Driver from the 1st tee started centre and faded to finish about 70m away in the light RH rough. Punched a half knock down 7I which pitched on the green hopped twice and sat pin high, 8 feet from the pin. Pushed the birdie putt right and tapped in for a par 4 to open the day. Mixed feelings there.

Driver again from the 2nd, pulled left into the tree line. After rattling around in the timber, the ball would finish in the tree line still over 220m away. Flushed 3W would finish only some 2 feet from the front edge of the green. My 7I bump and run from about 40 feet away ran more than it bumped and 2 putts from 25 feet saw me card a bogey 5.

Driver again pulled left into the trees from the 3rd tee, this time no shot towards the green. My attempt to bunt the ball back to the fairway was too ambitious and caught a tree and ricocheted out onto the adjacent 5th fairway, though only 190m away. Flushed a 4I and ball would finish pin high left about 3 feet off the putting surface. Lie was good enough to putt the ball and 2 putts meant a par 5 for the card.

6I to the par 3 4th missed long and left behind a low tree. Bunted my hybrid low under the tree. This shot was a little too strong, with the ball finishing on the fringe grass on the opposite side of the green, about 15 feet from the pin. From there it was 2 putts for a bogey 4.

Crushed driver down the 5th fairway, finding the fairway centre left, only some 40m from the front edge of the green. 52° wedge found the putting surface, though not at all close and would 3 putt for a bogey 5 after not taking any care at all over my 2 foot 2nd putt.

3W from the par 4 6th tee looked great off the club and all but found the green, finishing only a foot short of the putting surface. Disappointed to leave the eagle attempt 8 feet short, I then rolled the birdie putt in.

Driver again down 7 found the fairway, 3W across the dogleg looked good, and was, finishing only 8 feet short of the green. Again my 7I bump & run wasn’t that good and I would 2 putt from about 20 feet for a par 5.

6I to the par 3 8th missed the green pin high right. Chipped to about 8 feet and my par putt looked good, only to just slide by the high side of the hole. Tap in for a bogey 4.

From the 9th tee would again crush driver finishing centre of the fairway, only some 80m from the green. PW found the green about 15 feet away and again a putt would slide by on the high side leaving a tap in for my par 4.

7I to the par 3 10th finished just off the green about 25 feet away. 2 putts for a par 3.

Driver again from the 11th tee started and stayed right, finishing RH edge of the fairway just inside the 150m markers. Blocked out by the large river gum on the corner of the dogleg, I had to shape 7I around the corner and though well struck, didn’t turn enough, finishing pin high about 10m from the green. Chipped on to about 20 feet and 2 putted for a bogey 5.

Driver again from 12 was well struck, finding centre left of fairway about 140m away. Disappointed when I pulled the easy 7I right into the tree line, leaving myself about 30m to the pin. Chipped on not particularly close and was again frustrated to see another 15 foot plus putt apparently going in 6 feet from the hole, hold its line long enough to slide inches by. Tap in bogey 5.

Standing on 13th tee, I was still thinking about the putt that missed on the last hole. It came as no surprise that I again pulled driver left into the tree line. With no shot forwards, I punched out to the fairway about 220m away. Nice 3W from there faded a little right, finishing on the fringe grass, pin high about 25m from the pin. Chunked the bump n run a little, leaving myself yet another breaking 20 footer. And again, it looked in 6 feet from the hole, only to hold its line and slide by. Tap in bogey 6.

Smoked driver straight down the guts of 14 and immediately thought I may have run out of fairway through the dogleg. Happily on getting to my ball, it had finished on the fairway and was only some 30m from the green. Pitch with my 60° wedge was a little strong, finishing some 25 feet away. Again the putt look good only to slide by the hole. Again I allowed my frustrations to get to me and I would miss the 2 footer back, tapping in for bogey 5 and my second 3 putt bogey for the round.

Driver from 15th tee was again good, again centre left of the fairway, again about 150m away. With this shot being slightly down breeze, I felt I was between clubs and knowing behind the green is dead and certain bogey, I went with 7I rather than 6I, thinking short is better than long. Don’t know why, but I got the “not enough club” thought half way back and again pulled the shot left into the trees, only advancing the ball some 40m or so. With no apparent shot toward the green, I prepared to take my medicine and pulled hybrid to punch out sideways. On turning back to my ball, I noticed a window of sorts in the foliage and decided (for better or worse) to have a crack. So it was away with the hybrid and taking 9I instead, I swung easily into the shot, striking it well, the ball sailed through my “window” and was on its way. Losing sight of the ball once through the window, I looked to my playing partners for some indication of whether the shot was good or not, silence from them seeming to indicate maybe not. On getting to the green, I was scanning the scene to see where I might have finished and as there was only 1 ball on the green, pin high 20 feet left. Freely admit I was thinking “that can’t be mine, can it?” Turns out it was. Still smiling as I stood over that 20 footer, that smile disappeared when yet another putt slid by the hole. Tap in bogey 5.

Given I had been hitting driver well, pulled it again on the dogleg 16th knowing full well I would hit it well through the dogleg if I hit it straight. Setting up to fade the ball around the corner, I was a little miffed to see it fly straight bounce once and bound through the corner of the dogleg into the trees. Dead behind some trees, punched out towards the green and hit another one, still dead, now it was punch out backwards. Wedge onto the green and another 2 putts for a double bogey 6. Not happy, fully aware my good round was falling apart.

Happier when my 5I to the par 3 17th looked good in flight. Not happy when it finished short. Still not happy when my chip left me about 20 feet away. Still not happy in leaving that uphill 20 footer about 8 feet short. However, my smile returned when I holed that 8 footer for bogey.

Driver from the par 5 last, straight and long down the right hand side of the fairway, almost to the 150m markers. With the trees on the corner of the dogleg blocking my shot, a fade around the corner was required. Hit that shot well, the ball turned the way I intended to finish about 15m from the pin. Pitched onto the green to about 15 feet and it came as absolutely no surprise when that birdie putt again slid by the hole, leaving me to tap in for my par 5.

OK, so once we’d added them up, I signed for an 83 (39/44) net 71. Not too bad considering the places my putter and some wayward second shots took my mind during that back 9.

Have the feeling that I left quite a few out on the course and knowing I’ve said this before, if I can get some of those 15 – 20 footers to drop, then I feel a good low number is there for me.

Thanks for reading.
Cheers