Format: Stableford
Venue: [Home course]
Score: 33pts
Handicap mark: 3.2
Themes in reply:
March 4th 2013
Hi Colin,
Here’s a brief summary of my round on Saturday. It was a Stableford and the weather was ok but cold with a light breeze. Greens were firm and fast for the time of year. I played with TJ.
1st – Ok baby wood off the tee, a bit short but on the fairway. Good 6-iron to the front of the green but a difficult 2 putt coming up. Short on the first putt but holed a very good 5’ 2nd putt for a par and 2 points.
2nd – Good drive down the RHS (we are still off the winter tee). 7-iron slightly heavy so just short of the green. Good approach put and holed from 2’ for a par.
3rd – Really good drive down the RHS with some draw. 90 yds to the pin and hit gap wedge to 6’ and rolled the putt in for a birdie.
4th – 200yds to the pin so I hit baby wood (19 degree). A good shot to the middle of the green leaving a very quick putt down the hill. Just touched the putt and it rolled dead.
5th – Good long drive making the green reachable with a 3-wood 2nd shot. Didn’t commit to it and the ball finished up at the bottom of the hill. Hit an excellent gap wedge to 4’ but pushed the putt – a bad stroke so only a par.
6th – Good drive right down the middle. 125 yds to the pin which is normally a 9-iron but it was into a slight breeze so I hit a nice 8-iron pin high 8’ and rolled it in for a birdie!
7th – Tugged my tee shot into the LHS bunker. Some t**t had left the rake at the front of the bunker which stopped my ball rolling to the middle. So I had a pretty horrendous shot on a downslope over a steep bunker face. Managed to get it up and the ball landed on top of the face and ran down to 4’. Holed it for a par 3!
8th – Not sure what happened here? Should have been an easy drive with the breeze down to a wide fairway. Made a bad swing and the ball started right going right. Didn’t find it but made an easy birdie (drive and 6-iron and 2 putts) with my second ball which means a bogey 6 on the scorecard and 1 point.
9th – Ok drive a bit left, gap wedge to the green but it spun back of the green. However, managed to chip and putt for a par 4.
So, after 9 holes I was 1 under par (20 points) and having lost a ball!!
10th – Drive down the right on the 10th leaving a difficult approach across the green. The ball didn’t come out clean and hit the bank short/ right of the green and rolled back. Putted up but the borrow of the bank swung the ball back along the top of the bank and back down it so still short. Putted up the bank to about 5’ but missed the putt so zero points. Livid!!
11th – I don’t carry a 4-iron these days as it has been replaced with a rescue club which is better out of light rough. I wanted to hit 4-iron but forced a 5-iron and as a result dragged it left. Left with a difficult chip I didn’t hit it hard enough and came back down the bank, second time ok and holed a good putt for 1 point.
12th – Drive ok but in the LH rough, 3-wood a bit left again and then a 8-iron to the front of the green but it rolled off to the right. Pretty good chip to 4’ but the putt stayed out. 6 net 5 for 2 points.
13th – Downwind so an easy 3-wood, again a bit left but ok. Pulled a 9-iron into the front LHS bunker. No sand in the b*****d. Never mind, hit a great recovery to 4’ under the hole but pushed the putt a bit like on the 5th.
14th – Hit a 7-iron looking to cut it a little but it stayed straight. Chipped up to 6’ and missed so only 1 point.
15th – Good 3-wood off the tee followed by a poor 7-iron short of the green. Good chip to 2’ and holed for a 4 net 3.
16th – Drive into the semi on the left. The ball was sitting down and couldn’t get a decent contact on it so ended up 30 yards short of the green. Really good approach to 3’ and holed for a par 4.
17th – Really good drive followed by a not so good 3-wood leaving 90 yds to the pin. Hit a lovely gap wedge all over it to 8’ and holed for a birdie 4.
18th – Good 3-wood but a bit long into the hollow about 80 yds in front of the green. Only trying to hit my lob wedge as it’s all downhill and with the wind. Wanted to hit it to the LHs and short of the green but it came out a bit hot and a bit left and went into the greenside bunker. Again, no f******g sand in there. As a result the club bounced off the clay and thinned the ball over the green. Chipped back to about 6’ but didn’t hole the putt.
B******s – 20 points going out and 13 coming back. I really lost my way in the middle of the round. I didn’t manage to par any from the 10th to the 14th, not sure why. The 8th didn’t unsettle me that much as I made a birdie with my 2nd ball. I suppose the 10th was a disaster as the green is virtually driveable downwind but I was shortsided after the drive. In hindsight a 3-wood off the tee would have been better but I have driven the green 2 of the last 3 times I have played it.
Also, I putted really well except for the 5th and the 14th, possible due to looking where the ball went before finishing the stroke.
Hopefully there something in here for you to get your teeth into!
Regards,
John
7th March 2013
Dear John,
Thanks for a really great report. It is full of passion (and swear words!).
Once again the 10th is the really interesting hole in the round. But first that front nine of 20 points and a lost ball.
I think this is the level you have been threatening to play at for some time. From your description there is just good solid golf from tee to hole with about one very good shot per hole:
1st – Second putt
2nd – Approach to 2’
3rd – Drive and wedge
4th – Tee shot
5th – Drive and wedge
6th – 8’ putt
7th – Bunker shot
8th – Birdie with the second ball
9th – Up and down
A birdie with the first ball at the 8th would have given you 22pts. That’s playing at scratch level.
There are also plenty of excellent shots throughout the inward nine. There is no pattern to your lower scoring on the inward nine – it’s simply a matter of things not quite going your way. Once again you display an enviable ability to rescue situations with excellent recovery shots.
All parts of your game are functioning at a high level. The passion in your report stems from the realisation that this was a very good round that slipped through your fingers.
And so to the 10th. I don’t think a 3-wood off that tee is the answer. I think you need to stick to the driver because it is a driveable green with the only danger being that anything short and right makes the approach in difficult. Also, you are more confident of not hitting a short-ish, right-ish tee shot with your recent swing tip. The fascination for me of this hole is that it is such an inviting tee shot, which has the effect of tempting the player to hurry the shot a little, which will almost inevitably send it right and make it a difficult 2nd. The answer is to recognise the temptation and use the realisation to relax even more than usual, imagining an even sweeter swing.
Finally. In recognition of your driving improvement, I would consider bringing back the 4-iron because the reason for its demotion is a negative reason connected to your driving. The presence of that rescue club is a reminder that you used to hit it short and right and would therefore need a long second out of the first cut of rough. These days you are more likely to be playing a mid to short iron from the fairway. The four-iron is a good club for you, bring it back.
Well played.
Colin
