Just got back from an eight day vacation to Europe with the spouse and was anxious to get back to the course. Went to Bowie yesterday with Phil’s group and played with Phil, Barry and Jimmy. Barry, consistent as always, ended up shooting the best score.
Before hitting my first shot, I picked out a bright red Maxfli ball with white lettering and told it I hoped to still be together after 18 holes. Of all the courses I’ve played this year, it seemed that Bowie would be one of the courses that would make it possible. I wasn’t looking for a miracle score but after 18 holes I had a 42 with four pars, three bogeys, one double bogey and one triple bogey (on a par three!). With a 19.3 handicap (13 strokes from the gold tees), that left just five strokes on the par 36 back nine. Most importantly, I still had my red Maxfli and when I finish a round with the ball I started with it usually is a pretty descent round.
Started with a birdie on the short par 4 tenth hole, then went bogey, double bogey, bogey, par, bogey, par and par. Only four over on the back after the 17th hole. All I need is a par or bogey to have a “better than average” round. I wasn’t really thinking about the score so much as the fact that I was still playing with that Maxfli.
So if you haven’t been to Bowie, let me set the stage for you. With the recent construction the hole was stretched slightly to make it a short dogleg- right par 5. The entire right bends around the new and improved driving range with very high nets installed to ensure that people playing the 18th hole don’t get hit by errant range balls. Unfortunately, all of the tee boxes on the 18th hole are elevated, making it relatively easy to hit into the driving range on the tee shot. Not so much on the second shot but pretty easy to hit over it on the first. From the tee boxes, the landing zone is pretty wide but appears narrow. Since it’s a short par 5 a big drive isn’t really called for.
By now, you probably have already figured out how this ends up. And I should have too since I was able to experience it just two weeks ago. But more about that later. So, I teed my red Maxfli up and pulled out the driver with the intent to aim at the sand trap at the far side of the turn and to fade it to the right around the driving range, leaving me with a reasonable shot at the green in two. As a current 19.7 handicap, I should know that I don’t have that shot down pat. Yes, you guessed it, it sliced wide right into the driving range. Disgusted with myself, and because I had another ball right there in my pocket, I teed it up in the same spot, used the same club and knocked a second one into the driving range. (Though the second one was a much better strike…). That is how you get a 9 on your scorecard on a short par 5.
So what happened two weeks ago? My old friend Bill and I went to Lake Presidential in Upper Marlboro. (Yes, I’m still editing the video, the 18th Maryland course played so far.) On the relatively long 525 yard par 5 8th hole, I hit a great tee shot down the middle. Unsure of what lay ahead, I hit a 5-iron, which was just right as it stopped just before a nature area drop-off on the right side. From there it was just an 8-iron to a rather large green but I had to hit it over the nature area and a bunker on the right side of the green. Piece of cake. I topped my shot sending it straight into the nature area at the bottom of the hill. Pulled out a second ball, dropped it and hit the 8-iron fat, sending it straight into the nature area. Dropped a third ball, hit it pin high to the left and two-putted for an easy 9.
Have I now learned my lesson? Probably not. But I swear that the next time I play Bowie, I’m going to hit a 3-iron off the tee and keep it below the top of the netting. Lets see how that goes.
The scorecard.
Oh, and Bowie is still using temporary tees on #1 and a temporary green on #9. Construction on the driving range remains ongoing. Word has it that the new driving range will have real bathrooms.
