Sunday Michael Vigen and I played Edinburgh USA, or as I like to call it, my nemesis. Whenever I play this course I leave feeling exhausted and in a wreck over my game. maybe that is why I have not played here for 2 years :).
We teed of at 8:48. Again, we played early to avoid some of the heat of the day, where temps topped 90 again. We started on the back 9 which was a cruel and unusual form of punishment. The back nine is much tighter than the front and it was a bit of a challenge starting off on that side. Michael remarked that he usually feels so bad after finishing on 18 that he thought maybe it was better to get the harder side over with before beginning on the front...
Before beginning our round we hit the range and split a small bucket. I was hitting well but still pull hooking a few too many, a trend that continued from the round the day before.
We arrived on the tee to find we were paired with 2 singles. Jim and Jaycen. Jaycen was in town for 2 weeks from Arizona for work and brought his sticks up to play. He had played Mississippi Dunes the day before. He was a nice guy who had a pretty good game though he often sprayed his irons.
Jim was a bird of a different sort. He looked a little like Hulk Hogan with white hair, and big silver sunglasses. We later found out Jim had the worst course etiquette ever. he would constantly rush off to hit his ball, regardless of who had yet to play and where they were. He rode in his own cart and would race up to his ball off the tee and sit there even if there were people playing behind him. On the first hole, hole 10 I landed in the greenside bunker short on my second shot. Jim proceeded to stand next to the hole while I stood in the bunker to take aim. When Michael and Jaycen both told him to watch out for me he just said, "yeah I know" and continued to stand right next to the hole. At first I thought he was just being a jerk but later when he started hitting out of turn and sitting in the fairway when players behind him still had to play I cam to understand he just had no clue. After getting used to having a person in our way on every shot after the first few holes I was able to forget about his crazy antics but it was interesting to see just how badly some people can behave- even if they have no idea.
The round started off with me on the bogey train for the first couple holes. I was not too unhappy about that since I always seem to have trouble on 10 and 11.
Hole 10 is a par 4 with plenty of sand to contend with plus trees left and trees and the driving range right. It is not too long at 361 yards but your approach to the green is tough with bunkers all around.
Hole 11 is a longer par 4 at 415 yards. You have to hit it straight here- something I rarely do. Trees down the left and trees and a slope down to a creek running down the right side make stray shots dead. I hit a nice 3 wood but still had 190 yards in. The green has a grass bunker short and a large bunker left. I managed to hit a nice 5 iron that rolled just off the back of the green. I flubbed my chip back down the slope of the green and 2 putted for a bogey.
The 12th is the first par 5 on this side at 515 yards. There is OB left and water down the right. The fairway slopes slightly right towards the water so you want to make sure you don't get to close off the tee. I hit a good drive here, my first swing with the big stick of the day.
On 12, Jim struck again. I hit a drive down the center of the fairway which rolled out to the right side. Jim immediately rode up and hit a ball. As I walked across the fairway to where he had just hit he said "oh was you're ball over here? I should have looked at the ball I just hit." Luckily my ball was further up, but really? Come on.
On your second shot you need to watch for trees on either side as well. I hit my second right over Jim's cart. and just into the rough on the left 100 yards out.
On my third shot to the green protected short on either side by bunkers, I played my ball right over Jim's head (see a pattern here). I just missed the green but was able to putt from the apron and got down for par.
13 is another par 4 at 394 yards. Trees line both sides so you have to stay out of them to get onto the green in 2. Two fairway bunkers sit on the right side of the hole. The green has a large bunker left and one deep. I flubbed my tee shot and failed to reach in 2. Another bogey, and my 4th 5 in a row.
14 is the first par 3 at 185 yards. A wide open hole with bunkers on either side short of a narrow but deep green. I didn't do myself any favors and mishit my tee shot again. I landed just short of the left bunker. My next shot I got cute and flopped it right into the bunker. I then proceed to need 2 shots out and 2 putts to get down. A brilliant 6 on an easy hole. Ugh.
Hole 15 is similar to 12 in that is is tree central on either side. A tough par 5 at 528 yards due to the narrow fairway. If you get into the trees good luck on this hole. A large bunker right off the tee isn't really in play unless you miss-hit your tee shot, like I did (my third in a row). Playing to the left side off the tee helps as right requires a carry over trees for your second. A large bunker left can catch your second shot and 2 more await short of the green. I managed to card a 7 here. Sweet. Round is really starting to shape up. 8 over through 6.
16 is the shortest par 3 on the course at 145 yards. A tree just short of the green plays tricks with you. The green is elevated on all sides and has some undulations to it. I managed a solid tee shot finally to the middle of the green and 2 putts later, a par. Stopped the bleeding for one hole. Onto...
17 is Edinburgh's signature hole. A 374 yard par 4, the tee shot is to an island fairway that ends at 280 yards. The next shot is then to a peninsula green with bunkers surrounding the sides and back of the green and water short. I hooked a 3 wood left of the island and into the water. Dropping on the island, I laid up to 100 yards and then hit 4 to just short of the pin. However, I missed my bogey putt and got a 6. Sweet.10 over through 8.
18 is yet another tight par 4 at 370 yards. Trees left and sand right and center on this one makes a good tee shot tough. Whenever I hit a good straight tee shot on this hole I end up rolling through the fairway and into the massive hidden bunker on this hole at 280 yards.. Ditto for today. I had a horrible lie with the ball in the bunker and me outside of it and the lip in my swing path. It took me 2 to get out of, which put me into the next bunker down the hole on the right. One more put me onto the green. I 2 putted on the shared 18-9-practice green for a 6. An out of a 12 over, 48.
Keeping Michael's statement about the back being harder then the front, I mistakenly held out hopes the front side would be better. At this point we girded our loins, I handed Michael a Kleenex to dry his tears and off we went to tee off on hole 1.
Hole 1 is a 492 yard par 5. The hole doglegs slightly left before requiring a shot through an alley of trees to a small and very undulated green. The landing area off the tee is flanked by large bunkers on either side of the fairway.. The best drive is just right of the left bunkers.
I stuck my drive in the second bunker on the right. I needed a high wedge to clear the lip and still had over 200 yards in on my third. I hit left into the trees here and had to punch under the trees into the bunker short of the green. One more to get on and 2 more to get down and I start the back with a 7.
Hole 2 is a 176 yard par 3 to a massive green. Wind is usually a factor when I have played this hole. Missing on the wrong side can leave a very long putt here. Three bunkers collect shots short. I hit the very left edge of the green and the pin was far right. Luckily I got down in 2 for a par.
Hole 3 is the classic Edinburgh USA hole in my mind. Trouble everwhere. This par 4 is 393 yards and offers water down the entire right side, Sand down the left and OB further left. The fairway slopes to the water to make it seem even smaller. The green usually requires some carry over the water right to reach and left it is heavily gaurded by 3 bunkers. The green slopes back to front leaving those bunker shots even more daunting towards the water.
I munched an absolutely pure drive that landed just right of the second fairway bunker and rolled out to around 90 yards from the pin. A decent wedge put me on the green and 2 putts gave me a second consecutive par. Things are looking up.
Hole 4 is very similar to 3, with water right and a huge bunker right off the tee. Again the fairway slopes towards the water so the best play is to land just short of the sand and let the slope run the ball right. Long hitters can try to clear the water right leaving a shot to get on in 2 on this short 484 yard par 5. The second half of the fairway, bisected by a cart path has water left and trees right. T he green is protected on all sides. Water left, trees right, and sand front and back.
I played iron off the tee and had quite the second shot. I smashed a 3 iron, with the wind behind me about 220 yards which rolled through the fairway and into the lake left! After a drop I hit my wedge to one of the back bunkers. Then onto the green and another 2 putt for another 7.
Hole 5 is an enigma. It taunts you at only 315 yards. But there is trouble EVERYWHERE. A lake runs down the right. Left are houses and OB. There are 7 bunkers on the hole. The proper way to play this hole is to hit iron over the center bunker complex in the fairway and then hit a wedge into the fortified green.
Hole 6 is a tough par 3 at 178 yards and seemingly always into the wind. Water uns down the right side and a grove of trees is left. A large sand trap is short of the green.
Hole 7 brings another tough tee shot. Water is down the left. Three bunkers sit down the right side. The green is elevated from the fairway and has bunkers short protecting it along with a large tree on the right.
Hole 8 is a short but difficult par 3. 150 yards to a two level green. There is water up the right side and four bunkers occupy most of the area around the green.
The wind was strong into us here. I hit 3 extra clubs and still came up short in the front bunker. I hit a really high shot that just got knocked straight down by the wind. My bunker shot was a fried egg. I failed to get out in one and with one more bunker shot and 2 putts I had another 5.
Hole 9 is a reachable par 5. At 508 yards the first test is to clear the 4 fairway bunkers off the tee. If you can manage to clear them, you have a long iron into the massive 9/18 green. If you come up short though you have 6 bunkers to contend with. The green is enourmous and can present you with a ridonculous putt.
I hit a good drive that just caought the right edge of the left side beach. I hit a good out from there, just over the cart path bisecting the fairway. A wedge and 2 more putts and I finished with a par. Golden!
So the front played a little bit better than the back. I came in with a 43, for a total of 91. Not terrible.
What of my partener, Mr. Vigen? Well I promised him I wouldn't comment about his bad shots, so I have to keep details to a minimum. He did finish with 2 pars, but told me on the last tee if he did not card a bogey or better he was quitting the game. Rough day.
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