The back nine

They picked this week to aerate the greens at my local municipal golf course, Pine Oaks. They had done the back nine already and they had the front nine closed when I got to the course this morning. I don't usually play the back nine because it's too hilly and because I usually get my fill of golf on the front nine alone but since the front was closed I played the back nine to day.


My local course is really a bargain, the greens fee is only $11 and I can play all day if I like, and it's a challenging course too, it's got tight lies and undulating greens but thank goodness no water hazards. After not playing for 2 months due to the excessive heat, I'm not supposed to be out in excessive heat or cold due to my heart, I thought I'd play like shit but I did quite well today.


This is the view from #10 tee. #10 is a 352 yard par 4. I hit my drive about 200 yards, which for me is pretty good. I shanked my second shot to the left but I recovered well and I ended making a bogey, that's one over par for you non golfers, on the hole.

#11 is a monster par 5. You hit your tee shot uphill and then once you get up the hill you walk for about 50 yards until you see the 200 yard marker which means you still have got 200 yards to go to get to the front edge of the green. I hit my tee shot about 3/4 of the way up the hill.

After recovering after my shitty second and third shots I finally had a view of the 11th green. I hit a massive 6 iron shot and my ball landed just top to the right of the sand trap. I ended up missing not one but 2 chip shots and I missed my first putt. I ended making an 8 on this hole.

Next up was #12 which is a par 4. I hit my tee shot about 15 yards past that big bush on the left which put me about 150 yards off the green.
This is about 45 yards off the green so you can tell I did not hit my second shot all that well. I was on in 3 but it took me three putts to get it in the hole so I ended up with a 6, a double bogey.

Next up was #13, a short downhill par 3. I smacked the hell out of the ball with Puff the Magic 6 Iron, my 6 iron is the only club I have named, and my ball landed just to the right of the green.
I chilli dipped my chip shot from here and I ended up on the second fringe. I decided to putt it off the fringe and lo and behold I feckin' made it. I whooped with joy upon making my first par of the day.

Flush with success I marched up to the next massive par 5, # 14. It's a little over 500 yards long but like #11 you can't even see the green when you tee off. I skanked my tee shot and my ball landed about 50 yards in front of the ladies tee. Somehow I managed to recover after a bad tee shot and a bad second shot.

My third shot was a beauty and my ball came to rest gently down about 110 yards from the green. I took out my 8 iron and I hit another good shot which came to rest just slightly off the left side of the green.
I chipped it up in the green and I sank the putt, after 2 tries. I was happy to walk away with a double bogey.

Next up was the tricky and challenging #15. You have to hit an uphill tee shot and hope it carries the hill and rolls down into the valley below. Thanks goodness I hit a magnificent shot that did just that.My second and third shots left something to be desired though. I had to hit an uphill chip to get on the green but my chipping today was spotty at best. I ended up making double bogey on this hole because of my bad chipping.

Then it was off to one of my favorite holes on the back nine, #16 which is a short par 4. I have actually made par many times on this hole and even birdie a couple of times so I was stoked when I got on the tee, I expected great things and my tee shot led me to believe that I would indeed make birdie once again here. My tee shot came down about 4o yards from the edge of the green. But once again I stank at chipping and I ended up on the green in 4 strokes.
Then I missed my first putt and by the time I made my second one I was fuming mad at myself. But I quickly shook it off.

#17 is a shortish par 4 and it's my second favorite hole on the back nine. I hit a good tee shot and an even better second shot.

I actually had a good chip over the trap and onto the green and I ended making a bogey. I was pleased.

Finally I came to #18 which is another downhill par 3. But unlike #13 the green here on 18 is not round, instead it's long and thin. Hitting the green on this hole would be like throwing a baseball at a postage stamp size target. I ended up hitting me tee shot about 30 yards in front of the green. I dug deep and I pulled out a good chip shot but alas I ended up two putting and I made a 4 on the hole.

All in all though it was a fine day and a not too shabby score for me for 9 holes. I ended up 13 over which may sound bad but if I had done that well on the front too I would have shot 98 for 18 holes which would have been a first for me, to put it in perspective for you my lowest 18 hole score ever was 101. So it was a good day golfing, the weather was perfect, and the old fogeys were not out in abundance. I look forward to playing more, usually I play no more than twice a week, in the coming cooler weather. It really is a great course to play in the fall when the leaves are at their colorful peak.