Course: Buena Vista University Golf Course at Lake Creek
Where: Storm Lake, Iowa
When: May 28
Tees/Distance/Course Rating/Slope: Mixture of Blue and White/6,600(ish)/71.3 (Based on White Tees)/122 (Based on White Tees)
This one will be tough to write about, but I’m going to write about both the good and bad days. Going into the day, I was very excited and confident; that didn’t last long. I had a great warmup and felt very prepared for the day. The winds were blowing 20-30 mph from the South, which is the worst wind for this golf course. On a calm day, Lake Creek can be a challenging golf course; a south wind makes it an even bigger challenge.
Hole 1: Par 5 489 yards
A nice little par 5 to start the day. I hit an excellent drive (I’m surprised to see that it only went 263). With 214 into the green, I took out a 5-iron, thinking I could run it up. I hit a good shot but came up short. I hit a good chip shot, but the ball seemed like it would never stop. My group quickly learned on this hole that, even though the course had received two inches of rain a couple of days prior, the greens were still going to roll out. I hit what I thought was a good putt, but I underread it and hit it a little too firm. Tap in par to start the round though.
Score: 5 (E)
Hole 2: Par 4 400 yards
This is a tougher hole than the image appears. There is ob to the left, trees to the right, and a creek that separates the two fairways. My go-to shot on the tee here is a stinger 3-iron. While I could potentially hit 3-wood, it brings the creek into play, and with my natural right-to-left shot shape and a crosswind off the right, I don’t want to bring ob into play either. I had a good game plan of hitting a 6-iron into the green, but I pulled it a lot. I found the thickest rough on the entire property, and the ball was sitting down. I hit a good pitch shot to 6 feet; I genuinely believe this was the best I could’ve done. I had a relatively easy 6-footer to save par, but I didn’t trust it and pulled the putt. Tap in bogey.
Score: 5 (+1)
Hole 3: Par 3 196 yards
While I would’ve liked to make par on hole 2, I knew it was a challenging hole, and scores would be higher today in the conditions, so I quickly brushed it off—time to focus on a long, slightly uphill par 3. I was aiming for the middle of the green with a 5-iron, and just like on the last hole, big pull. Now you may be thinking, “Devon, it’s okay you left yourself a lot of green to work with.” Yes, you’d be correct, but the right side of the green has a big slope that runs towards the left, so I was faced with a downhill, downwind chip out of the rough. I stood no chance of getting this close. I wasn’t mad about hitting it to 21 feet. I had a great read, hit a good putt, and it came up just about 8 inches short. I can’t be mad about it. Tap in bogey.
Score: 4 (+1)
Hole 4: Par 5 458 yards
This looks like an easy par 5, and it kind of is, but it’s also tree-lined on both the left and right side and ob left too. I hit a perfect drive into the wind, and I was surprised to see that I missed the fairway (by a foot). I had 200 yards into the wind, and the ball was sitting down in the rough. Also, there is a creek in between the fairway and green. I didn’t trust that I could get 3-iron there with the lie and wind, and I definitely wasn’t hitting 3-wood. I laid up with a punch 8-iron, thinking the wind would eat it up, but it went farther than anticipated. My ball was sitting up in the rough, and as I began to address the ball, it looked like it wanted to move, so I quickly lifted up my sand wedge. I feared grounding it, thinking that I would make my ball move, so I hovered it some. Instead of focusing on the shot, all I thought about was not making the ball move and getting a penalty. Naturally, I hit a horrible shot and barely cleared the creek. I hit a good chip shot and thought for a second that I made it, but it went just passed the hole. Now I left myself with a short downhill downwind putt. I tapped it, and it moved more than expected. My putt still rolled two feet by the hole too.
Score: 6 (+1)
Hole 5: Par 4 375 yards
This was a disappointing hole. I carried over a little aggression and hit a fantastic drive down the left side. I also thought I hit a good second shot, but it didn’t roll out as I thought. I had 20 feet uphill and downwind. I pushed my putt a bit and watched it roll out two feet past the hole. I had a 3-footer left for par, and instead of being confident like usual, I was nervous about the wind, and I pushed it. 3-putt bogey from 20 feet. UGH!
Score: 5 (+1)
Hole 6: Par 3 168 yards
This hole was straight into the wind. I fanned a chippy 5-iron to the left edge of the green. Once I got to the green, my entire thought process was just to lag it close. After I hit my putt, I thought I putted it off the green. There was a big sigh of relief when I saw my ball come to rest only 2 feet past the hole. After missing a short putt on the last hole, I was not confident in myself on this hole. I took a deep breath, walked up, and drained the putt!
Score: 3 (E)
Hole 7: Par 4 374 yards
This is a fun hole, you can take as much off as you want, and it was playing downwind too. I hit a solid drive and thought I would easily be in the fairway. My entire group was shocked when we couldn’t find it; I must’ve hit a tree on the way down, and it knocked it straight down. My second shot was a 70-yard punch shot, and I thought I executed it perfectly. It was tracking for the hill in front of the green, but I missed the ridge by a yard, and my ball rolled all the way off the green. After a decent chip, I had 15 feet up the hill, and I hit another good putt that came up short. Another tap in bogey.
Score: 5 (+1)
Hole 8: Par 4 390 yards
This is probably the best hole on the entire golf course. Trees line both the left and right, and it’s slightly uphill; you HAVE to hit a solid drive. With the wind off the left, I hit a solid drive and found myself in the left side of the fairway. I hit a good 3/4 PW and just watched the wind take the ball. The grass around the green was very grainy, and I didn’t want to hit an into the grain chip shot, so I opted for the 3-wood play. It wasn’t my best attempt in the world, leaving myself 15 feet. To my surprise, I finally hit a good putt and was rewarded for it! BANG, par save!
Score: 4 (E)
Hole 9: Par 4 394 yards
My game plan on this tee shot is to hit it up hole 1’s fairway. After a good drive, I left myself with 124 yards off of the forward tee box. I had to clear some trees, and it was into the wind. As I approached the ball, I felt great about hitting PW. Suddenly, at the last second, I lifted up, trying to get a little extra distance. I hit it straight into the top of the tree in front of me. Now I have 70 yards from the trees, but luckily I had a big gap in the trees. I hit a mediocre LW to the left edge of the green. I had one goal on my putt, just get it close and make bogey. Once the ball got halfway there, I thought I may have made the putt. I had a 2-footer to save bogey, and I knocked it right into the middle.
Score: 5 (+1)
Hole 10: Par 4 397 yards
We played this hole from the blue tees. It was straight into the wind, and there’s ob down the right side; also a creek separates the two fairways in the image. I hit a very good drive leaving myself 113 yards. I hit a 3/4 PW, and yet again, I pulled it. I had another into the grain chip, so again, I used my 3-wood. I hit a much better shot this time, and the ball just didn’t want to stop. I pushed my 6-footer and watched it go just by the lip. Tap in bogey.
Score: 5 (+1)
Hole 11: Par 4 425 yards
This is one of my least favorite holes on the entire property (and most people would agree that it’s theirs too). In my mind, I play it like a par 5. There’s a creek down the right side, and it separates the fairways too. I hit a very good 3-wood and watched the wind take it into the creek. Here’s where the mental midget moments really kick in. I tried to hit a punch 3/4 5-iron, and I pushed it out to the left. This green has a massive slope all around the edges. I wanted to let my chip run across the slope, but I let a gust of wind bother me, and I bladed it over the green. Now I’m left with a downhill putt that I didn’t think I stood a chance of stopping it. So I walked up with my putter and hit it; I didn’t even read it. Somehow I left myself with 5 feet. I had to aim just outside left and made a good putt to save double.
Score: 6 (+2)
Hole 12: Par 4 377 yards
I hit driver on this hole and couldn’t believe that the wind never pushed it back. I ended up through the fairway and had 150 yards out of the trees. I wanted to hit a punch cut 5-iron, but I ended up hitting the trees. Now I got 75 yards, and I hit a LW onto the green. This green was covered in little helicopters, and I didn’t even try to clean them up; I just said hit and hope. My putt bounced all over the place and came up 9 feet short. I pushed this putt and tapped in for double. My mental scorecard for this hole was a 1, the tee shot.
Score: 6 (+2)
Hole 13: Par 5 494 yards
Alright, we got an into the wind par 5 after back-to-back doubles. Let’s get one back here. LOL! I was so worried about the tree that overhangs the right side about 50 yards off the tee. I pulled one so bad into the trees that I thought I went ob. If I did, my bag and pushcart were 250 yards away from the tee. Luckily I was in bounds, but I only had a driver with me. So screw it, we’re hitting a punch shot with driver from under the trees. Finally, I’m even with my pushcart, so I run across the fairway to get it, then run back to my ball. I take out 3-wood and just hit it up the fairway. Well, I shockingly went through the fairway, but I actually caught a good break and had a clear shot. I fanned a GW to 45 feet left of the pin. This putt was downhill and downwind, so I was terrified. Once I hit it, one of my playing partners told my ball to go, and I quickly said, “That doesn’t need to go; it needs to stop.” It came to rest 4 feet past the hole, and I knocked in my bogey, and actually, I was delighted with bogey after the tee shot.
Score: 6 (+1)
Hole 14: Par 4 328 yards
After my last hole, our group fell out of position, so now we’re in rush mode. Oh, and here’s another tee shot that I just don’t like. The hole goes 90* to the right, and trees block you from cutting the corner. I hit 6-iron thinking that there was no way I could go through the fairway. Well, I was wrong. I tried to hit a punch 7-iron, but I smothered it, almost going ob right. I had a good lie, and I liked the shot I was faced with. I didn’t remain focused, and I decelerated chunking the shot. Now I walk up to my ball and take a lazy practice swing, and on my chip, I came up on it, not wanting to chunk it, and bladed the ball over the green. GRR!!!! I walked around the green and instantly grabbed 3-wood and chipped it onto the green. It was straight downhill, and I left myself with 9 feet. I told myself I had to make it because I didn’t want a triple on the card. I hit a good putt and drained it. My mental scorecard on this hole was 2 (tee shot and putt).
Score: 6 (+2)
Hole 15: Par 3 140 yards
This is a challenging green to hit. It requires a perfect shot. As I stood over the ball, a car drove by, and I stopped paying attention to my shot and was waiting for the car to honk or something. Do you think I backed off? OF COURSE NOT! To nobody’s surprise, I hit a horrible shot, barely clearing the creek in front of the green. On my walk to my ball, I had a coming to Jesus meeting with myself and said to stop allowing these distractions to bother me so easily. I can control my thoughts and emotions, so control them! I hit a great chip that rested 2 feet from the hole, and I knocked it in for par! LET’S GO!
Score: 3 (E)
Hole 16: Par 5 540 yards
After a great par save on the last, I thought I pulled my tee shot ob. I was actually closer to the fairway than I was to being ob. I had a good lie in the rough and wanted to get as close as possible to make a good score on the hole, so I hit 3-wood. I hit it really well too. Trees line both sides of this hole, so it’s very easy to get into trouble, and they also overhang the fairway on the right side; you have to be careful here. My solid 3-wood found the middle of the fairway, and I had no trouble in front of me. I had 74 yards, and I had a perfect shot for this distance. If I hit this shot solid, it usually takes one big hop and stops. I hit it solid, but instead of stopping, it rolled out. My playing partner at the green said the green was so firm that it didn’t even try to grab. Okay, here we go, 21 feet for our first birdie look in a LONG time. I hit a solid putt that just didn’t go in. Tap in par.
Score: 5 (E)
Hole 17: Par 3 174 yards
Back-to-back par’s, now we’re back on track. 174 yards today put me right in between a 7 and 8 iron. I looked all around and threw grass into the air to guess the wind, and I settled that it was more cross than help, so let’s hit the 3/4 7-iron. I hit it just how I wanted, and I quickly realized there was more help than cross. I airmailed the green. Now I have a 34-yard shot to a raised green, and once it reaches the green, it runs away from you. Haha, good luck. I hit the shot exactly how I wanted into the bank, and I still couldn’t stop it. All 3 of my playing partners said that was as good as I could do from there, and they were right. Now I got a straight up the hill downwind 10-footer for par. I hit a solid, well-focused putt and made the best up and down I had all day. I could drop 10 balls in that spot and probably never get another one up and down, but I did it when it mattered!
Score: 3 (E)
Hole 18: Par 4 389 yards
Alright, here we go. Let’s finish strong. We found a new focus and a new sense of energy. I don’t like hitting driver here because the water along the right comes into play quickly if you miss the fairway, and there are thick trees on the left. I pushed my 3-wood left more than I wanted, but that’s okay. I had 182 from the rough on an upslope. I knew I could easily clear the tree ahead of me, and since it was downwind, I could still get it on the green. I hit a solid 7-iron that landed in the front portion of the green, and it almost rolled off the back edge. This green was also covered in little helicopters, and this time I took the time to clear them out of my way. How great would it be to make a 45-foot bomb in front of the clubhouse on 18 to end the day? Well, I’m not sure, I bet it feels great, and I thought I knew how that would feel for a split second. But, I had an easy 3-footer that I confidently knocked into the hole for par—an excellent finish to a horrible round.
Score: 4 (E)
Final Score: 86 (+14)
Stats
Overall, this was an awful round. I’m going to forget about it and regroup tomorrow. I’m T39 out of 66, but T7 in the 3rd flight after round 1. I tee off at 10:50 tomorrow morning, and I stayed up a little later than I anticipated to write this, but I needed to do it to clear my mind. I also got started on it late because on the way to the course today, my right rear tire got a small puncture, so tonight, I had to repair that before I could begin writing my post. Here’s to a better round 2!