Sun 25th Jan 2015 - 18 Holes at Dummer

With M and A as part time caddy with a photography habit.

Its was just after M's birthday so we have now been playing for at least 4 years. We may have hoped to be better by now! Its was 20 quid starting just after 12 following a 2 buggy 4 ball and followed by a lone golfer. This position stayed in place the whole way round and we never had to wait for long.

The weather was fine just a little cold. The fairways, tees and greens were in great shape, the best we have played in the rainy season. The bunkers were not bad either as I found out on several occasions.

This was the final in the Xmas 2015 competition and M was adrift by 12 holes. So would the comeback of the century be possible?

The 1st hole started off ok with us both on the green in 3. M made a nice 2 putt and I made 3. On the 2nd we drew, and on the 3rd I made it 1 all. Then the surge began. I got into a bit of trouble off the tee on the 4th and M made a par and then on the 5th M made a biddy (even though I managed a par) and then went on the rampage. He was hitting the ball well off the tee with his 3W and I could not find an answer. For some reason I was finding a lots of bunkers which is unusual. (and cost me). In the end I lost by 8 holes all due to M playing very well and posting one of his best all time scores. Fortunately (for me) the Xmas competition was won by Me for the 2nd year running. But only by 4 holes. My score is click here.

To be fair the score was not as bad as might have been expected given the lack of games due to crap weather. My putting could have been 4 better avoiding 3 putts. I only made 3 proper golf scores which is unusually low. I messed up 4 holes. The 4th causes by a pathetic tee shot into the big ditch (should save 2). The 7th was caused by going in one bunker and out to another. (should save 2). The 9th was again cause by those bloody bunkers, out of a fairway bunker straight int a green side bunker. (should save 2).  My final mess up was on the 16th from a good tee shot I put it in the lake and lost a ball. (should save 1). With these saved shots we would have had a closer game.

Great fun and good to be out playing again in 2015.

Hmm must have been left behind here!

This was one bunker I avoided!

Some new ground works.

And some more

M waiting at the 16th

Look at the weather on the 16th its great. Next shot in the water....

The Xmas awards ceremony!

Wed 7 Jan 2015 - 9 Holes at Lunch

With R at 12. I managed to get 9 holes for 10 quid each.

The weather was windy and a bit miserable. We set of in front of a 2 ball and there was no one in front. The fairways were very wet and muddy and there were some temporary greens. I hit the ball quite well but had a few bits of luck. From the 1st tee I went into the rough right. On the 5th we passed a lone golfer with a bad back. I hit a very nice 9i onto the temporary green. I had a lucky break on the downhill 6th where the tee shot just made it onto the edge of the fairway. We got round in less than and hour and a half.

My scores are click here.

Thu 1st Jan 2015 - Bacon Roll and 18 Holes at Meon Valley

As the 2nd of the Xmas challenge. With M and A as part time caddy. This was a BuyAGift deal. We were booked for 11:30ish and the bacon roll was served in the hotel restaurant with a cup of something warm. Not a bad deal!

There was no one in front or behind so that meant no pressure from the tee. The weather was very grey and quite windy. The fairways were wetish and so were the greens and bunkers. We both made a bit of a mess of the 1st with a draw. I won the 2nd and then M had a disaster on the 3rd with 3 balls in the deepest woods. M only won the 6th and 16th and I won most of the rest making it one of the most comprehensive defeats in recent history.  For M it was just one of this days, best forgotten. To be honest I played bad and M played worse, never mind! A was pleased to take some time out of caddy duty to keep a wood fire burning on the 9th and 10th. My score is click here.

I made 6 proper golf scores with a par on the par 3, 12th and the par 4, 15th. (I remember I like the 15th for some reason). My putting could have been 2 better if I had avoided 3 putts. I messed up 6 holes which is poor (except this is the most difficult course I play). The  1st due to  failing to get to the green and then going over before getting on. The 4th had the same problem. On the 6th I got in a mess in the bunker. On the 10th I started with a very poor tee shot and ended with a 3 putt. On the 13th I went from the bunker over the green (sigh). On the 16th I got in a mess in the long grass and buried the ball before taking a penalty. So on a better day I could have saved 2 with putting, 4 with penalties and a couple where I went over the green. Then my score would not be more than 110.

Pics thanks to M with his new iPhone. (expect more later in the year!)

Oh dear what a terrible swing.

The view of the Hotel from the 10th

Tue 30th Dec 2014 - 18 Holes at a frozen Moors Valley

With R during the Xmas break.

The weather was cold but not freezing and it was sunny so very pleasant. The fairways however were frozen solid and this gave some strange behaviour. The greens were out of bounds and the temporary greens were small and often well short of the real hole.

Despite all this it was fun. We were following a 3 ball who seemed to disappear after the 1st hole. We had a bit of a problem finding the 3rd hole across the bridge (we turned right instead of left). Moors valley is a parkland course with nice open fairways and few water hazards.

I think R won this time but the handicapping was a bit random as we have not played for several weeks. My score is click here.

I managed 6 proper golf scores with 4 pars, but this would not have been so easy on the proper greens. Putting did not count as we limited to 2 put once on small temp greens. I messed up a couple of holes near the end of the round the 15th with a couple of duffs from the tee and on the 17th I managed to mess up a simple chip over a tree and put balls in the ditch. Probably should have been 4 shots less for the round. I put some of this down to lack of exercise over Xmas.

Good fun and I would like to play here again.

Waiting to start

Frozen

Where did it go?

Artistic?

Parkland and nice weather

Lights, Camera, Action