I drove a long way to play my last round, and it was horrible. I stayed much closer to home this time, and it was great! Braeben Golf Course is where I once shot 78, for my best score ever. I can't think of a better place to exorcise some golf demons. Weather was perfect, albeit very windy on Braeben's elevated terrain.
This may have been my best driving round ever. I hit 11 of 13 fairways, with straight, penetrating shots. One of my misses was a mere yard into the intermediate cut. The other was about 5 yards into the rough. Five of my drives were over 300 yards, as I took full advantage when the wind was helping.
The first of these came on hole 1, a 502-yard par-5. I split the fairway with a 312-yard drive, followed by 6-iron to just in front of the green. My pitch to the back pin location rolled off the green, but I chipped one close and tapped in for par.
After a 3-putt bogey on hole 2, I opted for 3-iron off the tee on hole 3. This laser shot travelled 215 yards to the centre of the fairway, leaving a 100-yard lob wedge shot that I placed below the hole. The birdie putt didn't drop, but I had another tap-in par.
I hit my tee shot fat on hole 4, a par-3, which lead to bogey. The next three holes were the most troublesome of the day. My drive on hole 5 is the one that missed 5 yards to the right. I had a clean lie and good angle into the green from 140 yards. I made great contact, but lost sight of the ball. I must have flown straight over the green. With a lost ball, I ended up making double-bogey.
Hole 6 is the second par-5 on the course, but this one was playing in the opposite direction as hole 1, directly into the wind. I hit a fantastic drive, but it travelled a grand total of 200 yards. A great 4-iron followed, but it too travelled much less than normal. My third shot was an 8-iron from 125 yards that ballooned up in the air and hooked wildly down to the bottom of the hill on the left. I had to take a penalty and drop. After pitching onto the green, I 3-putt for a momentum killing triple-bogey. The wind was brutal on that hole.
Hole 7 is a par 3 from a drastically elevated tee that was playing 145-yards. The wide, but shallow green is fronted by a pond and backed by woods. It's a tough tee shot under any conditions and the wind was howling from right to left. I guessed pitching wedge was the correct club and sailed right over the green into the woods. It's the kind of hole that you just need to practice in order to know the correct club to hit. As it was, I took a double-bogey.
Hole 8 is the third par-5 on the front nine and this one was back in the direction of the wind. I piped a 305-yard drive right down the centre, then hit 6-iron to a bunker left of the green. I got out of the sand safely, but only to the fringe. No worries, as I chipped one to within 6 feet and then drained the putt for par. With a 3-putt bogey on hole 9, I made the turn with a score of 46.
After making par on hole 10, a par-3, I got ready to drive the ball on hole 11, a 425-yard par-4. The wind was helping a bit, but mostly coming across from right to left. I pummelled the ball a total of 320 yards to the middle of the fairway. Unfortunately, my lob wedge slid right under the ball on my approach, leading to bogey.
I made par on hole 12 before teeing it up on hole 13, a 168-yard par-3. With the wind in our face, it was playing more like 208 yards. I hit 3-iron just off the back left corner of the green, then pitched on and 2-putt for bogey.
Holes 14 and 15 are par-4 holes measuring 321 and 411 yards, respectively. On the former, the wind was coming out of the right. I aimed over the knoll on the left side, finding the fairway centre, just 70 yards from the green. On the latter, the wind was coming out of the left. I cut this corner as well, finishing at the end of the fairway, just 95 yards away from the green. In both cases, I hit lob wedge on and 2-putt for par.
My drive on hole 16 was marvelous. This is a par-5 measuring 476 yards. The wind was once again favourable and I striped one 321 yards right down the middle. Normally, I advance the ball on my second shot to an area some 50 yards short of the green, where there is a 90-degree dogleg. This time, I was in such great position, that I decided to go for the green. To do so, you have to cut the corner, over some high mounds and a cluster of trees. I was just 155 yards from the green, but the straight line distance is less than that. This should have been an easy 9-iron. Unfortunately, I hit it a little fat, clipping the trees. I found the ball but it was unplayable. The hole started so promisingly, but it finished with a double-bogey.
Hole 17 is a 293-yard par-4, so it can be driven by longer hitters. I tried to put one as close as possible. It was a good shot, but finished 20 yards short of the green. I pitched on and 2-putt for par. The final hole is another par-5, but it was playing into the wind. I hit as good a drive as any, but the wind limited it to 220 yards. I hit my next shot fat, before hitting a good third to just left of the green. I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey.
Overall, it was a heck of a fun round. It felt great to find the fairways like I did. Wind helped me more than it hurt me, but to take advantage of the wind you have to hit the ball solidly and straight. There was not a hint of any side spin on any of my drives. I love it!
Score: 87
Putts: 34
Fairways: 11
Greens: 6
Penalties: 4
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