Hell of a round. Does that mean it was bad or good? You know an expression is lousy when it has two meanings – each the exact opposite of the other. In this case, it was a good round. It was my second score in the eighties this season – just two strokes off my best of the year. There were plenty of good shots, which I'll get to in a moment. On the other hand, it was not a great round in terms of the weather conditions. I felt like I was walking through hell, as the temperature reached 33 degrees Celsius, feeling like 37 with the humidex. I suppose it was appropriate, given that I was playing a course called Dragon's Fire. I held up pretty well in the heat, which is to say there was no puking and no migraines. I drank lots of water, paced myself throughout, and rested in the shade for a good 40 minutes after the round.
Hole 1 (Par 4) – 295 yards. Perfect 5-wood off the tee to the centre fairway. Lob wedge from 80 yards bounced on the green and trickled off the left edge. Downhill chip with lots of green to work with finished 9 feet below the hole. Inside right edge putt that I judged perfectly for par!
Hole 2 (Par 3) – 170 yards. Playing more like 160 yards, I hooked a 7-iron near the #3 teeing ground. Good lie and stance, I pitched one with the lob wedge about 30 yards, releasing 10 feet past the hole. I missed the par putt just right, settling for bogey.
Hole 3 (Par 4) – 360 yards. Horrible tee shot with the driver, a smother hook that trickled into the trees left. All I could do was chip sideways to the centre of the fairway. 160 yards from the flag, I hooked a 7-iron again. This time, the trees spit it out, albeit into a greenside bunker. A good out and 2 putts finished for double-bogey.
Hole 4 (Par 4) – 379 yards. High, straight drive over the tree hedge that juts in on the right side. Walk up, expecting to find my ball in the fairway just past the trees. It was in the fairway alright, 65 yards from the green! Oh baby, a 315-yard drive! Next, a lob wedge slides right under the ball, advancing only half the intended distance. No idea how that happens off a tight lie on a firm, dry fairway. I chipped on with an 8-iron, then 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 5 (Par 4) – 400 yards. Best drive I ever hit on this hole – Nick Faldo would call it a 2-yard draw. It went up the right centre of the fairway, finishing right beside the 100-yard stick. Oh baby, a 300-yard drive! Perfect sand wedge was right on line, finishing 12 feet below the hole. Good birdie attempt, but no dice. Par result.
Hole 6 (Par 4) – 352 yards. Great 5-wood off the tee to the left half of the fairway. 130 yards away and the best possible angle into the green. Lovely gap wedge shot just right of the flag, sets up legitimate birdie chance. I didn't play enough break on the 10-footer, leaving a 2-footer that I made for par.
Hole 7 (Par 5) – 463 yards. Once again, I hit the 2-yard draw with the driver. Tee shot is slightly uphill, so I only got 290 yards out of this one, but right in the fairway. Went for the green in two, with a 6-iron. Good contact, but slightly left, finishing in a greenside bunker. Good out and 2-putt for a well-earned par, my third in a row.
Hole 8 (Par 5) – 514 yards. Another 290-yard drive, this time to the right edge of the fairway. Crisp 4-iron was a thing of beauty, leaving 40 yards to the green. An accurate lob wedge sticks near the flag, inside 5 feet. Straight putt from directly below the hole drops for birdie!
Hole 9 (Par 3) – 149 yards. All carry over water. Was playing closer to 160 yards, so I opted for 7-iron. It was a perfect line, but a hair fat. Luckily carried the water and faced an uphill chip to the green. The slope kicked my chip further right than I expected, resulting in a 2-putt and bogey.
Hole 10 (Par 4) – 415 yards. Weak slicing drive meant I had 200 yards left to the green from just inside the right rough. Beautiful lie though, so I went for it with 3-iron. Nice shot, but trickled into a greenside bunker on the right. Excellent out and 2-putt on a sloped section of the green saved bogey.
Hole 11 (Par 4) – 378 yards. High cut drive travelled 290-yards to the centre of the fairway. I was drooling over the green with lob wedge in hand. Oh no, I thinned it through some trees on the left, finishing flag high but on #6 fairway. Punched a 6-iron low, trying to bump a mound just in front of the green. The ball carried about 2 yards too much, clipping the mound, but rolling off the other side of the green. Uphill chip, with lots of green to work with and a great lie – the kind where pros get up and down (at least) 100% of the time. My chip was a little short and I just missed the first putt, taking a double-bogey. Should have been better after that drive!
Hole 12 (Par 3) – 146 yards. Played to miss short and right with the pitching wedge, but hooked it to a bunker in front of the green. Absolutely beautiful bunker shot followed, flying right to the hole and stopping dead within 5 feet. Inside right edge putt drained for an up and down par!
Hole 13 (Par 5) – 567 yards. A true 3-shotter. Beautiful straight drive to the right centre of the fairway. Had a 5-iron in hand, but replaced it with the 4 when I saw I was on a bit of an up-slope. Great contact, but a little left of target. It took two bounces and dove into a cluster of trees. Ball unplayable, so I took my first penalty of the day. Only able to see the right edge of the green, so I tried to hook a low one in. It stayed straight, ending just off the right side of the green. A pitch and two putts closed things out with a double-bogey. Unfortunate.
Hole 14 (Par 3) – 186 yards. Pulled a 6-iron slightly, catching the lip of a bunker near the green. If it gets over the lip, I'm in some tame rough with lots of green to work with. As such, I hit one fat in the bunker, failing to get out. My next one gets out, but squirts left, trickling off the green. A great chip and tap-in for another double-bogey.
Hole 15 (Par 4) – 268 yards. A short par-4 that I've reached from the tee before. This time, the drive flares right, into a wooded area that plays as a lateral hazard. After a penalty stroke and drop, I hit a high lob wedge from 85 yards that finishes flag high at the back of the green. I drained the 12-footer for par!
Hole 16 (Par 5) – 523 yards. Controlled drive to the left side of the fairway started things out. Next, a laser-like 4-iron sails over some bunkers, setting up a great angle into the green, just 75 yards away. The lob wedge looked good, but drifted right and kicked further right after a bounce. A decent chip and putt almost saved par, but I needed a tap-in for bogey.
Hole 17 (Par 3) – 122 yards. Another carry over water, much like hole #9. This one was much shorter, but the pin was tucked way right in the most dangerous position. Water wraps around 3 sides of the green there. Ignoring the pin position, I hit a solid gap wedge to the extreme left side of the green. Next, I 3-putt from 100 feet away. Bogey.
Hole 18 (Par 5) – Driver failed, slicing right into a water hazard. It didn't quite reach the water, but a search on the banks of the pond turned up nothing. Penalty stroke and drop, followed by a lovely 7-iron, leaving just 60 yards to the flag. Lob wedge got me there and 2 putts finished up for another bogey.
Despite the great result, my handicap factor went up by two tenths. That's because a nice 85 from late last season at Scenic Woods came off my scoring record. Oh well. I feel good. I'll be back at Dragon's Fire in less than two weeks for a Deepwoods event. Will need a similar result to stay alive in the championship.
Score: 86
Putts: 32
Fairways: 9
Greens: 5
Penalties:3
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