As long as you've had a decent night's sleep, there is nothing quite like getting up at the crack of dawn and leaving the house for a round of golf before the sun is up, and before the dew has even made its way down the leaves. I arrived to a mostly empty parking lot at Charleston, and I walked into an empty pro-shop. I was offered the south course if I could be ready in fifteen minutes.
7:20 South. I'm joined by Nate and Grant, both about my age, or a little younger. Nate is just winding down his baseball career, so we have that in common. He was mostly a catcher, so I tip my cap to him. I love golf, and I love writing about the rounds, but I've yet to have an experience with either of those things that compared to the game I caught back in, oh 2002 maybe, when Teddy Grandstaff tossed a complete game shut out, 1-0, over Scamerdella Funeral Homes. I was not the full time catcher, mostly caught here and there, but that was one of the best baseball games I ever played. Catching is the bomb, but more about that some other time.
Nate is from Pennsylvannia, and Grant is local, so he has been here before. What can be said about the weather? Take a look at the 3rd photo from the top of this page. Add in 69 degrees. Enough said.
Since I walked up to the 1st tee, three miles uphill, Nate and Grant tee off first, and both hit decent shots. I catch my breath and hit a decent shot as well, but it drifts off to the rough on the right side of the fairway, downhill lie. Looks like the course is still in a 'tournament layout', championships were a week or so ago. The rough is long. I'm two hundred out, or just short of it on this Par 4 405. If I had hit the fairway (ha! what a way to start a golf thought!) I would have had a great roll downhill, and maybe ended up 150 out, or less, for the way I hit that drive. I think I was about 130 out last time I played here. But I hit it in the rough, and there was no roll. So from the thick rough, 190 or so on a downhill lie, I elect the six iron, to play it safe and get back to some short grass. There are trees and trouble (a gorge) to the right if I miss the 3 iron, which may or may not have allowed me to reach the green. Given the rough and the downhill lie, the six was a good move. I hit, not so well, but land in the middle of the fairway, about a hundred out. Next up is the wedge, aiming for a pin right at the front of the green. I know this is missing right as soon as I hit it, but I do roll across the fringe to the beginning of the rough, only about twenty five feet from the hole. I chip it on, leaving four or five feet, and sink the putt for bogey, 5.
The 2nd hole is 350 yards, a par 4, but the gold tees are back in the blue box, about ten feet in front of the blues, so it played 385. I hit a good drive, starting center and fading to the right, but the fairway goes that way. It's a suckers play, but I take it, and I say that because now I'm 175 out, uphill, looking at a pond if miss right. I hit a five iron, not sweet, a low liner, but it bounces just before the green, and rolls deep to the top. The pin was toward the front however, and I have a good 40 footer for birdie. I get it close and par, 4.
Of the four Par 3's at Charleston South, three of them have my number. The 3rd hole is a 195 yard Par 3, which shouldn't be any trouble to bogey, much less par if you know how to hit a long iron. I'm not better than 40% with my three iron, and I hit a low line drive into some heavy rough. It had half-a prayer of getting through the rough, which only runs for the first sixty yards or so from the tee box, but I hit it too low. It barely went fifty yards. I found my ball though (and two others) and from the heavy rough I hit a straight seven iron that lands ten or fifteen yards short of the green. Disappointing, but from where I was hitting, it could have easily not even moved. I chip on, not stellar, and two putt for a 5.
The 4th is the number 2 handicap, a 432 yard par 4, mostly uphill. It is wide enough, but there is a mess to the right. All three of us hit really good drives here, all on the fairway. Grant swung hard off the tee, and he nailed this one up the right side of the fairway, while the lefty Nate and I were further back and right. I am right around 200 out, and hit the three again, but don't make it on. It was another low line drive, very low, but straight, and I hit the wedge from about 80 yards out right at the pin. It looked closer from the fairway, and I manage a two putt, bogey 5.
5th fairway
5th green
The 5th hole is a nice 379 from the gold, where you aim at a bunker that is about 210 yards in front of you. If you clear it, you are sitting pretty hitting downhill about 150. Nate nailed it right over the bunker after I just explained that to him, a nice drive. I floated one out there, right of the green, about 175 out. I flub a six, and leave 120 to the right, same shot I had last two times I played here, pond right, bunker and green left. Last two times I went straight into the bunker, but this time I make the green. I have long, downhill putt, maybe 35 feet, and make a nice one, and sink bogey, 5.
The sixth (above) is a Par 5 dog-leg right, but again a wide fairway, which I hit. I follow with a six iron, not a great shot, but straight and safe. I am on some heavier grass which surrounds a bunker I just missed, about 135 out. I hit a soft 8 iron, and think I really nailed it. I am on the green, but when I get up close to see it, I am still 40 feet from the cup, putting downhill. The greens have been very slow, but not this time, and I scoot it about six or seven feet past the cup. I miss par, and bogey, 6.
The second easiest hole on the course is the Par 4 7th, 317 yards. The green is cleverly guarded by some tall trees if you go straight at it, as the hole dog-legs left, and begs you to hit a long iron or short wood out to a wide fairway. Here I discover that the hat I keep on my 3 wood is missing. I hit that three wood anyway, and hit a lousy shot left, but it catches the beginning of the fairway, leaving me 175 out. It hit a lousy 5 iron here, but I am safe, 80 yards out or less for my third shot. I hit a fine shot fearlessy over the bunker guarding the front, and two putt for bogester, 5.
This was the end of the best I would play today, although I did par one other hole, the all important 18th. The 8th is a long par 5, uphill then right, then down hill. I hit an ok drive here, but it is right. The best direction to the green is blocked by tall trees. I hit a line drive three iron that is basically safe, if not perfect. For my third, I am 160 out, and I hit a seven iron, not pure, and land just short of the green in a muddy bunker. My ball is sitting really on some wet dirt. I play it anyway, and escape the trap, but only travel 6 or 7 yards, still short of the green. I chip on five, and two putt, for a lousy 7. There were other parts of that same bunker that were even wetter and I would not have played from there. I should not have played the one I did, a drop from just beyond the bunker would have been fair. Maybe later.
The Par 3 9th has my number, an uphill 158 with a gorge to the left just off the green. This hole truly has a spell on me. I did get a four last time, but the seven iron is the right club there, and I never hit it true. I dribble one off the tee, and then dribble the second shot way right, into the rough. My third lands in the green side bunker, which leaves me four feet below that green. I make a decent bunker shot, but it's too late for the hole. I two putt for a 6. Owned.
The good news is that was one of the best nines I had this season. The bad news is that it was 48.
10th green, Charleston South
The 10th is a short Par 4, 295, but it is well protected by woods and rough left and a gorge and some bunkers in front of the green(the gorge is between the fairway and bunkers above). I hit a good drive here, a soft touch shot, leaving less than 80 yards and the gorge to carry for that green. I herky-jerk a wedge shot and land in one of those bunkers. This time I'm not playing mud. I put it behind the bunker, and pop on the third. I two putt for a 5. There is a photo of the 10th green somewhere on this page, and you can see those bunkers. But it wasn't taken on the day of this round. There was still Irene water on this course and the bunkers hadn't recoved.
The 11th is the easiest hole, a 115 yard par three. There is a bunker short right, but I pop up a wedge left. I can't find it for a while because of some heavy grass, but Nate finally helps me out. I am pin high. I make it on with a wedge, and two putt for a 4.
The 12th is a tough uphill drive, a Par 4 412 that parallels the 1st hole. I hit one right, into a tree that separates those two holes and as we inter-mingle with the group teeing off on one, who hit some of their shots left, I search for my ball with no luck. I was heading right, where there is plenty of room, but I can't find my ball. I thought I saw it leave that tree, but after an extensive search, I give up and drop. No gallery (patrons) available to spot my ball, and the other group gave no help, so I drop two and hit three from two hundred or so out. I come up short and right. My fourth shot goes over the green into some tall grass I had trouble with. This is more of that deceiving nice grass, not fescue. It is only 3-5 inches long, but good and thick, and I muff 5. Six gets on safely and I two putt for my first snowman, 8.
The pain is not over. The 13th is a Par 5 dog leg right, over a pond (2nd shot). I fear the pond left, and hit a rocket over the left fielder's head, which also means into the farmer's yard, lost. Three is a brilliant drive, high, straight, far. Four is a six iron, also, high, straight, far, and I am looking at an 8 iron, 150. This shot is almost ninety degrees right from the last one, and I don't hit it well. I am short and left of the green. The was my fifth. Six chips on, and I two putt, second 8 in a row. This was the worst of it, but it only got a little better, and I can't torture you anymore with this poor/mediorcre round. A few good shots will get me back, as will weather like this, but this was not a satisfying score.
100 out on the 16th
