Just a Few Miscues at Bond Head

Playing the South Course, it took me most of the front nine to get warmed up. I began with a perfectly placed 7-iron off the tee on hole 1, but the subsequent wedge shot was fat, barely crossing a hazard up ahead. Bogey was the result, as it was on holes 3, 5 and 7. The even numbered holes were more penal, as I registered a triple-bogey, double-bogey, triple and double on holes 2, 4, 6 and 8.

In the case of hole 2, I lost my first tee shot in the weeds, as I failed to get the ball airborne. I had to hit my third shot from the tee. In the case of hole 4, I hit a beautiful 6-iron approach shot that was headed straight at the flag. Unfortunately, I was a yard short and my ball rolled back on a steep slope above a bunker. The vegetation was weird in that area and it took two more shots just to get on the green. Hole 6 was just playing very tough with the wind, while I messed up greenside on hole 8.

I started an amazing streak on hole 9 that carried through hole 14. The results were par, birdie, par, par, par, bogey. Hole 9 is a par-5 that began with my first really good drive of the day. I only needed 8-iron to reach the green with my second shot, though I found a greenside bunker. A good out left a legit chance at birdie, but I just missed. A deep drive on hole 10 left just 50 yards to the green, albeit from the fescue. It wasn't thick in that spot, so I stuck one 9 feet from the cup and then drained it.

Holes 11 and 12 featured great shots into or near the green. On the former, I had to flop one over a large bunker, while preventing the ball from rolling off the other side. I executed it perfectly. On the latter, I once again had to flop over a bunker, though this one was from closer range and I could allow the ball to release a bit. It was a great up and down. On hole 13, a 290-yard drive could not have been placed any better. I hit a lob wedge to within 10 feet and barely missed the birdie.

The streak ended on hole 14 with a 3-putt. I then struggled a bit for three holes, taking two doubles and a triple-bogey. A bad 3-iron off the tee on a par-3 left me in fescue and stymied by some bushes. I wasted a great drive on a par-5 by flaring my second shot into the long weeds. On another par-3, I duffed two chips from very near the flag. Once again, a weird combination of grass and other vegetation made it difficult to contact the ball properly.

Score: 94
Putts: 36
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2