Saturday, May 16, 2015

Tournament Review - 5/16/2015 - Warrior Golf Club (China Grove, NC)

Well... that was ugly!  

I returned to the course over the weekend after having not touched my clubs (other than a quick stop at the range) for 3 weeks due to a family vacation and work.  When I arrived to the course, I was excited and ready to go... and I was hitting the ball well on the range.  Everything was either straight, or played with my typical fade.  I was chipping the ball well around the practice green.  The only issue was that I felt like I was struggling with my putter as everything seemed to run over the edges, but nothing was falling.  

All that in mind, I got to my first tee (the 13th) and it all went south immediately.  

I did get to play with @Aflighter in this round, which showed me that I'm a long way off from being able to move up to the next flight!  

My recap is below.

Game Golf Link - Warrior Golf Club - 5/16/2015



Hole #13 - Par 5 - 514 Yards

As I mentioned above... everything felt good on the range.  I had looked at the course online previous to the tournament and my fade would have played well here.  Out of nowhere, however, I developed a severe hook.  My first tee shot started left and kept turning left.  Luckily, the ball was hooked so much that it carried over into the 17th fairway and left me an open shot back towards our green.  I put a 4 iron from there into the center of our fairway and then put a gap wedge to about 18 feet.  I three-putted from there for a bogey start.

Hole #14 - Par 4 - 370 Yards

My tee shot here was a low, screaming hook that went into the woods and would never be found again.  My provisional was not much better and clicked around in some trees before dropping into the rough.  My 4 iron from there just carried a bunker short of the green.  I hit a poor pitch from there, leaving the ball short again, then I chipped on to about 18 feet (a very poor chip) and two-putted for an 8, which would be adjusted (via club rules) to a triple bogey.

Hole #15 - Par 4 - 341 Yards

The hook parade kept chugging here.  Another low hook into the woods.  I thought I may have seen where it landed, but we never did find it.  My provisional was pushed down the right side of the fairway, and I followed that with an ugly wedge that landed in the trap to the right of the green.  It took me 2 shots to get out of there because my head was spinning in anger at that point.  I then missed my 10 footer by an inch and tapped in for a second consecutive 8, which was again adjusted to a triple bogey.

Hole #16 - Par 3 - 203 Yards

Although it's listed at 203 yards, it was playing about 170.  My 6 iron wasn't the mostly crisply struck shot, but it did the job as my ball landed on the front of the green (seemingly made of cement) and ended up at the back of the green.  I needed 2 putts from about 35 feet and I walked away with a par to settle my nerves a little bit.  

Hole #17 - Par 5 - 479 Yards

My 'calmed nerves' didn't last very long as my next tee shot was hooked again.  This time, it ended up in the 13th fairway... so, if you're keeping track... I played the 13th from the 17th and the 17th from the 13th.  Ugh.  Anyway... the drive was crushed, ending up at about 280 yards.  I had no shot at the green, so I just played a 7 iron back onto the correct hole.  I ended up about 85 yards from the pin in the right rough.  My sand wedge from there hit behind the pin and spun back to the front of the green.  2 putts from about 10 feet gave me a second consecutive par.

Hole #18 - Par 4 - 360 Yards

I was hoping that making par on the previous 2 holes would have resulted in a better swing, but I hooked 2 balls OB off the tee and settled for another triple bogey.  On Game Golf, I put myself down for a 9... but I could have probably stood on that tee and hit 10 balls before getting one in play.  I was officially annoyed at this point and wondering how I had developed a hook.

Hole #1 - Par 5 - 486 Yards

Another drive... another ball that went left.  This one stayed on our side of the trees, at least.  I then punched a 4 iron up into the fairway, wiped an 8 iron off the right side of the green, pitched to about 7 feet and made that for a par.  I was finding a way to make a par now and again... but none of them were of the 'easy' variety.

Hole #2 - Par 4 - 404 Yards

If I bet you $20 you'd never guess where my tee shot went... you'd win $20 from me easily.  Despite the fact that I teed up on the left side of the tee box and aimed WAY down the right side of the fairway, I hooked a ball into the woods.  Unfortunately, we managed to find it, and when I tried to punch out, I hit a tree that was barely wider than my ball.  I then punched out with a 5 iron to the other side of the fairway... hit an 8 iron that finished just off the green... putted on to about 5 feet and then missed that and tapped in for a triple bogey.

Hole #3 - Par 3 - 162 Yards

If it wasn't for the par 3's on this course, I would have contemplated walking off the course.  On this one, I didn't play it as I would have liked, but I managed another par.  My 6 iron off the tee started left of the green and never turned back.  It finished below a tree to the left of the green.  I tried to pitch it low enough that it'd stay beneath the tree limb in front of me, but I managed to clip a leaf.  Still... the ball finished a foot from the hole and I tapped in for par.

Hole #4 - Par 5 - 473 Yards

This would end up being the last time I touched my driver for the day.  I aimed W-A-Y right... and then I hit the ball off the toe of my club and skied it.  It went well right and into some woods.  My provisional went well left, but stayed in play.  We found my original shot and my choices were to try a left handed swing through some trees (which wouldn't have worked), take an unplayable lie penalty, or hit it out towards the 5th fairway.  I chose the 5th fairway option, but I hit a tree and it stayed in the woods... at least then I had a swing to get it back towards our fairway, so I punched out.  My 4 iron from the right rough found its way across the fairway to the left rough.  My 7 iron finished right of the green.  From there I hit a poor chip that ended up short... putted on from the fringe and then swiped at the ball one-handed from 18 feet and it fell into the cup for a triple bogey.  It pretty much epitomized my day.

Hole #5 - Par 4 - 356 Yards

I got tired of playing from the trees, so I decided to hit a 4 iron off the tee.  It ended up beneath a tree anyway.  I punched out and across the fairway... hit a crappy wedge, followed that with a crappy chip, putted on from the fringe and tapped in from a foot for a double bogey.

Hole #6 - Par 3 -151 Yards

The tee here was slightly back, making it play about 160.  I hit a 6 iron off the tee that flew directly over the pin... over the green... and ended up at 187 yards, leaving me a 25+ yard pitch back to the green.  I hit that to about 12 feet and missed that putt, settling for a bogey.

Hole #7 - Par 4 - 390 Yards

I guess the course couldn't grow grass on these tees because of the shade, so they had, essentially, range mats for tees.  Because I wasn't hitting my driver well, I decided to tee off with a 4 iron again... and I dunked it into the hazard directly in front of me.  My next shot rolled up into a different hazard down the right side of the fairway.  I dropped and hit a 6 iron well to the right of the green... pitched over the green... putted on from the fringe and picked up, recording another 8 that would adjust down to a triple bogey.

Hole #8 - Par 3 - 164 Yards

This was pretty much my only 'good' hole of the day.  It was playing about 170 again, so I hit a 6 iron off the tee that finished 4 feet behind the hole.  I was able to make the downhill putt for a birdie.

Hole #9 - Par 4 - 322 Yards

This hole wasn't horrible either.  I hit a 4 iron into the fairway off the tee (my ONLY fairway hit all day), and my 9 iron from about 125 finished about 25 feet from the hole. I missed the birdie putt by about 2 feet and tapped in for a par.

Hole #10 - Par 4 - 418 Yards

I hit a 3 wood off this tee that went to the right, hit some trees and fell down.  I tried to punch between the trees back to the fairway, but it hit a tree and went backwards... and then I was able to punch a 4 iron through the trees into the fairway.  I hit a poor wedge that finished short and right, then pitched on to about 15 feet and needed 2 putts to record yet another triple bogey, which would be my 7th and final triple bogey of the day.  

Hole #11 - Par 4 - 398 Yards

Another skyball... this time with my 3 wood.  It was in play, but a long way back.  My 4 iron from the rough sliced into the trees... I punched a 4 iron below the trees and into a trap short of the green, then put the ball to about 25 feet from there.  2 putts from 25 feet for a double bogey.

Hole #12 - Par 3 - 202 Yards

Mercifully, the final hole of the day arrived.  This one was playing about 190 yards.  I hit a good 5 iron that flew over the top of the flag and finished just off the back of the green.  I was able to putt on from the fringe leaving it about 2 feet short and I tapped in for par to finish the round.

** NOTE - It was 18 holes of ugly, ugly golf.  I get an opportunity to play next Tuesday in our next tournament, and I'll be sure to properly prepare for it.  I cannot have another round like this.  The sad part is that, outside of the tee shots... I didn't play that poorly.  My irons (when there weren't trees in the way) weren't all that bad... and my chipping and pitching was pretty much on.  I just have to figure out what happened with my driver and why I was hooking it.  Hopefully I'll have it figured out within the next week.

Round Stats

  • Score - 102 (Club Adjusted to 97)
  • Penalty Strokes - 6
  • Putts - 30
  • Fairways - 1 of 13
  • Greens in Regulation - 5 of 18
  • Up and Downs - 3 of 4
  • Sand Saves - 0 of 2

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