Watch the Birdies / Ford's Colony
Trip Start
Jun 27, 2008
1
14
15
Trip End
Jul 06, 2008
Williamsburg,
Virginia,
United States
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Today, we are playing the Blue Heron course. Blue Heron is the longest of the three 18 hole courses in Ford's Colony, measuring a little over 6300 yards. Another difference between Blue Heron and Blackheath was the fact that the houses are really close to the holes. I should know I hit 5 balls into someone's backyard. Fortunately, all but one ball was retrievable but it still cost me a penalty stroke. Technically it should have cost me both stroke and distance, but I am liberal in my interpretation of the rules of golf. I treat all Out of Bounds area as Lateral Hazard...in interest of speeding up play of course. While traipsing through someone's yard, I spotted a neat statue of a blue heron with a fish in its beak. I actually saw the real deal sitting in the lake along side hole #16.
Blue Heron statue
Blue Heron
I was struggling on the front nine with very few highlights. I did manage to make one green in regulation hitting a 5 iron over the water on the #6 hole, a 170 yard par 3, but I three-putted for a bogey. I did card one par hole on #8, also a par 3. Mike was smashing the ball the entire round. He widen his stance which had the effect of restricting his lower body from moving/swaying too much. This little adjustment allowed him to consistently hit it straight and long...I do not know why he shortened his stance in the first place. Steve was struggling with a nasty duck hook. I noticed that his grip was too strong and told him. With that slight adjust in grip, he also started to hit the ball, well. However no one helped me with my swing!
On the back nine, I started to figure out what was wrong. My tempo was off and my lower body was starting the swing before my upper body completed the back swing. I drove the ball on the fairway 6 out of 7 times; missing the fairway only on the #10 hole. On the thirteenth hole, I crushed the drive 280 yards to the edge of the fairway just before the lake guarding the green...Mike still out drove me...dammit. I followed that great shot with a not so great wedge shot into the water...lucky number thirteen. I finished the round with a 4 for par. It was textbook...drive on the fairway, green in regulation and two putts.
Marty could not join us for lunch because he had to get home. We ate at the bar and grill in the clubhouse, again. Steve and I got the Ultimate Burger, again. You have to love fried eggs over a 1/4 lb of beef. After the meal, both Mike and Steve wanted to play another round. They were hitting the ball well and did not want the day to end. I used up all my promotional rounds but since it was 3 pm the twilight rate was $35. I was willing to play as long as we could play Marsh Hawk. Marsh Hawk is the premiere track of the three courses. It has hosted the Virginia State Open and several PGA Tour qualifiers.
The starter said Marsh Hawk was open. The break for lunch did not affect our game. Mike, Steve and I continued to strike the ball, well. Everything was fine and dandy until we ran into a slow group on #4. To make things worst, it started to get dark and not because the sun was going down. I was hoping the thunder in the distance would speed up the group ahead of us...NOT! It started to pour on the ninth hole. Of course the jokers ahead of us finished in time to stay dry. Mike and Steve wanted to wait the storm out but I was done for the day. Mike and Steve arrived at the condo about 20 minutes after I did when they realized it was not going to stop raining anytime soon. We finished the leftover pizza and had some beer while watching "Rounders". I could not believe Mike has never seen the movie even though he has been playing poker for years.
I definitely want to get back and play Marsh Hawk one of these days. From what I did see it was a really nice course.
