Royal New Kent

After a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called 3 Monkeys with my friend Tom, his wife Nicole, their friend Alex Garza, I caught up with some miscellaneous tasks and went to bed early to prepare for the day's round. No amount of sleep in the world could have prepared me for the brute which is Royal New Kent in Providence Forge, Virginia. This course is golf eye candy at its best - with stunning views, high native grass, blind shots from the tee, fairway, bunkers, even the green, and an uncanny ability to make a simple par turn into an 8. I started slower than the 2004 New England Patriots, going double, double, double, triple, double. It was 6 holes before I carded my first score inside 2 shots of par. The last portion of the front 9 did have a redeeming quality as I scored par, par, bogey, and birdie to stay even for 4 holes. That did not last. After hitting my second shot at the par 5 10th greenside, I took a bogey. After hitting the par 4 11th in regulation, I took a bogey. This is worth noting because I honestly believe there was no possible way to 2 putt these greens. Ever. Not even Brad Faxon could find the cup in 2 with the undulations I had to endure. My frustration came to a head at the tee box of the par 4 14th - a 330 yard risk/reward hole. I took the risk and ended up 20 yards shy of the green. My chip shot landed to 12 feet and I drained the birdie. Any momentum I had gained was squashed at the par 4 16th where I carded an 8. My first (and hopefully last) snowman of the trip. My par on 18 did give a small reminder to my brain that I am able to play this game. After finishing 18, I went straight to the driving range for a 2 hour practice session - foregoing my afternoon round at Stonehouse. One Strantz course a day is plenty. I am looking forward to a round tomorrow on one of Virginia's gem's, the traditionally designed and highly acclaimed Golden Horseshoe Gold Course. Until then...

Today's Course: Royal New Kent
Today's Score: 96 - ouch! I'm going to need to put up a good score tomorrow or my handicap will balloon to Starr Jones proportions
Current Handicap: 8.3
Tonight's Overnight Location: Richmond, VA
Tomorrow's Course: Golden Horseshoe Gold Course
Tomorrow's Overnight Location: Pinehurst, NC