I often wonder if I would score better if I played the same course repeatedly, as the members at many private clubs do. There's no doubt that increased familiarity with a golf course leads to better decision making. Over time, one learns which areas to avoid at all cost and which ones are more forgiving. One also learns which clubs work best in given situations, and perhaps most importantly, how the greens roll and break. The second of back to back rounds at Lowville Golf Club gave me a rare opportunity to see if a repeat round would produce a better score. As it turned out, I improved my score by nine strokes. Granted, some of that had to do with better weather conditions, but I really felt like the round a day earlier left me feeling much more comfortable on the course.
I like the format I tried in my last post, so I decided to do it again. Here we go.
Worst Shots
5. Hole #11 is a short par-4, measuring 313 yards. After a pretty good tee shot just into the left rough, I hit a sand wedge shot into a greenside bunker. My bunker troubles have been well documented on this blog. My first attempt in the trap was fat and the ball didn't get out. My second attempt was fine, but the damage was done.
4. Hole #6 is another short par-4, at just 295 yards. I played my second shot to the front edge of the green, which was ideal, since you definitely want to be below the hole. I had been putting well so far, but inexplicably, I blasted the uphill putt way past the hole. I failed to make the comebacker, so the result was a 3-putt.
3. Hole #13 is a 150-yard par-3, with out of bounds along the right side. As I was going through my pre-shot routine on the teeing ground, my attention turned to the pace at which I take my practice swing and then my actual swing. It was a dumb thought and I rushed my shot, topping the ball badly with an 8-iron. Yech!
2. Hole #9 almost made my Worst Shots list last time, thanks to a terrible drive attempt off the heel of the club. I guess it was destiny, as this time, I hit basically the same shot, but watched as my ball dribbled into a pond left of the teeing ground. It was a truly terrible shot, as I was forced to hit my third from the tee.
1. Hole #2 was on the Worst Shots list last time, and here it is again. Cue up the instant replay, because there was very little differentiating this tee shot from the last. A huge outside-in swing started things out. I caught the ball on the heel and watched as it dove into the pond directly in front of the teeing ground. Unbelievable.
Best Shots
5. Hole #7 is an uphill par-5. After finding the centre of the fairway with a mediocre drive, I opted to play a half-swing 5-iron to advance the ball. I've been using this shot quite a bit recently, and I like the control it gives me. I advanced the ball perfectly, avoiding OB right and bunkers left, while leaving 100 yards to the flag.
4. Hole #18 was the scene of one of my best shots last time, but it wasn't my initial tee shot. That one failed to carry some intimidating marshland. This time, I aimed further to the right and it worked like a charm. My ball carried the marsh with no trouble, bounced into a hillside, and settled in the fairway centre. Nice.
3. Hole #6 is where I made a terrible lag putt, but my tee shot on the same hole was marvellous. My playing partners hit driver or fairway wood off the tee, which is an aggressive play. I opted for the conservative route with a 5-iron. It was an absolute thing of beauty, travelling straight and rolling downhill a distance of 225 yards.
2. Hole #12 is an uphill par-5 with a couple of valleys to cross en route to the green. I hacked my way up to the side of the green with three shots. After duffing a pitch shot, I made a decent chip, but the ball rolled right to the green collar. No problem, as I made a brilliant uphill putt through the fringe, that curled right into the hole!
1. Hole #8 is one I've described as a devilish par-3. It's only 121yards, but the tee is elevated and it's always windy up there. Behind the shallow green is a steep drop-off, also known as death. In front is a huge bunker. It's all about club selection, and I hit a full 60 degree wedge shot all over the flag, settling 6 feet behind. Take that!
Score: 94
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
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