Well today was definitely a day to remember at the RACV Cape Schanck Resort. This fine Tuesday was the day I made my second and third eagles of the year ?? on consecutive par fours!! The adrenaline has only just stopped pumping through my veins.
It started with a sandwich from the resort café after 9 holes and a quick chat with Peter (the Head Pro) and his team in the golf shop about how much we had enjoyed the front nine. Which was a lot. I then stepped up to the 10th tee and, after thinking I had hit a pretty good drive, got a fair surprise when I saw the ball had bounded between the plethora of bunkers to 15 feet below the hole. A cheeky one-putt later and another good drive and I was standing on the 11th fairway with sand wedge in hand. Before hitting I did what Jamie had been doing, and checked the course guide book ?? ??the green has two tiers and slopes to the left?. A flushed 52?? just to the right of the pin; then we careered up towards the elevated green, to scope out the landing zone for JP??s pitch. But as we approached the green my ball was nowhere to be seen? Quickly I was awash with excitement. I knew it would be close. Sure enough it was in the hole for back to back eagles, and the longest shot I have ever holed out with ?? 120m! The iPhone came out for some Facebook posting, celebratory photographs etc? Check out the video below.
Despite my two eagles (and three birdies) Jamie beat my 77 by one shot today and had a fine solid 76. He hit the ball as straight as he has done all year ?? barely a draw in sight! (this may come as a surprise to all those who have seen his seemingly incurable draw this year). I would get him to edit the blog, but he??s busy emailing Arnold Palmer, asking if he??ll play with us in the States.
Taking a couple steps back, our day started with a warm welcoming from the staff at the RAVC Cape Schanck resort. They were really engaging and interested to hear about our story. Peter and Nigel also offered us some fine advice about how to play their course. Some of it came in handy ?? e.g. telling us to drive up to the 6th green for a look. (The green is no less than 73m long ?? a full blooded 3 wood for some elderly ladies). The green made me think of my Dad who is the proud owner of one of the shortest putting strokes going round - I would pay money to see him try and putt from one end of the 6th green to the other. Might take him a while!
Cape Schanck was the first course to be built on the spectacular block of golfing terra firma that is the Mornington Peninsula. It was designed by no less than Robert Trent Jones Jnr and has expansive views across the Peninsula over Bass Straight. The course is cut through bush and like Eagle Ridge yesterday has some funneling fairways where you are either down the middle or in Elephant (or snake) country. The greens at Cape Schanck aren??t flat by any stretch of the imagination. In fact they are psychotically undulating to the extent that they could wreak absolute havoc for a poor unsuspecting golfer, particulary in the wind. Our mate Ed would be in tears. (Ed can??t putt for peanuts). What Cape Schanck lacks in length it makes up for around the greens, with the bunkering and undulations that make life virtually impossible if you get the ball in the wrong spot. Jamie managed to find most of the bunkers on the front nine today but his most recent bunker shot (from the second bunker he had been in on the 10th hole) was a successful up and in, so I end the day as The Crab. Debacle.
Our monthly format of greens, fairways and putts was given a tweak this morning which today worked very much in my favour. The tweak is to reward birdies ?? from today a birdie allows you to nominate a bonus point towards either your fairways or greens tally or alternatively take away one putt from your total on the day. An eagle allows two nominations. Accordingly with my 2 eagles and 3 birdies, I was never going to lose today. Yet, I nominated poorly on the way around and we ended up halving the daily putting competition. So for the second day straight it was 2.5 plays 0.5 in the stats comp. (I think Jamie feels a bit aggrieved having made 2 birdies yesterday, to my 1, before the tweak was introduced ?? and having beaten me off the stick today only to come up short again).
After the golf we headed into Rosebud where Wendy has kindly put us up in the Caravan park for a couple of nights. Perfect spot opposite the water and close to the shops. I can??t wait to have a good wreckie around the Peninsula over the next week or two. We have been reading the tourist information book and it has two main features ?? wine and golf ?? should be a dream location. Someone??s gotta do it?
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Hi Guys .. keep it going .. I have a Yardage Book business and you have visited many courses that I supply ... Cape Schanck is quite cool!
All the best
Scott
Posted by Scott Ritchie, 04/03/2010 10:49am (3 years ago)
Each day I hate you afresh.
Thinking of ways to join somewhere along the track.
Talk soon.
Posted by Matt, 02/03/2010 11:47am (3 years ago)
Chisholm Park
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