Round 6: Pine View
Here goes with the latest installment of my quest for breaking 90 and then consistent scoring in the 80s.
Played a fun afternoon game with my brother and 2 friends at a local course called Pine View. Here's how it went.
Hole #1: Par 5 509 yards.
Nervous start with a drop-kicked tee shot and then a huge slice into tall grass, settled down with a decent approach but then hit my wedge too far, had to chip back on and a one putt meant I escaped with a double bogie 7
.
Hole #2: Par 4 357 yards.
Much better, lovely 5w shot right up the centre of the fairway coming to rst at the 150 marker. Thinned the 7i just a little and it ran out past the flag and onto the fringe, chip and 2 putt for a bogie
.
Hole 3: Par 3 140 yards.
Hit what felt like a well struck 8i but lost sight of it at it left the clubhead, get up to the green to find it pin high but in a greenside bunker. Sand looked dry but was wet underneath and I ended up leaving the ball in the bunker, decide to chip it out instead and find the green. First putt just misses the cup but then catches the break and rolls to the front of the green, 2nd putt on line but not hard enough, tap in for a head scratching triple bogie 6
.
Hole #4: Par 4 404.
Another great 5w shot, right down the middle. Have about 190 left so decide to lay up with a smooth 7w, hit it really pure and for a second looked to be heading right for the pin only to hop right upon bouncing and into a greenside bunker. Decide on a chip out of the bunker (as it is probably also really wet underneath). Decided right as the ball pops out and comes to rest 6 ft from hole. Knock in the putt for a great scrambled
PAR .
Hole 5: Par 5 464 yards. Tee shot up middle, lost 2nd shot a little right, wedge onto green. Make a mess of the birdie putt and end up with a highly annoying 3 putt bogie
.
Hole 6: Par 4 418. Tee shot favouring middle but then drifts a little right. Approach shot with a 4h pushed way right into tall grass. Find ball and decide on an unplayable, drop and then proceed to hit my wedge shot over a bunker, and over the green, chip on and 2 putts for a most dissatisfying triple bogie 7
.
Hole 7: par 3 200 yards. Hit 5w on this long par 3, slice it a little and have another wedge over a bunker, again hit it too long and have to chip back, 1st putt doesn't fall so have to settle with a double bogie 5
.
Hole 8: par 4 389 yards. Great tee shot gives me a big boost. When I get to the ball I get an even bigger boost as I realise that there was a drainage ditch across the fairway and I just missed it. Pure 7w onto green and 2 putts for a nice
PAR .
Hole 9: par 4 430 yards. Great tee shot to middle of fairway, sitting about 160 out but uphill, struggle to decide between 4h or 7w. Pick 4h....wrong decision, comes up short and then an all to familiar wedge shot goes too far. Cap it off with an horrific 3 putt. Double bogie 6.
Front 9 total: 50
.
Looks like 89 or better is out of the equation, so decide to just stay focussed on each shot, have fun and see what happens. I figure that I can still help my handicap from here and that is the main thing.
Hole #10: par 4 345 yards.
Great tee shot to start off the back 9. Find myself between
clubs and again choose the wrong one, coming up short with my 9i but still finding the green. Lag a nice putt up to the hole and roll in a very pleasing
PAR putt
.
Hole 11: Par 5 493 yards.
Great tee shot, I am really doing well off the tee these days. Shot 2 was shot of the day and superb 5w off the deck flies even further than my tee shot and I am 30-35 yards from the flag. Wow, never been that close to a Par 5 green in 2. My excitement doesn't last too long as I flub my wedge and it barely gets onto the green
. Then I bloody 3 putt for a bogie. Dammit, I managed to cover 460 yards with 2 shots and then take 4 to go the last 35 yards.
Hole #12: Par 3 153 yards. 7i comes up just a little short but a good chip and a well read breaking putt land me a nice
PAR
Hole #13: Par 5 516 yards. Dammit, tee shot is a huge slice, but find the ball and have a tough decision on whether to go for it or take my medicine and pitch back into fairway. Choose neither as I notice I could probably hit a decent shot under a tree to a decent spot on the fairway. Comes off well but my 3rd shot was less than well struck and comes up short. No matter could have been much much worse, I am now sitting 3 with a SW in hand.....SHANK....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Luckily the ball is still in play, have another all to familiar half-pitch over a bunker to a tucked pin, hit it too far and just escape the bunker on the other side of the green. Chip on and then my putt lipped out ARRRRRRGGGGGHHH!!! Nasty nasty 8 on a fairly straightforward hole.
.
Hole #14: Par 3 181 yards. Another long par 3, miss a little right and guess what? I have a half-pitch over a bunker, hit this one pretty well but it runs to the fringe behind the hole, putt from the fringe and then tap in the bogie putt...phew that could have been a lot worse
.
Hole #15 Par 4 419 yards. Great tee shot but find ball in a divot. manage to get a decent shot on the ball but it flies much lower and doesn't make the green. Hmmm half wedge shot eh? Hmmmm all the others have gone past the pin, no bunker in front of me this time, i'll aim a little short and let it release to the hole..........fat chance this lands and sticks like a dart, inevitable 3 putt leaves me shaking my head again double bogie 6
.
Hole #16 Par 3 158 yards. Good contact with the 4h but it flies a little too far, chip on but upon landing on the green the ball hits something and jumps straight up and stops on landing. Throw offending twig off the green and look at a tough breaking downhill putt. With the 3 putt from 15 still fresh in my mind I shake off the negative thoughts and pick a spot to roll it to and it hits it and tracks straight into the cup for
PAR.
Hole #17: Par 4 348 yards. Tee shot is not great but in the fairway. Get to the ball to see that I have no clear view of the green to I just lay up to infront. Again, I overhit my wedge, but manage to gather myself and 2 putt for a double bogie 6
.
Hole #18: Par 4 407 yards. 210 yard tee shot leaves me just under 200 to the centre of the green, it is slighly uphill but the pin is at the front so I decide on another 5w and just, just miss rolling it up onto the green. Great chip shot putts me nice and close and I steady myself to roll in
PAR number 6 of the round
. Great finish, and save for a few bad shots/decisions a great back 9 performance.
Back 9 total: 44
Total for 18: 50+44 = 94
Course handicap for me was 24 so 94-24 = net 70, therefore a net -1.
Handicap dropped from 23.5 to 23