My second visit of the year to Bradford Highlands began with a flawless drive down the centre of the first fairway. Unfortunately, I followed that up with a pulled gap wedge shot that found the water in front of the green. After taking a penalty, my pitch shot rolled off the back of the putting surface. Two sculled chip attempts later, I was finally on the green. I then 2-putt for quadruple-bogey.
A bogey on hole #2 provided some respite, but I chalked up another quad on hole #3. My tee shot was very nearly out of bounds, but stayed in play, 150 yards from the green. Unfortunately, I flared an 8-iron into a pond right of the green. After taking my penalty, I sculled a pitch attempt 30 yards past the green, right behind a spruce tree. Two more shots were required to get on from that position, followed by a pair of putts.
Ironically, hole #6 was my best of the day. It's ironic because this par-4 has given me fits on past occasions – I'm talking double-digit scores. This time, I hit my drive deep, just right of the fairway. The next shot was key – a sand wedge that flew past the large bunker that fronts the entire green, landing on the narrow putting surface before settling near the back edge. From there, it was a downhill breaker that I judged perfectly for birdie!
Hole #7 produced a satisfying par, before the nonsense ensued again on hole #8. I pulled my tee shot on this par-3 flag high into a bunker. Aah yes, the dreaded greenside bunker. As seems to be customary, I picked the ball out clean, sailing 40 yards past the green into the fescue. The ball was unplayable, so I took a penalty. After a good pitch and pair of putts, it was a triple-bogey result.
I faltered at another par-3 on the back nine. On hole #13, my tee shot was off the toe of the club and came up short in a bunker. I wasn't going to pick it clean this time – which of course means that I hit it fat and failed to get out at all. My next attempt was also fat, but at least squirted into the rough. A decent chip was followed by a decent putt, but it burned the edge and I needed another tap-in to register triple-bogey.
Besides that hole, along with a 3-putt on the final hole of the day, the back nine was pretty good. Three consecutive bogeys started things out, including an impressive one on the par-5 11th hole after I was forced to hit my third shot from the tee. My first sliced out of bounds, where a new subdivision is inching closer and closer to the golf course.
My best shots came on holes #14 and #17, both of which produced par. On the former, I hit a terrible tee shot that clipped some small trees and ended up in the left rough, 205 yards from the green. With a small tree right in front of me, and more up ahead, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I took aim with the 5-wood and hit a spectacular high shot that landed softly on the green, flag high. On #17, my drive was better, but I found myself in almost the exact situation. Well, if it worked once it can work again, I thought. Out came the 5-wood and boom, I nailed the green again, this time finishing about 12 feet from the cup. My birdie putt scared the hole, but didn't drop.
My final score was nothing to write home about, but considering how terrible my pitching and chipping were, I'll take it. I've got to get those touch shots sorted out before the Deepwoods finale in a couple of weeks.
Score: 98
Putts: 31
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
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