Golf Tour 2007
Friday, Dec. 7 -- This was the course I had taken a run around a couple of days ago, and since then had been interested in playing it. It is an old course designed by Donald Ross, changed some in recent years but not too much. It is not long, though that statement is a bit misleading -- it is not long for a scratch golfer who usually plays 7,000 yard courses -- but it makes up for that by being difficult around the greens. And since I was playing the blue tees, it was playing both long and difficult for me.
Executive summary -- I played the first hole really well.
The course was 6,268, par 71, 69.9/127. A lot of the approach shots were uphill, which didn't make it any easier. The greens were very fast and with lots of slopes, and not many flat places. There was a guy playing behind us, we chatted for a couple of minutes, he's an assistant superintendent at a course in Rhode Island, he looked to be playing even worse than I was, but he thought the course was just wonderful.
The weather was a little warmer, low 50s, mostly overcast. We ended up being behind a few groups so the play was a little slow, but we still got around in under 4 hours.
1. Par 4, 361. (I should put this in bold print, and the rest of the holes in 4 point type....) Solid drive, a touch left, in the rough. Perfect 9 iron, landed by the pin, bounced up a few feet, the slope rolled it back, made the putt from 4', birdie!
2. Pa4 5, 486. Drive well right, hit a pine tree, never found it. Second drive also right, not so much but almost in trees. 7 iron to get back in play, hooked 5 iron into left bunker, hit sand shot thin. So now I'm lying 6, and I'm 10 yards over the green, the pin is about 6' from the back fringe, and straight downhill, looks like the possible outcomes are trying to be too cute and leaving it short in the rough, or rolling it at least 30' past the pin to where the green flattens out a little. Take out my putter and tap it just right, bounces down through the rough, just makes it out on its last roll, almost stops in the fringe but doesn't, and trickles down to a stop 3' from the hole. Make the sidehill/downhill putt for an 8, miss it I would have had 20-30' coming back. Morale still ok.
3. Par 3, 201, tee and green both elevated. Very solid 5 wood, just caught the front left corner of the fringe, kicked right and settled 9' from the pin. Had hopes of a second birdie but just missed.
4. Par 4, 385, uphill. Decent drive but didn't seem to go very far, took 5 wood out again, hook, hit a tree, bounced left into bushes, never found it. Tried again, good 5 wood short of green, chip up, 2 putts from 12'. Another triple. And I was thinking of a phrase in this course review I'd read -- "The golfer is given plenty of latitude off the tee. Neither length nor water are factors and to lose a ball is to shame one's family." -- and I'm halfway through the fourth hole and I've already lost two!
5. Par 5, 534. Terrible drive, way right, find it but it is OB. Second drive is ok, 3 iron is ok, but 8 iron is weak and right and into a bunker. Very good sand shot, 2 putts from 7 feet. A third triple...
6. Par 4, 423 uphill. Just a long hole. Good drive, good 5-wood, still 30-40 yards short, pitch, 2 putts from 25'.
7. Par 3, 163. Feeble 6-iron, short, rolled back down slope. Pitch was from maybe 20' below the green, good to get it on, 2 putts from 30'.
8. Par 4, 373, downhill. Hooked drive into trees, good 5 iron to get out, skulled chip to back fringe but 2 putts from there.
9. Par 3, 181. 3 iron, not bad, a touch right and into bunker. Good sand shot, rolled about 20' past pin but as good as I could do. 2 putts, which was not easy. Even bogies were a struggle, not even close to pars. 47 for the front side. Well, as is often said on walking to the 10th tee, "New nine." One can always hope.
10. Par 4, 333. Badly hooked drive, but slope kicked it back out, very solid 7 iron from 150 to elevated green, 2 putts from 40', par. It is a new nine!
11. Par 4, 312. Quite feeble drive in right rough, 9 iron weak and right, into deep bunker. Chunked first sand shot, second got out, 2 putts from 30'. Now struggling to get a double on a short hole....
12. Par 4, 410 uphill. So-so drive, left rough, good 5 wood, still 30 yards short of green. Chip was still short, as was first putt, but second one went in from 10'. Really struggling.
13. Par 4, 390 downhill. Hooked drive almost in trees, hooked 3 iron, chip short, 2 putts from 30'. Still struggling.
14. Par 4, 172. 3 iron in front right bunker, at least it got over the pond. No sand on the sand shot, 15 yards over green. Perfect chip down the slope to 3', missed putt. Really struggling.
15. Par 5, 476. New hole, new positive attitude! Hooked drive into left rough, good 5 wood, solid sand wedge, 2 putts from 15'. Par!
16. Par 4, 312. Took about a dozen practice swings with the driver, trying to figure out what was wrong. Changed alignment a little, changed swing plane, excellent drive! Soft wedge from 90, perfect, but missed putt from 7'. Still, progress.
17. Par 4, 410. Excellent drive, excellent 5 wood just short of green. Good chip over rolls, but missed putt from 7'.
18. Par 4, 330. Excellent drive but ended in a deep divot. Wedge, bad swing, fat. Chip to 12' but missed putt.
So the first hole was good, and the last 4 mostly ok, and not much good in between, but at least the end was a little better. 44 for the back side, 91 for the day. 5 fairways, 4 greens, 4 pars and a birdie. Not good.
Hit a few balls on the range afterwards. Seemed better. Hope so. Tomorrow is Tobacco Road and you need to be straight.
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Southern Pines, Southern Pines, NC
