Barely Breaking 90 at Willodell

I've broken 90 many times this year, but not so much lately. My last four rounds produced scores of 94, 96, 91 and 92. I was pleased to return to the 80s at Willodell Golf Club. I played well, except for one disastrous hole.

I shot 45 (9 over par) on the front nine. Two pars offset two double-bogeys, while everything else was a bogey. The first double came on the opening hole after my tee shot found a fairway bunker. I hit the lip of the bunker with my second shot, despite hitting sand wedge. I have no other complaints about the hole; hitting that lip just cost me a stroke.

I got that stroke back on hole 2 by registering my first par of the day. The second of back-to-back par-5 holes began with a drive down the centre of the fairway. A controlled 7-iron, sand wedge combination carried me to just below the front pin position. That was crucial, as the green slopes significantly from back to front. I gave the birdie putt a good chance, but just missed.

A couple of bogeys followed, including a good one on hole 4, the hardest on the course. It's a long par-4, ideally played with a draw off the tee. I don't draw the driver, so I left it in the bag. Instead, I hit 5-wood to the right side of the fairway. I could not reach the green from there, which was fine. I basically played the hole to make bogey, which is what I did.

The second par of the day was on hole 5, a 189-yard par-3. I hit a 4-iron on a rope, but failed to clear a front bunker by a couple feet. The trajectory was a little low. Had I cleared the bunker, the ball would have released nicely to the rear pin location. No worries, as I hit a lovely pitch out of the bunker and 1-putt for the par. It was a true pitch shot out of the bunker, as I intentinally clipped the ball clean. The sand at Willodell isn't the greatest, and I stink at hitting properly out of greenside bunkers.

I closed out the remainder of the front nine with a string of bogeys, except for a double on hole 8. I was in good shape after my drive on this 403-yard par-4, but pulled my approach with the 7-iron well left of the green. The green is deep, but narrow, and flanked on both sides by large bunkers. I had to flop over one of these bunkers and get the ball to stop before rolling into the one on the other side. I managed to do so, but my ball was off the green in the rough. My chip went long and I missed the comeback putt, hence the double-bogey.

I shot 44 (8 over par) on the back nine, but it was a very different nine than the front. I collected a birdie and three pars, but also a double and quadruple-bogey. One of the pars was on hole 10, a par-5. I pulled my drive, but smacked a tree trunk and my ball came back to the fairway. I hit a long iron fat, essentially wasting a shot. My third was a good shot with the 5-wood, but I was still 50 yards short of the green. I then pitched below the hole at the front of the green and rolled in a putt to save the par.

The disastrous quad occurred on hole 11, a 400-yard par-4. I sliced a drive into the trees right of the fairway. I tried to punch out, but hit a lot of ground first. I was back in the fairway, but 100 yards from the green. From there, I pull hooked my sand wedge left of the green. I had quite a few of those pulled wedge shots all day. My fourth shot was a thinned pitch attempt that found a bunker on the other side of the green. Two shots to get out and two putts were needed to finish up. A sequence like that can come out of nowhere, it seems.

After a bogey and shaky double-bogey over the next two holes, I really had to buckle down. With five holes to play, my score was headed almost certainly into the 90s. Fortunately, I remained in the moment and played those last five holes just one over par. The finishing streak went par, birdie, bogey, par, and bogey.

Hole 14 is a short par-4 at just 300 yards. However, a creek crosses the fairway twice and some trees pinch the left side on low trajectory shots from the teeing ground. I was feeling good with the driver and promptly deposited the ball just 10 yards short of the green. It was a difficult up and down for birdie, due to the slope of the green, but I was happy with a chip and two putts for par.

Hole 15 is a 387-yard par-4 with a slight bend to the right and some woods that protect the green on the right side. I was playing with a member at the club who lamented that this was the only hole he hadn't been able to birdie all year. He pulled his drive to an opposite fairway, then clipped some trees trying to reach the green, ultimately making no better than bogey. Meanwhile, I split the fairway, then hit a mid iron to the front of the green. My partner just shook his head as I rolled a 10-foot birdie putt into the heart of the cup. LOL

The last three holes were played under good control. I failed to clear a front bunker on hole 16, a par-3, but played a clean pick out of the sand and followed it up with two solid putts. Driver set me up perfectly on each of the last two holes. On hole 17, I followed up with a mid-iron to the front of the green. The pin was way at the back, so I had to make a great lag putt. It was so good that it almost dropped for birdie. A 4-inch tap-in sealed the par. On hole 18, my approach was a tad short and right, requiring a chip and two putts to take bogey.

Score: 89
Putts: 31
Fairways: 8
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0

More Putz than Putts at Calerin

My latest round was at Calerin Golf Club, a 9-hole course that you can play twice for the full 18-hole experience. Here's how I played each hole, with the results of both passes shown.

Hole 1 (Par 5) – Par, Par

I employed a weaker than normal grip with my driver to see if I could gain some consistency. I missed this fairway to the left both times, but managed on each occasion to hit a mid iron back to the fairway. My first approach missed the green left, while my second found the heart of the putting surface. I was very lucky to get up and down on the first pass, despite a sculled pitch attempt.

Hole 2 (Par 3) – Par, Double

A sand wedge from 108 yards finished below the hole and was followed by a conventional 2-putt. An 8-iron from about 150 yards was hit so fat that the ball travelled just 40 yards or so. That was followed by a good sand wedge shot, but the ball bounced into a bunker long and left. I hit a respectable bunker shot, but was not very near the hole, requiring two putts to finish up.

Hole 3 (Par 4) – Bogey, Double

Using the weaker grip, my drive found the right edge of the fairway on both occasions. A great 5-iron barely hung up in the rough left of the green. I aimed there to avoid water on the right. After a good chip, I burned the edge of the cup on the low side. I topped a 4-iron approach the second time through, then hit pitching wedge to the safe left side. Again, I made a nice chip, but burned the edge on my putt, this time on the high side.

Hole 4 (Par 5) – Bogey, Double

I hit a perfect drive to the middle of the fairway, then hit a 4-iron fat. Too far to go for the green, I played a layup to about 100 yards. The second time through, my drive hit the top of the club face and popped up. Two good shots carried me to a similar position as the first time. On the first occasion, I found the green and 2-putt. On the second, I missed slightly and 3-putt from the fringe.

Hole 5 (Par 3) – Bogey, Bogey

A solid 9-iron into the green was followed by a bad 3-putt. I left my first putt way short and my second burned an edge – which happened over and over on the day. The next time, I pushed a 7-iron short and right of the green. I sculled a pitch attempt into a slope, but it didn't hurt me too badly, as I followed up with two putts.

Hole 6 (Par 4) – Double, Bogey

I played too much fade with the driver and ended up against some bushes on the inside corner of this dogleg. All I could do was pitch back to the fairway. My third shot barely missed the green. I made a decent chip, but had another edge burner. My second shot was a little long the second time through. Again, it was a decent pitch and an edge burner. Putts were not dropping!

Hole 7 (Par 4) – Bogey, Par

A solid drive to the left edge of the fairway was followed by a gap wedge that found the back tier of the green, where the hole was located. The slope of the green fooled me and I also left my lag putt way short. Two more putts were needed. A push slice found an opposite fairway the next time, but a great 7-iron landed on the green. An uphill breaking putt nearly dropped for birdie, but burned the edge, of course.

Hole 8 (Par 4) – Double, Double

My worst drives of the day were on this hole. Both times, I smother pulled the ball just a few yards ahead. My second shots were decent, but didn't finish in the fairway. Thick, lush rough decelerated my club head the first time and I needed another shot to reach the green. Two putts ensued. My third shot did find the green on the repeat, but a burned edge and a 3-putt resulted in the same score.

Hole 9 (Par 4) – Bogey, Bogey

I hit good drives both times through to the centre of the fairway. 6-iron was the approach club of choice, both times finishing a little short of the green. This was by design, as that's not a bad place to leave the ball. Three putts from there worked the first time. A pitch that I left short was followed by a good up and down the second time.

Putts were simply not dropping, otherwise I played well enough for this to be a score in the 80s.

Score: 92
Putts: 37
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0

Shortened Round Before Sunset

I was at Banty's Roost late in the afternoon and managed to play 13 holes before dark. There were few people on the course at that time, so I jumped around a bit, wherever I found an open hole. I finished 11 over par, or a bit better than bogey pace.

The first two holes produced par and bogey. The par was lucky, as I sculled a pitch attempt through the rough, with the ball stopping 8 feet from the hole. I took advantage of my luck with a good putt. The bogey occurred after a similarly sculled pitch. This time, I was further away from the hole and the putter couldn't save me.

I was up and down over the next couple holes, earning double-bogey and par. The double was on a par 5. After finding the fairway off the tee, I just hit a sequence of bad shots. I topped a couple of long irons and came up short on a couple of pitches. Conversely, I hit a good long iron approach on the next hole to earn par.

My next crack at a par-5 produced par, but it was a bit ugly. I push sliced my drive to an opposite fairway. From there, it was easier to play toward that hole's teeing area. I hit the target area with 5-wood, then flew a sand wedge over a fescue covered dune to reach the correct green. A nice lag and tap-in were more conventional.

The next two holes, a par-4 followed by a par-3, were a struggle. I pulled an iron off the tee on the former, finishing near a spruce tree that robbed me of a proper swing. I punched back to the fairway, but then duffed a pitch attempt. A pitch and two putts earned a double-bogey. My tee shot was fat on the par-3, requiring another shot to get on the putting surface. Unfortunately, I 3-putt from a difficult spot for another double.

Fortunately, I made a couple of pars in a row after that. 5-iron, followed by 7-iron carried me safely to the green on a short par-4. A lag and tap-in were easy from there. 5-iron also got me to the front of the green on the next hole, a par-3. A great lag from distance was rewarded with an easy par putt.

On to another par-5 and I earned double-bogey. I smother pulled a drive attempt and lost my ball. Hitting my third from the tee, I was able to drive one pretty deep down the fairway. Unfortunately, I hit a low slice with the 3-wood next. I was able to find the green with a wedge and 2-putt to finish up.

Two bogeys and a par concluded the outing. My 7-iron on a 161-yard par-3 missed the green right, requiring a pitch and two putts. After a good drive on a par-5, I topped another long iron. The hole was lengthy, so I needed a good 5-wood just to get near the green. A chip and two putts completed the hole. The final hole, a par-3 over water was textbook stuff, as I hit the green in regulation and two putt easily.

Score: 63 (11 over)
Putts: 24
Fairways: 4 of 9
Greens: 4 of 13
Penalties: 0

Two Holes Ruin Round at Banty's Roost

Banty's Roost? What am I doing playing there? Covid-19 has made this a strange golf year. Courses are full and tee times are harder to find than usual. Banty's Roost is certainly not the best place to play, but the location is convenient and the price was right.

I began on hole 1 of the Blue course with a drive that found the centre of the fairway. It was the only fairway I hit all day. I missed fairways with irons and I missed them with the driver. Many of these misses were still playable, but a couple of drive attempts were completely smothered and went nowhere. I made bogey on the opening hole after an approach from 100 yards came up short in a bunker. I made par on hole 2 after a similar scenario. Holes 3 and 4 produced another bogey and par. A 7-iron approach on the former went long, while I recovered well from a poor drive on the latter.

Hole 5 is a short par-4 at just 242 yards. It's also ranked the easiest hole on the course. Unfortunately, I pulled a 7-iron off the tee and ended up stymied by a spruce tree. After a pitch back to the fairway, I duffed with the sand wedge from 100 yards. I only reached the green with my fourth shot, which was followed by two putts for a double-bogey. It was ugly.

I went bogey, bogey, par over the next three holes. The bogeys came as I missed greens slightly and couldn't chip close enough to get up and down. On a positive note, I hit a great second shot on hole 7 just to be near the green. A spruce tree was interfering with my back swing, but I still carried a pond in front of the green.

The par on hole 8 came despite a poor drive that sliced toward the bushes. The guy I was playing with found my ball in a bad lie on the edge of the woods. He picked it up and said, “you're not hitting that.” Excuse me? I asked him to place it back where he found it and let me be the judge. I advanced the ball 50 yards to the left fairway with the lob wedge. From there, I hit the green with the gap wedge and then drained a par putt. Take that buddy!

Hole 9 is a par-3 all over water to a green pinched on three sides by bushes. I hit 9-iron on a good line, but thinned it. The ball cleared the water, but kicked left when it bounced short of the green. It was a bad break, as that pushed the ball into the bushes left. I took a penalty stroke and drop, followed by a chip and two putts. I couldn't believe the first putt missed. It was good stroke that burned the edge. I marked double-bogey on my card for a score of 43 (8 over par) at the turn.

We moved on to the Red course, which began with three consecutive bogeys. Hole 1 is another short par-3 over water. The flag was at the back left of the peanut shaped green. I hit gap wedge on a perfect line, but came up a yard short of the green. A chip and another missed putt resulted in the bogey. The other two bogeys resulted from missing the fairways slightly, then missing the greens slightly. My pitch or chip shots were just okay, requiring two putts to finish.

I ruined my score for the round over the next two holes. Hole 4 is a par-5 that was playing 500 yards. I used a 3-iron off the tee, but still missed the wide fairway to the right. The ball was on a side slope, at about mid thigh level. I made fantastic contact with a 6-iron, but pulled it a hair left of my intended line and smacked a spruce tree just a few yards ahead. The ball deflected into long fescue on the right. I took an unplayable, then hit my fourth shot with a lofted club to get over more spruce trees ahead. I only reached the green with my fifth shot, then made matters worse by 3-putting for a triple-bogey.

Hole 5 is a long par-4 and the result was even worse. The hole bends to the left, encouraging players to take their tee shot over the inside corner. A tree just ahead of the teeing ground makes this route very uncomfortable. If you can't hit a draw, your only option is to get your ball over that tree. I had too many thoughts going on and smothered a drive attempt left of the tree into a fescue covered dune. Hitting my third from the tee, I decided to aim for the right side, but that meant giving up distance so as not to run through the dogleg. I topped and duffed the next two shots, only reaching the green with my sixth. Two putts completed the quadruple-bogey.

I had only made three pars before these two disastrous holes, and there were only four holes remaining to play. I would have to par them all to break 90. Sadly, I finished bogey, bogey, par, par for a final score of 91. The bogey on hole 6, a par-3, was a typical green missed to the left, followed by a chip and two putts. The bogey on hole 7, a par-5, was well earned after a smothered pull on the tee. I hit a good punch and solid 5-wood to get back on track. The final two holes were another par-3, par-5 combination. The green on hole 8 is the only one I hit in regulation, leading to the par. Hole 9 is a beast at 576 yards. I was near the green in three, despite a weak tee shot. An up and down was a decent way to finish the day.

Score: 91
Putts: 30
Fairways: 1
Greens: 1
Penalties: 3

No Silver Lining at Silver Brooke

Most of my golf scores have been in the 80s this year, so when I climb into the 90s it's a bit of a letdown. One such round took place earlier in the season at Silver Brooke, where I shot 93. I returned looking to improve on that score, but ended up shooting 96 on a very frustrating day.

Weary of my driver, I opted for the 4-iron on the first tee. It wasn't a great shot, but a subsequent 6-iron and gap wedge carried me near the green on this par-5. A chip and two putts earned bogey. The next two holes are par-3 designs, so driver wasn't in play. I made par on hole 2, which is the shorter one at 126 yards. I took a double-bogey on hole 3, which is 169 yards, thanks to a fat 6-iron shot, followed by a fat wedge shot.

The next two holes are short par-4 designs, so driver remained in the bag. On hole 4, I hit an absolutely perfect 3-iron to the left fairway, followed by sand wedge into the green. Two putts completed the par. On hole 5, I hit 6-iron to the left edge of the fairway, followed by sand wedge that I pushed right of the green. I made a good pitch, but missed a makeable par putt and settled for bogey.

Hole 6 was the first where I used driver. A low fade settled about one yard into the right rough. I was concerned about overhead branches when I swung 8-iron, but they were high enough to have no effect. Instead, I clipped some branches further ahead, as my shot was pushed right of target. A 40-yard pitch found the green safely, and then I 2-putt for bogey.

Holes 7 and 8 produced disappointing double-bogeys. Hole 7 is a par-5 lined on both sides by thick woods. I chose 3-iron off the tee for safety, but pushed it enough to trickle into the woods on the right. Worse than taking the penalty was the fact that I had to lay up twice from that position – the first time due to a slight bend in the fairway, and the second time due to a creek in front of the green. I hit a great 5-wood off the tee on hole 8, but my 8-iron approach was a hair left. It hit an embankment and rolled backwards to the edge of a pond. A great effort from a bad lie stopped in the rough, two feet short of the green. Then I duffed a chip that went nowhere.

Hole 9 produced bogey, but was disappointing because I felt I should have made par. After a great drive to the left fairway, I missed the green short and right with my gap wedge. I was close to the pin and able to putt from that position. I played too little break on my first putt, but the weight was perfect. This left a straight uphill putt of about 4 feet for par. I was not pleased when I missed it. My score at the turn was 46.

Pace of play on the course was not good. Beginning with hole 5, we were waiting for a long time on every tee. For about nine holes, it didn't bother me, as I was playing well enough. I opened the back nine with four consecutive bogeys, but my play was up and down. A good drive on hole 10 was followed by a pushed approach shot. A sculled chip was followed by a nice up and down. Two weak shots on hole 11 were followed by a good one, then a nice pitch on this par-5. A hooked 6-iron on hole 12 was followed by a solid pitch that gave me a decent par chance. A severely pushed drive on hole 13 was followed by a perfect 7-iron to just in front of a well protected green.

On holes 14 and 15, my driver went to hell, leading to blowup holes that produced a quadruple and triple-bogey. A smothered pull did the trick on hole 14, sending my ball into some bushes. After a penalty and drop, I hit a good 3-wood from a side hill lie. Unfortunately, a pitch from 30 yards then rolled off the other side of the green. My fifth shot found the green, only to be followed by a 3-putt. I reacted poorly, because I knew the round was slipping away from me. Had there been more pars before this incident, I might have reacted differently. However, I had been on the bogey train for a long stretch. When that happens, you're looking for an eventual par to tilt you in the right direction. For the opposite to happen in such dramatic fashion is extremely frustrating.

Having suffered through a blowup hole, I could no longer tolerate the pace of play. In fact, I was livid. Of course, this never helps. I pulled my drive on hole 15 into the woods, taking another penalty. The drive was so bad, I could only pitch my third shot toward the 100-yard stick. After a long wait for the green to clear, I sculled a pitching wedge short and right. My fifth shot was a pitch that I thinned over the green. A chip and a putt finished off the triple-bogey and I stormed off the green toward the next tee.

I used the wait on 16 tee to release all the remaining anger that had built up over the previous two holes. I was not going to break 90 at this point, so my goal was just to complete the round and be done with it. I went on to bogey the last three holes, once again playing that up and down style that seemed to characterize much of this round. A fantastic drive on hole 17 was followed by a topped fairway wood when I tried to drive the green of this par-5 in two shots. I smothered a 5-wood terribly on hole 18, but also made a nice up and down from 40 yards.

Bogey golf feels fine when a par or two are achieved; replace those pars with a couple of triple-bogeys and it's a different story entirely.

Score: 96
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3

Familiar Place, Familiar Result

I've only played Kedron Dells four times in the past decade, but it still feels like a familiar place; I played there frequently when I started getting serious about the game, and routinely shot scores well over 100. While the last handful of scores have been in the 90s, they still felt like failure. This is especially true of my latest visit, since I've routinely been scoring in the 80s this year.

The front nine at Kedron Dells is usually the problem, especially the first few holes. The opening par-5 is nothing fancy – just long and straight. Invariably, I mess up either my tee shot or second shot, drifting into the trees on either side. It was my tee shot this time, and it didn't help that I duffed one after pitching back to the fairway. After reaching the green, I blew my first putt well past the hole, ultimately 3-putting for a triple-bogey.

Aside from a textbook par on hole 3, it didn't get any better over the next few holes. A 3-iron off the tee on hole 2 was pushed close enough to the trees that I couldn't attack the green. An imprecise pitch and a missed putt added up to double-bogey. On the beastly hole 4, I popped up my drive near the tree line on the right. After pitching to the fairway, I hit a great 3-wood. Unfortunately, I sculled a pitch across the green en route to triple-bogey. Hole 5 is a 195-yard par-3. I hit 4-iron flag high, but 15 yards left of the green. A fabulous flop shot carried a bunker, but hit a downslope and kicked off the other side of the green into another bunker. Double-bogey was the result.

The remainder of the front nine included a couple of pars, but also a couple more triples. On hole 6, a par-5, I got lucky when my sliced drive hit a tree and bounced back to the middle of the fairway. I took advantage, hitting a perfect 3-iron and lob wedge to set up par. A perfect 3-iron off the tee started hole 7, but I then pushed an 8-iron, smacking a large tree and dropping into a penalty area. I got near the green with my next shot, but 3-putt from the fringe for triple-bogey. Hole 8 is a 149-yard par-3 wedged between woods on both sides. A good 8-iron gave me a chance at birdie, but par it was. The triple on hole 9 was due to a duffed drive that dove into a penalty area ahead of the teeing ground.

The back nine at Kedron Dells was much better, but with a score of 52 at the turn, my fate was already sealed. I went bogey, bogey, par, par, bogey over holes 10 through 14. A 3-iron off the tee on hole 10 drifted close enough to a tree to cause trouble. A great punch shot and pitch gave me a chance to save par, but I just missed. I was all over the place on hole 11, a long par-5. I actually visited parts of holes 12 and 13 en route to a bogey there. Hole 12 is a par-3 that was playing about 195 yards. A beautiful 4-iron carried me near the back hole location, followed by an easy 2-putt. I saved par on hole 13 by getting up and down from about 50 yards. Hole 14 is a 222-yard par-3 that I played by laying up to about 40 yards in front of the green, then pitching on.

Over the last four holes, I went par, par, quadruple-bogey, par. As you can see, there was only one blemish on this back nine. I'll get to that in a minute; first, let's talk about the pars. Hole 15 is a par-4 with a huge dogleg to the right. I hit 6-iron to the left side, followed by a fantastic 8-iron that settled on the green. Hole 16 is a par-4 with a drop in elevation that occurs halfway down the fairway. A deep drive allowed me to attack the green with a lob wedge, but I didn't really get close enough to birdie range. Hole 18 is the only easy par-3 on the course, at just 144 yards. I hit a nice 9-iron flag high to set up the par.

Hole 17, a tough par-5, is the one that produced a quad. I pulled and popped up a horrible drive into a penalty area well left of the fairway. My third shot clipped the top of a tall tree as I was trying to get back to the fairway. The ball ended up against a root between two bushes. I was able to punch through the bushes, but the root prevented my ball from going very far. My fifth shot was an attempt to reach the green from 160 yards, on a downslope. The uneven lie caused me to hit it fat, sending the ball into another penalty area. My seventh shot bounced off the right edge of the green. Finally, I pitched on and made a putt to end the horror show.

That hole aside, I was happy with the back nine. Overall, it was typical Kedron disappointment.

Score: 94
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 4

Disappointing Greens at King's Forest

What a difference a change of scenery makes. My previous round was at Osprey Valley, where the greens were the fastest I've played this year. Two days later, I went to King's Forest, where the greens were the slowest I've played this year. They were healthy and smooth, but slow as molasses in January.

Driver, 8-iron carried me to the opening green, only to 3-putt for bogey. Driver and 5-wood left me in the woods off the tee on holes 2 and 3, respectively. In both cases, I punched out, then missed the green. A chip and two putts earned double-bogey on both holes.

I was in the trees and punching out again on hole 4, a par-5. This time, I nailed the green with my third shot – a towering 5-wood. Par was the result. A 4-iron reached the green off the tee on hole 5, a par-3. I was far from the cup, however, and 3-putt for bogey. Two consecutive 3-irons and a lob wedge carried me just off the back of the green on hole 6, another par-5. A chip and a tap-in finished the hole off for par.

I completed the front nine going bogey, par, par. My tee shot found a bunker on hole 7, a short par-3. I overshot the green with my bunker shot, trickling into a penalty area. My fourth shot was a nice pitch, followed by a short putt. Hole 8 was a textbook par, as I hit the fairway, then the green, followed by a 2-putt. My approach on hole 9 was from the right rough, and I needed an up and down from just off the green to convert the par.

I hit the fairway, then found the edge of the green on hole 10. I had a legitimate birdie chance, but the slow green killed that fairly quickly. The birdie putt was well short and I finished with par. I had the same result on hole 11, where the course really starts to get tough. After a green in regulation, I 2-putt well from distance. I was in a greenside bunker after two shots on hole 12, a tight dogleg. Like a bonehead, I picked the ball clean out of the bunker, sending it into the woods 30 yards behind the green. I was livid at the resulting triple-bogey.

Hole 13, a par-4, is among the hardest on the course. I hit the fairway with 3-iron, then pushed a 4-iron to the edge of the woods right of the green. I was short sided, with a massive bunker between me and the green. Oh yeah, overhead branches blocked the aerial route and I had a nasty lie. I pitched one sideways to the fairway in front of the green – that was all I could do. I was ten yards off the green, but lagged a putt to within 3 feet. It was a great recovery for bogey.

After par on a short par-3, I took double-bogey on a par-5. My drive was in the right rough, but the ball took a bad bounce off the hard ground and kicked into some bushes. I did hit a great cutting 5-wood after taking a penalty, but my short game let me down near the green. Hole 16 is a short par-4 that also produced double-bogey. I usually hit iron off the tee, but was feeling confident with driver. Unfortunately, I pushed one right into the woods. It didn't help that the slow green sabotaged my bogey attempt.

I finished the round reasonably strong with a bogey and birdie – the former coming on a par-3 and the latter on a par-5. My drive on the last hole was right of the fairway, but I hit a nice 8-iron over some small trees to get back in position, then followed up with a precise lob wedge from 75 yards. The ball released to very near the cup at the back of the green, leaving a virtual tap-in for the bird.

Score: 88
Putts: 31
Fairways: 7
Greens: 7
Penalties: 3

Slick Greens at Osprey Valley Hoot

It was a beautiful late summer day on the Hoot course at Osprey Valley. The course was in excellent condition and the greens were fast. I got my first crack at the greens by making a one putt on the opening par-5 to save bogey. It followed a stubbed chip and a fat shot out of a fairway bunker.

Despite hitting the first two fairways, my driver was not really working well. I was pulling the ball left and low. On hole 2, I hit 7-iron from the left edge of the fairway, coming up short of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt nicely for bogey. On hole 3, a terribly pulled drive smacked a tree trunk and bounced back to the left rough. A lovely 7-iron carried just right of the green. Once again, I pitched on and 2-putt for bogey. Hole 4 is a par-3 that resulted in another bogey. After missing the green short and left, I pitched well past the hole. It took an excellent lag and tap-in to hole out.

On hole 5, the hardest on the course, my weakly pulled drive put me in a tough situation. The hole is already a long par-4 and this shot effectively transformed it into a par-5. My second shot was pulled slightly toward a bunker. With a downhill stance and 100 yards to the green, I only managed to reach some thick fescue short and right. I did well from there to pitch on and 2-putt for double-bogey. Hole 6 is ten yards shorter than number 5, but a par-5. After a good drive to the left fairway, I thinned a 5-wood into a fairway bunker. My third shot hit the bunker lip, while my fourth safely found the green. A 2-putt converted the bogey.

My driving trouble caught up with me again on hole 7, as I smothered one into the trees left of the fairway. There were no trees in front of my ball, but overhead branches impeded my backswing. My second shot travelled a whole 2 yards. Worse than that, I was on the border of a bunker and didn't anticipate the lie being so sandy. My third shot barely got back to the fairway. A nice 8-iron left me on the green above the hole. I did really well to 2-putt from there for double-bogey.

The best putt of the day came on hole 8, a 166-yard par-3. My 8-iron finished on the front edge of the green, as I got no help from a tailwind. No worries, as I lined up the 16-foot putt and promptly drained it for birdie! The good vibes carried to hole 9, a par-4 that cuts through a pine forest. I drove the ball to the centre of the fairway, then found the front of the green from 150 yards. A long uphill lag putt was followed by a nice 5-footer for par. My score at the turn was 44.

I started the back nine as well as I had finished the front. Hole 10 is a 173-yard par-3. I hit 7-iron just right of the green, then managed to get up and down for par. Hole 11 is a 500-yard par-5. Driver, 4-iron carried me to some fescue bordering a bunker on the right side. I punched one out to in front of the green, with enough momentum to trickle onto the putting surface, three feet from the hole. There was some break to contend with, but I made the birdie!

I hit a great drive on hole 12, but this is a dogleg right and my ball travelled through the fairway and into a bunker. I clipped some overhead tree branches en route to the green, finishing just short. After a pitch well past the hole, I lagged my first putt close enough to finish with bogey. My drive on hole 13, a par-5, was a slight push to the right side. Unfortunately, I also pushed my second shot very close to the edge of some water. The lie was horrible, so I declared the ball unplayable. After taking my penalty and drop, I hit a wedge to the green and 2-putt for bogey.

My drive on hole 14 was among my worst of the day – a smothered shot that travelled very little distance into the left rough. I hit 5-wood next, but could not reach the green on this par-4. After a pitch and two putts, I took a bogey. Hole 15 is a 137-yard par-3 that is all carry over a massive waste bunker. With a stiff headwind, I hit 8-iron to find the fat part of the green. This left a very tricky putt, which I didn't navigate very well. I ended up with three putts to finish, and another bogey.

Hole 16 is a par-4 that I completed with four shots from tee to cup. Unfortunately, the tee shot was preceded by an earlier one that I smother pulled into the trees, costing me two strokes and ultimately, double-bogey. I finished the day with two consecutive bogeys. 5-wood and a thinned wedge got me greenside on hole 17, but I couldn't quite get up and down for the par. A pushed drive left me behind some tall trees on hole 18, so I couldn't attack the green with my second shot. I did get on with my third and closed with a good 2-putt.

Score: 87
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2

Scenic Woods More Like Misty Meadows

I drove through some fog to reach Scenic Woods Golf Club, and it was thickest near the course, atop the Niagara escarpment. Through the green, the course was ravaged; in fact, it was difficult to differentiate the fairways from the rough. By comparison, the greens were an absolute oasis: lush, receptive, and smooth.

My driver didn't work very well to start the round. I pulled my tee shot on the opening par-5, forcing a sideways pitch back to the fairway. Bogey was the result. I pulled another one on hole 2, a par-4. My ball came to rest against the tree line, inches away from being out of bounds. With no back swing available, I managed to punch a shot to the edge of the green. A nice up and down preserved par. I pulled my third drive of the day on hole 3, a dogleg left. This one bounced into the woods, leading to a penalty and another bogey.

I didn't use the driver again until hole 8, a short par-4. It worked well enough that time to produce par. On holes 4 through 7, my club of choice off the tee was 7-iron, 5-wood, 8-iron, and gap wedge, respectively. All of these are par-4 designs, except for the last, which is a par-3. I actually duffed the 7-iron on hole 4, but recovered well for bogey. A fantastic 5-iron into the green on hole 5 set up a par. Hole 6 produced par as well, thanks to an up and down from just off the green. Hole 7 resulted in bogey, as I thinned the gap wedge through the back of the green.

The front nine ends with a 168-yard par-3. After missing the green left with a 6-iron, I got up and down for par. My score at the turn was 39 (4 over).

There are three par-5 holes on the back nine at Scenic Woods, beginning with hole 10. I smothered my drive attempt there, with my ball ending up behind a spruce tree. My only option then was to hit a lob wedge over the tree. It ended up being the smart choice, as I managed to save bogey on the hole. I wasn't as lucky on holes 12 and 18, the other par-5 designs. I pulled my drive slightly on the former, and sliced one on the latter. In both cases, I was forced to take a penalty. I tried a heroic third shot on hole 12, which only lead to another penalty and triple-bogey. I recovered better on hole 18, but 3-putt from distance to take double-bogey.

Aside from the par-5 holes, my back nine was quite nice. Two nice shots, including a lovely 5-iron off the tee, got me to the green safely on hole 11. Unfortunately, I then 3-putt for bogey. I made par on hole 13, a par 3 with a green wedged between woods and an angled creek. A pure 8-iron off the tee paved the way to bogey on hole 14. My approach to the green was not so pure, forcing a chip and two putts to finish.

Holes 15 and 17 are very similar par-4 designs. Measuring 384 and 394 yards, respectively, both feature a slight dogleg left. The second shot on each hole is a forced carry over a wide creek in front of the greens. My best drive of the day came on hole 15, leaving just a 100-yard shot into the green from the middle of the fairway. I hit an easy sand wedge to below the hole, then 2-putt for par. My drive on hole 17 ran through the dogleg a bit, finishing under a spruce tree. I had only 125 yards to the green, but overhead branches eliminated any possibility of going for the green. I punched to just in front of the creek, then nailed the green with my third. I gave the par putt a good chance, but had to settle for bogey.

Hole 16 is the only one I haven't described yet. It's a 194-yard par-3. I pushed a 4-iron off the tee, dropping down beside a cluster of small trees in front and right of the green. After pitching over a bunker, I 2-putt nicely for bogey. I would say that despite having a couple of 3-putts, my putting was very good all day.

Score: 86
Putts: 31
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4

Braeben with a Buddy

I got to play with a buddy for the first time in a while, and we headed out to Braeben. Weather was perfect, but as always, the wind was a factor there. I played Braeben earlier this year and put on a driving clinic, finishing with a score of 87. My driving was nowhere near as good this time, but I finished with a score of 84. Does this mean that driving accuracy and distance is not important? I wouldn't go that far, but there's a lot more to the game, for sure.

I had two penalties on the day, both coming off tee shots early in the round. My drive on hole 1, a par-4, looked like a good one to the left fairway, but I couldn't find the ball. It must have hit some mounds and kicked left into the penalty area. After a drop, I hit my third left of the green. From this position, the green was severely elevated. I made a good pitch to within 6 feet, but missed the par putt and took bogey.

After an up and down for par on hole 2, a short par-3, I tried 3-iron off the tee on hole 3. It was a horrible shot that found the fescue left. After a drop, it took two decent shots to get near the green. My fifth shot was a chip, followed by two putts for an unnecessary triple-bogey. A three-putt bogey followed on hole 4, a par-3. It wasn't a bad three-putt, as I started a healthy distance from the cup.

Holes 5 through 7 are the ones that gave me trouble last time I played the course. This time, I handled them much better, going par, bogey, bogey. I definitely learned from the previous experience. My approach on hole 5 was more conservative, finishing off the front right side of the green. From there, I played a lovely up and down.

My approach on hole 6 was even more conservative than the last time. Instead of lofting one up in the air, where the wind can take it a mile away, I bumped a low 8-iron from 90 yards to the area in front and left of the green. A pitch and two putts sealed the bogey.

On hole 7, the dramatic par-3 from an elevated tee, I hit gap wedge instead of 9-iron, which sailed over the green and into the woods on the last occasion. This time, I finished in front and left of the green. I did mess up a pitch shot, but after a second try got up and down for bogey.

I was 7 over par through seven holes, which isn't bad, but also not great. I went 5 over par for the last eleven holes. The stretch included the final two holes of the front nine, both resulting in par. On hole 8, a par-5, I hit driver, 5-wood through the back of the green. A solid chip gave me a chance at birdie, but par it was. On hole 9, a par-4, a weak drive put me behind the proverbial 8-ball. My third shot was an 8-iron that I bumped along the ground from 75 yards to stop within 6 feet of the cup. I drained the putt for a score of 43 at the turn.

The back nine began with birdie on a par-3. I hit a fabulous 5-iron into the wind, finishing inside 8 feet. My approach shots over the next three holes weren't nearly as precise, as I failed to hit the greens in regulation. In each case, an extra shot was required to find the putting surface. One of those shots was a successful splash out of a greenside bunker. Another was a pitch from 40 yards. The final one was a much more delicate pitch from five yards off the green. In each case, two putts ensued for bogey.

I got another par on hole 14, a par-4 with a dogleg left. Driver, sand wedge carried me 10 feet left of the flag, but a solid birdie attempt just missed. I bogeyed hole 15, thanks to a 3-putt, before my next par on hole 16. This is a par-5 with a dogleg right very near the green. My drive was a short pop up, left of the fairway. A pure 8-iron, followed by a 70-yard pitch with the lob wedge carried me flag high on the left edge of the green. After a good lag putt, I tapped in for the par.

Hole 17 is a short par-4. I got away with a bad drive, managing to finish just two yards off the back of the green after my second shot. At worst, this should have been a bogey. Unfortunately, I left my chip shot well short of the hole, then blasted my first putt well past. Two more putts were required to hole out for double-bogey. It was no problem, however, as I went on to par the last hole of the day, a par-5. I hit driver, 4-iron into the wind, before finding the green with the lob wedge from 70 yards. My first putt up a steep section of green was a bit short, but I calmly drained a 5-footer to finish with a back nine score of 41.

Score: 84
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens:6
Penalties: 2