This was only my third ever visit to St. Andrew's Valley, so I wasn't entirely familiar with all of the holes. I hit some good shots early on, but I also hit some bad ones. Hole 1 is a great example. I hit a 5-wood off the tee that was fine, but then pushed a gap wedge 30 yards right of the green. After a great pitch, I thought I saved par, but the putt lipped out for bogey. I hit a fabulous 3-iron, 4-iron combo to start hole 2, only to deposit the subsequent gap wedge shot into a front bunker. It took three shots just to get out of the sand. Fortunately, I chipped in from the rough to save double-bogey. Things got better momentarily, as I made bogey and par on the next two holes.
The remainder of the front nine was also mixed. A conservative approach on hole 5 backfired when I 3-putt for double-bogey. After a popped up tee shot, my shots to reach the green were good ones. On hole 7, I pulled my drive into the fescue left of the fairway. I hit a fabulous 5-wood to reach the green from a long way out, but the ball finished a yard left of the putting surface. A chip and two putts would only earn double-bogey. A bad drive on hole 8 was followed by an excellent punch shot and approach to the green. I managed to save bogey. Hole 9 was the worst. My 5-wood off the tee found a water hazard on the right. After taking a drop, my third shot found the winding creek up ahead. After another drop, I made a lovely gap wedge approach and 2-putt, but that was for double-bogey.
I was four over par for the first six holes of the back nine, but that included triple-bogey on hole 12, a par-4. I duffed my second shot from an uneven lie, then plunked my third into a front bunker. I rammed a shot into the lip and the ball popped out into the rough. A pitch and two putts finished the hole. Aside from that, I had solid bogeys on holes 10 and 13, along with pars on holes 11 and 14. Hole 11 is a par-3 that featured a solid tee shot. Hole 14 is a par-5 that I navigated well with 3-iron off the tee, followed by 5-wood and pitching wedge into the green. I even managed birdie on hole 15, a 142-yard par-3. My tee shot left a mark one foot in front of the cup, with the ball stopping a couple feet behind.
The last three holes were not good, as I finished triple-bogey, bogey, double-bogey. The first of these began with a popped up and pulled drive attempt to a brush covered hillside. It took two shots just to get out of that stuff. I hit decent shots the rest of the hole, but the damage was done. The final hole of the day began with a good drive, but I was unlucky to finish through the fairway on this dogleg left. I thought the lie was good enough to go for the green, but it was way too thick and I barely advanced the ball. I hit a lovely 4-iron for my third. It was headed directly at the flag, but hit the slope in front of a bunker and rolled back in. I hit an uncharacteristically good bunker shot and then 2-putt.
Score: 94
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
Penalties: 3
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