I was in no rush to get back on the golf course after my last round went so miserably. After a week, I felt I had enough of a break, so I headed out to Century Pines. Overall, I was encouraged by my performance, though I certainly didn't have a stellar score. I didn't hit a lot of fairways, but I put the ball in safe places off the tee, with just a couple of exceptions. I miss hit a couple of iron shots, but I didn't have many embarrassing duffs. My short game was good, with serviceable chip shots and importantly, no 3-putts.
If not for three bad holes, I likely would have broken 90. The worst of these was the opening par-5. I've struggled on this hole in the past – there's something about it that makes it a tough test to start. Out of bounds lines the entire left side from tee to green, while a large pond protects the right side from the mid-point to the green. The hole is long enough that you have to play your longer clubs and it's easy for wayward balls to get lost. I pulled my second shot OB, then did the same with an approach from 150 yards. It added up to a horrific 10 to start the round.
Luckily, some success on the next few holes kept me in a positive frame of mind. I bogeyed hole #2, a par-4, with a chip and two putts from near the green. I made par on hole #3, another par-4, after finding the green in regulation. Finally, I made birdie on hole #4, a short par-4, thanks to a 5-iron, sand wedge combination that placed the ball tight to the pin. I should have made par on hole #5, a short par-3, after a great chip shot, but unfortunately, I missed a 4-foot putt. At the turn, I was shooting 47. That's not bad, considering the first hole result.
The back nine at Century Pines begins with three short par-4 holes, which are considered scoring holes. My 5-iron from the tee on hole #10 was a duff. I was trying to weaken my grip, as I noticed it had gotten a little strong on previous shots. It felt awkward, but I tried to trust it. Alas, I may have adjusted too much. I hit a perfect second shot with the 7-iron, only to watch it roll and roll and roll – into a fairway bunker. 60 yards from the green, I tried to contact ball first, but I inadvertently hit the sand twice and was still short of the green. It's funny. When I try to hit sand, I get ball, and vice versa. I finished the hole with a triple-bogey.
I got aggressive on hole #11, going for the green off the tee with the driver. I wasn't so much going for the green, as I was just trying to put it somewhere close. I found a spot near the front right, where I was able to pitch on and 2-putt for par. The aggressiveness did not work on the next hole, as I caught the ball on the heel of the driver, sending it into a hazard. Hitting three from the tee, I finished that hole with another triple. Much like the front nine, there were just a few bad shots, but they were costly. As a result I finished the back nine with a score of 48.
A final score of 95 is not great, but setting the score aside, I felt in control once again for large portions of the round. I just have to find a way to keep that control for all 18 holes. It's easier said than done, but I really feel like I'm on the verge of figuring something out. My immediate goal is to get my handicap factor down to 15. After that, I'm into personal best territory and the next longer term goal would be to get it down to 12.
Score: 95
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 5
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