It Felt Divine to Finally Play 9

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 45 (Front 9)
Date: May 2, 2010

I finally found the opportunity to grab my clubs and hit the links for nine holes this past Sunday. I played the front nine at the ever-improving Juniata Golf Club.  I wasn't sure what to expect out of my game since it had been three weeks since I last made it to the practice range.  I tried to keep my expectations to minimum and focus more on my swing and course managment. All-in-all, the results were a mixed, but probably a bit better than I expected.

After pulling my opening tee shot left on the downhill, Par 3 First Hole, I chipped to the front of the green and two-putted for a bogey.  At the Second Hole, I hit a 5-wood up the right side of the fairway to about 30 yards short of the green, but pulled a sand wedge left. I chipped to about six feet and made my first par of the year.

 My Scorecard

The next stretch of four holes demonsrated that I need to work on my irons.  I hit the fairway, or was jst off it to the left on each hole, but managed to pull my approach shots severely left.  This resulted in scores of 7, 6, 7 and 6.  The 6 and the Sixth Hole was especially disappointing since I crushed my tee shot down the middle and had only 97 yards left uphill to the green.  But, with the ball below my feet, I skulled my approach over the green.

At the Seventh Hole, I again pulled my tee shot left and thought I had hit the ball into the waste area that runs down the left of the fairway and must be crossed onapproach to the green. But my hybrid off the tee managed to find the left rough instead and I hacked it out onto the green, where I two-putted for another par.  At the Eighth Hole, I again hit my 4-hybrid with a nice draw which landed just short and hopped up on the front portion of the green.  I then nailed a 30-foot right-to-left putt for my first birdie of the year.  At the Ninth Hole, I pulled my tee shot left into the rough, and my approach shot just left of the green and above the hole. I chipped to 10 feet below the hole, then two-putted for a par and a nine hole score of 45.

The Seventh Hole

I think the timing of my swing, as well as some mechanics, was the main reason for my pulling so many iron shots. I think this could be corrected with some more time at the range, as well as some more time on the course playing.  But that may have to be put on hold as outside circumstances dictate other priorites right now.

Juniata Golf Club, however, continues to impress. Additional cart paths and other cosmetic changes, as well as very good playing conditions has this course on par with many higher priced courses you could play outside Philadelphia.  I would dare to go so far as say that, with maybe the exception of Island Green, Juniata has to be considered among the top public courses in the City of Philadelphia.  All credit goes to the fine work of the Juniata Golf Foundation.

Photo by The Muni Golfer