Playing the New TPC Toronto

The PGA Tour's TPC network of courses just expanded to Canada with the addition of Osprey Valley. The 54-hole facility has been renamed TPC Toronto. I headed out there to play the North Course, formerly known as Toot. The course was the site of the Osprey Valley Open, a Mackenzie Tour event where I volunteered as a walking scorer back in July. I had played the course before, but the Open refreshed my memory of the layout.

After a good drive and second shot on the opening par-5, I hooked a 9-iron into the woods left of the green. I collected my first penalty stroke and a double-bogey. The result was the same on hole 2, a par-4. My second shot on this par-4 was short and left. I tried putting one through the fringe, but underestimated how much force was needed. Fortunately, I turned things around quickly, making par on three of the next four holes. I got up and down from left of the green on hole 3. A beautiful 6-iron approach set up the par on hole 5. On hole 6, a 312-yard par-4, I pumped a drive 250 yards down the centre, then pitched on nicely from a side hill lie. Hole 4 could have been a par as well, but I 3-putt this par-3 after hitting the green in regulation.

The remainder of the front nine wasn't as rosy. My twosome got waved through on hole 7, a 170-yard par-3 over water. There's always a tendency to rush when your group is waved through. I failed to carry the water hazard, taking my second penalty stroke of the day. Double-bogey was the result. The group that let us through was watching as we teed off on hole 8, a par-5. I pulled my drive, missing my first fairway of the day. I recovered well enough to be in a greenside bunker after my third, but my sand shot sailed past the green, requiring a chip back. The result was another double. Hole 9 produced a solid bogey for a score of 46 at the turn.

I nearly got up and down for par on hole 10, but a 6-foot putt burned the edge of the hole, resulting in bogey. I got revenge on the next hole, another par-3 over water, by getting up and down for the satisfying par. On hole 11, I once again had a chance for the up and down par. Just like hole 10, a putt of about 6 feet burned the edge and I settled for bogey. I was surprised how much that one snapped to the right. I was in a bit of a groove which got derailed a bit on hole 13, a par-5. My second shot drifted a little right into the rough. That was fine, except that I was on a side hill lie with the ball well below my feet. My shot trickled 50 yards ahead into a bunker. I hit my fourth shot out of the bunker, but finished just behind the green. A downhill chip just missed the hole and I needed a 2-putt to record a double-bogey.

Three consecutive bogeys came next. The fist of these was a par-3 where I hooked the tee shot left of the green. I was flag high and managed to pitch on and 2-putt. The other holes were par-4 challenges that began with solid drives to the fairway. The one on hole 15 was particularly impressive. It's a dogleg right, with a large tree on the inside corner. I placed my drive right of the tree and finished on the short grass, 80 yards from the hole. My approach shots weren't as accurate. The one on hole 15 finished in the back fringe, far from the hole. The one on hole 16 finished a couple yards short of the green. Improving those approach shots just a little will lead to pars instead of bogeys.

I had a little trouble with a greenside bunker on hole 17, leading to double bogey, but the real disaster came on hole 18, a beautiful par-5 with a pond protecting the front left side of the green. After a bad drive that rolled to the tree line, I did well to chip back to the fairway and propel my third shot to the 150-yard stick. I caught the ball fat, landing in the water. After a penalty stroke, I dropped on the fairway, maybe 40 yards from the hole. I caught all dirt and once again went in the water. After the next penalty stroke, I dropped in the rough and this time had no trouble finding the green. Those shots are much easier for me from the rough than from a tight lie. I ended up taking a 10 on the hole. I didn't feel too bad though. I had a pretty good round and that last hole was just an anomaly. It was really a round of about 92 or 93 without that nonsense at the end.

Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 11
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4

Terrible at Blue Springs

I was anxious to play the latest Deepwoods event at Blue Springs, since I had never played the course before. On top of that, I was coming off my worst performance of the year at Dragon's Fire just two days earlier. My anxiety was well founded, as I went on to establish a new season worst. It didn't really hurt me in the Deepwoods standings, as everybody struggled to score well at Blue Springs. Nevertheless, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

I had plenty of decent holes over the course of the round. The problem was that my bad holes were blowups. I collected a pair of triple-bogeys and a trio of quadruple-bogeys. The first of these was a quad on hole 2, a 185-yard par-3. I pulled my tee shot and the terrain kicked the ball further left into a lateral hazard. After a penalty stroke and drop, I pitched one on the green. I made a good lag, then added three more putts from within four feet. The greens at Blue Springs have a lot of slope and many pins were located in tough areas.

The next quad was on hole 7, a 381-yard par-4. I hit a perfect 5-wood off the tee, finishing middle of the fairway, 140 yards from the green. Unfortunately, I had a big side hill lie, with the ball well above my feet. I duffed a 9-iron and it finished inside the margin of a gnarly water hazard. The ball was almost waist high when I took my stance, but I thought I could make decent contact. Nope, as the ball travelled five yards and stayed inside the hazard. I decided to take a penalty and attack the green with my fifth shot. On a super sloped green, I made an excellent lag putt, only to then miss from three feet because there was still quite a bit of break remaining.

The last quad was on hole 14, a 366-yard par-4. After a miss hit off the tee, 5-wood wasn't enough to reach the green. My pitch from 60 yards then rolled off the back of the green. I duffed a chip, then went well past the hole. I already knew I wasn't collecting any useful Deepwoods points, so I quickly 3-putt just to get out of there.

As I mentioned earlier, I had many decent holes. Unfortunately, none of them produced par – they were all bogeys. I made a bad stroke on just about every one of them, but recovered with some nice shots as well. On hole 1, I missed the green from the fairway, 140 yards away. Then again, I splashed out beautifully from the greenside bunker. On hole 3, I smacked a tree with my 5-wood off the tee. Then again, I followed up with two well placed wedge shots to have a putt for par. On hole 5, a 146-yard par-3, I hooked a wedge into a pond left. After a penalty and drop, I made a great up and down.

On hole 6, I 3-putt from about 10 feet. However, I hit a great drive and wedge to set up a good birdie chance. On hole 8, I hit a shaky drive and a long iron that smacked a tree trunk and came backwards, stopping beside the 150-yard stick. Facing danger near the green, I hit a great 8-iron toward the flag tucked in the back left portion. On hole 9, a double dogleg par-5, I couldn't get up and down from pin high just off the green. Then again, I played a nice aggressive drive off the tee to cut the first corner. It worked well, considering I had never played the hole before.

On hole 10, I duffed a 3-iron off the tee. I also hit a brilliant approach from 150 yards over a rock outcropping and pond at the front of the green. On hole 13, with lots of room left, I hit a 5-wood into a water hazard right. After pitching safely out, I hit a solid approach and a massive breaking lag putt to within two feet. On hole 16, I hit a brutal bunker shot into the lip, but got lucky when it rolled forward very near the hole. The hole started with one of my better drives of the day. On the last hole, I needed two shots to get out of a bunker. On the other hand, I had a great drive and decent approach.

So that's the way it went. I had an opportunity to put a stranglehold on the Deepwoods championship. Now I'll have to fight the next round, which is at another course I've never played – Heron Point.

Score: 105
Putts: 41
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4

Only Nine Penalties at Dragon's Fire

I headed over to Dragon's Fire and matched my worst round of the year, which was the first of the season. Though I saved bogey on the first hole, it included a duffed approach with the 8-iron. I duffed a 6-iron off the tee on hole 2, and this time it cost me double-bogey. When I made par on hole 3, it looked like I may have gotten on track. I hit a lovely 7-iron from the right edge of the fairway that skirted some trees up ahead before settling on the green pin high. Unfortunately, I collected penalty strokes on each of the next two holes, finishing with a double and triple-bogey. Driver was the culprit, as I pulled one into the trees and duffed one into the junk just ahead of the teeing ground.

I saved bogey on hole 6 with a great up and down from a greenside bunker. The bad part was the pitch attempt that put me in the bunker to begin with. Nevertheless, the sand save felt good. Perhaps due to that positive momentum, I managed to make par on hole 7, a par-5. It was a textbook play – driver to centre of the fairway, followed by an easy low iron to advance the ball, and a 9-iron to about 15 feet. I gave the birdie putt a good chance, but it didn't drop. That was the end of the positivity, as I finished the front nine with a pair of double-bogeys, thanks again to a couple of penalty strokes. On hole 8 it was another disturbing drive attempt that didn't get airborne and dove into the junk ahead of the green. On hole 9, a par-3 over water, it was a pushed 7-iron that took a splash. My score at the turn was 49.

At this point, I was still hopeful of salvaging a decent round. Then I pulled a drive that barely went 100 yards. I was blocked by some bushes and pushed my second shot across the fairway and into the bushes on the other side. This time, I had to take a penalty stroke. By the time the hole was finished, it was another double-bogey. I was in full collapse mode at this point, unable to hit a safe drive to save my life. I duffed another one off the tee on hole 11 that found trees short and left. After a penalty and drop, I pulled a 5-wood into more trees up ahead. I took my second penalty of the hole en route to a quintuple-bogey. And so it continued, at least for a while longer. I made bogey on hole 12, but collected triple-bogey on hole 13 and quadruple-bogey on hole 15.

At this point, I was not playing for score, so I said to hell with it. I decided to enter “berserk” mode with my driver. This is where I think about nothing and just swing as hard as I can. Whatever happens, happens. Well, can you guess what happened? I finished the round with three consecutive pars, that's all. My drive on hole 16, a par-5, finished in the right centre of the fairway. I advanced the ball with 5-wood and attacked the green with 9-iron. It was too much club and I finished behind the green. No problem, as I bumped a chip toward the elevated green and drained the putt. Hole 17 is a short par-3 over water. I hit a wedge safely on and 2-putt from about 20 feet. Hole 18 is another par-5. My drive finished in the left rough on a downhill lie. I was only 205 yards from the green and wanted to go for it. The lie and stance made it impossible, with my ball dribbling to the 100 yard marker. That's okay, as I followed up with a wedge and 2-putt for the par.

So don't mess around trying to finesse those drives. Just step up and crank one out there with all you've got. I guess that's the lesson, except when it backfires. Oh, what a game.

Score: 102
Putts: 32
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 9

Bogey Run at Doon Valley

I tried Doon Valley for the first time recently and it was pretty decent, so I went back for another crack at it. I ended up shooting two strokes higher than before, but this was a real bogey fest. I tallied 14 bogeys in total, along with two double-bogeys and one triple. I had a single par on the day, which came on hole 1 after a driver, lob wedge combination got me to the green. One of the doubles was on hole 2, a par-3. I missed the green flag high, five yards to the right. At worst, it should have been a chip and two putts, but I duffed the first chip and the second wasn't much better.

The triple-bogey came on hole #3, a short par-4 with a forced carry over water and marsh land. The teeing ground was really soft and I hit my first attempt really fat, dunking it in the water directly ahead. After a penalty stroke, I hit from the drop zone and pushed an iron into the hazard again. After another drop, I put one on the green and 2-putt to finish. Then began the marathon bogey run, as I closed out the front nine with six of them in a row. I hit a great 3-iron on a long par-3 and a nice drive on a long par-4, but par eluded me. I hacked my way to bogey on hole 6, a par-5. The only good shot on that hole was the finishing putt. Driver failed me on hole 7, but worked great on hole 9. Hole 8 featured a lovely 4-iron off the tee.

I was hitting my fair share of good shots, but one small error per hole often led to the bogey result. I started the back nine with another six bogeys in a row. Hole 10 featured a nice splash out from a greenside bunker, which felt good. Hole 11, which is a 150-yard par-3, began with a smothered 8-iron that dribbled 20 yards ahead. Over thinking was the culprit. I did well to bogey that one. Hole 12 began with a perfect 5-iron off the tee. Actually, my longer irons off the tee (3, 4, and 5) were working well. I was playing decent golf, but that single error or just some bad luck got me every hole. On hole 15, a nice drive finished against the lip of a fairway bunker. I had to just splash it out and attack the green with my third shot.

The bogey streak came to an end with a double on hole 16, a par-5. I smothered my drive attempt and it went left just 150 yards. Blocked out by trees, all I could do was hook a pitching wedge to the right edge of the fairway, 230 yards from the green. I tried 3-wood next, but it was a worm burner that stopped 70 yards short. From the soft fairway, I hit my wedge fat, just 20 yards. Yech! My next pitch was fine, but I just missed the bogey putt and needed an extra tap-in. Hole 17 is a 172-yard par-3 that began with a smothered 6-iron that went 100 yards. I made a fabulous pitch and almost saved par, but burned the edge to get back on the bogey train.

Hole 18 is a nice par-5. I resolved that I wasn't going to smother this drive. The smothering happens when I intentionally try to hit a draw. I come more from the inside and turn the face over more than my natural tendency. The final hole at Doon Valley sets up well for a fade, so I just thought about “letting the club head go” at impact. By that, I mean keeping the club face square for a longer time as it contacts the ball. I imagine the club head following the desired path of the ball immediately after impact. This produces a higher finish. Boy what a difference it made. It was my best drive of the day – a high ball flight with that nice little fade. I followed up with a perfectly placed second shot, leaving 85 yards from the centre fairway to the elevated green. Unfortunately, I duffed a wedge 40 yards ahead. My next pitch was fine and I 2-putt for my fourteenth bogey. Oh well.

Score: 93
Putts: 34
Fairways: 6
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2

Woodington Lake Legacy

I usually play the Legend Course at Woodington Lake, but this time I played the Legacy Course. The first four holes were rough, as I went 7 over par, thanks to a bogey and three doubles. Two good shots on the opening par-5 were followed by a wedge shot that was five yards short of the green. A chip and two putts earned the bogey. The double-bogeys all came as a result of dunking balls in the water. A 7-iron approach just failed to carry the water on hole 2. A 5-wood off the tee on hole 3 drifted right into the water on this sharp dogleg. A 3-iron off the tee on hole 4, which is a par-3, bounced off an embankment and plunged into the water hazard.

The good news is that I played the remaining five holes of the front nine just one over par. I made par on hole 5 with a lovely approach from the left rough that found a bowl on the green where the flag was located. Hole 6 produced a straightforward bogey after my second shot on the par-4 finished short and left of the green. A pitch and two putts finished the deed. I started with two terrible shots on hole 7, a sharp dogleg par-5. A couple of good wedge shots and a nice putt saved bogey. Hole 8 is the signature par 3 of the course, requiring a 140-yard carry over water. I hit 9-iron to 18 inches below the hole and drained the putt for birdie! Hole 9 resulted in par, despite a terrible drive. A beautiful 7-iron from the left rough found the green, followed by a 2-putt.

The back nine was much like the front, with good and bad holes, but the contrast wasn't so stark. I made par on hole 10, with a lovely second shot from a bunker that finished flag high on the green. Then I struggled with a pair of back-to-back double-bogeys. A really poor drive on hole 11 went absolutely nowhere. It took two more shots to reach the green on this par-4, but I still wasn't on the putting surface. Hole 12 is another par-3 that's all carry over water. This one was playing 166 yards. I played a 7-iron that was drawing nicely, but was shocked when it touched down in the water one yard short of the embankment. I guess I missed the sweet spot.

I made a boring bogey on hole 13, but followed up with pars on holes 14 and 15. The first of these is a par-5 that began with a hugely sliced drive. I was actually hitting my second from the Legend Course, when I hoisted one over the trees and back to the proper fairway, 107 yards from the green. A lovely wedge shot rolled left of the hole, but I made a good 2-putt to finish up. Hole 15 is a par-3, merely 110 yards. It was playing even shorter with a front pin position and my tee shot actually came up five yards short of the green. No problem, as I chipped on and made a short breaking putt.

I had a disastrous quadruple-bogey on hole 16. It was one of those holes where one error follows another. My tee shot was lost to the right, I duffed an approach from 170 yards, sculled another one from 140, and made a weak putt from the back fringe. Hole 17 wasn't much better, as a poor pitch shot and my only 3-putt of the day produced a double-bogey. Fortunately, I made par on the last hole of the day, a par-5. A good drive was followed by a duffed shot that went 40 yards. Luckily, I was beside the 150-yard stick and was able to find the green with an 8-iron. A beautiful lag putt allowed me to finish with an easy tap-in.

Score: 91
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 6
Penalties: 5

Mixed Results at St. Andrew's Valley

This was only my third ever visit to St. Andrew's Valley, so I wasn't entirely familiar with all of the holes. I hit some good shots early on, but I also hit some bad ones. Hole 1 is a great example. I hit a 5-wood off the tee that was fine, but then pushed a gap wedge 30 yards right of the green. After a great pitch, I thought I saved par, but the putt lipped out for bogey. I hit a fabulous 3-iron, 4-iron combo to start hole 2, only to deposit the subsequent gap wedge shot into a front bunker. It took three shots just to get out of the sand. Fortunately, I chipped in from the rough to save double-bogey. Things got better momentarily, as I made bogey and par on the next two holes.

The remainder of the front nine was also mixed. A conservative approach on hole 5 backfired when I 3-putt for double-bogey. After a popped up tee shot, my shots to reach the green were good ones. On hole 7, I pulled my drive into the fescue left of the fairway. I hit a fabulous 5-wood to reach the green from a long way out, but the ball finished a yard left of the putting surface. A chip and two putts would only earn double-bogey. A bad drive on hole 8 was followed by an excellent punch shot and approach to the green. I managed to save bogey. Hole 9 was the worst. My 5-wood off the tee found a water hazard on the right. After taking a drop, my third shot found the winding creek up ahead. After another drop, I made a lovely gap wedge approach and 2-putt, but that was for double-bogey.

I was four over par for the first six holes of the back nine, but that included triple-bogey on hole 12, a par-4. I duffed my second shot from an uneven lie, then plunked my third into a front bunker. I rammed a shot into the lip and the ball popped out into the rough. A pitch and two putts finished the hole. Aside from that, I had solid bogeys on holes 10 and 13, along with pars on holes 11 and 14. Hole 11 is a par-3 that featured a solid tee shot. Hole 14 is a par-5 that I navigated well with 3-iron off the tee, followed by 5-wood and pitching wedge into the green. I even managed birdie on hole 15, a 142-yard par-3. My tee shot left a mark one foot in front of the cup, with the ball stopping a couple feet behind.

The last three holes were not good, as I finished triple-bogey, bogey, double-bogey. The first of these began with a popped up and pulled drive attempt to a brush covered hillside. It took two shots just to get out of that stuff. I hit decent shots the rest of the hole, but the damage was done. The final hole of the day began with a good drive, but I was unlucky to finish through the fairway on this dogleg left. I thought the lie was good enough to go for the green, but it was way too thick and I barely advanced the ball. I hit a lovely 4-iron for my third. It was headed directly at the flag, but hit the slope in front of a bunker and rolled back in. I hit an uncharacteristically good bunker shot and then 2-putt.

Score: 94
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
Penalties: 3

Eagle is All at Cardinal

It has been eight years since I last played at Cardinal Golf Club and a little longer than that since I played its East Wing Course. They had a special going on, so I booked a round. Unfortunately, it was hot and humid, plus the course was jammed. Early on, I was not hitting the ball well, but I was hanging in there in terms of score. I double-bogeyed the opening par-5, followed by six consecutive bogeys. The last two of these required an up and down from near the greens.

Eventually, I was hoping to scatter some pars in there, but the opposite happened. Hole 8 is a par-5 and the #1 handicap hole on the course. If you don't hit a good drive, you have to lay up a few yards ahead to the top of a brush covered hill, bordered by trees on both sides. My drive was bad enough that it kicked right into a hazard, so I was sitting three after my layup to the hilltop. My next shot found a water hazard short and right of the green. After a penalty and drop, I dunked another one into the drink. Shot number 8 was to the back of the green, followed by a 3-putt to the front pin location. Wow, an eleven! I bogeyed hole 9 for a score of 50 at the turn.

I shot a similar score on the back nine, but actually played worse. I racked up triple-bogeys on holes 10, 14, and 18. I duffed a drive off the tee, pulled another into a water hazard, and was generally all over the place. I topped a couple of shots when hitting out of the rough, which was a complete waste of strokes. I failed to get cleanly out of greenside bunkers and I added a couple of 3-putts.

Mind you, there was one spectacular bright spot. Hole 12 is a 479-yard par-5 along the edge of the property. The hole is straight, but mature trees border both sides. I drove the ball 279 yards to the centre of the fairway. Actually, by the time it stopped, it was one yard into the right rough. The lie was pretty bare, so I could easily get a 3-iron on the ball. This would travel the required 200 yards to the green, while keeping the ball under some overhanging branches. I pulled it off perfectly, leaving a 12-foot putt for eagle, which I drained!

This was only my third eagle ever and my first on a par-5 hole. My first was a hole-out from 135 yards on a par-4, while my second was a hole-in-one on a 150-yard par-3. Par-5 holes should be the easiest to eagle, and I've had my share of eagle putts on them, but this was the first one that dropped. It was a nice highlight in an otherwise forgettable round.

Score: 99
Putts: 36
Fairways: 0
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5

A Couple of Birdies at Hidden Lake

Round 2 of the Deepwoods season took place on the New Course at Hidden Lake. I wasn't hitting all my shots well, but still had the opportunity to go low. If not for some poor putting, I would have done exactly that. I bogeyed the opening par-4 after beginning with two poor shots. I had a putt to save bogey on hole 2, but just missed and took a double. On hole 3, a par-3, I saved bogey after a duffed tee shot. On hole 4, I reached the green in regulation, but 3-putt for a bad bogey.

Things took a turn for the better on holes 5 and 6. A great drive and approach on the former set up a par. A flag-high approach on the latter, a par-3, set up a huge breaking putt that found the bottom of the cup for birdie. Unfortunately, I made double-bogey on hole 7, thanks to another 3-putt. Hole 7 is a par-5, as is hole 8. Though I made bogey on hole 8, it was thanks to yet another 3-putt, albeit from the fringe. I wasted three beautiful shots that preceded that misfortune. I bogeyed hole 9 for a score of 43 at the turn. It would have been 39, if not for the shaky flat stick.

I missed badly on one additional putt for the remainder of the round. It was a par attempt on hole 10, after splashing out beautifully from the greenside bunker. Bunker shots like that are rare for me, so I wasted an opportunity. Three more bogeys followed over the next three holes, before disaster struck on hole 14. I hit a great drive on this par-5, leaving just 205 yards to the green. The green is fronted by water, so I decided the safe thing to do was lay up to the 100-yard marker. I actually left 90 yards to the green for my third shot. Unfortunately, I caught the lob wedge a little fat and hit a rock on the opposite margin of the hazard. The ball bounced back into the water, leading to a penalty stroke and ultimately, a triple-bogey.

The final four holes saved my round as well as a good Deepwoods point total. I made par on hole 15, getting up and down from just behind the green. I hit 4-iron, sand wedge into hole 16, a short par-4. This was followed up with a long downhill putt for birdie! I splashed out of a bunker to save bogey on hole 17, a par-3. Although hole 18 was interrupted by a weather delay, I found the green in regulation on this par-5 and 2-putt for a solid par. The key to the hole was a punched 5-iron on my second shot, which emerged through a gap in the trees and found the fairway 120 yards from the flag.

Score: 86
Putts: 36
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1

Toughest Stretch at King's Forest

I had a good round going at King's Forest, except for the course's toughest stretch. More on that later. The front nine produced three pars, five bogeys, and a double. The first par was on hole 4, a par-5. I hit driver, 4-iron to get on in two. The pin was way at the back of the deep green and I made a decent lag, but missed the 4-foot birdie. The second par was on hole 6, another par-5. I messed up my second shot, but hit a marvellous 3-wood to reach the green in regulation. The final par was achieved in textbook fashion on hole 9, a par-4.

Some of the bogeys on the front nine featured very good recoveries. After pulling an approach shot on hole 2, my next shot was a pitch that I had to keep under some branches, while carrying a bunker and stopping the ball on the elevated green. On hole 3, a poor tee shot was followed by a punch out layup and a pretty 100-yard shot near the flag. On hole 5, a long par 3, my duff off the tee was followed by a mediocre shot to the left rough. No worries, as I finished with a good up and down. The only hole I couldn't recover on was number 7. I pulled a 9-iron off the tee on this par-3 into a hazard left, resulting in a penalty stroke and ultimately, a double-bogey.

The toughest stretch at King's Forest is comprised of holes 10 through 13. Number 10 is a difficult one to par, but  bogey is quite achievable, and that's what I scored. The really though stretch is from hole 11 through 13. I've played some of these holes well during previous visits, but I've never been able to escape the entire stretch unscathed. On hole 11, I opted for driver off the elevated tee and pulled it left into some trees. I had an opening to punch a low one toward the green from 150 yards away and gave it a go. I was protecting from pulling the ball into bushes on the left side and flared one out to the right as a result. It dove into a water hazard, leading to double-bogey. The result on hole 12 was the same. I pushed a 3-iron off the tee into the trees on the right and there was no recovery.

Worst of all was hole 13, where I exploded for a score of 9 on this par-4. The teeing ground is wedged against trees and bushes on the left, forcing you to play out to the right. I went too far right with the 5-wood, into some waist high fescue and weeds. After taking a drop, I tried to blast another 5-wood near the green, but duffed it completely, my ball stopping 20 yards in front of a large creek. It was an unintentional layup. Next, I sculled an 8-iron into the creek. After another drop, I pulled my shot left of the green. I finished with a pitch and 2-putt.

I averaged bogey for the remainder of the round. Good pars on holes 15 and 17 were spoiled a bit by double-bogeys on holes 16 and 18. The former is a par-4 that was playing about 300 yards and I tried to blast the driver as close as possible. I buried it in the fescue and had to declare the ball unplayable. A beautiful wedge over some trees found the green, but then came a 3-putt. After two perfect shots to start hole 18, a par-5, I shanked a wedge shot from 100 yards into the lateral hazard on the right. It was just one of those weird things.

Score: 94
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 6
Penalties: 7

Jekyll and Hyde Round at Glen Eagle

I headed out to Glen Eagle later than planned and traffic didn't cooperate. Despite rushing to the course, I got there a few minutes late. The starter sent me out with a threesome on the Red nine. They were nice guys, just there to have some fun. Unfortunately, I sometimes score poorly when playing with people who joke around a lot. I did well enough to reach the first green in three shots, but a terrible 3-putt resulted in double-bogey. Needless to say, I didn't do any practice putting before the round. I played the next two holes fairly well, recording a pair of solid bogeys.

For the remainder of the Red nine, I played terribly. A lot of my trouble came off the tee. On hole 4, a par-5, I smothered one off the heel of the driver. A great follow-up with the 5-wood was ruined when I proceeded to pull a 5-iron into the trees left. On hole 5, a par-3, a miss hit was 40 yards short of the green. My pitch then went long, requiring an additional chip to get on the putting surface. On hole 6, my drive ended behind a tree located in the middle of the fairway. A pitch near the green also went long. All of these holes produced double-bogey. It got worse, with triple-bogeys on holes 7 and 9. The former featured a sculled ball out of a bunker, while the latter featured a pair of penalty strokes. Mercifully I made par on hole 8. My score on the Red nine was 52.

My companions headed for the Yellow nine, while I decided to play the Blue nine. Playing as a solo, I made a respectable bogey on hole 1. Beginning on hole 2, I joined up with a man and woman, whom I played with for the remainder of the round. Despite a poor drive on hole 2, I recovered for a par on this par-5. I also made par on hole 3, a long par-3. It soon got even better, with back-to-back birdies on holes 4 and 5. The former featured a punch out from the trees that found the green, followed by a successful 60-foot putt. The latter featured a drive and 5-wood that got me just left of the green in two shots on this par-5. My eagle chip almost went in, but birdie was still nice.

I made bogey on hole 6, before finishing par, par, and par. On hole 7, a par-5, my birdie putt from just in front of the green very nearly dropped. On hole 8, a long par-3, I chipped from under some trees left of the green and left a comfortable par putt to finish. On hole 9, I drove my ball well right, finishing near Yellow 1 fairway. I then hit a towering gap wedge over a wall of tall trees right of the green. The ball landed softly, allowing me to lag one close and then tap in. It was a marvelous recovery shot. My score on the Blue nine was an even par 36! That is my best score ever for nine holes. I believe my previous best was 38.

Score: 88
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2