To be honest, some of my recent course selections have been driven by a desire to get my handicap back under 20. Return visits to Willodell and Hidden Lake were motivated, at least partly, by my belief that I could score well at those particular courses. In a pair of visits there earlier this year, I scored 91 and 94 respectively. With a little more control, I felt like I could break 90 at either course. Unfortunately, all I could muster on my return visits were scores of 99.
My latest visit to Battlefield at Legends on the Niagara fell squarely in the same category. I shot a 97 there earlier this season, and felt like I left more than a few strokes out there. More than anything, it's a course I feel comfortable on, which is critical if one really wants to go low. As it turned out, I shot 101, once again testing the upper limit of my common scoring range. Since I began pressing to break that 20 handicap, my scores have looked like this: 101, 99, 101, 99, 101. Simply stated, that's not going to help me.
Things started out reasonably well at Battlefield, but there were moments of shakiness. The good part was my driving, as I hit five of seven fairways on the front nine. Even when I missed a fairway, the shots were pretty good. Battlefield features a number of cross bunkers that can extend right to the middle of a fairway. On one occasion, my drive simply rolled through the fairway and into one of these bunkers. On another occasion, I failed to carry a large lake by about two yards. Pitching, chipping and putting were also solid.
The shaky moments came with irons in hand. On hole #1, a par-5, I pulled my second shot with a 7-iron into the fescue. On hole #2, I did the same thing with a 5-iron. On hole #6, another par-5, I repeated the error with a 6-iron as I approached the green. On hole #9, a challenging par-4 with a lake along the entire left side, I hooked my second shot (a 5-iron) into the water. That one was particularly rough, as I hit very close to the shot I wanted. I aimed well right of the green and tried to hit a low draw. If it didn't draw, I would be 40 or 50 yards right of the green and could pitch on. If it did draw, I could get around the corner of the lake and roll right up to the putting surface. As the ball left my club, I thought it was perfect. Unfortunately, I hit the rocks near the corner of the lake and the ball bounced backwards into the drink. All of these shots resulted in penalty strokes.
I made the turn with a score of 50, so I knew breaking 90 would be tough indeed. Still, I thought I could finish comfortably in the mid nineties. Over the next seven holes, I made some wonderful plays. I hit a great drive and decent approach on hole #10. Hole #11 is a par-5 where I almost made eagle last time. I hit a driver, 5-iron combination that nearly mimicked that occasion. After pitching on from 50 yards, I had a go at birdie, but settled for par. The same thing happened on hole #12, after I found the fairway and green with a driver, 5-iron combination. The pin was tucked right at the back of the green, so it felt really good to cozy one up there from 180 yards. Another green in regulation followed on hole #13, though a 3-putt produced bogey. My par putt did a complete 180 degree turn around the edge of the cup. Hole #15 produced another par, thanks to a driver, 6-iron combination that once again challenged a back pin position.
As you can see, my irons were suddenly working like magic. The adjustment I made was to my grip. I did not make the grip stronger, or weaker by rotating my wrists. Rather, I took my normal grip, but rotated the shaft of the club so that the face was slightly more open. I also lightened the pressure with my right fingers. Oh baby, it worked like a charm!
Well, it worked like a charm until hole #17. This is a modest par-3, measuring 166 yards from the white tees. It is all carry over a pond, but one can bail out short and to the left, where there is a bit of closely mowed grass. I was confident, so I wasn't going to bail out. I took dead aim at the flag with a 6-iron, but pushed it ever so slightly and didn't catch the sweet spot. Had it been to the left side, I would have been safe, but the pond is longest on the right and I failed to clear it by a single yard. I re-teed and hit one fat, directly into the pond. After re-teeing again, I hit a repeat of my first shot. Now shooting seven from the tee, I finally found the green. After a 2-putt, I marked a 9 on my scorecard. Ouch and ouch!
I was upset, to say the least, and it carried over a bit on hole #18, a par-5. I actually hit a perfect drive, but it carried deep enough to roll into one of those pesky cross bunkers. This one has a high lip, so all I could do was pop one out to the fairway with a sand wedge. From 190 yards, I mis-hit a 4-iron that flared right into the lake. After a drop and hitting from the beach waste bunker, I hit one thin, barely emerging from the sand. My sixth shot was a pitch to the green and I 2-putt for a triple bogey.
Sigh!
Score: 101
Putts: 38
Fairways: 9
Greens: 5
Penalties: 9
No comments:
Post a Comment