Scenic Woods Cures All Ills

I don't know what it is about Scenic Woods, but I usually score well there. I shot 85 each of my first four visits, before an uncharacteristic 103 and then 90. I dipped back into the eighties this time with a final tally of 87. I was on fire on the front nine, with 1 birdie, 5 pars, and 3 bogeys. The birdie was on hole #4, a short and deceptively tough par-4. I missed the fairway slightly right with my tee shot. No worries, as I stuck the pitching wedge within 8 feet from the cup, and then rolled in the putt.

I hit 5 of 7 fairways on the front nine and only missed one with the driver. The best drive may have been on hole #5, a dogleg left with a ditch that crosses the fairway at a dangerous place. I picked the correct line and finished past the ditch, with a clear shot to the green. Though I had good tee shots, it was my approach shots that really paid off. I hit six consecutive greens in regulation, ending with hole #8. I usually hit two or three GIR for an entire round, so this was unexpected.

The back nine at Scenic Woods is harder and I had my share of trouble, with a trio of triple-bogeys. A couple came on holes #10 and #11. A strong headwind messed up my tee shot on #10, then I topped a ball and hit a spruce tree just trying to get to the fairway. My approach on #11 failed to carry a creek and then I botched a pitch before 3-putting. The other triple was on hole #14. I pulled a 4-iron off the tee out of bounds. I played the hole well after re-teeing, but the damage was done.

The rest of the back nine was fine, as I played 3-over through 6 holes. This included pars on hole #13, which is a great par-3, and on hole #15, a par-4. The best result though, was a birdie on hole #18, a 451-yard par-5. My drive was a decent distance, but I was in the right rough, leaving a huge pond all the way between me and the green. I pounded a high 5-wood straight over the flag at the front of the green, ultimately releasing off the back of the deep green. I then duffed my pitch back, followed by what must have been a 60 foot putt. Amazing!

Score: 87
Putts: 34
Fairways: 7
Greens: 9
Penalties: 2