A Fair Day at The Fairways

The Fairways Golf & Country Club
Warrington, Pa
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 42/44 = 86
Date: May 28, 2011

My second round of the season was played at The Fairways Golf & Country Club is Warrington, Pa. The Fairways is a great little walking course that winds through a housing development. A bit short at just over 4500 yards and a Par 65, The Fairways has plenty of protection from little streams that cross fairways, ponds that front greens or catch errant tee shots, deep bunkers and contoured, sloping greens.

The Fairways Front 9

Coming off the sloppy, wet condition of the previous week, The Fairways was in excellent shape. The fairways and rough had been cut and there was little evidence of the rains that have plagued the area for most of the spring. This round was played under hot, sunny skies, but with enough of a breeze it was a pleasant round of golf. While The Fairways is generally wide open, it is still important to put the ball in the fairway. Off the tee had killed me at Fox Hollow because the rough was deep, thick and very wet. At The Fairways, I missed just enough fairways to make me have to scramble to score. I didn't hit my driver or 4-wood as well as I had the previous week, but my iron game was much better, as was my chipping and pitching. My putter also ran hot and cold during the round. This is an area I have yet to practice this season.

The Fairways Back 9

Although I only made three pars, I only had five really bad holes during my round:

 The Fifth Hole

  
* The Fifth Hole, a 322-yard Par 4: I hit my hybrid off the tee well right and was blocked by trees for my approach. I pitched out into the fairway and my third shot rolled to the back of the green, above the hole. I then three-putted for a double-bogey 6.

The Seventh Hole

* The Seventh Hole, a 168-yard Par 3: I topped my tee shot, which barely made it past the forward tees. My second shot didn't come out of the rough that well and barely hopped over a creek about 100 yards from the green. After pulling a lob wedge left of a left pin, it bounced off the green, short-siding me. I skulled another wedge across the green, chipped on and one-putted for a triple-bogey 6.

 The Tenth Hole

*The Eleventh Hole, a 291-yard Par 4: Because of houses to the right on this dogleg right, a local rule only permits an iron off the tee, but also gives players the option to drop their ball at the beginning of the dogleg, about 150-yards from the green. I hit a 7-iron off the tee to the middle of the dogleg, about 155 yards out. I pushed my second shot right of the green and cart path, but just short of the out-of bounds. I hit a chip that rolled across the green and into the collar. I tried to putt it, but it came out soft and short. A two-put from there left me with a double-bogey 6.

 The Twelfth Hole

* The Twelfth Hole, a 129-yard Par 3: Two large bunkers guard the left and right of the green and my tee shot found the right bunker. I hit my sand wedge a bit thin and my ball carried across the green. I three-putted from long distance for a double-bogey 5.

 The Eighteenth Hole

* The Eighteenth, a 334-yard Par 4: The closing hole doglegs severely right and has a blind tee shot. My poor tee shot with driver found the left side of the fairway, well before the dogleg begins. I hit my hybrid, trying to cut the corner of the dogleg, but hit it through some trees, leaving my ball about 60 yards short of the green, with some branches to go under for my chip. I managed to chip onto the front left of the green, but left my uphill putt woefully short, then missed again for a closing double bogey 6.