It's been five months since the 2019 golf season ended. Normally at this time of year, I'd be keeping a close watch on the weather forecast, in hopes of starting the new season early. Instead, I'm wondering if we'll have golf even months from now, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic that is currently gripping the globe. Whenever golf resumes, it will be a welcome event. In the meantime, let's look back at the 2019 season.
I played 38 rounds of golf in 2019, beginning May 6 and ending October 29. That's just half a round less than the previous year, despite starting two weeks later and finishing on virtually the same date. In the handful of years prior to 2018, I managed 40-45 rounds per season, but was able to play a couple rounds either at the tail end of April or start of November. Ideally, I'd like to play at least 40 rounds every year.
Where I Played Most
The 38 rounds were played on 32 different golf courses, at 28 different clubs. TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley hosted the greatest number of rounds, with three of them on the Heathlands course, and two on Hoot. Two of the Heathlands rounds were played simultaneously. I was alone that day, and the course was almost empty, which allowed me to play two balls on every hole. It was the first time I had ever tried that. Although interesting, I feel like it takes away from the rhythm of the game.
The Club at Bond Head was the site of three rounds, with a couple of them on the South course, and one on the North. My score on North (103) was my second worst of the season, while my score on South (100) just a week and a half later was tied for my fourth worst. No doubt about it, Bond Head can hurt you when conditions are just right. Other courses that I played twice in 2019 were King's Forest and Tangle Creek. A poor score of 100 at King's Forest was followed up with a much better 90. Similarly, a mediocre score of 94 at Tangle Creek was followed up with a solid 88.
A Couple New Courses
I only played two new courses in 2019. The first of these was Deerfield Golf Club, finally! If it's a public course with 18 holes, measuring at least 6,000 yards, and anywhere near Toronto, I've probably played it. For many years, one of the few exceptions to this rule has been Deerfield. When I started golfing, I used to pay Richview, which was just up the road. It closed many years ago. I played Saw-Whet, which was literally next door to Deerfield, even more. It also closed a couple years back. So, with the competition thinning out, I finally made it to Deerfield. The result was a score of 84, which tied with two other rounds for my best score of the year. Those other rounds were at Doon Valley and Hornby Glen. I guess course knowledge is overrated!
The other new course for me was Caledon Woods Golf Club. This private course, part of the ClubLink family, hosted Round 4 of the Deepwoods championship. I shot 90 that day, which wasn't too shabby, and moved into first place in the Deepwoods standings. More on that later. There were a couple of short holes at Caledon Woods, which force you to decide whether to drive one deep and take advantage, or play the percentages by laying back. Except for maybe one hole, I opted for the conservative approach, and I think it was a smart choice. Come to think of it, the same could be said for Deerfield. It also features a few short holes that tempt you into getting greedy. I never took the bait and that was one of the main reasons for my good score.
Checking the Statistics
Moving on to some numerical data, let's begin with handicap factor. I started the season at 18.0 and got as high as 18.5 after ten rounds. By round 27, I dropped all the way down to 13.9, which is a personal best. My previous best was 15.4, which I achieved in 2017. By the end of the 2019 season, my handicap factor was at the 15.4 level once again. That's not bad, I'm pretty happy with that. Sure, I'd love to be a 12, and eventually a 9, but the path to becoming a single digit handicap is not an easy one.
My average score in 2019 was 92.5, which was down from 93.6 and 95.5 over the previous two seasons. I would like that number to be 90 or better, and I'm getting pretty close. Perhaps more indicative, my median score was 91. That means half of my rounds were below 91, and half were above. To be more specific, I had 17 rounds below 91, 3 rounds at 91 even, and 17 rounds above. For purposes of this analysis, I've excluded the two 9-hole rounds that I played during the year.
The average score, or mean, was slightly above the median thanks to six scores that ballooned to 100 or greater. When a round goes poorly, it's easy to let the score creep up, rather than grind for a 98. Four of those 100+ scores came over the first ten rounds of the season, when I was rusty from a prolonged off-season. Another one came at the last round of the season, when extremely mucky conditions made it unrealistic to play. Even so, there's really no reason for me to ever reach 100.
Interestingly, my best stretch of the season was a 10-round streak beginning with round 11. I actually broke 90 in nine of those rounds! The list of successive scores was impressive – 89, 86, 84, 89, 89, 88, 91, 89, 84, 89. I didn't include it, but I also had a 9-hole round in the middle of that stretch where I shot 41. The first and the penultimate 89 on that list came in Deepwoods events at Peninsula Lakes and Blue Springs. Deerfield and Hornby Glen, meanwhile, produced the rounds of 84. As discussed earlier, 84 was my best score of the season. While not a personal best, my three scores of 84 were just good enough to squeeze into my Top 10 scores of all time. I've only gone lower than 84 on seven occasions.
Some Nitty Gritty Numbers
Breaking down my 2019 stats a bit further, I hit 5.5 fairways per round, compared with 5.3, 5.5, and 5.5 in each of the three previous years. Disappointingly, there has been no improvement. Meanwhile, I hit 4.8 greens in regulation, compared with 3.8, 3.7, and 3.9 in each of the three previous years. That's a little better, as it shows movement in the right direction. However, I've been saying for a long time that I'd like to hit at least 7 fairways and 6 greens in regulation every round. It remains an elusive target.
I averaged 34.9 putts per round in 2019, compared with 34.3, 35.4, and 34.6 in each of the previous years. What can I say? I've never considered myself a bad putter; rather, I need to pitch and chip the ball much closer in order to improve my putting numbers. Finally, I averaged 2.8 penalty strokes per round in 2019, compared with 3.1, 3.4, and 3.3 in each of the previous three years. That's somewhat better, but there's still a lot of room for improvement. Nothing inflates scores like penalty strokes.
Deepwoods Champion ... Again!
As I usually do, I'll end with a few words about the Deepwoods Golf Association. After numerous close calls in previous years, I finally captured my second championship! I stayed within striking distance of the leaders through the first two rounds, with point totals of 32 and 36, respectively. Then, I made a strong move relative to the field in the third round, which took place at Blue Springs. I tallied 37 points there, while everybody else failed to reach 30. That left me tied for second place in the standings. Round 4 at Caledon Woods produced 34 points, but the other contenders faltered, leaving me in first place, alone. The final round at The Country Club changed nothing, as it was a veritable disaster for everyone. Hey, I'll take it. That second championship was a long time coming.
April 03, 2020
November 02, 2019
Asterisk for Willodell Round
I got out for a round on what might have been the last good weather day of the year. There was no rain or wind, and the temperature reached 17 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, course conditions were terrible. The ground at Willodell Golf Club was saturated with water, making it difficult to walk around. The fairways were manageable, but the rough was full of puddles and your feet sank into the ground with every step. Worse yet, the course was covered in fallen leaves. If you hit a ball into the rough, chances are it was either plugged of hidden by leaves.
Under those conditions, it was not possible to play a real round, with accurate scoring. If I did, I would have to add about a dozen penalty strokes for balls lost in open areas. Trudging through the muck looking for balls in a pile of leaves is not my idea of fun. I spent a minute or two searching whenever I was in that position, and then just dropped another ball in the general area where I thought my ball should be. Since I knew this was not going to be a legit score, I started hitting some shots that I normally wouldn't, just for fun.
Fourteen of the holes played out more or less like they would under normal conditions. I was 15 over par for those holes, including a par and two double-bogeys. Everything else in that stretch was a bogey. I hit a couple of fairways early, and followed one of those up with a lovely 3-wood on a par-5, that left me just 50 yards from the flag. The 3-wood has all but disappeared from my game in recent years. On the few occasions when I need less than driver and more than an iron, I opt for the 5-wood. In par-5 situations, I usually hit a controlled iron for my second shot, setting up a wedge approach with my third.
Speaking of irons, they let me down a few times. After some good drives, I topped a couple of irons, thereby wasting some opportunities. Other times, I made good contact with the irons, but lacked a bit of direction. I hit what looked like a beautiful 8-iron on hole 3, a par-3, only to watch the ball bounce and roll backward into a front right bunker. Come to think of it, the same thing happened on hole 12, another par-3, with a good looking 9-iron. Both of these holes were blowups, as I was unable to get out of the bunkers safely. I have enough trouble with good sand on a dry day. Hitting out of the muddy sand was impossible for me.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention some good iron shots as well. Keeping on the par-3 theme, I hit a gorgeous 7-iron into the wind on hole 16. The flag was in the back right portion of the green. I aimed left of the flag, finishing precisely on my chosen line, but just behind the green. I then chipped and 2-putt for bogey. On hole 17, a par-4, I popped up a drive that sliced well right of the fairway. I was 160 yards from the putting surface, but completely blocked out by a creek and a strand of very tall trees lining its bank near the elevated green. For fun, I decided to go for it. I hit an absolute towering 7-iron. It had to be high to get over the trees. The ball dropped safely on the green, finishing behind and to the right of the cup by about 15 feet. It was a brilliant shot. I 3-putt the hole for bogey, but whatever. Between the moisture and varying amounts of top dressing, the green speeds were very inconsistent.
I already mentioned a couple of blowup holes – the par-3 designs where I got into the muddy bunkers. The other two came on par-4 designs and both produced triple-bogeys. In both cases, I was frustrated by drives into the rough that should have been found, but were either plugged or under the leaves. I tried recovery shots that I normally wouldn't, as on hole 17, but on these occasions I just didn't pull them off. For example, one was a low punch through a series of tree trunks in the direction of the green. Normally, I would just play a safer shot back to the fairway and then take my chances from there. Another contributor to the blowup holes were lob wedge shots from the rough that came up short because the lies were so muddy.
This score is just an approximation. It won't count toward my handicap index.
Score: 101
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
Under those conditions, it was not possible to play a real round, with accurate scoring. If I did, I would have to add about a dozen penalty strokes for balls lost in open areas. Trudging through the muck looking for balls in a pile of leaves is not my idea of fun. I spent a minute or two searching whenever I was in that position, and then just dropped another ball in the general area where I thought my ball should be. Since I knew this was not going to be a legit score, I started hitting some shots that I normally wouldn't, just for fun.
Fourteen of the holes played out more or less like they would under normal conditions. I was 15 over par for those holes, including a par and two double-bogeys. Everything else in that stretch was a bogey. I hit a couple of fairways early, and followed one of those up with a lovely 3-wood on a par-5, that left me just 50 yards from the flag. The 3-wood has all but disappeared from my game in recent years. On the few occasions when I need less than driver and more than an iron, I opt for the 5-wood. In par-5 situations, I usually hit a controlled iron for my second shot, setting up a wedge approach with my third.
Speaking of irons, they let me down a few times. After some good drives, I topped a couple of irons, thereby wasting some opportunities. Other times, I made good contact with the irons, but lacked a bit of direction. I hit what looked like a beautiful 8-iron on hole 3, a par-3, only to watch the ball bounce and roll backward into a front right bunker. Come to think of it, the same thing happened on hole 12, another par-3, with a good looking 9-iron. Both of these holes were blowups, as I was unable to get out of the bunkers safely. I have enough trouble with good sand on a dry day. Hitting out of the muddy sand was impossible for me.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention some good iron shots as well. Keeping on the par-3 theme, I hit a gorgeous 7-iron into the wind on hole 16. The flag was in the back right portion of the green. I aimed left of the flag, finishing precisely on my chosen line, but just behind the green. I then chipped and 2-putt for bogey. On hole 17, a par-4, I popped up a drive that sliced well right of the fairway. I was 160 yards from the putting surface, but completely blocked out by a creek and a strand of very tall trees lining its bank near the elevated green. For fun, I decided to go for it. I hit an absolute towering 7-iron. It had to be high to get over the trees. The ball dropped safely on the green, finishing behind and to the right of the cup by about 15 feet. It was a brilliant shot. I 3-putt the hole for bogey, but whatever. Between the moisture and varying amounts of top dressing, the green speeds were very inconsistent.
I already mentioned a couple of blowup holes – the par-3 designs where I got into the muddy bunkers. The other two came on par-4 designs and both produced triple-bogeys. In both cases, I was frustrated by drives into the rough that should have been found, but were either plugged or under the leaves. I tried recovery shots that I normally wouldn't, as on hole 17, but on these occasions I just didn't pull them off. For example, one was a low punch through a series of tree trunks in the direction of the green. Normally, I would just play a safer shot back to the fairway and then take my chances from there. Another contributor to the blowup holes were lob wedge shots from the rough that came up short because the lies were so muddy.
This score is just an approximation. It won't count toward my handicap index.
Score: 101
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
October 27, 2019
Windy Round at BraeBen
It was a windy day for golf, no matter where you were in the Greater Toronto Area. I was at BraeBen, which is completely exposed to the wind, owing to its elevated position overlooking the homes and businesses of Mississauga. I expected the conditions to be challenging and was ready.
The first four holes were very good. Driver, 5-wood carried me just short and right of the green on the opening par-5. I pitched on and 2-putt for the par. It was no easy feat either, as the wind blew my ball to the fringe after my pitch shot hit the green. I hit the green in regulation on hole 2, a par-3, but my lengthy lag was a bit short. I just missed an 8-footer for par, settling for a 3-putt bogey.
Hole 3 is a par-4 that was playing straight into the wind. I hit a great drive that just trickled into the right rough. My approach was short, forcing a pitch and two putts to complete the bogey. Hole 4 is a par-3 that was also into the teeth of the wind. I judged it well this time, finishing about 12 feet past the hole. The wind was so strong that I had to factor it into my birdie putt. Sadly, I missed, but par was acceptable.
Hole 5, a par-4, was a disaster. With the wind now coming across from the left, I hit a shot that I never hit. It was a very high pull hook with the driver. When I pull my drives, they're low. This must be related to the recent driver adjustments I made, because this never, ever happened before. Hitting my third from the tee, I hit almost the same shot, but a little less severe, and I saw where the ball came to rest in the cut down fescue. I duffed my fourth shot because of a very poor lie. With a slightly better lie, I managed to hit my fifth to just in front of the green. From there, I pitched on and 2-putt for a quadruple-bogey.
I regrouped quickly, making par on hole 6, a par-5. Much like on hole 1, this time the driver, 4-iron combination got me to just in front of the green. I pitched toward the back hole location, setting up a decent birdie try. It missed, but tap-in par is always good.
Holes 7 and 8 gave me some trouble, resulting in a pair of double-bogeys. Hole 7 is a par 3 from a ridiculously elevated tee, to a green fronted by a pond, with woods in behind. Choosing the correct club is difficult on a good day, and near impossible on this day, when the wind was howling straight into our faces. I think I made a good choice of club, but I hooked it well left of the green, leading to a penalty stroke. On hole 8, a par-5, the problem was my third shot – a lob wedge that found a front right bunker. I emerged from the bunker with one shot, but was still not on the green. It was only with my fifth shot that I found the putting surface.
The middle of the round was marked by two moments of brilliance. On hole 9, I hit my drive over the bunker marking the inside of this dogleg par-4. The ball crossed the fairway, settling in the right rough, 90 yards from the green. My lob approach was straight, but short, finishing 30 feet from the hole. I lined up the putt and hit it firmly. As I walked behind the ball, I watched it bend slightly right and drop in the centre of the hole for birdie!
Hole 10 is a medium length par-3 with a contoured green and a deep front bunker. As I shifted my weight on the tee shot, I felt something with my left foot, causing me to completely duff the shot. It was a tee that someone had left in the ground. I hate that! I was now 75 yards away from the green on a ridiculous down slope. I aligned myself with the slope and hit my most lofted club. The ball took its first bounce on the green, then released and tracked right into the hole for birdie! Wow!
I was 8 over par through ten holes, and 4 over through nine, if you don't count the quadruple-bogey on hole 5. I was feeling good about my game, especially given the windy conditions. For the rest of the round, I only made two mistakes that I would consider costly. One of these involved the wind and it was on hole 12, a par-4. My drive was fine, finishing just a yard into the left rough. I was 125 yards away from the flag, so I opted for gap wedge. I felt like the wind was coming straight across from the right, so I aimed accordingly. Not surprisingly, my ball went left in the air. The surprising part was how far it went. I couldn't believe how badly I overshot the green, ending up in some bad weeds. It took a few shots to get on the green from there, and I collected a double-bogey.
Aside from that, I managed the rest of the round very well. A great up and down saved bogey on hole 11. It's already a long par-4 and it was playing directly into the wind. I hit another sky hook with the driver on hole 14 that ended up near the hole 12 teeing ground. The shot was so bad that it sailed straight across all the danger of the weed covered dunes. I managed to hit a 5-iron to just in front of the green, then chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. On hole 15, a par-4, I cut the corner of the dogleg with my drive, finishing in a perfect spot just 90 yards from the green. The wind blew my ball off the green after I hit it, requiring a chip and two putts for another bogey.
Holes 16 and 17 both resulted in par and were well played. The former is a par-5 that began with a driver to the right centre of the fairway, and an easy 4-iron that was placed perfectly at the final dogleg, just 75 yards from the green. I hit a marvellous lob wedge into the wind that finished four feet left of the hole. Alas, I missed the almost certain birdie putt, settling for par. Hole 17 is a short par-4. I hit driver to get as close as possible to the green, and I finished in the left rough, 50 yards from the flag. A decent pitch was followed by a good run at birdie and a tap-in par.
Hole 18, a par-5, was shaping up really nicely, but my third shot from 70 yards came up short in a bunker. My sand shot crossed over the entire green, requiring a pitch back in the opposite direction. I hit the flag stick, but still needed two putts for a double-bogey. An overall score of 88 ain't bad, given the wind. It's another score in the eighties, so I'll take it.
Score: 88
Putts: 32
Fairways: 4
Greens: 7
Penalties: 2
The first four holes were very good. Driver, 5-wood carried me just short and right of the green on the opening par-5. I pitched on and 2-putt for the par. It was no easy feat either, as the wind blew my ball to the fringe after my pitch shot hit the green. I hit the green in regulation on hole 2, a par-3, but my lengthy lag was a bit short. I just missed an 8-footer for par, settling for a 3-putt bogey.
Hole 3 is a par-4 that was playing straight into the wind. I hit a great drive that just trickled into the right rough. My approach was short, forcing a pitch and two putts to complete the bogey. Hole 4 is a par-3 that was also into the teeth of the wind. I judged it well this time, finishing about 12 feet past the hole. The wind was so strong that I had to factor it into my birdie putt. Sadly, I missed, but par was acceptable.
Hole 5, a par-4, was a disaster. With the wind now coming across from the left, I hit a shot that I never hit. It was a very high pull hook with the driver. When I pull my drives, they're low. This must be related to the recent driver adjustments I made, because this never, ever happened before. Hitting my third from the tee, I hit almost the same shot, but a little less severe, and I saw where the ball came to rest in the cut down fescue. I duffed my fourth shot because of a very poor lie. With a slightly better lie, I managed to hit my fifth to just in front of the green. From there, I pitched on and 2-putt for a quadruple-bogey.
I regrouped quickly, making par on hole 6, a par-5. Much like on hole 1, this time the driver, 4-iron combination got me to just in front of the green. I pitched toward the back hole location, setting up a decent birdie try. It missed, but tap-in par is always good.
Holes 7 and 8 gave me some trouble, resulting in a pair of double-bogeys. Hole 7 is a par 3 from a ridiculously elevated tee, to a green fronted by a pond, with woods in behind. Choosing the correct club is difficult on a good day, and near impossible on this day, when the wind was howling straight into our faces. I think I made a good choice of club, but I hooked it well left of the green, leading to a penalty stroke. On hole 8, a par-5, the problem was my third shot – a lob wedge that found a front right bunker. I emerged from the bunker with one shot, but was still not on the green. It was only with my fifth shot that I found the putting surface.
The middle of the round was marked by two moments of brilliance. On hole 9, I hit my drive over the bunker marking the inside of this dogleg par-4. The ball crossed the fairway, settling in the right rough, 90 yards from the green. My lob approach was straight, but short, finishing 30 feet from the hole. I lined up the putt and hit it firmly. As I walked behind the ball, I watched it bend slightly right and drop in the centre of the hole for birdie!
Hole 10 is a medium length par-3 with a contoured green and a deep front bunker. As I shifted my weight on the tee shot, I felt something with my left foot, causing me to completely duff the shot. It was a tee that someone had left in the ground. I hate that! I was now 75 yards away from the green on a ridiculous down slope. I aligned myself with the slope and hit my most lofted club. The ball took its first bounce on the green, then released and tracked right into the hole for birdie! Wow!
I was 8 over par through ten holes, and 4 over through nine, if you don't count the quadruple-bogey on hole 5. I was feeling good about my game, especially given the windy conditions. For the rest of the round, I only made two mistakes that I would consider costly. One of these involved the wind and it was on hole 12, a par-4. My drive was fine, finishing just a yard into the left rough. I was 125 yards away from the flag, so I opted for gap wedge. I felt like the wind was coming straight across from the right, so I aimed accordingly. Not surprisingly, my ball went left in the air. The surprising part was how far it went. I couldn't believe how badly I overshot the green, ending up in some bad weeds. It took a few shots to get on the green from there, and I collected a double-bogey.
Aside from that, I managed the rest of the round very well. A great up and down saved bogey on hole 11. It's already a long par-4 and it was playing directly into the wind. I hit another sky hook with the driver on hole 14 that ended up near the hole 12 teeing ground. The shot was so bad that it sailed straight across all the danger of the weed covered dunes. I managed to hit a 5-iron to just in front of the green, then chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. On hole 15, a par-4, I cut the corner of the dogleg with my drive, finishing in a perfect spot just 90 yards from the green. The wind blew my ball off the green after I hit it, requiring a chip and two putts for another bogey.
Holes 16 and 17 both resulted in par and were well played. The former is a par-5 that began with a driver to the right centre of the fairway, and an easy 4-iron that was placed perfectly at the final dogleg, just 75 yards from the green. I hit a marvellous lob wedge into the wind that finished four feet left of the hole. Alas, I missed the almost certain birdie putt, settling for par. Hole 17 is a short par-4. I hit driver to get as close as possible to the green, and I finished in the left rough, 50 yards from the flag. A decent pitch was followed by a good run at birdie and a tap-in par.
Hole 18, a par-5, was shaping up really nicely, but my third shot from 70 yards came up short in a bunker. My sand shot crossed over the entire green, requiring a pitch back in the opposite direction. I hit the flag stick, but still needed two putts for a double-bogey. An overall score of 88 ain't bad, given the wind. It's another score in the eighties, so I'll take it.
Score: 88
Putts: 32
Fairways: 4
Greens: 7
Penalties: 2
October 24, 2019
Resurgence at Rebel Creek
It was a beautiful Sunday in October and I wanted to make full use of the pleasant weather. I couldn't get a tee time anywhere, so I headed out to the driving range, primarily to work on my driver. I've played relatively well this year, but I feel like it has been despite the driver. I haven't been hitting it long, and at times, I've struggled to get the ball airborne. I took my old driver along for comparison.
A few hits with the old driver confirmed what I was feeling. I was hitting deep, high fades, and it was effortless. I used that club for many years, so it was a pretty good fit for my swing. By comparison, the new driver was forcing me to alter my swing too much. I added one degree of loft to it and went from a neutral setting to a draw. Immediately, I was hitting drives that looked a lot like those of the old driver. With the driver figured out, I spent a little time hitting irons and the rest of my time working on putting.
The next day, I had a tee time at Rebel Creek Golf Club, near Kitchener. It was only my second ever visit to the course, since it's pretty far from home. I striped my opening drive down the fairway, en route to a first hole par. I went on to hit 11 of 14 fairways, all but two of which were with the driver. That's almost double the number of fairways that I normally hit. The driver was working well, as was the 3-iron, which I used on two occasions.
On the front nine, the driver put me in trouble just once. Hole 6 is a 352-yard par-4. I pulled my drive into some spruce trees short and left. My ball finished under a spruce, forcing me to take an unplayable. After taking a drop, I hit a beautiful 5-wood from the rough that very nearly made the green 200 yards away. A ridge on the right side is the only thing that prevented the ball from settling on the green. I pitched on and 2-putt for double-bogey. I had two more doubles on the front nine, but irons were the culprits on those occasions.
Besides the first hole, I also made par on holes 4, 5, and 9. The first two are par-4 holes that began by finding the fairway. On hole 4, I then found the green with my approach shot, followed by a 2-putt. On hole 5, I missed the green to the right with my approach, but was flag high. After a perfect chip shot, I tapped in a short putt. Hole 9 is a 464-yard par-5, but severely uphill, which makes it play a lot longer. After a perfect drive and 4-iron, I was just below the ridge at the front of the green. I chipped toward the back pin location, but still needed two putts to hole out. My score at the turn was 44.
The back nine was a brilliant stretch of golf that included a birdie, two pars, and six bogeys. I love putting together stretches of golf where no hole is worse than bogey. Being able to avoid double-bogeys, or worse, is crucial to scoring well. Throwing a birdie in there also helps. My score on the back nine was 41, giving me a final score of 85 for the day. That's not quite my best of the year – I shot 84 on three separate occasions – but I'll take it, especially late in the year.
The birdie came on hole 12, a 352-yard par-4. I hit a nice drive to the left edge of the fairway, taking the first bounce on a slope that propelled the ball forward and to the centre of the short grass. Total yardage was about 300, as I then faced a 55-yard pitch to reach the flag on the opposite side of a creek. My approach was precise, finishing six feet below the hole. I was able to putt aggressively and drained it. Three perfect shots in a row!
On a couple of occasions, my approach shots missed the green, even though I was attacking from the middle of the fairway after perfect drives. One of these misses was with the gap wedge and another was with the pitching wedge. Both times, a decent chip was followed up by two putts for a bogey. I need to either hone those approach shots or get up and down from beside the green more often. I think fixing the approach shots might be the easier option, considering that these are wedge shots I'm talking about.
Two holes demonstrate that I'm at least capable of both these things. On hole 16, a 147-yard par-3, I hit a laser 8-iron into the wind. The ball did not deviate an inch from its line – it was pretty to watch. It finished 10 feet below the hole, setting up a good birdie chance. I missed and tapped in for par. On hole 17, a 350-yard par-4, my approach with the gap wedge found a front left bunker. I am terrible at bunker shots, but I managed to get on the green this time. Facing a 15-foot putt with a little bit of break, I lined it up and drained it for a terrific up and down.
Score: 85
Putts: 32
Fairways: 3
Greens: 11
Penalties: 4
A few hits with the old driver confirmed what I was feeling. I was hitting deep, high fades, and it was effortless. I used that club for many years, so it was a pretty good fit for my swing. By comparison, the new driver was forcing me to alter my swing too much. I added one degree of loft to it and went from a neutral setting to a draw. Immediately, I was hitting drives that looked a lot like those of the old driver. With the driver figured out, I spent a little time hitting irons and the rest of my time working on putting.
The next day, I had a tee time at Rebel Creek Golf Club, near Kitchener. It was only my second ever visit to the course, since it's pretty far from home. I striped my opening drive down the fairway, en route to a first hole par. I went on to hit 11 of 14 fairways, all but two of which were with the driver. That's almost double the number of fairways that I normally hit. The driver was working well, as was the 3-iron, which I used on two occasions.
On the front nine, the driver put me in trouble just once. Hole 6 is a 352-yard par-4. I pulled my drive into some spruce trees short and left. My ball finished under a spruce, forcing me to take an unplayable. After taking a drop, I hit a beautiful 5-wood from the rough that very nearly made the green 200 yards away. A ridge on the right side is the only thing that prevented the ball from settling on the green. I pitched on and 2-putt for double-bogey. I had two more doubles on the front nine, but irons were the culprits on those occasions.
Besides the first hole, I also made par on holes 4, 5, and 9. The first two are par-4 holes that began by finding the fairway. On hole 4, I then found the green with my approach shot, followed by a 2-putt. On hole 5, I missed the green to the right with my approach, but was flag high. After a perfect chip shot, I tapped in a short putt. Hole 9 is a 464-yard par-5, but severely uphill, which makes it play a lot longer. After a perfect drive and 4-iron, I was just below the ridge at the front of the green. I chipped toward the back pin location, but still needed two putts to hole out. My score at the turn was 44.
The back nine was a brilliant stretch of golf that included a birdie, two pars, and six bogeys. I love putting together stretches of golf where no hole is worse than bogey. Being able to avoid double-bogeys, or worse, is crucial to scoring well. Throwing a birdie in there also helps. My score on the back nine was 41, giving me a final score of 85 for the day. That's not quite my best of the year – I shot 84 on three separate occasions – but I'll take it, especially late in the year.
The birdie came on hole 12, a 352-yard par-4. I hit a nice drive to the left edge of the fairway, taking the first bounce on a slope that propelled the ball forward and to the centre of the short grass. Total yardage was about 300, as I then faced a 55-yard pitch to reach the flag on the opposite side of a creek. My approach was precise, finishing six feet below the hole. I was able to putt aggressively and drained it. Three perfect shots in a row!
On a couple of occasions, my approach shots missed the green, even though I was attacking from the middle of the fairway after perfect drives. One of these misses was with the gap wedge and another was with the pitching wedge. Both times, a decent chip was followed up by two putts for a bogey. I need to either hone those approach shots or get up and down from beside the green more often. I think fixing the approach shots might be the easier option, considering that these are wedge shots I'm talking about.
Two holes demonstrate that I'm at least capable of both these things. On hole 16, a 147-yard par-3, I hit a laser 8-iron into the wind. The ball did not deviate an inch from its line – it was pretty to watch. It finished 10 feet below the hole, setting up a good birdie chance. I missed and tapped in for par. On hole 17, a 350-yard par-4, my approach with the gap wedge found a front left bunker. I am terrible at bunker shots, but I managed to get on the green this time. Facing a 15-foot putt with a little bit of break, I lined it up and drained it for a terrific up and down.
Score: 85
Putts: 32
Fairways: 3
Greens: 11
Penalties: 4
October 23, 2019
Fresh Nine at Mill Run
Playing with the wrong personality type can have a negative effect on my golf scores. I recall a round last year at Glen Eagle where I got paired up with three guys who were just out to have a good time – bring on the beer, music, and a lot of horsing around. I played nine holes with them and shot 52. We parted ways and I joined up with a husband and wife team for my back nine. They were friendly, but also focused on their game. It was a much better fit for me and I shot a blistering 36.
Coincidence? I think not. My last round at Mill Run also began with a boisterous personality playing alongside me. As the round progressed, I began to tire of his incessant chatter. I played some good holes, but also a lot of bad ones, and ended up shooting a miserable 105. It was my worst score of the year. Luckily, I had time for nine more holes, and he didn't. I headed out to the Grind nine as a solo. Not surprisingly, I was back to my usual self, shooting 45 on the strength of one par, seven bogeys, and just one double-bogey.
The par was on hole 5, a short par-4. I hit 3-iron to the left rough, followed by a lob wedge to a bowl in the green where the pin was located. My uphill birdie putt from 8 feet was hit to the centre of the cup, but stopped right on the lip. This followed a couple of beautiful shots on hole 4, a 161-yard par-3 over a deep valley. Accounting for wind, I opted for 6-iron and hit a perfect shot that carried three yards onto the green and released forward. I was disappointed that the ball rolled off the back edge of the green into the rough. I could not hit a better tee shot. The green slopes from back to front, so a chip from behind is very delicate. I hit a perfect one that barely carried to the top of a mound and trickled in the direction of the cup. It missed the hole by an inch to one side, but stopped 9 feet below the hole. Again, I could not hit a better shot than that. My par putt barely missed the hole left, stopping on the lip. End result was a bogey, but I really hit some good shots there.
Other notable shots were sprinkled throughout most of the bogey holes. After mediocre tee shots on holes 1 and 2, I recovered with good second shots. On hole 1, it was a 7-iron from a fairway bunker to just in front of the green. On hole 2, it was a pretty 3-wood that travelled straight, high and deep. On hole 6, a par-5, I hit two wonderful 5-wood shots to begin the hole. It's a pity that I thinned my approach with the pitching wedge over the back of the green. I hit a great drive on hole 8 to the centre of the fairway. Sadly, I messed up an 8-iron approach shot. On the last hole of the day, I hit a sweet 7-iron from the right rough to just left of the green.
Thank goodness I was able to play Grist. It took some of the sting out of my play on the other nines.
Score: 45
Putts: 17
Fairways: 3
Greens: 1
Penalties: 0
Coincidence? I think not. My last round at Mill Run also began with a boisterous personality playing alongside me. As the round progressed, I began to tire of his incessant chatter. I played some good holes, but also a lot of bad ones, and ended up shooting a miserable 105. It was my worst score of the year. Luckily, I had time for nine more holes, and he didn't. I headed out to the Grind nine as a solo. Not surprisingly, I was back to my usual self, shooting 45 on the strength of one par, seven bogeys, and just one double-bogey.
The par was on hole 5, a short par-4. I hit 3-iron to the left rough, followed by a lob wedge to a bowl in the green where the pin was located. My uphill birdie putt from 8 feet was hit to the centre of the cup, but stopped right on the lip. This followed a couple of beautiful shots on hole 4, a 161-yard par-3 over a deep valley. Accounting for wind, I opted for 6-iron and hit a perfect shot that carried three yards onto the green and released forward. I was disappointed that the ball rolled off the back edge of the green into the rough. I could not hit a better tee shot. The green slopes from back to front, so a chip from behind is very delicate. I hit a perfect one that barely carried to the top of a mound and trickled in the direction of the cup. It missed the hole by an inch to one side, but stopped 9 feet below the hole. Again, I could not hit a better shot than that. My par putt barely missed the hole left, stopping on the lip. End result was a bogey, but I really hit some good shots there.
Other notable shots were sprinkled throughout most of the bogey holes. After mediocre tee shots on holes 1 and 2, I recovered with good second shots. On hole 1, it was a 7-iron from a fairway bunker to just in front of the green. On hole 2, it was a pretty 3-wood that travelled straight, high and deep. On hole 6, a par-5, I hit two wonderful 5-wood shots to begin the hole. It's a pity that I thinned my approach with the pitching wedge over the back of the green. I hit a great drive on hole 8 to the centre of the fairway. Sadly, I messed up an 8-iron approach shot. On the last hole of the day, I hit a sweet 7-iron from the right rough to just left of the green.
Thank goodness I was able to play Grist. It took some of the sting out of my play on the other nines.
Score: 45
Putts: 17
Fairways: 3
Greens: 1
Penalties: 0
October 22, 2019
Clown Ruins Mill Run Round
I play most of my golf as a single, and I get paired up with all kinds of people: young or old, male or female, people of every conceivable race and religion. I play with students, blue or white collar workers, and retirees, whether they're hackers or single digit handicaps. The vast majority of the time, it's a pleasure. Every once in a while, however, there's someone who just isn't a good fit. Specifically, I'm thinking about the guy (it's usually a guy) who never stops yapping – about anything really, but often about how great a player he is or about what you're doing wrong.
I had the misfortune of being paired up with one of these guys on a recent visit to Mill Run Golf Club. When I find myself in this situation, I just try to focus on my game. I know from experience, however, that I'm not very good at it. Try as I may, the incessant chatter seems to rattle my nerves, and I end up scoring very poorly. A better player is able to play despite these distractions. We played the Grist nine first, which began for me with a bogey on hole 1. I hit a wonderful 7-iron out of a fairway bunker to the fringe in front of the green. A nicely judged putt from there left a 3-footer for par, but it lipped out cruelly.
Hole 2 began with a disastrous drive that I smothered to the weeds just in front of the teeing area. I hit a lofted wedge out of the junk just to reach the start of the fairway. Then it was one error after another. A 5-wood shot was fat and squirted right. A 4-iron was pushed slightly right, coming to rest under some tree branches. A sand wedge from 70 yards found a bunker left of the green. A duffed shot stayed in the bunker. The next one got out, but rolled down a slope into another bunker to the left. My third bunker shot was thinned over the green. My pitch shot back rolled off the other side. I chipped on and 2-putt for a score of 12 on this par-5. Seriously?
In fairness, the disaster on hole 2 had nothing to do with my fellow golfer. I just made bad shots, repeatedly. It would be impossible to score well for the round, so I resolved to play each remaining hole and each shot individually, in order to see what I could salvage. I made bogey on hole 3, a challenging par-3, followed by par on hole 4, a short par-4. On hole 5, a long par-3, I followed up a serviceable tee shot with a thinned pitch shot from the right side of the green. It led to a double bogey that didn't sit well. One blowup hole aside, I was still playing my regular golf, but I was getting increasingly annoyed with my partner by now.
I took scores of 8 on holes 6 and 7, a par-5 and par-4, respectively. The former was due to a drive that I pulled badly into the fescue left of the hole. I was forced to hit my third from the tee. The remainder of the hole was fine, but the damage was done. The latter was also due to a wild drive, but I don't even know where it went. My partner said it went to the right, but a look in that area turned up nothing. I gave myself a 2-stroke penalty and dropped in the fairway. I went on to 3-putt the hole, which was the icing on the cake. I played holes 8 and 9 well enough, carding a couple of bogeys, but my score at the turn was a horrible 55.
The Wheel nine was next, beginning with a challenging par-5. I duffed a couple of shots, leaving me with 200 yards to the green on my fourth shot. I was not in the mood to lay up, so I went for it and hit a beautiful 5-wood. It was a high shot with a little fade that looked like it was going to carry a creek in front of the green and land on the putting surface softly. It was so perfect that I didn't even bother to watch the ball come to rest. I had not hit a 5-wood like that in a long time. Lo and behold, when we got to the green, my ball was nowhere to be found. I have no clue where it could have gone. I just assumed it went in the creek and dropped near there, after taking a penalty. I finished the hole with a double-bogey.
And so it continued on holes 2 through 5 of the Wheel course. I was hitting some good shots, but short game errors were not helping. What looked like a good approach on hole 2 finished in a hollowed out grassy area behind the green. I was unable to get up and down, resulting in double-bogey. A duffed pitch attempt over a greenside bunker on hole 3 splashed in the sand. It took two shots to get out, leading to a triple-bogey! A 5-iron off the tee was hit fat on hole 4, landing in a penalty area. My third from the tee was a wonderful 5-iron, but all that did was help save a double-bogey. I duffed an attempted approach with a pitching wedge on hole 5, completely wasting a shot and taking another double-bogey.
The final four holes were surprisingly good, producing, bogey, par, bogey, and bogey. I hit a spectacular flop over a 30-foot spruce tree near the green on hole 6, landing close enough to the hole that I should have saved par. Alas, I missed the putt. I missed a birdie putt on hole 7, a short par-3, but par was a good result, to be truthful. A nice 5-wood, 6-iron combination put me just left of the green on hole 8, a par-4. Hole 9 is a challenging par-5 to finish, and I navigated it well from tee to green. It would have been nice to hit the green with my third shot, but when you're playing as poorly as I was all day, you can't really be that picky.
I ended up shooting 105 for my worst score of the year. Can I blame the guy I played with, or did I just plain suck? My next post may help answer that question.
Score: 105
Putts: 33
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 6
I had the misfortune of being paired up with one of these guys on a recent visit to Mill Run Golf Club. When I find myself in this situation, I just try to focus on my game. I know from experience, however, that I'm not very good at it. Try as I may, the incessant chatter seems to rattle my nerves, and I end up scoring very poorly. A better player is able to play despite these distractions. We played the Grist nine first, which began for me with a bogey on hole 1. I hit a wonderful 7-iron out of a fairway bunker to the fringe in front of the green. A nicely judged putt from there left a 3-footer for par, but it lipped out cruelly.
Hole 2 began with a disastrous drive that I smothered to the weeds just in front of the teeing area. I hit a lofted wedge out of the junk just to reach the start of the fairway. Then it was one error after another. A 5-wood shot was fat and squirted right. A 4-iron was pushed slightly right, coming to rest under some tree branches. A sand wedge from 70 yards found a bunker left of the green. A duffed shot stayed in the bunker. The next one got out, but rolled down a slope into another bunker to the left. My third bunker shot was thinned over the green. My pitch shot back rolled off the other side. I chipped on and 2-putt for a score of 12 on this par-5. Seriously?
In fairness, the disaster on hole 2 had nothing to do with my fellow golfer. I just made bad shots, repeatedly. It would be impossible to score well for the round, so I resolved to play each remaining hole and each shot individually, in order to see what I could salvage. I made bogey on hole 3, a challenging par-3, followed by par on hole 4, a short par-4. On hole 5, a long par-3, I followed up a serviceable tee shot with a thinned pitch shot from the right side of the green. It led to a double bogey that didn't sit well. One blowup hole aside, I was still playing my regular golf, but I was getting increasingly annoyed with my partner by now.
I took scores of 8 on holes 6 and 7, a par-5 and par-4, respectively. The former was due to a drive that I pulled badly into the fescue left of the hole. I was forced to hit my third from the tee. The remainder of the hole was fine, but the damage was done. The latter was also due to a wild drive, but I don't even know where it went. My partner said it went to the right, but a look in that area turned up nothing. I gave myself a 2-stroke penalty and dropped in the fairway. I went on to 3-putt the hole, which was the icing on the cake. I played holes 8 and 9 well enough, carding a couple of bogeys, but my score at the turn was a horrible 55.
The Wheel nine was next, beginning with a challenging par-5. I duffed a couple of shots, leaving me with 200 yards to the green on my fourth shot. I was not in the mood to lay up, so I went for it and hit a beautiful 5-wood. It was a high shot with a little fade that looked like it was going to carry a creek in front of the green and land on the putting surface softly. It was so perfect that I didn't even bother to watch the ball come to rest. I had not hit a 5-wood like that in a long time. Lo and behold, when we got to the green, my ball was nowhere to be found. I have no clue where it could have gone. I just assumed it went in the creek and dropped near there, after taking a penalty. I finished the hole with a double-bogey.
And so it continued on holes 2 through 5 of the Wheel course. I was hitting some good shots, but short game errors were not helping. What looked like a good approach on hole 2 finished in a hollowed out grassy area behind the green. I was unable to get up and down, resulting in double-bogey. A duffed pitch attempt over a greenside bunker on hole 3 splashed in the sand. It took two shots to get out, leading to a triple-bogey! A 5-iron off the tee was hit fat on hole 4, landing in a penalty area. My third from the tee was a wonderful 5-iron, but all that did was help save a double-bogey. I duffed an attempted approach with a pitching wedge on hole 5, completely wasting a shot and taking another double-bogey.
The final four holes were surprisingly good, producing, bogey, par, bogey, and bogey. I hit a spectacular flop over a 30-foot spruce tree near the green on hole 6, landing close enough to the hole that I should have saved par. Alas, I missed the putt. I missed a birdie putt on hole 7, a short par-3, but par was a good result, to be truthful. A nice 5-wood, 6-iron combination put me just left of the green on hole 8, a par-4. Hole 9 is a challenging par-5 to finish, and I navigated it well from tee to green. It would have been nice to hit the green with my third shot, but when you're playing as poorly as I was all day, you can't really be that picky.
I ended up shooting 105 for my worst score of the year. Can I blame the guy I played with, or did I just plain suck? My next post may help answer that question.
Score: 105
Putts: 33
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Penalties: 6
October 15, 2019
Return to Lakeridge Links
A little over three years ago, I made my debut at Lakeridge Links Golf Club. I enjoyed the course, but haven't had the opportunity to go back, until now. I headed out there on a beautiful October day for a mid morning tee time. Unfortunately, traffic was terrible. I needed gas, which diverted me from the route I would normally take. Getting to the highway from the gas station was painful. Closer to the course, the main road was undergoing construction. Not only was it slow, but all the road signs had been pulled out of the ground, so I drove past the road where I should have turned. I arrived at the course exactly at my tee time.
I hate rushing to the golf course, as it usually takes a few holes for your mind to slow down. Without any practice putting, you have no idea of the green speeds. It's a bad combination for scoring well. Despite all that, I did reasonably well over the first three holes, collecting a bogey, double-bogey, and par. A nice drive to the left fairway started things off on the opening par-4. A mid-iron approach was well short of the green, but I pitched on and 2-putt. I duffed a 5-iron off the tee on hole 2, a dogleg par-4 to an elevated green. That mistake aside, it played out like a typical bogey hole. Hole 3, which produced the par, is a 174-yard par-3. My 6-iron shot landed short of the flag and rolled just a few inches to the side of the flag stick, before stopping 12 feet behind the hole. My birdie putt was two feet short, unfortunately.
The next eight holes were not much fun. Some bad shots, combined with some bad luck, produced elevated scores. In fact, I was 14 over par for those eight holes, including one par, one bogey, five double-bogeys, and one triple! The par was on hole 7 – a par-3 with a forced carry over a naturalized area to a green surrounded by woods and fronted by a creek. I hit a sweet 8-iron flag high, then lagged one close and tapped in to finish. If only the rest of that stretch had been as smooth!
I 3-putt hole 4, a challenging par-5, leading to double-bogey. I pulled my drive on hole 5 ever so slightly, but ended up with a spruce tree blocking my backswing. Even when I got the ball out of there, my path to the green was blocked by another spruce. Again, double-bogey was the result. That hole frustrated me, and I ended up making a mess of my drive on hole 6. I hit the heel of the club and the ball went maybe 70 yards. I don't know for sure, because the ball was lost. With the penalty, I notched my third consecutive double-bogey.
It didn't help that I was in a twosome, playing behind a foursome. Even if the foursome plays at the proper pace, you're going to be waiting a lot in that situation. We were waiting on every single shot. I'm not even one of those guys who complains about pace of play, but truthfully, it was impossible to get into a rhythm. My frustration peaked on holes 9 and 10. I topped my second shot on hole 9, then 3-putt on the green for yet another double-bogey. Hole 10 was the worst, as I had been hoping the foursome would let us through at the turn. No such luck. I smothered another shot off the heel of the driver that went nowhere. To make matters worse, I had almost no backswing available to pitch back to the fairway. My fourth shot on this par-5 was just right of the green. I then chipped on and 2-putt for triple-bogey.
It was only after hole 11 that the frustration wore off. I guess I accepted that we would be waiting on all shots for the remainder of the round. My playing partner and I had a lot of time to talk, so that probably was a helpful distraction. I ended up going 5 over par for the last seven holes, including a birdie and six bogeys. The birdie was on hole 17, a 160-yard par-3 over a pond to a wide but shallow green, set against a hillside. I hit 7-iron with a little baby draw, directly at the flag on the right side of the green. I followed that up with a perfect putt from about 10 feet away. Golf like it should be!
The rest of the final stretch was not perfect, but good enough to keep me happy. On hole 12, I just missed the fairway, then just missed the green, needing a chip and two putts for the bogey. I can live with that. On hole 13, my drive was perfect, but my approach from 150 yards was pulled slightly left of the green. Again, a pitch and 2-putts finished things off for bogey. Hole 14 is the hardest hole on the course. After my drive missed just right of the fairway, I wisely played a 90 yard shot to the 150-yard stick. A valley and creek protect the front of the green, so that was a no-brainer. I hit a good 8-iron on my third shot, then 2-putt for the bogey.
Hole 15 features the most intimidating tee shot on the course, as it's a long carry over the creek that crosses the fairway. The creek is angled, so it's a longer carry over the right side. Of course, I hit my drive to the right and just failed to carry the creek. After a penalty and drop, I hit a beautiful iron to the green and followed with an easy 2-putt. The approach shot saved the bogey for me. On hole 16, a par-5, my third shot was thinned over the green. A chip and two putts finished up the typical bogey. Finally, on hole 18, a perfect drive was followed by a slight miss with a long iron, requiring a familiar pitch and two putts to card the last bogey of the day.
I can live with bogey golf – it means you're close to challenging the golf course as it should be played. Your shots are in the general vicinity of your targets, which makes the game fun. It's the complete miss hits that take some of the fun out of the game. These are wasted shots nowhere near your target that lead to double-bogey or worse. Mind you, I've been limiting a lot of bad holes to double-bogey recently, which is much better than triple-bogey or worse. On this day, I just strung together too many of those doubles.
Score: 94
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
I hate rushing to the golf course, as it usually takes a few holes for your mind to slow down. Without any practice putting, you have no idea of the green speeds. It's a bad combination for scoring well. Despite all that, I did reasonably well over the first three holes, collecting a bogey, double-bogey, and par. A nice drive to the left fairway started things off on the opening par-4. A mid-iron approach was well short of the green, but I pitched on and 2-putt. I duffed a 5-iron off the tee on hole 2, a dogleg par-4 to an elevated green. That mistake aside, it played out like a typical bogey hole. Hole 3, which produced the par, is a 174-yard par-3. My 6-iron shot landed short of the flag and rolled just a few inches to the side of the flag stick, before stopping 12 feet behind the hole. My birdie putt was two feet short, unfortunately.
The next eight holes were not much fun. Some bad shots, combined with some bad luck, produced elevated scores. In fact, I was 14 over par for those eight holes, including one par, one bogey, five double-bogeys, and one triple! The par was on hole 7 – a par-3 with a forced carry over a naturalized area to a green surrounded by woods and fronted by a creek. I hit a sweet 8-iron flag high, then lagged one close and tapped in to finish. If only the rest of that stretch had been as smooth!
I 3-putt hole 4, a challenging par-5, leading to double-bogey. I pulled my drive on hole 5 ever so slightly, but ended up with a spruce tree blocking my backswing. Even when I got the ball out of there, my path to the green was blocked by another spruce. Again, double-bogey was the result. That hole frustrated me, and I ended up making a mess of my drive on hole 6. I hit the heel of the club and the ball went maybe 70 yards. I don't know for sure, because the ball was lost. With the penalty, I notched my third consecutive double-bogey.
It didn't help that I was in a twosome, playing behind a foursome. Even if the foursome plays at the proper pace, you're going to be waiting a lot in that situation. We were waiting on every single shot. I'm not even one of those guys who complains about pace of play, but truthfully, it was impossible to get into a rhythm. My frustration peaked on holes 9 and 10. I topped my second shot on hole 9, then 3-putt on the green for yet another double-bogey. Hole 10 was the worst, as I had been hoping the foursome would let us through at the turn. No such luck. I smothered another shot off the heel of the driver that went nowhere. To make matters worse, I had almost no backswing available to pitch back to the fairway. My fourth shot on this par-5 was just right of the green. I then chipped on and 2-putt for triple-bogey.
It was only after hole 11 that the frustration wore off. I guess I accepted that we would be waiting on all shots for the remainder of the round. My playing partner and I had a lot of time to talk, so that probably was a helpful distraction. I ended up going 5 over par for the last seven holes, including a birdie and six bogeys. The birdie was on hole 17, a 160-yard par-3 over a pond to a wide but shallow green, set against a hillside. I hit 7-iron with a little baby draw, directly at the flag on the right side of the green. I followed that up with a perfect putt from about 10 feet away. Golf like it should be!
The rest of the final stretch was not perfect, but good enough to keep me happy. On hole 12, I just missed the fairway, then just missed the green, needing a chip and two putts for the bogey. I can live with that. On hole 13, my drive was perfect, but my approach from 150 yards was pulled slightly left of the green. Again, a pitch and 2-putts finished things off for bogey. Hole 14 is the hardest hole on the course. After my drive missed just right of the fairway, I wisely played a 90 yard shot to the 150-yard stick. A valley and creek protect the front of the green, so that was a no-brainer. I hit a good 8-iron on my third shot, then 2-putt for the bogey.
Hole 15 features the most intimidating tee shot on the course, as it's a long carry over the creek that crosses the fairway. The creek is angled, so it's a longer carry over the right side. Of course, I hit my drive to the right and just failed to carry the creek. After a penalty and drop, I hit a beautiful iron to the green and followed with an easy 2-putt. The approach shot saved the bogey for me. On hole 16, a par-5, my third shot was thinned over the green. A chip and two putts finished up the typical bogey. Finally, on hole 18, a perfect drive was followed by a slight miss with a long iron, requiring a familiar pitch and two putts to card the last bogey of the day.
I can live with bogey golf – it means you're close to challenging the golf course as it should be played. Your shots are in the general vicinity of your targets, which makes the game fun. It's the complete miss hits that take some of the fun out of the game. These are wasted shots nowhere near your target that lead to double-bogey or worse. Mind you, I've been limiting a lot of bad holes to double-bogey recently, which is much better than triple-bogey or worse. On this day, I just strung together too many of those doubles.
Score: 94
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
October 14, 2019
More Like It at Tangle Creek
I played at Tangle Creek a few weeks earlier and all my luck was bad. The greens were freshly aerated and rolling terribly. It drizzled for most of the round and rained more heavily for a couple of holes, despite the fact that I booked the round less than 24 hours in advance, when the forecast was calling for a mix of sun and cloud. I didn't play very well and ended up scoring in the mid nineties.
Looking for some retribution, I headed back to Tangle Creek recently. This time, the greens were in great shape and the weather was absolutely perfect. I was one over par for the first three holes, going par, par, and bogey. My first two shots on the opening par-5 weren't great, but my third was brilliant, setting up a 2-putt. My tee shot on hole 2 also left a lot to be desired, but I made a good recovery shot and perfect pitch, setting up a single putt. My pitch on hole 3 wasn't nearly as good, but I made a terrific 2-putt from distance to salvage the bogey.
The rest of the front nine wasn't as smooth, as I collected a couple of bogeys and four double-bogeys. The only good part about that is that I avoided taking any triples or worse. At the end of the day, limiting those bad holes to no worse than double-bogey actually makes a difference. It could be the difference, for example, between scoring 92 or 89. Psychologically, that's a big difference.
Most of my troubles were off the tee and on the putting green. On holes 4 and 8, both par-3 designs, I hit a poor tee shot that left me in a bad spot. On the former, I was in deep, lush rough, while on the latter, I was forced to punch under some low tree branches. On hole 5, I hit my 5-wood thin and failed to carry a creek. Although I made a great shot to find the green with my third after taking a penalty, I went on to 3-putt. I also 3-putt on hole 6 after hitting a marvellous drive over a creek and left of a large tree to find the middle of the fairway. My score at the turn was 47.
The back nine saved the round for me, especially holes 10 through 12, all of which resulted in par. My tee shots on these holes were fantastic. On the first two, I hit driver deep and to the centre of the fairway. On the last one, a par-3, I hit 6-iron into the wind and finished 10 feet below the hole. My putting was also good. I drained a 6-footer on hole 10 after a chip from just off the back of the green trickled a bit past the hole. On the other two holes, excellent lags set up easy tap-ins.
The remainder of the back nine was good too, though I cooled off somewhat. Over this stretch, I collected two pars, three bogeys and a double. The pars came on holes 15 and 16. For the second time in a row, I pummelled a perfect drive off the tee on hole 15, carrying a mound on the left side and actually finishing a yard past the end of the fairway. Despite a wedge shot that missed the green, I still made par with an up and down. Hole 16 is a par-3 from an elevated tee and I hit my 8-iron flag high, just left of the hole.
Hole 14 is the one that resulted in double-bogey, and it was really due to a 3-putt. My drive was perfect and though my approach didn't find the green, it was serviceable. After a decent chip shot, I really should have made no worse than bogey. The other bogeys usually resulted from one bad stroke over the course of a hole. On hole 13, it was a drive that I pulled off the heel and that went nowhere. On hole 18, it was a topped 5-wood following a perfect drive, where I tried to reach the green of this par-5 in two. The good news is that I limited my mistakes to one per hole, thus salvaging the bogeys.
In the end, I broke 90 with a nice looking score of 88. I'll take it!
Score: 88
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
Looking for some retribution, I headed back to Tangle Creek recently. This time, the greens were in great shape and the weather was absolutely perfect. I was one over par for the first three holes, going par, par, and bogey. My first two shots on the opening par-5 weren't great, but my third was brilliant, setting up a 2-putt. My tee shot on hole 2 also left a lot to be desired, but I made a good recovery shot and perfect pitch, setting up a single putt. My pitch on hole 3 wasn't nearly as good, but I made a terrific 2-putt from distance to salvage the bogey.
The rest of the front nine wasn't as smooth, as I collected a couple of bogeys and four double-bogeys. The only good part about that is that I avoided taking any triples or worse. At the end of the day, limiting those bad holes to no worse than double-bogey actually makes a difference. It could be the difference, for example, between scoring 92 or 89. Psychologically, that's a big difference.
Most of my troubles were off the tee and on the putting green. On holes 4 and 8, both par-3 designs, I hit a poor tee shot that left me in a bad spot. On the former, I was in deep, lush rough, while on the latter, I was forced to punch under some low tree branches. On hole 5, I hit my 5-wood thin and failed to carry a creek. Although I made a great shot to find the green with my third after taking a penalty, I went on to 3-putt. I also 3-putt on hole 6 after hitting a marvellous drive over a creek and left of a large tree to find the middle of the fairway. My score at the turn was 47.
The back nine saved the round for me, especially holes 10 through 12, all of which resulted in par. My tee shots on these holes were fantastic. On the first two, I hit driver deep and to the centre of the fairway. On the last one, a par-3, I hit 6-iron into the wind and finished 10 feet below the hole. My putting was also good. I drained a 6-footer on hole 10 after a chip from just off the back of the green trickled a bit past the hole. On the other two holes, excellent lags set up easy tap-ins.
The remainder of the back nine was good too, though I cooled off somewhat. Over this stretch, I collected two pars, three bogeys and a double. The pars came on holes 15 and 16. For the second time in a row, I pummelled a perfect drive off the tee on hole 15, carrying a mound on the left side and actually finishing a yard past the end of the fairway. Despite a wedge shot that missed the green, I still made par with an up and down. Hole 16 is a par-3 from an elevated tee and I hit my 8-iron flag high, just left of the hole.
Hole 14 is the one that resulted in double-bogey, and it was really due to a 3-putt. My drive was perfect and though my approach didn't find the green, it was serviceable. After a decent chip shot, I really should have made no worse than bogey. The other bogeys usually resulted from one bad stroke over the course of a hole. On hole 13, it was a drive that I pulled off the heel and that went nowhere. On hole 18, it was a topped 5-wood following a perfect drive, where I tried to reach the green of this par-5 in two. The good news is that I limited my mistakes to one per hole, thus salvaging the bogeys.
In the end, I broke 90 with a nice looking score of 88. I'll take it!
Score: 88
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
October 10, 2019
TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley -- A Heathlands How To
The first golf course to open at Osprey Valley, back in 1992, was Heathlands. More than a quarter century later, many aficionados still consider it the best. With its sister courses, Hoot and North, both highly regarded, that's saying a lot. Traditionalists, in particular, continue to be seduced by the links style layout, with fairways shaped by fescue covered dunes and pierced occasionally with seemingly innocuous bunkers. Having played a few rounds there recently, I'm going to forgo my usual personal accounts, in favour of a “how-to” of sorts. What follows is a hole-by-hole examination of Heathlands, with a few tips designed to help you navigate it.
Hole 1 -- A par-5 that doglegs to the left. A group of fairway bunkers on the left side can be carried comfortably with a good drive, leaving you in excellent position. If you're not feeling confident with your drives, the tendency is to aim right of the bunkers. This will bring the right rough into play, where your stance may be uneven. Right handers will have the ball above their feet, making a pulled second shot more likely. Even with an excellent drive, think twice about going for the green in two. Two deep bunkers lie in front of the green, collecting any shots that come in low. It's better to lay up in a spot that will leave a full wedge into the green on your third. With a high lofted club, the ball will take an aerial route and land softly on the green.
Hole 2 -- A relatively short par-4. Once again, a cluster of fairway bunkers, this time on the right side, will influence your tee shot. If you hit to the open left side, you're more likely to run out of fairway and you'll have a longer than necessary second shot into the green. From that angle, a bunker on the front left side of the green looms large. It's better to take your drive straight over the fairway bunkers on the right side. There's some room to miss right, but a straight shot on that line will finish in the middle of the fairway and leave just a wedge shot into the green. The green itself is deeper than it is wide, so choose your approach club accordingly.
Hole 3 -- A par-4 that doglegs to the left and forces you to carry a creek with your second shot. A drive left of the fairway can get close to the winding creek, while a miss to the right often ends up in one of two bunkers protecting that side. Attacking the green from either of those bunkers is a recipe for disaster. If you find yourself there, just advance the ball back to safety. The fairway itself is quite wide, so just try to find the centre with your tee shot. 3-wood might be a good option if you control that club a little better than driver. The creek must be crossed twice with your approach shot – the second leg closer to the green being far more gnarly. If you miss the green, it's better to be short and right, as bunkers and a slope down to the creek cover the left side.
Hole 4 -- Another relatively short par-4 from a slightly elevated tee. A good drive will easily carry the creek and should also carry the cluster of bunkers on the right hand side. If you're playing the blue or black tees, you'll be coming directly over those bunkers. If you're playing the white tees, you can aim just left of those bunkers for optimal positioning. This will leave just a wedge into the green. Two very deep bunkers protect the front left side of the green and should be avoided at all cost. It's better to miss the green short and right than to be in one of those. A pitch up to the elevated green is much easier from that position than playing out of those traps.
Hole 5 -- A medium length par-3 that often plays into the wind. Take an extra club or two, depending on the breeze. This will also help carry the front right bunkers that protect the green. There is a collection area left of the green that is not a bad place to miss. From that position, you can often putt or chip uphill to save par. This is one of the easier holes on the front nine, so take advantage if you can.
Hole 6 -- A long par-4 that plays uphill and often into the wind. This hole can feel like a par-5, especially if you don't hit a great drive. There is not a single bunker on this hole, either in the fairway or by the green, so if you hit a good drive, feel free to go for the green, even with a long iron. On the other hand, if your drive is weak, take your medicine and play the hole effectively as a par-5, aiming to reach the green in three. If you find yourself in the fescue at any point, your first priority is to get back to safety. Sometimes, it looks like you have a decent lie in there, but it's extremely deceiving. You need to add loft and give up yardage when hitting from those lies. This is one of the hardest holes on the front nine and needs to be respected.
Hole 7 -- A medium-length par-4, with a tee shot once again influenced by a cluster of fairway bunkers on the right side. If you're not feeling good with the driver, the tendency is to start the ball left of those bunkers. This brings the left rough and fescue into the equation. A good drive will carry those bunkers comfortably and finish in the middle of the fairway. This will also improve your angle into the green, the front left of which is protected by a large, deep bunker. The green is deeper than it is wide, and slopes down a fair degree from back to front. Watch your speed, especially if putting downhill.
Hole 8 -- A short par-3 over a pond, usually requiring no more than a wedge. Anything short or left of this green will end up in the water. The safest play is a medium depth shot to the right edge of the green. There is a bunker nearby if you stray a little too deep or too far right, but playing from there is preferable to taking a penalty stroke. With a decent shot off the tee, this becomes one of the easier holes on the front nine to make par. Of course, a bad tee shot here can easily lead to double-bogey. Pick a club and swing with confidence.
Hole 9 -- A fairly long par-5 and possibly the hardest hole on the front nine. The tee shot is over a penalty area to an angled fairway. For right handers, a slight fade is the ideal shape. Picking a target line can be tricky. Too far right, and your ball can land in the penalty area, which runs along the right side of the fairway. Too far left, and you can cross the fairway entirely, finishing in rough or fescue covered mounds that complicate your second shot. If you have a rangefinder or GPS device, get a distance to the left fairway bunkers to help choose your line. Just right of those fairway bunkers is usually a good bet. The second shot should be down the centre of the fairway. Just be careful not to go too far down the right hand side, as the slope can push your ball into the rough. The approach into this green will almost certainly require you to aim over the edge of the large pond on the right side. To complicate matters, there are bunkers in front, behind and left of the elevated green. There's no safe bail out area, so choose your club and give it your best shot.
Hole 10 -- A medium length par-3 that's all carry over a large pond. As long as you clear the water, the hole is not difficult. For front pin positions, just aim for the centre of the green. If you attempt to land the ball near the front pin and miss hit it slightly, there's a chance you can end up in the water. There is a bowl at the front of the green that will influence your putting. Hit the ball to the edge of the bowl and let the slope do the rest of the work. For middle or rear pin positions, you can putt more aggressively.
Hole 11 -- A picturesque par-5 that plays between fescue covered dunes on either side of the fairway. If you happen to find the fescue, your first priority is to get back to the fairway. Use more loft and sacrifice some distance for a better chance at success. The hole is long, so don't try to do too much with your second shot. Playing a shorter shot will give you more control and offers the best chance at reaching the green in three. A deep bunker guards the front centre of the elevated green. Add more club for the elevation change and to clear the bunker. Depending on pin position, you may also be able to aim either left or right of the bunker. The green is large, so focus on your lag to avoid 3-putting.
Hole 12 -- Another medium length par-3 to a large, angled green. The left side of the green is more accessible than the right, which is deeper and tucked behind a protective front bunker. There's no reason to go pin hunting if the flag is in the back right position. Aim left of the bunker at the heart of the green. From there, it's a reasonable 2-putt to almost any pin location.
Hole 13 -- A good length par-4, typically played with a helping wind. A controlled drive that finds the fairway should get a few yards of roll. The green is large, with a plateau at the front and another at the back, separated by a deep trough in the middle. The hole is perhaps easiest when the pin is located in the trough. When the pin is at the front or at the back, you want to avoid having to putt through the trough, as it can be difficult to judge the speed. Take a moment on the approach shot to make sure your distance is dialled in.
Hole 14 -- The fairway on this par-5 is bordered by some high, fescue covered dunes. If your drive misses to either side, just make sure you get back to the fairway safely. If your drive finds the fairway, your second shot will be influenced by three bunkers that split the fairway further ahead. If you try to hit the upper portion on the left side,, you'll have to fly over the bunkers. The more straightforward option is to target the lower portion of the fairway on the right. The landing area is more visible and you can hit a low shot, or a high one – whatever you prefer. The approach to the green should be no more than a wedge. Just be sure to clear the front right bunker. The green is plenty deep.
Hole 15 -- A downhill par-4 that doglegs to the right. The inside of the dogleg is guarded by a sprawling bunker; it's so huge, in fact, that an island of rough sits in the centre, surrounded by sand on all sides. An ideal drive should be aimed at the left edge of the bunker. If struck well, the bunker will be cleared easily, and the ball will roll downhill to the centre of the fairway. From there, a wedge will be plenty to reach the green. A collection area located short and right of the green is the place to miss, if you absolutely must.
Hole 16 -- A medium length par-3 that offers a chance to score well with a good tee shot. Three bunkers that protect the green are all located at the front. The two on the right side are especially long, which can be difficult to ascertain from the teeing ground. Make sure you have enough club and aim to float your shot well past the bunkers. There is a good degree of slope to this green, so watch your putting speed, depending on your position relative to the hole location.
Hole 17 -- Another good length par-4 that requires two good shots to get on the green. This is a dogleg to the right, with a fairway bunker marking the inside of the dogleg. Aim your drive over the left edge of that bunker to set up your approach shot. You may be tempted to aim further left, as the open space looks inviting. However, most balls hit to that area will run out of fairway, leaving a long approach to the green from the rough. There are no bunkers in front of this green, but there is a ridge running along the left side. Chipping from below the ridge is not bad, so be aggressive on the approach shot. If you happen to miss to that side, you'll still be in decent position.
Hole 18 -- The final hole features another cluster of bunkers at the start of the fairway that may influence your tee shot. If you aim for the open spot left of the bunkers, your ball will roll off a pronounced plateau in the fairway and be pushed left toward the rough. The better play is to aim directly over the bunkers to the right half of the fairway. The carry distance should not be an issue at all. That side leaves an open approach to the green, while the left side brings some deep greenside bunkers into play. It's a familiar design element at Heathlands, so it's fitting that it should also define the final hole.
Here are my latest results at Heathlands, with the most recent shown first. Could be better.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
Score: 91 (including a 9 on Hole 9)
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
Score: 94 (including an 11 on Hole 9)
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 4
Hole 1 -- A par-5 that doglegs to the left. A group of fairway bunkers on the left side can be carried comfortably with a good drive, leaving you in excellent position. If you're not feeling confident with your drives, the tendency is to aim right of the bunkers. This will bring the right rough into play, where your stance may be uneven. Right handers will have the ball above their feet, making a pulled second shot more likely. Even with an excellent drive, think twice about going for the green in two. Two deep bunkers lie in front of the green, collecting any shots that come in low. It's better to lay up in a spot that will leave a full wedge into the green on your third. With a high lofted club, the ball will take an aerial route and land softly on the green.
Hole 2 -- A relatively short par-4. Once again, a cluster of fairway bunkers, this time on the right side, will influence your tee shot. If you hit to the open left side, you're more likely to run out of fairway and you'll have a longer than necessary second shot into the green. From that angle, a bunker on the front left side of the green looms large. It's better to take your drive straight over the fairway bunkers on the right side. There's some room to miss right, but a straight shot on that line will finish in the middle of the fairway and leave just a wedge shot into the green. The green itself is deeper than it is wide, so choose your approach club accordingly.
Hole 3 -- A par-4 that doglegs to the left and forces you to carry a creek with your second shot. A drive left of the fairway can get close to the winding creek, while a miss to the right often ends up in one of two bunkers protecting that side. Attacking the green from either of those bunkers is a recipe for disaster. If you find yourself there, just advance the ball back to safety. The fairway itself is quite wide, so just try to find the centre with your tee shot. 3-wood might be a good option if you control that club a little better than driver. The creek must be crossed twice with your approach shot – the second leg closer to the green being far more gnarly. If you miss the green, it's better to be short and right, as bunkers and a slope down to the creek cover the left side.
Hole 4 -- Another relatively short par-4 from a slightly elevated tee. A good drive will easily carry the creek and should also carry the cluster of bunkers on the right hand side. If you're playing the blue or black tees, you'll be coming directly over those bunkers. If you're playing the white tees, you can aim just left of those bunkers for optimal positioning. This will leave just a wedge into the green. Two very deep bunkers protect the front left side of the green and should be avoided at all cost. It's better to miss the green short and right than to be in one of those. A pitch up to the elevated green is much easier from that position than playing out of those traps.
Hole 5 -- A medium length par-3 that often plays into the wind. Take an extra club or two, depending on the breeze. This will also help carry the front right bunkers that protect the green. There is a collection area left of the green that is not a bad place to miss. From that position, you can often putt or chip uphill to save par. This is one of the easier holes on the front nine, so take advantage if you can.
Hole 6 -- A long par-4 that plays uphill and often into the wind. This hole can feel like a par-5, especially if you don't hit a great drive. There is not a single bunker on this hole, either in the fairway or by the green, so if you hit a good drive, feel free to go for the green, even with a long iron. On the other hand, if your drive is weak, take your medicine and play the hole effectively as a par-5, aiming to reach the green in three. If you find yourself in the fescue at any point, your first priority is to get back to safety. Sometimes, it looks like you have a decent lie in there, but it's extremely deceiving. You need to add loft and give up yardage when hitting from those lies. This is one of the hardest holes on the front nine and needs to be respected.
Hole 7 -- A medium-length par-4, with a tee shot once again influenced by a cluster of fairway bunkers on the right side. If you're not feeling good with the driver, the tendency is to start the ball left of those bunkers. This brings the left rough and fescue into the equation. A good drive will carry those bunkers comfortably and finish in the middle of the fairway. This will also improve your angle into the green, the front left of which is protected by a large, deep bunker. The green is deeper than it is wide, and slopes down a fair degree from back to front. Watch your speed, especially if putting downhill.
Hole 8 -- A short par-3 over a pond, usually requiring no more than a wedge. Anything short or left of this green will end up in the water. The safest play is a medium depth shot to the right edge of the green. There is a bunker nearby if you stray a little too deep or too far right, but playing from there is preferable to taking a penalty stroke. With a decent shot off the tee, this becomes one of the easier holes on the front nine to make par. Of course, a bad tee shot here can easily lead to double-bogey. Pick a club and swing with confidence.
Hole 9 -- A fairly long par-5 and possibly the hardest hole on the front nine. The tee shot is over a penalty area to an angled fairway. For right handers, a slight fade is the ideal shape. Picking a target line can be tricky. Too far right, and your ball can land in the penalty area, which runs along the right side of the fairway. Too far left, and you can cross the fairway entirely, finishing in rough or fescue covered mounds that complicate your second shot. If you have a rangefinder or GPS device, get a distance to the left fairway bunkers to help choose your line. Just right of those fairway bunkers is usually a good bet. The second shot should be down the centre of the fairway. Just be careful not to go too far down the right hand side, as the slope can push your ball into the rough. The approach into this green will almost certainly require you to aim over the edge of the large pond on the right side. To complicate matters, there are bunkers in front, behind and left of the elevated green. There's no safe bail out area, so choose your club and give it your best shot.
Hole 10 -- A medium length par-3 that's all carry over a large pond. As long as you clear the water, the hole is not difficult. For front pin positions, just aim for the centre of the green. If you attempt to land the ball near the front pin and miss hit it slightly, there's a chance you can end up in the water. There is a bowl at the front of the green that will influence your putting. Hit the ball to the edge of the bowl and let the slope do the rest of the work. For middle or rear pin positions, you can putt more aggressively.
Hole 11 -- A picturesque par-5 that plays between fescue covered dunes on either side of the fairway. If you happen to find the fescue, your first priority is to get back to the fairway. Use more loft and sacrifice some distance for a better chance at success. The hole is long, so don't try to do too much with your second shot. Playing a shorter shot will give you more control and offers the best chance at reaching the green in three. A deep bunker guards the front centre of the elevated green. Add more club for the elevation change and to clear the bunker. Depending on pin position, you may also be able to aim either left or right of the bunker. The green is large, so focus on your lag to avoid 3-putting.
Hole 12 -- Another medium length par-3 to a large, angled green. The left side of the green is more accessible than the right, which is deeper and tucked behind a protective front bunker. There's no reason to go pin hunting if the flag is in the back right position. Aim left of the bunker at the heart of the green. From there, it's a reasonable 2-putt to almost any pin location.
Hole 13 -- A good length par-4, typically played with a helping wind. A controlled drive that finds the fairway should get a few yards of roll. The green is large, with a plateau at the front and another at the back, separated by a deep trough in the middle. The hole is perhaps easiest when the pin is located in the trough. When the pin is at the front or at the back, you want to avoid having to putt through the trough, as it can be difficult to judge the speed. Take a moment on the approach shot to make sure your distance is dialled in.
Hole 14 -- The fairway on this par-5 is bordered by some high, fescue covered dunes. If your drive misses to either side, just make sure you get back to the fairway safely. If your drive finds the fairway, your second shot will be influenced by three bunkers that split the fairway further ahead. If you try to hit the upper portion on the left side,, you'll have to fly over the bunkers. The more straightforward option is to target the lower portion of the fairway on the right. The landing area is more visible and you can hit a low shot, or a high one – whatever you prefer. The approach to the green should be no more than a wedge. Just be sure to clear the front right bunker. The green is plenty deep.
Hole 15 -- A downhill par-4 that doglegs to the right. The inside of the dogleg is guarded by a sprawling bunker; it's so huge, in fact, that an island of rough sits in the centre, surrounded by sand on all sides. An ideal drive should be aimed at the left edge of the bunker. If struck well, the bunker will be cleared easily, and the ball will roll downhill to the centre of the fairway. From there, a wedge will be plenty to reach the green. A collection area located short and right of the green is the place to miss, if you absolutely must.
Hole 16 -- A medium length par-3 that offers a chance to score well with a good tee shot. Three bunkers that protect the green are all located at the front. The two on the right side are especially long, which can be difficult to ascertain from the teeing ground. Make sure you have enough club and aim to float your shot well past the bunkers. There is a good degree of slope to this green, so watch your putting speed, depending on your position relative to the hole location.
Hole 17 -- Another good length par-4 that requires two good shots to get on the green. This is a dogleg to the right, with a fairway bunker marking the inside of the dogleg. Aim your drive over the left edge of that bunker to set up your approach shot. You may be tempted to aim further left, as the open space looks inviting. However, most balls hit to that area will run out of fairway, leaving a long approach to the green from the rough. There are no bunkers in front of this green, but there is a ridge running along the left side. Chipping from below the ridge is not bad, so be aggressive on the approach shot. If you happen to miss to that side, you'll still be in decent position.
Hole 18 -- The final hole features another cluster of bunkers at the start of the fairway that may influence your tee shot. If you aim for the open spot left of the bunkers, your ball will roll off a pronounced plateau in the fairway and be pushed left toward the rough. The better play is to aim directly over the bunkers to the right half of the fairway. The carry distance should not be an issue at all. That side leaves an open approach to the green, while the left side brings some deep greenside bunkers into play. It's a familiar design element at Heathlands, so it's fitting that it should also define the final hole.
Here are my latest results at Heathlands, with the most recent shown first. Could be better.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
Score: 91 (including a 9 on Hole 9)
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
Score: 94 (including an 11 on Hole 9)
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 4
October 04, 2019
The Start is Everything at Kedron Dells
I don't have a great track record at Kedron Dells Golf Club. Most of the rounds I played there came early in my golfing tenure, but that is little consolation. Every time I visit the course, it seems I get off to a bad start, which immediately ruins the chance of a good score. The first five holes at Kedron Dells are sneaky, with numbers 4 and 5 perhaps being the toughest.
Hole 4 is a long par-4 that requires an accurate drive, followed by a long iron into the green. Miss the drive by just a hair and you're often forced to pitch the ball sideways into the fairway. The approach shot is complicated by a pond with some tall bullrushes that seems to swallow up more than its fair share of balls. Hole 5 is just a long par-3. A couple of small ponds and plenty of bunkers are simply hard to avoid from that distance.
I made double-bogey on each of those holes. My drive on hole 4 was picture perfect, but then I topped my second shot, sending the ball into the bullrushes. I missed the green on hole 5, then narrowly failed to carry a bunker with an attempted flop shot. Now, a couple of double-bogeys isn't the end of the world. However, they were preceded by another couple of doubles and a triple-bogey!
Hole 1 is a straight, flat par-5 that just happens to be long. Since you're more likely to miss long shots, that's how the hole gets you. My drive was perfect, but my second shot was hit fat, setting up a longer approach than I should have had. I pulled a 4-iron ever so slightly and the ball bounced all the way to some long weeds on the edge of the property. It was unplayable, leading to a double-bogey.
Hole 2 is a par-4 that started out well, with a drive to the left fairway, followed by an iron shot that just missed the green to the right. I was surprised that the ball bounced all the way into a back bunker. I got the ball out of there, but it rolled across the green into a front bunker. From there, I rolled across the green again, fortunate not to go into the original bunker for a second time. A chip and two putts later, I had a triple bogey.
Even hole 3, a fairly straightforward par-4 got me. How? Well, this time it was a 3-putt that produced double-bogey. You see, there's always a way. That's the game of golf. So through the first five holes of the round, I was already sitting 11 strokes over par. The good news is that I went 14 over par for the remaining 13 holes, or about bogey pace, but that was too little, too late.
The final 14 holes included a birdie and six pars, but it also included two triple-bogeys and a quad! It was very up and down, to say the least. I would be playing well, when all of a sudden, a bad shot would find a penalty area. I collected a whopping 7 penalty strokes on the day. You simply cannot score well when you have even half that many penalties.
The birdie was on hole 6, a par-5 lined on both sides by mature trees. My drive clipped a tree on the right side, but I got a favourable bounce. Then I hit a beautiful 3-iron from the rough that travelled under some branches and well down the fairway. I stuck a wedge shot close with my third and drained the putt for the rare birdie.
Satisfying pars came on holes 9, 11, 13, 16, 17, and 18. Hole 11 is a par-5 that featured a fantastic up and down from 50 yards. Hole 13 featured perhaps the shot of the day. I drove the ball left of the fairway and not very deep on this par-4. To reach the hidden green 190 yards away, I had to hug a line of trees while keeping the ball below the branches. Another wonderful 3-iron from the rough did the trick, as the ball came to rest at the front of the putting surface.
Finishing with three consecutive pars was nice, especially since they came on a par-4, par-5, and par-3, respectively. By far, the most impressive of these was the par-5, or hole 17. A perfect drive to the sloped fairway was followed by a perfect 6-iron to the 100-yard stick. You couldn't place two shots any better on this hole. My wedge approach was a tad short of the flag, but I was still able to 2-putt from the fringe.
Kedron got me again, it seems. I simply have to start better when I play there.
Score: 96
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
Penalties: 7
Hole 4 is a long par-4 that requires an accurate drive, followed by a long iron into the green. Miss the drive by just a hair and you're often forced to pitch the ball sideways into the fairway. The approach shot is complicated by a pond with some tall bullrushes that seems to swallow up more than its fair share of balls. Hole 5 is just a long par-3. A couple of small ponds and plenty of bunkers are simply hard to avoid from that distance.
I made double-bogey on each of those holes. My drive on hole 4 was picture perfect, but then I topped my second shot, sending the ball into the bullrushes. I missed the green on hole 5, then narrowly failed to carry a bunker with an attempted flop shot. Now, a couple of double-bogeys isn't the end of the world. However, they were preceded by another couple of doubles and a triple-bogey!
Hole 1 is a straight, flat par-5 that just happens to be long. Since you're more likely to miss long shots, that's how the hole gets you. My drive was perfect, but my second shot was hit fat, setting up a longer approach than I should have had. I pulled a 4-iron ever so slightly and the ball bounced all the way to some long weeds on the edge of the property. It was unplayable, leading to a double-bogey.
Hole 2 is a par-4 that started out well, with a drive to the left fairway, followed by an iron shot that just missed the green to the right. I was surprised that the ball bounced all the way into a back bunker. I got the ball out of there, but it rolled across the green into a front bunker. From there, I rolled across the green again, fortunate not to go into the original bunker for a second time. A chip and two putts later, I had a triple bogey.
Even hole 3, a fairly straightforward par-4 got me. How? Well, this time it was a 3-putt that produced double-bogey. You see, there's always a way. That's the game of golf. So through the first five holes of the round, I was already sitting 11 strokes over par. The good news is that I went 14 over par for the remaining 13 holes, or about bogey pace, but that was too little, too late.
The final 14 holes included a birdie and six pars, but it also included two triple-bogeys and a quad! It was very up and down, to say the least. I would be playing well, when all of a sudden, a bad shot would find a penalty area. I collected a whopping 7 penalty strokes on the day. You simply cannot score well when you have even half that many penalties.
The birdie was on hole 6, a par-5 lined on both sides by mature trees. My drive clipped a tree on the right side, but I got a favourable bounce. Then I hit a beautiful 3-iron from the rough that travelled under some branches and well down the fairway. I stuck a wedge shot close with my third and drained the putt for the rare birdie.
Satisfying pars came on holes 9, 11, 13, 16, 17, and 18. Hole 11 is a par-5 that featured a fantastic up and down from 50 yards. Hole 13 featured perhaps the shot of the day. I drove the ball left of the fairway and not very deep on this par-4. To reach the hidden green 190 yards away, I had to hug a line of trees while keeping the ball below the branches. Another wonderful 3-iron from the rough did the trick, as the ball came to rest at the front of the putting surface.
Finishing with three consecutive pars was nice, especially since they came on a par-4, par-5, and par-3, respectively. By far, the most impressive of these was the par-5, or hole 17. A perfect drive to the sloped fairway was followed by a perfect 6-iron to the 100-yard stick. You couldn't place two shots any better on this hole. My wedge approach was a tad short of the flag, but I was still able to 2-putt from the fringe.
Kedron got me again, it seems. I simply have to start better when I play there.
Score: 96
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
Penalties: 7
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)