The Links at Challedon - The Grint Club Championship or The Best Car to Tee Tournament Ever

Sunday 29 September 2019: The Grint Club Championship.

For those of you unfamiliar with The Grint, it is a mobile app that tracks your on-course performance and also provides you with a USGA compliant handicap for free. I won't bore you with the details on how it is allowed to do this, but I encourage you to download the app because it's awesome and it will tell you in the FAQ section. But as part of the requirements for the handicap, you have to be part of a group, the group has to have a leader, and the leader has to field a tournament. Which brings us to the beginning:

The day started like any other day, I woke up next to my beautiful wife, played with my son, went out and got some breakfast, and quite unexpectedly, endured a little bit of marital discord. Long story short (in bullet form):

• My tee time was at 11:10 AM
• The Links at Challedon is 75 minutes from my house
• If I wanted optimal warm-up time to be ready for the tournament, I would have to depart by 9:30 AM
• I left the house at 10:15 AM

I texted ahead to my playing partners (Allen & Mean Gene) and told them I would be late and then contacted the tournament director to see if there was another tee time I could inhabit. Thanks to some creative shuffling, the tournament director found a space for me at 11:40 AM.

I arrive at the course at 11:30 AM, just in time to park, load my clubs onto the cart, and stretch. No Warm up... GAME ON!

Course was in awesome shape!

Hole #1: Par 5 - 517 Yards - Good Beginning

Great opening hole, out of bounds on both sides but more room on the right to operate as long as you get past the strategically placed tree. Mustering my confidence and an easy swing, I hit a great shot to the right and end up in the right rough past the tree. I then hit a great 5-hybrid to around 110 yards in the fairway. I then put a great gap wedge on the green 15 feet from the pin. After burning the edge on the birdie putt, I'm in for par. Running Total: (0)

Hole #2: Par 4 - 388 Yards - A series of unfortunate events

I teed off first after winning the honors, or more appropriately, after having the only drive that didn't go out of bounds. This hole is a bit tighter, still with out of bounds on both sides, and an elevated teeing area. Due to the elevation, a 3-wood would probably have been smarter, but I felt good about my driver based on the first swing so I let it fly. Unfortunately the drive went right, very right and flirted with the white stakes. After finding my ball I was hit with the ultimate good news / bad news scenario. Good news, it was in bounds, bad news, it was under a tree. Fortunately I could get a club on but had to keep it low. I take my 4-hybrid out and worked out a short enough swing to get me at least 100 yards and back to the fairway. However, in that shortened swing, I managed to hit the sweet spot and I sent the ball barreling towards the out of bounds on the other side of the fairway. I hit the boundary fence but did not see where it ended up from my vantage. Again, when I found the ball I was hit with another GN / BN situation. Good that it was in bounds, but bad news, I didn't have a backswing. So I end up chopping the ball towards the green and ended up about 10 yards short with a difficult chip. Long story short, I took an aggressive line on the chip and could not make the comeback putt. Ugly double. (+2)

Teaching moment: Way too much club on the punch out, and based on the pin position, I should have chopped / chipped the shot near the fence elsewhere to give me more green to work with.

Hole #3: Par 5 - 522 Yards - Concentration!

A good risk/reward hole. With a pond at roughly 210 yards on the right side of the fairway, you have a choice to lay up short of the hole and still have a good shot at birdie, or take out your driver and crush it up the left side to give yourself a shot at eagle. I took the former approach. I hit a great 5-wood off the tee to the middle of the fairway, hit a 4-hybrid to around 130 yards, but sadly hit a thick 9-iron into the greenside bunker. Ordinarily my sand game is terrible, but due to the excellent quality of sand at the course, I was able to hit the ball to 4 feet. Sadly I lipped out the 4-footer for a bogey. (+3)

Hole #4: Par 4 - 355 Yards - Bad Memory

During my practice round, I had more success getting to a good approach position with my 3-wood than my driver. I tug the 3-wood slightly and end up in the left rough. Fortunately I still have a good look at the green and it's playing to my current shot shape (right to left). I put a great 8-iron on the ball but it landed a full club short and did not get far enough left. I approached my ball which was resting in the right rough, looked back at the fairway, and kicked myself for not taking the elevation into account. After a poor chip, I roll a great putt just past the hole and tapped in for bogey. (+4)

Hole #5: Par 3 - 104 Yards - Alex Francisco

My group approaches the tee box and remarks at the drastic elevation change and the front pin location. The hole was at 92 yards and probably played closer to the low 80s. Not having practiced a knockdown, I decide to go with a full lob wedge expecting the ball to shape right to left. After contact, the ball stayed right, landed pin high, and rolled another 25 feet. After a great lag putt I tap in for par. (+4)

For this tournament, there were prizes for the closest to the pin. The name on the marker that was roughly five feet from the pin was none other than Alex Francisco, son of "The Rod." Does that make him "The Pole?"

Hole #6: Par 4 - 338 Yards - It gets longer with every telling

Not a very long hole, but another drastic elevation change not in the golfer's favor. Not to mention out of bounds to the right and heavy woods to the left, making the hole feel very cramped (feel free to snicker). In the practice round I hit a great 3-wood only to have it settle right at the 150 marker. Feeling the need to get the ball closer to have a better chance at birdie, I decide to take out my driver. Sadly I hit a sub-optimal drive only to have it settle right at the 150 yard marker (c'est la vie). Having remembered the last time I played this hole, that it does play one club longer, I pull out my 6-iron and hit a beautiful shot into the green. Sadly I did not get a great bounce and ended up 40 feet short of the pin. After about 45 seconds of aim-pointing, I strike the ball and watch it roll towards the hole and suddenly, ping! It hits the pin and pops in. BIRDIE! (+3)

By the time I got back to the clubhouse, the length of the putt had increased to about 75 yards.

Hole #7: Par 3 - 147 Yards - So close!

Hole was playing a little closer to 155 yards and was also uphill so I decided to take another cut with my 6-iron to a beautiful result. 15 feet away from the pin and about 3 feet away from the closest to the pin marker. The putt grazes the edge of the hole but ends up less than 18 inches away. Good par. (+3)

Hole #8: Par 4 - 378 Yards

Nice wide fairway which I managed to miss because I hit it a little too far right. But still left me with a 9-iron approach. I tug the 9 iron slightly but miss the strategically placed bunker. A great chip and putt later, I'm in with a good par. (+3)

Hole #9: Par 4 - 318 Yards

Short hole that is safe enough to use driver as long as you don't push it too far to the right. Smallish green so you do want a wedge for your approach. Pin was tucked to the left in the most friendly position (where you did not have to negotiate the bunker). I didn't catch my driver fully and ended up in the right rough at 110 yards from the pin. Not feeling confident with a knockdown, I decide on going full bore with my gap wedge. I land pin high only to roll off the back of the green. Looking at the chip, the green was rolling away from me so my chip needed to be great. Fortunately I had a great chip in the bag and ended up with a tap in par. (+3)

Front Nine thoughts: Shot a 39, not bad for the warm-up nine and still in the game.

GO TIME!

Hole #10: Par 5 - 536 Yards

Belted a mean drive to the middle of the fairway. Hit an awesome 4-hybrid to roughly 85 yards. Put the lob wedge just inside 20 feet. Burned the edge of the cup and tapped in for another par. (+3)

Hole #11: Par 4 - 322 Yards

Interesting hole, water to the short right and a curiously placed mound of rough in the middle of the fairway. I managed to avoid the rough on both sides and the middle and left myself good gap wedge in. Unfortunately I don't hit the gap wedge very well and ended up short of the green. Fortunately I execute another great chip and tap in for another par. (+3)

Hole #12: Par 3 - 176 Yards - There's a price to answering the phone!

The greenskeeper gives us a break on the distance (hole played just over 150 yards) but did us no favors on the pin position (back left, just behind the bunker). The closest to the pin for this par three had to have been 40 feet. Everyone else going for this pin would most likely have ended up in the rough or the bunker. After hitting a few good irons on the front nine, I felt confident that I could thread a 7-iron just over the bunker and be in great shape. Sadly an ill-timed call from my wife took away some valuable concentration. Bad news, I ended up in the bunker, good news, I did get some very nice shirts from Uniqlo out of the exchange. Fortunately, there was some more very good sand in the bunker and I was able to get within 10 feet of the hole. Unfortunately I wasn't able to put a good putt on the ball and dropped a stroke. (+4)

Hole #13: Par 4 - 361 Yards - The wheels on the bus go...

Long drive hole. Ordinarily it's time to gird the loins and take a mighty lash at the ball for glory, bragging rights, and cold hard cash. However, Allen is in this tournament so I did not harbor such dreams. But as I look through my range finder to find the long drive marker, I notice that it was only a mere 210 yards on the left of the fairway. I surmised that Allen must have just rolled off the fairway and did not take the title. So I resumed my girding and took aim. Sadly I snap hook my drive out of bounds. Based on the entry point of my drive, I thought it a more prudent move to re-tee. I then hit a pretty average drive just to the right of the left bunker and 10 yards short of the long drive marker. I approach my ball and proceed to hit the 7-iron I should have hit on the previous hole and end up pin high but on the fringe left of the green (with the pin way on the right). I approach the long drive marker to find out who the lucky dog was, only to discover three disturbing facts:

1. There were no names on the marker
2. It was the LADIES long drive marker
3. There was only one woman in the entire field

I asked Brian (the Tournament Director whom I was conveniently paired up with) if there was a separate prize for the ladies. He told me there was not. I then search for the actual long drive marker and find it about 120 yards further up and right. And you guessed it... Allen Hanslovan.

Long story short, I hit an incredible putt from the fringe and it settles three feet from the cup. Just when I thought I saved double, the putt lips out. When it rains it pours. (+7)

Hole #14: Par 3 - 197 Yards

Long par three, short explanation. I was not in the best frame of mind approaching this tee shot, but recalling my practice round here, I hit a good 4-hybrid and landed in the middle of the green. I take the same 4-hybrid and get under it slightly and land 20 yard short of the green. I land the pitch far short of the pin. Two putts later, a bogey. (+8)

Hole #15: Par 4 - 397 Yards

Good hole that favors the fade. Especially with the bunker on the left. Also a cleverly placed tree forces you to hit towards the left to avoid said tree and others like it. I aim towards the left and the ball curves slightly right, but not enough to get to the fairway. Fortunately I manage to avoid the bunker and can put a good club on it. Sadly I put too good of a club on it, caught a flier, and ended up behind the green where I faced a downhill chip. I was a tad aggressive on the chip and left myself a lengthy putt. Two putts later I was in for another bogey (+9).

Note: After being three over in the first 11 holes, I added six strokes in the past four. Time to right the ship!

Hole #16: Par 4 - 312 Yards

Hole with a nice and wide fairway, but too far to the right and your ball will frolic in the woods. In my practice round, my ball did go over the rough and through the woods and is probably still traveling towards grandmother's house. Wanting to have a good wedge in to have a good shot at birdie, and against my plan and better judgement, I hit the driver. I take aim for the left side of the fairway and by either magic or magnetism (certainly not my swing), my ball starts sailing right towards the trees again... This time however I get a much better bounce and it settles in the rough. Sadly I did not get enough distance on the ball to get a good look at the green (blind shot) and the ball was buried in the rough. I manage to gouge out the ball with a good 9-iron but end up long and left of the green. The resulting chip caroms off the pin and settles 12 inches from the cup. I could have used that birdie, but the par makes the bleeding stop. (+9)

Hole #17: Par 5 - 506 Yards

Great chance at birdie and a slight chance at eagle with a good enough drive. Sadly my drive is not great and sails right. Fortunately not as far right as my cart mate who hit his ball deep into the hazard. I hit a great 5-hybrid to the 100 yard marker. I attempt a knockdown due to the pin position but pull the shot too far left. Another incredible chip later, I tap in for a disappointing par. (+9)

Hole #18: Par 4 - 376 Yards - A great finish

After missing the majority of my drives right, I make the statistical determination to aim down the left side of the fairway. I made the mistake of letting my unconscious mind know what I was planning and what happens? The ball goes left and settles into the rough. Fortunately it stays to the right of the trees and is less than 110 from the green. I hit the gap wedge I should have hit on the previous hole (note recurring pattern) and the ball settles roughly 25 feet from the hole. As I approach the green, Allen is waiting for me to give me crap, but in a brotherly way (the younger brother I never had?) So after a few seconds of catching up, I walk over to my putt and start aim-pointing. I stroke the putt and sink it for a very satisfying birdie. (+8)

Confirmed by the quality check, I finished with an 80. Not terrible as I shot my course adjusted handicap on the nose, but I left a lot of strokes out there.



Good Day for the Franciscos...

I didn't look at where I stood amongst my competitors, but my thought was, with the way the course was playing, and the fact my handicap was third to last in my flight (and there were some low single digit handicaps out there), I was completely out of it.

Amazingly enough, I finished tied for third in gross score. One stroke worse than, you guessed it, THE ROD! I then kicked myself a little harder for that snap hook on #13...
 
A hearty congrats to Allen for winning back to back club championships.

There's always next year! Just have to work on getting out of the door and to the practice green on time! But I have to say, this was quite possibly the best tournament round I have played straight out of my car.

Until then, back to the gym, the range, and the practice green!