Whooped at Hunters Pointe

This will be a relatively short post, since I really don't want to dwell on my last round of golf, which was played at Hunters Pointe. To do so would be unhealthy, as there was absolutely nothing redeeming about the round. I shot 53 on the front nine, which included some moments of frustration. When I took a 10 on hole #11, I reached the final breaking point. I stopped trying and no longer kept score.

The greatest frustration was once again greenside bunkers. Hole #1 is a 395-yard par-4. I hit driver two yards into the right rough, then watched a 7-iron skip through the green and into a bunker. Choosing 7-iron was my first mistake; 8-iron was the right club from 150 yards, but I thought I could use one extra to get to the pin at the back of the green. I proceeded to play my typical “clean pick,” sending the ball 60 yards back over the green. I pulled a pitch shot next, and followed up with three putts for a triple-bogey. All this because I can't hit a bunker shot.

Fast forward to hole #11, a 355-yard par-4. I found the right side of the fairway with my tee shot, leaving 145 yards to a green that is protected on the front right by a pond. I hit the 8-iron on line, but a tad fat, plunking my ball in the water. After a penalty stroke and drop, I hit the ball into a front bunker. Cue up the “clean pick,” which I sent 30 yards past the green into long fescue, where the ball was lost. After a penalty, I dropped in the bunker again. This time, I didn't pick the ball clean. I managed to get it out of the bunker by a yard, finishing in the rough. A chip and two putts earned a score of 10. All this because I can't hit a bunker shot.

There was more to the poor play than bad bunker shots, but those are the ones that got under my skin. This was my first time playing Hunters Pointe since they modified a few holes to stop wayward balls from approaching the nearby highway. My first impression is that the changes are not very good. Hole #5 is a par-5 that they cobbled together from the old #4 (a par-4) and the old #5 (a par-3). A pond that served the old par-3 well is out of place in the new layout, mostly because it is completely obscured by mounds. Hole #6 also ended up with a dinky new green.

So far this season, I've had three types of rounds. One third have been very good – almost convincing me that I can regularly score in the 80s. One third have been decent – with scores just above 90 that included one or two unusual blowup holes. The final third have been terrible – with the latest at Hunters Pointe taking the cake.

We'll see what the next round brings.