Putt Putt at Paxon Hollow

Paxon Hollow Country Club
Marple Township, Pa.
Yards: 2593/2824 - 5417
Par: 35/36 - 71
Rating: 66.2, Slope: 121
Score: 49/46 = 95
Date: June 6, 2011

On the 67th Anniversary of D-Day, I stormed the fairways and greens of Paxon Hollow Country Club, a wonderful municipal golf course in Delaware County. This hilly, 5400-yard, Par 71 track has gotten the best of me the previous two times I've played it; particularly the 519-yard Par 5 Eighteenth Hole, which is one of my "Nightmare Nine" holes. I've failed to break 100 in those previous attempts. But my game is brimming with confidence after my first three rounds of the season, so I looked forward to this challenge.

 Paxon Hollow Scorecard

My round started off with a topped drive, but I recovered for a bogey 5 at the opening hole, followed by a par at the short Par 3 Second Hole. The Third Hole is a Par 5 that doglegs right around a hill and plays uphill to the green. A bad drive and an overcooked layup with my hybrid put me in early trouble, But I manged to get on the green in five, however a four-putt left me with a quadruple-bogey 9. That normally would have been the beginning of the end for me at Paxon Hollow in the past, but I shook it off a made a bogey at the Par 3 Fourth Hole. Another bogey followed at the the Fifth Hole, then at the short 261-yard Par 4 Sixth Hole--after a beautiful tee shot left me no more than 60 yards to the green--I thinned a lob wedge well over the green for a triple bogey 7. I followed that with a double bogey 7 at the Par 5 Seventh Hole, a 441-yard dogleg left. But bogeys at the Par 3 Eighth and Par 4 Ninth Holes left me with a 49 for the Front Nine. Not bad considering that I left many putts well short and couldn't lag it close if I tried. This led to numerous three-putts on the day.

The Par 5 Third Hole

The Back Nine started off with a nice par at the short, 250-yard Tenth Hole, but again, a Par 5 caused me trouble as I double-bogeyed the Eleventh, which plays uphill. The Twelfth was a problem from the tee shot which hit a tree about 75 yards off the green and landed in the rough. I hacked it up the fairway and two-putted for a triple-bogey 8. It looked at that point like my round was about to spin out-of-control and triple digits loomed on the scorecard. But from there on in, I managed my game nicely. I bogeyed the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, escaping a deep bunker on the left of the Fourteenth Green that I found with my approach shot. Another par at the 150-yard Fifteenth was followed by a 6 at the Sixteenth after I miss-read the slope of my first putt and three-putted the green. Another par at the downhill, 115-yard Seventeenth Hole came when I was short of the green, chipped on, then made my par putt. This brought me to my nemesis, the closing Par 5 Eighteenth.

 158-yard Eighth Hole

The Eighteenth tee shot at Paxon Hollow is narrow, with trees protecting the right and a creek running down the left. Your second shot is uphill, over the creek, to a fairway that slopes severely from left to right, with the right side being protected by a huge tree that can cause problems for your third shot. A large, two-tiered green sits at the top of the hill at the foot of the clubhouse, with bunkers behind and to the left. Miss long or on the wrong tier and you could easily see your chip or putt run off the front of the green. Yesterday,  my tee shot found the light rough just to the left of the fairway, where I was able to hit my hybrid up the hill. It rolled just into the right round about 120 yards from the green. I hit an 8-iron approach that two-hopped onto the green about 20 feet below the hole. I then two-putted for a par! This gave me a 46 on the Back Nine and a 95 for my round. I had finally broken 100 at Paxon Hollow!

 Seventeenth Hole--A downhill Par 3

I was truly pleased with the way I played my round round at Paxon Hollow. I stayed mentally tough and didn't let a few big holes snowball into a very bad nine holes. Although I didn't play the three Par 5s very well--except for the Par at the Eighteenth--I balanced that out by taking advantage of the five Par 3s--three pars and two bogeys. My two main problems during the round was hitting my driver and 4-Wood off the tee and my putting. I couldn't seem to hit the ball anywhere near the hole on long putts, which led to numerous three-putts during the round. I did, however, continue to hit my new Wilson Staff Ci7s very well. I feel a great deal of confidence standing over the ball, whether on the tee, in the fairway or in the rough.

The Par 5 Eighteenth from the fairway

As for the course itself, except for gnats which seemed to be everywhere on the course, Paxon Hollow is in tremendous condition despite the very wet spring. The tee boxes, fairways, greens and bunkers were all in very good shape. If you have yet to play Paxon Hollow, I highly recommend you schedule a tee time in the very near future.

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.

Getting Back in the Swing at Juniata

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2735/2070 - 4680
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 50/46 = 96
Date: June 7, 2009

Hoping to rid myself of the horrible swing memories from Wednesday's round at Paxon Hollow, I headed out for a late afternoon round at Juniata Golf Club. I put my Wilson Staff Spine Driver back in the back for this round, as well as an old Golfsmith XPC Plus 16-degree 3-Wood. I was joined on the first tee by John, a 14-year-old who will be a freshman at Father Judge High School next year. John has been playing golf for six years and hopes to try out for Judge's golf team next year. He had a nice grip and a nice swing, although I think his backswing is a bit too long. He played well overall and was a fun companion for the front nine. On the back nine, I was joined by Mike, who was only playing his second round this year. Mike was another good golf companion.

Front 9 Scorecard

As for my round, I started out playing decent, making a par at the short 260-yard 2nd Hole, and was a mere three over par through four holes. But at the 5th, I hit a fade off the tee again and the doubts quickly crept back into my psyche. I stared making mental errors and soon tallied an 8 for the hole. At the 6th, I decided to try to go with the fade, but hit the first tree on the right just over the first ridge. I got a break and bounced back towards the fairway. I couple of more mental errors and I putted out for a 7. At the 7th Hole, with the tees forward on the lower plateau, I hit a hybrid and suddenly, there was a nice soft draw in the fairway. My second shot was again a draw, just missing the left edge of the green and into a bunker. I took two to get out and wound up with a 6. But I was feeling confident again. Something in my swing started feeling right. I hit my tee shot at the 8th fat which led to a double-bogey 5. But at the 9th, I hit my best drive of the day, a solid draw right up the right side of the fairway. It caught the slope that goes to the left and looked like a monster drive from the tee. I expected to find my ball along the left side of the fairway or just in the rough. But after searching and searching, neither John nor I could fine the ball! I finally took a drop and made a bogey 5. My front nine score was 50. Most of that came at the three hole stretch of 5, 6 and 7. Overall, I didn't play as badly as my score indicated.

Back 9 Scorecard

My back nine started with a drive hit straight, but right of the 10th green. I attempted a flop shot, but didn't clear the bunker. I got up and down for a 4. My tee shot at the 11th was solid and straight, just over the trees on the right side of the fairway. My approach was partially obstructed, but I was able to punch a 6-iron up the right side of the hill and made a 5. At the Par 12th, my tee shot found the fringe in front of the green and I three-putted for another 4. I continued to hit the ball well, either straight or with a bit of a draw, and made 4-5-5 at holes 13 through 15. At 15, I again was my own worst enemy. Unable to find an even lie, I should have teed it high and hit driver, but I topped a 3-Wood into the brush on the right. I tried to then hit a 5-Wood off the tee and topped that up the right side, but in play. My hybrid out of the rough was off the heel and hooked across the fairway and into the brush on the left side. A drop, a short pitch, a chip and a putt left me with an 8. Again, mental errors. At 17, I aimed a bit right trying to draw the ball back into the fairway, but I had the ball a bit too far back in my stance and hit it straight right. My ball was in the rough at the top of the hill, only 100 yards out. But I chopped it up to the green in 3 swings, then three-putted for a 7. At the 18th, I put a 4-iron just outside the right bunker, pitched on and two-putted for a 4. A 46 on the back and a round of 96.

New footbridge being built at the 7th Hole

Except for the four or five holes where I executed very poor course management, I felt very good about the way I played. I started hitting the ball straight or with a slight draw again, which is encouraging. One thing I need to work on is my short game: pitching, chipping and especially putting. But I definitely feel I'm exorcizing the fade/slice demons from Paxon Hollow.

Photo by The Muni Golfer

A Hollow Feeling at Paxon

Paxon Hollow Country Club
Media, Pa.
Yards: 2593/2824 - 5417
Par: 35/36 - 71
Rating: 66.2, Slope: 121
Score: 50/54 = 104
Date: June 3, 2009

Yesterday I played a mid-week round of golf at Paxon Hollow Country Club, a municipal golf course owned by Delaware County's Marple Township. An older, more traditional layout, Paxon Hollow isn't very long by today's standards, playing at 5,417 from the white tees, but it is very challenging. Originally built in 1926, it was a private country club for more than 40 years before the township acquired the property in 1967. A hilly course, there are numerous elevation changes, with holes playing either uphill or downhill. Many of the Par 4s and 5s feature doglegs, while some holes have sloping fairways where you can often face a lie from the fairway with the ball above or below your feet. The greens at Paxon Hollow are on the small side and are well protected by numerous bunkers and thick, deep rough. The greens are also undulating, fast, and feature subtle breaks that are sometimes difficult to read. But the course is well maintained and the conditions are excellent.

Paxon Hollow Scorecard

I played my worse round so far this season at Paxon Hollow, shooting a 104. I had four main problems: I hit the ball dead right off the tee too many times, my draw was virtually non-existent, I found way too many bunkers, and I three- or four-putted more than half of the holes. I did manage three pars: at the 119-yard Par 3 2nd Hole, the 441-yard Par 5 7th Hole and the 350-yard Par 4 12th Hole. I was also very pleased with my bunker play, escaping onto the green or fringe on my first attempt each time. I did add an old Golfsmith 5-Wood to my bag, as well as a 20-degree hybrid for this round. They both came in handy during the round, off the tee and from the fairway. I played well with both and will keep them in my bag a little longer.

Several holes highlight the challenges of Paxon Hollow:

*The 3rd Hole, a 495-yard Par that plays uphill and doglegs right around a hill. Except for the longest of hitters, the second shot is a blind layup over the corner of the dogleg. Your third shot will most likely be a wedge or shot iron uphill to the green.

The tee shot at the 3rd Hole

* The 6th Hole, a short, 261-yard Par 4 that plays slightly downhill to a narrow fairway and features and narrow, two-tiered green.

The narrow, sloping 6th Hole

* The 7th Hole, another Par 5 that is 441-yards and doglegs sharply left. Unless you draw it around the corner, your second shot will be a blind approach to a green protected by two front bunkers.

The blind second shot at the 7th Hole

* The 9th Hole, another downhill, 363-yard Par 4 that features another narrow fairway. Miss left and you will be playing uphill from a ravine towards the green. Approach shots from the fairway play downhill to an undulating green.

The downhill 9th Hole

* The 10th Hole, a 250-yard Par 4, plays from an elevated tee over a creek to a small fairway. The green is elevated and has bunkers left and right.

The short, downhill 10th Hole

* The 11th Hole, a 430-yard Par 5, doglegs right as it plays severely uphill. The fairway slopes from left to right. If you put the ball anywhere but on the right side, you will be playing uphill with the ball well below your feet.

View of 11th green from the fairway

* The 12th Hole, a 350-yard Par 4 that plays over a deep ravine fronting the green. Go too far down the fairway and you will be hitting your approach off a down slope to a green that juts out from the side of a hill.

The 12th Green from the right side of the fairway

* The 13th Hole, a 340-yard Par that plays slightly uphill to a fairway that doglegs left. Approach shots play slightly downhill to a green hidden behind two well placed bunkers.

The 13th green from the 14th tee box

* The 17th Hole, a short, 115-yard Par 3 that drops about 100 feet from an elevated tee to a small, sloping green.

The downhill 17th Hole

* The 18th Hole, a 519-yard Par 5. A creek protects the left side of the narrow fairway off the tee. Your second shot then plays severely uphill to a fairway that slopes left-to-right. The green is multi-tiered and slopes from back-to-front and is protected by three bunkers: left, right and behind.

The 18th Hole plays uphill

Overall, Paxon Hollow is a fun and very challenging course. It will make you think and play strategic golf. Miss the fairway or the green and you will work for a good score. I believe it to be a true hidden gem among area golf courses.

Photos by The Muni Golfer