Oakland Hills - take 2

Just like last time, we had a shotgun start. This time we started on 16, the signature hole, and a very difficult one at that.

16: Drilled driver down the left-center of the fairway. Wedge to the front right of the green. First putt about 4 feet by, missed the comebacker when I felt that I hit a good putt, just missed it low. 3 putts for BOGIE

17: Long par 3 playing about 215, uphill and into the wind. Chokedown 3 wood to pin high left of the green. Shank a flop shot, then flop onto the green and lipped out the 8 footer. DOUBLE BOGIE.

18: Drilled driver down the LH side of the fairway. Drilled another 3 wood from 235 to just left of the green. Flop shot to less than a foot. BIRDIE

1: Good drive down the LH side. Very good wedge to a tucked pin to 15 feet. First putt 4 feet by. Missed comebacker as the putt broke opposite of my read. After I missed it, the caddie told me the putt breaks the other way (no shit!). BOGIE

2: Snap hooked driver left (start of a trend) just short of a bunker. From a bad lie, chunked an 8 iron into the middle of the fairway. 7 iron to 10 feet, and just missed the birdie. PAR

3: Medium length par 3 playing into the wind with a cross-wind. Good 5 iron gets blown to the right pin high. Very good flop shot to 8 feet, but missed the putt. BOGIE

4: Hooked driver down the LH side deep into a fairway bunker. 170 yards in I was only able to hit a wedge to the RH side of the fairway. 40 yard wedge went off the back of the green about 10 feet away. Putted to 2 feet. BOGIE

5: Best drive of the day down RH center of the fairway. 7 iron to about 15 feet. Birdie putt just missed on the edge. PAR

6: Tees were up, playing only 300. 3 wood just barely cleared the LH bunkers and barely went into the rough on the RH side. 60 yard lob wedge to 10 feet, and made birdie putt. BIRDIE

7: Kinda skied a drive down LH side of fairway. 6 iron to about 30 feet. Another disappointing 3 putt. BOGIE

8: Pull hooked drive down LH side. 3 wood from 240 uphill left 25 yards short (and way short sided. Hit a really bad and stupid flop shot, leaving it in the bunker just left of the green....ball was plugged in the bunker, with only 5-10 feet of green to work with. Good shot to get out ran all the way to opposite side of the green. 2 putts from there. BOGIE

9: Shot of the day. Playing 210, into the teeth of the wind. Choked down on 3 wood and knocked 2 feet above the hole. Before I hit my putt, another member of my group hit a 4 footer on my same line about 30 feet by. Make the putt for my third birdie of the day. BIRDIE

10: Pulled drive down the left side into the rough. From a bad lie, knocked a 7 iron onto the green about 30 feet short. Another 3 putt (they are starting to run together, I don't remember the details of it). BOGIE

11: Totally skied a driver into the fairway. 3 iron uphill from 200 pin high in the RH rough. Flopped next shot about 8 feet above the hole (intentionally above the hole to avoid going off the green). Missed the par putt low. BOGIE

12: Driver into the LH rough (somehow between 2 bunkers). 3 wood pulled left into the rough under some trees, but with a good angle in. 60 yard wedge to 15 feet. Ho-hum 2 putt for par. PAR

13: Into the wind with a cross wind, 3 iron pin high in the RH rough. Terrible lie with an impossible shot to the pin tucked in back, ball rolls down to the front of the green. Good 2 putt for BOGIE.

14: Tried to cut a drive and blew it way right. Caught a break and had a clearing between some trees. Punched a 3 iron from 200 just short of the LH greenside bunker. Pin was up front, and green is heavily sloped front to back. Got too cute with a flop and left it in the fairway a few yards short of the green. Made the putt from off the green (might have gone 20 feet by if missed). PAR

15: Needing a birdie to break 80, hooked drive way left into the trees. Wedge caught the top of a tree and stopped near the trunk. Abbreviated backswing, knocked it to 10 feet. Missed the par putt. BOGIE

I really struggled with my driver for the last 10 holes, and almost the last 14 save for one good shot. Fortunately almost all of them were snap hooks to the left, so I could manage them. My irons were still solid coming in, but it was definitely a chore. The wind was howling for most of the round, up to about 30mph, so all in all an 81 is a very good score.

Having only 4 pars in a round is odd, but sneaking 3 birdies in always helps the final result. Too many 3 putts, but that is excusable given the difficulty and speed of the greens.

As always, I would love to have another shot at the course.

Oakland Hills Country Club

I was fortunate enough to get a chance to play golf at Oakland Hills country club last Monday through a contact at work (see scorecard pictured in post). It has only been 1 month since the PGA Championship was held there, and I was anxious to see how I would handle the lightening fast and difficult greens, as well as the long, gnarly rough.

Surprisingly, the greens were not anywhere near as fast as I expected them to be. It's difficult to comprehend some of the extreme contours on the greens, and I left several putts very short (like miles). I didn't hit many fairways, so I definitely got to visit the rough a lot. The areas where the gallery had been during the PGA was considered ground under repair, as it was being re-seeded. But the rough close to the fairway tended to be long and thick. When against the grain, it was very difficult to get much club on the ball, however, downgrain I was able to get a good amount of club on the ball, and still hold the greens (though they were softer than I imagine they were during the PGA).

All in all, a potentially once in a lifetime experience to play there. Here is a hole-by-hole recap of my round, at least as best as I can remember all of the details.

#12: Long par 5. Driver into trees on the right. Punch-cut 5 iron into fairway, 9 iron to green from 135, 2 putt for PAR.

#13: Short par 3. Pin at the back, 9 iron to front of green. First putt a mile short. 3 putts for BOGEY.

#14: Very long par 4. Driver into right rough, 4 iron into front bunker, bunker shot barely cleared lip and left in the rough, excellent chip rolled 20 feet past pin. 2 putts for DOUBLE BOGEY.

#15: Short dogleg left par 4. Driver nearly topped, 3 wood into woods on right. Wedge onto front of green. 3 putts for DOUBLE BOGEY.

#16: Signature par 4 you see on TV. Blasted driver in fairway near waters edge. Missed green short left with 110 yard wedge. Putted from off the green to barely on. 2 more putts for a shitty BOGEY.

#17: Uphill par 3. Beautiful 6 iron to 15 feet. Lipped out birdie try. PAR.

#18: Played as a very short par 5 for members. Drive over dogleg into right rough. Chunked 6 iron way short. Chunked wedge to short of green. Pitched up and 2 putts for a terrible BOGEY.


#1: Medium length par 4. Crushed driver in center of fairway. Pitching wedge from 110 to 3 feet. Made putt for BIRDIE.

#2: Uphill par 5. Crushed driver to right side of fairway. Choked down on 3 wood from 220 into trees on right just off green. Pitched up and ball went over green into chipping area that I didn’t originally see. Putt up hill almost rolled back to me. 2 more putts for another terrible BOGEY on a par 5.

#3: Medium par 3, misjudged wind as I left an iron 10 yards short. Chili-dipped a chip, and then 2 putt for BOGEY.

#4: Downhill par 4. Drive into right side of fairway. 9 iron to 25 feet. 2 putts for PAR.

#5: Drive a foot away from creek. Awkward stance and punched a 6 iron up the mouth of the green and into the rough (pin tucked on a ridge on opposite side). Putted from off the green, didn’t make it up ridge and left with 30 feet. 2 putts from there for BOGEY.

#6: Crushed driver into right rough. Chunked lob wedge from 65 yards. Flop shot to 2 feet and made putt for PAR.

#7: Short par 4 into wind. Don’t remember much other than the rain starting. DOUBLE BOGEY.

#8: LONG par 4. Made a nice up and down for PAR.

#9: Long par 3. 4 iron was pin high but right of the bunker (pin tucked on RH side so I was short sided). Flop shot left in the deep bunker. Beautiful bunker shot from there to 4 feet. Made putt for BOGEY.


#10: Medium par 4. Driver into RH rough. 7 iron onto green 30 feet past. 2 putts for PAR.

#11: Short par 4 with tough sloped green. Driver into RH fairway bunker (close to lip). Had 150 in, and I hit nearly the shot of my life, a 7 iron that cleared the lip and cut around the trees blocking me out. Wind caught it though and ended up 10 yards short of green. Chunked a pitch short of the green. Pitched again 15 feet past pin and made downhill putt for BOGEY.