On a weekend that was forecast to be by all accounts, washed out, the Washington Golf Club Member Guest Tournament that my Dad and I have played in each year since my handicap has allowed us to get into the championship flight (this being the second of those years) went off as planned. Twenty-seven teams of members and their guests, fifty four total golfers, brought their rain gear in tow on Friday afternoon hoping that they would be able to avoid the torrential downpours that were excpeted throughout the weekend.
For those of you who have never played in a Member Guest tournament before, here is a Member Guest 101. The golfers are divided into flights based on aggregate team handicap. Each flight in this case consisted of five to seven teams of two golfers. Within each flight there is a nine hole match play round robin where +/- holes from each match are cumulative throughout the weekend. For example, if your team lost 4 holes in the first match and won 2, you would be -2 for that match. If in the next match you go +2, your total cumulative score moves to even. This progresses through the round robin style tournament to determine a flight champion. Each match is played in a best ball format net of handicaps, with strokes given off of the lowest handicap in the group.
With the rains that we have had in the Northeast lately, the course was wet but in remarkable shape. The rains however did cause one problem for the tournament, No Carts Allowed on the course. So there you had 54 golfers of varying ages and health walking 54 holes in 3 days on a very hilly and wet golf course. Caddies were available in short supply and those uncapable of walking were allowed carts (about 4 teams rode over the weekend).
Scorecard:Washington Golf Club is a diabolical nine hole course where the shots are blind, the holes are tight, and the greens are as fast and as sloped as you will find anywhere. The first hole requires an accurate tee shot to the corner of a short dogleg and a delicate 80 -90 yeard shot into a tightly gaurded and hard to hit green. Downhill off the tee and dramatically uphill back to the green, the par 4 second hole has a greent hat will drive you crazy. Sloped from back to front, any shot on the back or over the green will take yyou out of the hole for sure. The third hole is a challenging, but straight forward par 3, followed by a dogleg left par 5 with another devilish green. The fith hole is among the tightest driving holes on the course and the sixth has the hardest green to hit on the course. The seventh is a tiny greened 110 yard par 3, the eigth a tight par 4, and the ninth a drivable par 4. The course is kept in immaculate condition and always plays fair.
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 | in | 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 | out | total
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Par 4 4 3 5 4 4 3 4 4 | 35 | 4 4 3 5 4 5 3 4 4 | 36 | 71
Friday of the tournament is used to get in a best ball net nine hole tournament as a practice round. My father and I, defending Friday champions went out and fired a 5 under par 30 capped off by a natural birdie/net eagle on the par 4 5th hole when my downhill 25 footer hit the back of the cup for a three. Coming off of that high, and with an extra $200 in our pockets, we felt good about our chances going into the weekend.
Match 1
Our first match was very closely competed. After going down two holes early and not playing that well, we turned it up going to the ninth hole even. My Dad drove the green and while staring down an eagle putt, watched our opponent drain a bunker shot for an eagle of his own. After my Dad missed the putt to halve, we left our first match down one.
Match 2
Our second match saw us play our worst of the tournament. We couldn't get anything rolling and ended up losing 3 when we should have at least won 1. I did manage to drive the ninth green myself this time around only to 3 putt for par and a halve.
Match 3
Our last match of the first day was our best outcome as we took two from the defending champoins once again getting down early and coming back on the last four holes with a flury of wins to put us at -2 for the tournament well behind the first day leaders at +6.
Match 4
Our first match of the second day against the leading team was showcase to soem great golf with birdies winning or halving many of the holes, including the ninth hole, which we lost to lose the match -1 and move to -3 for the tournament.
Match 5
Our final match of the tournament was lethargic at best. Out of the running, we got pushed around by a pair of low handicaps who were playing their best round of the tournament against one of our worst. We ended up down 3 and -6 for the tournament.
Oh....and remember that rain that I was talking about, we did get more than five minutes of it while on the course all weekend!
Overall: B-
Driving: A
Irons: C-
Approach: C
Chipping: B
Putting: B
Course Management: B
Weekend Results:
Qualifing Best Ball Net Tournament: -5, Tournament Winner
Match 1: -1 hole
Match 2: -3 holes, -4 total
Match 3: +2 holes, -2 total
Match 4: -1 hole, -3 total
Match 5: -3 holes, -6 total
Records:
Because of the nature of the best ball format, I didn't keep a running tally of scores for my own ball. I did play 63 holes over the weekend and did have two natural birdies, no eagles, numerous pars, and a variety of bogeys, doubles, and triples.
