A day after having a decent round at Lowville, I headed out to Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club. It was only my second ever visit to the club, the first coming near the end of the 2007 season. I recalled that many of the holes cut through thick forest, so accuracy would be critical.
I played well on the front nine, registering a score of 45 at the turn. On a couple of occasions when I made a bad shot, the forest literally spit my ball back toward the fairway. Golf is primarily a game of skill, but luck comes into play every now and then. Most of the time it's of the bad variety, but sometimes it's good. The key is to capitalize on luck when it's in your favour. I did precisely that on the front nine, hitting four greens in regulation, which translated into four pars. I played very conservatively and felt that I managed my game very well. I used the driver very sparingly, relying on the 3-wood or 5-wood off the tee on most occasions. When I was in a tough position, I took my medicine and simply put the ball back in play.
On the back nine, I started to falter a little bit as my luck turned from good to bad. On hole #11 for instance, a par-3 measuring 158 yards, I made a decent tee shot, but the ball hit a cambered cart path which directed it out of bounds. That hole seemed to take the wind out of my sails and a few mis-hits followed throughout the rest of the round. I still made plenty of good shots, just less consistently than I had over the first nine holes. The back nine produced only one par, which came on hole #14, a par-5 which is the longest hole on the course at 570 yards. My drive was not especially long, but safely in the fairway. The key was a fabulous second shot, a monster with the 3-wood. From 125 yards away, I stuck the ball flag-high, on the low side of the hole. It was a great birdie opportunity, but I just missed and had to settle for par.
Overall, I was satisfied that I broke 100 at Silver Lakes. Over the full round, I collected just one penalty stroke, which was a key stat. The only aspect of the game I was unhappy with was my putting. Just as with the previous round, I had way too many putts. This is definitely something I have to work on.
Score: 98
Par: 72
Putts: 43
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
June 05, 2009
June 04, 2009
Signs of Progress at Lowville
Six rounds of golf in 2009 and I still have not broken 100. That's pretty alarming, considering that I began 2008 shooting 100 or better in eight of my first nine rounds. In the first round of 2009, I had no distance control with my irons and my chipping was bad. By the second round, I solved the distance problem, but chipping was still bad, as was sand play. These problems persisted in the third round and I also struggled with putting. In the fourth round, I greatly improved my chipping, but I was no match for some slick greens, so my putting numbers were still bad. In the fifth round, my putting was better, but I had a heck of a time getting out of bunkers. In the sixth round, inconsistency crept into my iron play. Looking at the whole season, the bulk of my problems have been with the short game. The greatest problem has been sand play, followed by putting and then chipping.
I headed out to Lowville Golf Club to see what the next round would bring. Things started well with a par on the first hole, a par-5 measuring 480 yards. As is usually the case with pars, there is not much to tell. I hit three trouble-free shots to reach the green, then made a solid lag putt and a tap-in. I double-bogeyed the second hole, but the real trouble came on hole #3 and hole #4. Measuring 181 yards, the third hole is a fairly non-descript par-3. My tee shot was pin-high in a bunker left of the green. Well, it took me four shots to get out of the bunker and three putts to hole out. My sand play has been bad all year, but not that bad! On the fourth hole, another par-5, I pulled my second shot and it bounced about a yard out of bounds, leading to a triple-bogey.
I'm glad to say that I scored no worse than double-bogey for the remainder of the round. In fact, there were only two double bogeys in the rest of the round, thanks to some 3-putts, along with eight bogeys and four pars. I was hitting a decent number of fairways, but I was also hitting an unusually high number of greens, including five straight beginning on hole #6. It seemed I was always going at the green with the gap wedge in hand, resulting in a high, soft approach shot. These successful approach shots gave me confidence on each subsequent attempt. Every part of the game was suddenly working, except for putting. A pair of 3-putts spoiled certain pars on hole #6 and hole #7. Two bogeys were the result. I did make three consecutive pars beginning with hole #8, which felt good. However, three more 3-putts would take some of the shine off the back nine.
On hole #16, a par-5 measuring 489 yards, I hit my best drive of the day, leaving just 149 yards to the centre of the green. The drive was good, but I don't think it was 340 yards, so the tees must have been playing up that day. With thoughts of eagle on my mind, I pulled my approach shot near a hazard left of the green. It took two chips to get on and two putts to hole out for bogey. A squandered eagle chance is always disappointing.
Overall, I was happy with all aspects of my game, except for sand play and putting. Since my approach shots were excellent, poor sand play did not hurt my score too much. However, thee is no denying that putting cost me the chance of breaking 90.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 5
Greens: 8
I headed out to Lowville Golf Club to see what the next round would bring. Things started well with a par on the first hole, a par-5 measuring 480 yards. As is usually the case with pars, there is not much to tell. I hit three trouble-free shots to reach the green, then made a solid lag putt and a tap-in. I double-bogeyed the second hole, but the real trouble came on hole #3 and hole #4. Measuring 181 yards, the third hole is a fairly non-descript par-3. My tee shot was pin-high in a bunker left of the green. Well, it took me four shots to get out of the bunker and three putts to hole out. My sand play has been bad all year, but not that bad! On the fourth hole, another par-5, I pulled my second shot and it bounced about a yard out of bounds, leading to a triple-bogey.
I'm glad to say that I scored no worse than double-bogey for the remainder of the round. In fact, there were only two double bogeys in the rest of the round, thanks to some 3-putts, along with eight bogeys and four pars. I was hitting a decent number of fairways, but I was also hitting an unusually high number of greens, including five straight beginning on hole #6. It seemed I was always going at the green with the gap wedge in hand, resulting in a high, soft approach shot. These successful approach shots gave me confidence on each subsequent attempt. Every part of the game was suddenly working, except for putting. A pair of 3-putts spoiled certain pars on hole #6 and hole #7. Two bogeys were the result. I did make three consecutive pars beginning with hole #8, which felt good. However, three more 3-putts would take some of the shine off the back nine.
On hole #16, a par-5 measuring 489 yards, I hit my best drive of the day, leaving just 149 yards to the centre of the green. The drive was good, but I don't think it was 340 yards, so the tees must have been playing up that day. With thoughts of eagle on my mind, I pulled my approach shot near a hazard left of the green. It took two chips to get on and two putts to hole out for bogey. A squandered eagle chance is always disappointing.
Overall, I was happy with all aspects of my game, except for sand play and putting. Since my approach shots were excellent, poor sand play did not hurt my score too much. However, thee is no denying that putting cost me the chance of breaking 90.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 5
Greens: 8
June 03, 2009
Back to St. Andrew's Valley?
A day after playing the Legends course at Lionhead, I played my first ever round at St. Andrew's Valley - or so I thought.
Things went terribly wrong from the opening tee shot. I made excellent contact with the 5-wood, but pulled the ball toward a lone tree on the left side of the fairway. The ball was lost and I collected the first of many penalty strokes on the day. On the second hole, I duffed an iron shot off the tee and promptly followed it up with a shot into a water hazard. Four of the first six holes resulted in triple-bogey or worse. The only relief came in the form of a pair of par-3 holes - the 153-yard fourth hole and the 179-yard sixth. In both cases, I hit the green with a good tee shot, followed by two putts for par. I closed out the front nine with a bogey and a pair of double-bogeys. I deserved a better result on hole #9, a par-5 that bends around a creek and then forces players to carry the ball directly over it. I made good decisions, but simply failed to execute my tee shot.
On the back nine, I had better results, with the exception of hole #14 and hole #18. My 3-wood off the tee on #14 drifted a tiny bit right, taking the first bounce off the cart path, which directed the ball into a water hazard. From that point onward, I actually played the hole very well. My second shot on #18 came up short of the green, landing in some thick fescue near the margin of another water hazard. It took a couple of hacks to get the ball out, which led to a triple-bogey. Apart from those two holes, I was reasonably satisfied with my game on the back nine. Sure, there were a couple of 3-putts and a few wayward shots, but there were some very good shots mixed in with the bad. It appears I am as inconsistent as I ever have been, but my good shots now are better than they ever have been.
The unusual thing about the round was my walk up the 18th fairway. As I approached my ball following my tee shot, the green came into view, neatly tucked beside a pond with the clubhouse perched in behind. At that moment, I realized I had in fact played the course once before. Nothing about the previous seventeen holes had jogged my memory. I guess the course is just not a memorable one. No offense.
Score: 104
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Things went terribly wrong from the opening tee shot. I made excellent contact with the 5-wood, but pulled the ball toward a lone tree on the left side of the fairway. The ball was lost and I collected the first of many penalty strokes on the day. On the second hole, I duffed an iron shot off the tee and promptly followed it up with a shot into a water hazard. Four of the first six holes resulted in triple-bogey or worse. The only relief came in the form of a pair of par-3 holes - the 153-yard fourth hole and the 179-yard sixth. In both cases, I hit the green with a good tee shot, followed by two putts for par. I closed out the front nine with a bogey and a pair of double-bogeys. I deserved a better result on hole #9, a par-5 that bends around a creek and then forces players to carry the ball directly over it. I made good decisions, but simply failed to execute my tee shot.
On the back nine, I had better results, with the exception of hole #14 and hole #18. My 3-wood off the tee on #14 drifted a tiny bit right, taking the first bounce off the cart path, which directed the ball into a water hazard. From that point onward, I actually played the hole very well. My second shot on #18 came up short of the green, landing in some thick fescue near the margin of another water hazard. It took a couple of hacks to get the ball out, which led to a triple-bogey. Apart from those two holes, I was reasonably satisfied with my game on the back nine. Sure, there were a couple of 3-putts and a few wayward shots, but there were some very good shots mixed in with the bad. It appears I am as inconsistent as I ever have been, but my good shots now are better than they ever have been.
The unusual thing about the round was my walk up the 18th fairway. As I approached my ball following my tee shot, the green came into view, neatly tucked beside a pond with the clubhouse perched in behind. At that moment, I realized I had in fact played the course once before. Nothing about the previous seventeen holes had jogged my memory. I guess the course is just not a memorable one. No offense.
Score: 104
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
May 30, 2009
Unrewarded at Lionhead Legends
Where do you play on a windy Saturday when you've been struggling with your golf game? How about the toughest course in the country? What tees do you play from once you get there? Not the tips, where the slope rating is 150 - that would be plain foolish. Instead, dial it back a set, where the slope is a mere 148. Such was the case on my visit to the Legends course at Lionhead Golf & Country Club.
On the front nine holes I drove the ball well, hitting five of seven fairways. Unfortunately, I did not follow the drives up with good iron play, hitting just one of nine greens in regulation. On the second hole, a mis-hit approach with an 8-iron left me 20 yards short of the green. On a number of occasions my approach shots drifted off line just enough to find a greenside bunker. That was my fate on holes 1, 3, 5, 6, and 9. In every case, I managed to get out of the bunker with a single shot, but required a subsequent chip to get on the green. My sand play has simply been poor all season. My putting was hot and cold, as I collected three 1-putts to go along with four 3-putts. I was penalty free on the front nine, which is no small feat at Legends.
On the back nine my driving faltered, forcing me to play harder second shots. My irons were still not great, leading to a few encounters with the many water hazards at Legends. I wasn't in the sand as often as I was on the front nine, but the result was the same on the couple of occasions when I found myself standing on silica. The one aspect of the game that worked well on the back nine was putting. I avoided any 3-putts, while collecting three 1-putts. One of those came on hole #18, which I played wonderfully for just the second par of the day.
Score: 111
Par: 72
Putts: 34
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
On the front nine holes I drove the ball well, hitting five of seven fairways. Unfortunately, I did not follow the drives up with good iron play, hitting just one of nine greens in regulation. On the second hole, a mis-hit approach with an 8-iron left me 20 yards short of the green. On a number of occasions my approach shots drifted off line just enough to find a greenside bunker. That was my fate on holes 1, 3, 5, 6, and 9. In every case, I managed to get out of the bunker with a single shot, but required a subsequent chip to get on the green. My sand play has simply been poor all season. My putting was hot and cold, as I collected three 1-putts to go along with four 3-putts. I was penalty free on the front nine, which is no small feat at Legends.
On the back nine my driving faltered, forcing me to play harder second shots. My irons were still not great, leading to a few encounters with the many water hazards at Legends. I wasn't in the sand as often as I was on the front nine, but the result was the same on the couple of occasions when I found myself standing on silica. The one aspect of the game that worked well on the back nine was putting. I avoided any 3-putts, while collecting three 1-putts. One of those came on hole #18, which I played wonderfully for just the second par of the day.
Score: 111
Par: 72
Putts: 34
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
May 29, 2009
GTA Amateur Tour Visits Coppinwood
My second stop on the GTA Amateur Tour was at Coppinwood, a Tom Fazio design featuring ribbons of lush fairway and white sand bunkers against rolling terrain and dramatic fescue. Unhappy with my chipping and putting at the previous stop on the tour, I arrived at the club early to practice my short game.
The practice worked wonders and I must say, I was very happy with the way I chipped during the entire round. Unfortunately, I was simply no match for the slick greens at Coppinwood. Time after time, I executed chip shots exactly as I envisioned, only to have the ball travel well past the hole and almost off the green. In almost every case, I bounced the ball barely on the green or even in the fringe, but it didn't matter. Up and down at Coppinwood is tough, especially when you find yourself on the high side of the green. I actually made a few up and downs when my putting was good, but these were offset by a bunch of 3-putts when my putting was off.
The first five holes were a mix of bogeys and double-bogeys, the latter coming thanks to the tricky greens. On the sixth hole, a par-5 measuring 484 yards from the blue tees, a pair of fairway bunkers between 80 and 100 yards from the green spelled disaster. When I finally got to the green, a 4-putt resulted in a score of 10 for that hole alone. On the eighth hole, a fairway bunker with a massive lip once again got the best of me. In retrospect, I should have played a sideways shot to take the high lip out of play. I tried a more heroic shot and the result was a triple-bogey.
And so it continued pretty much through hole #14. Lacking confidence, I mis-hit a few iron shots here and there, including a couple that resulted in penalty strokes on holes ten and eleven. It was only on hole #15 that I settled back into something resembling my usual game. A great drive, followed by a good second shot and a medium range pitch shot set me up for a bogey on the par-5 test. Two more bogeys and a par (the only one of the day) rounded out the day. The best shot of the day may have been my approach shot on hole #18, a picturesque 7-iron that was hit flag-high from the fescue well right of the fairway. The guys on the patio overlooking the 18th green must have thought I could really play. Little did they know how terrible the previous 17 holes had been.
Needless to say, I was disappointed with my overall score. I tried to stay positive by convincing myself it was just another learning experience.
Score: 112
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
The practice worked wonders and I must say, I was very happy with the way I chipped during the entire round. Unfortunately, I was simply no match for the slick greens at Coppinwood. Time after time, I executed chip shots exactly as I envisioned, only to have the ball travel well past the hole and almost off the green. In almost every case, I bounced the ball barely on the green or even in the fringe, but it didn't matter. Up and down at Coppinwood is tough, especially when you find yourself on the high side of the green. I actually made a few up and downs when my putting was good, but these were offset by a bunch of 3-putts when my putting was off.
The first five holes were a mix of bogeys and double-bogeys, the latter coming thanks to the tricky greens. On the sixth hole, a par-5 measuring 484 yards from the blue tees, a pair of fairway bunkers between 80 and 100 yards from the green spelled disaster. When I finally got to the green, a 4-putt resulted in a score of 10 for that hole alone. On the eighth hole, a fairway bunker with a massive lip once again got the best of me. In retrospect, I should have played a sideways shot to take the high lip out of play. I tried a more heroic shot and the result was a triple-bogey.
And so it continued pretty much through hole #14. Lacking confidence, I mis-hit a few iron shots here and there, including a couple that resulted in penalty strokes on holes ten and eleven. It was only on hole #15 that I settled back into something resembling my usual game. A great drive, followed by a good second shot and a medium range pitch shot set me up for a bogey on the par-5 test. Two more bogeys and a par (the only one of the day) rounded out the day. The best shot of the day may have been my approach shot on hole #18, a picturesque 7-iron that was hit flag-high from the fescue well right of the fairway. The guys on the patio overlooking the 18th green must have thought I could really play. Little did they know how terrible the previous 17 holes had been.
Needless to say, I was disappointed with my overall score. I tried to stay positive by convincing myself it was just another learning experience.
Score: 112
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
May 09, 2009
GTA Amateur Tour at Devil's Pulpit
My first GTA Amateur Tour event took place on a beautiful Monday afternoon at Devil's Pulpit, a Michael Hurdzan design that has received plenty of acclaim since opening in 1990. Situated in Caledon Village, northwest of Toronto, the course is nestled against the Niagara Escarpment, making for complex topography and spectacular views.
I struggled with the greens on the first three holes, amassing three, four and three putts respectively. My putting on the first hole was decent, but a bad chip put me in definite 3-putt territory. A hot chip on the second hole also left me with a long first putt. The slope of the green fooled me, as the ball broke opposite to the direction I had anticipated. A careless third putt missed the mark from within two feet. On the third hole, my second putt from a makeable distance just burned the edge. Nerves may have been a factor.
Hole #5, a par-4 measuring 371 yards from the white tees, proved to be very difficult. I duffed my tee shot, but followed it up with a good 8-iron, recovering to the middle of the fairway. With a downhill lie, I faced the green 115 yards away. To reach the green, I needed to carry a water hazard and avoid a massive bunker that wraps around three sides of the putting surface. My ball flew just over the bunker in the back and came to rest about a foot past the margin of a lateral hazard. With no backswing available, all I could do was punch the ball into the bunker. Three bunker shots followed, the first two being simply terrible. After two putts, I walked away with a disappointing 9 on my scorecard.
Hole #7, a tricky little par-3 with its green nestled atop a mound, also posed some trouble, resulting in triple-bogey. However, I played some fine shots on holes 6, 8 and 9, resulting in a couple of bogeys and a par. The par on hole #9 was textbook, as I hit fairway, then green, followed by a long breaking lag putt and a tap-in. Sometimes the game seems so easy, I wonder how all the trouble surfaces.
On the back nine, I played wonderful, steady golf, with the exception of hole #13, a par-5 measuring 493 yards that features a large pond stretching from the mid-point of the fairway to the green. My drive was perfect, but my second shot was a pull hook into the pond. After taking a drop, I failed to carry the pond with my next shot. I dropped once again and this time was able to carry the pond, but my ball came to rest in some fescue left of the green. Two shots were required to dislodge the ball from the nasty fescue, and after two putts I marked a 10 on my scorecard.
Aside from the adventures on #13, the back nine produced good results, namely a double-bogey, six bogeys, and a birdie. The birdie came on hole #16, a par-3 that was being used for the closest to the pin competition. The hole was playing about 160 yards long, all carry over a large pond. I hit an easy 6-iron to the right edge of the green, where some slope directed the ball closer to the pin. I missed closest to the pin by about eight inches, but made the birdie putt, which felt relly good.
Overall, I was disappointed with my score. I could have easily broken 100, but did not. My chipping and putting left a lot to be desired. I really have to get my chipping feel back, after the long winter layoff. However, I was satisfied with my driving and iron play. I hit 10 of 15 fairways, which is quite good. I also hit some nice, pure iron shots. Let's see what the next round brings.
Score: 102
Par: 71
Putts: 42
Fairways: 10
Greens: 3
I struggled with the greens on the first three holes, amassing three, four and three putts respectively. My putting on the first hole was decent, but a bad chip put me in definite 3-putt territory. A hot chip on the second hole also left me with a long first putt. The slope of the green fooled me, as the ball broke opposite to the direction I had anticipated. A careless third putt missed the mark from within two feet. On the third hole, my second putt from a makeable distance just burned the edge. Nerves may have been a factor.
Hole #5, a par-4 measuring 371 yards from the white tees, proved to be very difficult. I duffed my tee shot, but followed it up with a good 8-iron, recovering to the middle of the fairway. With a downhill lie, I faced the green 115 yards away. To reach the green, I needed to carry a water hazard and avoid a massive bunker that wraps around three sides of the putting surface. My ball flew just over the bunker in the back and came to rest about a foot past the margin of a lateral hazard. With no backswing available, all I could do was punch the ball into the bunker. Three bunker shots followed, the first two being simply terrible. After two putts, I walked away with a disappointing 9 on my scorecard.
Hole #7, a tricky little par-3 with its green nestled atop a mound, also posed some trouble, resulting in triple-bogey. However, I played some fine shots on holes 6, 8 and 9, resulting in a couple of bogeys and a par. The par on hole #9 was textbook, as I hit fairway, then green, followed by a long breaking lag putt and a tap-in. Sometimes the game seems so easy, I wonder how all the trouble surfaces.
On the back nine, I played wonderful, steady golf, with the exception of hole #13, a par-5 measuring 493 yards that features a large pond stretching from the mid-point of the fairway to the green. My drive was perfect, but my second shot was a pull hook into the pond. After taking a drop, I failed to carry the pond with my next shot. I dropped once again and this time was able to carry the pond, but my ball came to rest in some fescue left of the green. Two shots were required to dislodge the ball from the nasty fescue, and after two putts I marked a 10 on my scorecard.
Aside from the adventures on #13, the back nine produced good results, namely a double-bogey, six bogeys, and a birdie. The birdie came on hole #16, a par-3 that was being used for the closest to the pin competition. The hole was playing about 160 yards long, all carry over a large pond. I hit an easy 6-iron to the right edge of the green, where some slope directed the ball closer to the pin. I missed closest to the pin by about eight inches, but made the birdie putt, which felt relly good.
Overall, I was disappointed with my score. I could have easily broken 100, but did not. My chipping and putting left a lot to be desired. I really have to get my chipping feel back, after the long winter layoff. However, I was satisfied with my driving and iron play. I hit 10 of 15 fairways, which is quite good. I also hit some nice, pure iron shots. Let's see what the next round brings.
Score: 102
Par: 71
Putts: 42
Fairways: 10
Greens: 3
May 03, 2009
Testing the Knee at Piper's Heath
I rarely go an entire weekend without golf, but it happened recently. I took the time off to rest my chronically injured knee, which flared up due to a street crossing incident. Yes, I injured my knee crossing the street. Pathetic, I know. After two weeks off, the knee was still sketchy, but I wanted to test it out before my first event on the GTA Amateur Tour, which was fast approaching. I headed over to Piper's Heath Golf Club on a Saturday afternoon.
Starting on the back nine, I bogeyed three of the first four holes played. My tee shot on the 11th hole, a par-3 measuring 187 yards, found a bunker left of the green. An awkward stance made it difficult to get the ball out of the trap. On the second attempt from a better lie, I carried the ball over the green. A chip and two-putt produced a triple bogey. Clearly, the short game needs work.
The 14th hole, a par-4 that usually plays 415 yards, should have been a breeze, but circumstances conspired to produce a score of 6 over par. The tees were playing up, shortening the hole significantly. I hit a perfect 3-wood off the tee, leaving 130 yards to the pin. A water hazard crosses the fairway about 60 yards in front of the green. Sure enough, I skulled my shot into the hazard. After taking a drop, I chunked a wedge only half way to the green. From that position, I chunked another one to a bunker guarding the front of the green. From the bunker, I carried the ball over the green. My chip back to the green went way too long, from whence I proceeded to 3-putt. When it rains, it pours. Did I mention the short game needs work?
Speaking of the dreaded 3-putt, another one occurred on hole #15, resulting in double-bogey. I managed to two-putt the 16th hole, a short par-3, but the first of those putts was inside two feet, so my putting was still terrible. On a positive note, I made a fantastic second shot out of the bunker. The result was bogey, but it really should have been par. On the 17th hole, I went from tee to fairway bunker, to greenside bunker, to over the green, en route to another triple bogey. Yikes! After the first nine holes, I was sitting at 56 strokes.
I'm happy to say I played a bit more consistently on holes 1 thru 9. That stretch included five bogeys and three double-bogeys. While I would certainly prefer to see some pars thrown in there, there is a certain amount of satisfaction in limiting the blowup holes (those that produce triple-bogey or worse). I did shoot an 8 on hole #5, a par-4 measuring 353 yards. My tee shot found a water hazard right of the fairway. After taking a drop, I skulled the next shot into the same hazard. When you string together mistakes like that, the result is never good.
Overall, I hit a few fairways and some decent mid-iron shots. My play with the wedges was terrible and my play out of the bunkers left a lot to be desired. I stumbled on some putts, but on the whole, putting was average. Most importantly, my knee did not explode and I was able to walk off the course on my own power. At this point, that was the most important thing. I can now go to my first GTA Amateur Tour event knowing that it's possible for me to walk 18 holes and swing the golf club. Still, I have to be careful not to get careless. I know from experience that one bad move - like crossing the street incorrectly - can have dire consequences.
Score: 107
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 0
Starting on the back nine, I bogeyed three of the first four holes played. My tee shot on the 11th hole, a par-3 measuring 187 yards, found a bunker left of the green. An awkward stance made it difficult to get the ball out of the trap. On the second attempt from a better lie, I carried the ball over the green. A chip and two-putt produced a triple bogey. Clearly, the short game needs work.
The 14th hole, a par-4 that usually plays 415 yards, should have been a breeze, but circumstances conspired to produce a score of 6 over par. The tees were playing up, shortening the hole significantly. I hit a perfect 3-wood off the tee, leaving 130 yards to the pin. A water hazard crosses the fairway about 60 yards in front of the green. Sure enough, I skulled my shot into the hazard. After taking a drop, I chunked a wedge only half way to the green. From that position, I chunked another one to a bunker guarding the front of the green. From the bunker, I carried the ball over the green. My chip back to the green went way too long, from whence I proceeded to 3-putt. When it rains, it pours. Did I mention the short game needs work?
Speaking of the dreaded 3-putt, another one occurred on hole #15, resulting in double-bogey. I managed to two-putt the 16th hole, a short par-3, but the first of those putts was inside two feet, so my putting was still terrible. On a positive note, I made a fantastic second shot out of the bunker. The result was bogey, but it really should have been par. On the 17th hole, I went from tee to fairway bunker, to greenside bunker, to over the green, en route to another triple bogey. Yikes! After the first nine holes, I was sitting at 56 strokes.
I'm happy to say I played a bit more consistently on holes 1 thru 9. That stretch included five bogeys and three double-bogeys. While I would certainly prefer to see some pars thrown in there, there is a certain amount of satisfaction in limiting the blowup holes (those that produce triple-bogey or worse). I did shoot an 8 on hole #5, a par-4 measuring 353 yards. My tee shot found a water hazard right of the fairway. After taking a drop, I skulled the next shot into the same hazard. When you string together mistakes like that, the result is never good.
Overall, I hit a few fairways and some decent mid-iron shots. My play with the wedges was terrible and my play out of the bunkers left a lot to be desired. I stumbled on some putts, but on the whole, putting was average. Most importantly, my knee did not explode and I was able to walk off the course on my own power. At this point, that was the most important thing. I can now go to my first GTA Amateur Tour event knowing that it's possible for me to walk 18 holes and swing the golf club. Still, I have to be careful not to get careless. I know from experience that one bad move - like crossing the street incorrectly - can have dire consequences.
Score: 107
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 0
April 20, 2009
Another Season Begins at Saw-Whet
The 2009 golf season got underway in earnest with a Saturday afternoon round at Saw-Whet Golf Course. Weather was good, except perhaps for the wind, which picked up greatly mid way through the round. Things started off on a sour note, as I forgot my pull cart at home. No worries, I would just carry my bag. Unfortunately, I also forgot my putter. Luckily, I was able to borrow one from the pro shop and it served just fine.
I struggled quite a bit on the front nine, amassing four triple-bogeys and three double-bogeys, to go along with a bogey and a par. My biggest problem was judging the distance with my approach shots. On the second, third and seventh holes, I hit what I thought were excellent approach shots, only to watch the ball sail directly over the greens. On hole #2, I overshot the green with a gap wedge from 105 yards. On #3, it happened with a 7-iron from 150 yards out on a bit of an up slope. On #7, it happened with a sand wedge from 80 yards out. On the last two occasions, penalty strokes were added because the balls were lost in the trees behind the greens. Despite the punishing results, this should be easy to fix. As I progress, I am hitting the ball more consistently on the downswing, reducing loft slightly and getting greater distance as a result. All I have to do is adjust the clubs I use for various distances. Some time on the driving range is called for to really get a handle on my current distances with the irons.
On the par-5 ninth hole, I hit 3-wood a few yards right of the green on my second shot. I managed to pitch the ball over a bunker and landed safely on the green, en route to a par. Looking back at my scorecard, it appears this is where I managed to shake off most of the winter rust, for I managed three more pars and three bogeys on the back nine. The pars all came on par-3 holes. A double-bogey on hole #10 was once again the result of overshooting the green with a sand wedge. The two remaining holes were blowups, only because I got careless with the driver off the tee. Oh hole #13, I pulled my drive out of bounds to the left. On hole #16, I did the same thing again, except this time I did it twice. That adds up to six strokes just given away.
Overall, I am unhappy with my score, but I'm not going to beat myself up too much about it. Except for a couple of wayward drives, the driver was working okay. I just have to remember to keep the game simple by doing what I know I am capable of. When I hit those bad drives, I was trying to pull off shots that just aren't in my arsenal yet. The 3-wood I only hit once, but it was a goodie. I hit a few 5-woods and they were very well struck, both off the tee and from the fairway. The irons were struck solidly all day long, though they all carried longer than I'm accustomed to. The real problem on the day was chipping. I think I hit one good chip shot all day. I simply could not get the ball aloft on my chip shots. After a while, I was trying to bump and run everything and even then I couldn't get the proper contact. This will no doubt improve with some practice and more rounds, so I won't panic just yet.
Looking forward to next week!
Score: 104
Par: 71
Putts: 37
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
I struggled quite a bit on the front nine, amassing four triple-bogeys and three double-bogeys, to go along with a bogey and a par. My biggest problem was judging the distance with my approach shots. On the second, third and seventh holes, I hit what I thought were excellent approach shots, only to watch the ball sail directly over the greens. On hole #2, I overshot the green with a gap wedge from 105 yards. On #3, it happened with a 7-iron from 150 yards out on a bit of an up slope. On #7, it happened with a sand wedge from 80 yards out. On the last two occasions, penalty strokes were added because the balls were lost in the trees behind the greens. Despite the punishing results, this should be easy to fix. As I progress, I am hitting the ball more consistently on the downswing, reducing loft slightly and getting greater distance as a result. All I have to do is adjust the clubs I use for various distances. Some time on the driving range is called for to really get a handle on my current distances with the irons.
On the par-5 ninth hole, I hit 3-wood a few yards right of the green on my second shot. I managed to pitch the ball over a bunker and landed safely on the green, en route to a par. Looking back at my scorecard, it appears this is where I managed to shake off most of the winter rust, for I managed three more pars and three bogeys on the back nine. The pars all came on par-3 holes. A double-bogey on hole #10 was once again the result of overshooting the green with a sand wedge. The two remaining holes were blowups, only because I got careless with the driver off the tee. Oh hole #13, I pulled my drive out of bounds to the left. On hole #16, I did the same thing again, except this time I did it twice. That adds up to six strokes just given away.
Overall, I am unhappy with my score, but I'm not going to beat myself up too much about it. Except for a couple of wayward drives, the driver was working okay. I just have to remember to keep the game simple by doing what I know I am capable of. When I hit those bad drives, I was trying to pull off shots that just aren't in my arsenal yet. The 3-wood I only hit once, but it was a goodie. I hit a few 5-woods and they were very well struck, both off the tee and from the fairway. The irons were struck solidly all day long, though they all carried longer than I'm accustomed to. The real problem on the day was chipping. I think I hit one good chip shot all day. I simply could not get the ball aloft on my chip shots. After a while, I was trying to bump and run everything and even then I couldn't get the proper contact. This will no doubt improve with some practice and more rounds, so I won't panic just yet.
Looking forward to next week!
Score: 104
Par: 71
Putts: 37
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
February 21, 2009
Sim Simma
Who got the keys to my Bimmer? Play it and read on.
Actually, "sim" is short for simulator, which is the only type of golf I can play here in southern Ontario during the winter.
I've been enjoying these virtual rounds quite a bit. They are very realistic, as are the scores. Here's a recap of my scores so far. The most recent rounds appear first.
89 - Sub 90 baby!
81 - Boo yah!
94 - Consistency
93 - Solid round
93 - Much better
113 - First round jitters
I'll probably drive to the simma a few more times before the real season starts.
Pass me the keys to my Bimmer!
Actually, "sim" is short for simulator, which is the only type of golf I can play here in southern Ontario during the winter.
I've been enjoying these virtual rounds quite a bit. They are very realistic, as are the scores. Here's a recap of my scores so far. The most recent rounds appear first.
89 - Sub 90 baby!
81 - Boo yah!
94 - Consistency
93 - Solid round
93 - Much better
113 - First round jitters
I'll probably drive to the simma a few more times before the real season starts.
Pass me the keys to my Bimmer!
February 01, 2009
Mid Winter Golf Withdrawal
It's the first day of February and I have golf on the mind. Not since late October have I had the pleasure of challenging a course, grass underfoot and clubs in hand. Three months is a long time to go golfless and it will be at least a couple more before winter gives way to spring and the golf season begins here in southern Ontario. Until then, all I can do is watch the pros on television, read a few golf articles online, chat about the upcoming season at the local golf shop, and occasionally play a round on the simulator.
Last season ended a little early for me, compared to the preceding season, when I played well into November. In spite of the earlier finish, I managed to play 45 rounds in 2008, one more than I did in 2007. At the start of the year, my primary goal was to reduce my handicap to 18 or better. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. I started the season well, scoring 100 or better on eight of nine occasions, including a low of 91. For the rest of the season, I played inconsistently. Two or three rounds in the nineties would be followed by something over 100. My handicap never dipped below 20, and at the end of the year it was 21 even.
Though I failed at reducing my handicap, there were a couple of highlights throughout the year:
Duffer's Highs - I had the low net score in the opening round of The Duffer's Dream Tour at Peninsula Lakes. I also won the tour event at King's Forest. Other successful Duffer's performances came at Willow Valley and Hidden Lake. I don't know how I fared in the overall championship, since updates to the standings ceased mid way through the season. At the end of the season, the Duffer's Dream website disappeared entirely.
Deepwoods Glory - I won the Deepwoods Golf Association championship, after finishing as the runner-up in 2007. Victory was secured on the strength of four very solid rounds at Copetown Woods, Peninsula Lakes, Hidden Lake, and Willow Valley. I am looking forward to defending my championship in 2009.
Alleluia - I capped the year off with my best round ever, a miraculous 10 over par at Granite Ridge. This was a terrific round that could have been as low as 7 over, had a few really close putts dropped in. Still, I'm not complaining. This was the kind of round that brings you back to the course to try again, and again.
Can't wait for the new season to start!
Last season ended a little early for me, compared to the preceding season, when I played well into November. In spite of the earlier finish, I managed to play 45 rounds in 2008, one more than I did in 2007. At the start of the year, my primary goal was to reduce my handicap to 18 or better. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. I started the season well, scoring 100 or better on eight of nine occasions, including a low of 91. For the rest of the season, I played inconsistently. Two or three rounds in the nineties would be followed by something over 100. My handicap never dipped below 20, and at the end of the year it was 21 even.
Though I failed at reducing my handicap, there were a couple of highlights throughout the year:
Duffer's Highs - I had the low net score in the opening round of The Duffer's Dream Tour at Peninsula Lakes. I also won the tour event at King's Forest. Other successful Duffer's performances came at Willow Valley and Hidden Lake. I don't know how I fared in the overall championship, since updates to the standings ceased mid way through the season. At the end of the season, the Duffer's Dream website disappeared entirely.
Deepwoods Glory - I won the Deepwoods Golf Association championship, after finishing as the runner-up in 2007. Victory was secured on the strength of four very solid rounds at Copetown Woods, Peninsula Lakes, Hidden Lake, and Willow Valley. I am looking forward to defending my championship in 2009.
Alleluia - I capped the year off with my best round ever, a miraculous 10 over par at Granite Ridge. This was a terrific round that could have been as low as 7 over, had a few really close putts dropped in. Still, I'm not complaining. This was the kind of round that brings you back to the course to try again, and again.
Can't wait for the new season to start!
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