Ok, 2 rounds in again over the weekend. My club's monthly medal round on Saturday and a Pennant Final match on Sunday.
Saturday's stroke round off the back pegs was indeed a mixed bag. I arrived at the course to find I had drawn group 1 and would be hitting off with a past club champion and our club president, neither of whom I had played with before.
The thing that dominates my mind about this round is the fact that after starting so well, where I was only 2 over the card through 7 holes after double bogeying the first, when I arrived at the 16th tee, I then discovered that I had to par 2 of the last 3 holes to play to my 16 handicap.
Yes Bulldog, I had checked the card...
For about the hour and a half it took our group to negotiate holes 8 through 14, my club presidents mobile phone had been "ringing off the hook"... He is a local businessman and obviously had some dealings that were important to him, but, the fact that he didn't turn his phone to silent meant that we were all aware when it rang, and it did, often....
As we were standing on 14th tee, I asked my president (whose card I was marking) what he had shot on the 13th hole, because I had stopped counting. He answered and I asked him if we were counting strokes or phone calls...? He must have got the message and turned his phone off or to silent, because I didn't hear it ring again and I spent the next 2 holes cursing myself for not saying something sooner...
Anyways, enough of that, I managed to pull my head in and did manage to par 16 and 18 to finish the day with an 88 off the stick (43/45)/16/72 with 29 (12/17) putts. Only hit 5 of 14 fairways on the day and only 4 of 18 GIR. I think the low GIR figure coupled with the lowish 29 putts meant I managed to chip well. 8 1 putt greens against just the 1 3 putt. 4 double bogies and a triple bogey offset by 6 pars and a birdie.
Again, I had struck the ball quite well tee to green and the thought I had going home after the day was done was that if I struck the ball that well again tomorrow, my Pennant match would also go well...
Sunday morning saw me up early, 5.30am in order to be ready for my 6.15am pick up time for the trip to Werribee GC for our Pennant Final...
Again the mixed feelings, I won my Match 2 up, though my team lost.
I was happy in that again, after starting well where I was 3 up after 8 holes, I then faltered mid round and lost 3 of the next 5 holes to be back to square on 14 tee. Each of those 5 holes I had hit at least one poor shot and I knew that I had lost those holes, my opponent had not won them, if that makes any sense......
Anyway, from there I would regroup, holing a putt of length for a half on 14 gave me some confidence and I would win 15 with a par to go 1 up again with 3 to play. We would halve 16 and 17 and I won the match with a regulation par 5 on the last.
Out of the weekend I take the fact that I am striking the ball well tee to green, which means my "swing easy" is doing it for me at the moment and that my scoring on any given day will be short game driven.
I will need to find some time and watch a DVD I have been given which I am told is quite good. I think iIt is called Digital Golf School and is by a fellow called Simon Holmes. It comes to me highly recommended...
Thanks for reading.
Cheers
