Glen Lakes

I played Glen Lakes Golf Club in Foley, Alabama the last two days. I'd never played the course, and yesterday, since I was playing alone, I thought I'd have a go from the back tees. 

Glen Lakes has three nines, and I started on the Dunes, which is 3554 yards from the tips.  My second nine was the Vista which was a mere 3358 yards, for a total of 6912 yards. It didn't seem so long when compared to the courses the big boys are playing, but I soon discovered I had bitten off a bit more than I could chew. I was hitting fairway woods into more par fours than I care to remember for my second shots and I think the shortest club I used from the par three tees was a 25 degree wood. 

Glen Lakes has front tees, coloured purple, that measure 4255 yards, and my darling wife, who rode around with me, was kind enough to point out that I was at least managing to get my tee shots past the purple tees. It didn't really make me feel any better.

I hung in there after taking a double bogey on the first hole, went out in a sizzling--or should I say, fizzling--42 and came home in 39 for 81. I had hit every fairway but two, but had managed to hit only four greens in regulation, so that 81 didn't feel so bad. I'd only three-putted once. I had also bogeyed both par fives on the back despite being only a yard or two from the green in three, and I'd failed to get it up and down all three times I'd found a greenside bunker. So, other than that, I figured I had scrambled like a madman to manage an 81.

At the end of the day I told my wife that my days of playing from the tips were over. I just can't hit it far enough anymore. But then, today I played from the whites and stick-handled all over the greens and shot 80. Therefore, maybe it isn't distance that's my problem, it might just be LOFT. Lack of freaking talent!

Glen Lakes is a very good course. They've moved a lot of earth to provide lots of mounding and uneven lies. There is plenty of room off the tees, but there is also good bunkering and enough water to make things interesting. The greens are good, too, which generally means I have a hard time putting them. Give me poor greens any time. At least that way I have an excuse. 

I really do like the course and intend to play it again--maybe even tomorrow. Who knows; I might try playing from the golds. If I keep moving up I might finally manage to break 80. But then again, the greens are really good.