10, while bogeys and double-bogeys began to replace triples or worse. My driving was not as sharp as it has been, but I did manage a couple of good ones. My irons were still bad, but my short game was better. In spite of the improvement, I collected three additional 3-putts.
In the end, I had mixed feelings. I was thankful to have had the opportunity to play with some good buddies and enjoyed our time on the course. However, I was terribly disappointed in my personal performance. I wanted a good result more than at any other time this year, but actually walked away with my worst score. The experience confirmed what I already knew: desire just isn't enough.
Score: 115
Putts: 42
Fairways: 2
Greens: 3
Penalties: 5
July 01, 2012
Iron Woes Continue at Peninsula Lakes
My last round was the second in the chase for the 2012 Deepwoods championship. It was played on the Quarry/Hillside nines at Peninsula Lakes Golf Club, with which I am both familiar and comfortable. Prior to the round, I spent some time on the range, trying to figure out why I have been hooking all of my irons. The best I could do was place the ball further back in my stance with high irons in hand. In addition, I focused on getting my weight transferred to the left side to maintain a bit of a forward press at impact. I wasn't very confident in these adjustments, but my ball flight seemed to be straighter, so I went with them.
I blew up on the opening hole for a score of nine on the par-4. My tee shot was a low, hooking driver that found a large pond on the left side of the fairway. After a drop, my attempted approach with an iron was no better. A pitch shot went long, a bunker shot failed to get out, and there was a 3-putt. Over the remainder of the Quarry nine, results were better, but my irons remained terrible. I duffed an 8-iron off the tee on hole #2, as well as a 3-iron off the tee on hole #3. After a good drive on hole #4, I hooked my approach well left of the green. A weak 5-iron off the tee on hole #6 didn't hurt me, but I was clearly not striking the ball even as well as I had been on the range.
My saving grace on the front nine came on holes #7 and #8, which are back-to-back par-5 holes. A good drive found the fairway on #7, while a decent iron shot pierced through the headwind and settled just in front of the green. I then 2-putt from the fringe for par. On hole #8, with the wind now at my back, I hit another nice drive, followed by a pretty drawing 4-iron, leaving just a 50-yard pitch to the green. I hit the front of the green, but the ball released surprisingly all the way to the back edge. Thankfully, I drained a lengthy putt for birdie. Halfway through the round, I was back on track and in position to score well in the Deepwoods system.
Beginning the Hillside nine, I struggled a bit. On Hillside #1, the easiest hole on the course, I mis-hit 3-iron off the tee, leaving a long approach from the left rough. I struck a decent 4-iron, but was just short and left of the green. My pitch shot over a bunker was nice, but the pin was in a tricky position and I 3-putt for double-bogey. On hole #2, my 3-iron off the tee was pushed right. It was a bit of a double-cross, as I was fighting the hook shots all day with the irons. And so, the trouble with my irons continued for the rest of the round. On a couple of occasions, I was so busy trying to figure a solution, that I topped or otherwise completely mis-hit the ball. When there are too many thoughts, that happens.
I don't want to leave the impression that everything was bad. In spite of my terrible iron play, I actually scored pretty well. I closed out the round with five consecutive bogeys, thanks to some good drives, solid wedge recoveries, and good putting. I hit a beautiful drawing drive on the tricky hole #4, perhaps the hardest hole on the course. I smoked another beauty about 290 yards on hole #9, a nice finishing par-5 hole. Unfortunately, my attempt to reach the green in two was foiled when my 4-iron trickled into a bunker in front of the green. One shot was required just to emerge from the bunker, and another to get on the green. In the end, a couple of early double-bogeys on Hillside cost me some critical points. There was no par or birdie this time that enabled me to recover.
My final score of 95 was my second best of the season, a single stroke behind my score earlier in the year at Copetown Woods. I suppose that's good news, but it's hard to see it that way when I have clearly lost a step from a couple of years ago.
Score: 95
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2
I blew up on the opening hole for a score of nine on the par-4. My tee shot was a low, hooking driver that found a large pond on the left side of the fairway. After a drop, my attempted approach with an iron was no better. A pitch shot went long, a bunker shot failed to get out, and there was a 3-putt. Over the remainder of the Quarry nine, results were better, but my irons remained terrible. I duffed an 8-iron off the tee on hole #2, as well as a 3-iron off the tee on hole #3. After a good drive on hole #4, I hooked my approach well left of the green. A weak 5-iron off the tee on hole #6 didn't hurt me, but I was clearly not striking the ball even as well as I had been on the range.
My saving grace on the front nine came on holes #7 and #8, which are back-to-back par-5 holes. A good drive found the fairway on #7, while a decent iron shot pierced through the headwind and settled just in front of the green. I then 2-putt from the fringe for par. On hole #8, with the wind now at my back, I hit another nice drive, followed by a pretty drawing 4-iron, leaving just a 50-yard pitch to the green. I hit the front of the green, but the ball released surprisingly all the way to the back edge. Thankfully, I drained a lengthy putt for birdie. Halfway through the round, I was back on track and in position to score well in the Deepwoods system.
Beginning the Hillside nine, I struggled a bit. On Hillside #1, the easiest hole on the course, I mis-hit 3-iron off the tee, leaving a long approach from the left rough. I struck a decent 4-iron, but was just short and left of the green. My pitch shot over a bunker was nice, but the pin was in a tricky position and I 3-putt for double-bogey. On hole #2, my 3-iron off the tee was pushed right. It was a bit of a double-cross, as I was fighting the hook shots all day with the irons. And so, the trouble with my irons continued for the rest of the round. On a couple of occasions, I was so busy trying to figure a solution, that I topped or otherwise completely mis-hit the ball. When there are too many thoughts, that happens.
I don't want to leave the impression that everything was bad. In spite of my terrible iron play, I actually scored pretty well. I closed out the round with five consecutive bogeys, thanks to some good drives, solid wedge recoveries, and good putting. I hit a beautiful drawing drive on the tricky hole #4, perhaps the hardest hole on the course. I smoked another beauty about 290 yards on hole #9, a nice finishing par-5 hole. Unfortunately, my attempt to reach the green in two was foiled when my 4-iron trickled into a bunker in front of the green. One shot was required just to emerge from the bunker, and another to get on the green. In the end, a couple of early double-bogeys on Hillside cost me some critical points. There was no par or birdie this time that enabled me to recover.
My final score of 95 was my second best of the season, a single stroke behind my score earlier in the year at Copetown Woods. I suppose that's good news, but it's hard to see it that way when I have clearly lost a step from a couple of years ago.
Score: 95
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2
June 23, 2012
Bloomington Ups and Downs
That golf can be exhilarating one moment and depressing the next is no secret. If you've read this blog long enough, you've seen ample evidence of both extremes. What never fails to surprise me, however, is the speed at which the tides can turn. My latest round, a return to Bloomington Downs after a five year hiatus, was not a collapse of the type I experienced recently at Copetown Woods, but it nevertheless demonstrates the fickle nature of this glorious game.
Over the three rounds played before this one, a few aspects of my game were dialed in. By taking a step back with my right foot at address, I had tamed my driver, delivering tee shots that were straight and plenty deep. At Copetown Woods, for example, I hit a number of 290-yard drives straight down the fairway. Besides my driver, I was also in control of my wedges, delivering chip shots very near the cup and finishing with more up and downs than usual. I was chipping by feel, rather than thinking too much. Despite those strengths, I still wasn't scoring well, all because of poor iron play. I was fighting the tendency to hook shots, even with high lofted clubs.
My iron troubles continued at Bloomington Downs, as I was unable to hit a single green in regulation. It's not like I didn't have the opportunities; I simply missed approach shots from all distances. On the par-5 first hole, I missed the green with my third shot from the fairway at 130 yards. On the par-4 second hole, I missed with my second shot from the fairway at 95 yards. That miss came after a brilliant 3-iron from the tee that travelled 210 yards. On the par-3 third hole, I missed with my tee shot from 160 yards. Some misses were hooks, while others were pushes to the right as I over-compensated.
To make matters worse, my driving and chipping suddenly abandoned me. On the front nine, my drives were all smothered, travelling left of target and extremely short. It was like I could not get the ball airborne. Thankfully, I turned the driving situation around on the back nine, but that is when my chipping became terrible. More on that in a moment.
I played the front nine alongside another player, with a foursome ahead of us. Two of the four called it quits after nine holes, allowing myself and my partner to join up with the two who continued on. On hole #10, a par-5 measuring 470 yards, I finally hit a spectacular drive. With a slight wind helping, I smacked a towering 300-yard drive to the right fairway. The hole bends slightly left, so my ball actually traveled through, ending a couple of yards in the right rough. As I bent over to pick up my tee, I heard one of my new playing partners whisper to the other, “He smoked that one.” What a feeling!
As luck would have it, my lie in the rough was not great. My 7-iron failed to reach the green. Then, I duffed a chip, so I wasn't even on the green in regulation. Can you believe that? Bogey was the result. It was to be the start of a bogey train that lasted for five straight holes. Normally, bogey isn't bad for me, but some of these were disappointing. On hole #13, a par-4 measuring 343 yards, I hit another great drive, 275 yards to the right fairway. My ball got past some bushes that protect the inside of this dogleg right, leaving just 65 yards to the green. My pitch shot was a bit too long, stopping on the back fringe. Three putts later, I carded my bogey.
With four holes to play, I was on pace for a score in the mid nineties. A missed putt inside four feet on hole #15 resulted in a double-bogey and in retrospect, was the turning point. On hole #16, a 180-yard par-3, I hooked my 5-iron left of the green, but was flag-high. All I needed was a chip and two-putt for bogey. Unfortunately, I duffed my first chip attempt. The result was double-bogey. On hole #17, a par-4, I needed a chip and two putts for double-bogey. Once again, I duffed the first chip, settling for triple-bogey instead.
This left me in an interesting position. I needed a par on the par-5 eighteenth hole to break 100. I had not made a par all day, amassing mostly bogeys, with a spattering of doubles. However, I felt par was possible on this dogleg left, which measures just 465 yards. I took aim at the corner of the dogleg, fully intending to go for the green in two. I pulled off exactly what I was trying for. A collection of spaced trees guard the inside of the corner, while further left is thick forest. My ball sailed over the spaced trees, ending up one foot short of the fairway, adjacent to the 150-yard marker. What a beauty! From 150 yards, I played 7-iron, accounting for the elevated green. My ball was flag high, but hooked eight yards left of the green. The hook got me again! No worries, as I could chip and putt for birdie, or at worst, chip and two-putt for the needed par. Well guess what? I duffed another chip, failing again to get to the green in regulation. After a second chip, I faced a 12-footer for par. The ball was tracking nicely, but burned the left edge, leading to bogey and the wretched score of 100.
It's funny; 100 is the mark of perfection is many things, but in golf it is a true mark of failure. Oh well, I'll just focus on the great shots that were made and try not to worry about the score.
Score: 100
Putts: 36
Fairways: 2
Greens: 0
Penalties: 1
Over the three rounds played before this one, a few aspects of my game were dialed in. By taking a step back with my right foot at address, I had tamed my driver, delivering tee shots that were straight and plenty deep. At Copetown Woods, for example, I hit a number of 290-yard drives straight down the fairway. Besides my driver, I was also in control of my wedges, delivering chip shots very near the cup and finishing with more up and downs than usual. I was chipping by feel, rather than thinking too much. Despite those strengths, I still wasn't scoring well, all because of poor iron play. I was fighting the tendency to hook shots, even with high lofted clubs.
My iron troubles continued at Bloomington Downs, as I was unable to hit a single green in regulation. It's not like I didn't have the opportunities; I simply missed approach shots from all distances. On the par-5 first hole, I missed the green with my third shot from the fairway at 130 yards. On the par-4 second hole, I missed with my second shot from the fairway at 95 yards. That miss came after a brilliant 3-iron from the tee that travelled 210 yards. On the par-3 third hole, I missed with my tee shot from 160 yards. Some misses were hooks, while others were pushes to the right as I over-compensated.
To make matters worse, my driving and chipping suddenly abandoned me. On the front nine, my drives were all smothered, travelling left of target and extremely short. It was like I could not get the ball airborne. Thankfully, I turned the driving situation around on the back nine, but that is when my chipping became terrible. More on that in a moment.
I played the front nine alongside another player, with a foursome ahead of us. Two of the four called it quits after nine holes, allowing myself and my partner to join up with the two who continued on. On hole #10, a par-5 measuring 470 yards, I finally hit a spectacular drive. With a slight wind helping, I smacked a towering 300-yard drive to the right fairway. The hole bends slightly left, so my ball actually traveled through, ending a couple of yards in the right rough. As I bent over to pick up my tee, I heard one of my new playing partners whisper to the other, “He smoked that one.” What a feeling!
As luck would have it, my lie in the rough was not great. My 7-iron failed to reach the green. Then, I duffed a chip, so I wasn't even on the green in regulation. Can you believe that? Bogey was the result. It was to be the start of a bogey train that lasted for five straight holes. Normally, bogey isn't bad for me, but some of these were disappointing. On hole #13, a par-4 measuring 343 yards, I hit another great drive, 275 yards to the right fairway. My ball got past some bushes that protect the inside of this dogleg right, leaving just 65 yards to the green. My pitch shot was a bit too long, stopping on the back fringe. Three putts later, I carded my bogey.
With four holes to play, I was on pace for a score in the mid nineties. A missed putt inside four feet on hole #15 resulted in a double-bogey and in retrospect, was the turning point. On hole #16, a 180-yard par-3, I hooked my 5-iron left of the green, but was flag-high. All I needed was a chip and two-putt for bogey. Unfortunately, I duffed my first chip attempt. The result was double-bogey. On hole #17, a par-4, I needed a chip and two putts for double-bogey. Once again, I duffed the first chip, settling for triple-bogey instead.
This left me in an interesting position. I needed a par on the par-5 eighteenth hole to break 100. I had not made a par all day, amassing mostly bogeys, with a spattering of doubles. However, I felt par was possible on this dogleg left, which measures just 465 yards. I took aim at the corner of the dogleg, fully intending to go for the green in two. I pulled off exactly what I was trying for. A collection of spaced trees guard the inside of the corner, while further left is thick forest. My ball sailed over the spaced trees, ending up one foot short of the fairway, adjacent to the 150-yard marker. What a beauty! From 150 yards, I played 7-iron, accounting for the elevated green. My ball was flag high, but hooked eight yards left of the green. The hook got me again! No worries, as I could chip and putt for birdie, or at worst, chip and two-putt for the needed par. Well guess what? I duffed another chip, failing again to get to the green in regulation. After a second chip, I faced a 12-footer for par. The ball was tracking nicely, but burned the left edge, leading to bogey and the wretched score of 100.
It's funny; 100 is the mark of perfection is many things, but in golf it is a true mark of failure. Oh well, I'll just focus on the great shots that were made and try not to worry about the score.
Score: 100
Putts: 36
Fairways: 2
Greens: 0
Penalties: 1
June 16, 2012
First Visit to Victoria Park East
It had been over two weeks since my last golf round, so I looked for a course to tackle. I settled on Victoria Park East, a Rene Muylaert design located in Guelph, Ontario. Owing to the fact that it is slightly out of the way for me, I had never played Victoria Park before. However, I enjoy playing new courses every now and then, so I was willing to drive a few extra kilometres.
I was paired with another first timer, but we were joined on the front nine by a couple of staff members. They were happy to share their knowledge of the course with us newbies, which helped tremendously. We had to fare for ourselves on the back nine, but by then I had developed a certain degree of comfort with the course. Weather was absolutely perfect for the entire round.
I started well, registering pars on holes #1, #3 and #5. I hit three of four fairways in the same stretch, taking a step back with my right foot at address. This approach served me well in my previous two rounds, and I'm happy to say that it worked again. I would go on to hit only five fairways in total, but my misses were never more than two or three yards off the fairway. I didn't have the great distance I displayed at Copetown Woods, but I was still very much in control of the driver.
A couple of the pars early in the round came as a result of my short game. In both cases, I executed excellent chip shots, followed by solid putts. If there was any part of the game where I was struggling, it was with my iron shots, especially short irons. I was fighting the tendency I've developed recently to hook the ball. My ball flight was also lower than normal. This was the primary reason I did not hit many greens in regulation.
At the turn, my score was 51, thanks to a ridiculous score of 11 on the par-3 sixth hole. At 153 yards, the hole is not long, but one must carry a pond to reach the green. My tee shot was off the toe of the club and found the water. After a penalty stroke and drop, I proceeded to hit two more balls in the water, just 60 yards from the green. It was unbelievable! I finally reached the green in 8 and then 3-putt to finish the misery.
To a lesser extent, the same thing happened on hole #13, another par-3 measuring 161 yards. My tee shot was hit thin and found the pond fronting the green. After a penalty stroke and drop, I duffed a second ball into the wet. That hole ended with a triple-bogey. The problem on both of these holes stemmed from my discomfort hitting an iron – on hole #6 it was an 8-iron, while on hole #13, it was a 7-iron. As I said, I was fighting a hook with the irons and making too many adjustments before hitting.
The remainder of the back nine was quite good. My driver remained rock steady, as did my chipping and putting. I finished with a score of 99, which doesn't help my handicap factor at all, but which I suppose is okay for a new course. I simply have to get my irons in order and avoid the blowup holes to start scoring well.
Score: 99
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
I was paired with another first timer, but we were joined on the front nine by a couple of staff members. They were happy to share their knowledge of the course with us newbies, which helped tremendously. We had to fare for ourselves on the back nine, but by then I had developed a certain degree of comfort with the course. Weather was absolutely perfect for the entire round.
I started well, registering pars on holes #1, #3 and #5. I hit three of four fairways in the same stretch, taking a step back with my right foot at address. This approach served me well in my previous two rounds, and I'm happy to say that it worked again. I would go on to hit only five fairways in total, but my misses were never more than two or three yards off the fairway. I didn't have the great distance I displayed at Copetown Woods, but I was still very much in control of the driver.
A couple of the pars early in the round came as a result of my short game. In both cases, I executed excellent chip shots, followed by solid putts. If there was any part of the game where I was struggling, it was with my iron shots, especially short irons. I was fighting the tendency I've developed recently to hook the ball. My ball flight was also lower than normal. This was the primary reason I did not hit many greens in regulation.
At the turn, my score was 51, thanks to a ridiculous score of 11 on the par-3 sixth hole. At 153 yards, the hole is not long, but one must carry a pond to reach the green. My tee shot was off the toe of the club and found the water. After a penalty stroke and drop, I proceeded to hit two more balls in the water, just 60 yards from the green. It was unbelievable! I finally reached the green in 8 and then 3-putt to finish the misery.
To a lesser extent, the same thing happened on hole #13, another par-3 measuring 161 yards. My tee shot was hit thin and found the pond fronting the green. After a penalty stroke and drop, I duffed a second ball into the wet. That hole ended with a triple-bogey. The problem on both of these holes stemmed from my discomfort hitting an iron – on hole #6 it was an 8-iron, while on hole #13, it was a 7-iron. As I said, I was fighting a hook with the irons and making too many adjustments before hitting.
The remainder of the back nine was quite good. My driver remained rock steady, as did my chipping and putting. I finished with a score of 99, which doesn't help my handicap factor at all, but which I suppose is okay for a new course. I simply have to get my irons in order and avoid the blowup holes to start scoring well.
Score: 99
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
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