Saturday arrived for the playoff round. After our 2 rounds Friday my brother and I were in the lead by 6 strokes. We therefor had the last tee time of the groups. It was decided by the rest of the group that the 6 stroke handicap our team was getting was no longer valid so we were going to have to play straight up.
Today's round was at Spooner Golf Club in Spooner, WI.
This course is again a little bit like the country club feel of Hayward that we played yesterday. This course differs in that there is some variations in the topography and is generally better layout, in my opinion.
The course was actually designed by Tom Vardon in 1930 with an additional 9 holes added by Gordon Emerson in 1980.
The Wisconsin Tourism Department voted the 18th as the
first hole of the best 18 holes in the state of Wisconsin with their
release of The Dairyland Dream 18.
This is what they said about the hole:
“Thomas Vardon, brother of six time British Open champion Harry Vardon
designed the hole in 1930. It must have been a beast to play back in the
days of hickory-shafted clubs. Member thought the hole was so hard that
they didn’t even use it in the 1950′s and 60′s. Even with today’s
technology it still strikes fear in the hearts of many golfers… it’s a
nerve racking start to the Dream 18″.
The course offers 4 tees: red, white, blue, and black. From the tips the course is 6458 yards. We played from the blue tees, which play to only 6051 yards with a slope and rating of 69.4/122.
A nice clubhouse offers dining upstairs with the pro shop in the lower level. The pro-shops computers were down so the poor kid running the place was just letting everyone go out and then asking them to stop in after their round to pay.
The course has a large practice green between the clubhouse and the first tee. No sand or pitching areas are available. There is a range across the road from the course, though I have never seen it.
Our group tends to party pretty good during this weekend. Because I was playing so well, most of the guys were intent on getting me hammered so I would not be able to finish the round today. That didn't quite work out. I at least felt a lot better then poor Kevin, shown here taking a quick power nap.
Our opponents for the round, Sher in the teal shirt, and big Randall. Tom (right) is unsure which way he is supposed to tee off.
The first hole is a par 4 at 327 yards. The right side is trouble with woods. Down the left also has some trees. The hole plays straight as the fairway elevates towards the green.
Mose ripping his drive.
I hit a terrible hook off the tee into the woods. We finished with a bogey while our opponents scored a par. Down to 5 up.
Hole 2 is a 153 yard par 3. A large bunker left offers the only real trouble here. I made up for my bad first hole by nearly scoring an ace.
My shot came up inches short. This is the third closest to a hole in one I have had. Coincidentally, the closes I ever came was on this course on #17 a few years ago.
With the bird we got back to up 6.
Hole 3is a 536 yard par 5 that plays straight away off the tee. There is water that is reachable off the tee down the left side.
At around 150 yards the hole turns right. The best play is to cut the trees right but don't get too cute as they run down the entire right side.
The green has a large bunker on the right side as you approach. Other than that trees line the perimeter.
My drive was not the best but it was OK. I tried to cut too much on the corner and got into the trees. After hitting out of the trees I failed to make the green. We ended up scoring a bogey and lost a stroke, up 5.
Hole 4 is a short 135 yard par 3. Bunkers flank short.
I managed to hit another close one and we birdied again. Back to 6 up.
Hole 5 is a 434 yard par 4. The hole plays straight ahead.
The fairway drops down and from 150 yards the approach to the green is uphill.
The green is fairly flat and a near circle. No bunkers around this green.
After a good drive, I failed to capitalize and we got another bogey. Our seesaw ride has us back to 5 up after they par.
Hole 6 is a 167 yard par 3. The tee is elevated to a green with sand left and water right.
Both teams made par. Still 5 up.
Hole 7 is a 386 yard par 4. A pretty straight ahead hole. The fairway slopes left to right over the hill off the tee.
Over the hill, water is far right.
Our team failed to hit the green and 2 putted for a bogey. 4 Up.
Hole 8 plays back adjacent to 7. It is a 501 yard par 5. The hole is pretty much straight ahead. You must tee off through an immediate chute of trees.
The second shot is dead ahead and should set up for a good distance on your third shot. This green can be accessible in 2. The fairway drops down to the green. One large bunker right of the green is the only danger.
I tried to go for this green. I hit my second shot way right. Right of the bunker. As seen from this picture.
I was able to chip on and 2 putted for a par. Our opponents matched. Still 4 up.
Hole 9 is a "target" hole. At only 250 yards this par 4 invites daring players to go for it. The hole has only a sliver of fairway near the green and is protected right by three large bunkers and left by a pond.
I played a safe shot to 100 yards out. From here the green is elevated.
On in regulation but puked up a three putt for bogey. 3 Up. Gulp.
OK, heading into the back nine we had lost half of our lead. Now the smack talking started. On nearly every shot somebody said something, particularly to me.
Hole 10 is a 508 yard par 5. The best aim is to the right of the tree down the left side off the tee.
This hole is pretty dead straight initially . A bomb puts you near where the two trees narrow the fairway. The green is then to the right around the two bunkers and 60 yards further up. The angle of the green makes getting home in 2 difficult.
We carded a bogey and lost a stroke. 2 Up.
Hole 11 is a short 278 yard par 4. It doglegs around the trees to the left.
I hit my drive high and straight over the trees but not far enough left. I ended up in the sand on the right of the fairway. I failed to get on the green in 2 and we carded another bogey. 1 Up. Double gulp.
Again the smack really notched up a level on the 12th. This is a 339 yard par 4. OB down the left side of the tee. There is a solitary bunker down the right side for wayward drives.
The green here is elevated slightly and protected left by one bunker.
I hit a good drive and a bad second. I faded left, missing the bunker. Again we failed to par and finally lost our lead, going even.
We had been playing well for the first 4 holes of the round, maintaining our lead at 6 up. Then we went on a skid losing strokes on 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Finally we had things even. Our opponents swaggered up to the tee feeling like the momentum had finally swung their way. I had steam coming out my ears after seeing our lead slip away on the last hole. Then I had a little talk to myself after I realized that we had already earned our money back and were lucky to be out here golfing. I decided to just let it go, forget about the tourney and have fun.
Hole 13 is a 488 yard par 5. Again, left is OB and right is protected by a scattering of trees.
I spanked my drive right down the middle. I was only 220 yards out. The green here is protected by a pond and sand front left. I decided as part of my "let's have fun" speech I would go for it. I smoked my second shot and ended up just 2 feet off the front right of the green.
I failed on my eagle but made bird. They, on the other hand, scored a double. In one hole we were back up 3!
Hole 14 is a 379 yard par 4. The hole doglegs slightly right past the pair of fairway bunkers. We had honor with the last hole and I striped another drive right between the bunkers. our opponents, I would like to think, felt the pressure to match my drive and had 2 bad tee shots, both in the trees.
The approach to this green offers only one bunker left of the green. The green slopes back to front. This shot was into the wind and I left it short of the green.
I flubbed my chip and had around 40 feet uphill to the pin. I sank the putt and placed a dagger in our opponents when they suffered a bogey and we went 4 up. At this point we were dormey!
Hole 15 is a 156 yard par 3. Two bunkers flank this undulating green short.
Both teams parred. Still 4 up with 3 to go.
Hole 16 is a 419 yard par 4. This hole requires teeing off through a chute of trees. The landing area is actually pretty large once you make it through.
This was the one bad tee shot I had, even worse than my hook on 1. I went sharply right with another hook but also nearly topped the ball and maybe was 120 yards off the tee.
The second shot is to a green surrounded deep and right and left with bunkers.
I had some 300 yards in on my second and didn't get anywhere near being on in 2. We ended up with a double here. Our opponents made bogey and we stayed 3 up with 2 to go.
Onto 17. A long par 3 at 196 yards. This hole will always remind me of my first near hole-in-one. I hit a 5 iron flush and my ball ended up directly behind the cup. I think it probably rolled right over the hole and I am still not sure how it missed dropping. The hole plays uphill the whole way. Right is OB. Anything just missing the green will fall off.
We went second here and after our opponents tee shots both failed (one went OB right, one went long left near the big tree) I played safe and was short of the green. I chipped up and we made a 2 putt bogey. One of our opponents played a great second and they also scored a bogey.
We came to the signature 18th, a 396 yard par 4. This is the prettiest hole on the course by a landslide and probably a close winner to 13 at Big Fish for the best hole we played. The hole doglegs around the wetlands right.
The fairway slopes left to right so you want to hit your tee shot to the left side to let it run down.
The second shot requires nerve to take a line at the pin on a green tucked behind the wetlands.
I played my second shot safe to the left edge of the green. 2 putts and we had our par. Our opponents also parred. We ended up 3 shots up on them for the round. With that we pulled the surprise upset and took home Mr. Bobby Jones!
Here is the card for the last round.
Three rounds all in the 70s. Similar to last year's trip to Giants Ridge, I just went on a tear. It was fun to have my game come together at the right time and great to finally be able to bring Bobby home.
Here is the whole crew.
Fun times!
