LOCAL GOLF - Sunday Morning Golf Review

The Dewsweepers were back on the beam Sunday morning, and this time we were in Medina. We haven't played Pleasant Valley in a few years, so we booked at 703 tee time, and dove in.

Pleasant Valley is an 18 hole course off Hamilton Road, about 6,500 yards for the average player, with deep tees jumping back to about 6,900 yards. PV is a course that is very challenging and requires a consistent tee game to be able to score well on. It's the course of the long par 4. There are plenty of those, and that makes for tough golf for us amateurs. On the front a bunch of long par 4's of 410, 380, 375, and 432 yards. And on the much tougher back 9, 400, 385, 390, 400.

So as you can see, driving is really at a premium here. And frankly that is something overall we did not do well today as a group. There is some sand here, and tons of tree lined fairways. Not only are the par 4's long,. but the par 5's are very thin, and very challenging. This is a very nice, but very tough golf course.

Joe Red was the eventual low man of the day, by shooting a 44 on the front and a 44 on the back. A consistent round, that could have been better for him. Short putts again haunted Red as he left a few of strokes on the green, always frustrating. He struck the ball better over all than the rest of us, but you gotta get the ball in the hole. Joe Red cold have thrown down about at 82 or so.

The length of the par 4's was going to be a problem for Tex, and the rest of us. Tex is not a huge hitter off the tee, so courses that have par 4's more along the lines of 300 - 340 are more conducive to his game. Tex did putt well by canning 4 1-putts on the front. But the back jumped up and bit Tex, and the rest of us.

But this course does have a special meaning for Tex. A few years ago we all stood drop-jawed on number 14 tee, as Tex drained a hole-in-one from an elevated tee, over the pond and into the cup after rattling the stick. It was a great scene, and it was fun to return to that hole and relive it with Tex.

Beef, normally a fast starter, did not get off to his usual start. But his game did get better as we rolled on, in fact he was the only one that shot better on the back then the front, and that's no small feat. I feel the back on this course overall, is a one of the tougher back 9's around. You had better score on the front, but Beef took on the back and shot respectable back there. He kept on firing and eventually surived the back 9.

My round was marred by a serious lack of any mental focus, and a learning a new driver. The airlines broke my driver coming back from Vegas, so I bought a new one this week. And there's always a learning curve. Too bad it was on a course that requires a good driver. I hacked around a bit, hitting a good drive occasionally. But in fact, I didn't have my good game in any regard. But I did putt well, with 7 1-putts on the day that did help. Also, a drive on number 14 (par 3) about 3 foot from the hole helped too. But missed that putt. I shot a respectable 42 on the front with smoke and mirrors, only to have it catch up with me on the back plating 47 there. Gotta get more comfy with the new driver.

Course highlights? Number 6 a long dogleg left par 5, about 500 yards to a hard to hit green. Number 9, par 5 uphill all the way, 575 yards and thin off the tee. And to be fair, the entire back 9, where every hole is pretty darn tough. Highlighted by number 17 a 214 yard par 3, over a water filled gorge to an elevated green with no margin for error.

We now have put Pleasant Valley away for another year probably. This course is always in very good shape, and is always ready to play. We in the past have had issues with Pleasant Valley that had nothing to do with golf, but some of those seem to be getting better with time. Today nice day, nice course and a good time. Too bad all of us really didn't have any game at all.

Looking forward to next week, back West to Huron and Thunderbird Hills North

Scores

Joe Red - 88
Wynn - 89
Beef - 93
Tex - 100+