Sweet Home Juniata

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2735/1945 - 4680
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 47/41 = 88
Date: September 14, 2008

After playing four rounds in Delaware and five consecutive rounds at different courses, I decided to give myself a respite and return to the friendly fairways of my home course: Juniata Golf Club. There's nothing like playing 18 very familiar holes after several rounds at courses that you play maybe once every year or two, or are playing for the first time. So I packed my clubs and shoes in the trunk and headed to the rolling terrain of Juniata. As I chronicled repeatedly this year in my posts, Juniata has undergone a wonderful transformation under the guidance of the Juniata Golf Foundation, a non-profit organization that was set up to lease and manage the course from the City of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park Commission.

Juniata Golf Club Scorecard

The temperature was unseasonably high on Sunday; the low-to-mid 90s, with the heat index well over 100. And once again, the hot weather took its toll. I started out playing the back nine because of a backup on the 1st Tee. I made four 3s on the back, with a birdie at the short, 240-yard 14th Hole; and pars at 10, 13 and 18. I had two hiccups on the back; bad drives at 16 and 17--both Par 4s--led to 7s and going out in a respectable, yet disappointing 41. One major course change on the back nine is the now completed conversion of the 12th Hole, formerly a 300-yard, downhill Par 4 into a downhill, roughly 185-yard Par 3.

The new tees at the 12th Hole, making the hole play now as a Par 3

I was gassed after nine holes, and sat on a bench at 1st Hole for about 20 minutes debating with myself on whether to continue the round. But after eating a granola bar and drinking a bottle of water, I decided to continue, coming home in 47 for a score of 88 on my round. On my second nine, I had one par at the 380-yard 4th Hole, and played steady golf considering the weather. My two worst holes came at the 5th, where I came up short on my second shot then skulled my chip over the green for a 7, and the 7th, where I pulled my tee shot left into the trees and made a 6. But I'm happy with my 88 as my putting was much better than it has been in well over a month. I switched back to my Odyssey XG #9 before the round and felt much more comfortable on the greens. I'm also pleased with the way I once again grinded out my round over the second nine holes.

One of the new water dispensers at Juniata

The conditions at Juniata this time around were not quite what they had been earlier this summer, but some of that could probably be attributed to the lack of rain and increased rounds the course is experiencing. Still they are better than I have experienced in the not too distant past. The quarrel I might have is that the new tee box at the 12th Hole needs a lot of work. It was very uneven and needs grass. It seems like this hole has been converted from a Par 4 into a Par 3 before it was truly ready. On a more positive note, the water dispensers on the course are how housed in much nicer wooden structures, as opposed to just being coolers chained to poles as they were in the past. And it seems one or two have been added, particularly at the 10th tee.

Photos by The Muni Golfer