A week ago, I posted about my top ten rounds of all time. Number 10 on the list was the round I played just before writing the entry – a tune-up of sorts for an upcoming round on the Deepwoods Tour. Playing at the same course where the Deepwoods event would be held, I shot a very satisfying 86. To be honest, I thought it would hard to replicate that kind of score in competition. Well, the Deepwoods event took place last Sunday and I'm delighted to report that I shot 86 again! It looks like I'll have to update that Top 10 list.
Hole 1 (Par 4) – 295 yards. Perfect 5-wood off the tee to the right centre of the fairway. Easy sand wedge from 90 yards to a pin tucked near the extreme right side of the green. My birdie putt from 10 feet was tracking right to the centre of the hole and stopped on the lip. Par result.
Hole 2 (Par 3) – 170 yards. Playing more like 150 yards, I hooked an 8-iron near the #3 teeing ground. The ball was unplayable in the fescue, so I took a penalty. I bumped a shot near the front pin position, leaving about 12 feet for bogey. Great putt broke to the centre of the hole and stopped on the lip again. Double-bogey.
Hole 3 (Par 4) – 360 yards. 5-wood off the tee was just off the right side of the fairway, but I had an open path to the pin and a good lie. Hooked an 8-iron into the trees left of the green. Penalty stroke and a drop ensued. From there, I pulled my pitch shot a bit, setting up two putts and another double.
Hole 4 (Par 4) – 379 yards. Nice drive to the left side of the fairway, leaving 70 yards to the flag. Lob wedge inexplicably slid right under the ball, despite the tight lie. Now I faced a 35 yard shot with the same club. Carried it past the hole to make sure I cleared a front bunker, then 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 5 (Par 4) – 400 yards. Narrowest hole on the course, I pulled one slightly into some long but wispy fescue. Pitched back to the fairway, leaving 100 yards to the flag. Sand wedge was good, but didn't quite reach the hole. Made a nice lag and easy tap-in for bogey.
Hole 6 (Par 4) – 352 yards. Great 5-wood off the tee to the left half of the fairway. 140 yards away and the best possible angle into the green. Pushed it a hair right of the flag, hitting the bank above a bunker and rolling backwards into it. Mediocre sand shot just got out. Putt from the fringe had more break than I thought, leaving a longer bogey putt than I would have liked. Burned the edge and took a double-bogey.
Hole 7 (Par 5) – 463 yards. The hole was playing shorter than listed and I started with a perfect drive right down the pipe. My second shot was a 150-yard 8-iron into the heart of the green. I challenged the hole on the eagle putt, setting up an easy tap-in for birdie.
Hole 8 (Par 5) – 514 yards. This hole was also playing shorter than advertised. My drive was pretty good, but very close to the left edge of the fairway. I was only 210 yards away from the green, but blocked out by some trees. I hit 7-iron and ended up just 30 yards from the green. After a weak chip shot, I 3-putt for bogey. Wasted opportunity.
Hole 9 (Par 3) – 149 yards. All carry over water. No wind at play, so I hit 8-iron to below the hole. The birdie putt was fairly lengthy with quite a bit of left to right break. Burned the edge, leaving a tricky 4-footer from above the hole that I judged perfectly for par.
Hole 10 (Par 4) – 415 yards. Weak slicing drive reached some fescue near a pond on the right side. Took a big hack with the lob wedge and was surprised how clean it came out. From the left edge of the fairway, I hit sand wedge to the front of the green. My second putt was curling to the hole, but wiggled in the opposite direction at the last second. Double-bogey.
Hole 11 (Par 4) – 378 yards. My drive was almost too good on this hole. It's a slight dogleg right and I finished in the left rough, 100 yards from the pin. The ground was bumpy behind my ball and I duffed one a few yards ahead. Second try with the sand wedge got to the green and I 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 12 (Par 3) – 146 yards. Played to miss short and right with the pitching wedge, but hooked it left of the green. I always, always hook this shot for some reason. Luckily, the ball came to rest in an open spot of wispy fescue. I pitched on and almost saved par, but needed a tap-in for bogey.
Hole 13 (Par 5) – 567 yards. A true 3-shotter. I pulled my drive left, managing to bounce over a bunker, but was now blocked out by some trees. I punched a 5-iron about 50 yards to the right fairway. From 210 yards, I had a good angle to the green and opted for 3-iron. That's my 200-yard club, so I wasn't expecting to reach the green. It was a good shot. Nice pitch gave me a chance to save par, but I burned an edge and took bogey instead.
Hole 14 (Par 3) – 186 yards. Mis-hit a 7-iron, coming up 20 yards short of the green. Horrible chip to the front pin location didn't even reach the green. Putting through five feet of fringe, I blasted the ball past the hole, requiring two more putts to finish with a double-bogey. Should have been no worse than bogey.
Hole 15 (Par 4) – 268 yards. A short par-4 that I've reached from the tee before. This time, I eased up on the driver a bit and hit a baby cut to the left side of the green, flag-high. Oh baby! Unfortunately, I had a downhill putt with lots of break. I made a terrific attempt and almost made it. Tap-in gave me a birdie!
Hole 16 (Par 5) – 523 yards. Controlled drive to the left side of the fairway started things out. Next, a 5-wood that I sort of sliced, stopping 25 yards short of the green. A fabulous pitch to a back pin location left an uphill 6-footer that I drained for my second birdie in a row!
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 centre of the green. I had perfect weight on the long lag, but saw break where there was none. Got robbed on my par putt, which was a great read, and settled for a 3-putt bogey.
Hole 18 (Par 5) – Beautiful drive down the centre of the fairway. I had 170 yards to the flag, which was at the front of the green. A 6-iron was hit well, but leaked to the right side, where there is a large pond. The ball barely got over, stopping on the bank near the water's edge. A decent pitch carried past the hole, but I used 2 putts to take par.
With 40 putts in total, it seems like I putted terribly. In fact, this was one of my better putting performances. I was knocking the ball close from distance with regularity. It's just that none of them dropped for me. I must have had 6 balls stop on the edge of the lip. If not for that, this could have been even more special.
Score: 86
Putts: 40
Fairways: 10
Greens: 7
Penalties: 2
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