Divine Nine/Nightmare Nine

The Fairways Golf & Country Club
Warrington, Pa
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 38/55 = 93
Date: September 23, 2012

Stop me if you've heard this one before. During my latest round at The Fairways Golf and Country Club, I shot a really, really good front nine and a really, really bad back nine. It has been the common thread throughout my golf season in 2012. I will shoot a very good or respectable score on the front nine, only to struggle and shoot a higher score--sometimes much higher--score on the back nine. Traditionally, in past seasons, when I have managed to shoot a decent front nine--somewhere in the mid-40s--or even not so good front nine, I have more often than not found a way to turn it into a good or at least decent round on the back nine. Now is it almost the opposite; more often than not, I am finding ways to turn what has the potential to be really great round into a good or fair round. Sometimes I even manage to make it into an unacceptable round.

Sunday's round at The Fairways fall in to the latter category. I opened with my best drive of the year and had a mere pitching wedge for my approach, but I hit it thin and into the water that front the green. A drop, a wedge into the right hand bunker and two putts meant and opening triple bogey. But oh how that changed. I parred the next three holes. Then I made a double bogey at the Fifth Hole, followed by a bogey at the Sixth. Then another par. At the Eight, the number one ranked hole on the course, I again split the fairway. From about 150 yards, I hit a 7-iron to three feet and made birdie. A three-putt and the Ninth left me with an opening 38. Despite two bogeys, a double bogey and a triple bogey, I had set myself up to potentially shoot a round in the 70s or the low 80s at worst.

The back nine started out on the right track, despite a tee shot pushed to the right. I chipped out of trouble, hit a wedge onto the green and lipped a putt for a bogey. Then the Eleventh Hole got me again. I tee shot pulled left behind a tree. I punched a hybrid down the fairway and was in great shape until a poor pitch left me short of the green, followed by a poor chip, followed by a three-putt and a triple bogey. OK, I made triple at the First and still shot 38, no problem. Moving to the Twelfth, a short par 3, I'll get it back. A hooked 8-iron short left, a skulled pitch over the green, a short chip on, a very miss-read put followed by three more putts--another 7. What am I doing? A topped drive at the Thirteenth lead to a double bogey. OK, two short par 3s coming up, I can get this back. No I can't; bogey's at each. Now, swing thoughts--the kiss of death. Eight, seven, seven finished off a back nine 55. Another potentially great round thrown away over the final nine holes. Usually, it is just a hole or two on the back nine that torpedoes me...Sunday it was six.

My next round will again be at The Fairways on Ryder Cup Sunday. Like the USA team, I will be looking for redemption.