Wildwood 5/29/10

Any discussion of my all-time favorite golf courses has to start with Wildwood.



It has a bit of everything...trees, water, distance, sand...it is a very challenging course, but not so tough that weak players cannot still have a good time.



Last weekend, I played a best-ball tournament with co-workers, and I looked like someone who A)had not golfed in over a year, B) was coming off shoulder problems and C) is a very poor best-ball player because I like to play every shot.



Coincidentally, I had not golfed in over a year, was fighting shoulder issues and despise best ball...I want to play my ball, get myself into and out of trouble, and see where I am at, not where my team is.



But this time I would be playing Wildwood with soft-ball teammates so I was looking forward to it.



Hole 1

This is rated the toughest hole, and for good reason. You tee off a cliff. The right side of the fairway is guarded by trees the entire way and by a water hole if you hit short and right. The left side is also guarded by trees so you pretty much have to get past the big tree guarding the corner of the dogleg on the right but not past the fairway so you can blast your second shot on this long 5.



That is exactly what I did. My tee shot was magnificent, landing left-center of the fairway and leaving me a clear second. I used my trusty 7 wood and hit straight but a bit short, landing about 100 yards off the green. No problem.



Now, normally here I like to bump and run, but in this case the creek guarding the front of the elevated green says that is a terrible idea. So I used my Gap wedge, a club I have never felt comfortable with.



Sure enough, I pulled it badly, ending up a little past the pin but in some trees left of the green. Then I chipped over the green. Then I chipped over the green again. Finally I got on the green and 2-putted for a snowman. Ugly start. Ironically, my short game is what betrayed me. Normally I scuffle trying to get close, then pitch and putt to manageable scores.



Hole 2

This one is tough. I used to have a solid 150 yard 8 iron, so I would tee short and take my 8 up that steep hill. Now, however, I cannot range my clubs, so I just blasted my driver and it was a beauty, landing me about 40 yards short of the green. A sand wdge left me about 8' from the pin. I then 2-putted for par.



Hole 3

A short 3 from a cliff, I thought I had hit it great. The ball skied, straight and true...and short. I landed about 4 feet off the green. But a nice bump and run, a 4 foot putt and I had back to back pars.



Hole 4

I absolutely crushed my drive, landing about 3 yards short of the 200 yard marker. Then my 7W landed pin high just right of the green. I then managed to chip almost over the green. A decent lag putt and a third consecutive par...2 of which should have been birdies.



Hole 5

This hole has always given me trouble. The trees to the right mean even a fade is trouble, and the sand guarding the elevated green means my beloved bump and run is no good here. I often chip onto the hill behind the green, get scared of coming into the sand...I can run up a big score quickly.



This time I crush my drive and have a nice short chip. I get over the sand onto the green in regulation, then proceed to 3-putt for a bogey. Not bad...but already I have about 4 strokes more than I should.



Hole 6

This short 3 demands accuracy. Any shot hit right or long is gone in the weeds, and there is not much room...plus the trees in front mean you have to sky your ball to get over them. I went pretty far left, just scraping the edge of the green, as close to being off as you could be. It was a tough green, but I 2-putted for another par. I was rolling!



Hole 7

My drives had been very good all day. Long and straight, little to no bend to the right. So for the first time, I decided to aim for the middle of the fairway trying to cut the corner without cutting it on this long 5, dogleg right with water and trees on the right and bifurcating the dogleg.



And promptly hit a slice like I used to do so consistently. If it had not hit a tree, it was turning so hard it might have gone boomerang on me and hit me in the back of the head.



Laying three off the tee, I then boomed a drive to the center of the fairway, hit a decent 7-wood, bump and run, 2-putt. Had I not lost the first one, would have had another par. Instead I took a 7.



Hole 8

Again my 8-iron was well short of where I thought it should be. But a good chip, a one-putt, and I had yet another par. I was playing well.



Hole 9

For a second time I sliced badly. I thought it was in play, though...there is a lot of room out there. Could not find it, dropped, pitched, then again after I shanked it, chipped back from beyond the green, 2 putt, a semi-legit7.



Totaled it up...a surprising 43. I felt like it should be more because I bookended big numbers, and 2 of my last 3 holes were big numbers. But the middle was awesome!



The back...ugh. What happened?



Hole 10

A beautiful drive yet again. Then, from just outside 100, I pulled my 9 iron right, then managed to take another 3 shots. A six.



Hole 11

I have never figured out this hole. There is no good landing place for the drive. I actually hit my driver poorly...I overswung but instead of slicing, it went about 50 yards left of where I aimed and short. It played well, though...dead center fairway at the 100 yard marker.


I then took my Gap wedge...an 85 yard club....and, facing a steep uphill to the green....OVERSHOT the green and lost the ball out of bounds. Drop, pitch, putt twice...another 6. Still no huge numbers...but definitely worse than the front.



Hole 12

This one has a very narrow fairway. If you go left, you are on a sidehill with the ball beneath your feet and it means the green is blind. If you go right you are in the creek. I crushed my drive long and straight. Then I topped my pitch, advancing maybe ten yards...then again went over the green, losing the ball. Bump and run, 2 putt, a 7.



Hole 13

Perhaps the easiest hole on the course. I pull my 5 iron left, pitch, 2 putt. A bogey looks good right now.



Hole 14

Earlier I had mentioned I am usually good for pulling my drive way left about once a round. On this hole,