My latest round was at BraeBen Golf Course in Mississauga. It was only my second ever visit to the course – the first one was way back in 2006. I liked it back then, but for one reason or another, the course never fell into my regular rotation. I still like it, so I'll have to see if I can get out there more often. Besides the fun layout, it's nice to play golf without having to drive very far from home.
My first visit to BraeBen was played from about 5,500 yards. I played as a single and didn't encounter any other players on the course for the entire round. I shot 95, which at that time was a personal best. I was a different golfer back then – just starting to really get into the game and with less than 100 lifetime rounds under my belt. I didn't hit the ball very far, relied on fairway woods a lot more than I do today, and on wedges a lot less.
Fast forward eight years and despite being a completely different golfer, both physically and mentally, the result was almost the same. I shot 93, so I did have a slight improvement, and did so from about 5,900 yards. I normally play between 6,000 and 6,500 yards, so length was not an issue. The name of the game at BraeBen is keeping your ball out of the fescue, thistle and other weeds that are found everywhere. It's impossible to find your ball in there, though you'll often find the balls of previous victims.
I opened with par on the first hole, with a drive to the left fairway, iron to the right fairway, and sand wedge to the green from 100 yards. Two putts closed things out in fine fashion. It looked like I was placing the ball wherever I wanted. A pair of bogeys ensued on the next two holes, as I just missed the greens, before chipping on and 2-putting.
The first wayward shot was a pitching wedge off the tee on hole #4, a 131-yard par-3. The ball hooked toward the cart path, hitting a mound which kicked it left into a weed and thistle covered gulley. I actually found the ball and had a shot. I had to get over a bunker to reach the green surface well above me. I thought there was room beyond the green, so I took no chances and blasted the ball long. When I climbed up to the green, I was disappointed to see another weed filled drop-off on the other side. That ball was lost and I was forced to take a penalty. I chipped on and 1-putt for double-bogey.
Holes #5 and #6 were things of beauty, resulting in a couple of pars. My drive on #5 actually wasn't great, but I ended up in the middle of the fairway, right beside the 150-yard stick. Next, I hit a sexy 8-iron right on target, nailing the green and finishing about 7 feet below the pin at the back of the green. Everything about that shot was perfection. I got a bit of a read on my birdie putt from my playing partner, but failed to drain it. The uphill putt was simply straighter than it looked like it was going to be. Hole #6 is a par-5 that I began with a great drive just in the left rough, followed by another pure 8-iron that set me up well to finish strong.
Hole #7 is the most talked about hole at BraeBen. It's a par-3 measuring only 138 yards from the blue tees, but features a huge drop from the teeing ground and a large pond fronting a wide but shallow green. It was my worst hole of the day, as I thinned a pitching wedge and pulled it left, catching the cart path and bouncing into some long weeds. After taking a penalty stroke and drop, I was still blocked out from the green. Two pitch shots, followed by three putts earned a quadruple-bogey. The pitches and putts were actually good – it's just that the hole was in a very difficult position on a big sloped section of the green.
I double-bogeyed hole #8 and made par on #9, for a score of 46 at the turn. On hole #10, a par-3 that was playing 170 yards, I nailed the green and was robbed on my birdie putt. It was a fairly lengthy uphill, with a big break at the end. I caught the upper lip, which whipped the ball to the right a fair amount. The par putt was longer than it should have been, but it was uphill and relatively straight, so I had no trouble. After ten holes, I was 10 over par – perfect bogey pace.
A pair of double-bogeys came next, on holes #11 and #12. The first of these was due to an unnecessary 3-putt, as I pushed and blasted my first attempt well past the hole. The second resulted from a bad pitch shot from 10 yards behind the green. It bounced one foot onto the green surface, but rolled all the way off the other side. I was using the 60 degree wedge and lofted the ball up pretty well, but to no avail. It was remarkable that I was even pitching from that position to begin with. From 150 yards out on my approach to the green, I hit an 8-iron. That is my stock 150-yard club. I must have “caught a flyer” as they say, because I launched the ball 170 yards and it was all carry. Oops!
Holes #13 and #14 caused some trouble, resulting in triple and double bogeys, respectively. I pull hooked a 5-iron on #13, which is a par-3, and lost the ball in the thistle. On #14, I had another dreaded 3-putt, much like on #11.
The last four holes were mostly rock solid. I 3-putt hole #15 after hitting the fairway and getting on the green in regulation. I had blasted my first putt long on #14, so of course, I came up short with my first attempt on #15. It was classic over-compensation. Still, bogey wasn't bad. I made pars on #16 and #17. The first of these is a par-5 that I played much like hole #1. I nailed the right side of the fairway with a drive, advanced the ball to the left fairway with a pitching wedge, then nailed the centre of the green with the same club, before 2-putting. Again, it was like I placed the ball wherever I wanted. LOL. I scrambled on hole #17 for the par, as my tee shot was bad. However, I found the green with the sand wedge on my second shot and had a good look at birdie. I came up 4 inches short and tapped in.
Hole #18 is another par-5. I hit the exact spot I wanted on the left side of the fairway with my driver. From 230 yards, I opted for 3-wood to get close to the green or even on it. I wasn't fully committed and ended up starting to the left side and slicing it back to centre, about 40 yards short of the flag. It should have been an easy pitch on, but I came up 5 yards short and was forced to chip. I 2-putt for bogey, but was satisfied with the hole and with the round.
With this result, my handicap factor dipped, but just barely. It is currently 20.1 – just two tenths away from being in the teens again.
Score: 93
Putts: 38
Fairways: 10
Greens: 7
Penalties: 3
September 04, 2014
September 02, 2014
Birdies Wasted at Battlefield
It was a rare back-to-back, as I returned to Legends on the Niagara for my latest round. This time, I played the Battlefield course, as opposed to Ussher's Creek. Playing both courses in quick succession, one realizes there really is very little separating these designs. Both are terrific layouts and lots of fun.
I barely made it to the course in time, thanks to the traffic snarls of Labour Day Weekend. I was a little rattled at the start of the round and it was also fairly windy. Over the first four holes, I managed to keep my driver in play, while my irons were hit and miss. On hole #1, I topped an iron attempt and hooked another. On hole #2, I hit a pure 4-iron from the fairway with my second shot, but it was straight into the wind and came up 10 yards short of the elevated green. On hole #3, a par-3, I opened the face of the 7-iron too much and flared one into the fescue. As you can see, my irons were either topped, straight lasers, hooked left, or flared right. That should be easy to fix then, right? LOL
Due to that early wildness, I opened with a pair of bogeys and a pair of double bogeys. I had some momentary genius on hole #5, a short par-4. First, I nailed the centre of the fairway with my driver. From the 100-yard stick, and with the wind blowing, I opted to half punch an 8-iron through the opening at the green front. I had to be accurate to avoid a bunker pinching on the right and to stop the ball on the green. It worked like a charm, with the ball settling about 8 feet behind the hole. Fortunately, I nailed the relatively straight putt for birdie!
A wild second shot on hole #6 led to double bogey. Hitting from the left side of the fairway, I once again opened the club face too much, pushing the ball well right of target. Things got worse on hole #7, as I registered a quadruple bogey! A lake borders the entire left side of this par-4 all the way to the green and can be intimidating. I composed myself well and hit a good drive to a bunker on the right side of the fairway. I had a perfect lie and angle to the green, but I clipped the sand, sending the ball to the right rough 100 yards from the flag. At this point, I made a bad decision. I tried the half punch 8-iron again, since it worked so well on hole #5. Coming out of the rough, however, was a completely different ball of wax. The ball went nowhere and then I duffed a pitch attempt from the soggy fairway. To top things off, I 3-putt. Argh!
I made the turn with a score of 49 and then went on a really hot streak. I bogeyed hole #10, a par-4 in steady fashion. Hole #11 was a thing of beauty. I nailed the left edge of this par-5 fairway with a good drive. From 230 yards, I took aim over some bunkers with the 5-iron. I was trying to lay up short of more bunkers on the left side of the green. The right side of the fairway and green are protected by a pond. I absolutely crushed the ball, sending it 200 yards right into the throat of the green opening. Almost unwittingly, I threaded the needle on that shot. I wasn't trying to reach the green in two, but that's basically what I had done. I chipped onto the green with my third shot and the ball trickled right to the flag, curling inches below the hole. For a while I thought I had an eagle, but I settled for a tap-in birdie!
A pair of pars continued the streak on the next two holes. On hole #12, an amazing 70-foot putt from just off the green did the trick. It was unexpected and felt fantastic. It had been a while since I dropped one from downtown like that. On hole #13, a short par-4, the par came in textbook fashion. I split the fairway with driver off the tee. From 120 yards, I drew a shot with the gap wedge to the rear pin position. From 10 feet away, I had a really good look at birdie, but barely missed. That's OK, tap-in pars are nice too.
Through 13 holes, I was 13 over par – perfect bogey pace. I was proud of how I battled through some adversity early on to get back on track. Then it all changed with my tee shot on hole #14, a 139-yard par-3. The pin was very accessible at the front of the green, with lots of room short and right. Inexplicably, I hit a wicked hook into a hazard covering the entire left side of the hole. I took my first penalty stroke of the day and a drop. After a pitch and two putts, I had a double bogey.
In and of itself, the double-bogey was not a problem. However, the tee shot on that hole was a clear momentum breaker. I pulled my drive on the next hole into the woods left of the fairway. Another penalty stroke. I duffed an iron, then flared another, en route to quadruple bogey. On hole #16, I played my drive to a good position left of the fairway. A pond protects the right side of the hole half way down the fairway and wraps around the right side of the green. I had the safest angle into the green and room short and left. Again, I pushed an iron well right of target and this one found the pond. It was my third and final penalty of the day, coming on my third successive hole. I ended up making triple bogey on that hole, as a 3-putt compounded matters.
I made par on hole #17, a short par 3, thanks to a great bump and run with my second shot. It made up for a chunky tee shot. Unfortunately, it was more bad news on the final hole of the day. I hit a fine drive to the left fairway on this dramatic par-5. A lake borders the entire right side of this hole from tee to green. A slight mis-hit with the 5-iron on my second shot didn't cause any harm. I was still in the fairway, 160 yards from the green with a good angle to the front pin position. Now, I decided to take the water completely out of play with my third shot. Rather than loft a 7 or 8-iron into the air, I elected to half punch a 5-iron toward the green opening. If I came up 20 yards short, I could pitch on and 2-putt for bogey. If I got it up to the green, I could have a go at par. I ended up about 25 yards short, but the ball hooked slightly (perhaps from my fear of finding the water right). This meant I had to pitch over a bunker to reach the green. Of course, I duffed that shot and found the sand. Next, I carried over the green and went in the water! Are you kidding me? All that strategy and I still get the ball wet? I took a drop, chipped on and made a single putt for a triple bogey.
I was very disappointed in the last hole, but all in all, a final score of 97 isn't bad. It's not good, but it's not bad.
Score: 97
Putts: 32
Fairways: 9
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
I barely made it to the course in time, thanks to the traffic snarls of Labour Day Weekend. I was a little rattled at the start of the round and it was also fairly windy. Over the first four holes, I managed to keep my driver in play, while my irons were hit and miss. On hole #1, I topped an iron attempt and hooked another. On hole #2, I hit a pure 4-iron from the fairway with my second shot, but it was straight into the wind and came up 10 yards short of the elevated green. On hole #3, a par-3, I opened the face of the 7-iron too much and flared one into the fescue. As you can see, my irons were either topped, straight lasers, hooked left, or flared right. That should be easy to fix then, right? LOL
Due to that early wildness, I opened with a pair of bogeys and a pair of double bogeys. I had some momentary genius on hole #5, a short par-4. First, I nailed the centre of the fairway with my driver. From the 100-yard stick, and with the wind blowing, I opted to half punch an 8-iron through the opening at the green front. I had to be accurate to avoid a bunker pinching on the right and to stop the ball on the green. It worked like a charm, with the ball settling about 8 feet behind the hole. Fortunately, I nailed the relatively straight putt for birdie!
A wild second shot on hole #6 led to double bogey. Hitting from the left side of the fairway, I once again opened the club face too much, pushing the ball well right of target. Things got worse on hole #7, as I registered a quadruple bogey! A lake borders the entire left side of this par-4 all the way to the green and can be intimidating. I composed myself well and hit a good drive to a bunker on the right side of the fairway. I had a perfect lie and angle to the green, but I clipped the sand, sending the ball to the right rough 100 yards from the flag. At this point, I made a bad decision. I tried the half punch 8-iron again, since it worked so well on hole #5. Coming out of the rough, however, was a completely different ball of wax. The ball went nowhere and then I duffed a pitch attempt from the soggy fairway. To top things off, I 3-putt. Argh!
I made the turn with a score of 49 and then went on a really hot streak. I bogeyed hole #10, a par-4 in steady fashion. Hole #11 was a thing of beauty. I nailed the left edge of this par-5 fairway with a good drive. From 230 yards, I took aim over some bunkers with the 5-iron. I was trying to lay up short of more bunkers on the left side of the green. The right side of the fairway and green are protected by a pond. I absolutely crushed the ball, sending it 200 yards right into the throat of the green opening. Almost unwittingly, I threaded the needle on that shot. I wasn't trying to reach the green in two, but that's basically what I had done. I chipped onto the green with my third shot and the ball trickled right to the flag, curling inches below the hole. For a while I thought I had an eagle, but I settled for a tap-in birdie!
A pair of pars continued the streak on the next two holes. On hole #12, an amazing 70-foot putt from just off the green did the trick. It was unexpected and felt fantastic. It had been a while since I dropped one from downtown like that. On hole #13, a short par-4, the par came in textbook fashion. I split the fairway with driver off the tee. From 120 yards, I drew a shot with the gap wedge to the rear pin position. From 10 feet away, I had a really good look at birdie, but barely missed. That's OK, tap-in pars are nice too.
Through 13 holes, I was 13 over par – perfect bogey pace. I was proud of how I battled through some adversity early on to get back on track. Then it all changed with my tee shot on hole #14, a 139-yard par-3. The pin was very accessible at the front of the green, with lots of room short and right. Inexplicably, I hit a wicked hook into a hazard covering the entire left side of the hole. I took my first penalty stroke of the day and a drop. After a pitch and two putts, I had a double bogey.
In and of itself, the double-bogey was not a problem. However, the tee shot on that hole was a clear momentum breaker. I pulled my drive on the next hole into the woods left of the fairway. Another penalty stroke. I duffed an iron, then flared another, en route to quadruple bogey. On hole #16, I played my drive to a good position left of the fairway. A pond protects the right side of the hole half way down the fairway and wraps around the right side of the green. I had the safest angle into the green and room short and left. Again, I pushed an iron well right of target and this one found the pond. It was my third and final penalty of the day, coming on my third successive hole. I ended up making triple bogey on that hole, as a 3-putt compounded matters.
I made par on hole #17, a short par 3, thanks to a great bump and run with my second shot. It made up for a chunky tee shot. Unfortunately, it was more bad news on the final hole of the day. I hit a fine drive to the left fairway on this dramatic par-5. A lake borders the entire right side of this hole from tee to green. A slight mis-hit with the 5-iron on my second shot didn't cause any harm. I was still in the fairway, 160 yards from the green with a good angle to the front pin position. Now, I decided to take the water completely out of play with my third shot. Rather than loft a 7 or 8-iron into the air, I elected to half punch a 5-iron toward the green opening. If I came up 20 yards short, I could pitch on and 2-putt for bogey. If I got it up to the green, I could have a go at par. I ended up about 25 yards short, but the ball hooked slightly (perhaps from my fear of finding the water right). This meant I had to pitch over a bunker to reach the green. Of course, I duffed that shot and found the sand. Next, I carried over the green and went in the water! Are you kidding me? All that strategy and I still get the ball wet? I took a drop, chipped on and made a single putt for a triple bogey.
I was very disappointed in the last hole, but all in all, a final score of 97 isn't bad. It's not good, but it's not bad.
Score: 97
Putts: 32
Fairways: 9
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
August 29, 2014
Pleasant Day at Ussher's Creek
My last round was at Ussher's Creek at Legends on the Niagara. Skies were clear and temperature was moderate, with a gentle breeze every now and then. It was perfect golf weather. I ended up shooting 92, for my third best round of the year. There were moments where I felt very much in control of the golf ball, which was fantastic. Of course, I lacked that control at other times – otherwise, I would have shot 72 – but let's not get too picky about it.
Through the first four holes, I did not miss a fairway. It's nice to string together good tee shots like that. I didn't have any particular swing thoughts. I simply had a clear mind and let my instincts take over. Following my drives on holes 1 and 4, I had a mere sand wedge into the greens. It was disappointing that I sculled both shots from that close. On #4, I chipped on and nearly saved par, settling for bogey. On #1, a duffed chip attempt raised that to a double-bogey.
On hole #2, a par-5, I went for the green in two from 230 yards out. I hit a good 3-wood over some bunkers in front of the green, but the ground was damp and soft, so I got no roll whatsoever. I pitched on and 2-putt for par. I had abandoned the fairway woods in that situation for a long time, so it felt good to strike that shot well. I also made par on holes 3, 5, and 7. A couple of these were routine par-3 holes, as I nailed the green with my tee shots, took a chance at birdie, and then tapped in. The last was a short par-4 that I reached in regulation despite missing my first fairway of the day.
Hole #8 is a lengthy par 4, measuring 445 yards from the white tees. I flared my drive right of the fairway near some bunkers. Two shots were a must to reach the green from there, which I did. Unfortunately, I 3-putt for a double-bogey. My lag from far away was actually quite good, but I missed a 5-footer that would have saved bogey. I took another double-bogey on hole #9, just because of some bad luck. I hit the fairway on this par-5, then laid up to 120 yards from the green., which is fronted by Ussher's Creek. My shot with the gap wedge was pulled ever so slightly – enough to hit the opposite bank of the creek and bounce backwards into it.
The start of the back nine was a little shaky, as my tee shots began to fail me. I drove one into some trees on the right side of #10, then pulled one left on #11. That one smacked a lone tree trunk, forcing a layup to in front of the creek on my next shot. I took double bogey and triple on the first of the back nine holes.
I got back into a groove, beginning on hole #12, a par-5. Just right of the fairway after my drive, I had a good lie and decided to go for the green again. This time, the 3-wood failed me, making contact off the heel and sending the ball just a few yards ahead. I followed up with a lovely 7-iron and 2-putt for par, so no damage was done. I also made par on holes 14 and 16. A good drive on #14 set me up well on this par-5. A pure 5-iron got me to 100 yards and next I practically draped the flag with a nice sand wedge. An up and down was responsible for the par on #16, a par-3.
The momentum stopped on hole #18, as I took a triple bogey 7. My drive was weak and to the right, forcing a layup in front of the creek. Yes, it also fronts this green. The green is nestled tightly against the creek, so your approach yardage has to be perfect. I hit what looked like a perfect pitching wedge, but again hit the opposite bank and rolled backwards. After a penalty stroke and drop, I pitched on and 2-putt to close out the round.
My handicap factor dipped to 20.3 with this result, so I'm on the verge of getting back into the teens. I need a good result to break through.
Score: 92
Putts: 36
Fairways: 8
Greens: 6
Penalties: 3
Through the first four holes, I did not miss a fairway. It's nice to string together good tee shots like that. I didn't have any particular swing thoughts. I simply had a clear mind and let my instincts take over. Following my drives on holes 1 and 4, I had a mere sand wedge into the greens. It was disappointing that I sculled both shots from that close. On #4, I chipped on and nearly saved par, settling for bogey. On #1, a duffed chip attempt raised that to a double-bogey.
On hole #2, a par-5, I went for the green in two from 230 yards out. I hit a good 3-wood over some bunkers in front of the green, but the ground was damp and soft, so I got no roll whatsoever. I pitched on and 2-putt for par. I had abandoned the fairway woods in that situation for a long time, so it felt good to strike that shot well. I also made par on holes 3, 5, and 7. A couple of these were routine par-3 holes, as I nailed the green with my tee shots, took a chance at birdie, and then tapped in. The last was a short par-4 that I reached in regulation despite missing my first fairway of the day.
Hole #8 is a lengthy par 4, measuring 445 yards from the white tees. I flared my drive right of the fairway near some bunkers. Two shots were a must to reach the green from there, which I did. Unfortunately, I 3-putt for a double-bogey. My lag from far away was actually quite good, but I missed a 5-footer that would have saved bogey. I took another double-bogey on hole #9, just because of some bad luck. I hit the fairway on this par-5, then laid up to 120 yards from the green., which is fronted by Ussher's Creek. My shot with the gap wedge was pulled ever so slightly – enough to hit the opposite bank of the creek and bounce backwards into it.
The start of the back nine was a little shaky, as my tee shots began to fail me. I drove one into some trees on the right side of #10, then pulled one left on #11. That one smacked a lone tree trunk, forcing a layup to in front of the creek on my next shot. I took double bogey and triple on the first of the back nine holes.
I got back into a groove, beginning on hole #12, a par-5. Just right of the fairway after my drive, I had a good lie and decided to go for the green again. This time, the 3-wood failed me, making contact off the heel and sending the ball just a few yards ahead. I followed up with a lovely 7-iron and 2-putt for par, so no damage was done. I also made par on holes 14 and 16. A good drive on #14 set me up well on this par-5. A pure 5-iron got me to 100 yards and next I practically draped the flag with a nice sand wedge. An up and down was responsible for the par on #16, a par-3.
The momentum stopped on hole #18, as I took a triple bogey 7. My drive was weak and to the right, forcing a layup in front of the creek. Yes, it also fronts this green. The green is nestled tightly against the creek, so your approach yardage has to be perfect. I hit what looked like a perfect pitching wedge, but again hit the opposite bank and rolled backwards. After a penalty stroke and drop, I pitched on and 2-putt to close out the round.
My handicap factor dipped to 20.3 with this result, so I'm on the verge of getting back into the teens. I need a good result to break through.
Score: 92
Putts: 36
Fairways: 8
Greens: 6
Penalties: 3
August 26, 2014
No Heroics at Hockley
On a gorgeous late August afternoon, I headed out to Hockley Valley Resort. This is the kind of course that can be very penal if you're not striking the ball well. Keep it straight and you'll get around in reasonable comfort. Start spraying the ball or generally miss hitting, and you'll lose a lot of balls and take a lot of penalty strokes.
I started out with a great drive to the right fairway on the opening par-4. Unfortunately, I followed up with an 8-iron that hooked terribly into a wooded area left of the green. Chalk up my first penalty stroke of the day and a double-bogey. The pattern persisted, as I double-bogeyed three of the next four holes. The only hole I didn't double bogey was a par-5 that produced a score of 10. Oh my goodness! I hit some acceptable shots, but I pushed a couple of irons into the woods and therefore amassed a lot of penalties.
After five holes, I accepted the fact that I wasn't going to score well for the round. From that point on, I just tried to hit one good shot at a time, letting the chips fall where they may. Results were a bit better for the remainder of the front nine, except for a triple bogey on hole #7, when my drive inexplicably bounced into the woods right of the fairway. It was a high shot that appeared to land softly, with plenty of room to spare. Oh well, I guess not. I completed the turn with a score of 57.
The back nine was much better. I basically bogeyed everything, except for a satisfying birdie on hole #14, a 169-yard par-3. Like many of the par-3 holes at Hockley Valley, this one features a huge elevation change. Teeing off from well above the green makes club choice critical. I chose an 8-iron, which turned out to be perfect. The ball finished 6 feet from the cup and I made the putt look easy.
I wish I had the same luck with some of my other putts on the day. I counted four missed putts that I absolutely should have made. All were short and uphill. All looked to be straight, but they all broke sharply to my astonishment. The greens were not even particularly fast, but I guess the hole locations were not that easy.
I really regretted the missed putts after I tallied my final score. I took a quadruple bogey on hole #18, thanks to a bad tee shot and a duffed approach shot that went for a swim. I was surprised to see that my final score was 101. I thought I would be much higher than that. Had I known I could break 100, perhaps I would have played the last hole with more caution. Even with the quad, those putts I missed earlier could have gotten me under the century mark.
Oh well, that's the way it goes. Whether I shoot 99 or 101 doesn't really matter. The final stretch of the season is approaching, so I'm only looking forward. My goal is to get my handicap factor back into the teens, as I'm less than a point away, even with this mini setback at Hockley.
Score: 101
Putts: 34
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 9
I started out with a great drive to the right fairway on the opening par-4. Unfortunately, I followed up with an 8-iron that hooked terribly into a wooded area left of the green. Chalk up my first penalty stroke of the day and a double-bogey. The pattern persisted, as I double-bogeyed three of the next four holes. The only hole I didn't double bogey was a par-5 that produced a score of 10. Oh my goodness! I hit some acceptable shots, but I pushed a couple of irons into the woods and therefore amassed a lot of penalties.
After five holes, I accepted the fact that I wasn't going to score well for the round. From that point on, I just tried to hit one good shot at a time, letting the chips fall where they may. Results were a bit better for the remainder of the front nine, except for a triple bogey on hole #7, when my drive inexplicably bounced into the woods right of the fairway. It was a high shot that appeared to land softly, with plenty of room to spare. Oh well, I guess not. I completed the turn with a score of 57.
The back nine was much better. I basically bogeyed everything, except for a satisfying birdie on hole #14, a 169-yard par-3. Like many of the par-3 holes at Hockley Valley, this one features a huge elevation change. Teeing off from well above the green makes club choice critical. I chose an 8-iron, which turned out to be perfect. The ball finished 6 feet from the cup and I made the putt look easy.
I wish I had the same luck with some of my other putts on the day. I counted four missed putts that I absolutely should have made. All were short and uphill. All looked to be straight, but they all broke sharply to my astonishment. The greens were not even particularly fast, but I guess the hole locations were not that easy.
I really regretted the missed putts after I tallied my final score. I took a quadruple bogey on hole #18, thanks to a bad tee shot and a duffed approach shot that went for a swim. I was surprised to see that my final score was 101. I thought I would be much higher than that. Had I known I could break 100, perhaps I would have played the last hole with more caution. Even with the quad, those putts I missed earlier could have gotten me under the century mark.
Oh well, that's the way it goes. Whether I shoot 99 or 101 doesn't really matter. The final stretch of the season is approaching, so I'm only looking forward. My goal is to get my handicap factor back into the teens, as I'm less than a point away, even with this mini setback at Hockley.
Score: 101
Putts: 34
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 9
August 21, 2014
Squeezing One In at Hidden Lake
I booked a last minute round on the Old Course at Hidden Lake. Teeing off at 3:30 pm, there seemed to be plenty of time to get the round in before sundown. Unfortunately, the course was packed, and the front nine in particular was slow going. Playing in a twosome, we had to wait on every shot. Driving up to the eighth tee, there were two other groups waiting. Three guys in the group ahead of us quit after nine, so my partner and I joined the last of their foursome to form a new threesome. The back nine was a bit quicker, but the damage had already been done. We were fighting the light over the last four holes, not to mention the possibility of a thunderstorm. It was close, but we squeezed the entire round in.
I played great golf on the front nine, with the exception of the opening hole. My drive popped up in the air, travelling only 190 yards. Next, I hit a 5-iron fat, finishing in the left rough. My sand wedge slid under the ball, which came up short of the green. After a decent pitch shot, I 3-putt for triple bogey. I had not done any practice putting, so it took me a while to get used to the speed of the greens. I had four 3-putts all day, and three of them came in the first five holes. On holes #3 and #5, these 3-putts were disappointing because I had reached the greens in regulation. I should have made easy pars, but walked away with bogeys instead.
I drove the ball reasonably well all day. My misses with the driver recently have tended to be to the left. That's because I consciously tried to swing more from the inside. If I turned my wrists over too much, the result was a short hook. I abandoned that move, allowing my more “natural” swing to come through. It's not pretty, but it seems like I can control it more. It produces a more predictable fade, but I do lose distance. On this day, it was a fair tradeoff. When I missed fairways, it was to the right, but just by a small margin.
What I really liked, however, was my iron play. To a large extent, I did the same thing with the irons as I did with the driver. This eliminated the hook shots, which was my tendency recently. With the more natural feeling swings, I could open up the club face a little bit and really get the ball airborne. This was useful on a couple of occasions when I had to launch the ball over some trees in order to recover. It also felt good when going for the greens.
The back nine was much like the front, though I struggled a bit on hole #13, a par-4. I favoured the left side with my tee shot to avoid out of bounds. Needing to punch low under some trees to get back to the fairway on my second shot, I smacked a tree trunk, which sent the ball 20 yards behind where I began. My fourth shot into the green from 100 yards was caught fat, leading to triple bogey.
Aside from the two triples on the day, it was largely a string of bogeys, with a couple of pars offset by a couple of doubles. As the light disappeared over the last four holes, I pressed a little and the double bogeys became more frequent. It's not easy to play in those conditions, when you're rushing to get all 18 holes played. A sculled pitch shot and my final 3-putt of the day can be attributed to the situation. In both cases, the result was double bogey, when really, it should have been a pair of easy bogeys.
All in all, I'm happy with the result. I'm also happy with the way the season is progressing. I struggled a bit in 2011, but took two giant steps backwards in 2012 and 2013. I feel like I'm back at the 2011 level and trending in the right direction. My handicap factor is on the verge of breaking back into the teens, which would be most welcome.
Score: 94
Putts: 38
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
I played great golf on the front nine, with the exception of the opening hole. My drive popped up in the air, travelling only 190 yards. Next, I hit a 5-iron fat, finishing in the left rough. My sand wedge slid under the ball, which came up short of the green. After a decent pitch shot, I 3-putt for triple bogey. I had not done any practice putting, so it took me a while to get used to the speed of the greens. I had four 3-putts all day, and three of them came in the first five holes. On holes #3 and #5, these 3-putts were disappointing because I had reached the greens in regulation. I should have made easy pars, but walked away with bogeys instead.
I drove the ball reasonably well all day. My misses with the driver recently have tended to be to the left. That's because I consciously tried to swing more from the inside. If I turned my wrists over too much, the result was a short hook. I abandoned that move, allowing my more “natural” swing to come through. It's not pretty, but it seems like I can control it more. It produces a more predictable fade, but I do lose distance. On this day, it was a fair tradeoff. When I missed fairways, it was to the right, but just by a small margin.
What I really liked, however, was my iron play. To a large extent, I did the same thing with the irons as I did with the driver. This eliminated the hook shots, which was my tendency recently. With the more natural feeling swings, I could open up the club face a little bit and really get the ball airborne. This was useful on a couple of occasions when I had to launch the ball over some trees in order to recover. It also felt good when going for the greens.
The back nine was much like the front, though I struggled a bit on hole #13, a par-4. I favoured the left side with my tee shot to avoid out of bounds. Needing to punch low under some trees to get back to the fairway on my second shot, I smacked a tree trunk, which sent the ball 20 yards behind where I began. My fourth shot into the green from 100 yards was caught fat, leading to triple bogey.
Aside from the two triples on the day, it was largely a string of bogeys, with a couple of pars offset by a couple of doubles. As the light disappeared over the last four holes, I pressed a little and the double bogeys became more frequent. It's not easy to play in those conditions, when you're rushing to get all 18 holes played. A sculled pitch shot and my final 3-putt of the day can be attributed to the situation. In both cases, the result was double bogey, when really, it should have been a pair of easy bogeys.
All in all, I'm happy with the result. I'm also happy with the way the season is progressing. I struggled a bit in 2011, but took two giant steps backwards in 2012 and 2013. I feel like I'm back at the 2011 level and trending in the right direction. My handicap factor is on the verge of breaking back into the teens, which would be most welcome.
Score: 94
Putts: 38
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
August 19, 2014
Retribution at Dragon's Fire
What a game! One minute you're high, the next minute you're low. Golf really is a sport that throws everything at you. A week ago, I was feeling good about matching my best score of the last three seasons. Two days later, I was down in the dumps over a poor result leading up to a Deepwoods event. Two days after that, and the Deepwoods event goes off like a charm, producing a new best score over the last three seasons.
The round was played at Dragon's Fire Golf Club, marking my first return visit to a course this year. I had played there three weeks earlier, in something of a warm up for the Deepwoods competition. The practice round did not go well at all, so this latest result feels like retribution. I scored a respectable 89, which is my lowest score since an 83 in Sepember 2011, also at a Deepwoods event. More importantly, I earned the maximum available 40 points for the Deepwoods championship. I almost certainly won't win the title this year, but my performance gave me a mathematical chance going into the final event of the year.
So how did I do it? Basically, my percentage of good shots went up, while I virtually eliminated mis-hits. With increased accuracy, I hit more fairways and greens in regulation. My chips and putts were good, though not unlike a typical round. I also took a fair number of penalty strokes, as usual. My game management was excellent, which I'll highlight by describing a couple of key situations.
Hole 1 – Par 4. I hook two consecutive drives into the trees left. I hit my fifth shot flag high, left of the green. A mediocre chip and two putts finish things off for a quadruple bogey. I put it behind me and move on.
Hole 2 – Par 3. I pull hook a 7-iron flag high, but well left of the green. I flop one over a large bunker, releasing well past the hole to take no chances. A beautiful long breaking putt stops on the lip of the cup. Bogey tap in.
Hole 3 – Par 4. I drive one into the right fairway bunker. Pitching wedge makes good contact, but I come up 15 yards short of the green. Chip shot goes past the hole more than I want and I 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 4 – Par 4. I open the club face on the drive and finish down the line, finding the middle of the fairway. From 100 yards, the ball carries a greenside bunker, right at a tucked pin position. Just miss birdie, settle for par.
Hole 5 – Par 4. Decent drive runs through the left fairway and stops one foot in the fescue, just three yards from the fairway edge. Third shot hits the green, but I'm 100 feet from the hole and 3-putt for double bogey.
Hole 6 – Par 4. I choose 5-wood off the tee and split the middle of the fairway. From 130 yards, pitching wedge sails over a greenside bunker, directly in line with the flag. I barely miss the birdie and tap in for par.
Hole 7 – Par 5. I drive the ball into a fairway bunker on the right. Pitching wedge gets me out safely, leaving 100 yards to the flag. Sand wedge catches a tad fat and comes up short. A beautiful chip and 1-putt salvage par.
Hole 8 – Par 5. I drive the ball to the left fairway. Next, an easy 3-iron drifts right of target into a cluster of trees. I have a good lie and swing, with an opening to an area in front of the green. Decent chip and two putts for bogey.
Hole 9 – Par 3. I pull hook an 8-iron flag high, but well left and up on a hillside. From the downslope, I flop a large bunker, landing on the green edge and releasing to within 10 feet. Downhill putt misses and I take bogey.
Shooting 46 at the turn, with 19 Deepwoods points.
Hole 10 – Par 4. Spectacular drive skirts the right edge of some bunkers and I get a lot of roll, leaving just 120 yards to the flag. Gap wedge finishes on the green, below the hole. Routine 2-putt earns a nice par.
Hole 11 – Par 4. Great drive goes deep, running a yard past the left edge of the fairway on this dogleg right. From just 90 yards, the lob wedge finds the green, but leaves some work. A good 2-putt produces par.
Hole 12 – Par 3. Slight pull off the tee with the gap wedge misses the green left by three yards. Ball hits an embankment and gets kicked into the fescue. After a penalty and chip, two putts are only good for double bogey.
Hole 13 – Par 5. Deep, straight drive finishes 4 yards short of the longest drive winner. 5-iron takes me to the left fairway, 130 yards from the hole. I'm blocked out by trees, so I wisely punch to the right, just short of the green. Poor bump and run catches a sliver of rough and stops the ball completely, leading to a 3-putt and double bogey.
Hole 14 – Par 3. Conscious of earlier hooks, I push a 7-iron flag-high, but in a bunker right. I get out of the sand safely, but I'm a mile past the hole. Excellent long lag putt leaves an easy tap-in for bogey.
Hole 15 – Par 4. The green is drivable, at 245 yards. An easy swing is right on line and nails the green, flag-high. I study the downhill breaker and make a good attempt at eagle, but am left with and make a 1 foot putt for birdie.
Hole 16 – Par 5. Decent drive runs through the fairway left and trickles into the trees in the absence of any real rough. After a penalty, a low shot catches a fairway bunker on the left. Mis-hit fails to reach the green, but the ball does squirt out into the fairway. From there, I nail the green. A mediocre lag leaves a tricky final putt, but I make it for double bogey and, more importantly, save one point for Deepwoods. It was a clutch putt.
Hole 17 – Par 3. Gap wedge is perfectly on line, but comes up short due to a headwind. This leaves a lengthy uphill birdie putt. I make a great effort, but it doesn't drop, so I settle for par. Still very good.
Hole 18 – Par 5. I wisely pick a target on the left half of the fairway and steer my drive there with a low cut. 220 yards from the green, I wisely half swing with the 5-iron to roll one to the 100-yard stick. Next, I scull a sand wedge, sending the ball to a back bunker. No problem, I hit a great out from the bunker and 2-putt for bogey.
Lots to like there. I'm satisfied.
Score: 89
Putts: 37
Fairways: 8
Greens: 6
Penalties: 5
The round was played at Dragon's Fire Golf Club, marking my first return visit to a course this year. I had played there three weeks earlier, in something of a warm up for the Deepwoods competition. The practice round did not go well at all, so this latest result feels like retribution. I scored a respectable 89, which is my lowest score since an 83 in Sepember 2011, also at a Deepwoods event. More importantly, I earned the maximum available 40 points for the Deepwoods championship. I almost certainly won't win the title this year, but my performance gave me a mathematical chance going into the final event of the year.
So how did I do it? Basically, my percentage of good shots went up, while I virtually eliminated mis-hits. With increased accuracy, I hit more fairways and greens in regulation. My chips and putts were good, though not unlike a typical round. I also took a fair number of penalty strokes, as usual. My game management was excellent, which I'll highlight by describing a couple of key situations.
Hole 1 – Par 4. I hook two consecutive drives into the trees left. I hit my fifth shot flag high, left of the green. A mediocre chip and two putts finish things off for a quadruple bogey. I put it behind me and move on.
Hole 2 – Par 3. I pull hook a 7-iron flag high, but well left of the green. I flop one over a large bunker, releasing well past the hole to take no chances. A beautiful long breaking putt stops on the lip of the cup. Bogey tap in.
Hole 3 – Par 4. I drive one into the right fairway bunker. Pitching wedge makes good contact, but I come up 15 yards short of the green. Chip shot goes past the hole more than I want and I 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 4 – Par 4. I open the club face on the drive and finish down the line, finding the middle of the fairway. From 100 yards, the ball carries a greenside bunker, right at a tucked pin position. Just miss birdie, settle for par.
Hole 5 – Par 4. Decent drive runs through the left fairway and stops one foot in the fescue, just three yards from the fairway edge. Third shot hits the green, but I'm 100 feet from the hole and 3-putt for double bogey.
Hole 6 – Par 4. I choose 5-wood off the tee and split the middle of the fairway. From 130 yards, pitching wedge sails over a greenside bunker, directly in line with the flag. I barely miss the birdie and tap in for par.
Hole 7 – Par 5. I drive the ball into a fairway bunker on the right. Pitching wedge gets me out safely, leaving 100 yards to the flag. Sand wedge catches a tad fat and comes up short. A beautiful chip and 1-putt salvage par.
Hole 8 – Par 5. I drive the ball to the left fairway. Next, an easy 3-iron drifts right of target into a cluster of trees. I have a good lie and swing, with an opening to an area in front of the green. Decent chip and two putts for bogey.
Hole 9 – Par 3. I pull hook an 8-iron flag high, but well left and up on a hillside. From the downslope, I flop a large bunker, landing on the green edge and releasing to within 10 feet. Downhill putt misses and I take bogey.
Shooting 46 at the turn, with 19 Deepwoods points.
Hole 10 – Par 4. Spectacular drive skirts the right edge of some bunkers and I get a lot of roll, leaving just 120 yards to the flag. Gap wedge finishes on the green, below the hole. Routine 2-putt earns a nice par.
Hole 11 – Par 4. Great drive goes deep, running a yard past the left edge of the fairway on this dogleg right. From just 90 yards, the lob wedge finds the green, but leaves some work. A good 2-putt produces par.
Hole 12 – Par 3. Slight pull off the tee with the gap wedge misses the green left by three yards. Ball hits an embankment and gets kicked into the fescue. After a penalty and chip, two putts are only good for double bogey.
Hole 13 – Par 5. Deep, straight drive finishes 4 yards short of the longest drive winner. 5-iron takes me to the left fairway, 130 yards from the hole. I'm blocked out by trees, so I wisely punch to the right, just short of the green. Poor bump and run catches a sliver of rough and stops the ball completely, leading to a 3-putt and double bogey.
Hole 14 – Par 3. Conscious of earlier hooks, I push a 7-iron flag-high, but in a bunker right. I get out of the sand safely, but I'm a mile past the hole. Excellent long lag putt leaves an easy tap-in for bogey.
Hole 15 – Par 4. The green is drivable, at 245 yards. An easy swing is right on line and nails the green, flag-high. I study the downhill breaker and make a good attempt at eagle, but am left with and make a 1 foot putt for birdie.
Hole 16 – Par 5. Decent drive runs through the fairway left and trickles into the trees in the absence of any real rough. After a penalty, a low shot catches a fairway bunker on the left. Mis-hit fails to reach the green, but the ball does squirt out into the fairway. From there, I nail the green. A mediocre lag leaves a tricky final putt, but I make it for double bogey and, more importantly, save one point for Deepwoods. It was a clutch putt.
Hole 17 – Par 3. Gap wedge is perfectly on line, but comes up short due to a headwind. This leaves a lengthy uphill birdie putt. I make a great effort, but it doesn't drop, so I settle for par. Still very good.
Hole 18 – Par 5. I wisely pick a target on the left half of the fairway and steer my drive there with a low cut. 220 yards from the green, I wisely half swing with the 5-iron to roll one to the 100-yard stick. Next, I scull a sand wedge, sending the ball to a back bunker. No problem, I hit a great out from the bunker and 2-putt for bogey.
Lots to like there. I'm satisfied.
Score: 89
Putts: 37
Fairways: 8
Greens: 6
Penalties: 5
August 15, 2014
Putrid Play at Flamborough
I played 20 rounds of golf so far this season. Fifteen of those produced scores ranging from 91 to 101. The other five were absolute crap, ranging from 106 to 119. I convinced myself that having 3 decent rounds out of every 4 was pretty solid, especially since I struggled to even break 100 last year. For my 21st round of the year, I headed to Flamborough Hills, which I've only played once before. Well, add some more crap to the heap. I shot 110, thanks to disgusting shots of all kinds. I hit tee shots off the heel of the driver, topped a bunch of fairway woods, chunked some wedges, while thinning others, and on and on. Amassing 39 putts was the flipping cherry on top.
I opened with consecutive bogeys, despite missing the first green from 90 yards and 3-putting on the second green. I came over the top trying to drive the ball on the next hole and it was all downhill from there. It was a cold morning, only abut 13 degrees, and I left my flipping jacket at home. Had it all ready to go by the back door and walked out without it. I was shivering on the tee, for goodness sake. There's always some stupid thing like that making the game more difficult than it needs to be. I could fill volumes with all the bloody excuses. But you know what? At the end of the day, good players deal with it and lousy players like me just pile on the crap.
I wasn't even going to play this round, as I just came off my season best and wanted to carry the momentum into the next Deepwoods event. At the last minute, I decided to squeeze this round in and look at the result. The only thing I'll carry into the Deepwoods event now is rage and self-loathing. Crappy golfers abound, but I've become the crappy golfer with the even crappier attitude. Damn it all to hell.
On the final hole, a par-5, I hit the fairway with my drive. A fairway wood got me to within 50 yards of the flag. I pitched on and lagged my first putt to within 3 feet. A closing par would partly erase the vile taste in my mouth. What did I do? I pulled the bloody par putt, burning the left edge of the cup. Rub that salt deep in that wound, you wretched little troll.
Score: 110
Putts: 39
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4
I opened with consecutive bogeys, despite missing the first green from 90 yards and 3-putting on the second green. I came over the top trying to drive the ball on the next hole and it was all downhill from there. It was a cold morning, only abut 13 degrees, and I left my flipping jacket at home. Had it all ready to go by the back door and walked out without it. I was shivering on the tee, for goodness sake. There's always some stupid thing like that making the game more difficult than it needs to be. I could fill volumes with all the bloody excuses. But you know what? At the end of the day, good players deal with it and lousy players like me just pile on the crap.
I wasn't even going to play this round, as I just came off my season best and wanted to carry the momentum into the next Deepwoods event. At the last minute, I decided to squeeze this round in and look at the result. The only thing I'll carry into the Deepwoods event now is rage and self-loathing. Crappy golfers abound, but I've become the crappy golfer with the even crappier attitude. Damn it all to hell.
On the final hole, a par-5, I hit the fairway with my drive. A fairway wood got me to within 50 yards of the flag. I pitched on and lagged my first putt to within 3 feet. A closing par would partly erase the vile taste in my mouth. What did I do? I pulled the bloody par putt, burning the left edge of the cup. Rub that salt deep in that wound, you wretched little troll.
Score: 110
Putts: 39
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4
August 13, 2014
Season Low at Willodell
Looking to play at least one more time before the next Deepwoods event, I opted for a round at Willodell Golf Club of Niagara. I played there for the first time last year and it was a decent enough track that I didn't mind making a return visit. The course offers a reasonable challenge, yet it's fairly forgiving. You can often recover from wayward shots, either by punching low under some tree branches, or by lofting the ball high over the tree canopies.
I played the back nine first, registering 2 pars, 6 bogeys and one triple, for a score of 45. I hugged the left side of hole #10, a par-5, all the way to the green. I actually hit a great shot from 150 yards to find the putting surface, but then had my first of two 3-putts on the day. The pars came on holes #11 and #13, thanks to some short game magic. I got up and down from left of the green on the first of these, while I chipped in from off the green on the second.
After laying up my tee shot on hole #14, I chunked a 9-iron into a hazard directly in front of me. I was forced to drop and take a penalty stroke, which turned out to be my only one of the day. The mistake led to triple bogey. Fortunately, I rattled off four consecutive bogeys before making the turn. The golf gods cooperated on hole #15, as my tee shot was slicing into the woods, but ricocheted off a tree and finished in the middle of the fairway. I wasn't so lucky after my tee shot on hole #17, finishing left of the fairway with a tree impeding my swing. Up and down near the green made up for the stroke I lost because of that predicament.
On the front nine, my game became a little less consistent. Although I shot 46, it consisted of 1 birdie, 2 pars, 1 bogey, and 5 doubles. The birdie came on hole #2, a par-5 that was playing into the wind. I pushed my tee shot just right of the fairway, where a couple of trees were impeding my progress. I tried to punch an easy 6-iron to the left side of the fairway, but the ball launched way further than I expected, smacking some big trees. To my astonishment, the ball bounced back to the fairway, 130 yards from the flag. From there, I hit a perfect pitching wedge to 4 feet and drained the straight, uphill putt.
It wasn't all great luck. After my second shot on hole #1, another par-5, I was stymied behind a lone tree trunk, 80 yards from the green. I had to chip the ball sideways just to get back to the fairway. It would have been fine had I pitched onto the green next, but I duffed my attempt en route to a double-bogey. A couple of par-3 holes also produced a pair of doubles. On both occasions, I hooked my iron shots, putting me in a bad situation. On hole #3, for example, I had to punch below a tree and roll through the rough to see if I could stop on the green. The punch worked well, but the stopping not so much, as the ground was dry and hard.
Despite getting a little loose later in the round, I finished with a strong par to score 91, which is my best of the season, so far. Come to think of it, it's my best of the last two seasons and equals my best of the last three seasons! It goes to show you how much I've struggled with my game over the last few years. The last time I went lower was when I scored 83 at Willow Valley in September 2011.
Score: 91
Putts: 30
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
I played the back nine first, registering 2 pars, 6 bogeys and one triple, for a score of 45. I hugged the left side of hole #10, a par-5, all the way to the green. I actually hit a great shot from 150 yards to find the putting surface, but then had my first of two 3-putts on the day. The pars came on holes #11 and #13, thanks to some short game magic. I got up and down from left of the green on the first of these, while I chipped in from off the green on the second.
After laying up my tee shot on hole #14, I chunked a 9-iron into a hazard directly in front of me. I was forced to drop and take a penalty stroke, which turned out to be my only one of the day. The mistake led to triple bogey. Fortunately, I rattled off four consecutive bogeys before making the turn. The golf gods cooperated on hole #15, as my tee shot was slicing into the woods, but ricocheted off a tree and finished in the middle of the fairway. I wasn't so lucky after my tee shot on hole #17, finishing left of the fairway with a tree impeding my swing. Up and down near the green made up for the stroke I lost because of that predicament.
On the front nine, my game became a little less consistent. Although I shot 46, it consisted of 1 birdie, 2 pars, 1 bogey, and 5 doubles. The birdie came on hole #2, a par-5 that was playing into the wind. I pushed my tee shot just right of the fairway, where a couple of trees were impeding my progress. I tried to punch an easy 6-iron to the left side of the fairway, but the ball launched way further than I expected, smacking some big trees. To my astonishment, the ball bounced back to the fairway, 130 yards from the flag. From there, I hit a perfect pitching wedge to 4 feet and drained the straight, uphill putt.
It wasn't all great luck. After my second shot on hole #1, another par-5, I was stymied behind a lone tree trunk, 80 yards from the green. I had to chip the ball sideways just to get back to the fairway. It would have been fine had I pitched onto the green next, but I duffed my attempt en route to a double-bogey. A couple of par-3 holes also produced a pair of doubles. On both occasions, I hooked my iron shots, putting me in a bad situation. On hole #3, for example, I had to punch below a tree and roll through the rough to see if I could stop on the green. The punch worked well, but the stopping not so much, as the ground was dry and hard.
Despite getting a little loose later in the round, I finished with a strong par to score 91, which is my best of the season, so far. Come to think of it, it's my best of the last two seasons and equals my best of the last three seasons! It goes to show you how much I've struggled with my game over the last few years. The last time I went lower was when I scored 83 at Willow Valley in September 2011.
Score: 91
Putts: 30
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
August 08, 2014
Scant Pars at Hidden Lake
With a round scheduled for the New Course at Hidden Lake Golf Club, I consulted previous blog entries to recall what happened there during my last few visits. It turns out that my last seven rounds at Hidden Lake, which took place from 2010 – 2012, were all played on the Old Course. Bummer. From 2007 – 2009, however, I played five consecutive rounds on the New Course. It seems that I tend to favour one course over the other for a couple of years, before I finally get bored and switch things up. The good news is that my scores over those five rounds at the New Course were: 97, 93, 93, 93, 93. Heck, I'll take a 93 these days!
In fact, I ended up scoring 96, which isn't too bad. This round was a lot like my last one, in the sense that I largely avoided blowup holes, but also didn't make pars. To be precise, I did make one par. It came on hole #17, a 167-yard par-3. My tee shot came to rest two yards short of the green, but I lagged an uphill putt just past the hole and then made the comebacker. At the opposite end of the scale, I made one triple-bogey. It came on hole #1, after a weak drive off the heel of the club. It was early morning and the course was wet, making it hard to hit out of the rough. Besides these two holes, everything else was bogey or double. The final tally included 10 bogeys and 6 doubles.
My driving was pretty good, though I didn't hit many fairways. I hit what looked like perfect drives on holes #2 and #4, only to have my ball trickle into the rough by a couple of feet or less. In the lush, wet grass, it was a nightmare getting the ball out safely. That definitely cost me a couple of strokes. My best drives produced three consecutive fairways hit, on holes 10, 12, and 13. The drive on hole #12 was particularly good, travelling 275 yards and dead straight. My playing partners were impressed. Unfortunately, there were a couple of bad drives as well. Without realizing it, I tried to give those shots a little extra. Instead of going farther, they hooked left and were much, much shorter.
Iron play was also pretty good. When I mis-hit irons, I lost a little distance or veered slightly off target. There were really no disastrous iron shots that I can remember. One of the nicest irons shots came on hole #9, a 194-yard par-3 that is all carry over water and wetlands. I chose 4-iron and struck it just past flag-high, two feet off the left side of the green. I made as good a putt as I could from there, but still faced a 12-foot putt for par. It didn't drop, so I settled for bogey. There were other nice iron shots with more lofted clubs. An approach with the 7-iron on hole #18 comes to mind, as does an approach on #16 with the pitching wedge.
The real problem on this day was my pitching and chipping. On two occasions, I was trying to pitch the ball about 40 yards with the lob wedge, but caught it a bit thin and sent the ball skidding off the back of the green. On one occasion it cost me a stroke, while on the other it cost me two. That's because the ball ended up under a tree and I had no backswing whatsoever. I also duffed a few chips from right beside the green. On hole #3, this led to bogey, when par was looking possible. Same thing on holes #12 and #16. I can blame a spongy lie on hole #12, but I don't have an excuse for hole #16. All told, poor pitches and chips easily cost me half a dozen strokes.
Having said that, my putting was decent, so the short game was not all bad. Also, the one time I was in a greenside bunker, I got out safely and 2-putt for bogey. Interestingly, I had no penalty strokes for the entire round. That is rare indeed!
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 3
Greens: 1
Penalties: 0
In fact, I ended up scoring 96, which isn't too bad. This round was a lot like my last one, in the sense that I largely avoided blowup holes, but also didn't make pars. To be precise, I did make one par. It came on hole #17, a 167-yard par-3. My tee shot came to rest two yards short of the green, but I lagged an uphill putt just past the hole and then made the comebacker. At the opposite end of the scale, I made one triple-bogey. It came on hole #1, after a weak drive off the heel of the club. It was early morning and the course was wet, making it hard to hit out of the rough. Besides these two holes, everything else was bogey or double. The final tally included 10 bogeys and 6 doubles.
My driving was pretty good, though I didn't hit many fairways. I hit what looked like perfect drives on holes #2 and #4, only to have my ball trickle into the rough by a couple of feet or less. In the lush, wet grass, it was a nightmare getting the ball out safely. That definitely cost me a couple of strokes. My best drives produced three consecutive fairways hit, on holes 10, 12, and 13. The drive on hole #12 was particularly good, travelling 275 yards and dead straight. My playing partners were impressed. Unfortunately, there were a couple of bad drives as well. Without realizing it, I tried to give those shots a little extra. Instead of going farther, they hooked left and were much, much shorter.
Iron play was also pretty good. When I mis-hit irons, I lost a little distance or veered slightly off target. There were really no disastrous iron shots that I can remember. One of the nicest irons shots came on hole #9, a 194-yard par-3 that is all carry over water and wetlands. I chose 4-iron and struck it just past flag-high, two feet off the left side of the green. I made as good a putt as I could from there, but still faced a 12-foot putt for par. It didn't drop, so I settled for bogey. There were other nice iron shots with more lofted clubs. An approach with the 7-iron on hole #18 comes to mind, as does an approach on #16 with the pitching wedge.
The real problem on this day was my pitching and chipping. On two occasions, I was trying to pitch the ball about 40 yards with the lob wedge, but caught it a bit thin and sent the ball skidding off the back of the green. On one occasion it cost me a stroke, while on the other it cost me two. That's because the ball ended up under a tree and I had no backswing whatsoever. I also duffed a few chips from right beside the green. On hole #3, this led to bogey, when par was looking possible. Same thing on holes #12 and #16. I can blame a spongy lie on hole #12, but I don't have an excuse for hole #16. All told, poor pitches and chips easily cost me half a dozen strokes.
Having said that, my putting was decent, so the short game was not all bad. Also, the one time I was in a greenside bunker, I got out safely and 2-putt for bogey. Interestingly, I had no penalty strokes for the entire round. That is rare indeed!
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 3
Greens: 1
Penalties: 0
August 06, 2014
Par Free at Lionhead Legends
It looked like it might rain during my latest round at Lionhead Legends, but luckily the storm passed through before my late afternoon tee time. The course had plenty of time to dry out and conditions were actually great. It had been a few years since my last trip to Lionhead and even longer since I last played the Legends course.
I managed to score 100, which is one less than my previous best at the course. Normally, I would be upset at reaching the century mark, but as more time goes by, I really see no difference between 100 or 99. Neither is particularly good, so what difference does it make? I shot 49 on the front nine, but didn't know my back nine score going into the last hole. I just had the feeling it was something similar. When I made quintuple bogey on the last hole, I figured I would finish with 103 or 104, so I actually had a chuckle when I finished at 100 even.
The real problem on this day was that I made no pars at all. Whenever I've had similar scores in the past, there have been three or four pars in the mix. Of course, there were also three or four triple-bogeys to even things out. This time, I almost eliminated the blowup holes. My scorecard included 12 bogeys, 4 double-bogeys, a triple, and the aforementioned quintuple. So what's better? Blowing up for triples and quads while registering a few pars, or riding the bogey train for most of the round with an occasional double? Recent rounds have tended toward the latter. I like the idea of consistency, but I miss the pars.
I used a combination of driver and 5-wood off the tees at Lionhead, except of course on the par-3 holes. I hit 4 of 9 fairways with the driver and 3 of 5 with the fairway wood. When I missed with either club, it was by just a couple of yards. I was never really in trouble off the tee. My worst drive was on hole #14, but even then, I had a sizable opening back to the fairway. Unfortunately, a poor third shot led to double-bogey. I did miss badly with the 5-wood on one occasion, but it was my second shot on a par-5. I sliced it into long fesuce and though I found my ball, I wasted a shot hacking it out en route to another double-bogey.
My irons were not as sharp, though they were not terrible. I failed to hit a few greens when I really should have. I missed the first green, for example, from 145 yards out after a great drive. I missed the fifth green from just 110 yards. On hole #8, a par-3, I finished just left of the green, 150 yards away. On hole #16, the green once again eluded me from 145 yards away. On all of these occasions, I landed in a greenside bunker. More on that in a moment.
My irons did serve me well when I played cautiously. After popping up my tee shot on hole #2, a par-4, I was barely on the fairway, 220 yards from the green. Rather than go for it with the 3-wood, I played a perfect pitching wedge, lob wedge combination and 2-putt for bogey. Despite a good drive on hole #15, a tough par-5, my ball was in some long fescue just right of the fairway. I chopped out with my second shot to the 150 yard stick. Rather than go for the green, which is well protected by a pond left and front, I advanced the ball 90 yards to the end of the fairway and then pitched on from 60 yards out. This took the pond out of play. After a 2-putt, I was satisfied with bogey.
As I hinted at earlier, bunkers were in play often. This is my nemesis right now. A few rounds back, it reached a low point when I needed five shots to get out of a greenside bunker, with a group of Deepwoods colleagues watching in stunned silence. One of them gave me a tip after that incident and it's actually helped me a bit. Whereas in the past, it was guaranteed that I couldn't get out of the bunker safely, I am now getting out in good shape about half the time.
On hole #1, I sculled one into the lip of a greenside bunker, failing to get out. My next attempt was actually very good. Nevertheless, the first miscue led to double-bogey. On hole #5, I popped one out of a greenside bunker nicely, only to watch it roll off the green on the other side, into another bunker! From there, I hit a beauty and tapped in with one putt for bogey. On hole #8, there was water on the other side of the green, so I couldn't afford for the same thing to happen. I hit another beauty from the sand! I did miss the ensuing putt, but still managed bogey. Finally, on hole #16, the greenside bunker shot was a bad one, sailing clear over the green into the woods. After a penalty stroke and drop, I chipped in from off the green to save bogey. As you can see, it's a 50/50 thing right now. Hopefully, it keeps getting better.
Lastly, I'll talk about putting. I had 34 total on the day, including a pair of 1-putts and a pair of 3-putts. The 3-putts came, as they often do, on the two occasions when I reached a green in regulation. The first of these was on hole #10. I faced a long downhill putt and left it too short. I then burned the edge on the remaining 10-footer. On hole #11, which is actually the #1 handicap hole on the course, I hit a perfectly placed drive and very pretty 7-iron. My birdie putt was another downhiller, but not as lengthy as the one on the previous hole. I just made a bad stroke and left it well short.
Score: 100
Putts: 34
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4
I managed to score 100, which is one less than my previous best at the course. Normally, I would be upset at reaching the century mark, but as more time goes by, I really see no difference between 100 or 99. Neither is particularly good, so what difference does it make? I shot 49 on the front nine, but didn't know my back nine score going into the last hole. I just had the feeling it was something similar. When I made quintuple bogey on the last hole, I figured I would finish with 103 or 104, so I actually had a chuckle when I finished at 100 even.
The real problem on this day was that I made no pars at all. Whenever I've had similar scores in the past, there have been three or four pars in the mix. Of course, there were also three or four triple-bogeys to even things out. This time, I almost eliminated the blowup holes. My scorecard included 12 bogeys, 4 double-bogeys, a triple, and the aforementioned quintuple. So what's better? Blowing up for triples and quads while registering a few pars, or riding the bogey train for most of the round with an occasional double? Recent rounds have tended toward the latter. I like the idea of consistency, but I miss the pars.
I used a combination of driver and 5-wood off the tees at Lionhead, except of course on the par-3 holes. I hit 4 of 9 fairways with the driver and 3 of 5 with the fairway wood. When I missed with either club, it was by just a couple of yards. I was never really in trouble off the tee. My worst drive was on hole #14, but even then, I had a sizable opening back to the fairway. Unfortunately, a poor third shot led to double-bogey. I did miss badly with the 5-wood on one occasion, but it was my second shot on a par-5. I sliced it into long fesuce and though I found my ball, I wasted a shot hacking it out en route to another double-bogey.
My irons were not as sharp, though they were not terrible. I failed to hit a few greens when I really should have. I missed the first green, for example, from 145 yards out after a great drive. I missed the fifth green from just 110 yards. On hole #8, a par-3, I finished just left of the green, 150 yards away. On hole #16, the green once again eluded me from 145 yards away. On all of these occasions, I landed in a greenside bunker. More on that in a moment.
My irons did serve me well when I played cautiously. After popping up my tee shot on hole #2, a par-4, I was barely on the fairway, 220 yards from the green. Rather than go for it with the 3-wood, I played a perfect pitching wedge, lob wedge combination and 2-putt for bogey. Despite a good drive on hole #15, a tough par-5, my ball was in some long fescue just right of the fairway. I chopped out with my second shot to the 150 yard stick. Rather than go for the green, which is well protected by a pond left and front, I advanced the ball 90 yards to the end of the fairway and then pitched on from 60 yards out. This took the pond out of play. After a 2-putt, I was satisfied with bogey.
As I hinted at earlier, bunkers were in play often. This is my nemesis right now. A few rounds back, it reached a low point when I needed five shots to get out of a greenside bunker, with a group of Deepwoods colleagues watching in stunned silence. One of them gave me a tip after that incident and it's actually helped me a bit. Whereas in the past, it was guaranteed that I couldn't get out of the bunker safely, I am now getting out in good shape about half the time.
On hole #1, I sculled one into the lip of a greenside bunker, failing to get out. My next attempt was actually very good. Nevertheless, the first miscue led to double-bogey. On hole #5, I popped one out of a greenside bunker nicely, only to watch it roll off the green on the other side, into another bunker! From there, I hit a beauty and tapped in with one putt for bogey. On hole #8, there was water on the other side of the green, so I couldn't afford for the same thing to happen. I hit another beauty from the sand! I did miss the ensuing putt, but still managed bogey. Finally, on hole #16, the greenside bunker shot was a bad one, sailing clear over the green into the woods. After a penalty stroke and drop, I chipped in from off the green to save bogey. As you can see, it's a 50/50 thing right now. Hopefully, it keeps getting better.
Lastly, I'll talk about putting. I had 34 total on the day, including a pair of 1-putts and a pair of 3-putts. The 3-putts came, as they often do, on the two occasions when I reached a green in regulation. The first of these was on hole #10. I faced a long downhill putt and left it too short. I then burned the edge on the remaining 10-footer. On hole #11, which is actually the #1 handicap hole on the course, I hit a perfectly placed drive and very pretty 7-iron. My birdie putt was another downhiller, but not as lengthy as the one on the previous hole. I just made a bad stroke and left it well short.
Score: 100
Putts: 34
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)