Round #6: Pinehurst No. 2

THE GOLF

The No. 2 course at Pinehurst played host to the U.S. Open Championship last year where Michael Campbell overcame the rest of the field in sublime fashion. The course has been around for over 100 years. It was designed by the famed golf course architect Donald Ross and is know exclusively for green complexes which resemble the shape of turtle backs. Every green on the course it crowned in some fashion, placing a premium on accurate distance and line control.

I woke at 6:30 and called the proshop to add-on as a single. Non resort guests are only able to play by calling in same day. They had availability in an 8:40 group. I shot out of bed, dressed and headed to the course. Arriving at Pinehurst is a spectacle in itself, as the bag drop circle continues forever, begging for an olympic track and field event to arrive. After checking in at the proshop, I headed to the Caddy Master to meet my caddy for the day and hit a few balls. My caddy, named John, was in his 37th year looping for the resort. At the first tee I met my playing partners for the morning - a young insurance worker from San Francisco named Scott, and 2 gentlemen, Chris and Pete, on a golf trip with friends from Columbia, Maryland. From the outset it was clear that it would be a long day for Chris and Pete. Pete scored 1 par all day while Chris took 1 bogey as his lowest number. Scott was a decent player save for his erratic drives and irons and lumberjack's touch around the greens.
The tees, stretched to the tips, measured 6,785 yards this day. I figured I would test my luck and play from the "back of the rack." After a par on the first hole, I found rough on multiple tee shots and followed with bogey, double bogey, bogey. A terrific par save at the par 3 6th got my round going. I closed the front nine with back to back birdies on 8 and 9 for a 41. The back nine started out much better, as the worst score I would take on any hole was bogey, which happened only 3 times. I birdied the par 3 15th to go -2 collectively on the par 3's with 3 of the 4 completed. It was not until the par 3 17th that I would stumble. The hole was pretty straight forward with plenty of green to work with. The place not to miss was in the bunker short and right...so after my tee shot I'm preparing to hit my next shot from the bunker short and right, and I catch part of the ball, send it running off the green into another bunker. My next shot is more successful, landing on the green to 10 feet from the pin with a chance at bogey. I 3 putt. Triple bogey. My 4 over turns into 7 over - if I can make par at the 447 yard par 4 18 playing into the wind. My drive finds the fairway, my second shot lands next to the putting green some 40 yards from the green. The recovery chip lands to 10 feet and I drain the putt to save par and finish with an 84. There is still work to be done, but at least I can feel confident that my game has come around especially on this difficult course.

Today's Course: Pinehurst No. 2
Today's Score: 84
Handicap: 8.2 - getting slightly better!
Overnight Location: Atlanta, GA
Tomorrow's Course: Chateau Elan Woodlands
Tomorrow's Overnight Location: Atlanta, GA

ATLANTA

After the round, I had a terrific lunch at the Donald Ross Grill in the Pinehurst Golf Clubhouse. The open faced pulled pork sandwich served overtop of cornbread and fried green tomatoes is a recipe Tracy and I will have to duplicate. I'm sure it's fat free as well. After eating, at 2:50, I hoped in the car and began the 6 hour drive to Atlanta. Arriving at my friend Jeff Weekely's house at 8:00 must account for a new land speed record and allowed me ample time to settle in before the "Jack Bauer Powe Hour" which is 24.