The weather looked right so I took a day off. I got to the pro-shop at 8:27 and by 8:29 I had paid and was handed a slip for an 8:40 tee. We thought we would be four, but we were two, Pat and I. Three different groups, foursomes all, let us play through, and we were done in 2 hours and 55 minutes. A round under three hours is a delight, never mind I'm wishing I took a little longer. I rushed through my usual four or five shots.
Not on the front nine though. I was feeling good from the start, and it went ok.
On the 1st hole I drove the ball right, in the first cut rough, but decent. I followed it with a five iron, well hit toward the center, but it drifted right staying on the far right side of the fairway. That left me with a hundred and ten on the Par 5, with a bunker in my line to the pin. I hit a smooth pitching wedge, a little long, but on the large green. I then had thirty feet for birdie. I hit a decent putt, never really had a chance to go in, but close enough for an easy par.
On the 2nd hole my drive went right again, pretty well hit but a low liner that is saved from the deep rough by the branches of a lone tree on the far right side of the hole. I am about 225 out still. The tree branches hang down just enough to make it difficut to swing, so I try to hit one safely out. I actually hit a nice shot here, a line drive that landed in the center of the fairway, about 50 yards out. I chip on, not great, but good for a two putt bogey.
The 3rd is a dangerous hole when the fescue has grown in, but not so intimidating this time of year. No matter, I am nowhere near the stuff. I hit one pin straight, but left of the fairway, landing in the first cut rough, about 155 out. I nail an eight iron that goes long by a few, the pin being right in the front of the green. I thought I hit the first putt way two slow, but it creeped up close, for an easy par.
The 4th is a par 5 with a pond to look at off the tee box. I launch one directly over a fairway bunker on the left side, and it rolls up stopping just before another bunker. I am about two hundred and five out, over a pond, or playing it safe with a nine and staying fairway nowhere near the pond. Pat found the pond twice on this hole, going for the green. From about one hundred out now I flub a pitching wedge. Hitting four I drop it on about nine feet away, and two putt for a bogey.
The par 3 5th tries to scare you with that same pond. I scares me because I hit my five iron right and short of the hole. From the tee it is about 185 yards and you are in the pond if you yank it left. So I push it right, and though my second shot looked pretty good, it rolls off the back side of the green and onto the fringe. My par putt from the fringe has about four feet of fringe and then eight to ten more of green. I make a decent putt, and then tap in bogey.
The 6th starts out well enough. One of the better drives lands me in the center of the fairway, about 110 out. The wedge is skulled though, a darting line drive that skips past the left side of the green, and stops in a bunker. I skull the bunker shot also, skying it over the green, and landing twenty five yards away. Four is halfway decent, a chip shot that lands on the green, but a good twenty feet from the cup. Disgusted with my bunker shot and the skull before, I add on a three putt to complete the misery, 7.
6th, Charleston North
Looking back from the fairway
The drive on the 7th leaves me center fairway, 130 out. I carry the bunker that is directly in my line, but leave a twenty-five foot downhill putt. I'm too cautious and I leave a good five feet, miss that and tap in bogey. Two three putts in a row.Another group waves us up onto the par 3 8th and I perform accordingly. I hit a nice nine iron, and land on the green, but with a thirty foot putt for birdie. I miss that, but get it good and close, four plus feet, and sink the par.
8th, Par 3 139
On the 9th I drive down the middle again, and leave about 160 to the hole. I'm in between clubs here, and the day is starting to warm, so it feels like an eight. I go with the seven instead, and hit it well, but too well, bouncing past a mound that guards the green. I have to chip it now about twenty yards, and have almost no room as the stick is right in front of me. But I make a nice chip shot that bounces on rough twice before it dribbles onto the green, leaving me a five or six foot putt for par. I miss that, and tap in bogey.
Charleston Springs, North
12th green, 4/1/12
It is my best nine ever at Charleston North, a 44. I pared three holes, and putt for par several more times. Most important, I avoided the sevens and eights. On the back nine, the wheels came off, and besides a handful of shots, it was typical punishment I inflict on myself. I ended the back with a 53, for a grand total of 97. That's not an unusual score for me, put a painful route to it, considering the pace I set on the front.
