Well, that was an up-and-down round for sure. I had some good shots, some bad shots, and the greens were so inconsistent my putting was a crapshoot. So all-in-all, it was a round of golf.

It was pretty windy today, especially on the holes around the lakes. That definitely had an effect, but the greens were the biggest test. They were firm and bouncy when you hit even a wedge into the green. However, when actually putting most of the greens on the front were very slow. Some of the greens had lots of sand on parts of them, even though you usually see that when aerating. They were not in any process of aeration. That meant you were having to adjust not only pace but how much break you would get on even different parts of the same putt.

I didn’t do myself any favors even with the difficulties though. I bogeyed 7-straight holes between the 6th and 12th. I hit two plain bad woods into par 5 greens (one resulting in a drop), some poor wedges, and a three-putt.

The good news is I was 2-under over the last 6 holes. I hit four of the last five greens, and the only one I missed I was able to putt on and tap in for par. I hit my two best drives of the day on 17 and 18 — both nearly 300-yarders. The one on 17 was an absolute bomb over the tree that blocks the fairway that might have bounced onto the green uphill if it hit in the fairway instead of a yard or two into the rough just right of the green. I chipped on with a 60-degree and made the birdie putt.

The middle of this round was a horror show, but overall it was a solid round. I hit more 3-woods off the tee today than I normally do at Incline Village or anywhere. That worked pretty well as I hit 10 fairways. On the par 5 14th, I hit 3-wood and 5-wood and was chipping my third from just off the green and made a tap-in birdie. It limited the trouble I could get in off the tee, and now that I have four wedges in the bag I have more options for shots into the greens. Adding a 50-degree wedge has been a huge plus. I am a little sad I don’t have the 3-iron as a security blanket off the tee or on par 5’s, but having that consistent 100-115 yard club frees me up from having to attempt to take something off my pitching wedge or mash a 54-degree. I used my 50-degree a lot today, and it worked well.

Incline Village continues to be one of the best deals in the area. I am playing it again tomorrow for less than $15. Hopefully, I can keep my composure better in the middle of the round and put together a good score.