We were the first group off the 10th tee, with a 7:30am tee time. Here's how the round played out...
10TH HOLE
A short, sharp dogleg left. The smart play is to hit a 180 yard shot off the tee, and then a short iron into the slightly elevated green. I hit 5-iron but pulled it left; fortunately I managed to have a good view of the green with only about 100 yards in. I hit a gap wedge to about 18 feet. Kevin played it about the same, with a pulled iron off the tee, then a wedge to maybe 20 feet. His birdie try just missed; mine was in the center of the cup. A good start. TEAM: -1. MY BALL: -1.
11TH HOLE
A tough par 4 that plays uphill and therefore a lot longer than the distance on the scorecard. The tees were up, though, which made driver the fool's play. I again pulled my tee ball, a 15 degree hybrid into the tree line. Kevin also followed me to the left, but he had a clean shot at the green, whereas I was going to have to hit a punch through a narrow window if I was going to advance the ball at all. Kevin ended up flying the green; my 6-iron punch got through clean and left me with about a 30 yard pitch to a crowned back pin. I hit a decent shot, but still had about 12 feet for par...and made it. Kevin had a little more trouble from his position and made 6. TEAM: -1. MY BALL: -1.
12TH HOLE
A reachable par 5 that plays -- interestingly -- across a road. Both Kevin and I hit 275 yard drives down the center, and then we both hit hybrid across the road to the landing area short of the green; Kevin had about 75 yards left, and I had a delicate pitch that would need to carry the bunker on the right of the green. Kevin's shot was aggressive and ended up on the back of the green -- not where you want to be on a green that slopes severely from back to front. I hit a quick-checking pitch that stopped about 2 feet from the hole on the high side. Kevin's try ran (unsurprisingly) past the hole, but I managed to cozy in my quick tester for a second birdie. TEAM: -2. MY BALL: -2.
13TH HOLE
The 2nd of two back-to-back par 5's, this one is less likely reachable though actually easier to go for it because there isn't really any trouble in front of the green. We again hit matching 275 yard drives, but terrible shots from there -- I fanned a 1-hybrid way right, into the 14th hole rough, and Kevin hit one fat, leaving 100 or so into the green. My 54 degree wedge found the front of the green, while Kevin's next shot was off the back edge. I was in after 2 putts; Kevin finished with bogey. TEAM: -2. MY BALL: -2.
14TH HOLE
Playing at just about 180 yards, this should have been an easy 5-iron, but I hit it thin and ended up in the green side bunker on the left. Kevin hit a beautiful 5-iron with a little draw pin-high, with about 8-10 feet left. My bunker shot went right over the stick, and it took 2 to get down for bogey. Kevin's birdie try dove left at the last second, and so we settled for his tap-in par. TEAM: -2. MY BALL -1.
15TH HOLE
This is a long uphill dogleg right par 5. Kevin popped his drive up a little and was in the right rough, blocked out a bit. My drive was almost to the corner of the dogleg, but leaked a little right at the end and wandered into the first cut of rough; I also didn't really have an angle to go at the green. Kevin's next one carried through the fairway into the left rough, while my 5-iron came up about 50 yards short of the green in the center of the fairway. From there I hit a nice pitch that landed next to the pin and ran 5 feet past; Kevin hit a good looking 7 iron that somehow came up short and in the bunker. He took 3 to get up and down; my putt did almost a full 360 around the cup but somehow did manage to fall in for another birdie. TEAM: -3. MY BALL: -2.
16TH HOLE
A long par 4. I hit a good drive 265 yards down the center, while Kevin pulled his a bit and nearly got to the woods on the left side, leaving no clean shot to the green. He hit a good punch that actually almost got there. I hit 8-iron that landed in the center of the green and somehow spun 20 feet back to the front fringe. Kevin had a tough lie in the rough and needed a chip and 2 putts to get in; I lagged up to about a foot and made par. TEAM: -3. MY BALL -2.
17TH HOLE
A difficult par 4 because of the treacherous green the slopes severely from back to front. I hit hybrid past the dogleg corner into the 1st cut of rough on the left; Kevin hit driver to the right side of the fairway. I had about 95 yards to the pin (which was front-right) and the lie was a little heavy so I decided to hit a full gap wedge. It flew to about 5 yards past the pin, and then started to come back toward the hole...and then past the hole...and then off the green...and then 50 feet down the hill of the false front. Kevin saw that happen and decided to hit a dead wrist wedge to take the spin off and managed a perfect shot to about 6 feet that held its position. I got up and down for par. Unfortunately Kevin's trick right to lefter wasn't meant to be. TEAM: -3. MY BALL: -2.
18TH HOLE
Both the 18th and the 9th holes are long uphill par 3's. This one plays a little shorter, and my 5-iron made the front right of the green. Kevin hit hybrid and didn't make a committed swing, leaving it short and right in the rough. His chip ran about 10 feet past, and so did my poorly-read lag putt. We both missed the comeback. Ugh. TEAM: -2. MY BALL: -1.
1ST HOLE
The 1st is a straightforward short par 4 -- reachable at about 285 yards, but risky with protective bunkers on both sides of the front of the green. We each hit 4 irons in the fairway, then 100 yard wedges to about 20 feet. 2 pars. TEAM: -2. MY BALL: -1.
2ND HOLE
A short downhill par 3 over water that was only about 100 yards with the tees up a bit today. I hit a 54 degree wedge that landed about 5 feet past and right of the pin, and for the 3rd time in 5 holes I watched my ball spin 20+ feet back, this time to the very front of the green. Kevin wound up in the bunker that sits in back of the green; his bunker shot left him about 15 feet. I had a tricky uphill right to left putt that was along a ridge line, so I hit it firm and ran 3-4 feet past. Kevin's par try skirted past the hole and ran down that same ridge leaving a long comeback for bogey (it wouldn't go). I made my par. TEAM: -2. MY BALL: -1.
3RD HOLE
A long par 4 that falls off the right side, requiring a good drive that favors the left. I hit it on the screws 295 yards in the fairway; Kevin was nearly as good, just about 20 yards back. We both hit short of the green with a front pin; I could have putted mine but didn't like the way it was sitting and elected to chip instead -- and nearly holed in, leaving just a tap in for par. Kevin made 5. TEAM: -2. MY BALL: -1.
4TH HOLE
By now I was clearly feeling it, and on a hole that doesn't require a driver I still took a rip at it and hit a power fade to the center of the fairway, just 40 yards from the center of the green. Kevin played the opposite, hitting hybrid to the 150 yard marker. His shot ended up on the right fringe; my pitch came up a little shorter than I wanted and left about 15 feet. 3 shots for Kevin made bogey; I 2-putt for par. TEAM: -2. MY BALL -1.
5TH HOLE
A gradual dogleg left where driver is a difficult play. I hit 1-hybrid to the right side of the fairway; Kevin's shot was nicely down the left side. The green is elevated and the pin is difficult to see from below; we both hit wedges that looked awfully good, but both shots were 20+ feet from the hole. 2 pars. TEAM: -2. MY BALL: -1.
6TH HOLE
Unquestionably the most difficult hole on the course: a 408 yard downhill, narrow, gradual dogleg left that has hazard on both sides, plus a brook that starts about 100 yards from the green and crosses the fairway 40 yards in front. The ideal shot off the tee is about 230-260 yards to a flat area between 2 ski-slopes that can potentially take your ball on a trip off course quickly. I hit 2-hybrid into that sweet spot. Kevin hit an iron off the tee but left it off to the right in the rough (but not the hazard). From there he punched down to the flat area. I had 175 in, all downhill, and hit 7-iron to the left center of the green. Kevin hit his thin and ended up in the left rough -- he eventually made 6. I had a routine 2 putts for par. TEAM: -2. MY BALL: -1.
7TH HOLE
A short-ish dogleg left par 4 where you must favor the right side off the tee -- the left side slopes off to a hazard area. We both hit left -- Kevin into the hazard, but still with a playable lie; I got a little lucky and stayed in the rough with a clean shot at the green. Kevin punched out, and then hit one to the back of the green; I hit a 9-iron to almost pin high. The hole was precariously placed just over a ridge from me, but I managed to lag to tap-in distance. Kevin also 2 putt for his bogey. TEAM: -2. MY BALL -1.
8TH HOLE
A very difficult par 5 that requires a lay up off the tee, then a carry over a wetlands hazard to an uphill fairway. If you hit 2 good shots, then you still probably will have 150-200 yards in. I hit 3-iron into the left rough. Kevin hit hybrid to the left fairway. My lie was not good, but I needed to pick up some distance so I hit 2-hybrid, which spun out right and crashed into a grove of trees. (I hit a provisional at that point that would prove to be unneeded.) Kevin chunked his next one a bit, but did manage to safely carry the hazard. I had a limited window when I found mine, but was able to hit a low 4 iron punch to about 30 yards short of the green. By this point, by the way, it was pouring rain, and I lost track of what Kevin did (I think he made bogey). I hit what I thought was a good pitch, but it didn't get nearly as close to the hole as I wanted; my 18 footer skirted past the left edge from there, but I made the 3 footer coming back. TEAM: -1. MY BALL: EVEN.
9TH HOLE
Uphill par 3. 185 yards today. Pouring rain. And I'm at even freaking par with one hole to play.
Deep breath.
4 iron. Just hit it smooth.
Kevin would later say that the calm confidence that I had the whole round had clearly evaporated as I stood over the ball.
I will freely admit: I choked it. The only truly bad shot I hit all day. A thin pull hook, well left of the green and down a hill into thick rough.
Still, all it would take was a flop shot (over a bunker) and a putt to reach the goal. I hit the shot I wanted, and got absolutely no roll out, so 15 feet was what stood between me and even par. I read it as just a hair left to right, but Kevin's putt (from a little deeper on the green than mine) ran hard to the right, and so I gave it a little more credit than I initially planned....and it never broke. Tap-in bogey. (Kevin also made bogey, I think.)
TEAM: even par. MY BALL: +1.
I could make a million excuses, but the truth is I just hit a terrible shot on the last tee. I can't play much better than I did -- all aspects of my game were clicking. (In retrospect, my long iron play could have been better overall.) The good news is I get to get back out on the same course tomorrow to take another run at it.
As for our team performance, the course became unplayable due to the weather not long after we finished -- as a result only 15 groups actually finished, and the scores were wiped out (seeding instead will happen based on combined handicap).
But we were the low score by 3 shots.
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