Hidden Valley Golf Club

I played Saturday at Hidden Valley. It is an inexpensive place to play $20 for 18 with a cart on the local Golf Card. It was warm today 80 with a little breeze and I was on a golf course so it was generally a great day.

Now to the details. I started out average to bad and did not improve through the front nine. I shot 3 triple bogeys, 5 double bogeys and one bogey and I putted 21 times. All in all a pretty bad nine but nothing horrible like a started with at Duke on Tuesday.

The first hole is a 375 yard par 4 dogleg left with a stream 20 yards short of the green. I hit a decent drive but it was down the right side of the fairway so I had as long a shot as possible back to the green 195 with out going OB. My next shot was a perfect 7 Iron that stopped just short of the stream and I proceeded to fall apart. I chipped barely across the stream and hit another chip to the edge of the green and three putted from 15 feet for a triple bogey.

The second hole is a 460 yard par 5 dogleg left. I hit a drive to right side of the fairway followed with a great fairway wood to just inside the 150 yard marker and hit a 5 Iron ten feet of the left edge of the green. I chopped on and 2 putted for a Bogey. I am thinking this may not be a bad day.

The third hole is a 180 yard par 3. I hit my drive to pin high 15 feet to the left of the green and flubbed a chip then chipped on and two putted for a double bogey. 4 strokes from 30 feet from the pin.

The fourth hole is a 355 yard par 4. I hit my drive again down the right side of the fairway to bring the tree line into play. I was 150 from the green but I had several trees in my line to the pin. I hit a 6 Iron further right and was 50 yards right of the green. Again I miss hit a chip and ended up with another triple bogey.

The fifth hole is a 415 yard par 4. I hit my drive to the right into the area between the fairway and the fairway coming back the other way. My second shot was a rescue club into the middle of the fairway 75 yards from the green where I chipped to 5 feet from the edge of the green and bounced it on and two putted for a double bogey.

The Six hole is 143 yard par 3. I hit my 7 Iron pin high 15 feet to the left of the green and skulled it across the green into a trap. I blasted out of the trap and two putted for another double bogey.

The seventh hole is a 490 yard par 5 across a pond from the tee and a creek at 100 yards. I hit my drive over the pond about 200 yards to the left so I had the trees on the left in my way and 190 yards to the creek. I hit my 7 Iron to get in to the 125-140 yard range but caught the last branch and ended up in the woods. My only shot out was back into the fairway no closer to the hole so I hit out to 185 yards from the hole on the right side. I hit my fairway wood to the left of the green and chipped on but three putt for a triple bogey.

The eight hole is a 360 yard par 4. I hit my drive down the right side into the trees that line the edge of the fairway and ended up about 150 to the green with several trees in my way. I tried to hit a low 7 Iron but it hit a branch and stopped in the middle of the fairway about 80 yards from the green. I then hit my lob wedge to 10 feet off the back of the green and chipped on and 2 putted for another double bogey.

The ninth hole is a 335 yard par 4 across a pond. I hit my drive down the right tree line at the edge of the fairway and was left at 190 yards out with several trees in my way. I hit a soft 9 Iron across the fairway to about 110 yards from the green. There I hit my wedge again to 10 feet off the back of the green and chipped and two putted for another double bogey. 56 on the front nine was not a good way to start the round.

After a short break for a drink and snack I went back out for the back nine.

The tenth hole is a 340 yard par 4. I hit a drive right down the middle of the fairway to the 150 stakes. From there I hit my 6 Iron to 10 feet left of the green and I chipped on and three putted for another double bogey. I have continued to three putt every third hole from the first hole.

The eleventh hole is a another 340 yard par 4. I hit my second drive right down the center of the fairway and stopped about 120 yards from the green. I then hit my 9 Iron to 3 feet off the right side of the green pin hit. A short chip and two putts I had my second bogey of the day. Maybe I am turning things around.

The twelve hole is a 310 yard par 4 with a dogleg left at 100-125 yards down a rather severe hill. I hit a good drive and I am 110 yards from the pin but I proceed to chunk two wedges because I am afraid of going down the back of the green. My fourth shot stops on the green and I two putt for a double bogey.

The thirteen hole is a 117 yard par 3. I hit my wedge 15 feet short of the green and I am in the deep grass. I remember I bought a new F2 - Face Forward Iron just for this shot. I proceed to chip it to within 10 feet and two putt (I broke my streak of 3 putts every third hole) for a bogey.

The fourteenth hole is a 282 yard par 4 dogleg right at 100-75 yards. I hit a good drive to 80 yards from the green chip just about 20 feet short of the green then another chip and two putts and I have back to back bogeys.

The fifteenth hole is a 515 yard par 5 dogleg right at 150 yards around a pond. I hit a good drive but is ends up behind a tree on the left side of the fairway. I need to hit a shot I do not have to get to the 150 marker but being a guy I try it anyway and deposit one in the pond. I drop at the edge of the pond and hit my fairway wood over the corner of the pond to 30 feet right of the green. I chip on and two putt for a double bogey. I know you are thinking there is a 2 stroke penalty for losing a ball however I do not play on the PGA Tour and I did not lose the ball I know where it is. My brothers and I play 1 stroke is more than enough penalty with a lost $2 dollar ball added into the cost. I think if the PGA wants to give me golf balls then I will follow their rules more exactly.

The sixteenth hole is a 180 yard par 3. I hit my drive on the front of the green 35 feet from the pin and proceed to three putt for a bogey.

The seventeenth hole is a 320 yard par 4 dogleg right inside of 100 yards. I hit my drive way right and take my mulligan. I tee up another ball and hit it right down the middle of the fairway to about 100 yards from the green. I hit my chip into the sand trap on the right front of the green, chip on to the fringe chip again on to the green and two putt for a double bogey.

The eighteenth hole is a 480 yard par 5 dogleg right at 250-200 yards. I hit a good drive down the right side of the fairway leaving me a about 240 yards to the green. I hit my fairway wood into the trap 25 yards short of the green on the right side. I blast out of the bunker to make the green in regulation but I three putt for a bogey. 49 on the back nine with 5 bogeys and 4 double bogeys is not to bad but 21 more putts really sucks. Over all 106 with 6 bogeys, 9 double bogeys and 3 triple bogeys and 42 putts not to good.