The (US) Resorts

There's almost 100 inches of snow on the ground in my front yard, and so naturally the only thing on my mind is...golf.

The new Golf Digest list(s) of "America's Greatest Courses" is out.  Obviously any one ranking of courses is going to be incomplete and imperfect, but this is the one that carries the most weight in the golf community.  For 2014-15, they have five different rankings: the Top 100, the "2nd 100" (i.e. numbers 101-200; why it's not the "top 200," I don't know), the Best in State, the Best in Canada, and the Top 100 Public.  The Top 100 itself is dominated by courses that are private (1-2-3 are Augusta National, Pine Valley, and Cypress Point, which are all famous both for their awesomeness and their exclusivity), and there isn't a public course until #7 (Pebble Beach).  You don't see another public until #18 (Pacific Dunes).  I've only played one course on the list: #43, Bethpage State Park (Black).

Ultimately it's the Top 100 Public list that I'm most interested in.  This year I happened to take note of the courses from the same property or resort that show up on the list -- probably because the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was on TV at the time, and they were playing on 3 of the top 100.  So this got me thinking: what are the best golf resorts in the country using the top 100 rankings as a metric of quality?

As best as I can tell, there are six resorts that have more than one course in the Top 100 Public ranking:

Pebble Beach: Pebble Beach Golf Links (1), Spyglass Hill G.C. (11), and The Links at Spanish Bay (49)
Bandon Dunes: Pacific Dunes (2), Bandon Dunes (7), Old Macdonald (12), and Bandon Trails (14)
Kohler/American Club Resort: Whistling Straits (Straits) (4), Blackwolf Run (River) (16), Whistling Straits (Irish) (47), and Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys) (72)
Pinehurst Resort: No. 2 (5), No. 4 (59), and No. 8 (80)
Streamsong Resort: Streamsong (Red) (18) and Streamsong (Blue) (24)
Turning Stone: Atunyote G.C. (52) and Kaluhyat G.C. (82)

Limiting ourselves to those criteria (more than one course in the Top 100 Public), then we can use the scores within the rankings to determine which is the most desirable resort to go to (from a strictly golf perspective).*  I looked at the numbers three ways: the average score across the courses at each resort (more uniformly high quality = better), the total score for each resort (more courses = more variety = better), and the top ranking course at each site (a standout "must-play" course = better).

*This doesn't quite tell the whole picture of these resorts, as we're only looking at the courses that are ranked in the top 100.  Pinehurst, for example, has 6 additional courses that may all be of high quality, but not quite good enough for the rankings.

I look at the those 3 characteristics as all being equal.  To compare the resorts, I took the z-score for each category and added those up to get a total score.  Here's how it breaks down:

PEBBLE BEACH			BANDON DUNES			KOHLER
COURSE	GD SCORE		COURSE	GD SCORE		COURSE	GD SCORE
Pebble Beach	67.6226		Pacific Dunes	65.1785		Straits	64.7478
Spyglass Hill	62.7138		Bandon Dunes	63.4556		River	61.0936
Spanish Bay	57.6485		Old Macdonald	62.4879		Irish	57.7387
			Bandon Trails	61.5480		Meadow Valley	56.5514
AVERAGE	62.6616		AVERAGE	63.1675		AVERAGE	60.032875
TOTAL	187.9849		TOTAL	252.6700		TOTAL	240.1315
TOT Z-SCORE	2.264		TOT Z-SCORE	2.914		TOT Z-SCORE	1.223

PINEHURST			STREAMSONG			TURNING STONE
COURSE	GD SCORE		COURSE	GD SCORE		COURSE	GD SCORE
No. 2	64.2727		Red	60.7601		Atunyote	57.5788
No. 4	57.1474		Blue	60.1842		Kaluhyat	56.0961
No. 8	56.1970
AVERAGE	59.2057		AVERAGE	60.4722		AVERAGE	56.83745
TOTAL	177.6171		TOTAL	120.9443		TOTAL	113.6749
TOT Z-SCORE	-0.335		TOT Z-SCORE	-1.746		TOT Z-SCORE	-4.321

In both the average and total ranking categories, Bandon comes out as the clear winner -- unsurprising, since all 4 of it's courses fall in the top 14 overall; that's strong enough to place first in the total ranking.  Pebble Beach carries the "top ranking course" category, but that isn't enough to overtake Bandon overall.  Kohler finishes 3rd; having a 4th course on the list helps out here, since the numbers are otherwise very similar to Pinehurst.  With just two courses each, Streamsong and Turning Stone can't quite keep up with the bigger names, though they still have very strong averages.

Naturally, when it comes to resort destinations there are other things to consider beyond just the golf. The setting at Pebble Beach -- including the accommodations and the other activities available -- could easily be argued as enough to push it back ahead of Bandon.  On the other hand, it's hard to ignore the cost:

Cost figures are based on peak season rates.

Here it's quite clear that Bandon has a huge advantage over Pebble; in fact it appears that Bandon and Streamsong are relative steals compared to the other resorts.  And this doesn't even take into account the cost of accomodations, which is nearly twice as much at Pebble as it is at any of the other sites (and hotel reservations are required to make a tee time).  Bottom line: at this point, if I could go anywhere, it's definitely Bandon.

Also not factored in here is the cost of a caddie, which may not be required at every course, but where available they are certainly recommended.  (As far as I can tell, caddies are not available at Pebble or Turning Stone.)  When you factor that in, something very interesting happens:

Amazingly, they all fall nearly exactly on the trendline of the aggregate data -- in short, it costs just about $6 per Golf Digest point to play golf at each of these resorts.  

Two lessons learned here: (1) You probably can't go wrong at any of these resorts, and (2) Golf Digest's "America's Greatest Courses" probably drives the cost of golf far more than we realize.

The Must Plays: 2012 Edition

It's March 19th.  I just played my 6th round of the year yesterday.  It's 75 degrees in Boston today.  I'm not sure I know where I am right now.

Having already played 6 rounds, I feel a little remiss that I haven't posted my annual "Must Plays" list for the year... but then again, after looking back through the archives, it seems I didn't post one at all last year.  Oops.

Anyway, before we get to the lists, let's go back over the ground-rules:

• "Must plays" for the year (or the next 5 years) cannot be courses that I played last year.
• "Must plays" for this year should all be fairly local so that it's realistic (with one notable exception this year, as explained below); must plays for the 5-year list can be a bit more extended.
• I want to be somewhat pragmatic.

As it turns out, I've already played one of the Must Plays for this year, so let's start there:

MUST PLAYS FOR 2012


1. Wintonbury Hills Golf Course, Bloomfield, CT.  Wintonbury marks the approximate half-way point between Westchester County, NY and Boston, which makes it an ideal meeting point for my brother and I (assuming, of course, your definition of "ideal" is an hour and 45 minute drive to play golf.  We discovered it 2 years ago (and I wrote about it here), and it is well worth the drive time.  We played it last last weekend, just shortly after it opened, and it was everything I remembered -- great hole variety, a definite challenge but fair, with friendly staff and excellent conditions (though the last part I'm grading on a scale given the time of year).  Even though I've already played it this year, I'd still put it on the Must Plays (again) list for this year.

2. Meadow Brook Golf Course, Richmond, RI.  Another course that will require a bit of a drive, but one I'm definitely planning on getting to soon.  Apparently this was once a rinky-dink pastureland track; now redesigned and under new management it ticks in at 7400 yards from the tips with a course rating of 74.4 and slope of 130.  The pictures on the website look fantastic.  It's close to the 2 Connecticut casinos.  I'm all in.

3. Acushnet River Valley Golf Course, Acushnet, MA.  Acushnet (the town, not the course) is the home base for Titleist.  The course is probably the best bargain in Massachusetts: under $60 including cart on the weekend for a Brian Silva-designed course with light play and great conditions.  I've also had some success here, posting a 74 that flirted with even par a few years ago.  I need to go back.

4. The Springfield Country Club, West Springfield, MA.  This winter I had my first close friend join a country club (the esteemed Dr. Asher, founder and chairman of the Asher Invitational).  I'm psyched, and completely looking forward to an invite to the member-guest this summer (hint hint).  The course itself is a Donald Ross design, 6500 yards, par 72 (somewhat uniquely 35 on the front and 37 on the back).  Can't wait to test it out.

5. The Ailsa Course, Turnberry Resort, Ayrshire, Scotland.  July 31, 2012, 7:00am.  That's my tee time.  It is (I believe) the first tee after the British Senior Open Championship concludes.  I literally cannot wait.  Every golf thought I've had since this became a reality has been Turnberry-focused -- I'm playing every round as a practice round for the Scotland links and wind.  Even if I shoot 110, it's going to be awesome.  (But, of course, the goal is even par.)

Any tips, Mr. Watson?

MUST PLAYS FOR 2012-2016


1. Chambers Bay, University Place, WA.  Still #1 on this list, and it will likely remain that way until I play it.  In fact, it seems like it would be the perfect warm-up for Turnberry, doesn't it?  Ideally, I'd love to get there before it hosts the US Open in 2015.  Keeping my fingers crossed....

2. World Woods Golf Club, Brooksville, FL.  There are 2 courses here, but the feature is Pine Barrens, ranked #55 on Golf Digest's Top 100 Public list.  The other course (Rolling Oaks) is supposed to be no slouch, either.  They are supposedly modeled after the top 2 courses in the country (Pine Valley and Augusta National, respectively).  World Woods is located about an hour from where my parents live, so there's no question that I'll be getting there sooner or later.  (As a bonus, the practice facility there is generally considered either the best or 2nd best in the world, depending on your publication of choice.)

3. Ballyowen Golf Course, Hamburg, NJ.  Scottish links in central Jersey?  You better believe it.  I think this is my favorite course that I've ever played.  That probably bodes well for the Turnberry trip, no?  They host an annual "Brews and Birdies" tournament, played as a 2-man scramble.  At some point my brother and I will be participating.

4. The Oaks, The International Golf Club & Resort, Bolton, MA.  The International is supposed to be spectacular.  The "other" course -- The Pines -- is the longest course in North America at nearly 8400 yards, and it remains exclusive to members.  The Oaks, however, is newly offering "select daily tee-times" to the public.  In truth, I should probably include this on the list of must-plays for 2012, because you never know how long the opportunity will last.

5. Boston Golf Club, Hingham, MA.  This is probably a pipe dream.  But before Gil Hanse was the talk of the golf world for winning the rights to build the Olympics course in Rio, he designed the very exclusive Boston Golf Club, and it is considered a secret gem of New England, with a rugged style similar to Pine Valley.  There's virtually no way of playing there without being invited by a member; and, to my knowledge, I do not know any members.  But I'm listening if anyone is offering!

The Asher Invitational | Turning Stone

This past weekend was the inaugural Asher Invitational,* a 54 hole event played out on 3 courses over 2 days at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY.

*Despite the tremendous rhetoric suggesting this was an actual big-time invitational tournament, it was basically a golf weekend organized by my friend Kevin, and the field consisted of 4 guys.  But it was fun to play along.  We even had shirts made up.

There certainly was nothing close to even par played over the course of the weekend -- the weather conditions were prohibitive, with temperatures in the low 40s and "heavy mist" on Saturday, and then downpours for the first 5 holes on Sunday.  But I write this not to tell you the ups and downs of my game.  I write this with one simple message:

IF YOU LIKE GOLF, YOU SHOULD GO TO TURNING STONE.

First, let's run through some of the stats:

There are 3 courses at the resort: Atunyote (which hosted the Turning Stone Resort Championship on the PGA tour from 2007-2010), Kaluhyat, and Shenendoah.  All 3 clock in at over 7000 yards from the tips (Atunyote is the longest at 7,482) and have slopes and ratings in what one might consider the "extreme" range (Kaluhyat is rated the toughest at 75.5/150).  In the course rankings world, Golf Digest ranks Atunyote as the #76 public course in the country, with Kaluhyat not far behind at #84; Golf.com/Golf Magazine actually puts Shenendoah higher than the others, coming in at #59 on their "Best Courses You Can Play" list, with Atunyote next at #65.  (In their in-state rankings, golf.com puts Shenendoah #2 and Atunyote #3 behind Bethpage Black in New York; Kaluhyat ranks 16th.)

So I'm not exactly breaking new ground by saying this, but in the immortal words of Sidra on Seinfeld, "They're real, and they're spectacular."

Shenendoah and Kaluhyat are actually located on the resort grounds and share a clubhouse and practice facility; Atunyote is about 5 minutes down the road.  Both sites feature top-notch staff who were there to service our every need -- and they still had a smile on their faces despite the fact that we were literally the only people playing on Saturday afternoon.  The practice range and putting green at the main site are both immaculate, and probably the best I've used other than TPC Boston (we didn't use the facilities at Atunyote, but I'm sure it was of similar quality). 

The first course we played was Kaluhyat, and it's a beast.  We played all the courses from the blue tees, and it would probably be insane to play this one from the blacks.  The par 5's are probably the toughest set on any course I've ever played; other than the very 1st hole there are no birdie opportunities among them.  You can really tell a lot of thought was put into each hole -- and most of that thought was how to make it challenging.  Despite all that, it's the type of course that you marvel at it's challenge, even while it's kicking your ass.  I loved it.

Atunyote was second on our list.  Everything is long there.  Even from the blue tees there are 5 par-4's over 420 yards, and it closes with a 580 par 5 that is all uphill.  Compared to Kaluhyat the course is wide-open, with a more links-style layout.  Fairways are generally wide, but there are ample bunkers that make the navigation difficult, and the dominating feature of the course is a beautiful running brook that comes into play on many of the holes.

Shenendoah was the last course we played, and I have to say I agree with golf.com -- it's the best of the bunch.  The hole variety is impressive, and the course is definitely fair but challenging, with holes that could be played any number of ways bringing both birdie and double bogey into play.

Ultimately, though, it's the conditions that separate Turning Stone from other sites I've been to.  All 3 courses are in perfect shape, with razor-mown fairways, thick punishing rough, and greens that are smooth, fast, and apparently have the greatest drainage in the world.  We were awed standing on the 1st tee on each of the courses -- and still in awe by the 18th each time.

Let's put it this way: the weather was terrible, probably the worst it can be without the course closing, and we had an awesome time.  I can't wait to go back.

The 2009 Recap

The short version: It didn't happen.

The slightly longer version: It almost did.

I put a real charge at even par over a 3 day stretch that can only be described as the greatest golf weekend of my life. I got out of work a little early on Friday -- and it was mid-July, so the day was long -- so I managed to squeeze in a quick 18 at Granite Links, which last year was named to Golf Digest's Top 100 Public Courses list (#73). It was, to be sure, an inconsistent round -- started out bogey-bogey-bogey-birdie-bogey. Any chance of reaching the goal was dashed with an ugly double-bogey on the 9th hole, closing the front side at +5. However, things did turn around quickly on the par-5 10th (1st hole on the Granite 9): after a lay-up off the elevated tee just short of the hazard with my 2-hybrid, I smoked a perfect 4-iron to the center of the green and made the putt for an eagle to get back to +3. But too little too late -- 3 bogeys and one more birdie on the back side left me even on the back but +5 overall.

It turns out that Friday was just the prelude. Saturday I made a tee time at Red Tail Golf Club, which had just hosted the U.S. Women's Public Links tournament the week before (the USGA tee markers were still out, which was fun to see). It clocks in at just over 7000 yards from the tips, with a 73.9 rating and a 138 slope. I started out with a bogey, followed by 4 pars, a bogey, and another par -- +2 after 7. Then the fun began. 8 is a short par 3 (323 yards), and I hit a perfect drive about 290 to the left (proper) side of the fairway, followed by any easy pitch to 5 feet that led to birdie. 9 is the opposite -- a monster 461 yard par 4 that starts out very narrow and plays uphill to a heavily contoured green. But, for the 2nd time in a row on that hole, I hit a great drive and then played an approach off the slope on the right side of the green that funneled the ball down toward the hole for a tap in birdie. Even par through 9. A few small blemishes (a painful 3-putt bogey on the par-3 11th, and another bogey on the challenging par-4 14th) meant that I was +2 standing on the tee of the par-5 18th hole. It was at this point that my dad jinxed the round (no doubt) by saying, "Have an eagle in you?" Now, the 18th is really a beautiful hole -- 572 yards, mostly downhill, but with an approach over a pond to a fairly deep green that is reminiscent of the closing hole at Bay Hill. I hit an absolutely perfect drive: 335 yards (remember, it's downhill), right down the center of the fairway. So I was left with one shot, 240 yards, had to carry it all, and then worry about the putt later. The pin position was favorable -- on the front left of the green -- which meant I didn't have to contend with the entire pond and had a little less carry. I hit 2-hybrid, trying for just a little fade so it would land gently... but I overcut it just a hair, and found the water. After the penalty, a flop and 2 putts I made 6, for a +3 round of 75. It was easily the greatest round I'd ever played, and this close to even par.

The 18th hole at Red Tail Golf Club in Devens, MA.

I finished the weekend on Sunday at Acushnet River Valley Golf Course. Secretly, this is one of the best values in Massachusetts. For the second day in a row I was even par on the front (2 bogies, 2 birdies), and then ran into a bit of trouble on the back with 3 bogies in the first 5 holes). So I needed 3 birdies with 4 holes left, and no par-5's. The 15th is a short par-4 (292 yards), so of course I went for it... and badly pushed my drive out to the right, narrowly avoiding a bunker. But I then stuck the approach to about 3 feet and made birdie to get back to +2. On 16 I made a conventional par (had about 30-40 feet on the birdie try that never really had a chance), so I was still +2 with 2 to play. I needed a birdie on the par-3 17th, but my 5-iron missed the green, and I settled for an up-and-down par. On 18, no longer having any chance at achieving the mission, I hit really my only terrible shot of the day, a dead pull drive into the woods. I had to punch out, and from there hit a decent shot to about 20 feet... and made a saving putt to close at +2.

So in summary I shot +5, +3, and +2 over a 3-day stretch. My handicap index went from 6.7 to 5.2. I played 3 nines -- one each day -- at even par. You can always say, "What if?" but rarely is it ever so true. Dad's fault (obviously).

The Day That Could Have Been

It was supposed to rain. It was suppossed to be cold. It was supposed to be windy.

Windy it was. But sunny with temperatues in the 50s meant I could steal another day of golf from mother nature.

Being late in the afternoon, I had to get someplace quickly, so I went to the closest course to my house -- Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy, which just was named the #73 public course in the country by Golf Digest. It's the type of course that clearly requires some course knowlege -- the first time I played it, I think I shot 97; since then I'm averaging in the low 80s, if not better. It also has the best "inter-course" views of any place I've ever been.

As the title suggests, the was The Day That Could Have Been. I've never been 8-over and oh-so-close to even par before; if it wasn't for some wind and a few bad putts, it really could have happend. Here's the hole-by-hole breakdown:

1 I started on the Milton 9, and the 1st is a real tester, a 483 yard par 4 where you may actually have to lay-up off the tee because of a hazard that pokes into the fairway about 280-290 yards out; the tees were also up a bit and it was playing downwind. I hit a 2-hybrid to the middle of the fairway, then a 7-iron about 195 yards to the back of the green; that should tell you all you need to know about the wind (my typical 7-iron max distance is 175 yards). 2 putts, one par. Score: E. Theoretical score: E.

2 A straightforward par 3 with a big green. My 8-iron found the bunker front-right. That leads me to a quick aside about the bunkers here -- they are absolutely perfect. They're made of crushed granite, which makes them a sparkling white, and they are one of the key reasons this course looks so beautiful in the sunshine. The crushed granite also gives them a very consistent, firm feel, and you can always trust your shot. I popped mine out to about 5 feet to make a nice sandy. Score: E. Theoretical score: E.

3 Similar to the 1st, the 3rd is a long par 4 with a hazard that forces you to be very careful off the tee; you then have to carry the hazard to get to the green, or play safe out to the left. I hit a 1-hybrid just into the rough on the L side, leaving about 200 yards. Here was essentially my only bad shot of the day; facing a sidehill lie with the ball below my feet, I tried to play a 4-iron out to the safe area on the left, but I topped it and rolled it into the hazard. I then hit a pretty good 9 iron just off the back of the green, and made a delicate up and down for a disappointing 6. Best case scenario, had I hit that 4-iron out to the left, I would have faced a tough little pitch to a narrow green, so I think a good score would have been 5. Score: +2. Theoretical score: +1.

4 A challenging uphill par 5 that has historically been a problem for me, I actually played a very standard drive to the middle of the fairway, 4 iron to about 80 yards, and gap wedge to the green. I had a lengthy 30+ footer for birdie... and smacked it 10 feet past. You can guess what happened next. I HATE 3 PUTTS!!! Score: +3. Theoretical score: +1.

5 An easier par 4, I hit drive to the (smart) left side of the fairway, leaving about 120 yards to a diagonal green from right front to back left. This is the highest elevation point of the course, and the wind was whipping pretty hard from right-to-left and a little in my face. I decided to hit a low punch 9-iron and hit it absolutely perfectly, exactly how I wanted to. But the wind was stronger than I thought, and it ended up 10 yards short. My chip ran a little long, and 2 putts led to a bogey that really should have been an easy par with a little less wind. Score: +4. Theoretical score: +1.

6 A very challenging 219 yard par 3, with wind that was now cutting across left-to-right. I hit a 3 iron to just off the green on the right, then failed to carry a ridge on my chip, leaving a lengthy 25 foot par try. 2 putt bogey again, but realistically 4 is a decent score here. Score: +5. Theoretical score: +2.

7 The green and most of the fairway are blind from the tee on 7; I've driven (or over-driven) the green twice when the wind is favorable, but there was no shot on this day. I played very safe out the larger right side of the fairway, leaving a 95 yard gap wedge to the green... stuck it to 4 feet! ...and missed the putt. Score: +5. Theoretical score: +1.

8 Another lay-up hole off the tee under normal conditions, though in retrospect with the wind I probably could have hit driver this time. Instead my 1-hybrid found a fairway bunker on the left side, about 125 yards out. I hit a solid 9-iron to about 10 yards short of the green, made a nice chip and a tap-in for par. Score: +5. Theoretical score: +1.

9 521 yards, up probably 100+ feet of elevation, and dead into the wind. A drive left is dead as it falls off steeply just off the fairway; my drive was left. Fortunately, because it's early in the season, the fescue that normally prevents any reasonable shot hasn't grown in yet, so I actually had a play, but the ball was still above my waist -- not just above my feet, but my waist. I hit a tee-ball 5-iron to the right side of the fairway, about as good a shot as I could have. I only had about 120 left, but with the wind and the hill took 2 extra clubs and smoked an 8-iron...that just barely made the front of the green. 2 putts made for a very satisfying par. Score: +5. Theoretical score: +1.

10 The Granite 9 starts with a hole that you have to play 2-3 times before you have any idea what to do. It's a 513 yard par 5, severely downhill; it sounds easy enough, but there is a huge waste area that lies about 290 yards from the tee and goes almost all the way to the green. You can actually hit driver if you want to risk the very narrow area of fairway that continues along the left side of the hazard (I've successfully done it once and had only about 8-iron in to the green), but it's a huge risk. Playing both downhill and downwind, I elected to lay-up with a 2-hybrid... and still stopped just short of the hazard. With a slightly awkward lie, I hit a 5-iron to the safe area left of the green (where it's easier to clear the waste area), followed by a flop up to the green and 2 putts for par. Score: +5. Theoretical score: +1.

11 I usually have a hard time with my alignment on the 2nd hole on the Granite 9, but this time I smoked a perfect drive to the middle of the fairway, 315 yards (with the wind). I had an easy 60-degree wedge in but pulled it a little bit, ending up off the green left. I made a so-so chip and 2 putt for bogey that should have been an easy par. Score: +6. Theoretical score: +1.

12 The number 1 handicap hole on the Granite side, and very similar to the 3rd on the Milton side. I hit a good but not great drive just over the bunker on the left of the fairway, then a 6 iron to pin-high just off the green on the left, but a terrible chip left me 20+ feet for par... which I made. (Note, this is about the only point in the round where I can say I made up a shot that I didn't earn.) Score: +6. Theoretical score: +1.

13 A nice par 3 with a "Redan" style green fronted by a small pond on the front left. The pin was in a favorable position on the right side of the green, just before the ridge in the green that carries most shots down the back left. I hit 7-iron and came up a bit short, then what I thought was an excellent chip to about 2 feet just left of the hole. I turned around to pick up my putter, and when I turned back my ball had apparently teleported down the slope and I suddenly found myself with a 15 footer... ugh. 2 putts meant an undeserved bogey. Score: +7. Theoretical score: +1.

14 A hole that usually plays downwind, this day was playing almost straight into it. It's a tricky tee shot from the back tees, which seem to be based on a different hole altogether. I usually try to play a high tee-shot over the trees on the right side, but with the wind today I played it straight out toward the traps on the left side. I hit it perfect -- again, exactly how I wanted to... and never found the ball. I could only assume that it carried farther than I thought was possible into the wind and found the woods/hazard past the traps. I dropped, then hit a 6 iron that came up in the bunker short of the green. Another nice blast out of perfect crushed granite and I tapped in for a mystery bogey. Score: +8. Theoretical score: +1.

15 A deceptive hole that somehow always seems to force me into the woods on the left; this time I hit a great drive that on a wind-free day probably would have caught the slope a run down toward the front of the green. Instead today it stopped at the top of the hill, and I had about 70 yards in to the narrow green. I'm starting to really love my new 60-degree Vokey wedge -- flew just past the pin, then spun it back to about 6 feet. Made this one. Score: +7. Theoretical score: E.

16 An unreal par 3, 218 yards all carry over a waste area, to a green that is only about 15-20 yards deep. With the wind in your face, it would have been impossible; the course gods must have know that, and the black tees were up where the blues usually are, making it a more manageable 185 yards. I it 4 iron and still just barely cleared the hazard (on the safer left side), then nearly chipped in before tapping in for par. Score: +7. Theoretical score: E.

17 Like the 9th on the Milton 9, this is an uphill par 5 that played directly into the wind. Smoked another drive to the middle of the fairway, then hit a full 2-hybrid that still left me with about 70 yards into the green. A solid 60-degree wedge barely found the front left of the green, leaving a 20 footer for birdie. Did I mention that I HATE 3 PUTTS??? Score: +8. Theoretical score: E.

18 The 9th on the Granite side is a hole I can't seem to figure out. The GPS on the cart tells you that it's only 220 yards to carry the traps in order to play straight toward the green, but I never seem to be able to carry them. I've played safe out to the right side, but that leaves a very difficult approach over a pond to a narrow green that has a granite quarry off the left and back. This time I took a different approach -- left of the traps into the woods. That seemed to make sense. Here, though, the early season conditions played into my favor; I had a clean lie, and no leaves on the trees to contend with. I hit a nice easy gap wedge punch to just in front of the green, then chipped up to about 5 feet, and made a nice little par to close the round. Score: +8. Theoretical score: E.

I know I'm taking some liberties with the theoretical score, but simply take away 2 3-putts, another easy 4-footer, 2 penalty shots, 1 mystery ball that moved 15 feet after it looked like it had stopped, 1 perfect shot destroyed by the wind, and 1 lousy wedge shot and I was right there. I really hit almost every shot exactly how I wanted to (the only exceptions were the topped 4-iron on the 3rd and the wedge on 11). I was good off the tee (57% of fairways, and even the misses were to the proper miss areas), and generally great with my short game (46% scrambling, 2-for-2 on sand saves). It's about as good as I can play.

Which just goes to show: it's going to take a little luck to shoot even par. But I knew that.