Got to play a social 9 holes with my brother in law and our boys at the delightful Heathcote GC early on Sunday morning and yet again, the mixed bag was with me...
We teed off at just after 7.15am and the early morning frost was well and truly still on the ground. Couple that with the Kangaroos that roam the course, the kids were in for a fun morning.
The first hole is a dog leg left Par 5 and given we were squinting directly into the sun on the tee box, I took 1 iron from the tee for safety and according to my brother in law because I didn't see it at all because of the sun, hit a nice draw which found the left hand side of the fairway, just short of the dogleg, which meant, given the gums on the corner, I would have to fashion some sort of serious hook to get around the corner safely. Taking 3 iron and try to hook the ball around the corner, hit it well and it disappears around the corner seemingly hooking nicely. On getting to the ball I have left myself about 120m away and in the first cut of rough with a little tree to be considered in going for home. My 8 iron 3rd didn't fade anywhere near as much as I'd played for and left myself pin high about 20m left of the flag. I hit a pretty good chip, or so I thought, and despite the dew sitting on the green, the ball rolled out to about 25feet away from the pin and the resulting 3 putt double bogey 7 was a little disappointing. I salved my ego a little by telling myself these greens would be seriously treacherous during the summer months.
2nd hole: A longish 185m par 3 with a massive gum tree guarding the front right hand portion of the green. I got cute and tried to hit a nice fade in with a 4 iron and promptly overcooked it, missing the green right by about 20m. Lesson learned: should have hit a straight 5 iron to the left portion of the green. Again, hit what I thought was a good chip shot, but again it finished about 25feet away and again I would 3 putt for a double bogey 6.
3rd hole: A par 4, block driver out right and have to thread a punch back through the trees to the fairway and finish just inside 150m away for 2. 7 iron 3rd misses the green long and right and I chip back to about 15 feet and 2 putt for another double bogey 6. At least the 3 putts are gone.
4th hole: Another Par 4 and another driver from the tee blocked right into the trees. Another punch back to the fairway, this time just outside 150m for 2. 6 iron this time finishes pin high right about 15m off the putting surface. Again a good looking chip runs out to about 20 feet away, this time I would make the putt for a bogey 5. Better he says to himself. Now just find a fairway...
5th hole: Another par 4, given the 2 previously sprayed right drivers, this time I take 3 wood and hit it well, if not a little right as well, and find the right hand edge of the fairway, about 120m away, again with some trees to consider in going for home. Catch the 8 iron fat and only advance it some 30m closer to the green and bring the aforementioned tree well and truly into play. Punch a 1 iron low towards the green and catch it far too well, ball bounces twice just short of the green and rolls well through. The 25m chip I have left myself finishes about 20 feet away and the bogey attempt dies short in the heart. Tap in double bogey 6.
6th hole: Short par 4 off only 260m approx. Green is guarded left and right by water and some serious gums push out into the front right corner of the green making it a difficult dog leg right. Again take 3 wood, hit it well and finish just short of the water right of the green about 30m from the front edge. Chip to about 15 feet and my birdie attempt slides 15 inches past on the high side. Tap in Par, noice!!!
7th hole: Another par 4, long wide straightaway hole. Take driver again after 2 good 3 woods have revived the confidence and yet again block it right into the trees. Thinks to self, "am I swinging too hard maybe...???" Again punch out to the fairway, again just inside 150m for 2. 7 iron starts on line and drifts right to finish pin high right, about 10m from the edge. Chip on to about 10 feet and make the putt for a bogey 5.
8th hole: Short par 3 of some 130m with a massive bunker guarding the left hand side of the green. Easy 8 iron starts left of the flag and stays there and seems to carry the pot long. On arriving at the green, I find that the bunker seems much closer to the green than it actually is and my ball has pitched on the fringe grass and hopped once onto the putting surface and stopped about 20 feet from the pin. Birdie attempt dies in the heart of the hole about a foot short and kicking myself for leaving the birdie attempt short, tap in for my second 2 putt par in 3 holes.
9th hole: Lengthy par 5 of some 520m. This time driver starts right again, but this time hangs on to find the fairway. 1 iron second is less than ideal, however and finishes in the first cut on the left side of the fairway about 120m away. 8 iron 3rd looks great starts left and tries to fade right onto the pin. Pitches and stops on the green, seemingly close. Getting to the green, have left myself 15 feet for birdie. Nice way to finish the day I think to myself and with that last short birdie putt still in mind, hit this one a little too hard and run it 4 feet past. Make the one back for a par 5.
The stats will read something like this:
10 over the card 46 off the stick. 18 putts, 4 fairways and 3 greens in reg.
It remains fodder for the post round drinks that I had started playing reasonable golf from the 6th hole onwards, playing those 4 holes 1 over the card and finishing with 2 regulation pars. Might have gone on to score well around the back, but, who really knows.
Blocking the driver right aside, hit the ball reasonably well and but for some poor putting early, things might well have been better. Bottom line, we were just our for a fun round and the kids played a few balls around the course with us and the morning was more about them than us.
My 10 yr old son can hit my 3 wood quite well already and I am hopeful that he will inherit my love of this game and one day he and I might tee it up together in a father and son 4 ball. That would be something.
As always, thanks for reading.
Cheers
