OK, so my latest round of golf was played at Lowville Golf Club, in Burlington. I sliced my opening drive into the knee-high weeds, as it seems I've done in all of my recent visits there. I found the ball and managed to hack it out, but just barely, en route to a double bogey. After a perfect drive on hole #2, I hit a 9-iron off the heel, well left of the green. I did well to bump the ball under a tree and into a mound fronting the green to escape with bogey. Bogey was also the result on hole #3, a par-3. After three holes, things were looking OK.
Unfortunately, I took a triple bogey on the next hole, a par-5. My trouble came off the tee, when I pulled one into the woods. I found the ball and punched back to open space, but wasn't precise the rest of the way and also finished with a 3-putt. This was followed by double-bogey on the next two holes, the second of which was more disappointing, because I needed a chip and three putts to close out a hole that started out promising. After six holes, things were looking decidedly worse.
Luckily, I tallied two pars and a bogey to close out the front nine. Hole #7, an uphill par-5 was especially satisfying. I hit driver, 5-wood, managing to get the ball flag-high after two shots. My chip was mediocre and my birdie putt just missed, but I was still pleased. Hole #9 was a textbook par that also felt very good. A group of young guys let me and my partner play through on this hole, so it was great to have that success with a little audience watching. I split the fairway off the tee and nailed the green with my approach. After a lag and a tap-in, I recorded a 48 for the front nine. Back on track.
The back nine started out as a bogey fest, with the exception of hole #11, where I registered triple bogey. My second shot found a greenside bunker and my typical bunker problems surfaced. I caught my first attempt thin, but a high lip kept the ball in the hazard. My next attempt was fat, barely getting out. A chip and two putts finished things off. The triple was offset by five bogeys on the back nine through Hole #15. One shot that was working for me was the high flopping pitch shot. With the 60 degree wedge slightly open, I was able to swing aggressively, without decelerating the club. I produced some great shots, even when I had little green to work with. The best was on hole #12, a par-5. I was in a bit of trouble, but that one helped me get up and down nicely.
I had a bit of a debacle on hole #16, a long, uphill par-4. I pulled my tee shot into a bunker. Though the ball was in the bunker, I had to take my stance outside of it. The ball was well below my feet, which were planted in knee-high weeds. The weeds just managed to grab hold of my club when I swung. I was only able to get the ball to the flat part of the bunker. Unfortunately, I clipped the lip of the bunker on my next shot, then hooked one into the woods left of the green. When all was said and done, I tallied a quadruple bogey.
I double bogeyed the last two holes and was a little surprised when my final score turned out to be 99. I thought I had more wiggle room to avoid the dreaded century mark. Perhaps it was good that I didn't know, otherwise I may have tensed up and really blown up. Overall, I was satisfied with the round. There were some problems, for sure, but there were enough good shots to make the round enjoyable.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
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