The Results: Limpachtal Tournament #5
Limpachtal Recap
To cut to the chase, I ended up placing in the middle of the pack in my group, but with net handicaps, I did a bit better. Here is a look at the standings in my group.
So where did it go right, and where did it go wrong? Here is my hole-by-hole, shot-by-shot recap of it all.
Hole 1
I took a mini driver. While I had one of the best range sessions I’ve had in a while, I hit it way off the heel and sliced it into the hazard. This is a really small hazard, and I got unlucky with the bounce as it landed right in the water. Most times you can hit it out, but I had to take a drop.
I followed up with a really good 9-iron but missed left and managed to get up and down for bogey. Not great, but also not the end of the world since I managed to avoid the double. Plus, the putt was fantastic.
Hole 2
Took a 7-iron and hit it well, just left of the flag, but my putt didn’t have the pace going up the hill. I had been a bit scared of the speed of the greens and simply didn’t give it enough. That said, it was still a three-footer, which did a full 360 around the lip. The second putt had too much pace, so a three-putt bogey.
Leaving the green, I didn’t feel great, but also didn’t feel bad. The greens here are really tricky, so I was expecting some of those.
Hole 3
Ripped a drive down the left side and it ended up bouncing into the lawnmower shed over the path, left of the fairway. I got a free drop and had about 150 meters into the green. Another 7-iron for me, but I hit it a bit thin and it ran through the green.
This actually wasn’t a terrible spot. The pin was back and I had a good look at a chip. Unfortunately, being a bit tentative, I left it shorter than I would have liked and followed up with another lip-out putt. At this point I could only smile. It happens. I felt like it was a good putt, but maybe I didn’t quite commit to the line.
Hole 4
I was a bit torn between mini driver and driver here. Given how well I hit my last drive, I went with the driver, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake. I hit it too well and a bit left, so it ran through the fairway. Thankfully, it wasn’t in the water, but I was completely blocked out from the green.
So I chipped sideways. With the pin right behind the bunker on a small shelf, I had to really focus on just getting it to the flag. I did, but it ran a bit long, leaving a downhill chip that came a few rolls from going in. Another tap-in bogey.
Through four holes, I was four over. Not playing great, but not playing terribly either. Just kind of weird.
Hole 5
This is a great hole and may be my favorite on the course. I played a great drive, which I thought would clear the bunker, but it just splashed in and out. That left me with, you guessed it, another 150 meters or so into the green. Not a shot I wish I had back, but one I wish had taken a slightly different bounce.
There’s a huge ridge running through the middle of the green. My ball hit it and took a right bounce away from the pin, where a slight left bounce would have funneled it toward the hole. That would have given me an easy birdie look. Instead, I had a weird up-and-over putt, which was very difficult to judge for speed.
I put a bit too much pace on it, and it ran long, but I made a good comeback putt for par.
Hole 6
I wish I had played this hole a bit differently in hindsight.
The drive was great, slightly left but solid. I took a 9-iron to lay up short of the hazard, but I really should have kept the pressure on and gone with a hybrid or 5-wood. That would have helped with the approach. I had around 140 meters in, but going further off the tee would have left me under 100.
Anyway, a poor 8-iron left me short and right of the green. I made an okay chip, but it wasn’t enough for a realistic look at par. The putt speed was good, but the read was left and it just didn’t move. Another bogey. Can’t help but feel going for it would have given me a better birdie chance.
Hole 7
Took mini driver as planned and didn’t hit it great again, so I had a 6-iron from 165 meters. I hit my approach just right of the green. It was a great strike, maybe the best iron of the day, even if the direction was off.
This is a narrow green, so being hole-high was key. Made another fairly simple up-and-down for par.
Hole 8
Par 5 and I was feeling good. It was time to chase a birdie. The drive was great, almost over the road. A hybrid left me in the longer grass, but it was okay since the right side is all hazard.
Unfortunately, with the pin where it was, I ended up a bit short-sided. I went just past the green but avoided the bunker, which was key.
The chip was good and left a tricky, breaking downhill putt for par.
Hole 9
Can I just skip this one? The pin was in the exact spot I hoped it wouldn’t be—back left, up on a shelf in a near-impossible location.
I hit a thin, heely hybrid that I probably rushed, which landed short and left me with a poor angle. Not wanting to be short again, I got too aggressive with the chip, which ran across the green into the rough.
That wasn’t even the worst spot because it left me with a flat chip, but I made a mess of it and thinned one down the hill I didn’t want to be on. Thankfully, I managed a very good lag putt for a 5.
There were three terrible shots and one good putt. The score was deserved, but still annoying.
Hole 10
Fresh start and a new nine. I ripped a drive down the tight corridor to the left, short of the water. It wasn’t in the fairway, but this is actually the ideal spot because it gives a better angle into the green and is shorter. I flew a really nice 9-iron pin-high, just right of the green with the pin on the left.
It was a long putt across the green, but the line was perfect. It finished about two rolls short of birdie. Solid bounce-back par. Thrilled with that. Birdie was never expected here, so par felt just right.
Hole 11
Now we get to the par 6. The wind was strong at my back, and in hindsight, I should have taken driver. I’ve been striping it lately and could have cleared the hazard fairly easily, but instead I took 5-wood. I hit it perfectly. Zero complaints—other than I hit it too far. It ran into the hazard, and we couldn’t find the ball anywhere. That was disappointing. I hit the shot I wanted, but I guess I should have either taken an iron or gone big with driver.
From the drop, I took 5-wood again. It wasn’t a mistake, but it was a tough shot on a downhill lie. I made a good strike, but it bounced off the hill and ran up. Still not a bad spot. I laid up to 118 meters with a 7-iron.
The pin wasn’t accessible—it was tucked at the front, right by the water. I hit a good PW, but it flew long and over the green. Another difficult pitch, back from just about the worst spot. Somewhat frustrated, I hit a poor chip that didn’t run down the hill and followed that with a two-putt for double.
It was a series of compiling errors. Something I need to avoid. This cost me, and I made it worse by continuing poor play on the next hole.
Hole 12
I really like this par 3. Unfortunately, it doesn’t like me much. The wind was blowing hard from left to right, and for some reason I played a draw. The wind took it and pushed it into the right-hand bunker. Again, more errors stacking up. I had the right club, maybe tried to hit it a bit too hard, but still, it was a mistake.
The lie in the bunker was terrible. It was sitting down, on a downhill lie, with everything running away toward the water and a decent lip in front of me.
Not making a committed stroke in a bunker is the worst thing you can do—and that’s exactly what I did. Left myself in the bunker again. This time, I had a better lie and made a good out to about eight feet. The putt was good, just a slight misread, and it slid past the hole. So, back-to-back doubles and three doubles in four holes.
That just isn’t good enough. Period.
Hole 13
Redemption time. We now get into a series of holes I really jive with. I hammered a drive between the bunker and the hazard, taking a bit of a shortcut, and left myself 91 meters to the pin. It was a dead-straight arrow. So good.
The approach was average. Distance was spot-on, but it was a bit right. With the pin on a shelf, the ball rolled out to about 30 feet. Unfortunately, these uphill putts continue to give me issues. I’m just not giving them the proper pace. Maybe it’s because my home course doesn’t have many of them, but it’s been a season-long trend.
Thankfully, even though I had six feet left, I made the putt for par.
Hole 14
Another par 3, and one that is long and plays tough. A bit of luck and a solid strike gave me my best birdie chance of the day—an uphill right-to-left from seven feet. I just didn’t read enough break. It wasn’t a lip-out, just a straight miss. Still, a par and now back-to-back pars on the card.
Hole 15
This hole is similar to 14, but with a slightly different green and a more thoughtful tee shot.
Instead of driver, I went with mini driver. Balls had been flying a long way, and I didn’t want to run through the fairway again like I had earlier.
The mini was perfect and left me in a great spot with 136 meters in. While I probably could have taken driver, mini was the right call because the widest part of the fairway is in that landing zone.
Another slightly mishit iron left me in the front-right bunker. Hindsight says maybe I could have gone with 7-iron and tried to flight it more into the wind, but the 8 felt right.
The bunker shot was solid but left 12 feet. I put a good stroke on it, but it didn’t break as expected and went past the hole. I tapped in the three-footer for bogey.
Looking back, I don’t think I would have played the hole much differently. I just wish I had struck my irons better.
Hole 16
For context, the wind was blowing in and to the right—toward the massive line of OB.
I love this hole because it’s mean and challenging. It asks a clear question: lay up and make it a long par 5, or take driver, pick your line, and go. For me, the driver was always the call, and I hit a nice small draw. It was perfect. Truly couldn’t have been better.
The rest of the hole still isn’t easy. There’s a line of trees by the 10th tee box on the left, a tree in front of the green on the right, and OB all along the right.
I took 5-wood and just pulled it slightly. It headed toward the OB line, clipped a tree, and dropped down. Thankfully, I caught a break and had 102 meters into the green. I took 50-degree from under the tree, went over the next one, and landed 16 feet away.
I was really happy with the putt. The line was perfect all the way, but I didn’t see the late break to the left near the hole. Perfect speed. Tap-in par.
Not going to call it a missed opportunity—I definitely got a break with the tree—but still, I was chasing a birdie.
Hole 17
Another par 3. The pin was way over to the left near the water, which is basically a no-go zone. I might have had the wrong club. I took 9-iron, but it was probably an 8. I tried to hit it a bit harder, and it went right, as you probably guessed.
The chip was just okay. I caught it heavy, and it luckily ran out more than expected, but still didn’t end up close. Another two-putt and a bogey.
Hole 18
I wish I had taken a photo of this tee shot. It’s set far back in the woods with a tight corridor. There are trees on the left, OB staring at you on the right, and a powerline that makes you think a right miss might hit it too.
It’s just a challenging shot—and one I really like. It’s clear what you need to do. You just have to execute.
I hit the drive a bit thin, but it flew well.
Left with 90 meters uphill to the flag, I hit a three-quarter 50-degree wedge. It didn’t fly quite as far as I expected, but it was still on the green. It was right at the flag and, for a second, I really thought it was going to be perfect.
Another uphill putt and another one left woefully short, but again, I made a very good second putt to finish the round with a par.
Final Thoughts
All totaled, it was an 85 with three doubles, eight pars, and seven bogeys.
I had 34 putts, two penalties, and I think I hit seven greens. On the card, it shows six fairways, but really only one truly bad drive—on the first tee.
It sucks to be close but still feel so far off. But that’s golf. There’s enough there that gives me glimmers of hope and the thought that maybe, just maybe, I can reach my bigger goals this year.
