Composite 18 for 2020
It has been over a year since I’ve written about golf. I could blame the lack of written words on a number of things but I’d rather not view it through a negative lens. My cup is full and writing on this blog is an indulgence that took the back seat. I hope this reflection is the motivation I need to write more in 2021.
This year I played 13 different courses split between Alaska and California. Of the 13 courses only two were new, Bel-Air Country Club and Pasatiempo, substantial additions for an otherwise repetitive year. When putting together this list I realized my affinity for par 3 holes. This composite is composed of eight par 3s, six par 4s, and four par 5s.
Bel-Air Country Club, Hole 1
#1 Bel-Air Country Club, par 5
Bel-Air opens with a handshake par 5. Fitting, seeing as how this round started with an actual handshake, a rarity for 2020. My gracious host, Miles Fisher, shared a plethora of course knowledge and club history. The first hole trundles away from the clubhouse and with a proper drive up the right side presents the player with an early birdie opportunity. I walked away with par.
Even thru one.
Poppy Hills, Hole 2
#2 Poppy Hills, par 3
The first of many par 3s on this “scorecard,” the second hole at Poppy Hills is an early test of wedge accuracy. Attempt to fly it all the way to the pin and you’ll find yourself in the back bunker. Any short par 3 worth its weight in yardage should present the risk of a green visited. I did just that, splashing out of the sand and two-putting. (picture provided by Deez Putts)
+1 thru two.
Spyyglass Hill, Hole 3 (left) and Hole 4 (back right)
#3 Spyglass Hill, par 3
The third at Spyglass will mesmerize you with its panoramic views and confuse you with its elevated tee and shore breezes. Playing a club short, I managed to put a 73% swing on it, found the green and two-putted.
+1 thru three.
#4 Spyglass Hill, par 4
The fourth feels like an extension of the third. The two holes pair well together and yet they play completely different. The fourth bends to the left, daring you to hug the left side. I took the conservative route, playing out to the right and had a good angle into the narrowest, most undulating green at Spyglass. I found the wrong tier but managed to breathe on the first putt just enough to lag it close for a comfortable par.
+1 thru four.
Anchorage Golf Cours, Hole 5
#5 Anchorage Golf Course, par 4
The fifth at AGC is short but presents the player with numerous problems: woods, fairway bunkers and boulders. I’ve talked myself into five different clubs off the tee and managed to find trouble/justification for each. My most memorable attempt came during the Anchorage Open. I was coming off of a rather disappointing quad on four and quickly deposited my tee shot into the woods with a hybrid. Rather than waste my time with a reasonable provisional, I walked back to my bag, grabbed the driver, and put an angry swing on it that managed to skirt the greenside boulder and finish just past the pin. I ended up finding my drive, made it on the green with my approach and managed a two-putt. The provisional never came into play but it was memorable nonetheless.
+1 thru five
Seven Lake Country Club, Hole 6
#6 Seven Lakes Country Club, par 3
The sixth at Seven Lakes was the first hole I played with Covid rules. The club decided to implement the “no flags with raised cups” method. Not knowing where the pin was, my son and I played to the yardage on the scorecard and found the green. He rattled his birdie putt off the raised cup, a putt that should have easily raced 10 feet past. I was not as aggressive with my first putt but my second clanked off the cup with an abundance of pace.
+1 thru six
Pebble Beach, Hole 7
#7 Pebble Beach, par 3
The seventh at Pebble is one of those holes you think about the minute you book your tee time. I wasn’t playing great but scores should be thrown out the window when you play a bucket list course; all they do is restrict and alter your enjoyment. Playing Pebble is something to be appreciated and if you’re lucky enough to partake, you will be rewarded with enough time to drink it all in. The tee shot on seven doesn’t feel that heroic. It’s a little wedge to a protected green. It’s the history, and knowledge that you may never back again, that gets into your nervous system. I managed to settle down and spin a wedge close, with one putt I had my first circle on the card! (picture provided by Deez Putts)
Back to Even through seven.
Pebble Beach, Hole 8
#8 Pebble Beach, par 4
The eighth at Pebble is one of those holes you think about the minute you book your tee time. It’s not the drive that has your attention, it’s the approach. Put a tee box next to the “Danger Steep Cliff” sign and you’d have one of the most iconic par 3s in the country. I put myself in a good spot off the tee but the fear of the ocean made me tug my approach a little and I ended up in the back bunker. That left me a tricky bunker shot that I’ve seen on tv multiple times. I somehow mustered the ability to pull it off and I tapped in for par. Exhale.
Even thru 8
Anchorage Golf Course, Hole 9
#9 Anchorage Golf Course, par 5
The Tractor Beam. That’s what my sons call the woods lining the right side of the fairway. No matter how hard you try, your drive manages to leak, drift, or bounce into the shit. However, if you find the fairway, you are smack dab in the middle of the Go-Zone. During more than one round this summer I managed to find the speed slot and have an iron left for my second. No big birds this season but a circle on the card is always appreciated.
-1 at the turn. Seeing RED!
Bel-Air Country Club, Hole 10
#10 Bel Air Country Club, par 3
Take it to the bridge. A long par 3 with a substantial carry is always daunting. A long par 3 with a substantial carry that has a tee box nestled against the clubhouse is nerve wracking. I am happy to report that I cleared the crevasse with a bunted hybrid but fumbled my way around the undulating green complex for a comfortable bogey.
Back to Even.
Pasatiempo, Hole 11
#11 Pasatiempo, par 4
Much like the 10th at Bel-Air, the approach shot on the 11th at Pasatiempo is a gut check moment. Uphill, forced carry, mid/long iron in hand. Luckily we were paired with a lovely couple who are members. The gentleman eased my fears when he explained that the pin placement was not to be feared, anything in the vicinity will funnel to the flag. I took an extra club and managed to find the green in regulation. I missed the slippery birdie putt but was content to walk away with par. I do believe that ignorance is bliss sometimes and when we played again that afternoon I did not fare as well.
Even thru 11
Pacific Grove, Hole 12
#12 Pacific Grove, par 5
Much has been written about Pacific Grove, specifically the back nine. The first time I played it I was motivated to write a few words (The People’s Pebble.) This year we tied a bow on our Stillwater Cove trip with an early morning back nine walk. With 10 clubs in the bag and a coffee in hand I played some of my best golf of the summer. On 12, I plotted my way around the dogleg, gave myself a birdie opportunity, and capitalized.
-1 thru 12
Pacific Grove, Hole 13
#13 Pacifc Grove, par 4
Much like the 3rd and 4th at Spyglass, the 12th and 13th at Pacific Grove pair well together. The 13th is a puzzle piece that nestles in the space of the 12th’s dogleg. I truly love them both, not because they are exquisite or challenging, but because they provide the space for a good walk, unencumbered by trickeration. A smooth drive, a stock wedge, and a confident putt left me walking away with back-to-back birdies.
-2 thru 13
Bel-Air Country Club, Hole 14
#14 Bel Air Country Club, par 5
Bel-Air is played in stages, separated by canyons and tunnels. 14 is a long par 5, guarded by a stream up the left, a true three-shot hole, OR if you are like me and choose to snap hook a drive over the stream, you get to play a couple more before finding the green. Navigating the stream may have been the most daring thing I did that day. I was embarrassed to have to cross it and I did not want to take the circuitous route that made use of a footbridge. Despite my lack of spryness, I managed to clear the stream with a bound. The 14th was a “what could have been” moment. I could have played the hole better. I could have fallen in the stream. As it stood I stumbled to the green in 5 shots and two-putted for a double...but I cleared the damn stream!
Even thru 14
#15 Palmer Golf Course, par 3
Another long par 3. This selection made the scorecard because of the backdrop. On a clear day Pioneer Peak is distractingly beautiful and this hole plays like an #AlaskaGolf postcard. Unfortunately, during the State Matchplay I could never muster better than bogey.
+1 thru 15
Pasatiempo, Hole 16
#16 Pasatiempo, par4
A properly placed drive sets up a chess match between you and Alister MacKenzie. The multi-tiered green is as diabolical as it is photogenic. I managed to find the proper tier and walked away with par. However, the highlight was provided by Flat Lay Golf during my afternoon round when he holed out from the fairway. Hooting and hollering took place.
+1 thru 16
#17 Pebble Beach, par 3
When you play a hole that has a historical plaque next to the green you feel a connection to history. When you hook an iron into a greenside bunker you are reminded you’re not Tom Watson. With a splash out of the soft sand and a two-putt I walked away with the score many predicted for Mr. Watson, such is life for a mere mortal. (pictures provided by Deez Putts)
+2 thru 17
Pasatiempo, Hole 18
#18 Pasatiempo, par 3
Finishing with a par 3 is abnormal but feels right for this composite course. Pasatiempo’s 18th has a green just as nefarious as the 16th. Carry the canyon, find the right tier and you’ll be rewarded with a comfortable three-putt, much like I was.
My final score: 71 (+3)
We all have a lot on our to-do list for 2021. I hope mine involves new courses, a few birdies, and the sound of the ball rattling around the bottom of the cup. From a resolution standpoint my goal for 2021 is about the space between my ears. 2021 will be about finding enjoyment in golf.
GOLF WITH YOUR KIDS