COMMUNITY

This morning I played 18 holes at Deer Creek over in Hubbard.

I started on the back nine because there were some fivesomes playing today and they started on the front nine.

On hole 10 (my first), I hit my 3 wood off the tee and found the fairway. My second shot missed the green to the right, just avoiding the right hand bunker. I failed to get up and down and made bogey. +1 on the round after one. On the next hole (my second), I hit the 3 wood off the tee again and found the fairway. My 6 iron second shot missed the green to the left. Once again I failed to get up and down and made another bogey. +2 after two. On hole 12 (my third), I hit 5 wood off the tee to this par 3. I find the bunker. From the sand, I blasted out to within 5 feet and holed the par putt. Still +2 after three. The 13th (my fourth), a par 5, I hit the fairway. For my second shot, I hit 3 wood, and I'm lying 2 from the fairway after that. I hit a pitching wedge for my third shot, and I hit the green in regulation. I two-putted for par to remain +2 after four. Hole 14 (my fifth), I launched one of the longest drives I have ever hit. Lying 1 from less than 75 yards from the pin, with my pitching wedge, I stick my second shot one foot from the hole. I make the birdie putt. +1 after five. On the next hole (my sixth), a par 3, I miss the green with my 6 iron. I fail to get up and down and make bogey, putting me +2 after six. On the next hole (my seventh), the longest hole on the course, I finally miss a fairway. I do get back into play with my 3 wood second shot, then with my pitching wedge, I hit the green in regulation, then two putt for par, keeping me +2 after seven. The next hole (my eighth), a short par 4 that gives you your best opportunity for birdie (maybe an eagle), I find the fairway with my driver. I choose pitching wedge for my second, and hit the green in regulation. After a two-putt par, I stood +2 after eight. On the 18th (my ninth), I again missed the fairway. My 3 wood second shot missed the green, and I failed to get up and down. With this bogey, I made the turn at +3.

I then sat down to a small lunch of an egg salad sandwich and an orange pop.

After lunch, I headed to the front nine. When I finally got to play the front nine, here's what happened: On the first hole (my tenth), I find the fairway with 3 wood. However, I miss the green with a 4 iron second shot. I could not get up and was on in 4. A two-putt gave me a double bogey for the hole and put me +5 after ten. On the next hole (my eleventh), a par 3, I hit a perfect 5 iron shot. Though it left a pitch mark on the green, it rolled back down to the fringe. I could not get up and down with the Texas Wedge and made bogey, putting me +6 after eleven. On the par 5 third (my twelfth), I hit the fairway with my driver. I hit 3 wood to less than 70 yards on my second shot. I miss the green with pitching wedge, but I converted an up and down with the Texas Wedge and made par. I remained +6 after twelve. On the next hole (my thirteenth), I just missed the fairway off the tee with 3 wood. I tried hitting 4 iron to the green, but I was just short and right. I could not get up and was on in 4. I made the bogey putt, though, and I stood +7 after 13. On the next hole, a par 3 (my fourteenth), I hit 5 wood and found the green in regulation. A routine two-putt par kept me +7 after 14. On the next hole (my fifteenth), I missed the fairway with 3 wood. On my second shot, with 8 iron, I missed the green, but converted the up and down try and made par. I was still +7 after 15. On the next hole (my sixteenth), I again missed the fairway. On my second shot, with 4 iron, I missed the green left. I successfully converted another up and down and made par, keeping me +7 after 16. On the next hole (my seventeenth), I hit 2 iron off the tee, intending to play for position. But I missed the fairway. My second shot was with a 6 iron. I found the green in regulation, but the ball was embedded in its own pitch mark. So I enforced the embedded ball rule, then two-putted for par and I stayed +7 going to my last hole, the par 3 ninth. I tried a 3 wood off the tee, but I missed the green. I failed to get up and down and made bogey. I finished the round with a 78 (+8). This is the very first time I ever broke 80 for 18 holes.

I will definitely play Deer Creek again in 2010!