The Heat of Battle at Juniata

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 4805, Par: 66
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 42/X = 42
Date: June 8, 2008

With temperatures reaching the mid-90s and a heat advisory in effect, I decided to only play nine holes at Juniata Golf Club. Because of the oppressive humidity, I waited until 3:30 p.m. to tee off. I took it slow walking and made sure I drank plenty of water while on the course, which was pretty empty. Of course, in these brutal conditions, I managed my best nine hole score--42--of the year so far. I hit my irons pretty well today; probably some of the best ball striking I've done this season. Here's a re-cap of my round:

1st Hole, Par 3, 160 yards -- I hit a six iron off the tee, landing just in the rough in the front left of the green. I hit a lob wedge on the green to about 10 feet and two-putted for a 4.

2nd Hole, Par 4, 260 yards -- Hit a 4 hybrid off the tee, coming to rest in a bad lie in the right rough about 75 yards short of the green. I hacked a 53 degree wedge to about 25 yards, just on the fairway. I hit my lob wedge over the bunker guarding the green to about 12 feet and two-putted for a 5.

The Par 4 3rd Hole at Juniata

3rd Hole, Par 4, 390 yards -- My driver off the tee was a pull hook into a pine tree that guards the left side of the fairway and settled in the rough of the 4th hole, about 210 yards from the green. I muscled my 17 degree hybrid to about 80 yards, but my third shot with a wedge was fat and flew right. From 30 yards I pitched onto the green and two-putted for a 6.

4th Hole, Par 4, 380 yards -- I pushed my 3 wood off the tee into a grouping of trees and brush off the right side of the fairway, but I had an opening to punch an 8 iron out towards the green, finishing about 5 yards short and left. I chipped a lob wedge on short. From about 15 feet, I ran my first putt past the hole a good 6 feet and missed the comebacker for another 6.

5th Hole, Par 4, 360 yards -- I again pushed my tee shot with the driver slightly right, but I made it over the crest of the fairway and had about 155 yards to the green from a downhill lie in the rough. I hit a 6 iron just short to the front right of the green, then chipped a pitching wedge to about 5 feet and sank the putt for a par 4.

6th Hole, Par 4, 350 yards -- Because the sprinklers were running on the left side of the tee box, I teed up on the right and attempted to hit a fade with my driver, which I did, although my approach was from the left rough about 160 yards away. Because the second shot is uphill to an elevated, I hit the 4 hybrid, which I absolutely nuked over the green. My attempted flop shot with a lob wedge from about 15 yards landed on the cart path an one-hopped onto green. I two-putted from about 12 feet for a 5.

7th Hole, Par 4, 275 yards -- I hit my 17 degree hybrid off the tee with a draw and landed in the left rough about 95 yards away on this 90 degree dogleg left. I three-quartered a pitching wedge up onto the green, about 30 feet from the flag. The first two-thirds of my putt was uphill, but I ran it my first putt about 10 feet past the hole, but made the comebacker for a par 4.

8th Hole, Par 3, 190 yards -- Again hitting the 17 degree hybrid off the tee, I played a soft draw that landed short but ran into the left rough. Although I was pin high, I had to hit a lob wedge about 5 yards onto the green and I hit it about 8 yards. I made the 7 foot putt for a par 3.

9th Hole, Par 4, 380 yards -- I pulled my tee shot waaaay left into the rough on the right side of the 17th fairway. With a tree line between me and the 9th green, I hit an 8 iron over the trees about 15 yards short of the green. I lobbed on to about 8 feet and just burned the edge with my par putt, settling for a tap-in and a 5.

Photo by The Muni Golfer