Barring some unusual circumstances, I've likely played my last round of the year. It was at Twenty Valley, where I also played my first round of 2017. The rounds fell just before and just after the official golf season in Ontario, so neither had any effect on my handicap factor. There's something fitting about having the official season bookended by these two rounds – the symmetry is perfect.
It wasn't as warm as called for in the forecast a few days earlier, but it was warm enough to be comfortable and there was no significant wind. It rained steadily for a couple days before the round, so the course was a little soft. I teed off as a single, catching up to a foursome on the tee at hole #13. They let me through immediately, as did another foursome just ahead of them. All of this made for a quick round.
I started poorly, miss hitting my second shot on the opening par-5. This got me into some wet areas off the fairway and I only reached the green in 5. The subsequent 3-putt and triple-bogey was like a knife in the back. It didn't last long, as I followed up with two bogeys and a par on hole #4. The tee shot is a forced carry over a wide river to a steep hill on the other side. I managed it well, but my approach to the green from 90 yards came up two yards short. My chip went well past the hole, but I drained a long putt. Nice!
The wet ground and poor putting got me on hole #5, leading to double-bogey. My drive was fine, but my approach from 130 yards only travelled 80. After pitching to the front of the green, I 3-putt. The bad karma carried over the next two holes, as I registered a triple and quadruple-bogey. Hole #6 features a forced carry over the river from an elevated tee. I made poor contact and dunked one in the water. Just off the green in 3, I made a terrible chip and another 3-putt. It was horrible. Hole #7 is a par-3 over water and I put two balls off the tee into the wet stuff. When I finally got the ball airborne, it finished 15 feet from the hole. Still, I needed 2 putts to finish.
Luckily, I made the turn with some momentum on my side. I made par on hole #8 with a great drive and another long putt. I judged the cool temperature and elevation change on hole #9 almost perfectly, with my tee shot finishing just off the back of the green on this par-3. I couldn't get up and down from there, but bogey had me starting the back nine with a score of 50 even.
I had three pars on the back nine, including one on hole #10, a 493-yard par-5. It was a textbook hole from start to finish. Though I just missed the fairway on the left, my second shot was good and my third found the putting surface. A nice lag and tap-in closed the deal. The other pars were on holes #14, which is another par-5, and on hole #16, a 200-yard par-3. My birdie attempt from the fringe on #14 almost went in, finishing with part of the ball hanging over the edge of the hole. On #16, I missed the green off the tee, but a great pitch from a hillside left me close and I drained a 5-footer.
To go along with the three pars on the back nine there were four bogeys and a couple of doubles. The bogeys were fairly typical. Between driving the ball and making approach shots, I often miss slightly, requiring one extra shot to find the putting surface. When this is followed by a standard 2-putt, bogey is the result. One of the doubles resulted from a 3-putt, while the other was caused largely by a duffed second shot.
I shot 45 on the back nine, which is pretty good, and finished with a score of 95 overall.
Score: 95
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
November 16, 2017
November 02, 2017
Closing at Calerin
Judging by the forecast for the next couple of weeks, this may have been my last round of the year. I'll pounce on any warm weather that materializes, but right now, it doesn't look good. The round at Calerin began at 11:30 am and it took an hour or so for the temperature to creep into the comfortable range. I had not played in over a week and was a bit rusty. Despite terrible tee shots on the first two holes, I recovered well for a pair of bogeys. On the first hole, I push sliced a drive into the opposite fairway. On the second, I came up short of the par-3 with a sand wedge.
I nailed the fairway on hole #3 with an excellent drive, but exploded for a triple-bogey with a series of missed shots. I duffed two in a row, before pitching to the back edge of the green. My lengthy lag attempt was well short, setting up two more putts to finish up. It got worse on hole #4, beginning with a pulled drive that went out of bounds. After hitting my third from the tee, I recovered momentarily, only to lose another ball short and left of the green. I finished the par-5 with an ugly score of 9.
The rest of the front nine was trouble free, as I recorded five bogeys in a row. I only hit one of those fairways and one of those greens in regulation, but you don't really need those to put together a string of bogeys. When I missed a fairway, it was just by a couple of yards – same thing for the greens. A chip and a couple of putts was the typical finish. It goes to show the importance of avoiding big misses with your full shots. If you can do that for an entire round, breaking 90 is very likely. You'll hit two or three greens and those will be your chances for par.
The back nine was just as consistent as the latter half of the front. I began with a birdie on hole #10, a 472-yard par-5. I split the fairway with my drive, followed by a 5-wood that finished in a bunker, 70 yards short of the green. My lob wedge was a thing of beauty, as the ball hit just beyond the flag and spun back to just in front, leaving an uphill putt of about 6 feet that I drained.
I made double-bogey on hole #11, a par-3, as I once again missed the green. I was in a large waste bunker right of the flag, about 30 yards. Despite making a great shot, my ball rolled off the opposite side of the green. It took a chip and two putts to finish. I recovered well, however, earning bogey and par on the next two holes. Calerin is a 9-hole course that you play twice from two sets of tees, and these were the two holes I blew up on the first time around. As usual, my blowups have much more to do with bad execution than they do with the design of a hole.
Hole #14 is a 142-yard par-3 that produced a double-bogey. My 8-iron off the tee came out low and rammed into the face of a bunker protecting the front of the green. I got out to the rough with a single shot, then made a delicate chip and two putts. I was close enough to finish with just one putt, but I burned the edge with a bad miss. In the last two rounds, I've noticed something wrong with my putter. It appears to have been bent out of shape. When I hold it as I always have, it looks like it has more loft than it did before. To get the face to look normal, I have to use a bit of a forward press. I think this putter is finished. I may have to get a new one for next year.
I finished the round going bogey, par, bogey, bogey. My last three drives were terrible, but in each case, I recovered well. An up and down from 30 yards did the trick on hole #16. A fantastic 5-wood was key on hole #17. I just missed another up and down from just off the green for par. Finally, it was an up and down from about 15 yards that saved bogey on the last hole of the day. 43 on the back nine was pretty good and 93 overall – well, that's pretty typical. Still, I'll take it.
Score: 93
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
I nailed the fairway on hole #3 with an excellent drive, but exploded for a triple-bogey with a series of missed shots. I duffed two in a row, before pitching to the back edge of the green. My lengthy lag attempt was well short, setting up two more putts to finish up. It got worse on hole #4, beginning with a pulled drive that went out of bounds. After hitting my third from the tee, I recovered momentarily, only to lose another ball short and left of the green. I finished the par-5 with an ugly score of 9.
The rest of the front nine was trouble free, as I recorded five bogeys in a row. I only hit one of those fairways and one of those greens in regulation, but you don't really need those to put together a string of bogeys. When I missed a fairway, it was just by a couple of yards – same thing for the greens. A chip and a couple of putts was the typical finish. It goes to show the importance of avoiding big misses with your full shots. If you can do that for an entire round, breaking 90 is very likely. You'll hit two or three greens and those will be your chances for par.
The back nine was just as consistent as the latter half of the front. I began with a birdie on hole #10, a 472-yard par-5. I split the fairway with my drive, followed by a 5-wood that finished in a bunker, 70 yards short of the green. My lob wedge was a thing of beauty, as the ball hit just beyond the flag and spun back to just in front, leaving an uphill putt of about 6 feet that I drained.
I made double-bogey on hole #11, a par-3, as I once again missed the green. I was in a large waste bunker right of the flag, about 30 yards. Despite making a great shot, my ball rolled off the opposite side of the green. It took a chip and two putts to finish. I recovered well, however, earning bogey and par on the next two holes. Calerin is a 9-hole course that you play twice from two sets of tees, and these were the two holes I blew up on the first time around. As usual, my blowups have much more to do with bad execution than they do with the design of a hole.
Hole #14 is a 142-yard par-3 that produced a double-bogey. My 8-iron off the tee came out low and rammed into the face of a bunker protecting the front of the green. I got out to the rough with a single shot, then made a delicate chip and two putts. I was close enough to finish with just one putt, but I burned the edge with a bad miss. In the last two rounds, I've noticed something wrong with my putter. It appears to have been bent out of shape. When I hold it as I always have, it looks like it has more loft than it did before. To get the face to look normal, I have to use a bit of a forward press. I think this putter is finished. I may have to get a new one for next year.
I finished the round going bogey, par, bogey, bogey. My last three drives were terrible, but in each case, I recovered well. An up and down from 30 yards did the trick on hole #16. A fantastic 5-wood was key on hole #17. I just missed another up and down from just off the green for par. Finally, it was an up and down from about 15 yards that saved bogey on the last hole of the day. 43 on the back nine was pretty good and 93 overall – well, that's pretty typical. Still, I'll take it.
Score: 93
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
October 29, 2017
Trying Again at Battlefield
I was disappointed with my last visit to Battlefield, because of the conditions and because of my performance, so I returned quickly to have another crack at the course. I teed off at 1:30 pm, which should have provided plenty of time to finish before sundown. Unfortunately, a group of hooligans was playing ahead of me and they had no regard for time or for anyone playing behind them. The round took just over five hours to play, with the last two holes played after the sun had dipped below the horizon. All the while, these good ol' boys were having the time of their lives, hooting, hollering and holding committee discussions after every shot. This continued with a boisterous chipping contest on the practice green, as my group tried to putt on the nearby 18th green.
The good news is that conditions were better than the last time at Battlefield. It had not rained in the days prior to my round, so the ground was not completely saturated with water. Unfortunately, I got off to a bad start. A perfect drive on the opening par-5 was wasted with a duffed second shot. This made the third shot much longer than it needed to be, and I landed in a bunker fronting the green. My out from the bunker overshot the green by 10 yards and the comebacker rolled downhill off the putting surface. I made a decent chip, but still needed a couple of putts to finish with a triple-bogey.
The next two holes were quite good, producing scores of bogey and par. A great pitch from 30 yards gave me a chance to save par on the first of these, a par-4. Unfortunately, I just missed the putt. A fantastic tee shot on the second, a par-3, gave me a legitimate chance at birdie. Unfortunately, I missed the putt again. These misses would be costly, because I blew up for another triple-bogey on the subsequent hole, a par-4. My drive missed the fairway to the right and I had a poor lie, with a clump of dirt and grass right behind my ball. My second shot went 10 yards and my third found a greenside bunker. Two shots to get out were followed by a chip and a putt for the offensive triple.
The rest of the front nine was smooth sailing, as I registered four bogeys and a par. I wasn't striking the ball great, but I was avoiding bad misses and making progress with each shot. In fact, I had chances at more pars, but could not make the putts I needed. I 2-putt all of these holes, but almost all of those first putts were makeable ones that I barely missed. Over the course of a round, you really hope to drain a few of those. I made the turn with a score of 47, which is pretty typical.
The back nine is when I really became concerned about finishing the round before sunset. I peeked at my watch on the 10th tee and knew that we were going to be in trouble. I'm not sure if this upset my focus, but I started the back nine with three consecutive double-bogeys. On hole #10, the problem was a horribly pulled tee shot into the woods. On hole #11, it was a shanked pitch attempt from 50 yards that dove into a pond near the green. I hit two good shots on this par-5 to get into that position, so it was a complete waste of two strokes. On hole #12, the problem was a series of bad shots in a row, beginning off the tee.
The middle third of the back nine was fine, as I collected a par and two bogeys. One of the bogeys resulted from a 3-putt on a par-3, so that was a bit disappointing. At this point, we were already fighting the light, so my mind was not really in the right place. We waited for ages on the 16th tee, as the hooligans ahead had a cart parked near the woods on the right side of the fairway. I figured one guy must have been looking for balls in the woods, as he simply drove off when he finally emerged. Of course, I duffed my tee shot after the wait. Since my ball didn't even reach the fairway, I was just trying to save bogey. Alas, I was a little imprecise and double-bogey was the outcome.
As I mentioned earlier, the last two holes were played after sunset. Hole #17 is a 166-yard par-3 over water. Every player in my foursome dunked a ball in the drink, including myself. I proceeded from the drop zone and took a ridiculous triple-bogey. No way I would blow up like that in decent conditions, but playing in semi darkness has a way of throwing you off. In spite of the dark, I managed to par the last hole, a 480-yard par-5. My drive split the fairway, followed by a 5-wood that did the same. From 50 yards out, I punched a low one to the front of the green and finished with a 2-putt.
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
Penalties: 3
The good news is that conditions were better than the last time at Battlefield. It had not rained in the days prior to my round, so the ground was not completely saturated with water. Unfortunately, I got off to a bad start. A perfect drive on the opening par-5 was wasted with a duffed second shot. This made the third shot much longer than it needed to be, and I landed in a bunker fronting the green. My out from the bunker overshot the green by 10 yards and the comebacker rolled downhill off the putting surface. I made a decent chip, but still needed a couple of putts to finish with a triple-bogey.
The next two holes were quite good, producing scores of bogey and par. A great pitch from 30 yards gave me a chance to save par on the first of these, a par-4. Unfortunately, I just missed the putt. A fantastic tee shot on the second, a par-3, gave me a legitimate chance at birdie. Unfortunately, I missed the putt again. These misses would be costly, because I blew up for another triple-bogey on the subsequent hole, a par-4. My drive missed the fairway to the right and I had a poor lie, with a clump of dirt and grass right behind my ball. My second shot went 10 yards and my third found a greenside bunker. Two shots to get out were followed by a chip and a putt for the offensive triple.
The rest of the front nine was smooth sailing, as I registered four bogeys and a par. I wasn't striking the ball great, but I was avoiding bad misses and making progress with each shot. In fact, I had chances at more pars, but could not make the putts I needed. I 2-putt all of these holes, but almost all of those first putts were makeable ones that I barely missed. Over the course of a round, you really hope to drain a few of those. I made the turn with a score of 47, which is pretty typical.
The back nine is when I really became concerned about finishing the round before sunset. I peeked at my watch on the 10th tee and knew that we were going to be in trouble. I'm not sure if this upset my focus, but I started the back nine with three consecutive double-bogeys. On hole #10, the problem was a horribly pulled tee shot into the woods. On hole #11, it was a shanked pitch attempt from 50 yards that dove into a pond near the green. I hit two good shots on this par-5 to get into that position, so it was a complete waste of two strokes. On hole #12, the problem was a series of bad shots in a row, beginning off the tee.
The middle third of the back nine was fine, as I collected a par and two bogeys. One of the bogeys resulted from a 3-putt on a par-3, so that was a bit disappointing. At this point, we were already fighting the light, so my mind was not really in the right place. We waited for ages on the 16th tee, as the hooligans ahead had a cart parked near the woods on the right side of the fairway. I figured one guy must have been looking for balls in the woods, as he simply drove off when he finally emerged. Of course, I duffed my tee shot after the wait. Since my ball didn't even reach the fairway, I was just trying to save bogey. Alas, I was a little imprecise and double-bogey was the outcome.
As I mentioned earlier, the last two holes were played after sunset. Hole #17 is a 166-yard par-3 over water. Every player in my foursome dunked a ball in the drink, including myself. I proceeded from the drop zone and took a ridiculous triple-bogey. No way I would blow up like that in decent conditions, but playing in semi darkness has a way of throwing you off. In spite of the dark, I managed to par the last hole, a 480-yard par-5. My drive split the fairway, followed by a 5-wood that did the same. From 50 yards out, I punched a low one to the front of the green and finished with a 2-putt.
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
Penalties: 3
October 22, 2017
Lessons Applied at Century Pines
My last two rounds produced disappointing scores of 101. I thought the best way to turn those results into something positive would be to return immediately to the same courses and to apply any lessons learned from the previous visits. So, first up was a return to Century Pines Golf Club.
As on the previous visit, I began on the back nine. I scrambled my way to bogey on hole #10, before reaching hole #11. This is a 309-yard par-4 with woods and OB on the right and a large hazard on the left. I decided to go for the green with driver, aiming over the hazard on the left side. I hit a laser of a shot directly on line. When I walked up to the green, I saw that I was in the fairway, just five yards short of the putting surface. Nice! I made a beautiful chip that very nearly dropped for eagle, just missing the hole. The birdie putt was a mere 10 inches.
Hole #12 can present a problem, as tee shots to the extreme right side the fairway do not leave a clear line to the green. It's dangerous to play too far left, however, as the hazard I spoke of earlier is on this side. I hit a great 5-wood, but as on the previous visit, I finished on that right edge once again. I punched a low shot in an attempt to catch the left edge of the green, but I finished three yards off the edge, flag high. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. This was followed by a 3-putt double-bogey on hole #13, a par-3 over water. I was not focused enough on my first putt and blew the downhill shot way past the hole.
The problem for me on hole #14, a par-5, is simply that it's a dogleg left. I cannot draw the ball with the driver and the trees on the inside corner are too large to flirt with. I hit my regular shot and faded it into the trees on the right, as I almost always do. After a good punch shot back to the fairway, I pulled a 9-iron ten yards left of the green, albeit flag high. A pitch and two putts earned a bogey. This was followed by a double-bogey on hole #15, another par-3. My 7-iron was headed right at the flag, but I failed to clear a bunker by about a foot. The bunkers at Century Pines are not good and I was prepared for that. Nevertheless, it took two more shots to get on the green and two putts to finish.
Next up was the killer hole, #16. The whole left side of the fairway is no good, as you are blocked out of the green from that side. This makes the hole much narrower than it appears. My 5-wood off the tee wasn't bad, but my ball finished precisely on the left edge of the fairway. All I could do was chip sideways, leaving a wedge shot into the green. Last time, I chipped to the end of the fairway, keeping my ball on the short grass. I ended up thinning a shot from there into a creek. This time, I chipped a couple yards further, finishing in the rough. This was by design, as I figured I could get a bit of a fluffy lie. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a clump directly behind my ball. My wedge shot only travelled two thirds of the intended distance, so I finished in the creek once again! After a penalty and drop, I hit one to the front fringe. I 3-putt from there for a disastrous quadruple-bogey. You simply can't make a bad shot on this hole or you're dead.
Hole #17 is also problematic for me, as discussed after my last visit. It's long, a dogleg left, and pesky “Vince” trees do not allow you to start the ball left off the tee. My strategy was to hit 5-wood off the tee. The hope was that it would not travel as far as driver, which inevitably ends up in the trees on the right side. The concession is that I wouldn't be able to reach the green in two, but that's fine. It worked as I envisioned, but despite landing short of the trees on the right, they still interfered with my next shot. All I could do was take a sand wedge high over the branches, finishing in the middle of the fairway, still 140 yards from the green. From there, I punched a low runner just off the right edge of the green. An up and down salvaged a bogey, so the strategy wasn't bad after all. I finished hole #18 with a bogey, for a score of 48 at the turn.
Hole #1 went remarkably well. I aimed for the very right edge of the fairway (away from OB) and finished just two yards into the right rough. A half swing with the 6-iron advanced the ball perfectly to 110 yards. Another half swing with the same club rolled just a hair long and through the back of the green. The half swings were by design, as a full swing with less club could miss by a larger margin and end up either in the water or out of bounds. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. Bogey was also the result on hole #2, after I nailed the fairway of this par-4 with one of my best drives of the day.
One of my worst drives of the day came on the next hole. Determined not to pull the ball, I push sliced it straight across the opposite fairway. A couple of recovery attempts were not very good, but an up and down salvaged a double-bogey. On hole #4, a 318-yard par-4, I hit a good 5-wood off the tee, followed by an excellent gap wedge that threatened the flag at the back of the green. The ball landed short of the hole, but released off of the putting surface. No worries, as I chipped on and drained the par putt. On hole #5, a par-3, I thinned my tee shot into a bunker fronting the green. I was right up against the lip, but that turned out to be good because there was actually a nice depth of sand there. I hit into the sand with a closed face and the ball popped straight up, landing gently on the green. A 2-putt finished off the hole for a bogey.
I discussed the challenge of hole #6 after my last outing. Just as I did last time, I pulled my drive off the heel of the club and failed to clear the marsh. Hitting my third from the tee, I somehow pulled off a baby draw that split the fairway, leaving just 120 yards to the green centre. The flag was at the front, so I hit sand wedge. I was playing to miss short and left and I finished flag high, three yards left of the green. I chipped on and made a great putt attempt, but got robbed when the ball lipped out. Triple-bogey was the result, all because of the first tee shot.
The rest of the round was great, as I registered a couple of pars and a bogey. I got lucky on the first par, as a thinned tee shot cleared a pond and still found the putting surface on this par-3 hole. The second par was well earned, beginning with an impressive drive. The bogey on the final hole was spectacular, as my fourth shot into this par-5 was a 70-yard punch from a sketchy lie, that crossed over a creek and through an opening in the trees. The ball bounced into a mound fronting the green and stopped a yard short of the putting surface. I chipped on and made the putt. The punch shot that set it all up may have been the shot of the day – not easy at all.
In summary, I think some of the strategic changes I made were successful. In some cases where there was no alternate strategy, I just failed to execute, so the result was the same as the last visit. I finished with a score of 93 – an 8 stroke improvement over the previous try. That also matches my personal best at Century Pines.
Score: 93
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
As on the previous visit, I began on the back nine. I scrambled my way to bogey on hole #10, before reaching hole #11. This is a 309-yard par-4 with woods and OB on the right and a large hazard on the left. I decided to go for the green with driver, aiming over the hazard on the left side. I hit a laser of a shot directly on line. When I walked up to the green, I saw that I was in the fairway, just five yards short of the putting surface. Nice! I made a beautiful chip that very nearly dropped for eagle, just missing the hole. The birdie putt was a mere 10 inches.
Hole #12 can present a problem, as tee shots to the extreme right side the fairway do not leave a clear line to the green. It's dangerous to play too far left, however, as the hazard I spoke of earlier is on this side. I hit a great 5-wood, but as on the previous visit, I finished on that right edge once again. I punched a low shot in an attempt to catch the left edge of the green, but I finished three yards off the edge, flag high. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. This was followed by a 3-putt double-bogey on hole #13, a par-3 over water. I was not focused enough on my first putt and blew the downhill shot way past the hole.
The problem for me on hole #14, a par-5, is simply that it's a dogleg left. I cannot draw the ball with the driver and the trees on the inside corner are too large to flirt with. I hit my regular shot and faded it into the trees on the right, as I almost always do. After a good punch shot back to the fairway, I pulled a 9-iron ten yards left of the green, albeit flag high. A pitch and two putts earned a bogey. This was followed by a double-bogey on hole #15, another par-3. My 7-iron was headed right at the flag, but I failed to clear a bunker by about a foot. The bunkers at Century Pines are not good and I was prepared for that. Nevertheless, it took two more shots to get on the green and two putts to finish.
Next up was the killer hole, #16. The whole left side of the fairway is no good, as you are blocked out of the green from that side. This makes the hole much narrower than it appears. My 5-wood off the tee wasn't bad, but my ball finished precisely on the left edge of the fairway. All I could do was chip sideways, leaving a wedge shot into the green. Last time, I chipped to the end of the fairway, keeping my ball on the short grass. I ended up thinning a shot from there into a creek. This time, I chipped a couple yards further, finishing in the rough. This was by design, as I figured I could get a bit of a fluffy lie. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a clump directly behind my ball. My wedge shot only travelled two thirds of the intended distance, so I finished in the creek once again! After a penalty and drop, I hit one to the front fringe. I 3-putt from there for a disastrous quadruple-bogey. You simply can't make a bad shot on this hole or you're dead.
Hole #17 is also problematic for me, as discussed after my last visit. It's long, a dogleg left, and pesky “Vince” trees do not allow you to start the ball left off the tee. My strategy was to hit 5-wood off the tee. The hope was that it would not travel as far as driver, which inevitably ends up in the trees on the right side. The concession is that I wouldn't be able to reach the green in two, but that's fine. It worked as I envisioned, but despite landing short of the trees on the right, they still interfered with my next shot. All I could do was take a sand wedge high over the branches, finishing in the middle of the fairway, still 140 yards from the green. From there, I punched a low runner just off the right edge of the green. An up and down salvaged a bogey, so the strategy wasn't bad after all. I finished hole #18 with a bogey, for a score of 48 at the turn.
Hole #1 went remarkably well. I aimed for the very right edge of the fairway (away from OB) and finished just two yards into the right rough. A half swing with the 6-iron advanced the ball perfectly to 110 yards. Another half swing with the same club rolled just a hair long and through the back of the green. The half swings were by design, as a full swing with less club could miss by a larger margin and end up either in the water or out of bounds. I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. Bogey was also the result on hole #2, after I nailed the fairway of this par-4 with one of my best drives of the day.
One of my worst drives of the day came on the next hole. Determined not to pull the ball, I push sliced it straight across the opposite fairway. A couple of recovery attempts were not very good, but an up and down salvaged a double-bogey. On hole #4, a 318-yard par-4, I hit a good 5-wood off the tee, followed by an excellent gap wedge that threatened the flag at the back of the green. The ball landed short of the hole, but released off of the putting surface. No worries, as I chipped on and drained the par putt. On hole #5, a par-3, I thinned my tee shot into a bunker fronting the green. I was right up against the lip, but that turned out to be good because there was actually a nice depth of sand there. I hit into the sand with a closed face and the ball popped straight up, landing gently on the green. A 2-putt finished off the hole for a bogey.
I discussed the challenge of hole #6 after my last outing. Just as I did last time, I pulled my drive off the heel of the club and failed to clear the marsh. Hitting my third from the tee, I somehow pulled off a baby draw that split the fairway, leaving just 120 yards to the green centre. The flag was at the front, so I hit sand wedge. I was playing to miss short and left and I finished flag high, three yards left of the green. I chipped on and made a great putt attempt, but got robbed when the ball lipped out. Triple-bogey was the result, all because of the first tee shot.
The rest of the round was great, as I registered a couple of pars and a bogey. I got lucky on the first par, as a thinned tee shot cleared a pond and still found the putting surface on this par-3 hole. The second par was well earned, beginning with an impressive drive. The bogey on the final hole was spectacular, as my fourth shot into this par-5 was a 70-yard punch from a sketchy lie, that crossed over a creek and through an opening in the trees. The ball bounced into a mound fronting the green and stopped a yard short of the putting surface. I chipped on and made the putt. The punch shot that set it all up may have been the shot of the day – not easy at all.
In summary, I think some of the strategic changes I made were successful. In some cases where there was no alternate strategy, I just failed to execute, so the result was the same as the last visit. I finished with a score of 93 – an 8 stroke improvement over the previous try. That also matches my personal best at Century Pines.
Score: 93
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
October 12, 2017
A Saturated Battlefield
The weather is pretty grim this week, so I picked the nicest day for a round of golf. It was sunny, with clear skies and temperature in the low twenties (Celsius). It rained the day before, but there had been plenty of time for any water to drain away. Unfortunately, I chose to play the Battlefield course at Legends on the Niagara. It's an excellent course, but it has absolutely dreadful drainage.
Not surprisingly, it was cart path only. I hit just two shots to the cart path side all day. Every other shot was to the side opposite the cart path. I often had to take my whole bag off the cart and traverse the fairway in order to select a club. After hitting my shot, it was another sideways trek to the cart before I could move forward. It would have been more efficient to leave the cart behind entirely.
Much worse than the cart situation was hitting balls off the water logged ground. It didn't matter if you were in the fairway or rough; it was like hitting off a bed of Jello. If you brush the ball off the surface, it was bad enough. If you hit down on the ball and take divots, as I do, it was absolutely horrible. The club had no difficulty slicing through the turf, but it was very easy to end up 30 yards short.
And then there were the bunkers. Many were full of standing water. Where there was no water, the sand was still moist and tightly compressed. It was obvious that the vast majority of bunkers had not been tended to following the previous day's rainfall. My trouble with bunkers has been well documented. Considering how I struggle with bunkers even when they're properly maintained, the last thing I need is to play from crappy ones.
I started well despite the poor conditions, going bogey, par, bogey over the first three holes. I hit the first two fairways off the tee, before falling victim to the wet ground. My approach shots were well short, but I got up and down a couple of times. The bogey on hole #3, a 172-yard par-3, was actually a bad one. I hit my tee shot to within 15 feet, but played way too little break on the birdie attempt and then burned the edge on the par putt.
Another 3-putt contributed to a triple-bogey on hole #4. It was one of a pair that I registered on the front nine. The other came on hole #7. A duffed second shot off the wet turf was a large contributor to that one. My third shot hooked to the edge of a water hazard, leaving a poor lie. Aside from these blowups, I managed pretty well on the remaining holes, collecting three bogeys and a double. The double was on hole #9, a par-4. My second shot landed in one of those terrible bunkers, so there was not much I could do. I was shooting 49 at the turn.
My worst stretch of golf came on holes #10 through #12, as I took a triple, double, and quadruple-bogey. I had a technical thought about my driver swing which hadn't been working, so on #10 I decided to just swing without any thought at all. It was my worst drive of the day, a smother pull that went about 100 yards. I had a poor lie in the stalks of some fescue that had been cut down. Further up the hole, I was beside the tree line and had to hit left handed with the back of my putter. Basically, everything went wrong.
Hole #12 was particularly infuriating. I split the fairway with a perfect drive, leaving 150 yards to the green. I pushed the approach shot ever so slightly, finishing flag high in a greenside bunker. Oh geez! My first attempt out of the muck didn't get out. My second only got out to the rough. My fifth shot was a chip that I sculled over the green to a collection area. From there, I rolled one to the green and then 2-putt for the quad. All of this because my approach shot was off line by one degree!
At this point, I was in real danger of shooting 100 and I knew it. I buckled down and went par, bogey, bogey over the next three holes. The first of these bogeys was a bad one – another 3-putt on a par-3 after hitting the green in regulation. Still, if I could make bogey on the remaining three holes, I would sneak in with a score of 99. Well, it was putting that ruined that plan. Two consecutive 3-putts on holes #16 and #17 produced a pair of double-bogeys. A bogey on the final hole pushed my score to a disgusting 101.
I've now played Battlefield 5 times and my scores look like this: 101, 97, 101, 99, 101. There's nothing worse than shooting an even 100 or thereabouts. At least three of those results had a lot to do with the course's terrible drainage. If I can avoid it at all, I will not go back to the course the day after any rainfall whatsoever.
Score: 101
Putts: 35
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
Not surprisingly, it was cart path only. I hit just two shots to the cart path side all day. Every other shot was to the side opposite the cart path. I often had to take my whole bag off the cart and traverse the fairway in order to select a club. After hitting my shot, it was another sideways trek to the cart before I could move forward. It would have been more efficient to leave the cart behind entirely.
Much worse than the cart situation was hitting balls off the water logged ground. It didn't matter if you were in the fairway or rough; it was like hitting off a bed of Jello. If you brush the ball off the surface, it was bad enough. If you hit down on the ball and take divots, as I do, it was absolutely horrible. The club had no difficulty slicing through the turf, but it was very easy to end up 30 yards short.
And then there were the bunkers. Many were full of standing water. Where there was no water, the sand was still moist and tightly compressed. It was obvious that the vast majority of bunkers had not been tended to following the previous day's rainfall. My trouble with bunkers has been well documented. Considering how I struggle with bunkers even when they're properly maintained, the last thing I need is to play from crappy ones.
I started well despite the poor conditions, going bogey, par, bogey over the first three holes. I hit the first two fairways off the tee, before falling victim to the wet ground. My approach shots were well short, but I got up and down a couple of times. The bogey on hole #3, a 172-yard par-3, was actually a bad one. I hit my tee shot to within 15 feet, but played way too little break on the birdie attempt and then burned the edge on the par putt.
Another 3-putt contributed to a triple-bogey on hole #4. It was one of a pair that I registered on the front nine. The other came on hole #7. A duffed second shot off the wet turf was a large contributor to that one. My third shot hooked to the edge of a water hazard, leaving a poor lie. Aside from these blowups, I managed pretty well on the remaining holes, collecting three bogeys and a double. The double was on hole #9, a par-4. My second shot landed in one of those terrible bunkers, so there was not much I could do. I was shooting 49 at the turn.
My worst stretch of golf came on holes #10 through #12, as I took a triple, double, and quadruple-bogey. I had a technical thought about my driver swing which hadn't been working, so on #10 I decided to just swing without any thought at all. It was my worst drive of the day, a smother pull that went about 100 yards. I had a poor lie in the stalks of some fescue that had been cut down. Further up the hole, I was beside the tree line and had to hit left handed with the back of my putter. Basically, everything went wrong.
Hole #12 was particularly infuriating. I split the fairway with a perfect drive, leaving 150 yards to the green. I pushed the approach shot ever so slightly, finishing flag high in a greenside bunker. Oh geez! My first attempt out of the muck didn't get out. My second only got out to the rough. My fifth shot was a chip that I sculled over the green to a collection area. From there, I rolled one to the green and then 2-putt for the quad. All of this because my approach shot was off line by one degree!
At this point, I was in real danger of shooting 100 and I knew it. I buckled down and went par, bogey, bogey over the next three holes. The first of these bogeys was a bad one – another 3-putt on a par-3 after hitting the green in regulation. Still, if I could make bogey on the remaining three holes, I would sneak in with a score of 99. Well, it was putting that ruined that plan. Two consecutive 3-putts on holes #16 and #17 produced a pair of double-bogeys. A bogey on the final hole pushed my score to a disgusting 101.
I've now played Battlefield 5 times and my scores look like this: 101, 97, 101, 99, 101. There's nothing worse than shooting an even 100 or thereabouts. At least three of those results had a lot to do with the course's terrible drainage. If I can avoid it at all, I will not go back to the course the day after any rainfall whatsoever.
Score: 101
Putts: 35
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
October 05, 2017
A Formidable Test at Century Pines
I've played Century Pines quite a bit; aside from Bradford Highlands, it may be the course I've played most. With a rating of 70 and a slope of 125 from the Blue tees, it ranks about as difficult as the other courses I usually play. Rating and slope, however, don't tell the full story. My best score on the course is 93 and I've hit the century mark or higher more times than I care to remember. Why is that?
There are just a couple of holes that I consider quite difficult. The hardest may be #16, which is a devilish par-4 at just 343 yards. You have to hit less than driver off the tee, or you'll find trouble left, long and right. The ideal drive is between 200-220 yards, which for me is a 5-wood. However, it's not enough to hit the fairway. If you're too far left, large trees completely prevent you from going for the green. With a winding creek in front and left of the green and a large pond to the right, your second shot in that scenario would be a short chip to the right side, leaving about 125-130 yards to the green. My tee shot was pulled into the trees left and was unplayable. After taking a penalty stroke and drop, the short pitch to the right side of the fairway was my only option.
With a good gap wedge shot, I could get on and 2-putt for a double-bogey. However, I caught the wedge shot thin and failed to cross the winding creek. I had to take another penalty stroke and drop. My sixth shot was a short pitch that bounced once and hit the flag stick. The ball came to rest 8 feet away from the hole. I burned the edge of the cup with my first putt, walking away with a disheartening quadruple-bogey. I have made par on this hole in the past, when all my shots were good ones. The point is that this hole does not allow for even one bad shot. It's not like other holes where you can possibly recover after a bad shot. In a nutshell, that's what makes this such a hard hole.
Hole #17 is less difficult, in my opinion, but it can be a nightmare for right handed faders of the ball, such as myself. The hole is long at 440 yards. If an average drive is 240-250 yards, even a perfect tee shot will leave an approach of 190-200 yards to the green. With strands of trees left and especially right, that's not an easy shot. But the real problem is getting the ball to this position from the tee. There is a pond to cross, which is not an issue. The real issue is a half dead tree and a couple others just ahead of and left of the teeing ground. If you typically start the ball left and fade it back, these trees come into play every time. Avoid them by starting the ball straight and you will inevitably fade into thick trees on the right side of this dogleg left hole. You will have to be lucky just to chip one back to the fairway from that position. I can't tell you how many times I've smacked those “Vince” trees just ahead of the teeing ground. It's unbelievable.
This time, I smacked one of those trees with my first drive attempt. The ball deflected into the pond below. Hitting my third from the tee, I faded into the trees on the right side of the fairway. I actually lost the ball, but for pace of play, I took a penalty and drop at the spot where it entered the trees. My fifth shot was just a chip back to the fairway, as there was no other option. My sixth shot was a fabulous 5 iron from 180 yards that found the centre of the green. A 2-putt finished things off for my second consecutive quadruple-bogey.
Aside from the two quads, my back nine (which I played first) was actually pretty good. I collected a par, five bogeys, and a double. That doesn't really matter, however, when you take two disastrous holes like I did. More pars could have offset the blowup holes, but the course doesn't give you many opportunities for those, even on easier holes. A good example is hole #12, a 312-yard par-4. Although the hole is short, you have to be very accurate with your tee shot to set up an approach into the green. Your drive has to cut over the edge of a lateral hazard on the left, while not straying into the trees on the right side. I hit what looked like a perfect 5-wood about 213 yards. I had 99 yards to the green, but because I was a single yard into the right rough, a tree just ahead prevented me from going for the green. One or two yards to the left and I would have been in the clear. As such, I had to punch something low and try to run it up there. My punch was good, but the ball stopped about 10 yards short of the green. From there, I pitched on and 2-putt. Unless you have the short game of a pro, these potential pars always turn into bogeys.
On the front nine, I usually explode on hole #1, a long par-5 with OB along the entire left side. This time, I limited the damage to a double-bogey. My drive was deep, but to an opposite fairway on the right side. I've played there before by design. It's not a bad strategy, except that you have to contend with a pond on your second shot and the shot angle is back towards OB. I hit 5-wood over the pond, but it was tailing ever so slightly right and went into some bushes on the corner of the hazard. After a penalty and drop, I punched a low shot under some overhanging branches. The ball actually rolled through the back of the green, where I pitched on and 2-putt.
I rolled along smoothly on holes #2 through #5, collecting bogey, bogey, par, and par. Next came another hole that is problematic for me. Hole #6 is a par-4 with a dogleg left. The first part of the hole is all carry over marsh land. Thick woods continue along the left side right up to the green, as do some mature trees on the right side. I always play this hole defensively, intentionally fading a drive over the marsh to an area right of the fairway where there is some room. Unfortunately, this usually means laying up on the second shot because trees block out the green from that position. This time, I tried to hit a straight drive and I paid for it. I pulled the ball into the marsh and trees on the left. I was forced to hit my third from the tee and this time, I made my usual play. Sure enough, I had to lay up from there, but did so perfectly, finding a spot just left and short of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for triple-bogey. I should have stuck to my strategy right from the beginning.
In fact, the last four holes were pretty weak. After the triple on #6, I recorded back-to-back doubles on the next two holes. Hole #7 is a 170-yard par-3 over water. I missed the sweet spot of the club face, and failed to clear the water. After a penalty and drop, I put one on the green and 2-putt to finish. Hole #8 is a relatively easy par-4. Unfortunately, I pushed my drive slightly into the trees. The green was blocked out, so I punched a low one to an area 20 yards in front of the green. The ball rolled into a bunker. Of course, my attempt to get out sailed right over the back of the green to some more trees. I bumped a great punch into a mound and it released onto the green, where I finished with a 2-putt.
Hole #9 is a par-5 rated the most difficult hole on the front. I disagree, as it's not as difficult as some of the holes I've already described. I pulled my drive to an opposite fairway, then hit a lovely pitching wedge over a massive tree to get back to the fairway, right beside the 150-yard stick. The green is on an elevated plateau, so I hit 7-iron. It curved ever so slightly – but enough to miss the green on the left. Unfortunately for me, it rolled down a slope and into a bunker. Well, guess what happened? Yes, the ball sailed straight over the entire green. Looking at the spot where my club made contact, I could see that there was barely any sand in the bunker. It may have been an inch of sand, with hardpan underneath. No wonder! I actually hit the correct spot for a properly maintained bunker, but this wasn't one of those. Looking back, the bunker on hole #8 was the same thing. I'm bad enough at bunker shots; I don't need poor conditions to make things worse. My fifth shot was from an area where some weeds had been cut down. Tough stalks where these had been cut were directly behind my ball. It was an impossible spot and of course, I was only able to advance the ball about five feet. From the regular rough, I pitched on and 2-putt for an unfortunate triple-bogey.
I hit many decent shots during this round. The problem is that when I hit a bad one it was in a very bad spot. Just look at the fact that I collected 7 penalty strokes. You can't score well when you do that. I'm disgusted.
Score: 101
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 7
There are just a couple of holes that I consider quite difficult. The hardest may be #16, which is a devilish par-4 at just 343 yards. You have to hit less than driver off the tee, or you'll find trouble left, long and right. The ideal drive is between 200-220 yards, which for me is a 5-wood. However, it's not enough to hit the fairway. If you're too far left, large trees completely prevent you from going for the green. With a winding creek in front and left of the green and a large pond to the right, your second shot in that scenario would be a short chip to the right side, leaving about 125-130 yards to the green. My tee shot was pulled into the trees left and was unplayable. After taking a penalty stroke and drop, the short pitch to the right side of the fairway was my only option.
With a good gap wedge shot, I could get on and 2-putt for a double-bogey. However, I caught the wedge shot thin and failed to cross the winding creek. I had to take another penalty stroke and drop. My sixth shot was a short pitch that bounced once and hit the flag stick. The ball came to rest 8 feet away from the hole. I burned the edge of the cup with my first putt, walking away with a disheartening quadruple-bogey. I have made par on this hole in the past, when all my shots were good ones. The point is that this hole does not allow for even one bad shot. It's not like other holes where you can possibly recover after a bad shot. In a nutshell, that's what makes this such a hard hole.
Hole #17 is less difficult, in my opinion, but it can be a nightmare for right handed faders of the ball, such as myself. The hole is long at 440 yards. If an average drive is 240-250 yards, even a perfect tee shot will leave an approach of 190-200 yards to the green. With strands of trees left and especially right, that's not an easy shot. But the real problem is getting the ball to this position from the tee. There is a pond to cross, which is not an issue. The real issue is a half dead tree and a couple others just ahead of and left of the teeing ground. If you typically start the ball left and fade it back, these trees come into play every time. Avoid them by starting the ball straight and you will inevitably fade into thick trees on the right side of this dogleg left hole. You will have to be lucky just to chip one back to the fairway from that position. I can't tell you how many times I've smacked those “Vince” trees just ahead of the teeing ground. It's unbelievable.
This time, I smacked one of those trees with my first drive attempt. The ball deflected into the pond below. Hitting my third from the tee, I faded into the trees on the right side of the fairway. I actually lost the ball, but for pace of play, I took a penalty and drop at the spot where it entered the trees. My fifth shot was just a chip back to the fairway, as there was no other option. My sixth shot was a fabulous 5 iron from 180 yards that found the centre of the green. A 2-putt finished things off for my second consecutive quadruple-bogey.
Aside from the two quads, my back nine (which I played first) was actually pretty good. I collected a par, five bogeys, and a double. That doesn't really matter, however, when you take two disastrous holes like I did. More pars could have offset the blowup holes, but the course doesn't give you many opportunities for those, even on easier holes. A good example is hole #12, a 312-yard par-4. Although the hole is short, you have to be very accurate with your tee shot to set up an approach into the green. Your drive has to cut over the edge of a lateral hazard on the left, while not straying into the trees on the right side. I hit what looked like a perfect 5-wood about 213 yards. I had 99 yards to the green, but because I was a single yard into the right rough, a tree just ahead prevented me from going for the green. One or two yards to the left and I would have been in the clear. As such, I had to punch something low and try to run it up there. My punch was good, but the ball stopped about 10 yards short of the green. From there, I pitched on and 2-putt. Unless you have the short game of a pro, these potential pars always turn into bogeys.
On the front nine, I usually explode on hole #1, a long par-5 with OB along the entire left side. This time, I limited the damage to a double-bogey. My drive was deep, but to an opposite fairway on the right side. I've played there before by design. It's not a bad strategy, except that you have to contend with a pond on your second shot and the shot angle is back towards OB. I hit 5-wood over the pond, but it was tailing ever so slightly right and went into some bushes on the corner of the hazard. After a penalty and drop, I punched a low shot under some overhanging branches. The ball actually rolled through the back of the green, where I pitched on and 2-putt.
I rolled along smoothly on holes #2 through #5, collecting bogey, bogey, par, and par. Next came another hole that is problematic for me. Hole #6 is a par-4 with a dogleg left. The first part of the hole is all carry over marsh land. Thick woods continue along the left side right up to the green, as do some mature trees on the right side. I always play this hole defensively, intentionally fading a drive over the marsh to an area right of the fairway where there is some room. Unfortunately, this usually means laying up on the second shot because trees block out the green from that position. This time, I tried to hit a straight drive and I paid for it. I pulled the ball into the marsh and trees on the left. I was forced to hit my third from the tee and this time, I made my usual play. Sure enough, I had to lay up from there, but did so perfectly, finding a spot just left and short of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for triple-bogey. I should have stuck to my strategy right from the beginning.
In fact, the last four holes were pretty weak. After the triple on #6, I recorded back-to-back doubles on the next two holes. Hole #7 is a 170-yard par-3 over water. I missed the sweet spot of the club face, and failed to clear the water. After a penalty and drop, I put one on the green and 2-putt to finish. Hole #8 is a relatively easy par-4. Unfortunately, I pushed my drive slightly into the trees. The green was blocked out, so I punched a low one to an area 20 yards in front of the green. The ball rolled into a bunker. Of course, my attempt to get out sailed right over the back of the green to some more trees. I bumped a great punch into a mound and it released onto the green, where I finished with a 2-putt.
Hole #9 is a par-5 rated the most difficult hole on the front. I disagree, as it's not as difficult as some of the holes I've already described. I pulled my drive to an opposite fairway, then hit a lovely pitching wedge over a massive tree to get back to the fairway, right beside the 150-yard stick. The green is on an elevated plateau, so I hit 7-iron. It curved ever so slightly – but enough to miss the green on the left. Unfortunately for me, it rolled down a slope and into a bunker. Well, guess what happened? Yes, the ball sailed straight over the entire green. Looking at the spot where my club made contact, I could see that there was barely any sand in the bunker. It may have been an inch of sand, with hardpan underneath. No wonder! I actually hit the correct spot for a properly maintained bunker, but this wasn't one of those. Looking back, the bunker on hole #8 was the same thing. I'm bad enough at bunker shots; I don't need poor conditions to make things worse. My fifth shot was from an area where some weeds had been cut down. Tough stalks where these had been cut were directly behind my ball. It was an impossible spot and of course, I was only able to advance the ball about five feet. From the regular rough, I pitched on and 2-putt for an unfortunate triple-bogey.
I hit many decent shots during this round. The problem is that when I hit a bad one it was in a very bad spot. Just look at the fact that I collected 7 penalty strokes. You can't score well when you do that. I'm disgusted.
Score: 101
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 7
September 30, 2017
Rebel Creek Debut
If it was closer to home, I probably would have played Rebel Creek long ago. Since it's a little out of the way for me, this was my first ever visit to the course. In preparation for the round, I watched the course tour videos on YouTube. These feature flyovers of each hole, giving a good idea of what to expect. When I arrived at the course, I opted to play the Gold/Blue tees, measuring 6,267 yards.
The front nine was fantastic, as I shot a 6-over score of 42. My scorecard was pretty clean, with four pars, four bogeys and one double. The double came on hole #2, a 426-yard par-4. My drive off the tee was defensive, as I wanted to avoid a pull into the creek on the left at all cost. This left a long approach into the green. I just wanted to get to the green in three, so I hit to a spot 50 yards short of the green. Unfortunately, my 50-yard pitch shot was pulled into the left fringe. This left a downhill chip, with no real chance of stopping the ball near the hole.
I made par on holes #1, #4, #6 and #9. The first three of these all came with the help of an up and down near the green. On hole #1, the drained putt was about 8 feet in length. On the other two holes, the chips were good enough to set up easy tap-in putts. I thought I was going to collect another par on hole #7 in the same fashion, as I chipped one from just off the green to within four feet. It was a little downhill and the ball lipped out violently for the bogey. The par on hole #9 was more traditional, as I 2-putt after reaching this par-5 green in regulation.
The back nine went less smoothly, as a variety of circumstances conspired to produce a 14-over score of 50. I blew up for a triple-bogey on hole #13, as I failed to hit a single good shot en route to the green of this par-4. I smother pulled the ball off the tee into a steep slope left of the fairway. Lucky for me, the ball came all the way back to the centre of the fairway, albeit well back of the green. I just wanted to reach the green in three at that point. My second shot was pulled to a bit of a slope on the left side, but it was still serviceable. Unfortunately, with the ball below my feet, I duffed the next shot completely. My fourth shot was pulled left of the green and my fifth was a chip that I semi sculled well past the hole.
That was the only real blowup on the back nine, but there were three double-bogeys as well. On hole #12, a par-4, my second shot hooked slightly into a greenside bunker – my nemesis. My first attempt to get out was hit fat, while my second was fine. I made a brilliant bogey attempt, but the hard breaking putt lipped out. On hole #16, a 147-yard par-3, I was fighting the hook shot, so I aimed a little right of target and tried to tone down the hooking action. Of course, I straightened out the shot completely and missed the green just to the right. The worst part was that my ball came to rest at the base of a tree, right up against the trunk. I had no backswing and this was the sole cause of the double-bogey. The final double was on hole #17. I made the smart play off the tee, but lack of familiarity with the course got me, as I was surprised by the width of a forced carry between me and the green. The hole produced my only penalty stroke of the day.
I've focused on the trouble spots, but the back nine had plenty of good holes too. Overall, it was a good result. However, I really should have broken 90 with the way I started.
Score: 92
Putts: 34
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
The front nine was fantastic, as I shot a 6-over score of 42. My scorecard was pretty clean, with four pars, four bogeys and one double. The double came on hole #2, a 426-yard par-4. My drive off the tee was defensive, as I wanted to avoid a pull into the creek on the left at all cost. This left a long approach into the green. I just wanted to get to the green in three, so I hit to a spot 50 yards short of the green. Unfortunately, my 50-yard pitch shot was pulled into the left fringe. This left a downhill chip, with no real chance of stopping the ball near the hole.
I made par on holes #1, #4, #6 and #9. The first three of these all came with the help of an up and down near the green. On hole #1, the drained putt was about 8 feet in length. On the other two holes, the chips were good enough to set up easy tap-in putts. I thought I was going to collect another par on hole #7 in the same fashion, as I chipped one from just off the green to within four feet. It was a little downhill and the ball lipped out violently for the bogey. The par on hole #9 was more traditional, as I 2-putt after reaching this par-5 green in regulation.
The back nine went less smoothly, as a variety of circumstances conspired to produce a 14-over score of 50. I blew up for a triple-bogey on hole #13, as I failed to hit a single good shot en route to the green of this par-4. I smother pulled the ball off the tee into a steep slope left of the fairway. Lucky for me, the ball came all the way back to the centre of the fairway, albeit well back of the green. I just wanted to reach the green in three at that point. My second shot was pulled to a bit of a slope on the left side, but it was still serviceable. Unfortunately, with the ball below my feet, I duffed the next shot completely. My fourth shot was pulled left of the green and my fifth was a chip that I semi sculled well past the hole.
That was the only real blowup on the back nine, but there were three double-bogeys as well. On hole #12, a par-4, my second shot hooked slightly into a greenside bunker – my nemesis. My first attempt to get out was hit fat, while my second was fine. I made a brilliant bogey attempt, but the hard breaking putt lipped out. On hole #16, a 147-yard par-3, I was fighting the hook shot, so I aimed a little right of target and tried to tone down the hooking action. Of course, I straightened out the shot completely and missed the green just to the right. The worst part was that my ball came to rest at the base of a tree, right up against the trunk. I had no backswing and this was the sole cause of the double-bogey. The final double was on hole #17. I made the smart play off the tee, but lack of familiarity with the course got me, as I was surprised by the width of a forced carry between me and the green. The hole produced my only penalty stroke of the day.
I've focused on the trouble spots, but the back nine had plenty of good holes too. Overall, it was a good result. However, I really should have broken 90 with the way I started.
Score: 92
Putts: 34
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
September 25, 2017
The Putts of St. George
I recently headed out to The Oaks of St. George. This was my third round in three days and at three different courses. I thought my tee time was later in the afternoon and barely got to the course on time. Within the first three or four holes, the pattern for the day was already set. Basically, I would not make a putt all day, despite threatening the holes left and right. Hole #1 is tough enough with a huge tree blocking the green from any angle. When my second shot was behind some pine trees on the left side, the best I could do was get on the green in four. Unfortunately, I then 3-putt for a triple-bogey. My second putt was from 6 feet below the hole, but I burned the left edge.
I made par on hole #2 and bogey on #3, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Hole #3 is a 139-yard par-3 over water. I hit 9-iron just off the green, very near the flag. I had a delicate downhill chip and left it within three feet. There was still some break to the par putt and I missed it on the low side. Hole #4 is a par-5 with a couple massive trees once again blocking the front of the green. I split the fairway, then hit an easy 5-iron to the end of the left fairway, 95 yards from the green centre. I had to punch something low to avoid the tree branches and I punched one through the back of the green. I chipped on, but the worst part was that I 3-putt for a double-bogey. My first lag putt was fine, but I missed another 3 or 4-footer. Terrible!
Meanwhile, my fellow competitors were draining putts from all over the place. As the rest of the front nine progressed, the joke became that I simply could not buy a putt, as I was getting robbed again and again. I burned an edge on hole #5 and took double-bogey. Hole #6, a 462-yard par-5, was a mess from tee to green. I had a short putt to limit the damage to double-bogey, but nope! Triple-bogey it was. I ended the front nine with three consecutive bogeys, but the second of those also featured a par attempt that disappointingly burned the edge of the cup. I was shooting an even 50 at the turn, with 20 putts.
The first three holes of the back nine were an absolute disaster. Hole #10 starts from an elevated tee that leaves you absolutely nowhere to bail out. A creek crosses the fairway in the low spot, with woods on the left and on the right. I found the woods on the right and took my first penalty stroke of the day. To make matters worse, I ended with a 3-putt for a triple-bogey. In fact, I collected two more triples on holes #11 and #12. On the former, I found the woods once again with my tee shot and took a penalty stroke. On the latter, I took two shots to get out of a greenside bunker and then 3-putt yet again!
Despite the horrendous results, I was still having fun. The people I was playing with were good playing partners and we were having a good time. Perhaps because of this, I made a remarkable turnaround, beginning with hole #13. This is a 151-yard par-3 that I nailed off the tee with the 8-iron. I had a long lag putt and put it within 4 feet. However, I burned the edge on the par putt once again and took bogey! My partners could not believe my misfortune! I joked that I could absolutely believe it – such was my fate when it comes to golf.
On hole #14, a short par-4, I hit the fairway with the 5-wood and then found the green with an 8-iron. From a great distance, I lagged my first putt close and this time, I finally drained a short par putt. Everybody let out a roar of approval. Now on hole #15, a 390-yard par-4, I pummelled a drive 290 yards deep and straight as an arrow. From 105 yards, I thinned a wedge shot through the green. No worries, as I flopped a downhill chip shot and drained another putt for my second consecutive par.
On hole #16, a par-4, I was right of the green after two shots. I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey. On hole #17, a short par-3, I hit a gap wedge below the hole. I gave the birdie putt a good try, but just missed, settling for a tap-in par. On the last hole of the day, a par-5, I hit a drive that was deep and straight. We saw the ball bounce two or three times and assumed everything was okay. When we drove up, it became apparent that I hit the ball too deep and that it bounced into a pond up ahead. I was forced to take a penalty stroke and drop behind the hazard. My third shot, from 200 yards away, was short of the elevated green. I messed up one pitch before making a good one, and finished up with two putts for a double-bogey.
In the end, I barely avoided reaching the century mark, with a score of 99. Most telling of all, 40 of those strokes were putts. My handicap factor jumped up another few tenths as well.
Score: 99
Putts: 40
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
I made par on hole #2 and bogey on #3, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Hole #3 is a 139-yard par-3 over water. I hit 9-iron just off the green, very near the flag. I had a delicate downhill chip and left it within three feet. There was still some break to the par putt and I missed it on the low side. Hole #4 is a par-5 with a couple massive trees once again blocking the front of the green. I split the fairway, then hit an easy 5-iron to the end of the left fairway, 95 yards from the green centre. I had to punch something low to avoid the tree branches and I punched one through the back of the green. I chipped on, but the worst part was that I 3-putt for a double-bogey. My first lag putt was fine, but I missed another 3 or 4-footer. Terrible!
Meanwhile, my fellow competitors were draining putts from all over the place. As the rest of the front nine progressed, the joke became that I simply could not buy a putt, as I was getting robbed again and again. I burned an edge on hole #5 and took double-bogey. Hole #6, a 462-yard par-5, was a mess from tee to green. I had a short putt to limit the damage to double-bogey, but nope! Triple-bogey it was. I ended the front nine with three consecutive bogeys, but the second of those also featured a par attempt that disappointingly burned the edge of the cup. I was shooting an even 50 at the turn, with 20 putts.
The first three holes of the back nine were an absolute disaster. Hole #10 starts from an elevated tee that leaves you absolutely nowhere to bail out. A creek crosses the fairway in the low spot, with woods on the left and on the right. I found the woods on the right and took my first penalty stroke of the day. To make matters worse, I ended with a 3-putt for a triple-bogey. In fact, I collected two more triples on holes #11 and #12. On the former, I found the woods once again with my tee shot and took a penalty stroke. On the latter, I took two shots to get out of a greenside bunker and then 3-putt yet again!
Despite the horrendous results, I was still having fun. The people I was playing with were good playing partners and we were having a good time. Perhaps because of this, I made a remarkable turnaround, beginning with hole #13. This is a 151-yard par-3 that I nailed off the tee with the 8-iron. I had a long lag putt and put it within 4 feet. However, I burned the edge on the par putt once again and took bogey! My partners could not believe my misfortune! I joked that I could absolutely believe it – such was my fate when it comes to golf.
On hole #14, a short par-4, I hit the fairway with the 5-wood and then found the green with an 8-iron. From a great distance, I lagged my first putt close and this time, I finally drained a short par putt. Everybody let out a roar of approval. Now on hole #15, a 390-yard par-4, I pummelled a drive 290 yards deep and straight as an arrow. From 105 yards, I thinned a wedge shot through the green. No worries, as I flopped a downhill chip shot and drained another putt for my second consecutive par.
On hole #16, a par-4, I was right of the green after two shots. I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey. On hole #17, a short par-3, I hit a gap wedge below the hole. I gave the birdie putt a good try, but just missed, settling for a tap-in par. On the last hole of the day, a par-5, I hit a drive that was deep and straight. We saw the ball bounce two or three times and assumed everything was okay. When we drove up, it became apparent that I hit the ball too deep and that it bounced into a pond up ahead. I was forced to take a penalty stroke and drop behind the hazard. My third shot, from 200 yards away, was short of the elevated green. I messed up one pitch before making a good one, and finished up with two putts for a double-bogey.
In the end, I barely avoided reaching the century mark, with a score of 99. Most telling of all, 40 of those strokes were putts. My handicap factor jumped up another few tenths as well.
Score: 99
Putts: 40
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
September 23, 2017
Some Struggles at Settlers' Ghost
I made my second ever visit to Settlers' Ghost and the weather was perfect. The course was in great shape, except for one critical factor. The greens had recently been aerated and top dressed, making for terrible putting surfaces. I've played on aerated greens in the past, and it's usually pretty manageable. Rolls are never true, but once you adjust to the speed, it's really not that bad. These greens were so heavily top dressed however, that the ball was skidding rather than rolling. I could deal with some bumpiness, but the speeds were so inconsistent that it really had an impact on the game.
I started the front nine by hitting the first fairway and green with a driver, 9-iron combo. Of course, I 3-putt on the bumpy, sandy green to finish with a bogey. On hole #2, a 200-yard par-3, I hit the front of the green with the 5-wood. Next came another 3-putt bogey. As you can see, the effect of the greens was immediate. The rest of the front nine produced lots of good golf, including three pars and a couple more bogeys. Two of those pars came after up and down plays. The bogeys came despite making a miss hit on each of the holes. In each case, I recovered strongly. Unfortunately, the two remaining holes produced triple-bogeys. In both cases, I got into the fescue and struggled to get out. This was compounded by further mistakes approaching the greens. I was shooting 46 at the turn.
Two bogeys started off the back nine. The one on hole #10 was well earned, as this is a 558-yard par-5 that is uphill all the way. The one on hole #11 was disappointing, as I hit the green on this 158-yard par-3, only to 3-putt once again on the sand covered green. The next two holes were the greatest struggle of the round. Hole #12 is a downhill par-5. I hit a terrible drive off the heel of the club, diving into the fescue left of the fairway. A few shots later, I pushed an approach shot into a water hazard. It took a miraculous chip from off the green just to save a double-bogey. Hole #13 was worse, as this is a simple and short par-4. My tee shot landed on the downslope of a steep mound, just two or three yards left of the fairway. It was an impossible stance and I duffed the shot. I continued to mess up on subsequent shots, leading to a triple-bogey.
I made bogey on four of the last five holes. A couple of these involved recovery shots after poor tee shots, so I was doing well. Unfortunately, this stretch also produced another triple-bogey. It was on hole #17, which started with another excursion into the fescue, thanks to a shot off the heel of the driver. I really was not driving the ball well all day, with just a couple of exceptions. This time, I made a great out to get back to safety. Stupidly, I duffed a wedge from the middle of the fairway, 60 yards from the green. Then the green added to the misery, as I hammered a long lag putt well past the hole and right off the green.
Considering how poorly I was driving the ball and the condition of the greens, my overall score actually wasn't that bad. Unfortunately, my handicap factor jumped to 16.3 – almost a full point increase.
Score: 96
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
I started the front nine by hitting the first fairway and green with a driver, 9-iron combo. Of course, I 3-putt on the bumpy, sandy green to finish with a bogey. On hole #2, a 200-yard par-3, I hit the front of the green with the 5-wood. Next came another 3-putt bogey. As you can see, the effect of the greens was immediate. The rest of the front nine produced lots of good golf, including three pars and a couple more bogeys. Two of those pars came after up and down plays. The bogeys came despite making a miss hit on each of the holes. In each case, I recovered strongly. Unfortunately, the two remaining holes produced triple-bogeys. In both cases, I got into the fescue and struggled to get out. This was compounded by further mistakes approaching the greens. I was shooting 46 at the turn.
Two bogeys started off the back nine. The one on hole #10 was well earned, as this is a 558-yard par-5 that is uphill all the way. The one on hole #11 was disappointing, as I hit the green on this 158-yard par-3, only to 3-putt once again on the sand covered green. The next two holes were the greatest struggle of the round. Hole #12 is a downhill par-5. I hit a terrible drive off the heel of the club, diving into the fescue left of the fairway. A few shots later, I pushed an approach shot into a water hazard. It took a miraculous chip from off the green just to save a double-bogey. Hole #13 was worse, as this is a simple and short par-4. My tee shot landed on the downslope of a steep mound, just two or three yards left of the fairway. It was an impossible stance and I duffed the shot. I continued to mess up on subsequent shots, leading to a triple-bogey.
I made bogey on four of the last five holes. A couple of these involved recovery shots after poor tee shots, so I was doing well. Unfortunately, this stretch also produced another triple-bogey. It was on hole #17, which started with another excursion into the fescue, thanks to a shot off the heel of the driver. I really was not driving the ball well all day, with just a couple of exceptions. This time, I made a great out to get back to safety. Stupidly, I duffed a wedge from the middle of the fairway, 60 yards from the green. Then the green added to the misery, as I hammered a long lag putt well past the hole and right off the green.
Considering how poorly I was driving the ball and the condition of the greens, my overall score actually wasn't that bad. Unfortunately, my handicap factor jumped to 16.3 – almost a full point increase.
Score: 96
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
September 22, 2017
A Handicap Low at Lowville
It's usually a great round when you start and finish with the same ball. I've been racking up the penalty strokes this year, even when I put together a decent score. This time, there was not a single penalty stroke to speak of. I was hitting the ball well, most of the time. Whenever I hit a bad shot, I recovered immediately. If you can avoid back-to-back mistakes, or multiple mistakes on a single hole, your score is going to be pretty good. I broke 90 convincingly and tallied my third best score of the year. The best part was that it felt easy.
I shot 44 (8 over) on the front nine, with a couple pars, six bogeys and a double. After reaching the green of the opening par-5 in regulation, I 3-putt for bogey. Thankfully, an accurate approach into the second green earned a solid par. A great putt saved bogey on hole #3, while another earned par on hole #4. Putts were costly again on hole #6, as I took three of them en route to double-bogey. On hole #7, an uphill par-5, I spoiled a great drive, but still made bogey. I also made a good bogey on hole #9. It was a 3 putt, but the fact that I reached the green in regulation after pulling my drive to an opposite fairway was remarkable enough.
I improved on the back nine, shooting 41 (6 over), with a birdie, two pars, five bogeys and a double. The birdie was on hole #16, a 422-yard par-4 that plays uphill. My drive was down in a low spot, right of the fairway. From there, I hit a pure 9-iron that finished two feet below the hole! Nice! The pars came on holes #12 and #17. In both cases, I started with a beautiful drive straight down the pipe. They were the only fairways I hit on the back nine. The double bogey came on hole #13, a par-3, thanks to another 3-putt. The hole was cut in a tricky position and I got robbed on the bogey putt. The rest of the holes on the back nine were just steady as she goes.
With this result, my handicap factor dipped to 15.4 – a personal best. A number of good results will drop off my scoring record over the next few rounds. These must be replaced with equally good results if I am to keep my factor where it is.
Score: 85
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 0
I shot 44 (8 over) on the front nine, with a couple pars, six bogeys and a double. After reaching the green of the opening par-5 in regulation, I 3-putt for bogey. Thankfully, an accurate approach into the second green earned a solid par. A great putt saved bogey on hole #3, while another earned par on hole #4. Putts were costly again on hole #6, as I took three of them en route to double-bogey. On hole #7, an uphill par-5, I spoiled a great drive, but still made bogey. I also made a good bogey on hole #9. It was a 3 putt, but the fact that I reached the green in regulation after pulling my drive to an opposite fairway was remarkable enough.
I improved on the back nine, shooting 41 (6 over), with a birdie, two pars, five bogeys and a double. The birdie was on hole #16, a 422-yard par-4 that plays uphill. My drive was down in a low spot, right of the fairway. From there, I hit a pure 9-iron that finished two feet below the hole! Nice! The pars came on holes #12 and #17. In both cases, I started with a beautiful drive straight down the pipe. They were the only fairways I hit on the back nine. The double bogey came on hole #13, a par-3, thanks to another 3-putt. The hole was cut in a tricky position and I got robbed on the bogey putt. The rest of the holes on the back nine were just steady as she goes.
With this result, my handicap factor dipped to 15.4 – a personal best. A number of good results will drop off my scoring record over the next few rounds. These must be replaced with equally good results if I am to keep my factor where it is.
Score: 85
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 0
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