I was sitting around early in the week and I noticed that another club that I played with a few times last year was going to be playing at a local course, so I rearranged my work schedule and took the day off so that I could join them. I had only played this course one time, and that was the first course I blogged about here... Regent Park Golf Club in Fort Mill, SC.
I left feeling impressed last year when I was there, so I looked forward to getting back. Unfortunately, it looks like the course is having some problems. The practice range was a mess. The balls were in horrible condition. The practice green was chewed up... and this was all before getting out on the course and seeing the condition of the bunkers and greens, which were abysmal.
Still... it was golf, and I needed the practice. I had played here last year and shot 110. My goal was to shoot better than 95... and possibly win a skin or two. The details of my round are below.
I left feeling impressed last year when I was there, so I looked forward to getting back. Unfortunately, it looks like the course is having some problems. The practice range was a mess. The balls were in horrible condition. The practice green was chewed up... and this was all before getting out on the course and seeing the condition of the bunkers and greens, which were abysmal.
Still... it was golf, and I needed the practice. I had played here last year and shot 110. My goal was to shoot better than 95... and possibly win a skin or two. The details of my round are below.
Hole #10 - Par 5 - 499 Yards
My day didn't start great. My tee shot appeared to be good, landing up the right side... but when we got to where the ball should have been, we couldn't find a thing. To save time, I didn't go back to the tee... but I dropped where my ball was seen landing instead. I hit a 4 iron from there that landed just shy of the green, and then I pitched on to about 12 feet. My putt didn't curl as much as I anticipated, and I tapped in for a double bogey. Because I hadn't hit a provisional, I had to take the max score of a triple bogey for the club score.
Hole #11 - Par 4 - 344 Yards
I remembered this hole and had fond memories, but... they quickly faded. I hit a decent tee shot that ended up about 2 yards shy of the fairway bunker up the left side. I had around 90 yards to the pin, but I wanted to stay below the hole... so I chose to hit a sand wedge and get it to the front of the green. I bladed and pretty much sh*nked that one, and watched as it rolled into the greenside trap. As I mentioned in my opening, the traps were in horrible shape. They hadn't been raked, and some areas were super fluffy while others were bare. I ended up in a footprint in one of the fluffy areas, and it took me 2 shots to get out. My ball ended up just off the back of the green, and I putted from there off the side of the green because the only way to get the ball close to the hole was to make the putt. I putted from there to about 4 feet and I made that for another triple bogey.
Hole #12 - Par 4 - 423 Yards
A great tee shot here left me in the middle of the fairway with about 150 to the hole. I topped my 7 iron into the pond directly in front of me, so I dropped and hit the same shot... this one ending up just off the front of the green. I putted from the fringe to about 3 feet and tapped in for a double.
Hole #13 - Par 3 - 189 Yards
Although listed at 189, the tees were up and it was playing just about 165. I hit a very good 6 iron that hit the green, spun right and settled about 7 feet from the hole. I didn't play enough break on my birdie attempt and it slipped by on the low side, so I tapped in for my par.
Hole #14 - Par 4 - 327 Yards
I watched one of my playing competitors hit his drive right up to just shy of the green and, despite it being risky, I also decided to hit my driver. I hit a good one and my ball ended up about 3 yards shy of the front of the green. I chipped on and watched as the ball rolled about 6 feet past the hole. My birdie putt stayed high this time and I tapped in for another par.
Hole #15 - Par 5 - 526 Yards
I pulled and topped my drive here, but it didn't hurt me. It left me in the rough up the left side, and I hit a low 4 iron up over the crest of the hill. It caught the ridge and ran all the way down to the woods on the right side, but stayed out, leaving me about 135 to the pin... but it was way uphill. I hit my 7 iron and watched it leak, but it caught the rough just right of the green. My chip rolled beyond the hole about 14 feet and I finally made a putt, getting up and down for my third straight par.
Hole #16 - Par 4 - 379 Yards
It seems like every time I start to get on a roll, reeling off a few pars in a row, I'll make a horrible swing to disrupt the rhythm. That happened here. On a very easy hole, I pulled my drive WAY left and out of bounds. My provisional was perfect, splitting the fairway. My 9 iron came up a little short of the green. My chip settled about 8 feet above the hole, and I couldn't make that, so I tapped in for a very disappointing triple bogey.
Hole #17 - Par 3 - 160 Yards
I like this hole, but it's a little intimidating with the forced carry over the water, and knowing that you can't go right because the water is over there too. I hit a good 5 iron into the wind but it didn't come back to the right enough, and I ended up on the hill to the left of the green. It left me a very difficult chip because there was no way to get the ball close to the hole. I managed to get it to within 18 feet, but the putt back was a tough one that I couldn't make. I managed to make the 4 footer coming back for bogey.
Hole #18 - Par 4 - 398 Yards
I hit another good tee shot here, splitting the fairway. My 8 iron was a little weak and ended up just off the right side of the green. I made an absolutely abysmal attempt at chipping the ball and it moved about 2 yards to the right. I putted from there to about 3 feet and tapped in for a bogey to close out the first nine holes.
** NOTE - Because this was a net scoring tournament, I was receiving 22 strokes... meaning 11 per side. I had posted a 49 gross, netting me down to a 38, which was 2 over par. I wasn't happy with the score, but I wasn't disappointed either. I knew it came down to a few bad swings being the difference between the 49 and a 45.
** NOTE - Because this was a net scoring tournament, I was receiving 22 strokes... meaning 11 per side. I had posted a 49 gross, netting me down to a 38, which was 2 over par. I wasn't happy with the score, but I wasn't disappointed either. I knew it came down to a few bad swings being the difference between the 49 and a 45.
Hole #1 - Par 4 - 388 Yards
Chalk this one up to not paying attention. I was convinced that this was a par 5, and I watched my playing competitors hit 3 woods off the tee, well to the right of the dogleg. Still... I decided to hit my driver over that corner, and watched as it turned to the left and went into the woods. My provisional was right and through the fairway. I couldn't locate my original, so I had to play my provisional. I punched it below some trees and watched it trundle up into the creek short of the green. I dropped, pitched up just to the fringe, putted from there and tapped in from about 5 feet. This was an 8, but this club also has a triple bogey maximum score, so it was adjusted down to a 7.
Hole #2 - Par 3 - 159 Yards
On this tee, I knew that left was bad. Of course, the pin was on the left side of the green. My goal was to start it at the pin, and if it leaked right on me... that would be fine. I hit a very solid shot and the ball never left the pin. It ended up about 10 feet long of the hole, but the downhill putt was faster than I anticipated, and I missed on the high side. I left myself a 5 footer for par, but I made that with no problem.
Hole #3 - Par 5 - 508 Yards
I hit a good drive that caught a branch on the lone tree just off the left side of the fairway and kicked it a little left. Still, it settled just off the fairway, leaving me about 195 to the hole. I was blocked out by some trees, but because of the slope I was on, I was able to play it out right and have the ball draw back around. My 2 hybrid was low, and hooked around those trees, running just through the green. I chipped up to about 5 feet and made that for my first and only birdie of the day.
Hole #4 - Par 3 - 169 Yards
I was between clubs on this hole, ultimately, I chose to go with the 6 iron because of the breeze into us. I didn't hit it well, but it ended up on the green and under the hole. My 17 foot attempt for birdie didn't get overly close, leaving me a testy 2-3 footer for par, which I made.
Hole #5 - Par 4 - 380 Yards
As I mentioned above, whenever I start to play well... it's usually abruptly ended with a poor swing off a tee. It happened again here. We were waiting on the group in front of us off every tee. On this tee, it seemed like there was a lot of room to clear the corner on the dogleg up the right side. I set up to hit a fade, and then I made the worst swing of the day for me. It started right and went WAY right into a hazard. I dropped and tried to punch a 5 iron back into the fairway, but it hit a mound and stayed in the trees. My next shot got out to the fairway, leaving me about 80 yards to the hole. I hit a low, spinning sand wedge from there that stopped about 21 feet from the hole. I needed 2 putts from there for a momentum-halting triple bogey.
Hole #6 - Par 5 - 531 Yards
I literally hit a house off this tee. My tee shot immediately shot right and just stayed out there, stopping when it hit the roof of a house. My provisional was up the left side, but rolled down into the rough, leaving me about 235 to the hole. I tried to get a 3 wood from there to the green, but I hit it very fat. Luckily, it stayed right of the hazard. My 9 iron from there settled onto the fringe of the green. I putted from there to about 5 feet and made that for a double bogey.
Hole #7 - Par 3 - 149 Yards
I was beginning to run out of energy here. It was very hot by this point, and I had run out of water on the 3rd hole. For whatever reason, the course did not have any water stations on the front side, so I was beginning to get weak. This hole was playing to about 140 yards, which would typically be an 8 iron for me... but because of how I was feeling, I decided to go with a soft 7 iron instead. It ended up short and right. I chipped on to about 8 feet, and my par putt lipped out, so I tapped in for a bogey.
Hole #8 - Par 4 - 457 Yards
This is far-and-away the most difficult hole on the course. I hit an okay drive, but it went through the fairway on the left, leaving me a long shot into the green from about 204. I had some tree trouble up the left, but I figured with a hybrid, it was going to stay below the limbs. I hit my hybrid on the screws, but it got up very quickly and smashed into one of the thicker branches, knocking it down and into the rough on the right. My pitching wedge from there was short and right. We spent a few minutes walking around looking for a ball from one of my playing competitors, and I started to get very weak. Someone offered me a water they had in their bag, and I gratefully accepted. I downed half the bottle, which was a bad idea, and when we got towards the green... I started to feel a little nauseated. I took about 90 seconds to breathe and it finally subsided, but I was still feeling weak. I had a little pitch from the rough that ended up about 9 feet short, and my putt wouldn't drop, so I tapped in for a double bogey.
Hole #9 - Par 4 - 351 Yards
On this tee, I really just wanted to get the ball SOMEWHERE towards the fairway. I was feeling exceptionally weak, and I contemplated driving straight to the clubhouse at this point, but... with only 1 hole left, I decided to stick it out. My drive was good, but short. I was in the middle of the fairway with about 130 to the hole. My 8 iron looked good, but came up just short. I chipped to about 5 feet and made that to close out my round with a par.
** NOTE - I managed to post a 45 on this side for a total of 94, which netted down to a 72. More importantly, however, I learned a lesson. That lesson is to never pass up an opportunity to fill up my water bottles, and always have enough on a hot day. I had never come that close to passing out before. Staying properly hydrated will be a key goal of mine going forward. Not having the energy to properly swing the club for the last 3-4 holes was bad... but the feeling I had on the 8th hole was really bad, and I never want to feel that again. Despite all that, I was pleased with my 94. I know that it could have been an 88 with a couple of better swings.
Round Stats
- Score - 94
- Penalty Strokes - 7
- Putts - 28
- Fairways - 4 of 13
- Greens in Regulation - 5 of 18
- nGreens in Regulation - 11 of 18
- Up and Downs - 2 of 4
- Sand Saves - 0 of 1
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