Unless you have great control on the drives, in general you should end up 10 to 40 feet away from the hole for a chance at birdie in every hole. So good putting at the 20 foot or less range is important. I feel that 10 feet or less I should sink it (though I miss a distressingly high number of times) and at 10-20 feet I can sink it sometimes but farther than that and I'd have to be lucky.

On to the fifth hole, a short 186 yard par 3 with a large bush blocking the view to the hole. So you have a blind shot at the hole with sand to the left and right a bit in front of the hole. It's mostly guesswork and this time I guess right, as my tee-shot ends up 3 feet from the hole for an easy birdie.

Hole 6 is a 338 yard par 4 which goes straight for a couple hundred yards then angles to the left. With a row of trees on the left you really can't shoot straight for the hole, so go straight ahead and hook it left a bit to get around the trees. My first shot puts me 86 yards away, my second gets me to 10 feet and I almost miss the hole to the right but it just barely goes in for a birdie.

The 7th hole is a 368 yard par 4 that once again is straight for a couple hundred yards before angling left. There is sand on the left so you have to make sure not to hook it too far left or you'll line up the whole with the sand bunkers. I almost blow the tee shot and pull it way right, but I got the power exactly so it barely goes right, leaving me 118 yards from the hole. The hole is way on the near side of the green so if you undershoot it you end up in the rough, therefore it's probably better to overshoot it a bit. I overshoot it a bit too much though and end up 47 feet from the hole. But I make it up with my first putt which gets to 28 inches for an easy par.

Hole 8 is a 281 yard par 4 which curves a bit right then back left. There is a stand of trees directly in your line so once again you want to hit it a bit right and keep it right. If you hook it left there is sand that way which will make the 2nd shot hard. The first shot puts me 67 yards away and well away from the sand, but I muff the second shot and end up 44 feet from the hole. Now I just want to get close to the hole but with a great putt I manage to sink it in for another birdie.

The 9th hole is a 364 yard par 4 with trees and sand between you and the hole. You have to hit it to the right but unless you hit it far you'll end up with sand in front of the hole and behind it too. I drive the tee-shot 300 yards, which isn't far enough. I'm 76 yards away and the hole is guarded by sand to the front and behind it -- the toughest situation. But a *great* shot leaves me 3 feet from the hole for another easy birdie.

So, after the first 9 holes I'm 6 under par and having a great game. No big mistakes so no bogeys and I've managed 6 birdies. Writing this down while I'm playing has calmed my game so I'm not making the stupid putting mistakes that would normally cost me 3 or 4 birdies. But the back 9 is a bit harder with the horrible 18th hole that breaks a man's will to live.

The 10th hole is a straight par 4 of 313 yards. Sand on the left and right in front of the hole but if you hit the ball straight you have nothing to worry about. A short drive puts me 68 yards away and a bit to the right, but still safe. If you hit the angle wrong, the ball doesn't carry as far regardless of whether or not it's straight. The second shot falls short but the ball bounces to the edge of the green, 29 feet from the hole. I decide to putt it, hitting it a bit harder than I should (each point on the power scale of a putt is about 10 feet) since I'm still on the fairway. The golf goddess is with me tonight as I putt the ball a bit to the right but it curves into the hole for yet another birdie.