It's Better at Bensalem

Bensalem Township Country Club
Bensalem, Pa
Yards: 2759/3049 - 5808
Par: 35/35 - 70
Rating: 68.1, Slope: 121
Score: 46/49 = 95
Date: September 2, 2012

On the final "official" weekend of summer, I teed it up with a co-worker at Bensalem Township Country Club, located just across the city line. Labor Day weekend is a time I normally playing a round at the Delaware Shore with my cousins, but that outing came back in July this year. I haven't played Bensalem in three years, and coming off my 82 at The Fairways the previous week, I felt pretty good about my game.

 As we waited on the First tee, the starter, Gene, told me Bensalem was in very good shape and that he would put it up against any course in the area. I usually take the starter's course critique with a grain of salt; what do you expect them to tell you, the course is lousy? But in this instance, Gene was pretty accurate in his assessment. Except for a few bumps were the greens are still recovering from aeration, Bensalem was in as good a condition the best courses I've played this season.

 Front 9 at Bensalem

I played well on the front nine, opening with a bogey on the short Par 4 First Hole when my approach with a gap wedge came up a bit short, but I rebounded to par the Second Hole. I made another bogey at the Par 5 Third Hole when I again came up short with a wedge on my third shot. Another par at the Par 3 Fourth Hole had me feeling good, but I ran into some trouble at the Fifth. I hung my tee shot out to the right and under a tree, but then punched an 8-iron left of the green and pitched over. This led to a triple bogey 7. I hung my tee shot out to the right on the next two holes also and made double bogey at each. I hit 4-wood off the tee at the 316-yard Par 4 Eighth Hole and found the fairway, then hit the green with my approach and two-putted for par. But I tried to baby a driver at Ninth, hitting it off the heel and short left, which led to another double bogey and a 46 on the first nine.

 Back 9 at Bensalem

I believe the reason I am hitting the ball right off the tee is on some swing I am dropping my right shoulder just enough to leave the clubface slightly open through the swing. If I can correct that, I feel I will again be able to square the clubface at impact and start hitting the ball straight or with my customary draw on a more consistent basis.

 Par 3 Fourth Hole

It began to rain as we teed off on the back nine. I made a bogey at the Tenth after finding the right side of the fairway, but again pushed my tee shot well right at the Par 3 Eleventh Hole. Hitting from a grove of trees, I punched it into the bunker, then blasted out and two-putted for a double bogey. I hit my tee shot at the Twelfth in a fairway bunker, but my approach from the bunker with a 7-iron was pulled well left and out-of-bounds. I did make a long putt to only make bogey, but at the Thirteenth, a tee shot pushed right led to an 8 after I took a drop, punched back into the fairway, then slipped as I hit a 4-iron right of the green. The 205-yard Par Fourteenth plays over a ravine and I again hit my tee shot right, which led to a bogey. On the last four holes, I hit perfect tee shots, but couldn't capitalize on any of them, going bogey, bogey, double bogey and bogey to semi-limp home with a 49 and a total of 95 for my round.

 Green at the Eighth Hole

Overall, I was pleased with my round at Bensalem. Even though I did hit some tee shots to the right, I am getting off the tee much better now than earlier in the season. What I really need to work on is my short game: chipping, pitching and putting. My putting is satisfactory, but can always improve. It is an area I plan to concentrate on through the fall and early spring in hopes it will be a strength next season.

 Par 4 Thirteenth Hole

As for my going struggle with tendinitis in my left elbow, the Aleve I take before I play and the brace I wear is helping me get through my round. I am icing my elbow occasionally, but I think I need to do it more between rounds. Also, Mrs. Muni Golfer and I just bought a new treadmill, which I will be using to get myself in better shape, not just for golf, but overall. And being in better shape can only help my golf game as I hopefully will build up better stamina for walking the course.

Another Day in the 80s at The Fairways

The Fairways Golf & Country Club
Warrington, Pa
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 39/43 = 82
Date: August 26, 2012

After playing on such bad course conditions at Walnut Lane Golf Club a week ago, teeing it up Sunday at The Fairways Golf & Country Club seemed like playing Augusta National. The better course conditions allowed my game to take advantage and post my best round of the season. Even though the greens were as fast as I think I have seen this year and the holes were placed in some devilish positions, I used good course management and played with confidence throughout the 18 holes.

Front Nine at The Fairways

My round started off with pars at two of the first three holes, including sand saves at the First and Third. I also parred the Eighth and Ninth holes to shoot a mere seven over par 39 on the front nine. The only blemish was a double bogey at the 372-yard Fifth Hole, where I made a 10 about a month ago.

 Back Nine at The Fairways

My back nine score, as has been the case all season, was again higher than the front nine. But a 10 over par 43 isn't all that bad when you go out in 39. I opened the back nine with two pars at the Tenth and Eleventh--a hole that has given me fits over the years. But I tripled bogeyed the Par 3 Twelfth Hole when I found sand off the tee, then blasted over the green and three-putted. I played bogey golf the rest of the way in, except for the 374-yard Seventeenth, where I made a double bogey.

Made an Up-and-Down from the Bunker at the Third

I have now played five rounds at The Fairways this season, with scores of 90, 90, 83, 98 and 82. My average score for the course in 88.6. I have made 3 birdies and 22 pars in those five rounds. Hopefully, I can take this good play to other courses as I begin to prepare for the end of summer golf and the beginning of golf in the fall.

 I also continued to wear the elbow brace on my left arm, per doctor's orders, to combat the onset of tendinitis. It seems to be working as I haven't felt as much discomfort following my rounds since starting to wear the brace.

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 Break in the Action

After playing four consecutive Sundays, my body told me that last weekend was a good time to take a weekend off and get some rest. It didn't hurt that the PGA Championship was on TV most of the weekend. While I missed physically being on the course, I still got my golf fix watching the best players in the world in the last major of the season.

One of the things my body was telling me was my left elbow was starting to hurt. Not so much when I was playing, because I always take an Aleve or Advil before my round, but after playing. I particularly noticed it when I would attempt to lift something with my left arm or would just pull out a club and waggle it. I already had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, so I mentioned it to him during my office visit. After explaining what I was feeling and an examination of my elbow, the doctor diagnosed the problem as mild tendinitis. He prescribed wearing a elbow brace when I play and icing the elbow after a round or whenever it is bothering me. He also suggested taking an anti-inflammatory if needed. I already have an elbow brace, so I will be wearing during all future rounds until the end of the season or the pain goes away.

This weekend off also provided my with an opportunity to compare this season to last. Ironically, at this point in both seasons I had played the same number of rounds: 12. During the those 12 rounds I took three strokes more this year than last, 1124-1127. My scoring round is also .3 strokes higher this year, 93.9 compared to 93.6 last season. Out of the 216 holes I have played, however, I have had two more holes at par or better than last season, 52-50. And I have made six birdies through 12 rounds this season, one more than I had through 12 rounds in 2011. My goal is to play at least 10 more rounds before the end of 2012, lower my scoring average, while making more birdies and pars.