I got back out on the course today, after sneaking in a few minutes of range time. Today was a much more relaxed day for me. I have the day off, so I knew I'd be without distractions from my boss or any of the stores I visit. It was supposed to be warmer today, but... because I got out early in the morning, it was still quite chilly. Still... I got to play without a jacket, so... that felt nice.
I went back to the Cove Course at Tega Cay, primarily because it's so close to me... but also because the course I wanted to play didn't have any availability until after 3pm... and that wouldn't have worked. So... I packed my clubs up and headed out. Once there, I made sure to hit a few balls before going to the first tee. It was nice to have a warmup session... even if it was brief.
I wanted to work on a few things today. Number one on my mind was playing for my misses. I tried to account for my misses on every approach shot by figuring out where the most trouble was around the greens. For the most part, it worked well for me. Below is a hole-by-hole recap.
Hole #1 - Par 3 - 186 Yards
As I mentioned, I tried to avoid 'big' trouble on shots to the green... and with this being a par 3... the trouble was short and right. With that in mind, I aimed left and took what I thought was an extra club. I pulled the ball a little and I ended up a little short... but, I wasn't in trouble. I hit a good chip from the rough and left myself 2 feet for par. I tapped in and I was off to a good start.
Hole #2 - Par 5 - 448 Yards
This is a dogleg right, which usually plays to my favored shot shape, but it seems like EVERY time I stand on this tee... I hit a straight shot that ends up in a backyard. I debated between my hybrid and a 4 iron... but I ultimately decided on the hybrid. It was the wrong choice. I again hit a straight shot... and it ended up lost in a back yard. My next swing was a little better, but still not what I was hoping for. I was rushing on this hole because there were workers on the course cleaning up leaves. I made a back swing... a really bad swing, and my ball went way right and out of bounds. I dropped and the next swing wasn't much better... but it stayed in bounds. I had to punch the ball under some trees, and it rolled up into a greenside bunker. My shot out ended up about 10 feet above the pin. I pushed the putt a little and then tapped in for a 10. So much for the good start.
Hole #3 - Par 4 - 428 Yards
This hole is always either a great hole for me... or a complete bust. I don't like the way the tee shot sets up, so I'm always uncomfortable on the tee. I didn't want to fly one out of bounds, so I took an easier swing, and the ball kind of floated on me as it got caught up in the breeze. It was short (190 yards) but it was in the fairway. Going back to avoiding trouble... there's a trap in front of the green on the right side. I knew I'd rather be long and a little left, but I ended up pulling my hybrid further left than I planned and it left me in a spot behind the green, about 20 feet below the level of the green. I punched a wedge into the bank, but it still ran a little off the green. From there, I putted to about 9 feet and then made that for a bogey.
Hole #4 - Par 4 - 376 Yards
This is another hole that plays against my typical shot shape, but it's short enough that I could get away with playing an iron off the tee. I did just that and hit a 4 iron that faded a little on me and landed in the right rough. I had quite a bit to the green still (about 185 yards) and it was uphill, so I decided on my hybrid again, figuring long was better than short. I hit an okay shot, but it didn't fade like I intended, so I ended up a little left and a little short. My pitch from there was nothing to write home about, leaving me about 27 feet short. My putt from there left me about 4 feet... and then I played ping pong and three-putted from there for a triple bogey.
Hole #5 - Par 4 - 310 Yards
Straight and short. There is OB on both sides of the hole, and typically, I'll try to hit a 3 wood or a hybrid off the tee... and more often than not, I'll end up in trouble. I decided on my 4 iron and I made a nice swing, putting me in the left side of the fairway with a perfect angle to the pin. Unfortunately, I didn't trust my GPS. It was telling me that I had about 110 to the middle of the green, but it LOOKED much shorter to me. As it turns out, it was about 105. I made a half-hearted swing with a pitching wedge that came up short and right. My pitch from there hit and checked immediately and left me a 2 foot tap in for my par.
Hole #6 - Par 4 - 312 Yards
I like this hole a lot. When I'm swinging well, I'll take my driver off the tee and I give myself a little pitch to the green. Seeing as how I'm not swinging well at all... I decided on my hybrid. I cut across the ball horribly and blew it way into the woods (never to be seen again) on the right side. On the provisional (which I knew was going to be the ball I had to play), I put a really good swing on the ball and split the fairway. I had about 60 yards to the pin and my sand wedge from the fairway looked perfect. In fact, when I got up to the green, I didn't see the ball... so I peeked in the cup. It was not there. Somehow, it had ended up off the green on the right side. I putted from that position to about 3 feet and then cleaned up for a double bogey.
Hole #7 - Par 3 - 195 Yards
This plays over a part of Lake Wylie and is downhill all the way. There was a helping wind from the tee. The trouble was short... so I played to the back of the green with a 5 iron. It landed pretty much where I had aimed, but just on the collar of the green. I used my putter from there and it settled about a foot from the hole, so I tapped in for par there.
Hole #8 - Par 3 - 149 Yards
They had the tees up a little on this hole and it was playing about 138 yards with a wind from behind me and the left. This also plays over a pond and there is a trap immediately in front of the green. I bailed right with my 8 iron and the wind pushed it further right. It kicked off the hill on the side of the green and rolled down to the right, just short of the woods. When I got up there, I barely had a swing... but my chip ran perfectly from there to about 4 feet. It was a bit of a tricky downhill putt, but it found the bottom of the cup for another par.
Hole #9 - Par 5 - 488 Yards
This is another hole that is either feast or famine for me. I've hooked too many shots OB on this hole, but I try to avoid the right side because there is a fairway bunker just shy of my landing area, so if I don't make good contact, I can end up in there. Still... I bailed out right, but carried the trap and ended up in the rough on the right side. I had no shot at the green from where I was because of the stance I had, so I just kind of punched a 6 iron from there into the fairway. I had about 115 to the green with a trap short and right. I tried to play long and left, but my pitching wedge was weak and faded right. I ended up just to the right of the trap and pitched to about 9 feet. I needed 3 putts from there because I ran the ball about 10 feet beyond the hole with my first putt, but I finished up with a double bogey.
Round Stats
- Score - 48
- Penalty Strokes - 6
- Putts - 15
- Fairways - 2 of 6
- Greens in Regulation - 0 of 9
- Up and Downs - 4 of 6
- Sand Saves - 0 of 1
Overall... I feel a lot better about how I played. I still have a few days left to hit the practice range and green, and I have a few things to work out with tee shots... but if I can eliminate the penalty strokes from the tee... at least I'll be somewhere around where I want to be for the first tournament of the season.
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