Round Review - 3/4/2016 - Tega Cay Golf Club - Cove Course (Fort Mill, SC)

After my round the other day at this same course, I was itching to get back out and see if it was a fluke or if things were actually working.  With a busy weekend ahead and some nice weather slated for today, I figured it was a good time to get out for another 9 holes.

I arrived around 10:35am and they got me right out, so... by 10:45am, I was on the tee.  As usual when I play here, no warm-up time, but seeing as how the opening hole is a fairly straightforward one, that never seems to bother me.  

I got myself set up in the cart, put a peg in the ground... and away I went.

Game Golf Round Review

Scorecard

Hole #1 - Par 3 - 186 Yards

They've had the black tee moved well up on this hole for each of the last 3 times I've played here, including today.  With the pin towards the middle of the green, it was playing right about 165 yards.  My swing with a 7 iron was not the best here.  The ball started just right of the pin and leaked a little more to the right.  It ended up in the rear-right greenside bunker.  I didn't have a ton of green to work with, but I hit an almost perfect shot that landed in the rough shy of the fringe, killing the speed, and watched as the ball nearly ducked into the hole.  I had about 4 feet coming back for par... and I drained that to open in style.

Hole #2 - Par 5 - 448 Yards

I had some trouble off the tee here.  My 4 iron, which is usually a little fade club for me, was tugged and hooked a bit.  I wasn't sure if I was going to find that ball or if it had gone OB into someone's backyard, so I hit a provisional.  That one was similar, but I saw it land close to a tree towards the end of the fairway along the left side.  When I got up to where my initial tee shot headed, I saw it in bounds... but with no real shot at anything.  I was able to punch it out of the ugly lie which it was sitting in and watched as the ball bounded down the fairway.  I still had approximately 195 to the hole, but it was slightly downhill, so I played the 5 iron from there.  I struck the ball well, but pulled it just slightly.  It ended up about pin high, just in the fringe off the left side.  I putted from that position to about 3 feet and then got weak handed with my putt and missed it low, tapping in for a bogey.

Hole #3 - Par 4 - 428 Yards

After the last hole of my last round, I felt something that 'clicked' with me when swinging my driver.  I was looking forward to this hole, as a result.  I hit a pretty good drive here that was straight, maybe a tiny fade.  It hit the fairway and left me about 185 to go.  As I was slightly into the wind, I decided on the 5 iron again.  I thinned it... badly... but I watched as it rolled the entire way to just behind the hole, leaving me a 9 foot attempt at birdie.  One of the better misses I've ever had!  I wasn't able to make the putt, doing the same thing I did on the previous hole, but I tapped in from 2 feet for my par.

Hole #4 - Par 4 - 376 Yards

I almost NEVER play this hole well.  It's a dogleg to the left that requires a draw, which I don't really have 'on command'.  Because of what I felt on that last hole on Wednesday, I decided to play for a draw with my driver instead of laying back with a hybrid.  I hit the ball well, but thin, and it didn't draw.  It stayed straight where I started it and finished up in the right rough.  I was left with about 160 up the hill, and I wanted to hit a 6 iron fade around the trees.  I hit directly into the trees and it dropped down into the fairway, leaving me about 100 yards to the flag.  I had an awkward stance and my wedge wasn't struck very well, but it made it up into the fringe on the left side of the green.  I hit a low, spinning chip that landed hot about 4 feet from the pin and absolutely STOPPED within inches of the cup.  A guy walking his dog through the course commented on what a good shot it was and how tough that green is.  That felt nice!  I tapped in for a bogey.

Hole #5 - Par 4 - 310 Yards

My favorite hole on the course... and another opportunity to hit a 4 iron from the tee.  I did the same thing I did on the 2nd hole... pulling it with a bit of draw on it.  I heard the ball hit the tree up the left side, but never saw it drop down, so I hit a provisional again.  This one was a bullet.  When I drove up towards where the balls should have been, I found the provisional within 30 yards of the green.  My original ball had hit the tree and dropped down.  I figured I'd try and hit a handsy punch-hook and run it up on to the green, but I overdid it and the ball ended up in the bunker at the front-left of the green.  I hit a good shot out from there to about 8 feet, but didn't play enough break... so I tapped in for another bogey.

Hole #6 - Par 4 - 312 Yards

Having confidence in my driver, I decided to go at this one.  I hit a pretty good shot that split the fairway and left me about 60 yards to the pin.  My sand wedge from there was nearly perfect, finishing just beyond the pin and leaving me about 7 feet for a birdie attempt.  I was a little strong on that putt, but I made the 4 footer coming back for a par.

Hole #7 - Par 3 - 195 Yards

The wind was fairly strong, dead into me up at the top of the hill on the tee.  What would typically be a 5 iron became a 4 iron instead.  I hit it beautifully and it was fading right into the pin... but came up just shy of the green, landing in the fringe.  I was about 35 feet from the pin and decided to putt through the fringe.  I left it a little short, leaving a 6 foot attempt at par.  Once again, I was weak with the putt and tapped in for a bogey.

Hole #8 - Par 3 - 149 Yards

From the tee, I was 137 to the flag.  The wind was into me, so I went with an 8 iron figuring it would get to the center of the green.  I hit it thin and watched as it carried over the green and into the rough.  I was left with a tricky little downhill chip.  My only chance at getting it close was to carry it to the edge of the rough and let it trickle through the fringe and down towards the cup.  I played it almost perfectly.  It stopped about 5 feet above the hole, leaving a slick putt for par which, as I had been doing all day, I missed... tapping in for another bogey.

Hole #9 - Par 5 - 488 Yards

The 'AHH HAA' moment I had on Wednesday had come at this hole.  I was anxious to see if I was able to produce the necessary draw again.  I lined up at the bunker up the right side, dropped my right foot back slightly and I hit a draw that started slightly left of the bunker and drew towards the tree.  I overdid it a bit and it caught a limb, knocking it down into the fairway.  I had 212 to the pin, up a hill.  I figured I'd try the same thing with a 3 wood, but instead of drawing it... I pulled it right into a tree.  It dropped down towards the base of the tree into an ugly lie.  With about 130 yards to go, I tried to get an 8 iron around the tree in front of me, but I wiped it right and well short of the green.  I was able to hit a nice shot from about 35 yards out over the greenside bunker to around 15 feet above the hole, and for the first time all day, I made a putt.  It's a good thing I made it, too... because it was moving.  That putt gave me a par to close and finished my round.

Recap

I can honestly say that I'm exceptionally happy with this round.  Everything went pretty well.  I didn't do anything horribly... I hit some pretty good shots in the short game... and I was able to keep big numbers off my card.  This is my best 9 holes since I posted a +4 front nine during a tournament in June of last year.

Round Stats

• Score - 40
• Penalty Strokes - 0
• Putts - 15
• Fairways - 3 of 6
• Greens in Regulation - 2 of 9
• Up and Downs - 1 of 6
• Sand Saves - 1 of 2