Yesterday, that was, when on a dull and chilly afternoon, MOH and I took to the course rather later than usual and played a round of nice uncomplicated golf. Maybe it was being back on home turf (after Bryn Meadows) or maybe I was just due for some luck, but despite a poor start (first drive into the ditch requiring penalty drop) I started to get a good feeling about my game. This was confirmed by a birdie on the 9th and an unexpected chip in for par on the 12th. To cut a long story short, despite two more drops from a lake, I still shot my best round ever.
How did this happen? Well apart from the requisite amount of good fortune, I'd say it was due to some uncharacteristically good putting. Which just goes to show, it can be done. Anyway, great to get a good round in before winter sets in.
Showing posts with label Golf diary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Golf diary. Show all posts
Friday, 26 October 2007
Friday, 28 September 2007
Match Play Magic
Up to now my experience of match play has been strictly limited, but I'm starting to come round to the idea. Playing yesterday in a doubles competition, it struck me as quite refreshing to focus on the competition (in every sense) rather than individual achievement. Okay, as said before, the individual thing is what makes golf what it is, but playing hole by hole means you can write off those lost holes a lot more easily than when the score (painful as it may be) goes down on the card.
BTW - we won - and on the 16th - this may have helped!
A quick PS: Although my round was less than spectacular, I do seem to be shaping up a lot better for those pressure putts. Thanks to everyone who helped with the yips problem!
BTW - we won - and on the 16th - this may have helped!
A quick PS: Although my round was less than spectacular, I do seem to be shaping up a lot better for those pressure putts. Thanks to everyone who helped with the yips problem!
Thursday, 6 September 2007
(Double) Bogey Hole
You know what I mean by a ‘bogey’ hole. It’s the one that you used to play with very little trouble and suddenly it’s defeating you round after round.
My current problem is a par 4 that doglegs right around two large lakes and has a ditch to the left of the fairway. This used to be the third hole and had a stroke index of five. That gave me six shots to get down in, which I could usually do and often managed to better.
But since the course was remodelled, this hole has become the 18th with a stroke index of eleven - an entirely different story! Whether suffering from fatigue or caffeine deprivation, I’m now incapable of doing it in five. Even six is a bit of a rarity, and it's taking the shine off every round.
I’ve tried everything, from playing safe (four to the green and hope for a good putt) to throwing caution to the winds, all to no avail. Yesterday is a case in point. I hooked my drive into the ditch, dropped out for a penalty and hit the next into the lake. After another drop, I played safe up the fairway but my next missed the green. You can see how this is going. Let’s just say that today my drive reached the ditch again, but getting down in six felt like a real achievement – even if it was actually a double bogey! As a friend of mine says, there's nothing like a good finish, and that was nothing like one.
My current problem is a par 4 that doglegs right around two large lakes and has a ditch to the left of the fairway. This used to be the third hole and had a stroke index of five. That gave me six shots to get down in, which I could usually do and often managed to better.
But since the course was remodelled, this hole has become the 18th with a stroke index of eleven - an entirely different story! Whether suffering from fatigue or caffeine deprivation, I’m now incapable of doing it in five. Even six is a bit of a rarity, and it's taking the shine off every round.
I’ve tried everything, from playing safe (four to the green and hope for a good putt) to throwing caution to the winds, all to no avail. Yesterday is a case in point. I hooked my drive into the ditch, dropped out for a penalty and hit the next into the lake. After another drop, I played safe up the fairway but my next missed the green. You can see how this is going. Let’s just say that today my drive reached the ditch again, but getting down in six felt like a real achievement – even if it was actually a double bogey! As a friend of mine says, there's nothing like a good finish, and that was nothing like one.
Monday, 27 August 2007
Bad round bears fruit
Swanning around the Grouchy Golf Blog the other day, I noticed a link to research by Dave Pelz on the advisability of keeping the flag in while chipping or putting from off the green. Apparently it’s far more likely to help than hinder your ball reach the hole, except in one or two exceptional circumstances, which you can read for yourself.
Sadly this was the highlight of my golfing week, as my rounds went, if not from bad to worse, certainly from reasonable to downright frustrating. It started with a singles match in which I played well up the fairway, but more or less handed the honours to my partner ( struggling with his own game) on the putting green. Two more rounds with MOH, one in blazing heat and the other in a chill breeze proved equally disappointing. Putting got better, but fairway shots got worse. On the bright side I got a lot of bunker practice and hit some great recovery shots, and more than one sojourn in the bushes reminded me the blackberry season was well under way. Later in the afternoon I set off down some quiet lanes and found a bumper crop. Luckily I had taken a old six iron with me (no, not one of my new Callaways!) and put it to good use pulling down the high branches, so all was not lost.
It was pretty good to prove this for myself on my very next round when I had an awkward downhill putt from a tangly bit of fringe then had the pleasure of watching my ball trickle down, hit the flag and disappear for an unexpected (and arguably undeserved!) par 5.
Sadly this was the highlight of my golfing week, as my rounds went, if not from bad to worse, certainly from reasonable to downright frustrating. It started with a singles match in which I played well up the fairway, but more or less handed the honours to my partner ( struggling with his own game) on the putting green. Two more rounds with MOH, one in blazing heat and the other in a chill breeze proved equally disappointing. Putting got better, but fairway shots got worse. On the bright side I got a lot of bunker practice and hit some great recovery shots, and more than one sojourn in the bushes reminded me the blackberry season was well under way. Later in the afternoon I set off down some quiet lanes and found a bumper crop. Luckily I had taken a old six iron with me (no, not one of my new Callaways!) and put it to good use pulling down the high branches, so all was not lost. No golf today. I am nursing nettle stings and making pastry.
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