Lakeside Lodge - Lodge Course - 16/11/17
My drive went left on the 1st, which wouldn't have been too much of a problem if the ball hadn't hit the trunk of a conifer and bounced further from the fairway. When I got to the ball there was only a sideways shot available, which I left a bit short and had to drop clear of the path. I then completely miss-hit my 4-iron, sending the ball left back into the trees. I had a clear path out but the 7-iron shot lofted a bit too much, the ball just catching the lowest branch of a tree, and dropping dead. The next 4-iron was also hopeless, making only 70 yards and leaving me once again in the rough. A 5-iron from there was short, requiring a pitch to the green, where I then three-putted to round off a thoroughly dispiriting hole. A 10 wasn't a good start and rendered any chance of a good round impossible.
I took my driver on the 3rd but pushed the drive right, the ball bouncing off a tree and landing in rough. I took a 7-iron to try to keep the ball low under tree branches, but it in fact clipped a couple along the way, fortuitously still reaching the green. It was a long putt and I needed two for a nett birdie 4.
A down-the-middle drive on the 4th was wasted when I pulled my 6-iron shot sending the ball into a large laurel bush. We found it, but I took an unplayable penalty drop. A well judged 8-iron positioned me for a straight shot to the green but the pitching wedge shot fell short. I putted on and with one more putt managed a nett bogey 7 after the drama of the approach.
Hole 4 - Ready for my second shot - laurel bushes to the left
Note also narrow approach between lake (left) and trees (right)
The tee was further forward on the short 5th today and I took my 20 degree hybrid off the tee. A lovely crips lofted shot dropped on the green, pitch mark and all! Unfortunately I took three putts for a nett par 4.
Another good down-the-middle drive on the 6th was again wasted when I was thick on my 6-iron, leaving me well short of the green. My pitching wedge was then also just short, but I could putt on and then needed two putts for a net bogey 6.
Following a good drive on the 7th, a 5-iron and then a 6-iron were both a bit lacklustre, leaving me a pitching wedge shot over the bunker. Not wishing to be short I ran off the back of the green and needed to chip back out of light rough. Two putts gave me a nett bogey 7.
The 8th was a bit of a mess. I drove left into the tree-covered bank, the ball bouncing off a tree onto the 7th hole side of the bank. All I could do was play a careful shot through the trees back onto the 8th fairway. I then again hit a poor 4-iron, possibly because I was trying not to clip the trees to my left. A 5-iron followed by a 7-iron were both short, requiring a pitch on and then two putts to finish with a blobbed 8.
The 9th was also a bit untidy. The drive was fortunately short of the lake and my 4-iron shot shanked right over the lake and landed at the edge of the trees. I had a clear backswing for the next 5-iron but again it was poor, only making just over 90 yards. The next 4-iron didn't do any better, the ball going left and settling under the branches of a conifer. The only way out was a back-handed putter shot. I them pitched to the right of the green, requiring another pitch up, and then two putts for an inglorious 9.
A total of 60 and 19 putts is not something to be pleased about, and I wasn't. There were far too many poor ground shots and on four occasions I sent my putt just left of the hole, accounting for the poor putting stats. My 4-iron shots were very poor in comparison with recent performance, as were some of the other irons. A day best forgotten.
Game Golf scorecard:
