Golf Tour 2007
 
 
Tuesday, Dec. 11 -- The downside of beautiful weather is that it brings out a lot more golfers. Five days ago at Talamore, with the temps in the upper 30s, I think there were 4 other golfers on the course, and none in the late afternoon when I was playing. Today it was in the mid-70s and sunny, and even though it was a Tuesday morning, I had trouble finding a place to play. First place couldn't take us until a little after noon, and I was hoping to play about 10 and then head off to the Outer Banks. Second place, further east, wouldn't have an opening until 2:30, they had an outing on. It was only on the third try, Eagle Ridge on the south side of Raleigh, that we got an acceptable time, about 10:30, and even then the course was pretty full and the play on the slow side. But it sure was a beautiful day.
 
Executive summary -- I played even par for a stretch of 9 holes in the middle.
 
We got hooked up with two older guys, Blake and Glen were their names, they lived on the north side of Raleigh. I never talked to them much other than the normal golf chit-chat. Perhaps it was that they were playing a shorter set of tees, so we were in separate places at a time when you usually chat. Or perhaps it was that they found Gail much more appealing then me, for they certainly seemed to be chatting her up!
 
The course? It was quite nice. Greens were in good condition. Gail said the sand was excellent, I never got to try it. And the holes were quite interesting, very little of the straight-away bland type. I think maybe I should say the course was very nice. And some tough greens towards the end, or maybe just tough pin positions, or maybe both.
 
I played from the White tees, 6,331, par 71, 70.0/126. It seemed about the right length, hit quite a variety of clubs and shots.
 
First hole. My drive was in the green grass, out of the picture to the right.
 
1. 355, par 4 uphill. Awful drive, high and right, but found it in play. Lousy 5 iron to the right, lucky it stayed in play to. Excellent pitch up over bunkers to 4' but missed putt.
2. Par 3, 165, downhill. Nice 6 iron, 2 putts from 25'.
3. Par 4, 386, creek short and left of green. Poor drive, high/right. 3 iron from 180, never really got airborne, rolled into the creek. Good sand wedge from 85 right over the pin, a touch strong, made putt from 20' to save a bogey.
4. Par 3, 180. 5 iron a little short/right, the safe side. Chip too strong, 2 putts from 14'. So mostly bad shots so far and lucky not be more than 3 over. I think this was the hole Gail got a 2 on!
 
Second shot on 5, left pin.
 
Gail has just hit her sand shot stiff at 5; my ball is up close after a very round-about route to the right, avoiding having to pitch over the bunker.
 
5. Par 4, 410, uphill. Tough hole. Pretty good drive over the pond, 5 iron from 180, a few yards short. Good chip using the slopes, rolled to 3', made putt for an unexpected par.
6. Par 4, 339, uphill, split fairway. Perfect drive, but it ended up in the rough in the middle, very sloping lie. Excellent wedge to narrow green, 2 putts from 11'.
 
Tee shot on 7, almost topped it into the creek.
 
7. Par 5, 501, up then down. Lousy drive, straight but very thin, made this hole a lot harder. Hooked 5 wood, bad lie in the left rough, 7 iron about 10 yards short of green, but chipped stiff.
8. Par 3, 138, uphill. Real good 7 iron, 2 putts from 18'.
 
Second shot on 9, over a hazard, OB just to the right.
 
9. Par 5, 497. Solid drive, solid 5 wood over hazard, perfect lob wedge, made putt from 9', birdie! And 37 for the front 9 (par 35).
 
Tenth hole -- one hazard you can't see at 250, then another sticking partway out, then another about 75 yards short of the green, then finally the green angling back to the left.
 
10. Par 5, 528. Nice hole. Perfect drive, 10 yards short of the hazard at 250, perfect 6 iron, 9 iron a little weak, 2 putts from 45'.
11. Par 3, 159. Perfect 6 iron, 2 putts from 12'.
12. Par 4, 375. Perfect drive, really perfect. 9 iron almost perfect from 125, landed on fringe, bounced back a little, putt from 30' too strong, missed putt from 5'.
 
Tee shot at 13.
 
13. Par 3, 133. Perfect 8 iron, right over the pin, 2 putts from 18'. And that would be my last par....
 
Tee shot on 14.
 
14. Par 5, 527. Perfect drive, good 5 wood over the hazard, pulled 7 iron to uphill green, in a little swale just left of green. Putt from 40' too strong, 2 putts from 20'.
 
Tough hole, just hoping for a bogey, then was disappointed to get one.
 
15. Par 3, 185 to pin across valley. Real good 5 wood, hit and stuck on front left fringe. Pin was way up front, just above a false front. Too cautious on the first putt from 45', missed the next one from 5'.
16. Par 4, 401. Perfect drive. So-so 6 iron from 160, short, in a swale. Nice chip to 5', missed putt.
17. Par 5, 483. Real good drive, perfect 7 lay-up, 9 iron was a little right, down slope right of green. First chip didn't get up, rolled partway back, second chip was stiff.
18. Par 4, 415. Crushed drive, real good 7 iron from 150 to front pin, just off right edge of green (water all down the left), good chip to 5', missed one more putt. So 42 for the back side and 79 for the round. Instead of disappearing in bunches, the strokes just faded away one at a time. But there was still some good golf. Nine of 12 fairways, 7 greens, 8 pars and one birdie.
 
Seemed like I scored better than I deserved on the front nine, worse than I deserved on the back nine. But it's real nice that a 79 felt like it could have been a lot better.
 
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Eagle Ridge, Raleigh, NC