Pohick Bay - Finally a Good Round This Year

 Another day, another round. Today's round was brought to you by Pohick Bay Golf Course, the track where you have to be part Billy Goat if you want to walk (pro tip - get the cart)... Managed to show up early enough to hit the range and didn't leave all my good shots there. 

I was paired up with Clint, Ray, and a new guy, Dan. A guy who admitted to breaking 100 only a couple of times but had a suspiciously good short game. He could have been a sandbagger but overall he was a cool guy and a great cart mate. 

The hills are alive with the sound of "FORE!"

Without further ado...

The Stats

Score: 81

The good: Two over on the front nine!

The bad: Taking a triple bogey on 10 (after being two over on the previous 9 holes)

The ugly: Cart Path Only

The Blow by Blow

#1 - Even though I showed up early and hit the range, I neglected to hit a shot with my 4-wood, then proceed to duff it off the tee. And because I hit the range, I was not permitted a breakfast ball (even though it was 7:00 AM). I hit an awesome hybrid to inside 100 yards (to the elicit cries of, "why didn't you do that the first time" from my golf partners). I then put a wedge to roughly 15 feet and proceeded to sink the putt. PAR!

Dan also duffed his tee shot, needed a couple of extra shots to get near the green, but suddenly pulls out an incredible flop shot 15 yards from the pin (but needs two putts).

#2 - Par 3, a crushing walk if you leave it short and a harrowing cart ride down the chasm then a Billy Goat Trail ride up to the green. Hit a great 7-iron, pulled it a bit, but was pin high. Hit a great chip to tap in range and "tapped dat." PAR!

Dan also pulls his tee shot left and short. But again, pulls this magic flop shot over the trap and under a tree to get close to the pin (suspiciously good)

#3 - Par 5, hit a great drive to the right rough and managed to stay out of the trees. Hit a great setup from the awkward lie and hit a decent 9-iron approach to the fringe just to the left of the hole. Simple up and down for PAR.

#4 - Par 4, hit an optimal but not great drive to get past the trees to the right for a look at the hole. Unfortunately, I was in the rough so I couldn't get a great hit and pulled the shot into the left greenside bunker. I did make it out of the bunker but only onto the fringe. I hit a decent chip but left a lot of meat on the bone. Unfortunately, too much meat as I burn the edge of the hole. DOUBLE

#5 - Par 3, a carbon copy of #2 but longer and more penal. I managed to hit an excellent 3-hybrid just over the green. A great chip to tap in range yielded another PAR.

#6 - Par 5, Short enough to smell eagle from the tee box. I hit a good drive near the 200-yard marker and the pungent aroma of eagle was present in the air as I draw my trusty 4-wood out of the bag. Sadly, the lie wasn't as great as advertised (neither was the swing, but that's beside the point), and the ball only travels roughly 100 yards. Undaunted, I put a good wedge on the ball and was rewarded with 25-foot birdie putt. Didn't get enough on the putt but tapped in for the PAR.

#7 - Par 4, A good drive and a good 7-iron leaves me with a long but makeable birdie putt. I left it just short and tapped in for the PAR.

#8 - Par 4, Another good drive into the fairway, a solid 8-iron, another birdie putt missed. PAR

#9 - Long Par 4, Okay drive, it did get buried slightly in the right rough. Put an excellent 4 hybrid on it from 180 yards. Great chip to tap in range for the PAR.

Front nine: +2. Probably looking at even par or one under if I stay out of the sand on #4.

#10 - Par 4. To quote one of my son's favorite songs, "The wheels on the bus go..." OFF. The same 4-wood that I duffed on the tee on #1 and on the fairway on #6 gives me the same business off the tee here. Once is a coincidence, twice is a pattern, three times is a trend, so my analyst training tells me. I proceed to walk to my ball which isn't in a horrible position, however due to the extreme dogleg left, I couldn't be either too short or too long. I hit the setup shot shorter than optimal, but I still had a look at the green. The thickness of the rough however, told another story. I chunked the first shot exactly 20 yards. Then the next one about the same. And surely as third time is the charm, I finally pitch it on the green. Two putts later I escape with a 7... TRIPLE.

Did I mention I was only two over on the last 9 holes??

#11 - Par 3. Hit an unimpressive 6-iron not wanting to be short and in the front bunker. Fortunately, I was to the right of the bunker, pin high, in the rough. Hit a great chip and was back on the PAR train.

#12 - Par 4. More evidence that you need to be part Billy Goat to walk this course. Only 280 yards but feels like Mount Everest when you reach the bottom and look up to the green. I hit a non-optimal drive to the right rough under a tree. Luckily, I still had a look at the green but not with a wedge. I hit a wonderful low stinger with my 6-iron and it rolled up and onto the green. Sadly, I wasn't on the right tier on the green and left myself with a long circus putt. I hit a great putt that didn't scare the hole, but left myself a short enough putt to finish off the PAR.

#13 - Par 5. The most treacherous hole on the course. Very short par 5 but still requires a long and precise tee shot to make it past the trees and pump house on the right side of the fairway. Otherwise, you have to lay up and still have 200 yards to the hole complete with a 140-yard forced carry over water and a massive hillside waiting for you if you make it over the water but leave it short of the green. To top it all off (both literally and figuratively) the green is savagely undulated. If you are above the hole, be happy with a three-putt. One of those holes that requires at least two excellent shots for a chance a birdie. 

I hit an okay drive to the left rough. I had the angle but not the distance to try to carry the water. I decide to lay up but hit the layup shorter than optimal, still leaving myself 200 yards. Not wanting to lay up again, I decide to put my trust in a club that let me down three times already. After a couple of extra practice swings, I pull the trigger and hit a decent shot. Not good enough to make the green but plenty enough to make it over the water and leave myself a makeable pitch. Made a good pitch to the right tier on the green but underestimated the break and left myself a tap in BOGEY. 

#14 - Par 4. Decided to ride the wave of the 4-wood off the tee and was rewarded with a good shot. The ball traveled a bit further left than I was expecting, but I was still in the fairway less than 150 yards from the green. I hit a thin 8 iron short and right of the green. I hit an okay chip with more meat than a tomahawk cut steak. I miss the putt and hit the comeback for a BOGEY.

#15 - Par 3. Best shot of the day. Took the 5-iron out of the bag for the third time this year. Work through some good practice swings. Set up and crushed it 15 feet from the pin. Sadly, left another putt short but tapped in for the PAR.

#16 - Par 4. Great drive to 150 yards out. Left the 7-iron short. Duffed the pitch. Then knocked the second pitch a foot from the hole (second guy strikes again!). BOGEY.

#17 - Par 4. Not a great drive, pushed right into the rough. Hit a decent 7 iron from the thick stuff and managed to hit it on the greenside rough. Hit an okay chip but not close enough for a comfortable putt. I push the putt just to the right and then tap in for another BOGEY.

#18 - Par 5. Last chance for birdie! I hit low stinger (not on purpose) out to a good distance. I decide to give my 4-wood one last try but did not hit it well (back to the range for that club). I left myself 170 yards out to a green I couldn't see. I hit a great 4-hybrid and ended up on the green about 50 feet from the hole. Everyone else in my group had wedges in their hands on the approach but they all missed... No dice on the birdie but left my first putt close enough for a PAR.

My best round of the year and still had room for improvement. The best part is I'm encouraged again to get out there and keep swinging the clubs... Maybe not my 4-wood for a while :). But 29 putts and an outstanding par save percentage keeps the score low. 

Until the next time, back to the gym, the range, and the practice green!!