What'd You Shoot Today? (Golf BBV Thread)
05-31-2016
, 10:39 PM
06-01-2016
, 06:29 PM
06-01-2016
, 11:39 PM
(Warning: way, way, way tl;dr)
A TR: Wednesday 01/06/16 – Mens Single Stableford
A tale of two nines
I had a practice round with a mate the previous afternoon and hit the ball about as well as I’ve ever hit it, so of course I go into Comp day nervous as all hell. I’ve only been playing (seriously, anyway) for the past six months, and my G.A handicap still sits at 27.5, giving me 33 shots at my home course (which is quite hard, with a slope rating of 136) – at the moment I think ~25 is about fair given my ability, but mental game issues have plagued me ever since I started playing in competition. Once I figured out how the handicapping system worked I managed to relax a little bit, but my desire to play better and perform to my potential during the rounds that “count” still cause me to choke somewhat. So after having a glimpse at what was possible on Tuesday afternoon, I certainly felt the pressure on the first tee box Wednesday.
Hole 1: Par 4 (index 4) 370m
Really fun driving hole – elevated tee looking down over a wide open fairway that narrows about 150m out. Fire it left and you won’t get a look at the green for two, and too far right you’re more than likely to find an unfavourable lie in the mounds. The perfect tee shot shapes right-to-left, and the bigger hitters should reach the corner, leaving around 130m to the pin.
With butterfly’s going bananas in my stomach, I tee’d up and made good contact, firing it low with a slight (accidental) draw, leaving me in the left rough, about a metre off the carpet with trees blocking any thoughts of bombing it up to the green. A short, low 5-iron to 100m out set up my approach.
The first green is a really tough one to attack – it’s short, fast and well protected by bunkers. The ideal approach is either a low straight one that runs up the hill and on, or lofted high onto the fringe and rolling on. Most approaches here find the sand or run through the green into some ugly rough off the back.
With 100m up the hill, I hit a sweet, sweet pitching wedge that hit the fringe hard, before cruelly dribbling backwards and into the sand. A terrible shot out of the sand and a wedge straight back into it meant I wiped the hole without even needing to put.
Result: 8 / -
Hole 2: Par 4 (index 8) 333m
Narrow fairway with a hill and thick trees on the left, this hole dog-legs hard to the left – the corner being about 160m out, with a fairway bunker to catch any drives that carry too far. A tricky tee shot, I’ve taken to hitting a 3-wood as the hole doesn’t suit my natural fade. I have a nasty habit of missing this fairway far right and being stuck playing my second out of the rough on the fourth fairway. The ideal tee shot runs straight up the middle, leaving a 150m approach to a very fast back-to-front sloping green. The fairway after the turn slopes right to left, with some thick rough at the base bunkers protecting the green at the front left. Whilst missing the green long is safe, you’re left with a nasty, fast, hard-breaking downhill putt. The ideal approach leaves the ball below the hole, which is not easy to do.
Once again, a poor tee shot left me in the rough well right with about 190m to go, but thanks to a combination of a decent lie, great swing and just enough of a tree gap to work with, I recovered and left my second shot 2m short of the green, which I chipped on and finished from 6 feet out. My first time making par on the second.
Result: 4 / 4
Hole 3: Par 3 (index 16) 128m
Narrow par 3, protected by two nasty bunkers either side of the front. Small and insanely steep, these things are pricks to get out of. Overhanging branches left are a very real threat to anybody who shapes left-to-right. Back and right of the green slopes steeply downhill into rough – if you’re going to miss, miss short.
With a tail-wind, I opted for my 8-iron – made good contact but my fade just couldn’t stay clear of the branches which stopped me dead, leaving a tricky chip on from an elevated position, 40m out. The greens at the moment are insanely quick, meaning what would normally be a great wedge approach ended up running off the green to the right. A poor chip and two puts left me with a disappointing double.
Result: 5 / 1
Hole 4: Par 5 (index 2) 493m
The signature hole at my home course features a long, narrow fairway that turns slightly right at about the 300m mark, with a large, heavily contoured green protected almost entirely by water and sand. The clubhouse deck looks over the fourth green and makes for a great spectator hole.
The ideal tee shot stays left side of the fairway, leaving an easy layup opportunity. Whilst I absolutely smoked my drive, I watched in pain as it gradually tailed right, finishing just short of the second tee box. What should’ve been a comfortable 180m 3-wood to safety wound up being a 20m duff into the rough. A few obscenities and an OK 5-iron later and I was within 100m, ready to blaze glory with my trusty pitching wedge.
With a friendly middle pin position, an easy approach over the water, into the front of the green was all I asked for. Instead, I took an almighty divot and bobbled my ball ahead, just shy of the water. With branches overhead, I couldn’t try flopping my ball, so was forced to play a low chip that just refused to grip the concrete-like green and ran off the back. I managed to follow that up with a legitimately pretty little chip to 4m out. My second put lipped out, and just like that I’d run out of strokes. Wipe.
Result: 9 / -
Hole 5: Par 5 (index 13) 453m
A straight drive sets up a very real scoring opportunity here, as the short bend at 230m leaves nothing but a straight, slightly uphill fairway to a small, tricky green. Even I should be on in three more often than not here. A long, straight tee shot up the middle set me up to do just that, and the opportunity to bounce back became even more real with a cracking 3-wood down the guts to 95m out.
The hardest part about the fifth is just how tiny the green is. Miss it right and your ball rolls all the way down to an area I like to refer to as the valley of unhappiness, as chipping on is no easy feat from down here. Leave it short and just like a boomerang, your ball will return almost straight back to where it started. Hit it slightly long and you’ll find rough off the back. The ideal shot is a low chip, using the bounce off the hill to slow the ball up enough to stay on.
Some days, like Tuesday, my approach stays left and there’s no risk of spending time down in the valley. Today is Wednesday, though, and just like on the first, my pitching wedge proved nothing but a tease, as I hit the right side of the green and watched helplessly as that little white ball of madness trickled down the hill. One chip over the green, another back on and one putt too many left me with a disappointing double.
Result: 7 / 2
Hole 6: Par 4 (index 18) 319m
The easiest rated hole on the course, a short dog-leg par 4 requires a straight, 170ish metre tee shot and a short wedge approach. Protected at the front and left by bunkers, the entire backside is shadowed by a hill that, provided you don’t land too far up it, will often run your ball straight back on and guide it towards the middle.
I creamed my 3-hybrid off the box, leaving a friendly 85m approach that my sand wedge dutifully dispatched of. One of those shots that go exactly as you envisage during the practice swing – high, slight draw to the middle-left of the green, running just up the back fringe, turning 180 degrees and delivering itself a happy 8 feet from the hole. Stoked! To this point I’ve never made a birdie during a competition round, and all of a sudden I’ve got a very real chance at changing that frustrating statistic. My playing partner put his approach two feet behind mine, so I even got to sit behind and watch his put to give me a line! This should’ve been the happiest moment of my short golfing career.
I still haven’t made a birdie in a comp round. In fact, I didn’t even make par on the sixth. The frustration of three-putting from 8 feet probably goes a long way towards explaining what happened on seven…
Result: 5 / 2
Hole 7: Par 4 (index 10) 363m
Another one of those holes where I should be scoring consistently – tee box is high up the hill staring down at a wide open landing area. Trees lining the left side mean big worries for an errant hook shot, but generally a decent drive sets up a comfortable, straight 150m to the pin. That didn’t happen today. I topped my drive horribly, straight into the garden bed in front of us, well short of the ladies tee. I guess beers are on me. Still frustrated, I took relief and lined up a brand new Pro-V1. With a good lie here, my 3-wood should take me down to about 130m out, really. But not today. Another woeful top and I lose that shiny golf ball into the same garden bed, 2m to my left. Taking out a practice ball, I took relief again (lucky garden beds are freebies or I’d be picking up short of the ladies tee, how embarrassing). This time I connected and fired my third shot down into the trees, just right of the fairway. A low punch out and an errant sand wedge later and I needed to get up and down to save a point. For some reason, I can miss an easy 8-footer for birdie and four points on six, but here at seven when I need a 20-footer to drain for a single, it never looks like missing. This game is farked.
Result: 7 / 1
Hole 8: Par 3 (index 17) 139m
Slightly uphill with a big, deep green, the eighth always plays a little longer than you’d expect. Another well protected par-3, I recommend missing short if you’re not going to find the dancefloor in one – bunkers to the right and nasty grass hollows to the left. A slightly forward tee box and a front pin meant I still took a 7-iron to battle today, and had I shaped my shot properly, would’ve given me the perfect carry. Instead, I was building sandcastles. Just like the first, I got way too much ball and fired my bunker shot straight over into the rough hollow on the other side. A duffed first chip, and too-heavy second chip and two puts later meant another par-3 squandered. Zero points.
Result: 6 / -
Hole 9: Par 4 (index 6) 323m
Fairway bends around left-to-right, with rough mounds to catch your tee shot left, and a very reachable water hazard if you stay too straight or spray it wide. Club selection is key, and in the past I used to take a 3-wood to avoid a slice finding the drink. Now that I’ve found a groove with my driver, I back myself to carry over the corner and leave it in the middle, 120m out. Wanting to close out the front nine strongly, I tee’d up and absolutely belted my ball down the guts. Accolades from my playing partners soon turned to commiseration as my third bounce kicked hard right and dribbled into the water, right at the far end of the hazard. A huge tee shot, but when the golf gods want to punish you, they’ll bend you over and turn even your good shots into penalties.
The moment I watched the ball disappear over the edge, I screamed an almighty “FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRKKKK OOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFF!!!!” and hurled my driver at my bag. Is there anything I could do at this point to turn it around? Yes. Yes there was. Beer. I made the decision then and there to stop thinking about golf, and start thinking about the beers I was going to punish tonight and the head start I was going to allow myself at the halfway point.
I steamed down the fairway and found my ball happily enjoying it’s unscheduled wash and took my drop. I ripped my 9-iron slightly left of the uphill green, but was pretty happy with the swing and contact nonetheless. A crafty chip on and one put on arguably the hardest green on the course meant I’d salvaged a bogey, which was a massive win considering I’d taken a penalty.
Result: 5 / 3
Out: 56 / 13
Half-way Thoughts:
I bolted to my car and grabbed a couple extra golf balls for the back nine, and while buying a couple of beers to take out with me I stopped to reflect a little on why the front had gone the way it had. It was obvious – I was caring too much! I play by far my best golf when I just plain don’t give a toss, so with beer in hand I told myself to just have fun. Easier said than done, but I really felt like after a 13 point front, how much worse could it really get? Plus, only need 17 on the back for a respectable 30 point total, which is very doable even with less-than-stellar golf. I get two shots every hole on the back, so suddenly I felt a whole lot better.
Hole 10: Par 4 (index 1) 371m
Rated the hardest hole on the course, the water ahead lays in wait for the big hitters missing their mark. To the right is the practice range, which is a hazard that comes with a free drop. The drop zone leaves no clear lane toward the green, so there’s no advantage to putting it here. The fairway itself bends right at the top of the range before straightening up to the green. The big hitters will draw the ball over the range, landing in play just past it leaving a straight, ~125m approach.
I think I probably could clear the range with my driver, however anything not far right or long enough is trouble, so I’ve recently clubbed down to a 3-wood here. A bit of a drop-kick left my tee shot a little short, but comfortably in the middle of the fairway, about 200m out. Unfortunately, my 3-wood prowess deserted me and I only gained about 40m, and now I had some rough to play out of, but still barely within range of my 5-iron. The good thing about this hole is that you can miss short or right with your approach, because the lay of the fairway kicks the ball left and forward, almost funnelling it straight up and on. A cracking iron shot and my ball did just that, coming to rest pin-high, 15 feet from the cup. Another one-put and all of a sudden I’ve made par on the tenth for the first time and I’m starting the back on the right foot.
Result: 4 / 4
Hole 11: Par 4 (index 11) 325m
I love this hole, as a good drive sets up a very makeable approach – every time I play it I think back to a practice round birdie a few months ago. I know I can do it, so there’s always a little tingle of excitement when I tee off. Today, I gave myself the perfect chance to do it again with a monster tee shot – low and dead straight. The dry fairways gave me some extra run and left me 95m out, which is a really awkward distance – pitching wedge feels slightly big while the 55 degree sand wedge I know is too small. Given the speed of these greens and a forward pin, I chose to play short as a bad pitching wedge will easily run through the green to an awful place off the back. Also, if I’m lucky I may get a nice kick onto the front of the green, but I don’t count on it. The plan is to drop it just short, hopefully close enough to still be able to put.
My swing is a good one, and knowing immediately that I’m short is a good thing – I’m getting to know my clubs and their ranges pretty well. As expected, I drop two feet short of the green, with about 20 feet to the cup. I couldn’t extend my one-putt streak to three holes, and disappointingly took three to finish.
Result: 5 / 3
Hole 12: Par 4 (index 7) 321m
The second of a three-hole stretch of long, narrow fairways, and a straight tee shot is the only kind that is playable here. Thick hazard and OOB left, plus trees and nasty lies right make this a tricky hole if you miss. A great, almost 250m tee shot finished up just to the left of the fairway, right behind a big fkk-off tree blocking the entire green. I’ve never been sand-wedge distance out for one here before, so that tree was a huge kick in the nuts. Some uninspiring chip shots and three putts later and it’s off to thirteen.
Result: 6 / 2
Hole 13: Par 4 (index 3) 371m
A lazy tee shot saw the return of my slice, and I was fortunate to find a good lie in the dirt off to the right and a view of the green. I ran a low punch 3-iron up the fairway, just to the rough front right. Often a very tough hole to finish, the green has a ridge running diagonal through the middle, making it a factor with just about any pin location. Surrounded right and back by bunkers and left with thick rough, it becomes a real short game test. I’m always relieved to finish with points here, and well weighted chip allowed a safe two-putt for bogey.
Result: 5 / 3
Hole 14: Par 3 (index 12) 139m
Water to the right and a deviously placed bunker at the front make the fourteenth a very tough pin to attack. The safe shot is short and left, as anywhere here gives a clean line to the pin with a chip or a putt. For the more aggressive/cocky/confident, a high draw up and over the front bunker will hit the green and kick left and stay on. This is usually my go-to approach here, as I’ve found some rhythm with my 7-iron – the drawback is the water trap to the right, as a lazy swing won’t move and I’ll deploying the ball scoop.
A lazy swing was exactly what I got, however a little drop-kick took a heap of distance from the shot and kept me in play, just short of the bunker. Fortunately, my ball sat up in the fluffy rough, allowing me a clean flop over the bunker to 25 feet out. Three rage-inducing putts later and it was time to crack another beer.
I’ve become known as a bit of a choke artist, as it’s right about the fifteenth tee that nasty thoughts start formulating and I struggle to close out a good round. Just a few weeks ago I had 34 points through the fourteenth, and closed out wipe, wipe, two, one for a majorly disappointing 37. Hopefully the beer is enough to distract me.
Result: 5 / 2
Hole 15: Par 5 (index 14) 481m
Rated the easiest of the par-5’s here, and for good reason – the fairway remains straight for the most part, with no real trouble provided careful club and shot selection is exercised. A fairway bunker 110m out will catch out a sloppy second shot, but while the green is surrounded by sand, it’s very large and definitely one of the softer greens on the course.
I’m loving my driver lately – a few lightbulb moments with my technique and swing have seen me smoking some really, really good tee shots, and today produced another beauty. Flush down the middle, ~260m had me strutting down the fairway and ready to lay up. A clean, half-swing 5-iron put me 100m out, but a careless swing put my pitching wedge pin-high, off to the right – very lucky to sit up in between the two bunkers. An epic result considering the shot, but alas, I couldn’t convert. Putting from the fringe, 15 feet out, I put it 2 feet from the cup, and missed. I lined up the par putt with thoughts of missing swirling in my head – these are the moments I need to stop, mark my ball and reset. I’m getting better at listening to this and standing back when I don’t feel right about the shot, but this time I didn’t, and I let a tap-in par go begging.
Result: 6 / 3
Hole 16: Par 4 (index 5) 384m
A tough hole – realistically I reckon this one should be rated harder than the tenth. The tee boxes are set uphill, and back into the trees – the fairway landing area opens up wide at the dogleg, but the passage there is very narrow with trees either side. Water off the back is reachable with a driver and a good hit, so clubbing down to a 3-wood is usually smart. Another factor that’s easy to neglect is the wind – the tee box is so protected, so you don’t realise the southerly is blowing back down the dogleg, left-to-right from the tee. Right side of the landing zone is a lateral hazard with thick trees and rough, and life’s not too fun if you shank a drive right – a mistake I regularly make.
With that in mind, I took my 3-wood out and ran a decent strike along the left side of the dogleg, finishing in the rough right on the turn. The long, elevated green is a nice one to attack, but the firmness of it means landing short and banking on is vital. Land on the deck and you’ll be running through more often than not.
With tree branches overhead, I opted for a low punchy 3-iron up the hill right as the heavens opened and it started pssing down with rain. So close to the finish and with a good score brewing, there were no thoughts of finishing. Maybe due to the rain, I rushed my 3-iron and didn’t get through the rough, finding myself right at the base of the hill with a tough wedge shot waiting for me. This time, rain be damned, I took an extra practice swing and made sure of myself and my shot, which found its mark and left me dancing 40 feet from the pin. Three dripping wet putts, but a valuable two points in the bank.
Result: 6 / 2
Hole 17: Par 3 (index 15) 170m
Known locally as a real hooking hole, as a lot of tee shots find themselves off left and into the trees. A tough distance for me as it’s too short for my woods, but too big for my 5-iron, so I’ve taken to hitting a 3-hybrid at 80% to keep it straight, intending on being just short of the green. Bunkers to the front left, two on the right and one back left make it a painful green to miss wide, but this time I hit a clean tee shot and found myself 2 feet short of the green, but with a long uphill putt to a back right pin. I watched as my 7-handicap partner went bunker to bunker to bunker – the rain compacting the sand and making life in there a total misery. My put had good weight through the soggy green, and left me with a somewhat safe 4-footer for par and even more points.
Result: 3 / 4
Hole 18: Par 5 (index 9) 477m
Narrow, but dead straight for the first 350m, but a very tough hole to finish with two dangerous fairway bunkers 100m out and fairway that finishes sloping heavily to the left and back towards you. Leave an approach just short and you’re in trouble. The green itself is smallish, with rough to the left and five bunkers flanking right. A good straight tee shot allows you to lay up to around 100m out, and from there accuracy is key.
Usually by the eighteenth I’m struggling a little and lazy shots reign supreme – I put pressure on myself to finish strongly and usually that sends me in the wrong direction. Today, I was first to tee off, and through the driving rain I powered it 220m straight down the guts. Relief!
My 3-wood second shot was probably a little rushed, but I got away with a hook into the rough, leaving 100m under the branches and up the hill. I chose my 5-iron for the job, hoping not to hit it too flush and lift it into the overhanging branches. A decent strike kept it low, but with not enough push to run up the hill, my ball ran right and down onto the cart path with a very tricky chip after taking relief.
Just last week I was in the exact same spot, and fearing putting it over the back into the bunkers I ended up taking three shots to get clear of the rough and up on the green. This week – with the memories of last week acting as a guide – I hit the perfect chip up the hill, landing on the fringe and resting 6 feet from the hole, giving me a chance to make par here for the first time ever. My putt went slightly off-line and painfully lipped out! I was so sure it was going to drop, and I felt a little piece of me heart breaking as it found a way out. I dropped to my knees, and with rain drops pelting my face, I looked up the golf gods and asked “why?”
A quick tap in and round of handshakes and we all bolted off the course and out of the rain, where my efforts on the seventh meant it was straight to the bar for me!
Result: 6 / 3
In: 46 / 26
Out: 56 / 13
Total: 102 / 39
Gross: 102
H’Cap: 33
Net: 69
Sorry for the super long TR, thanks for reading if you made it this far! KingJames TR the other week inspired me to write up my round, so I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the back-9!
A TR: Wednesday 01/06/16 – Mens Single Stableford
A tale of two nines
I had a practice round with a mate the previous afternoon and hit the ball about as well as I’ve ever hit it, so of course I go into Comp day nervous as all hell. I’ve only been playing (seriously, anyway) for the past six months, and my G.A handicap still sits at 27.5, giving me 33 shots at my home course (which is quite hard, with a slope rating of 136) – at the moment I think ~25 is about fair given my ability, but mental game issues have plagued me ever since I started playing in competition. Once I figured out how the handicapping system worked I managed to relax a little bit, but my desire to play better and perform to my potential during the rounds that “count” still cause me to choke somewhat. So after having a glimpse at what was possible on Tuesday afternoon, I certainly felt the pressure on the first tee box Wednesday.
Hole 1: Par 4 (index 4) 370m
Really fun driving hole – elevated tee looking down over a wide open fairway that narrows about 150m out. Fire it left and you won’t get a look at the green for two, and too far right you’re more than likely to find an unfavourable lie in the mounds. The perfect tee shot shapes right-to-left, and the bigger hitters should reach the corner, leaving around 130m to the pin.
With butterfly’s going bananas in my stomach, I tee’d up and made good contact, firing it low with a slight (accidental) draw, leaving me in the left rough, about a metre off the carpet with trees blocking any thoughts of bombing it up to the green. A short, low 5-iron to 100m out set up my approach.
The first green is a really tough one to attack – it’s short, fast and well protected by bunkers. The ideal approach is either a low straight one that runs up the hill and on, or lofted high onto the fringe and rolling on. Most approaches here find the sand or run through the green into some ugly rough off the back.
With 100m up the hill, I hit a sweet, sweet pitching wedge that hit the fringe hard, before cruelly dribbling backwards and into the sand. A terrible shot out of the sand and a wedge straight back into it meant I wiped the hole without even needing to put.
Result: 8 / -
Hole 2: Par 4 (index 8) 333m
Narrow fairway with a hill and thick trees on the left, this hole dog-legs hard to the left – the corner being about 160m out, with a fairway bunker to catch any drives that carry too far. A tricky tee shot, I’ve taken to hitting a 3-wood as the hole doesn’t suit my natural fade. I have a nasty habit of missing this fairway far right and being stuck playing my second out of the rough on the fourth fairway. The ideal tee shot runs straight up the middle, leaving a 150m approach to a very fast back-to-front sloping green. The fairway after the turn slopes right to left, with some thick rough at the base bunkers protecting the green at the front left. Whilst missing the green long is safe, you’re left with a nasty, fast, hard-breaking downhill putt. The ideal approach leaves the ball below the hole, which is not easy to do.
Once again, a poor tee shot left me in the rough well right with about 190m to go, but thanks to a combination of a decent lie, great swing and just enough of a tree gap to work with, I recovered and left my second shot 2m short of the green, which I chipped on and finished from 6 feet out. My first time making par on the second.
Result: 4 / 4
Hole 3: Par 3 (index 16) 128m
Narrow par 3, protected by two nasty bunkers either side of the front. Small and insanely steep, these things are pricks to get out of. Overhanging branches left are a very real threat to anybody who shapes left-to-right. Back and right of the green slopes steeply downhill into rough – if you’re going to miss, miss short.
With a tail-wind, I opted for my 8-iron – made good contact but my fade just couldn’t stay clear of the branches which stopped me dead, leaving a tricky chip on from an elevated position, 40m out. The greens at the moment are insanely quick, meaning what would normally be a great wedge approach ended up running off the green to the right. A poor chip and two puts left me with a disappointing double.
Result: 5 / 1
Hole 4: Par 5 (index 2) 493m
The signature hole at my home course features a long, narrow fairway that turns slightly right at about the 300m mark, with a large, heavily contoured green protected almost entirely by water and sand. The clubhouse deck looks over the fourth green and makes for a great spectator hole.
The ideal tee shot stays left side of the fairway, leaving an easy layup opportunity. Whilst I absolutely smoked my drive, I watched in pain as it gradually tailed right, finishing just short of the second tee box. What should’ve been a comfortable 180m 3-wood to safety wound up being a 20m duff into the rough. A few obscenities and an OK 5-iron later and I was within 100m, ready to blaze glory with my trusty pitching wedge.
With a friendly middle pin position, an easy approach over the water, into the front of the green was all I asked for. Instead, I took an almighty divot and bobbled my ball ahead, just shy of the water. With branches overhead, I couldn’t try flopping my ball, so was forced to play a low chip that just refused to grip the concrete-like green and ran off the back. I managed to follow that up with a legitimately pretty little chip to 4m out. My second put lipped out, and just like that I’d run out of strokes. Wipe.
Result: 9 / -
Hole 5: Par 5 (index 13) 453m
A straight drive sets up a very real scoring opportunity here, as the short bend at 230m leaves nothing but a straight, slightly uphill fairway to a small, tricky green. Even I should be on in three more often than not here. A long, straight tee shot up the middle set me up to do just that, and the opportunity to bounce back became even more real with a cracking 3-wood down the guts to 95m out.
The hardest part about the fifth is just how tiny the green is. Miss it right and your ball rolls all the way down to an area I like to refer to as the valley of unhappiness, as chipping on is no easy feat from down here. Leave it short and just like a boomerang, your ball will return almost straight back to where it started. Hit it slightly long and you’ll find rough off the back. The ideal shot is a low chip, using the bounce off the hill to slow the ball up enough to stay on.
Some days, like Tuesday, my approach stays left and there’s no risk of spending time down in the valley. Today is Wednesday, though, and just like on the first, my pitching wedge proved nothing but a tease, as I hit the right side of the green and watched helplessly as that little white ball of madness trickled down the hill. One chip over the green, another back on and one putt too many left me with a disappointing double.
Result: 7 / 2
Hole 6: Par 4 (index 18) 319m
The easiest rated hole on the course, a short dog-leg par 4 requires a straight, 170ish metre tee shot and a short wedge approach. Protected at the front and left by bunkers, the entire backside is shadowed by a hill that, provided you don’t land too far up it, will often run your ball straight back on and guide it towards the middle.
I creamed my 3-hybrid off the box, leaving a friendly 85m approach that my sand wedge dutifully dispatched of. One of those shots that go exactly as you envisage during the practice swing – high, slight draw to the middle-left of the green, running just up the back fringe, turning 180 degrees and delivering itself a happy 8 feet from the hole. Stoked! To this point I’ve never made a birdie during a competition round, and all of a sudden I’ve got a very real chance at changing that frustrating statistic. My playing partner put his approach two feet behind mine, so I even got to sit behind and watch his put to give me a line! This should’ve been the happiest moment of my short golfing career.
I still haven’t made a birdie in a comp round. In fact, I didn’t even make par on the sixth. The frustration of three-putting from 8 feet probably goes a long way towards explaining what happened on seven…
Result: 5 / 2
Hole 7: Par 4 (index 10) 363m
Another one of those holes where I should be scoring consistently – tee box is high up the hill staring down at a wide open landing area. Trees lining the left side mean big worries for an errant hook shot, but generally a decent drive sets up a comfortable, straight 150m to the pin. That didn’t happen today. I topped my drive horribly, straight into the garden bed in front of us, well short of the ladies tee. I guess beers are on me. Still frustrated, I took relief and lined up a brand new Pro-V1. With a good lie here, my 3-wood should take me down to about 130m out, really. But not today. Another woeful top and I lose that shiny golf ball into the same garden bed, 2m to my left. Taking out a practice ball, I took relief again (lucky garden beds are freebies or I’d be picking up short of the ladies tee, how embarrassing). This time I connected and fired my third shot down into the trees, just right of the fairway. A low punch out and an errant sand wedge later and I needed to get up and down to save a point. For some reason, I can miss an easy 8-footer for birdie and four points on six, but here at seven when I need a 20-footer to drain for a single, it never looks like missing. This game is farked.
Result: 7 / 1
Hole 8: Par 3 (index 17) 139m
Slightly uphill with a big, deep green, the eighth always plays a little longer than you’d expect. Another well protected par-3, I recommend missing short if you’re not going to find the dancefloor in one – bunkers to the right and nasty grass hollows to the left. A slightly forward tee box and a front pin meant I still took a 7-iron to battle today, and had I shaped my shot properly, would’ve given me the perfect carry. Instead, I was building sandcastles. Just like the first, I got way too much ball and fired my bunker shot straight over into the rough hollow on the other side. A duffed first chip, and too-heavy second chip and two puts later meant another par-3 squandered. Zero points.
Result: 6 / -
Hole 9: Par 4 (index 6) 323m
Fairway bends around left-to-right, with rough mounds to catch your tee shot left, and a very reachable water hazard if you stay too straight or spray it wide. Club selection is key, and in the past I used to take a 3-wood to avoid a slice finding the drink. Now that I’ve found a groove with my driver, I back myself to carry over the corner and leave it in the middle, 120m out. Wanting to close out the front nine strongly, I tee’d up and absolutely belted my ball down the guts. Accolades from my playing partners soon turned to commiseration as my third bounce kicked hard right and dribbled into the water, right at the far end of the hazard. A huge tee shot, but when the golf gods want to punish you, they’ll bend you over and turn even your good shots into penalties.
The moment I watched the ball disappear over the edge, I screamed an almighty “FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRKKKK OOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFF!!!!” and hurled my driver at my bag. Is there anything I could do at this point to turn it around? Yes. Yes there was. Beer. I made the decision then and there to stop thinking about golf, and start thinking about the beers I was going to punish tonight and the head start I was going to allow myself at the halfway point.
I steamed down the fairway and found my ball happily enjoying it’s unscheduled wash and took my drop. I ripped my 9-iron slightly left of the uphill green, but was pretty happy with the swing and contact nonetheless. A crafty chip on and one put on arguably the hardest green on the course meant I’d salvaged a bogey, which was a massive win considering I’d taken a penalty.
Result: 5 / 3
Out: 56 / 13
Half-way Thoughts:
I bolted to my car and grabbed a couple extra golf balls for the back nine, and while buying a couple of beers to take out with me I stopped to reflect a little on why the front had gone the way it had. It was obvious – I was caring too much! I play by far my best golf when I just plain don’t give a toss, so with beer in hand I told myself to just have fun. Easier said than done, but I really felt like after a 13 point front, how much worse could it really get? Plus, only need 17 on the back for a respectable 30 point total, which is very doable even with less-than-stellar golf. I get two shots every hole on the back, so suddenly I felt a whole lot better.
Hole 10: Par 4 (index 1) 371m
Rated the hardest hole on the course, the water ahead lays in wait for the big hitters missing their mark. To the right is the practice range, which is a hazard that comes with a free drop. The drop zone leaves no clear lane toward the green, so there’s no advantage to putting it here. The fairway itself bends right at the top of the range before straightening up to the green. The big hitters will draw the ball over the range, landing in play just past it leaving a straight, ~125m approach.
I think I probably could clear the range with my driver, however anything not far right or long enough is trouble, so I’ve recently clubbed down to a 3-wood here. A bit of a drop-kick left my tee shot a little short, but comfortably in the middle of the fairway, about 200m out. Unfortunately, my 3-wood prowess deserted me and I only gained about 40m, and now I had some rough to play out of, but still barely within range of my 5-iron. The good thing about this hole is that you can miss short or right with your approach, because the lay of the fairway kicks the ball left and forward, almost funnelling it straight up and on. A cracking iron shot and my ball did just that, coming to rest pin-high, 15 feet from the cup. Another one-put and all of a sudden I’ve made par on the tenth for the first time and I’m starting the back on the right foot.
Result: 4 / 4
Hole 11: Par 4 (index 11) 325m
I love this hole, as a good drive sets up a very makeable approach – every time I play it I think back to a practice round birdie a few months ago. I know I can do it, so there’s always a little tingle of excitement when I tee off. Today, I gave myself the perfect chance to do it again with a monster tee shot – low and dead straight. The dry fairways gave me some extra run and left me 95m out, which is a really awkward distance – pitching wedge feels slightly big while the 55 degree sand wedge I know is too small. Given the speed of these greens and a forward pin, I chose to play short as a bad pitching wedge will easily run through the green to an awful place off the back. Also, if I’m lucky I may get a nice kick onto the front of the green, but I don’t count on it. The plan is to drop it just short, hopefully close enough to still be able to put.
My swing is a good one, and knowing immediately that I’m short is a good thing – I’m getting to know my clubs and their ranges pretty well. As expected, I drop two feet short of the green, with about 20 feet to the cup. I couldn’t extend my one-putt streak to three holes, and disappointingly took three to finish.
Result: 5 / 3
Hole 12: Par 4 (index 7) 321m
The second of a three-hole stretch of long, narrow fairways, and a straight tee shot is the only kind that is playable here. Thick hazard and OOB left, plus trees and nasty lies right make this a tricky hole if you miss. A great, almost 250m tee shot finished up just to the left of the fairway, right behind a big fkk-off tree blocking the entire green. I’ve never been sand-wedge distance out for one here before, so that tree was a huge kick in the nuts. Some uninspiring chip shots and three putts later and it’s off to thirteen.
Result: 6 / 2
Hole 13: Par 4 (index 3) 371m
A lazy tee shot saw the return of my slice, and I was fortunate to find a good lie in the dirt off to the right and a view of the green. I ran a low punch 3-iron up the fairway, just to the rough front right. Often a very tough hole to finish, the green has a ridge running diagonal through the middle, making it a factor with just about any pin location. Surrounded right and back by bunkers and left with thick rough, it becomes a real short game test. I’m always relieved to finish with points here, and well weighted chip allowed a safe two-putt for bogey.
Result: 5 / 3
Hole 14: Par 3 (index 12) 139m
Water to the right and a deviously placed bunker at the front make the fourteenth a very tough pin to attack. The safe shot is short and left, as anywhere here gives a clean line to the pin with a chip or a putt. For the more aggressive/cocky/confident, a high draw up and over the front bunker will hit the green and kick left and stay on. This is usually my go-to approach here, as I’ve found some rhythm with my 7-iron – the drawback is the water trap to the right, as a lazy swing won’t move and I’ll deploying the ball scoop.
A lazy swing was exactly what I got, however a little drop-kick took a heap of distance from the shot and kept me in play, just short of the bunker. Fortunately, my ball sat up in the fluffy rough, allowing me a clean flop over the bunker to 25 feet out. Three rage-inducing putts later and it was time to crack another beer.
I’ve become known as a bit of a choke artist, as it’s right about the fifteenth tee that nasty thoughts start formulating and I struggle to close out a good round. Just a few weeks ago I had 34 points through the fourteenth, and closed out wipe, wipe, two, one for a majorly disappointing 37. Hopefully the beer is enough to distract me.
Result: 5 / 2
Hole 15: Par 5 (index 14) 481m
Rated the easiest of the par-5’s here, and for good reason – the fairway remains straight for the most part, with no real trouble provided careful club and shot selection is exercised. A fairway bunker 110m out will catch out a sloppy second shot, but while the green is surrounded by sand, it’s very large and definitely one of the softer greens on the course.
I’m loving my driver lately – a few lightbulb moments with my technique and swing have seen me smoking some really, really good tee shots, and today produced another beauty. Flush down the middle, ~260m had me strutting down the fairway and ready to lay up. A clean, half-swing 5-iron put me 100m out, but a careless swing put my pitching wedge pin-high, off to the right – very lucky to sit up in between the two bunkers. An epic result considering the shot, but alas, I couldn’t convert. Putting from the fringe, 15 feet out, I put it 2 feet from the cup, and missed. I lined up the par putt with thoughts of missing swirling in my head – these are the moments I need to stop, mark my ball and reset. I’m getting better at listening to this and standing back when I don’t feel right about the shot, but this time I didn’t, and I let a tap-in par go begging.
Result: 6 / 3
Hole 16: Par 4 (index 5) 384m
A tough hole – realistically I reckon this one should be rated harder than the tenth. The tee boxes are set uphill, and back into the trees – the fairway landing area opens up wide at the dogleg, but the passage there is very narrow with trees either side. Water off the back is reachable with a driver and a good hit, so clubbing down to a 3-wood is usually smart. Another factor that’s easy to neglect is the wind – the tee box is so protected, so you don’t realise the southerly is blowing back down the dogleg, left-to-right from the tee. Right side of the landing zone is a lateral hazard with thick trees and rough, and life’s not too fun if you shank a drive right – a mistake I regularly make.
With that in mind, I took my 3-wood out and ran a decent strike along the left side of the dogleg, finishing in the rough right on the turn. The long, elevated green is a nice one to attack, but the firmness of it means landing short and banking on is vital. Land on the deck and you’ll be running through more often than not.
With tree branches overhead, I opted for a low punchy 3-iron up the hill right as the heavens opened and it started pssing down with rain. So close to the finish and with a good score brewing, there were no thoughts of finishing. Maybe due to the rain, I rushed my 3-iron and didn’t get through the rough, finding myself right at the base of the hill with a tough wedge shot waiting for me. This time, rain be damned, I took an extra practice swing and made sure of myself and my shot, which found its mark and left me dancing 40 feet from the pin. Three dripping wet putts, but a valuable two points in the bank.
Result: 6 / 2
Hole 17: Par 3 (index 15) 170m
Known locally as a real hooking hole, as a lot of tee shots find themselves off left and into the trees. A tough distance for me as it’s too short for my woods, but too big for my 5-iron, so I’ve taken to hitting a 3-hybrid at 80% to keep it straight, intending on being just short of the green. Bunkers to the front left, two on the right and one back left make it a painful green to miss wide, but this time I hit a clean tee shot and found myself 2 feet short of the green, but with a long uphill putt to a back right pin. I watched as my 7-handicap partner went bunker to bunker to bunker – the rain compacting the sand and making life in there a total misery. My put had good weight through the soggy green, and left me with a somewhat safe 4-footer for par and even more points.
Result: 3 / 4
Hole 18: Par 5 (index 9) 477m
Narrow, but dead straight for the first 350m, but a very tough hole to finish with two dangerous fairway bunkers 100m out and fairway that finishes sloping heavily to the left and back towards you. Leave an approach just short and you’re in trouble. The green itself is smallish, with rough to the left and five bunkers flanking right. A good straight tee shot allows you to lay up to around 100m out, and from there accuracy is key.
Usually by the eighteenth I’m struggling a little and lazy shots reign supreme – I put pressure on myself to finish strongly and usually that sends me in the wrong direction. Today, I was first to tee off, and through the driving rain I powered it 220m straight down the guts. Relief!
My 3-wood second shot was probably a little rushed, but I got away with a hook into the rough, leaving 100m under the branches and up the hill. I chose my 5-iron for the job, hoping not to hit it too flush and lift it into the overhanging branches. A decent strike kept it low, but with not enough push to run up the hill, my ball ran right and down onto the cart path with a very tricky chip after taking relief.
Just last week I was in the exact same spot, and fearing putting it over the back into the bunkers I ended up taking three shots to get clear of the rough and up on the green. This week – with the memories of last week acting as a guide – I hit the perfect chip up the hill, landing on the fringe and resting 6 feet from the hole, giving me a chance to make par here for the first time ever. My putt went slightly off-line and painfully lipped out! I was so sure it was going to drop, and I felt a little piece of me heart breaking as it found a way out. I dropped to my knees, and with rain drops pelting my face, I looked up the golf gods and asked “why?”
A quick tap in and round of handshakes and we all bolted off the course and out of the rain, where my efforts on the seventh meant it was straight to the bar for me!
Result: 6 / 3
In: 46 / 26
Out: 56 / 13
Total: 102 / 39
Gross: 102
H’Cap: 33
Net: 69
Sorry for the super long TR, thanks for reading if you made it this far! KingJames TR the other week inspired me to write up my round, so I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the back-9!
06-02-2016
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06-02-2016
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06-02-2016
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06-03-2016
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06-03-2016
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06-03-2016
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06-04-2016
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