A Divine Nine at Juniata

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2735/2070 - 4680
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 48 (Front Nine)
Date: May 28, 2009

I only had a half day's work today, so despite the call for afternoon showers, I made an effort to play nine holes at Juniata Golf Club late this afternoon. The sunshine and warm temperatures gave way to cloudy skies and cool breezes as I teed off around 5:15 p.m. I wasn't quite short what to expect after Tuesday's horrible experience at the practice range. I switched my irons to an old set of TaylorMade LCGs for the round, hoping they would help me on my search to recapture my old swing and draw. While I didn't find any miracles, I did find enough to keep them in my bag for at least one more round.

1st Hole/Par 3/150 yards: I hit 7-iron a little fat off the tee, but because it is a downhill shot, my ball took a nice bounce forward and rolled to the front fringe. I two-putted for par.

2nd Hole/Par 4/260 yards: Hitting a 2-Hybrid over the creek on this short Par 4, I pulled my shot into the left rough about 50 yards from the green. I pitched the ball with my gap wedge onto the left side of the green. My first putt stopped 2 feet right of the hole, but I pushed my par wide for a careless bogey.

Front Nine Scorecard

3rd Hole/Par 4/390 yards: I hit driver off the tee with a slight fade into the right rough about 155 yards from the green. My approach with a 5-iron landed just short and hopped up onto the green, where I two-putted for another par.

4th Hole/Par 4/415 yards: My 4-wood off the tee was pulled well left into the 3rd fairway, leaving me with an approach of about 165 yards that needed to go over trees separating the fairways. I hit a 6-iron that cleared the trees and rolled into the rough about 5 yards in front of the green. I chipped to 3 feet above the hole, then lipped out my par putt for a bogey.

The 1st Hole, a downhill Par 3

5th Hole/Par 4/360 yards: I hit a wicked duck hook off the tee with my driver. The ball crossed the adjacent 3rd fairway and into the left rough. From there, I hit a 6-iron a bit fat, but got it to 15 yards in front of the green. My pitch shot with a wedge was hit thin and the ball hit into the sloping front of the green and ran all the way through to the back right fringe. I putted with my hybrid to about 6 feet. Two more putts and a double-bogey 6.

6th Hole/Par 4/360 yards: I made the most difficult hole of the course more difficult when I hit my driver left and couldn't find the ball. I took a drop on the left at the top of the first crest where I last saw my ball hit. My third shot with a 4-Hybrid squirted right and rolled into the rough about 70 yards short of the green. My uphill pitch shot with a wedge was short of the green. I chipped on and two-putted for a 7.

7th Hole/Par 4/275 yards: With the tees on the lower level of the two-tiered tee, I hit my 4-Hybrid right. It hit a tree on the right side of the fairway and bounced back to wards the tee, leaving me with a long approach shot. I tried to muscle another Hybrid out of a poor lie, but it squirted across the fairway and into the wetlands. I took and drop and hit a wedge short. I chipped up the sloping green and two-putted for another 7.

The 4th Hole at Juniata Golf Club

8th Hole/Par 3/200 yards: Trying to play a draw with my 2-Hybrid over the trees on the right side of the fairway, I hit the trees and again, could not find the ball. Three lost balls in three holes; not good for your score. I took a drop and chipped out to about 30 yards in front of the green. My pitch onto the green was a little strong and the ball rolled through the green. I chipped on and missed another short putt for another 7.
9th Hole/Par 4 380 yards: Determined to stop my string of 7s and finish on a positive note, I hit my driver with a slight draw up the right side of the fairway. Catching the slope of the fairway, my ball kicked left into the middle of the fairway, 97 yards from the green. My uphill approach shot with a wedge found the green, 30 feet from the hole. I two-putted for par.

The three 7s were disappointing, but I chalked those up to the lost balls as much as I do the poor tee shots. I did make three pars, and if I could have made two short putts, I would have had five. Overall, I played some of my best golf to date and I'm definitely feeling more and more confident with my shots.

Photos by The Muni Golfer