A Rough Landing

Jonathan's Landing Golf Club
Magnolia, DE
Yards: 3062/2575 - 5637
Par: 36/35 - 71
Rating: 65.6, Slope: 110
Score: 47/50 = 97
Date: September 4, 2018

My second round during my Delaware vacation was at Jonathan's Landing Golf Club in Magnolia, Del., just outside Dover, and about 35 miles north of Lewes. I had played the course once 10 years ago and I was looking forward to giving it another try.

Jonathan's Landing Scorecard

The two nines at Jonathan's Landing are starkly different. The front nine is more open and is often bounded by marsh areas and wetlands, while the back nine is tighter and winds through a housing development. The two nines have been reversed since the last time I played the course.

Par 3 Third Hole

My round couldn't have gotten off to a worse start: I hit my lay-up second shot at the par 5 First Hole into a marsh area and made double-bogey. I followed that up with double-bogey's at the par 5 Second and par 4 Third Hole. I righted myself a bit with back-to-back pars at the Fourth and Fifth holes, with another par at the 137-yard par 3 Eighth. I shot a 47 on my opening nine and felt somewhat optimistic heading to the second and easier nine.

My ball sits on sand on the Sixth green

One thing that made scoring a bit difficult was the fact that the course was topdressing the greens with sand in preparation for aerating them. This made putting to the hole difficult on many greens. The course's fairways also showed the effects of all the rain and extreme heat from this summer with many bare spots.

The Sixth green being topdressed with sand during my round

My back nine was worse than the first nine, as I double-bogeyed two easy par 3s in the first four holes. I also missed a 5-foot birdie putt at the 241-yard par 4 Twelfth Hole. After hitting my tee shot right and out-of-bounds, I made a triple-bogey 7 at the Fourteenth Hole. A bogey at the 138-yard par Fifteenth was the last gasp, as I proceeded to double-bogey the last three holes. This was especially frustrating since the Sixteenth and Seventeenth holes are par 5s where I hit perfect tee shots, but chunked easy layup and pitch shots. It added up to a back nine 50 and 97 for the round. This was two strokes higher than the 95 I shot in 2008, when I made a birdie and four pars.

The par 3 Thirteenth Hole

The most disappointing things about my round at Jonathan's Landing was I didn't take advantage of the easier holes on the back nine, I double-bogeyed every par 5 and I wasn't warned about the greens being topdressed before teeing off. I was happy, however, that I managed to shoot under 100.

Not just bugs buzz around the course

One interesting aspect of the course is its location. It is on the approach to Dover Air Force Base and throughout my round, Air Force transport planes continually flew literally overhead.

A Bad Walk at the Lane

Walnut Lane Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2173/2098 – 4271
Par: 31/31 = 62
Rating: 59, Slope: 91
Score: 47/44 = 91
Date: August 18, 2012

After taking a week off from golf, it was time to tee it up again this weekend. One of my goals this year was to play each of the five Philadelphia public courses. Having already played three so far this year--Juniata, John F. Byrne and FDR--I headed to Roxborough for a round at Walnut Lane Golf Club. Designed by the legendary Alex Findlay, who also designed John F. Byrne, Walnut Lane winds up and down through the Wissahickon Valley part of Fairmount Park.

 Walnut Lane Scorecard

A short course at just under 4,300 yards and playing to a par of 62, Walnut Lane is anything from a pushover. Take the 218-yard Par 3 Fourth Hole for example. The hole plays downhill to a small green. Overhanging trees from the left and a drop off to the right of the green makes playing a fade impossible. The next hole, the Fifth, is a 184-yard Par 3 that plays from left to right across a deep valley. And the 134-yard Par 3 Eleventh Hole plays so uphill you cannot see the flagstick from the tee. With trees on the right and a huge slope on the left, a tee shot has a very opening to the green.

 The Fourth Hole

But what also makes Walnut Lane difficult is the conditions. While no one is expecting Augusta National, the boxes are chewed up and uneven. Fairways feature large bare areas devoid of grass, and when there is grass, it is thick and overgrown. The bunkers more like hardpan than sand. When I played on Saturday, the course had been aerated during the week, but they failed to mention it when I paid in the pro shop. Not that it would have stopped me from playing, but it would have been nice to know before I reached the first green. It made putting and chipping all the more difficult as the ball didn't want to roll far on the greens. You had to strike your putts firmer than usual to get them anywhere near the hole. The course was probably the worst I played this year, along with FDR.

As for my round, I played some good holes and some (very) bad holes. I had a quintuple bogey, three triple bogeys and two double bogeys on par 3s. I also had a quadruple bogey on a par 4. But I think a lot of it was more the conditions than my game. I only hit driver three times, but I crushed it in the fairway each time. I also managed to par the Eleventh Hole, which is one of my "Nightmare Nine" holes.

 The Eleventh Hole

As per doctor's orders, I wore a brace on my left arm to guard against the mild tendinitis I have been experiencing. I also made sure to ice my elbow last night and I am not experiencing the discomfort today that I have been after recent past rounds. I will continue with this regiment into the future, until I am pain free.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

A Round at Jonathan's Landing

Jonathan's Landing
Magnolia, Del
Yards: 3062/2575 - 5637
Par: 36/35 - 71
Rating: 65.8, Slope: 106
Score: 48/47 = 95
Date: September 4, 2008

I had always wanted to play Jonathan's Landing, a links-style golf course located just a few miles south of Dover, Delaware. The course is visible as you dive along Delaware Route 1 heading to or from the Delaware beaches. In fact, the course probably sits less than a mile from the runway at Dover Air Force Base, a fact that you are constantly reminded of as huge cargo planes rumble low overhead. I became even more determined to make the course one of my destinations this year after visiting their booth at the Victory Golf Show back in March. So I made the 45-minute drive up from the Rehoboth Beach area for the final round during my week-long vacation at the Delaware beach.

Jonathan's Landing Scorecard

The front nine at Jonathan's Landing is very open, with water and/or wetlands coming into play on eight of the nine holes, while most of the back nine winds through a housing development and water/wetlands being a factor on only three holes. Because the course is so open, wind is often a factor, making club selection difficult and crucial. The clubhouse at Jonathan's Landing, which opened in July of 2001 is quite a site; a replica of the Port Mahon Lighthouse. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The course also features a driving range, a pitching and chipping practice green and a 12,000 square foot short game area.

The 16th, a 454-yard Par 5 with the Clubhouse in the distance

The course was in excellent condition for so late in the summer season. Because of the lack of rain however, carts were permitted to driven in the fairway, but not in the rough on the day I played. The greens had been aerated, but were still pretty smooth and medium fast.

The 13th Hole, a Par 3 where trouble looms short left and to the right

My round started on the back nine. Because this was my fourth round in seven days, and considering what happened at The Rookery, I took a cart for this round. As I was teeing off, a threesome drove up to the hole that included Bill, Bill, and his brother Dave; three retired locals who are regulars at Jonathan's Landing. I asked them if they cared to make it a foursome and they gladly accepted my invitation. And boy, am I glad they did. Besides being three great guys, their knowledge of the course proved invaluable, as there are many blind shots and hidden dangers on the course. An example was the 12th Hole (our third), a short 241-yard Par 4 in which the green is visible from the tee, but two long bunkers to the right of the fairway and green are not. After pointing this out to me, I teed off with my hybrid to about 15 yards short of the green, then chipped to four feet, which I made for a birdie. Or at the 13th, a Par 3 where they told me don't miss to the right and I, of course, hit it right, which slopes severely away from the green and down into wetlands.

The 3rd Hole, a short, tight Par 4 with a persistent wind and wetlands all around

I started out playing well at Jonathan's Landing, with a bogey, par and birdie on my first three holes. After that, I made the game more challenging that it need to be by repeatedly having difficulty off the tee. The wind was definitely causing me problems. And when I did play well from tee to green, I almost always managed to throw in an extra putt or two. But after playing, or struggling, through the first 14 holes, once again I managed to dig deep and pull my game together over the last four holes, going 4-5-3-5. The two pars and two bogeys helped me salvage a 95 for my round.

The 7th Hole, a Par 4 that doglegs right over water

I think over the final few holes, I finally realized what my problems have been with my swing. It has become too around my body as opposed to more upright, which is how I swing when I am playing at my best. It certainly gave me something to think about, as well as reflect on Jonathan's Landing as I drove the 45-minutes back to the Rehoboth Beach area to have dinner and enjoy the finals few days of my Delaware vacation.

Some more photos of Jonathan's Landing:

My playing partners: Bill, his brother Dave, and Bill

The pride of the U.S. Air Force streaks overhead

The 2nd Green. Behind runs the road back to Del. Rte. 1

The 5th Hole. Approach shots play over wetlands fronting the green.

The 10th Hole, with houses lining the fairway

The 15th Hole, a 138-yard Par 3 that played into the wind

The 18th Hole and the magnificent Clubhouse

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Unfinished Business at Baywood Greens

Baywood Greens
Long Neck, Del.
Yards: 3132/2956 - 6088
Par: 36/36 - 72
Rating: 69.0, Slope: 125
Score: Round Incomplete Due to Darkness
Date: August 29, 2008

My annual Labor Day weekend outing with my cousins was held again this year on the Friday before the holiday at Baywood Greens, a spectacular course located a few miles west of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Unlike last year, we booked a tee time to get the course's twilight rate of $45, but a 4:10 p.m. tee time this time of year makes it almost impossible to complete 18 holes. We were lucky to not have anyone in front of us slowing up our play until the back nine, but we still played holes 16 and 17 in just about complete darkness, and the ranger forced my cousins to pick up their tee shots on the 18th. It was just as well as I had one of those rounds in which I could do very little right. I three-putted the first green, then hit two balls in the water to the right of the second fairway. Two 9s, an 8, a 7 and a 6 through the first seven holes just about sums up how I played. I did manage to hit my tee shot to about four feet at the 131-yard, Par 3 8th Hole, but naturally I missed the birdie putt on the recently aerated green. The par there did settle me down a bit and I played much more consistent golf on the back nine, making three pars...at least until nightfall came around the 15th Hole.

Baywood Greens Scorecard

Baywood Greens is a truly beautiful course. Billing itself as "the Augusta of the Northeast," the course was in great condition, except for the aerated greens. Upon arrival, your bags are placed upon a cart and after playing for your greens fees, you are instructed to go to the practice range where you can hit unlimited balls until you are called to go to the first tee. There is also a putting green and a chipping green with bunker. The landscaping around the course is breathtaking. Nine new holes are currently under construction just to the west along Route 24. If you are ever taking a golf trip to Ocean City, Maryland from the Northeast, I would highly recommend making a round at Baywood part of your itinerary.