Since starting the Maryland Seniors Golf 100 website in December, followed by the companion YouTube channel of the same name, I’ve played 17 rounds of golf. Today’s round was a 10 over 78 at Bowie, which is currently playing as a par 68 course due to ongoing construction that is reconfiguring the 9th and 18th holes and has temporarily shorted the 1st. Currently those holes are expected to return to normal play in June. I have been waiting to do another video of Bowie after the new hole configurations opened up but brought along the camera to film the par 3s just in case one of us made a hole-in-one. Didn’t need it.
The day was cool and overcast with rain expected just after the expected end of our round. Due to a women’s league during the summer, we teed off on the back nine first. My playing partners were Barry, John and Bill, a well-known customer of Dunkin Donuts on Wednesday mornings. Playing from the golds at under 4900 yards.
#10: 265y par 4: 4-wood 187 yards down the middle, ¾ sand wedge 57 yards onto the green, two putt for par. Good so far.
#11: 425y par 5: 3-wood into the trees but bounced out near the fairway, topped a 4-wood to under branches, punch out with a 4-wood, followed with a ¾ sand wedge for 55 yards onto the green, two putt for bogey. Multiple bad shots so bogey was pretty good.
#12: 273y par 4: Wheels come off. Pull 3-wood into the trees on the left and lose the ball. Drop one near the woods, hitting four (I know, that’s not the official rule, but I’m not going back to the tee box to hit another.) Pitching wedge onto the green. Three putt for triple bogey. Four over after three is not how you want to start out.
#13: 140y par 3: Carnage continues. Skip an 8-iron across the pond ( but recover the ball on the far side and take a drop). Chip on and two putts for a double bogey. Six over after four.
#14: 277y par 4: Finally settling down. Driver for 210 yards, then ¾ sand wedge for 54 yards, then used a putter from just off the green and one-putted for par.
#15: 240y par 4: 3-wood for 198 yards, chipped onto the green and three-putted for a bogey.
#16: 267y par 4: 3-wood for 198 yards (again), thinned a sand wedge over the green, chipped back on and two-putted for a bogey.
#17: 150y par 3: 6-iron off the toe for 127 yards to the front of the green, 8-iron chip close to the hole then one-putted for par.
#18: 345y par 4 dogleg right around driving range: 3-wood 182 yards, pitching wedge for 111 yards to the left side of the green, chipped on and one putted for a par. Eight over on the back “front” nine.
#1: 301y par 4 dogleg left shorted for construction: 5-iron across the corner, ¾ sand wedge onto the green and two-putt for par.
#2: 160y par 3: 6-iron into the sand trap, sand wedge nicely out, two-putt for bogey.
#3: 288y par 4: Driver for 205 yards but too far left, punch 7-iron under the trees, chip on and two-putt for bogey.
#4: 319y par 4: Driver for 231 yards, ¾ pitching wedge for 89 yards onto the green, two-putted for par.
#5: 168y par 3: 6-iron to about five feet from the hole. Just missed the birdie putt. Par.
#6: 340y par 4: 3-wood for 209 yards, ¾ pitching wedge for 89 yards to just in front of the green, chipped into the hole for birdie. Hadn’t seen one of them in awhile.
#7: 397y par 5: Driver through the top of the trees onto the right that somehow made 223 yards and a clear shot to the green, 4-wood for 179 yards that landed just in front of the green and stopped just on the fringe on the back, putted from the fringe and just left it a little short. Tap-in for a birdie.
#8: 130y par 3: 9-iron hit thin that bumped into the hill and settled on the fringe on the back left. Chipped with an 8-iron to about 8 feet right of the hole. Just missed the putt and tapped in for a bogey.
#9: Mystery yardage par 3 or 4 with a small green cut into the fairway of the old par 5: 7-iron well short of the green. Chipped to the front of the green. Chipped close to the hole and one-putted for a “bogey” four. A score of 35 on the temporary par 33 front. Much sweeter than the “front” nine. Total of 78 for the round.