They say there's more than one way to skin a cat, and if my latest round of golf is any indication, they're absolutely right. Returning to Burlington Springs for a rare back-to-back visit, I posted a final score of 96, one stroke better than the previous week. The course was the same and the score was nearly identical, but that's where the similarities end. This was a very different round from start to finish.
For starters, I played the first hole much better than I did a week earlier. A perfect drive put me in the middle of the fairway with 145 yards to the flag. Next, I hit a 7-iron a tad fat, leaving the ball a few yards short of the green. I made a decent chip, but my putt rolled just past the hole, forcing a tap-in for bogey.
The next three holes were shaky, but I managed to limit the damage to a trio of double-bogeys. The last of these, on the fourth hole, was extremely hard-earned. I pulled my drive to the left, clipping the top branches of some mature trees. The ball dropped straight down and came to rest in an impossible lie. I used my sand wedge just to pop the ball loose of the long grass. I topped my next shot before striking a 3-iron left of the green. The next two shots really saved me. Facing an extremely narrow green, I hit a fine flop shot, catching the front edge and rolling to a stop before reaching the other side. This gave me a chance to putt and I took full advantage with a nice ten footer.
My disaster (I'm glad to report there was only one) came on the fifth hole, a 470-yard par-5. I had a par on this hole a week earlier, but this time it was quadruple-bogey. My drive sailed left of target and after hitting a tree with my second shot I managed to steer the ball back to the fairway. My fourth shot was mis-hit and the ball barely advanced. The fifth was much better, but the ball landed in a greenside bunker. Playing out of the sand, the best I could do was reach the collar of the green. A final chip and two putts were needed to finish up.
From this point on, I had just a wonderful round, playing bogey golf for thirteen holes. The two holes that resulted in scores of nine a week earlier yielded scores of six this time. That's a savings of six strokes over two holes, making up for the double-bogeys I amassed early in my return. Once again, I finished up strong on the final four holes, going par, par, bogey, and par to eclipse my previous score by one shot.
Score: 96
Par: 72
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
November 11, 2006
November 05, 2006
Mostly Solid at Burlington Springs
For Toronto area golfers intent on playing in November and December (fingers crossed), accurate weather forecasts are as good as gold. But just in case the forecasts are wrong, I make an effort to find good golf values at this time of year. In my view, a round of golf in bad weather isn't worth top dollar, no matter what the course.
My search for value recently took me to Burlington Springs Golf & Country Club, a course I haven't played in at least a couple of years. Located in Burlington, Ontario, the layout is open and flat, with many of the fairways crossed by an obviously man-made creek. What the course lacks in drama, it makes up for in conditioning - fairways and greens were in excellent shape.
After struggling terribly with my short game on the second hole - the longest of the course at 495 yards - I settled into one of my best stretches of the year. Over the next ten holes, I played better than bogey golf. The stretch included a double bogey on the sixth hole, thanks to a trio of putts. Fortunately, this was offset by a couple of pars - one on the fifth hole (a par-5) and another on the twelfth hole (a par-3). I had an equally good run on the last four holes of the course, finishing respectively with par, bogey, bogey, and par.
The problem on this day was my performance on the thirteenth and fourteenth holes. At 488 yards, the thirteenth fairway flanks the eastern boundary of the golf course. Out of bounds is not really a problem, since there is plenty of room to bail out on the opposite side of the fairway. My drive landed in the fairway, but I wasted the next two shots by topping the ball. When I finally made good contact, I ended up behind a tree near the green.
It was more of the same on the fourteenth hole, where some topped balls amounted to wasted shots. I also stumbled with my chipping near the green. The final result was a score of nine, same as the previous hole. When everything was said and done, I had a great round, apart from three horrible holes.
Score: 97
Par: 72
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
My search for value recently took me to Burlington Springs Golf & Country Club, a course I haven't played in at least a couple of years. Located in Burlington, Ontario, the layout is open and flat, with many of the fairways crossed by an obviously man-made creek. What the course lacks in drama, it makes up for in conditioning - fairways and greens were in excellent shape.
After struggling terribly with my short game on the second hole - the longest of the course at 495 yards - I settled into one of my best stretches of the year. Over the next ten holes, I played better than bogey golf. The stretch included a double bogey on the sixth hole, thanks to a trio of putts. Fortunately, this was offset by a couple of pars - one on the fifth hole (a par-5) and another on the twelfth hole (a par-3). I had an equally good run on the last four holes of the course, finishing respectively with par, bogey, bogey, and par.
The problem on this day was my performance on the thirteenth and fourteenth holes. At 488 yards, the thirteenth fairway flanks the eastern boundary of the golf course. Out of bounds is not really a problem, since there is plenty of room to bail out on the opposite side of the fairway. My drive landed in the fairway, but I wasted the next two shots by topping the ball. When I finally made good contact, I ended up behind a tree near the green.
It was more of the same on the fourteenth hole, where some topped balls amounted to wasted shots. I also stumbled with my chipping near the green. The final result was a score of nine, same as the previous hole. When everything was said and done, I had a great round, apart from three horrible holes.
Score: 97
Par: 72
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
November 01, 2006
Frustration at Hunters' Glen
The Championship Course at Hunters' Glen Golf Club is a fine test for almost any golfer. No slouch when it comes to distance, the course features a modest amount of water, but plenty of trees to make things interesting. Located in Kleinburg, just northwest of Toronto, it's a great spot for city golfers.
I took a day off work to take advantage of the club's fall weekday rates. On Mondays and Tuesdays, a round of golf costs just $18, which is unheard of in the Greater Toronto Area. It's a good thing I didn't spend a lot of money, since I had an extremely frustrating day. I have to thank my playing partners for their patience. They put up with my antics the entire round, which could not have been easy.
Things started poorly on the first hole, a 432-yard par-4. My tee shot came up short, landing in a large pool of standing water. Though my second shot was perfect, I still had 90 yards to the flag. Sure enough, my next shot was a duff, followed by a wild one that drifted way to the right. If that wasn't bad enough, I ended up at the base of a tree trunk and could not chip toward the flag. It took me two more shots to get on the green and two putts to hole out for a quadruple bogey.
Quadruple bogey was also the result on the fourth hole, a par-5 ranked as the toughest hole on the course. Getting to the green was an adventure, especially when a couple chip shots sailed right across the putting surface. It's fair to say that this is when I lost my cool. Though I limited the damage on the next three holes to bogey or double-bogey, I was not feeling very good at all. On the eighth hole, the frustration manifested itself in some poor decisions. I knew they were bad decisions, but didn't really care. At that point, I was looking forward to a fresh start on the back nine.
Unfortunately, my tee shot on the tenth hole, a 146-yard par-3 over water, was perhaps the worst shot of the day. After a nice practice swing, I sliced into the dirt well before the ball, rattling my right shoulder along with my nerves. The ball dribbled into the water, forcing me to add a penalty stroke. That pretty much eliminated any chance of finding my game on the back nine.
I played out the rest of the round in a stupor, robotically hitting one ball after another, just waiting for it all to end. I actually made a couple of pars on the fourteenth and sixteenth holes, but it was way too little, and way too late. For fun, I used my driver to putt on the eighteenth green. That's the kind of day it was.
Score: 118
Par: 72
Putts: 36
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
I took a day off work to take advantage of the club's fall weekday rates. On Mondays and Tuesdays, a round of golf costs just $18, which is unheard of in the Greater Toronto Area. It's a good thing I didn't spend a lot of money, since I had an extremely frustrating day. I have to thank my playing partners for their patience. They put up with my antics the entire round, which could not have been easy.
Things started poorly on the first hole, a 432-yard par-4. My tee shot came up short, landing in a large pool of standing water. Though my second shot was perfect, I still had 90 yards to the flag. Sure enough, my next shot was a duff, followed by a wild one that drifted way to the right. If that wasn't bad enough, I ended up at the base of a tree trunk and could not chip toward the flag. It took me two more shots to get on the green and two putts to hole out for a quadruple bogey.
Quadruple bogey was also the result on the fourth hole, a par-5 ranked as the toughest hole on the course. Getting to the green was an adventure, especially when a couple chip shots sailed right across the putting surface. It's fair to say that this is when I lost my cool. Though I limited the damage on the next three holes to bogey or double-bogey, I was not feeling very good at all. On the eighth hole, the frustration manifested itself in some poor decisions. I knew they were bad decisions, but didn't really care. At that point, I was looking forward to a fresh start on the back nine.
Unfortunately, my tee shot on the tenth hole, a 146-yard par-3 over water, was perhaps the worst shot of the day. After a nice practice swing, I sliced into the dirt well before the ball, rattling my right shoulder along with my nerves. The ball dribbled into the water, forcing me to add a penalty stroke. That pretty much eliminated any chance of finding my game on the back nine.
I played out the rest of the round in a stupor, robotically hitting one ball after another, just waiting for it all to end. I actually made a couple of pars on the fourteenth and sixteenth holes, but it was way too little, and way too late. For fun, I used my driver to putt on the eighteenth green. That's the kind of day it was.
Score: 118
Par: 72
Putts: 36
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
October 22, 2006
Saw-Whet Nailbiter
It's late October, which means golf season will soon be over here in southern Ontari-ari-ari-o. Sure, die-hards that brave the autumn chill can often extend the season to mid December, but opportunities for quality rounds are disappearing quickly. I've played a lot of golf this year, so I wouldn't feel bad if the season ended tomorrow. Having said that, I will definitely continue to play as long as the weather permits a decent golfing experience.
Round 40 of the season was played at Saw-Whet Golf Course, located in Oakville, Ontario. It's a course I've played often - one I should be able to take advantage of. I played reasonably well on the front nine, averaging bogey for all but one of the holes. The first half of that stretch featured some sketchy drives off the tee, but a few inspired iron shots kept me in the hunt.
On the seventh hole, a 331-yard par-4 that bends to the right, I finally gained control of the driver. Taking dead aim at the trees on the right side of the fairway, I launched a perfect shot. The ball sailed over the trees, landing safely in the fairway on the other side, a mere 90 yards to the green. My approach shot was a little long, so I needed a chip and two putts to hole out for bogey.
On the eighth hole, a 373-yard par-4, I drove the ball straight but not very far. The ball came to rest in the middle of the fairway, but I still had 170 yards to the flag. Using my trusty 5-iron, I smacked a wonderful shot that ended up pin-high on the collar of the green. After a great putt and an easy tap-in, I collected my only par of the day.
The back nine was fairly consistent, but I collected a few more double-bogeys than I did on the front. Driving was once again spotty, but I often recovered well. One example was the eleventh hole, where my second shot was played from behind a small pine tree. Trees further off in the distance prevented me from taking dead aim at the green, but I picked a spot on the left side of the fairway and hit a perfect 3-wood. From there, a simple chip and two putts earned a bogey.
Everything came down to the last two holes, a 144-yard par-3 and a 371-yard par-4. Standing on the seventeenth tee, I knew I needed no worse than two over par on the remaining holes to finish with a total score below 100. The seventeenth hole can be dangerous for right-handed pull-hitters, because the entire left side is out of bounds. I played it safe, missing the green to the right. The ball stayed out of the bunkers on that side, so I was able to chip and two-putt for a bogey.
On the eighteenth tee, I hit perhaps my best drive of the day, right to the 150-yard stick in the middle of the fairway. I got a little nervous when my subsequent shot came up well short of the green. Luckily, the ball stopped in an area with no impediments, from which I chipped safely onto the green. Next, I faced a lengthy putt, but my goal was just to put it close. I did precisely that and then tapped in for the required bogey.
It was the eighth time I broke 100 this season, fulfilling a goal I set at the start of the year. Throw in the two times I scored an even 100 and the total number of good rounds played (at least by my standards) this year is ten, representing 25% of rounds played. Next year, that number should be at least 50%.
Score: 99
Par: 71
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 1
Round 40 of the season was played at Saw-Whet Golf Course, located in Oakville, Ontario. It's a course I've played often - one I should be able to take advantage of. I played reasonably well on the front nine, averaging bogey for all but one of the holes. The first half of that stretch featured some sketchy drives off the tee, but a few inspired iron shots kept me in the hunt.
On the seventh hole, a 331-yard par-4 that bends to the right, I finally gained control of the driver. Taking dead aim at the trees on the right side of the fairway, I launched a perfect shot. The ball sailed over the trees, landing safely in the fairway on the other side, a mere 90 yards to the green. My approach shot was a little long, so I needed a chip and two putts to hole out for bogey.
On the eighth hole, a 373-yard par-4, I drove the ball straight but not very far. The ball came to rest in the middle of the fairway, but I still had 170 yards to the flag. Using my trusty 5-iron, I smacked a wonderful shot that ended up pin-high on the collar of the green. After a great putt and an easy tap-in, I collected my only par of the day.
The back nine was fairly consistent, but I collected a few more double-bogeys than I did on the front. Driving was once again spotty, but I often recovered well. One example was the eleventh hole, where my second shot was played from behind a small pine tree. Trees further off in the distance prevented me from taking dead aim at the green, but I picked a spot on the left side of the fairway and hit a perfect 3-wood. From there, a simple chip and two putts earned a bogey.
Everything came down to the last two holes, a 144-yard par-3 and a 371-yard par-4. Standing on the seventeenth tee, I knew I needed no worse than two over par on the remaining holes to finish with a total score below 100. The seventeenth hole can be dangerous for right-handed pull-hitters, because the entire left side is out of bounds. I played it safe, missing the green to the right. The ball stayed out of the bunkers on that side, so I was able to chip and two-putt for a bogey.
On the eighteenth tee, I hit perhaps my best drive of the day, right to the 150-yard stick in the middle of the fairway. I got a little nervous when my subsequent shot came up well short of the green. Luckily, the ball stopped in an area with no impediments, from which I chipped safely onto the green. Next, I faced a lengthy putt, but my goal was just to put it close. I did precisely that and then tapped in for the required bogey.
It was the eighth time I broke 100 this season, fulfilling a goal I set at the start of the year. Throw in the two times I scored an even 100 and the total number of good rounds played (at least by my standards) this year is ten, representing 25% of rounds played. Next year, that number should be at least 50%.
Score: 99
Par: 71
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 1
October 17, 2006
Tough Wind at Pheasant Run
With a freak snowstorm hitting areas as near as Fort Erie just a few days earlier, I was a little worried about the weather for my latest round of golf. The forecast called for a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, with the wind chill making it feel like -1 degrees. As it turned out, temperature was not a problem, but wind certainly was.
This was my first visit ever to Pheasant Run Golf Club, located in Sharon, Ontario. Pheasant Run features three 9-hole courses, allowing for some interesting combinations. I played the Highlands and Midlands courses, which meander through thick woods and feature some pretty elevation changes. The Southern Uplands course is a little more subdued, with gently rolling terrain and fewer tree-lined holes.
The Highlands course features three par-5 holes, including the first hole, which is arguably the toughest of the bunch. Thick woods line the entire fairway and wrap around parts of the green, making this hole tough even when the weather is perfect. Add some wind and a little chill and things get downright nasty. I had trouble with many of the par-5 holes, mostly because of the plentiful trees. To be completely honest, my ball striking also left something to be desired.
I struck the ball much better on the Midlands course, but was unable to adapt my short game to the windy conditions. Shots with the pitching or sand wedge seemed to carry much further than usual and it was difficult to concentrate while chipping and putting. I also lost a few balls in the fallen leaves, which artificially inflated my score. Under summer conditions, those balls would easily be found.
Despite my final score, it was a very enjoyable round. Pheasant Run is quite a nice course -- one I will definitely return to next season.
Score: 118
Par: 73
Putts: 43
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
This was my first visit ever to Pheasant Run Golf Club, located in Sharon, Ontario. Pheasant Run features three 9-hole courses, allowing for some interesting combinations. I played the Highlands and Midlands courses, which meander through thick woods and feature some pretty elevation changes. The Southern Uplands course is a little more subdued, with gently rolling terrain and fewer tree-lined holes.
The Highlands course features three par-5 holes, including the first hole, which is arguably the toughest of the bunch. Thick woods line the entire fairway and wrap around parts of the green, making this hole tough even when the weather is perfect. Add some wind and a little chill and things get downright nasty. I had trouble with many of the par-5 holes, mostly because of the plentiful trees. To be completely honest, my ball striking also left something to be desired.
I struck the ball much better on the Midlands course, but was unable to adapt my short game to the windy conditions. Shots with the pitching or sand wedge seemed to carry much further than usual and it was difficult to concentrate while chipping and putting. I also lost a few balls in the fallen leaves, which artificially inflated my score. Under summer conditions, those balls would easily be found.
Despite my final score, it was a very enjoyable round. Pheasant Run is quite a nice course -- one I will definitely return to next season.
Score: 118
Par: 73
Putts: 43
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
October 16, 2006
Sizzling at Shawneeki
After being harassed by a course marshal there last year, I thought twice about returning to Shawneeki Golf Club, located in Sharon, Ontario. Since I was recently invited to play there, and since the location had already been set, I decided to give the club a chance at redemption. This time, I'm happy to say that service was good, as was my game.
The round began with four consecutive double-bogeys, as I see-sawed back and forth between good shots and bad shots. On the first hole, a 300-yard par-4, a decent 3-wood off the tee was followed by a wedge shot that came up short and some horrible chip attempts. A strong putt was required to salvage double-bogey. On the subsequent hole, a 447-yard par-5, two mis-hits with the 3-wood were followed by a good hit and solid approach to the green. Poor tee shots on the next two holes were followed by spectacular drives.
Fortunately, I began to play more consistently on the fifth hole, which I managed to par in textbook fashion. This was one of three pars I put together before beginning the back nine. The other two came on the eighth and ninth holes. The eighth hole, a 482-yard par-5, was particularly satisfying. I hit a 3-iron off the tee, laying up in front of a pond that bisects the fairway. It was 3-iron again for my second shot, but my line was off and the ball drifted right of the fairway. My third shot was a wonderful mid-iron poke that settled flag high, just off the green. After a near-perfect chip shot, I had an easy tap-in for par.
The back nine was a joy to play, and I ran into trouble only on the eleventh hole, a 467-yard par-5 with a strong left dogleg. After the dogleg, the hole is wide open, but getting there requires a straight shot through a narrow fairway flanked on both sides by thick woods. I found the woods on the left, but also visited the woods on the right when a punch shot carried further than I expected. It all led to a triple-bogey, but my spirits were not dampened.
I went on to close the round out with two pars, followed by five consecutive bogeys. The first par was on the twelfth hole, a picturesque par-3 from an elevated tee box. The second par was on the thirteenth hole, a fun par-4 on the corner of the property that features water, out-of-bounds, a dogleg fairway, and an elevated green. The string of bogeys was a result of safe and controlled play. I hit only one fairway and reached only one green in regulation during that stretch, but I made crisp contact with every shot and closed things out with good chipping and putting for my fourth-best score ever.
Score: 93
Par: 72
Putts: 33
Fairways: 2
Greens: 1
The round began with four consecutive double-bogeys, as I see-sawed back and forth between good shots and bad shots. On the first hole, a 300-yard par-4, a decent 3-wood off the tee was followed by a wedge shot that came up short and some horrible chip attempts. A strong putt was required to salvage double-bogey. On the subsequent hole, a 447-yard par-5, two mis-hits with the 3-wood were followed by a good hit and solid approach to the green. Poor tee shots on the next two holes were followed by spectacular drives.
Fortunately, I began to play more consistently on the fifth hole, which I managed to par in textbook fashion. This was one of three pars I put together before beginning the back nine. The other two came on the eighth and ninth holes. The eighth hole, a 482-yard par-5, was particularly satisfying. I hit a 3-iron off the tee, laying up in front of a pond that bisects the fairway. It was 3-iron again for my second shot, but my line was off and the ball drifted right of the fairway. My third shot was a wonderful mid-iron poke that settled flag high, just off the green. After a near-perfect chip shot, I had an easy tap-in for par.
The back nine was a joy to play, and I ran into trouble only on the eleventh hole, a 467-yard par-5 with a strong left dogleg. After the dogleg, the hole is wide open, but getting there requires a straight shot through a narrow fairway flanked on both sides by thick woods. I found the woods on the left, but also visited the woods on the right when a punch shot carried further than I expected. It all led to a triple-bogey, but my spirits were not dampened.
I went on to close the round out with two pars, followed by five consecutive bogeys. The first par was on the twelfth hole, a picturesque par-3 from an elevated tee box. The second par was on the thirteenth hole, a fun par-4 on the corner of the property that features water, out-of-bounds, a dogleg fairway, and an elevated green. The string of bogeys was a result of safe and controlled play. I hit only one fairway and reached only one green in regulation during that stretch, but I made crisp contact with every shot and closed things out with good chipping and putting for my fourth-best score ever.
Score: 93
Par: 72
Putts: 33
Fairways: 2
Greens: 1
October 15, 2006
Killer Greens at Tyandaga
With a couple of decent rounds under my belt, I was looking forward to playing at Tyandaga Municipal Golf Course, located in Burlington, Ontario. Tyandaga is not a particularly long course, measuring less than 5,800 yards from the back tees, but the hilly terrain and some tight fairways make it a formidable challenge.
I drove the ball poorly most of the day, hitting just three fairways. Two of those barely reached the fairway, as I struck ground before ball and was lucky to achieve any distance. When I managed good contact off the tee, I usually pulled the ball just left of target. On a few occasions, I pulled the ball severely into the woods or out of bounds.
My iron play was quite good, provided I was taking a full swing. I had good accuracy and distance with my low irons and found a fair number of greens with my pitching wedge. Chipping and putting was another story, as the Jeckyll & Hyde greens played tricks on my mind and wreaked havoc with my ego.
I three-putted nine of the holes played, racking up a total of 45 putts for the round. Sloping greens and a slick surface often conspired to inflate my scores. On numerous occasions, I tapped the ball ever so lightly only to watch it roll ten feet past the hole. When I made good putts, they either lipped out or stopped within a few inches. Absolutely nothing dropped.
I limped through the last two holes and was happy to get in the car and leave.
Score: 116
Par: 71
Putts: 45
Fairways: 3
Greens: 0
I drove the ball poorly most of the day, hitting just three fairways. Two of those barely reached the fairway, as I struck ground before ball and was lucky to achieve any distance. When I managed good contact off the tee, I usually pulled the ball just left of target. On a few occasions, I pulled the ball severely into the woods or out of bounds.
My iron play was quite good, provided I was taking a full swing. I had good accuracy and distance with my low irons and found a fair number of greens with my pitching wedge. Chipping and putting was another story, as the Jeckyll & Hyde greens played tricks on my mind and wreaked havoc with my ego.
I three-putted nine of the holes played, racking up a total of 45 putts for the round. Sloping greens and a slick surface often conspired to inflate my scores. On numerous occasions, I tapped the ball ever so lightly only to watch it roll ten feet past the hole. When I made good putts, they either lipped out or stopped within a few inches. Absolutely nothing dropped.
I limped through the last two holes and was happy to get in the car and leave.
Score: 116
Par: 71
Putts: 45
Fairways: 3
Greens: 0
October 09, 2006
Big Choke at Banty's Roost
After breaking out of a slump at The Highlands Golf Club, I felt confident going in to my next round at Banty's Roost Golf & Country Club. At the same time, I really had something to prove, since I let a sure sub-100 round turn into a 101 with a quadruple bogey on The Highlands' final hole. A similar collapse cost me a sub-100 round in the season opener, when a quintuple bogey on the final hole at Banty's Roost pushed my total score to 102.
The first seven holes were sheer magic, as I amassed a score that was merely five over par. In that stretch I hit just one fairway, but I was on the green in regulation three times, leading to three pars. Three bogeys and a double-bogey rounded out the run, the latter due to a couple of poorly hit 3-woods. Then the madness began.
On the eighth hole, a 348-yard par-4, my tee shot trickled into the woods right of the fairway. I was forced to take a drop and an accompanying penalty stroke. As my third shot bounced in front of the green, I thought I would escape relatively unharmed. Inexplicably however, the ball rolled on the green and continued rolling until it was two yards off the back. A poor chip shot didn't help matters, but what really killed me was the ensuing four-putt! This must have rattled me, because I found water on the next hole and missed an easy putt, ending with a triple-bogey.
I could have folded then and there, but I still had a good round going so I tried to regroup. The next five holes were once again magical. Playing with control and confidence, I strung together a par, three bogeys and a double-bogey, the latter courtesy of a short putt that did not drop. Then the stupidity began.
Three of the last four holes were disastrous. My tee shot on the first of these, a 189-yard par-3, was off the heel of the club and I found myself under a thick pine tree. It took a couple shots to emerge from this predicament and that bothered me. Poor chip shots ensued and I began to wonder if a sub-100 round could be salvaged. I actually started the next hole well, but an attempted chip shot from off the green found a lone tree trunk and a short putt was also missed.
On the tee at the last hole, a 548-yard par-5, I needed triple-bogey or better to shoot under 100. Easy, right? Well, not quite. I topped my second shot and that began a series of shots from terrible lies. One of these was with the ball well below my feet, while the others were with the ball well above. In the end, I earned a quadruple bogey and a total score of 100.
On the eighteenth green, one of my playing partners performed the Heimlich Manoeuvre on me, enabling me to walk off the course safely.
Score: 100
Par: 71
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
The first seven holes were sheer magic, as I amassed a score that was merely five over par. In that stretch I hit just one fairway, but I was on the green in regulation three times, leading to three pars. Three bogeys and a double-bogey rounded out the run, the latter due to a couple of poorly hit 3-woods. Then the madness began.
On the eighth hole, a 348-yard par-4, my tee shot trickled into the woods right of the fairway. I was forced to take a drop and an accompanying penalty stroke. As my third shot bounced in front of the green, I thought I would escape relatively unharmed. Inexplicably however, the ball rolled on the green and continued rolling until it was two yards off the back. A poor chip shot didn't help matters, but what really killed me was the ensuing four-putt! This must have rattled me, because I found water on the next hole and missed an easy putt, ending with a triple-bogey.
I could have folded then and there, but I still had a good round going so I tried to regroup. The next five holes were once again magical. Playing with control and confidence, I strung together a par, three bogeys and a double-bogey, the latter courtesy of a short putt that did not drop. Then the stupidity began.
Three of the last four holes were disastrous. My tee shot on the first of these, a 189-yard par-3, was off the heel of the club and I found myself under a thick pine tree. It took a couple shots to emerge from this predicament and that bothered me. Poor chip shots ensued and I began to wonder if a sub-100 round could be salvaged. I actually started the next hole well, but an attempted chip shot from off the green found a lone tree trunk and a short putt was also missed.
On the tee at the last hole, a 548-yard par-5, I needed triple-bogey or better to shoot under 100. Easy, right? Well, not quite. I topped my second shot and that began a series of shots from terrible lies. One of these was with the ball well below my feet, while the others were with the ball well above. In the end, I earned a quadruple bogey and a total score of 100.
On the eighteenth green, one of my playing partners performed the Heimlich Manoeuvre on me, enabling me to walk off the course safely.
Score: 100
Par: 71
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
September 24, 2006
Highlands Slumpbuster
With rain a distinct possibility for Sunday afternoon, I decided to book an early tee time and hope for the best. On short notice, I was able to land a 7:45 start at The Highlands Golf Club, located in Bradford, Ontario.
Things got off to a cracking start, as the Brits say, when I went bogey, par, bogey, par on the first four holes. The driver and irons were working reasonably well, but pitch shots were the real story, setting up one easy putt after another. Through four holes, I had just four putts. Through six holes, I had but seven.
I triple-bogeyed the fifth hole, a 517-yard par-5. From the middle of the fairway, I topped my second shot with a 3-wood, landing in a bunker. The next shot was not ideal, but I did emerge from the sand. Apart from those two shots, it was a well played hole. I also triple-bogeyed the ninth hole, a shorter par-5 measuring 446 yards. In the middle of the fairway, I topped my second shot again with the 3-wood. I learned my lesson and followed that shot with a beauty using the same club. It was not a problem the rest of the day.
The back nine began with a pretty good stretch, including three bogeys, a par and a birdie on holes ten through fifteen. One of those bogeys should have been par or better, as I reached the green in regulation, but faltered with the putter. The birdie was a near hole-in-one on the thirteenth hole, a 114-yard par-3 where golfers must carry water and sand to reach the green safely. My tee shot landed pin-high on the soft green, about 12 inches right of the target.
Going into the last hole, I had a score of 92. All I needed was double-bogey or better on the par-5 to break 100. Unfortunately, I sliced my drive into the fescue right of the fairway. Despite the error, I reached the green with five shots. At that point, a simple two-putt would have sufficed. The pressure must have gotten to me, as I proceeded to putt the ball right off the green! The subsequent chip shot did not go in, so I added a couple putts and settled for a final score of 101.
That's a decent result, good enough to classify this round as a slumpbuster.
Score: 101
Par: 72
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
Things got off to a cracking start, as the Brits say, when I went bogey, par, bogey, par on the first four holes. The driver and irons were working reasonably well, but pitch shots were the real story, setting up one easy putt after another. Through four holes, I had just four putts. Through six holes, I had but seven.
I triple-bogeyed the fifth hole, a 517-yard par-5. From the middle of the fairway, I topped my second shot with a 3-wood, landing in a bunker. The next shot was not ideal, but I did emerge from the sand. Apart from those two shots, it was a well played hole. I also triple-bogeyed the ninth hole, a shorter par-5 measuring 446 yards. In the middle of the fairway, I topped my second shot again with the 3-wood. I learned my lesson and followed that shot with a beauty using the same club. It was not a problem the rest of the day.
The back nine began with a pretty good stretch, including three bogeys, a par and a birdie on holes ten through fifteen. One of those bogeys should have been par or better, as I reached the green in regulation, but faltered with the putter. The birdie was a near hole-in-one on the thirteenth hole, a 114-yard par-3 where golfers must carry water and sand to reach the green safely. My tee shot landed pin-high on the soft green, about 12 inches right of the target.
Going into the last hole, I had a score of 92. All I needed was double-bogey or better on the par-5 to break 100. Unfortunately, I sliced my drive into the fescue right of the fairway. Despite the error, I reached the green with five shots. At that point, a simple two-putt would have sufficed. The pressure must have gotten to me, as I proceeded to putt the ball right off the green! The subsequent chip shot did not go in, so I added a couple putts and settled for a final score of 101.
That's a decent result, good enough to classify this round as a slumpbuster.
Score: 101
Par: 72
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
September 18, 2006
Marathon at Seaton
Four rounds of demoralizing golf apparently was not enough. The suffering extended to five consecutive rounds, courtesy of an afternoon outing at Seaton Golf & Country Club, located in Pickering, Ontario.
Had it been a quick and dirty round, I might have escaped with a shred of optimism intact, but this turned out to be a marathon event, lasting five hours and fifty minutes. I should have known better. Seaton is a fine course, but it seems to attract hordes of players that know very little about pace of play.
Things began poorly on the first hole, with a three-putt leading to double-bogey. I did well to bogey four of the next five holes, but the one I didn't bogey was truly disastrous. A straight hole measuring 300 yards and completely wide open, it should have been an easy par-4. Unfortunately, a horrible tee shot started a domino effect that resulted in a final score of ten. Yuck!
In the middle part of the round, penalty strokes inflated my score. I was not hitting the ball wildly, but I managed to trickle into the trees time after time. The thirteenth and fourteenth holes were especially troublesome, with multiple excursions into the woods lining the fairways.
The highlight and lowlight of the day came on the sixteenth hole, a 467-yard par-5. I drove the ball just left of the fairway, but it travelled a healthy 240 yards. Thinking I could not exceed about 200 yards with my second shot, I let loose with a 3-wood while the group ahead dallied on the right side of the fairway, a short distance in front of the green. I ended up hitting the ball more squarely and with more power than I ever have before, so much so that it rolled right past the group ahead. From my vantage point, I could not tell if the ball reached the green, but it was close at the very least.
I had never reached a par-5 in two shots before, so I was ecstatic, as you can imagine. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. As I began walking towards the green, I watched a woman from the group ahead walk to the location of my ball, bend down and pick something up. I wondered if she had just poached my ball, but thought nobody could possibly be that stupid. Well, apparently she was. When I got to the front of the green, my ball was nowhere in sight. The dingbat had actually taken it!
To make matters worse, she and her playing partners all claimed innocence. At this point in the round, they had joined up with the group in front of them and were actually playing as a group of eight! Can you believe that? No wonder the round took nearly six hours to complete!
The anger must have given me focus, because I went on to hit a couple of beautiful shots. The first was my drive off the tee on the seventeenth hole, a par-4. With the eight idiots wrapping up their approaches to the green, I smacked a laser beam right down the middle of the fairway a distance of 250 yards. It rolled up right behind them, so I had to keep my eye on it all the way.
The second great shot was my approach on the eighteenth hole, another par-4. I had messed up two previous shots, so I still had 240 yards to the green. Once again, I pulled out my 3-wood and absolutely smoked it! I saw this one all the way as it rolled and came to rest at the back of the green.
The way I swung that 3-wood for the last couple of holes was perfect. I really surprised myself with the distance I got out of it. It definitely helped take some of the sting out of a bad round.
Score: 114
Par: 70
Putts: 41
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
Had it been a quick and dirty round, I might have escaped with a shred of optimism intact, but this turned out to be a marathon event, lasting five hours and fifty minutes. I should have known better. Seaton is a fine course, but it seems to attract hordes of players that know very little about pace of play.
Things began poorly on the first hole, with a three-putt leading to double-bogey. I did well to bogey four of the next five holes, but the one I didn't bogey was truly disastrous. A straight hole measuring 300 yards and completely wide open, it should have been an easy par-4. Unfortunately, a horrible tee shot started a domino effect that resulted in a final score of ten. Yuck!
In the middle part of the round, penalty strokes inflated my score. I was not hitting the ball wildly, but I managed to trickle into the trees time after time. The thirteenth and fourteenth holes were especially troublesome, with multiple excursions into the woods lining the fairways.
The highlight and lowlight of the day came on the sixteenth hole, a 467-yard par-5. I drove the ball just left of the fairway, but it travelled a healthy 240 yards. Thinking I could not exceed about 200 yards with my second shot, I let loose with a 3-wood while the group ahead dallied on the right side of the fairway, a short distance in front of the green. I ended up hitting the ball more squarely and with more power than I ever have before, so much so that it rolled right past the group ahead. From my vantage point, I could not tell if the ball reached the green, but it was close at the very least.
I had never reached a par-5 in two shots before, so I was ecstatic, as you can imagine. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. As I began walking towards the green, I watched a woman from the group ahead walk to the location of my ball, bend down and pick something up. I wondered if she had just poached my ball, but thought nobody could possibly be that stupid. Well, apparently she was. When I got to the front of the green, my ball was nowhere in sight. The dingbat had actually taken it!
To make matters worse, she and her playing partners all claimed innocence. At this point in the round, they had joined up with the group in front of them and were actually playing as a group of eight! Can you believe that? No wonder the round took nearly six hours to complete!
The anger must have given me focus, because I went on to hit a couple of beautiful shots. The first was my drive off the tee on the seventeenth hole, a par-4. With the eight idiots wrapping up their approaches to the green, I smacked a laser beam right down the middle of the fairway a distance of 250 yards. It rolled up right behind them, so I had to keep my eye on it all the way.
The second great shot was my approach on the eighteenth hole, another par-4. I had messed up two previous shots, so I still had 240 yards to the green. Once again, I pulled out my 3-wood and absolutely smoked it! I saw this one all the way as it rolled and came to rest at the back of the green.
The way I swung that 3-wood for the last couple of holes was perfect. I really surprised myself with the distance I got out of it. It definitely helped take some of the sting out of a bad round.
Score: 114
Par: 70
Putts: 41
Fairways: 2
Greens: 2
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