After 15 consecutive rounds under 100, I was feeling like triple digits were no longer in my future. My last round above the century mark was the season opener at King's Forest Golf Club. I was prepared to overlook that one, given that I hadn't touched a club in a full six months. Over the last half of the 2014 season, excursions into triple digit territory were also rare, and when they happened, I topped 100 by just a stroke or two. I convinced myself that shooting 101 is really like shooting 99, so nothing to worry about too much.
Then out of the blue, I scored well into the 100's at my latest round. It was a beautiful day at Ussher's Creek, which is part of Legends on the Niagara. The sun was out, but it was a comfortable temperature. There were very few people on the course and I played by myself. A threesome let me through on hole #3 and a twosome did the same on hole #12. The course was in good shape and ripe for the picking. I played two thirds of the round (12 holes) at my typical bogey pace. This included a birdie, nine bogeys and two doubles. Unfortunately, I added six blowup holes – three on the front nine and three on the back.
Early on, my driving was the problem. I was pulling everything left. In a couple cases, I got away with it, but other times it led to penalty strokes. On hole #6, a par-4 that borders a lake from tee to green, I put three consecutive balls in the water. Driver, 5-iron, gap wedge – it didn't matter. They all found a way to get wet. I took a score of 10 on that hole alone. On hole #8, a tough 445-yard par-4, good decision making went unrewarded. My drive finished in the left rough, 200 yards from the flag. I had the 5-wood in my hands, but when I saw the fescue covered mound directly in front of me, I decided to hit 7-iron short of the green and try my luck at pitching and putting. I was worried that if I topped or thinned the 5-wood trying to reach the green, I could end up in a horrible spot. Well of course, I hit the 7-iron fat and barely cleared the mound, ending up in a bunker, still 160 yards from the green. It was that kind of day. I finished the hole with a triple -bogey.
After hitting zero fairways on the front nine, I began the back nine with a laser of a drive on hole #10. From 170 yards, I hooked a 6-iron slightly, finding a hazard short and left of the green. A poor chip and 3-putt didn't help matters, as I finished with a quadruple-bogey. At this point, I still believed I could rescue a sub-100 round, but hole #11 made that next to impossible. To be frank, the hole is not very fair. The green is wide, but extremely shallow, and fronted by Ussher's Creek, which you must carry on your approach. When I say fronted, I really mean fronted. The creek is nestled right up against the green. The only safe place is long of the green.
I was 150 yards from the flag – a situation where I would usually hit 8-iron. I opted for 7-iron to be safe. I hit it right over the flag. The ball appeared to bounce on the back of the green or perhaps just beyond, so I was happy. When I walked up to the green, I found my ball a full 20 yards behind the green. What? I couldn't believe it. OK, I went ahead and pitched on with the lob wedge. I hit a perfect shot. It went up high in the air, bounced in the rough about a yard or two before the green and trickled on – BUT, it kept going and rolled right off the shallow green and into the bloody creek! Are you kidding me? Penalty stroke, a chip and two putts for triple-bogey.
I strung together five bogeys and a double on holes #12 through #17 – a decent stretch, but not good enough to overcome the blowup holes I already registered. Sitting at 100 even, I finished with another quadruple-bogey on hole #18. This hole is very much like #11, with the creek fronting (and I really mean fronting) the green. I hit the drive low on the face, barely reaching the fairway. A layup to 140 yards allowed me to go into the green with a full 9-iron (or 8-iron to be safe). I chose 8-iron and duffed it to just in front of the creek. Whew! At least I didn't go in. No problem, that happened on my next shot – a complete duff with the lob wedge. On a tight fairway lie, that happens sometimes. My sixth shot was over the green and a great chip and putt actually limited the damage.
Oh man, what a downer! Look at the penalties!
Score: 108
Putts: 36
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 10
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