My latest round of golf was played at Paris Grand Golf Club, located on the banks of the Grand River, in Paris, Ontario. It was my first ever visit to the club and I was not disappointed. Though the pro shop and on-course staff lacked some organization, the course itself was a real treat. The terrain features significant elevation changes, resulting in a variety of hole styles – many play downhill, while others play uphill or flat.
The par-4 holes differ greatly in length, adding further variety. Long holes require driver off the tee, while medium and shorter holes allow more options. Irons are the conservative choice on shorter holes, while woods or the driver offer an intriguing combination of risk and reward. Mature trees and fescue covered areas further define the holes, but nothing here is tricked up.
The front nine ends with a pair of challenging par-5 holes that feature intimidating carries over a large ravine. The back nine shows its teeth on back-to-back holes flanking the Grand River. Conditioning was great when I played, with nicely manicured fairways and very puttable greens. Overall, I would say this is one of the nicer courses in its price range.
I began with a couple of mediocre shots, but recovered for bogey, thanks to an excellent 8-iron into the green on the opening par-5. I was 5 over par through the first five holes – a good pace for me. I double-bogeyed a short par-3, owing to a hooked 9-iron off the tee. Fortunately, I made par on the very next hole, splitting the fairway before getting up and down from a greenside bunker. Still, there were some very makeable putts that I missed. The double bogey could have been a stroke better, but I burned the lip of the cup from six feet away. Two bogeys could have been pars, if not for similar edge burners.
Hole #6, a 152-yard par-3, resulted in triple-bogey. I hooked an 8-iron into a lateral hazard. After taking a drop, I fluffed an 80-yard approach, leaving more than half that distance to the green. When I finally got on the putting surface, it took two putts to hole out. All of this resulted from an inability to straighten out my mid-to-high irons, which have had a tendency to hook strongly recently.
After that setback, I settled back into a pretty good groove. I was 14 over par through 11 holes – the triple on #6 being the only real blemish on my scorecard. I handled the intimidating ravine on holes #8 and #9 with no problem whatsoever. My drive on #8 carried the necessary 245 yards to clear the junk, while my second shot on hole #9 was a very impressive 5-wood. I took a stab at driving the green on hole #10, a 295-yard par-4. I came up ten yards short of the green, but chipped and two putt for par. Still, here was another situation where I lost a stroke thanks to a slight miss on a makeable birdie putt. I had a feeling those missed putts would come back to haunt me.
And haunt me they did, because beginning with hole #12, I played four terrible holes in a row. A long forced carry on hole #12 didn't faze me, but thick trees lining the entire right side did. I took two penalties en route to a quadruple-bogey. My 3-iron off the tee on hole #13 was going to take a dip in the Grand River, but a lone tree grabbed hold of it and swatted it back toward the fairway. I could not take advantage of the good luck, as I hooked a mid-iron into a patch of thick fescue. The final result was a double bogey. Frustration mounted, as I made triple-bogey on hole #14 (a par-3) and quadruple-bogey on hole #15 (a par-5). Over four holes, I amassed six penalty strokes.
I settled back into bogey mode over the last three holes, but the damage was done. I finished with a score of 103, which seems to be my new comfort zone. One way or another, I always end up just over the century mark. I made a lot of good plays at Paris Grand, but it seems I just can't keep it together for 18 holes.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 8
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