The Grind Continues at Upper Dublin

Upper Dublin Golf Club
Dresher, Pa
Yards: 2932/2650 - 5582
Par: 37/33 - 70
Rating: 64.7, Slope: 114
Score: 53/56 = 109
Date: July 26, 2015

Buoyed by the confidence from my practice session last week, I teed it up at Upper Dublin Golf Club, formerly known as Twining Valley, under a hot sun on Sunday. That confidence lasted all of one hole, as I took an 8 on the opening hole, a 434-yard par 5. I followed that up with a 7 at the downhill 316-yard par Second Hole and another 8 at the 467-yard par 5 Third Hole.

 The scorecard when the course was called Twining Valley

I should have known that things were not going to go my way in the Pro Shop when I paid as they informed me they were out of scorecards. How does a golf course run out of scorecards? I started my round with 12 golf balls in my bag and finished 18 holes with 5. I somehow managed to eek out two pars; one at the short 256-yard par 4 Ninth Hole and another at the uphill, 138-yard par Eighteenth. I shot 109 for round, the seventh time in nine rounds this season that I have failed to break 100.

The short Ninth Hole where I made par

While the greens fee at Upper Dublin are incredibly cheap--I paid $20 to walk after 12 p.m.--you really do get what you pay for at this course. This course is hard-scrabble the whole way. The rough is so high and thick that golf balls are easily lost. And the greens are the slowest I have played anywhere. Upper Dublin is a course I play every 4-5 years and I don't see that changing any time soon.

A par at the Eighteenth finished the round

As for my game, it's back to the drawing board as I re-evaluate my game, my clubs, my practice and my course management. Perhaps it is time to employ the old KISS method: Keep It Simple Stupid! Stay tuned.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

2013 Season in Review

My golfing season for 2013 had its share of ups and downs. It began in mid-May with a round at The Fairways and ended in early November with a round at Bensalem Country Club. Overall, I played 18.5 regular and practice rounds and managed to make it to the practice range only twice.

12th Hole at The Fairways

My 18.5 rounds were played on 10 different golfs courses: The Fairways, Mountain View Golf Course, White Manor Country Club, Philadelphia Quartette Club, Middletown Country Club, Twining Valley Golf Club (now called Upper Dublin Golf Club), Tumblebrook Golf Club, The Rookery, Old Landing Golf Club and Bensalem Country Club. Three of these courses I played for the first time: Mountain View, White Manor and Tumblebrook. I was able to play White Manor as a result of being invited to participate in the Owl Club's Cherry and White Golf Outing.

White Manor Country Club Scorecard

My best score of the year was an 82, shot at The Fairways on August 25. I also shot a 92 at The Rookery on Sept. 21, which is pretty remarkable since I was using clubs borrowed from my cousin and didn't even have golf shoes to wear during the round. The best score I have ever recorded at The Rookery with my own clubs is a 91. I also shot two rounds of 86 at The Fairways, and a 96 three times: at Tumblebrook, Old Landing and Bensalem.

Tumblebrook Scorecard

My worst score of the year was a 115 at Mountain View on June 21. This was pretty disappointing since I shot a 109 at Mountain View on May 24 playing in what seemed like non-stop rain. I also failed to break 100 at Twining Valley (100), The Rookery (102), and Middletown (103).

4th Hole at The Rookery

Overall, I took 1438 strokes playing 332 holes during my 16 regulation rounds for an average score of 95.8. I shot par or better on 56 of those holes. I made five birdies and had no eagles.

8th Green at Bensalem

It was the fourth straight year I failed to golf a minimum of 20 rounds, something I plan to remedy in 2014.

No Whining at Twining (Valley)

Twining Valley Golf & Fitness Club
Dresher, Pa
Yards: 2932/2650 - 5582
Par: 37/33 - 70
Rating: 64.7, Slope: 114
Score: 45/46 = 91
Date: June 24, 2012

Twining Valley can only be described as a no-frills, hard-scrabble golf course. If you are looking for country club conditions, Twining Valley is not the place. But if you are looking for a cheap golf course that will challenge your game, as well as your patience, then Twining Valley is it. The tee boxes often look like a plowed up field and are so hard, it is often difficult to get a tee into the ground. The fairways are very dry, very hard and very fast. Tee shots can run forever, but so can chips and pitches. Yet the greens can be so slow you feel like you are putting on shag carpeting. And bunkers feature hard dirt instead of sand. At times you almost have to play Twining Valley like a British-style links course. And because Twining Valley attracts players of all skill levels, play can be very, very slow. But the course does offer an interesting layout and is rather cheap to play; I payed $20 to walk on Sunday afternoon. If you want to play a course for practice, check out Twining Valley.

 Twining Valley Front 9 Scorecard

I decided to shake things up for my round at Twining Valley. I put an old TaylorMade Tour Burner Driver in my bag and replaced my Wilson Staff irons with a old set of TaylorMade 200 irons. These irons have a habit of finding their way back into my bag every couple of years. Although they are a cavity-back iron, they look more like a blade, with a thinner sole and top line. Plus the reminder-ribbed grips just feel good in my hands. I think these irons may stay in the bag for the foreseeable future.

 Twining Valley Back 9 Scorecard

With a partially re-constituted arsenal in my bag, I hit the course. Twining Valley starts off with a modest Par 5 of 434 yards that plays uphill to a plateaued green. After hitting three straight pulls, I was just left of the green and chipped to about 10 feet. After my first putt, I still had about 5 feet left for par. I told you, these greens can be slooooow. At the Second Hole, a downhill Par 4, I had a short chip to the green, but watched as it hit in front then rolled well off the back, leading to a 7. I managed a two-putt par at the Third Hole, a Par 5 that runs along Twining Valley's Driving Range. I followed that with a double bogey and three bogeys. The Eight and Ninth Holes are both very short Par 4s; 255 and 256 yards respectively. I made par and Eight and birdie at Nine after nearly driving the green with my 4-hybrid. As I said, you get a lot of roll from the fairways. The front nine is a par 37 and I went out in a respectable 45.

 Approach to the Fifteenth Hole

As has been the case for most of the season, the back nine has been my nemesis this season, and Sunday at Twining Valley was no different. The Tenth Hole is a 174-yard Par 3 that plays uphill and is followed by a 545-yard Par 5. I made double bogey at both. I did make par at the Twelfth Hole, a 322-yard Par 4. But I followed that up with a double-, triple- and triple-bogey. The Fifteenth is probably the most difficult and awkward hole on the course. The 331-yard Par plays from an elevated tee to a small, hard landing area, then doglegs right over a a creek to a small green on the side of a hill. The tee shot requires probably nothing more than a 9-riron. I hit the hybrid and put it through the fairway and into the creek.After a drop, I then chunked my approach into the creek. Fitting five, I wedged on and two-putted for a 7. But I pulled myself together and parred two of the last three holes, including the Sixteenth, a 190-yard Par 3 that plays straight downhill to a green that is tough to hold and the Eighteenth, a 156-yard Par 3 that plays uphill. I played the Par 33 Back Nine in 46 for a total of 91 for the round.

 The Downhill Par 3 Sixteenth Hole

Despite some of my struggles, I was pleased with how I played. Some of my problems stemmed from failing to adjust to the fast, hard fairways and slow speed of the greens. While I'm still not hitting it how I'd like off the tee, I was happy with my iron play, chipping and my putting. I feel like I was able to carry over the positive play from my previous round at The Fairways. Now, I just need to keep it moving forward.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

My 2009 Season in Review

As we count down the final hours of the first decade of the new millennium, it's time for me to look back at my 2009 golfing season. This past year, I played nearly 25 rounds, which included 5.67 practice rounds and one round that was washed out after three holes. I played on 17 different courses, including three for the first time: Mainland, Green Pond and Heritage Creek, although the Heritage was only three holes because of a huge downpour.

The Ninth Hole at Mainland

I played 447 total holes for the year. My stroke average was 95.4 per 18 holes, excluding the practice and incomplete rounds. I managed to make par or better on 64 of the 351 regulation holes for which I posted a score. That is just under 20 percent. The main reason for the low percentage I believe was because of my poor putting throughout the year. The most pars I recorded in a single round was six, which I did twice: June 19 at Mainland and Oct. 4 at Juniata. I did have four birdies this year: the Eighth Hole at Juniata on May 24, the Eighth Hole at Twining Valley on July 12, the Third Hole at Franklin D. Roosevelt on Aug. 15 and the Fourteenth Hole at Juniata on Oct. 4.

The Third Hole at Green Pond

My low round of the year was an 86 on Oct. 25 at Juniata, which also happened to be my last round of the year. I also shot an 87 (Oct. 4), and 88 (July 24) at Juniata, an 89 (Aug. 15) at FDR and a 90 (June 19) at Mainland. My high round of the year was a 104, which I shot three times: June 3 at Paxon Hollow, July 3 at Green Pond and Sept. 6 at The Rookery. Overall, I only failed to break 100 four times in the 19.5 rounds I posted. Last year, I only failed to break 100 once.

The Tenth Hole at Jeffersonville

I also managed to hit the Driving Range seven times this season, mostly in the early part of the Spring. I'm not sure how much that helped, although I do feel that is where I might have first developed my elbow soreness that hindered me through most of the season. But hopefully, I another eight weeks or so, I'll be back out on the practice tee getting ready for the 2010 season.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Down in the (Twining) Valley

Twining Valley Golf & Fitness Club
Dresher, Pa
Yards: 2882/2647 - 5529
Par: 37/33 - 70
Rating: 64.7, Slope: 114
Score: 50/49 = 99
Date: July 12, 2009

Twining Valley is as close as you will find to experiencing one of Philly's public courses in the suburbs. TV is a great course if you want to practice your game. It is not overly long. It has some short Par 4s and 5s. Holes play downhill and uphill. Opened in 1931, the public course gets a lot of play as evidenced by the course conditions. Tee boxes are chewed up, fairways we spotty and the greens had numerous ball marks. If you're expecting to find country club conditions, Twining Valley is not the place to play. If you just want a no frills nine or eighteen holes, then give this course a try. Besides the mediocre conditions, club does has some redeeming qualities. It was inexpensive--I paid $20 to walk on a Sunday afternoon, it is good for beginners and high-handicappers, and kids are welcomed at the course.

Twining Valley Scorecard

As for my round at Twining Valley, it is a course where I should score well. But, as has been the case all too often this year, I played horribly. At the 1st Hole, a relatively short Par 5 that doglegs left and plays uphill, I hit my second shot left of the elevated green, lost the ball on my pitch shot and when I holed out, I had a nine. Putting has especially been my Achilles' heel for the past month or more. Once again at Twining Valley, I couldn't hole a putt. At the 3rd Hole, a 441-yard Par 5, I had a three-footer for par and missed. I reached the green in two at the 13th, a 375-yard Par 4 that plays uphill and doglegs left, only to three-putt. The worst was the 14th, a 186-yard Par, where I hit my tee shot to three-feet--then missed the birdie putt! I made one putt all day, and that was a five-foot birdie putt at the 8th Hole, a short 255-yard Par 4. I lost four balls during my round and I was extremely disappointed to shoot a 99 on this course.

Some photos of Twining Valley:

The opening tee shot at Twining Valley

The uphill approach at the 3rd Hole

The 13th Hole plays uphill and doglegs left

The approach to the 15th Green

The 18th Hole in an uphill Par 3

Photos by The Muni Golfer