Back Where I Belong

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 41/45 = 86
Date: June 4, 2011

I returned to Juniata Golf Club, my home course, on Saturday for the  first round there since last October. I thought the familiar surroundings would give my game a good vibe as I look to get my game in shape after a late start to the season. Juniata, despite its location and reputation as being a "city course," continues to improve into a true hidden gem. The work of the Juniata Golf Foundation and the Juniata staff is to be commended. The playing conditions just keep getting better and better. If you haven't played this course in a while, or your reluctant to play there because of its location, you are missing out on a good golfing experience.

Juniata Golf Club Scorecard 

I met Tim, a fellow solo golfer on the First tee and we teamed to play a round as a twosome. My round got off to a terrific start as I parred three of the first four holes. The only hiccup was a poor drive and missed short putt that led to a double bogey at the Third Hole. One new course this year is a fairway bunker on the Fourth Hole, about 100 yards from the green. This means a either laying up short or playing down the left side of the fairway, which I did. Starting at the Sixth Hole, Tim and I had to begin dodging sprinklers on the tee, fairway or green--sometimes a combination--on at least half of the holes we played. I made two more pars on the front nine--the Seventh and Ninth Holes--for a 41.

New fairway bunker at the Third Hole 

The back nine started out with a bogey, then a double bogey at the Eleventh when I flubbed a chip after flying the green on my third shot. After two more bogeys, I had a momentary lapse of concentration that resulted in back-to-back double bogeys. At the Fourteenth Hole, a topped tee shot left me a blind shot to the green. Instead of punching out in front of the green, I tried to go over the trees with a 9-iron, but hit it into the wood on the left. I punched my fourth shot out, chipped on then two-putted for a 7. At the Fifteenth Hole, I rushed my tee shot to avoid the sprinklers and shanked the ball right. Because I was on the cartpath, I took a drop and hit another shank as I tried to punch low under the trees. A lob wedge short, chip on and two putts left me with a 6. I regrouped at the Sixteenth--where a new elevated tee box has been installed, stretching the hole to 400 yards--with another par after lipping out my 20-foot, downhill birdie putt. A bogey and double-bogey finished a 45 on the back nine and round of 86.

The Sixteenth Hole's new tee box

Overall, I was pretty happy with the way I played. I think my back nine woes could be attributed to the disruption caused by the sprinklers. I made one equipment change for this round, replacing my 17-degree Adams Redline RPM 4-Wood with a 16-degree Sonartec SS-07 4-Wood. I will keep it in the bag for my next round, which will played on Monday at Paxon Hollow Country Club in Broomall, Pa. While I have played a few rounds at Paxon, I have never scored well there, so I am hoping to carry the good play I've experienced so far this season into tomorrow's round.