2008 Citizen Amateur

[bbad]

I used to do a lot of the "thinking" while walking up to my ball, but after I while I decided that too many things can change when I get to the ball - lie (flier, down, in a divot, side hill, etc) and my confidence in executing the shot.

I'm no where near as aggressive as I used to be and I feel that I'm playing more consistant - although my handicap keeps going up. Go figure.

What I don't understand is that on average, I'm scoring on par three's either at or under par. It's the stupid par 4's that are killing me.

I get what you are saying now. I thought you were talking about pre-shot as in directly over the ball ready to hit.

I do the "what should I do next" analysis when I'm walking to my ball. Those who have played with caddied for me in the past will be shocked to hear that in both rounds of the Citizen I actually chose to lay-up from a so-so position instead of trying to force a perfect shot. Hell can now freeze over I guess.

I made bogey both times, missed the par putts, but took the big number out of play. Oddly enough all my big numbers this year came either from the middle of the fairway or the tee box on a par 3. Yes, my iron play stinks. And a couple of brain cramps with the putter didn't help either.

[John]

I'm with Vincent, LM is certainly tougher than the Marshes. You love bring up that #2 hole but it really isn't that tough if you stay left and play it as a 3 shot hole.

[mjf]

I'm with Vincent, LM is certainly tougher than the Marshes. You love bring up that #2 hole but it really isn't that tough if you stay left and play it as a 3 shot hole.

There's a way to play it as a 2 shot hole?

[John]

With the right kick off the roof of the cart in the group ahead you can get there in two for sure.

[jvincent]

I played the Marshes in a scramble once and we took a crack at the green in two. Here's the recipe.

1. Bomb a drive down the very right edge of the fairway and get lucky with it staying up.
2. Hit the best possible shot you can over the water from where you end up after step 1.

I'm sure some of the big hitters on this board can get there in two. The problem is that step 1. is very, very, risky.

[mjf]

If the wind / ground conditions were right, I suppose it would be possible for an extremely long hitter to get to the green in 2... with 2 perfect shots. Those same conditions though, would make it extremely unlikely to be able to hold the green.

On a day with no wind, I would be quite willing to sit on the back tee deck (maybe even the 2nd from back) and make bets with anybody who drives by that they would not be on the surface of the green after 2 shots.

[jvincent]

According to the most excellent Google Earth, a tee shot of ~325 yards from the back tees that ends up on the right edge of the fairway leaves you with a second shot of ~250 yards to the front left part of the green. The second shot would need to carry about 235.

That's very doable by lots of guys in calm conditions.

[PEI Golfing]

I'm with Vincent, LM is certainly tougher than the Marshes. You love bring up that #2 hole but it really isn't that tough if you stay left and play it as a 3 shot hole.

Well I guess we will have to wait until the final at The Marshes and then compare scores LM vs Marshes.........

If you mean 3 shots as in laying up with your 3rd, then pitching/chipping on with 4th shot then yes not too bad.........but that only leaves you with 1 putt for Par.
As Thunder mentioned in his post from last July, "Its the best Par six in the City"....
http://forum.ottawagolf.com/showpost...1&postcount=32

[mjf]

Things are definitely askew when Talon is 74.2/132 from the tips and Loch March is 71.6/129.

I sent an e-mail to the organizer of the Citizen tournament asking if he could provide the course rating / slope information for the courses the way they were setup on the day of the tournament. I got a response today...

The course rating for the day at the Talon was 72.8 with a slope of 132.

The course rating for the day at Loch March was 72.2 and 130.3


What I find particularly interesting about this that 7 of the holes were played from the Blue tees on the day at Loch March. So, realistically, the rating from the tips must be somewhere around 73.0 / 132. Talking to one of the starters earlier this year, he mentioned that Loch March was planning to get re-rated. They have added at least a couple of new tees in the last couple of years.

[jvincent]

Also worth noting that that guys at LM still don't know how to do slope since decimal places aren't allowed.

[mjf]

Round 3 is in the books for me and... there will be a Round 4 tomorrow at the Marshes!

I had an 80 today at Eagle Creek which, had you asked me in advance, I'd have taken. But the way I went about it was very unusual for me. Normally I make a lot of pars but today there were a lot more birdies and bogeys (and doubles). I was 5-over for my first 6 holes (bogey, bogey, bogey birdie, bogey, double). At this point, I was thinking it was going to be one of those days and maybe I wouldn't even make the cut. Then I hit a really good drive on the par-5 7th leaving me about 250 to the flag. I hit a perfect 5-wood that left me with about a 20-footer for eagle. I 2-putted for birdie and started feeling a bit better... until the next hole that is. On the par-3 8th, I hit a BIG pull hook and thought my tee ball was gone. My provisional ended up in the bunker and I'm thinking I'm going to make triple or worse. Fortunately, my ball was just off the cart path and I made a bogey. Holes 9-12 were kind to me... I had birdie putts on each hole and made 2 of them. My putter kind of went AWOL for the last several holes. I 3-putted #13 from 4 feet and then 3 jacked again on #15. I was able to hold things together over the last 3 holes.

I think Koski shot a 69 today and will take a 6 stroke lead into the final round over McGee who had a 76 (I think). I believe my 80 puts me in a tie for about 15th place. I'm now a full 20 shots behind!

My goal for the final round? Shoot lights out tomorrow and finish in the top 8. Ok, it's a stretch objective, but the top 8 get their entry fee paid for next year's tournament.

[Kilroy]

Well done!

[mpare]

Very nicely done, Mike. You demonstrated good composure after that start. Go get 'em at the Marshes. I know that you can play there.

[Indio]

Way to keep it together Mike... Now go out there and kick butt tomorrow

[jvincent]

Good shooting. Sounds like one of my rounds. Just replace the birdies with doubles.

[mjf]

Go get 'em at the Marshes. I know that you can play there.

Well... I know I can play the first 12 holes!

[Riddell]

I finished up with an 81 (43-38) today, also with a rough start (bogie-bogie-double-bogie).. Finished strong with birdies on 16 and 18, but im pretty sure I missed the cut by a stroke. Definately a fun tournament, I would recommend anyone who didn't play this year to test their game next year!!

[Big Johnny69]

Good playing mjf and Riddell. Well done to make it this far, and great job Mike making to the fourth round.

[lms]

Good shooting Mike and good luck tomorrow.

[Big Johnny69]

Does anyone have a link for posted scores for the third round?

[mjf]

When it's updated, the scores should be here: http://www.flagstick.com/ottawa_amateur/mens_scores.htm

I still don't know what time I tee off today! Nothing on the web site, nothing in the paper, no e-mail. Well, I know the first men's tee time is at 12:40.

[gbower]

Good luck out there today MJF. I'll be roaming the course again hoping to not have any rulings to make. Won't be as long a day as yesterday.

[hoolio]

Here's a link to the Citizen Article about yesterday's round. No score list though.

[mberube]

I guess Hautes Plaines is getting some recognition. Go boys go!!!!

[mjf]

I'm teeing off at 12:40. The web site still hasn't been updated but they called everyone to notify them of their tee times.

I don't think I'll ever figure out how they determine their tee off orders. I would have expected that, being in the middle of the pack, I'd have a middle of the pack tee time... but I'm first off the first tee. Not that I mind, that just means I get the first crack at the buffet!

Thanks to all for your words of encouragement.

[mberube]

Go get them Mike and tell yourself that you made it to the last round. That’s exceptional in my book.

Mike

[GarthM]

For the second and third rounds they split the field in 2 - top half/bottom half and then take the bottom of the bottom off number 10 and the bottom of the top off number 1, moving up the 2 halves. Not sure if you are split tees today or not but if not they likely did the same type thing but alternated off number 1.

Good luck.

I'm teeing off at 12:40. The web site still hasn't been updated but they called everyone to notify them of their tee times.

I don't think I'll ever figure out how they determine their tee off orders. I would have expected that, being in the middle of the pack, I'd have a middle of the pack tee time... but I'm first off the first tee. Not that I mind, that just means I get the first crack at the buffet!

Thanks to all for your words of encouragement.

[Big Johnny69]

Sooooooo Mike, how'd you finish up? And did you hang around to see who won?

[gbower]

Koski won the men's side and in a playoff for the ladies that went three holes Victoria Thompson of Cornwall won. I understand that McGee put a bit of pressure on today and after six had gained a couple of shots back. I worked the first six holes so didn't see anything of them after that. Met mjf out there on #2 and I won't say that he played the hole well and got his bogey

Some of the shots I saw were pretty good but #2 & #4 took their toll on quite a few.

[mjf]

Well... someone in my group did shoot the "lights out" round that I was hoping for. Unfortunately, it wasn't me. One of my FCs shot a 72 with a double on the last.

I ended up with a pretty disappointing 84. I presume I'll probably finish somewhere in the T-25 range. I had a 2 or 3 handicapper ballstriking round today, but my short game resembled that of a 15-20 handicapper.

Some notable holes:

#2 - 640-yard par 5 -- Played into the wind and from the back tees. I hit a solid driver, a perfect 4-wood and a perfect 3-hybrid to about 25 feet past (and above) the hole... and 3-putted for bogey. Anyone who says or thinks this green is reachable in two in any conditions... well, I'd like some of what they're smoking.

#4 - 561-yard par 5 (downwind) -- Solidly struck tee shot left me about 270 in. Hit a great 4-wood about 40 yards short of the pin. Hit my chip shot to about 6 feet and holed the putt for birdie (only one of the day).

#7 - 367-yard par 4 -- My tee shot ended up in the left rough and from there I hit a terrible approach shot that bounced just into the hazard to the right of the green. I had to take a drop and ended up with a double.

#9 - 545-yard par 5 (downwind) -- Nailed a tee shot that ended up in the left rough. Had it missed the rough I'm sure it would have gotten another 40 yards of roll. SMOKED a 4-wood just left of the pin but it just kept rolling and rolling over the back of the green leaving me a 35-ish foot putt down the hill that broke about 6 feet. Ended up with a par. Doh!

#10 - 588-yard par 5 -- Hammered my tee shot about 320 (did I mention this was playing downwind?). I've never even had a prayer of hitting this green in two before. I had about 235 to carry the water on a line to the green so I figured "What the hell". I took a conservative line a bit to the right and hit the shot as solidly as I could ending up in a bunker almost pin-high and about 35 yards from the pin. Decent bunker shot just off the green, lack-luster chip and 2-putts... Bogey.

#16 - 569-yard par 5 (into the wind) I hit my one terrible tee shot on this hole... the high fade ended up in the hazard on the right. I took a drop and figured I'd need to clear the creek to have any realistic chance of bogey. 4-wood into the creek. Hit my 6th shot from about 70 yards and semi-skulled it about 80 feet past the pin. 3-putts... NINE.

I'm not positive who won but I think it was Koski. I had heard rumors on the course that McGee was 5-under and Koski 1-under after 15 holes.

A few random thoughts:

- For $150, this has to be the best tournament deal in town... particularly if you can make it to the final round. 4 rounds of golf on great courses, a quality golf shirt, a sleeve of tour balls, and a buffet!

- The tournament organizers did a great job. Everyone I talked to, most of whom play in several tournaments a year, said this was the best one.

- I'm going to end up finishing more than 30 shots behind the winner. That's 8 shots a round. These guys are good!

- I've got to go take some lessons to get a bit more consistency in my game. I should probably read some psychology books as well so that I can stay out of my own way on those occasions where I do play well!

I'm already looking forward to next year's tournament...