Scragger63's - Musings from a troubled golfing mind...

Opponent was off the green, if he chipped on, surely?

Yes Bulldog, I had putted on and he followed me on from off the green as well...

Still not having checked, I'm pretty sure it was just a "rub of the green" thing. I replaced my ball as best I could and no penalty for either of us.

Cheers

OK...

It's Friday Arvo here and I'm feeling some nerves about both my weekend rounds that I don't recall feeling for at least 6 years or more...

Have been unable to sleep through the night for the past 3 nights and have been playing both rounds in my head for days...

I'm told by someone whose opinion I respect that this is actually a good thing...

The butterflies just will not go away....

Have a great weekend one and all...

May you all hit them long and straight and score unbelievably well...

Cheers

best of luck scraggs
visualising your round can be a positive thing but im not sure losing sleep for 3 nights is good for you

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

__________________
Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe....

The mobile thing is incredibly frustrating. I run my busniess through my mobile too, but I can't ever remembering having answered when I was playing with someone.

The problem is I useless wireless18 on it to mark my round, so it's always no silent but I always have to explain to my partners on the first tee that I'm not being rude, just marking my card!

Good job with the golf! Sounds like things are going your way though it's a shame the team lost.

Got to play a social 9 holes with my brother in law and our boys at the delightful Heathcote GC early on Sunday morning and yet again, the mixed bag was with me...

We teed off at just after 7.15am and the early morning frost was well and truly still on the ground. Couple that with the Kangaroos that roam the course, the kids were in for a fun morning.

The first hole is a dog leg left Par 5 and given we were squinting directly into the sun on the tee box, I took 1 iron from the tee for safety and according to my brother in law because I didn't see it at all because of the sun, hit a nice draw which found the left hand side of the fairway, just short of the dogleg, which meant, given the gums on the corner, I would have to fashion some sort of serious hook to get around the corner safely. Taking 3 iron and try to hook the ball around the corner, hit it well and it disappears around the corner seemingly hooking nicely. On getting to the ball I have left myself about 120m away and in the first cut of rough with a little tree to be considered in going for home. My 8 iron 3rd didn't fade anywhere near as much as I'd played for and left myself pin high about 20m left of the flag. I hit a pretty good chip, or so I thought, and despite the dew sitting on the green, the ball rolled out to about 25feet away from the pin and the resulting 3 putt double bogey 7 was a little disappointing. I salved my ego a little by telling myself these greens would be seriously treacherous during the summer months.

2nd hole: A longish 185m par 3 with a massive gum tree guarding the front right hand portion of the green. I got cute and tried to hit a nice fade in with a 4 iron and promptly overcooked it, missing the green right by about 20m. Lesson learned: should have hit a straight 5 iron to the left portion of the green. Again, hit what I thought was a good chip shot, but again it finished about 25feet away and again I would 3 putt for a double bogey 6.

3rd hole: A par 4, block driver out right and have to thread a punch back through the trees to the fairway and finish just inside 150m away for 2. 7 iron 3rd misses the green long and right and I chip back to about 15 feet and 2 putt for another double bogey 6. At least the 3 putts are gone.

4th hole: Another Par 4 and another driver from the tee blocked right into the trees. Another punch back to the fairway, this time just outside 150m for 2. 6 iron this time finishes pin high right about 15m off the putting surface. Again a good looking chip runs out to about 20 feet away, this time I would make the putt for a bogey 5. Better he says to himself. Now just find a fairway...

5th hole: Another par 4, given the 2 previously sprayed right drivers, this time I take 3 wood and hit it well, if not a little right as well, and find the right hand edge of the fairway, about 120m away, again with some trees to consider in going for home. Catch the 8 iron fat and only advance it some 30m closer to the green and bring the aforementioned tree well and truly into play. Punch a 1 iron low towards the green and catch it far too well, ball bounces twice just short of the green and rolls well through. The 25m chip I have left myself finishes about 20 feet away and the bogey attempt dies short in the heart. Tap in double bogey 6.

6th hole: Short par 4 off only 260m approx. Green is guarded left and right by water and some serious gums push out into the front right corner of the green making it a difficult dog leg right. Again take 3 wood, hit it well and finish just short of the water right of the green about 30m from the front edge. Chip to about 15 feet and my birdie attempt slides 15 inches past on the high side. Tap in Par, noice!!!

7th hole: Another par 4, long wide straightaway hole. Take driver again after 2 good 3 woods have revived the confidence and yet again block it right into the trees. Thinks to self, "am I swinging too hard maybe...???" Again punch out to the fairway, again just inside 150m for 2. 7 iron starts on line and drifts right to finish pin high right, about 10m from the edge. Chip on to about 10 feet and make the putt for a bogey 5.

8th hole: Short par 3 of some 130m with a massive bunker guarding the left hand side of the green. Easy 8 iron starts left of the flag and stays there and seems to carry the pot long. On arriving at the green, I find that the bunker seems much closer to the green than it actually is and my ball has pitched on the fringe grass and hopped once onto the putting surface and stopped about 20 feet from the pin. Birdie attempt dies in the heart of the hole about a foot short and kicking myself for leaving the birdie attempt short, tap in for my second 2 putt par in 3 holes.

9th hole: Lengthy par 5 of some 520m. This time driver starts right again, but this time hangs on to find the fairway. 1 iron second is less than ideal, however and finishes in the first cut on the left side of the fairway about 120m away. 8 iron 3rd looks great starts left and tries to fade right onto the pin. Pitches and stops on the green, seemingly close. Getting to the green, have left myself 15 feet for birdie. Nice way to finish the day I think to myself and with that last short birdie putt still in mind, hit this one a little too hard and run it 4 feet past. Make the one back for a par 5.

The stats will read something like this:

10 over the card 46 off the stick. 18 putts, 4 fairways and 3 greens in reg.

It remains fodder for the post round drinks that I had started playing reasonable golf from the 6th hole onwards, playing those 4 holes 1 over the card and finishing with 2 regulation pars. Might have gone on to score well around the back, but, who really knows.

Blocking the driver right aside, hit the ball reasonably well and but for some poor putting early, things might well have been better. Bottom line, we were just our for a fun round and the kids played a few balls around the course with us and the morning was more about them than us.

My 10 yr old son can hit my 3 wood quite well already and I am hopeful that he will inherit my love of this game and one day he and I might tee it up together in a father and son 4 ball. That would be something.

As always, thanks for reading.

Cheers

__________________
Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe....

Scragger keep the game fun for your boy and he'll fall in love with it. Not only that and this is the mother in me, he'll love spending time with his old man and catching up.

Love those early rounds with the wild life, I really do - with the sun up, dew on the ground, and great company - isn't it the real 'slived bread' experience!

Good on ya scrags, great to read, as ever

Nice post scraggs!

Last Saturday's club comp round was a Par round.

Whilst most of the guys at the club were complaining, saying "why don't we just play stableford..", for me, I prefer Par to Stableford because the score penalty is there for anything higher than a handicap par.

Further, as I discovered during my round, there is less pressure on any birdie putt because I could 2 putt and still "win" the hole. So, I wasn't trying to hole every (all 6 of them) birdie putt I had, and as a result, whilst I didn't make any of them, I 2 putted every one of them and still had the "win". Further, this also means 6 (of 18) greens in reg, which for me is a good number.

OK, bottom line, finished the day 2 up in a tie for 3rd in my grade and 5th in the club. It was 6 "wins" against 4 "losses" with 8 "halves".

Pretty happy with the way I struck the ball and my course management was with me in that each time I missed a fairway on a par 4, I looked simply to recover position in the fairway as safely as I could. The result for me being still able to shoot for a green with my 3rd shot and either 2 putting or (if I missed the green) being able to get up and down for a half.

The handicapper got me again and I am now in to 15.2 exact, a playing handicap of 15 for now. Another good round or 2 and I'll be back to my pre break 14 and my goal will be achieved.

As always, thanks for reading.

Cheers

__________________
Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe....

Haven't had the chance to play a par competition - sounds intriguing!

Good to hear you're on course for the 14 - keep the good times rolling

Bulldog,

Both Par and stroke rounds are great especially for the lower marker. The stableford is a lot easier to play. If you miss a hole it's no real loss. One can make up the two points elsewhere.

Arrived at the club on a chilly, overcast morning with sun and clear skies forecast for later in the day. Ideal conditions, scoring would be good today...

Unsure why, but today I settled on 3W off the 1st tee, breaking a 4 round stretch of taking driver. Have been blocking it rightish a little too often of late and with the whites up the front, the dam behind the 10th green was definitely within reach with the big dog should I spray it too far right.

Good decision borne out when I caned the 3W straight right towards the dam, finishing some 20m short in the treeline. Getting to my ball I see a path towards the green and again breaking my resolve to just get it back to the fairway as safely as possible, I take my 3I and poke it through the narrower gaps towards the green. Unbelievably, it misses everything and finishes on the cut stuff only some 15 feet away . I would 2 putt after leaving the birdie attempt 2 feet short .

Given I've taken ugly 6's the last 4 times out on the first, Walking away with a par (and a very lucky one at that) left me wondering "OK, what is going to happen today???"

After a stretch of 3 2 putt bogies over the next 3 holes, I then went Double Bogey, Par, Double Bogey, Par, Double Bogey to finish the front side with 45 off the stick.

The three Doubles were all the same in that I put my tee shot into trouble then after recovering position, missed the green and then failed to get up and down to salvage my bogey.

Our fourball was the second to last group out and I was playing with the 2 slowest golfers in our club. Mental note to self, our tee marshall needs to keep these 2 apart in future. To compound the "percieved slow pace" pressure, the fourball in front were in two carts and the fourball behind contained 2 of the biggest whingers about slow play in my Club.

Often during the latter 6 holes of our front 9, we found ourselves more than a hole behind and the group behind sitting on their bags. More than once I suggested we should allow them through, each time I was told we would play quicker. It didn't happen...

The back 9 was to be an almost exact replica of the front 9, I started with an unlikely 1 putt par on the 10th, then followed another 3 regulation 2 putt bogies on the trot. All the while, the group behind was seemingly getting closer and the group in front seemingly getting further away. After each hole I said we should let the group behind through, each time "No" was the almost choral response. My frustrations were growing.

Standing on 14 tee, I settled on an iron on this short dog leg par 4 with OOB all down the left and I hit my 4I rifle straight to the centre of the fairway, right on the point of the dog leg only some 120m away. My 9I approach would come up a little short into the gentle breeze. My chip from about 15m away was far too "handsy" and I knocked it some 30 feet past. From there I would 3 putt and walk to 15 tee as angry as I can remember ever being on a golf course.

Still trying to hurry things along, I grab my 1I for the 15 tee shot and again, strike it wonderfully well and it flies rifle straight, again bisecting the fairway. With the ball still in flight, I bent down to pick up my tee and in so doing, I didn't see my ball bounce. On looking up, my ball is nowhere to be seen on the fairway and I suggest playing a provisional. At this point I know I should have just done so, but given the pace we had been going at to now, I agreed with my playing partner's suggestions not to bother as it "just had to be there somewhere".

On getting to the point where it should have been, it was nowhere to be found. One of my playing partners then said he had watched the ball in flight the whole way and even he had not seen it bounce and had presumed it had plugged in a soft part of the fairway. After a couple minutes searching, all the while looking back at the group behind, I declare it lost and have to decide whether I NCR and walk off, or go back to the tee and hit another one. I settle on the latter and in doing so, get some minor satisfaction at getting to call the group behind through. I repeat the 1I tee shot with amazing similarity, only this time I don't take my eyes off it in flight and it settles centre of the fairway. On getting to my ball, my anger has returned and this time because now we are waiting for the group in front to clear the green.

Whilst I stand waiting in the centre of the fairway, 170m away, a ball flies over my head. Turning to see whence it came, the last group were in the process of teeing off. Well that was it for me. It took all of my control not to go over and knock it back.

Finally the green cleared, my 6I in was struck with such venom, I thought for sure I would spray it, but, it flew rifle straight at the pin and pitched and checked up on the green some 25 feet from the pin. After all that had gone on over the last half hour I was now standing over a very unlikely bogey putt. I had been putting well all day, bar the now long forgotten 3 putt on the last hole and the putt looked on line the whole trip, breaking sharply just before the hole and sliding some 3 feet by. The fact i would miss the one back and 3 putt again for a triple bogey finished my day for me.

Or so I thought....

Basically I just went through the motions without caring those last 3 holes.

That is until the fellow whose card I was marking and main culprit in our slow round found himself in a spot of bother under a tree after his second. If it had been me, such was the trouble, I would have taken an unplayable. Not him though. He took his preferred lie and hacked at the ball, moving it all of 3 feet through the tree, leaving it in pretty much the same bother as before he started. I wandered off to find my ball up beside the green and when i turned, he was playing a shot from about 10 feet in front of the tree and I just assumed he had already hacked out and that shot left him just off the fringe grass. He would get up and down from there for a 7 at best by me. On sitting down and adding up, we have a 1 shot discrepancy and he is claiming a 6 on the last. I say to him, you are forgetting the 2 under the tree. He is adamant he only had the one under there and that he had a 6. At this point I don't want the argument, so I just sign his card for the 6 he says he had and hope it ends there. It doesn't.

He comes over to me in the clubrooms after the cards have gone in and starts at me, saying he is unhappy that I am calling him a liar. I ask him politely to go away, reminding him he got his 6 he said he had and that was that. It wasn't enough for him, he wanted me to admit I was wrong. I knew I wasn't and I wasn't about to budge. When he didn't walk away, the Captain and the Handicapper came over and asked what was going on. At that point I told my side of the story, he told his, then when the Captain said he agreed with me, I asked for both of us to be DQ's for signing incorrect cards. It disappointed me a little when the Captain declined.

At the end of the day, I signed for a net 77 with 5 doubles and a triple. Hit some very good golf shots across my round today. Chipped and putted reasonably well, with a couple of exceptions. So, I sort of guess I should be happy, but, I ain't...

Think I might take a month off...

As always, thanks for reading.
Cheers

__________________
Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe....

BAH!

How frustrating. Great post and a great read, but I can only sympathise and hope your customary enthusiasm hasn't taking too much of a beating and you'll be out there again soon!

And you never did find the 'suspected plugged' ball?