Pinehurst #5

  Pinehurst, North Carolina, United States
Friday, May 23, 2008

Since this event is a tournament ruled under USGA regulation, I needed to take 2 clubs out of my bag to meet the maximum clubs allowance of 14 per the rules of golf.  As usual I purchased a yardage book.  The pro shop sold one book for courses #1, #3 and #5.  I consulted the yardage book and guess at what club I would not need for this round.  I was definitely dropping the 4 iron...I do not even know why I have it in my bag because I hardly ever need it and when I do use it I never hit it well.  It was a toss up between the Callaway pitching wedge and the 6 iron.  I only use the PW when I need a full swing from 100 yards out.  I carry 4 other Cleveland wedges for the short game per Dave Pelz.  I decided to leave my PW in the car.

I ate a late breakfast, around 9:30 because I knew the ASGA was going to have a barbecue dinner after the 18 holes around 7 pm, so I was planning on skipping lunch.  The format for the Friday and Saturday tournament was 2 best ball net out of 4 players.  Since I had no clue what this meant, I had John one of my team-mates to keep the team score.  It was a shotgun start and my foursome started on hole 5.  In my foursome was John from Myrtle Beach (I guess there was not enough courses in Myrtle Beach), Peggy from Lexington, Kentucky and Pat (my cart mate) from Connecticut.  It was funny after I met John at the cart I was walking around and ran into him around the 91st Hole Grill.  He started talking but I had no clue who he was.  When I asked what group he was playing in (ASGA had 3 different groups playing 3 different courses), he said we were on the same team...how embarrassing!

It was not a good start because I crushed (for me) the drive (approximately 230 yards) in the left fairway bunker and need 2 shots to get out of the bunker.  On top of this, I three putted the green for a snowman (8) for the hole.  I settled down for the next 2 holes and then I came to #8 a dogleg left short 327 yard, par 4.  After I sliced two balls out of bounds (at least I am consistent), I hit one in play.  At this point John reminded me I purchased 3 mulligans for the round...basically saying I should have used one of the mulligans.  I finished with a 9 for the hole...not a good start for me.

My decision to keep the 6 iron in my bag proved to be a wise one.  On the #12 hole I hit a drive which carried the water and left me with a 150 yard uphill shot.  I used my 6 iron and placed the ball on the green within an easy two putt range.  I pared that hole and the next hole, 158 yard par 3, which I needed the 6 iron again.  Things were going fine until #16, a sharp dogleg right par 4.  Even though I left my driver in the bag for the hole, I still over drove the fairway with my 5 wood into the woods.  I decided not to use my last mulligan instead I took my medicine of a stroke penalty for hitting into a lateral hazard...thank god it was red staked in the area.  The comedy of errors continued when I hit the next shot into the left green side bunker.  On my bunker shot, I struck Peggy's clubs which were laying on the apron.  Peggy apologized for the breach of etiquette, at this point I did not care because I was going to post a monster score regardless of the incurred penalty.  I carded another 8...Great!  Then I buckled down and played some real golf.  I pared 4 holes out of the last 6 holes and finished at an even 100 for the day. 

#11 green

Pinehurst #5 was designed by Ellis Maples.  I am not familiar with his designs, but I can see he tried to remain true to Donald Ross's philosophy of testing the golfer on the approach shot not on the tee box.  There was more water than on a typical Ross course with water coming into play on #3, #11-13 and #15. I especially liked the 3 hole stretch from 10-12 because I was trying to locate the condo I was staying in along Pinehurst lake.  Also there was a gorgeous view of the lake on the approach shot to the #10 green.

Posing for par on #13

Pat's approach on #10

BTW I strategically used my 3 mulligans to bogey #10, par # 12 and par #2.   Of course on these holes John reminded me shortly after I hit my errand tee shots that I could use the mulligan.   Thanks, John.

Only birdie I saw