Not great, not horrible

[Jonnydanger81]

I played an interesting course in Bradford yesterday, Bradford Country Club. The few reviews I read of the place made it sound like a real POS, but the reviews were from two summers ago, so my cousin and I decided to give it a chance and for $30 for 18 with a cart it made it sound even better.

It was a short course, playing something like 6,000 yards (par 70) from the whites. I usually prefer blue tees but I'm always up to playing whatever and on this short of a course it wouldn't have mattered much.

Lots of teeing off with my 3 hybrid and 5 iron. It seemed like every tee shot you just wanted to be between 180-240 yards out either because of a hazard or severe dogleg. Off the tee I did pretty well, I think I hit 10/14 fairways and 2 of the 4 par 3 greens. So most of my shots were from 75-150 yards out to the green but I was pulling my wedges something nasty. Everything was left side of the green or just off the left. I started and finished strong, but I had a string of 3 miserable holes where I ended up in the sand (which was a joke for "raked") and not only didn't convert my U/D but 3-putted once after getting out of the bunker. My putter was iffy all day. I had a great 30 ft birdie putt on a double break putt, but I also missed 3 easy birdies from inside 10 feet, one on a par 3, another on a par 5 and a last on a par 4. The holes were I lost it I probably 3 putted twice, besides that though I was content with my 2 putts seeing as I averaged 18 feet from the hole.

Overall I ended up shooting an 81. There were those 3 back to back to back holes where I forgot how to golf and had an OB penalty that really killed me, but besides those few holes and the strange pulling of my wedges it was an OK round. I smashed my driver the 3 times I got to pull it out, carrying a diagonal hazard that I took the looooong way to get over and another driver that I just demolished. I haven't gone to the range AT ALL lately, only having time to get out of the course instead, so I wouldn't mind figuring out what this pulling business is about.

As for the course though, the price was right, we played 18 in 3 hours and besides unfortunately running into a men's league halfway through the round because we were playing so quickly, it was a good experience. Lots of target golf, really only one hole where we could let it fly, but that's kind of nice sometimes. Now that I know a lot of the doglegs and blind tee shots I'd like to play it again, and for $30 sneaking out early from work, I probably will.