Played on Sat in the stableford comp round at my club. My form has been pretty shabby of late, but I was looking forward to the round with some good company.
Conditions were hot and breezy, but the greens and fairways were as good as I have seen them in years.
#1 par 4 - driver up the hill, a bit toey, but ok and in the right half of the fw. Pw from a hanging lie is not cleanly struck and comes up short. Chip & putt for par. E
#2 par 3 - into a bit of a breeze I hit a solid 5 iron to about 25 feet. 2 putt par. E
#3 par 4 - great drive down left half leaves me between clubs. 9 iron comes up short on front fringe. Chip & putt par.
#4 par 5 - big push cut with driver to right trees. Layup from hardpan to 150. Nice little 8 iron back into wind leaves me 20 feet under the hole. Good putt just scares the hole. Par. E
#5 par 4 - drive to left rough leaves a Pw approach from an uphill lie. I yank it left, about 30 feet away. 2 putt par. E
#6 par 3 - tricky little hole, I hit a good 6 iron to the safe side. Downhiller from 35 feet looks good all the way. Birdie. -1
#7 par 5 - smash a drive down the right side, but it gets a terrible bounce and goes hard right into the water. Layup is blocked out, so 4th shot is a full GW. Miss the par putt from 12 feet. Bogey. E
#8 par 4 - ok drive is centre fairway, 170 out on this tough par 4. Rubbish swing on a 6 iron is dead left. Had to take my medicine and chip it out long. Par putt misses low from 15 feet. Bogey. +1
#9 par 4 - losing my rhythm I hit another loose push. No play from right rough, I try and squeeze it under and around some trees, but catch the timber. Next shot to green is short, leaving 50 feet up a tier for par. 2 putt bogey. +2.
Sloppy finish to the 9, but I turn in 38.
#10 par 4 - back into the strong breeze I take driver on this short par 4, against my usual game plan. Terrible swing. In the water on the right. Drop at 165, and then make another loose swing to find the front bunker. Good trap shot to 8 feet & make for a very scrappy bogey. +3 and leaking oil.
#11 par 5 - hybrid from the tee is a good safe play on this tough driving hole, and a 4 hybrid layup leaves me at 105 yards to an elevated back pin. SW gets knocked out of the sky, leaving me 25 feet up a steep slope. I get a butterfly thing in my face as I make the stroke, and blow it 8 feet by. Comebacker hangs on the lip. Dumb 3 putt bogey. +4 and sinking fast.
#12 par 3 - good 8 iron to safe side in a strong cross wind. 2 putt par from long range. +4
#13 par 4 - great 3wood to centre fairway leaves a 9 iron approach in a swirling breeze, which I hit to about 20 feet. Good putt burns the edge. Par. +4
# 14 par 5 - decent drive just hangs in the left rough by a foot. Good layup around some big timber with 6 iron leaves me 85 out. Great little pitch with LW to a foot. Make for birdie +3
#15 par 4 - strong hole. Great drive down the left side leaves 6 iron, which I hit pure to right side of the green. 2 putts from 30 feet for par. +3
#16 par 3 - 177 over water to a heavily bunkered green, I hit a really solid 6 iron to the back right corner of the green. Putt from 35 feet is great for speed, leaving me a tap in par. +3
#17 par 4 - great drive uphill to dead centre fw. Uphill approach to a treacherous back pin is conservative, leaving me 25 feet up a steep slope. Good putt to tap in range. +3
#18 par 4 - good drive to centre fw. 7 iron approach is a tired swing, and I leave it short, in the right fringe. Terrible chip from 40 feet leaves me with 18 feet for par. Putt dies short in the heart of the hole. Sloppy bogey. +4
Home in 38 for a 76. It was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde round. I was disappointed with my driving, and felt my rhythm was poor in the middle of the round. I think I will ditch the x flex driver shaft and go back to the Fubuki alpha stiff, as it is a bit more forgiving. I was pleased with my putting, but my chipping could use a little work.
Happy to be golfing, and to post a decent number..... It has been a lean couple of months.
Merry Christmas!
Conditions were hot and breezy, but the greens and fairways were as good as I have seen them in years.
#1 par 4 - driver up the hill, a bit toey, but ok and in the right half of the fw. Pw from a hanging lie is not cleanly struck and comes up short. Chip & putt for par. E
#2 par 3 - into a bit of a breeze I hit a solid 5 iron to about 25 feet. 2 putt par. E
#3 par 4 - great drive down left half leaves me between clubs. 9 iron comes up short on front fringe. Chip & putt par.
#4 par 5 - big push cut with driver to right trees. Layup from hardpan to 150. Nice little 8 iron back into wind leaves me 20 feet under the hole. Good putt just scares the hole. Par. E
#5 par 4 - drive to left rough leaves a Pw approach from an uphill lie. I yank it left, about 30 feet away. 2 putt par. E
#6 par 3 - tricky little hole, I hit a good 6 iron to the safe side. Downhiller from 35 feet looks good all the way. Birdie. -1
#7 par 5 - smash a drive down the right side, but it gets a terrible bounce and goes hard right into the water. Layup is blocked out, so 4th shot is a full GW. Miss the par putt from 12 feet. Bogey. E
#8 par 4 - ok drive is centre fairway, 170 out on this tough par 4. Rubbish swing on a 6 iron is dead left. Had to take my medicine and chip it out long. Par putt misses low from 15 feet. Bogey. +1
#9 par 4 - losing my rhythm I hit another loose push. No play from right rough, I try and squeeze it under and around some trees, but catch the timber. Next shot to green is short, leaving 50 feet up a tier for par. 2 putt bogey. +2.
Sloppy finish to the 9, but I turn in 38.
#10 par 4 - back into the strong breeze I take driver on this short par 4, against my usual game plan. Terrible swing. In the water on the right. Drop at 165, and then make another loose swing to find the front bunker. Good trap shot to 8 feet & make for a very scrappy bogey. +3 and leaking oil.
#11 par 5 - hybrid from the tee is a good safe play on this tough driving hole, and a 4 hybrid layup leaves me at 105 yards to an elevated back pin. SW gets knocked out of the sky, leaving me 25 feet up a steep slope. I get a butterfly thing in my face as I make the stroke, and blow it 8 feet by. Comebacker hangs on the lip. Dumb 3 putt bogey. +4 and sinking fast.
#12 par 3 - good 8 iron to safe side in a strong cross wind. 2 putt par from long range. +4
#13 par 4 - great 3wood to centre fairway leaves a 9 iron approach in a swirling breeze, which I hit to about 20 feet. Good putt burns the edge. Par. +4
# 14 par 5 - decent drive just hangs in the left rough by a foot. Good layup around some big timber with 6 iron leaves me 85 out. Great little pitch with LW to a foot. Make for birdie +3
#15 par 4 - strong hole. Great drive down the left side leaves 6 iron, which I hit pure to right side of the green. 2 putts from 30 feet for par. +3
#16 par 3 - 177 over water to a heavily bunkered green, I hit a really solid 6 iron to the back right corner of the green. Putt from 35 feet is great for speed, leaving me a tap in par. +3
#17 par 4 - great drive uphill to dead centre fw. Uphill approach to a treacherous back pin is conservative, leaving me 25 feet up a steep slope. Good putt to tap in range. +3
#18 par 4 - good drive to centre fw. 7 iron approach is a tired swing, and I leave it short, in the right fringe. Terrible chip from 40 feet leaves me with 18 feet for par. Putt dies short in the heart of the hole. Sloppy bogey. +4
Home in 38 for a 76. It was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde round. I was disappointed with my driving, and felt my rhythm was poor in the middle of the round. I think I will ditch the x flex driver shaft and go back to the Fubuki alpha stiff, as it is a bit more forgiving. I was pleased with my putting, but my chipping could use a little work.
Happy to be golfing, and to post a decent number..... It has been a lean couple of months.
Merry Christmas!
