First Time at Doon Valley

I never played Doon Valley before because it's a little far from home, but I recently gave it a try and was fairly satisfied. I was 5-over par through the first five holes, with three bogeys, a double and a par. The double was on hole 2, a par-3. After missing the green to the right, I slid a wedge under the ball, failing to find the putting surface. Another pitch was required, plus a couple of putts. The par was on hole 5, a 400-yard par-4. After splitting the fairway with a drive, an 8-iron reached the green safely, followed by two putts.

Disaster struck on hole 6, the first par-5 of the day. I pulled my drive unbelievably to the left, to an opposite fairway. I attempted to lift one over a wall of trees to get back to the proper fairway. I thinned the ball and failed to get over. A low punch got me back to the fairway, but then I topped a 5-wood. The next 5-wood shot got me to the right of the green, followed by a pitch and two putts for a triple-bogey. Thankfully, I made par on hole 9, which was the next par-5. It came despite taking a penalty stroke for depositing my drive into a hazard on the right side. At the turn, I was shooting 47.

Holes 8 through 15 at Doon Valley are played after crossing under Highway 401, and they seemed to be more exposed to the wind than the rest of the course. This produced a mix of good, great and bad. Good was a par on hole 11, a 150-yard par-3 featuring a carry over a naturalized area. I bailed to the open side, but made a long chip and putt for the par. Great was a birdie on hole 13, a short par-4. I hit 5-wood to the right rough, followed by a lovely 9-iron to 8 feet below the hole. Of course, I drained the birdie putt. Bad was a triple-bogey on 12, a par-4 measuring a mere 294 yards. I pushed an iron off the tee into the marsh land. After taking a penalty and drop, I pulled an iron that found marsh land to the left of the green. Another penalty, a pitch and two putts completed the ordeal.

I ended the round as I had started, going 5-over par through the last five holes, with three bogeys, a double and a par. The double was on hole 15, a par-4 with a dogleg left. Again, it was a wickedly pulled drive off the tee that was the culprit. The ball was lost in a naturalized area. The par came on hole 16, a par-5. I was on the green in three and nearly drained the long birdie attempt. My best drive of the day was on hole 18, the last par-5. With the Grand River on the right side, I bombed one over the right corner, travelling about 295 yards. I couldn't go for the green in two from 180 yards because of a massive tree on the right edge of the fairway. I punched one under its branches, finishing in the fairway, 50 yards from the severely elevated green. I botched my way to a bogey finish, which was a shame after two great shots to start.

Score: 91
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 4
Penalties: 5