Gotta Love Club Link

Due to the Auction Pool event at the Club yesterday I took off to Milton to play golf with Preston and a few friends. We played a course called Glencairn Golf Club. This is a new Club Link course, only 3 years old. It is a very difficult track. A links style course with fescue every where, rolling faiways to the point of every shot bounces in different directions when it lands, making good shots turn into bad lies when it kicks hard towards the fescue. The ground is rock hard from tee to green, although the rain before we played softened it up a bit. And the greens are true and quick.

I played this course 2 years ago when it just opened up and after playing to a satisfying 87 I swore off the course for ever. It was so difficult and punishing I never wanted to play again. The fescue back then wasn't fescue. It was basically little bushes everywhere, you couldn't find your ball, and if you did these bushes gave you no shot. The wind just makes things worse since there is nothing but wide open links holes. But this time around it was much different. The fescue was real fescue, and that basically made all the difference. While it cost you a stroke most of the time you went in it, there was times it was forgiving cause they has cut it down a bit. I guess it didn't bother me to much since I only had one shot from it on the second hole.

So on to how I played. Playing the Leithfield-Speyside course (there is 27 holes, Scoth block being the other 9), which plays at 6840 yards with a 73.5 rating and 133 slope, i had a pretty good day.

Started off pretty weak going boogie on the first 5 holes. My problem which has plagued me recently was the short game. My chipping touch was just awful leaving long par putts all day. I was hitting good drives and decent approach shots, only to find myself blasting chips 10 feet past the hole for very tough par putts. Needless to say I didn't make any of them to start. After the rough start I said to Preston, "I just need to start hitting shots rather then pressing." A pattern for me as of late. I invision myself making these cut shots, draw shots, bounce it off this, whatever. The thing is, I don't hit a draw, and I don't hit a cut on purpose. So i don't know why i think i can hit these shots. I don't even understand how to change my stance, grip, swing, whatever to hit a draw. I hit the ball the straight. Thats what i worked for, and thats how i play. But for some reason I step up look at my shot and think I'm going to hit a perfect little draw into the back pin tucked behind a bunker. Anyways, I got the good thoughts into my head of just hit the ball and all of a sudden i started playing well. What do you know?

Just a quick not before I continue. We had 5 guys out yesterday, was supposed to be 6 or 7. After playing the first 2 holes as a 2 and 3 and waiting on every shot we decided to play as 5. This went on for about 3 holes untill the ranger came flying over to give us shit. After making a small deal of it he told us he was going to look into it. About half way down the next hole he comes up and gets in one guys face and says "you play as 3 and 2". Just to make sure we understood he used his hand to show 3 and 2, kind of funny. we are a little shocked that it was a problem since even with us playing as 5 we were still waiting for the group in front of us. Anyways, on the next hole we split back into 2 groups. Just after Preston and I tee off and begin to drive up to the green the ranger comes tearing down the cart path again, i'm thinking were in serious trouble or something. Instead he pulls up and tells us he cleared it with the proshop and they are going to allow us to play as a fivesome aslong as we don't hold anyone up. Crazy shit. Never heard of, especially in the middle of a sunday at a major facility. Just made fora better day, we kept up all day, and it helped the pace for us. Never saw the group behind us all day.

Back to the round. After i talked myself into hitting the ball and not thinking I began hitting perfect shots, one after another. Finished off the front with 1 more boogie coming in at 42. Not bad considering the difficulty of the course, but could have been a 38 easily. Off to the back 9.

I started off with a massive drive dead down the middle. 315 leaving myself 80 yards chip shot to the green. Nice being that close, but i was on a down slope and couldn't really get aggressive. Still made a nice shot leaving 15 feet for birdie, made the par.

Next hole is a short 385 yards, but your second shot into the green is about 50 yards up. I made a poor shot and had a long birdie putt. I hit it long, missed the comeback and made boogie.

Par 3 next which was down hill 160 yards with a strong wind right left. All 5 of us missed the green badly. My ball plugged in the side of a pot bunker, i ended up barely missing the par putt and made boogie.

Then came the hole of the day for me. 500 yards par 5. Off the tee you can see about 75 yards in front of you and the rst is down hill and not visible from where you are. I blast a perfect drive right down the middle. Drive up to find my ball 365 yards, leaving myself 135 to the pin. Maybe the first time ever I was driver gap wedge on a par 5. I hit a beautiful wedge to about 15 feet past the hole and sucked it down the slope to about 10 feet. Rolled in a nice left to right putt for eagle. Sweet, my first one of the year, and I'm back to even on the back.

Next hole is a routine par 3, 190 yards. I try to hit a 3/4 4 iron into the wind. I duff it into the waste area and make double. Fuck. so i gave it right back.

I go on to par out from there. I had a makable birdie putt on the 6th par 5, and on the 9th but missed both. The one on the 9th was dissapointing cause it was maybe 6 feet and i should of made it. Would have put me at 79, a great score out there. Still happy with the 80.

We had about an hour rain delay but after that the weather was pretty good. Humid, but not to hot. Oh ya, played under the Alias Ian Clark. Didn't pay a cent. Harris $150 - club link 0. Gotta love club link.