Sat 21st Feb 2015 - Train to Downshire and 18 Holes

With M. We had organised a Dummer game of golf but I missed a txt message and we missed a tee time. So M picked me up from Basingstoke at the train station as agreed and we played at Downshire instead.

Downshire had seen a lot of rain and there were some very boggy bits particularly on the 2nd and 3rd. The 2nd was the only temporary green. There were lots of temporary tees. All? We were folioing a 2 ball who set off slow but in the end they just kept ahead enough not to slow us down.

From early on it was obvious that M had tamed his 3W and this gave me a problem. I was almost always a shot behind from the tee. M was 2 up after 4 holes and then I had a run of 4 in a row. M just pulled one back on the 9th partly because I went in the ditch. So I was 1 up with 9 to play. On the back 9 there was not a single draw. By the 17th M was 1 up so it was me playing for pride. M hit a great tee shot (following several other good tee shots) and I went left. We both avoided the ditch (short) on the second shot. Next I went over and M put his in the ditch. That was the piece of luck I needed and the last hole was won by me to make it a draw. (NOTE: M won on all other possible scoring methods!)

My score is click here.

My putting felt awful but in the end it only owed me 1 although I had 4, 3 putts. I had 7 proper golf scores (all bogeys!). I only messed up 2 holes. The 10th for no good reason I had a 12. The tee shot was nice but just caught a tree branch and stopped short in the mud. I seemed to forget how to hit the ball for a few shots and had a couple of duffs and landed in the green side bunker. Hey ho. I also messed up the 13th, again in the mud and a couple of duffs. I had a very lucky break on the 11th when my poor putt went in off M's ball (I think it is legal - must check). Looking back I had an unlucky dip into the ditch on the 9th. and 4 pairs of duffs. I could have saved at least 8 points and this would have made a big difference.

So the trophy stays North yet again. Great fun and nice weather. Just a bit damp for great golf!

Early morning rail journey

Wet with Sunshine

Looking back on the 3rd.

Sunny

A nice green

The Geller Trophy (Stays North)

Wed 18th Feb 2015 - 18 at Paultons with a sore toe

With R. The first of the year. 12 quid each and no one in front or behind at 2:30 ish. Thats a bargain!.

We set off OK, both playing  handicap. I hit a nice tee shot from the 2nd that went left and was lost in some rough where it should not get lost. Still we were watching the time to finish in the light so I gave up looking and took a Penalty. So R won the 2nd. Some tees were mats which generally suits me better than R because they are closer and solid. We both played the front 9 several shots over handicap and were drawing on holes won.

On the back 9 we both played better. But this is where my toe started hurting and it got worse by the step. Luckily it did not affect my golf and I had nothing worse than a 7. In the end I won by 2 holes. My score is click here.

I am always relieved to be less than 110 so I was relieved. My putting was ok at +1 and without 3 putts I would have been 3 better. I made 8 proper golf scores with 3 pars. I only messed up holes on the front 9. The 2nd due to a lost ball, the 4th with a careless chip over, the 5th with a couple of duffs from the tee and finally the 9th with a 3 putt. I expect on a better day I could have managed 4 better so I am on track for the summer!

Apert from my toe really hurting at the end it was good fun and I look forward to lots more in the coming weeks.

Only one poor photo to capture the weather:

On the 14th Tee

Sat 14th Feb 2015 - 9 Holes at Castell Coch

On holiday with the family.

I was expecting to play M but H decided to give it a go too and A was camera crew (and caddy for M+H).  We were the only ones there. The weather had been wet but it was dry and the sun was making occasional appearances.

The course is a par 3 but there are some tricky holes as its on a hill. The 'fairways' were wet making progress awkward and the greens were good places for worms. H had never played before but was definitely getting better as the game progressed. M was hitting some nice draws from the tee and I was struggling with my putting. A had problems with the camera as the battery soon gave up.

My score is click here.

In the end it was good fun with a very nice location under the castle and I would definitely return in the summer when the hill would be even more of a challenge as the ball rolls off down the hill if you miss the greens.

Getting ready

On the way to the Castle

Sun 8th Feb 2015 - 18 Holes at Dummer

With M at about 1pm. We paid 20 quid each and a quid for 14 practice balls each. The weather was sunny but cold and windy.

The practice balls went well but as usual this did not translate directly to golf. We set off following a 2 ball and were followed by a 2 ball. On the first we both hit the fairway .. very unusual. I was on the green with a certain par and I muffed the putt and M recovered with a 1 putt to make it 5 each. M continued good form on the 2nd with a par while I struggled with a duff from the tee and M went 1 up. I have a bad habit these days of messing up the tee shot from the 4th must stop this I was in the hole again.  This helped M get 3 holes in a row. The 5th and 6th were mine and M was only 1 up. Then M went on another winning spree with 4 in a row. We were called through a 4 ball on the 8th which put a bit of pressure on and I should have capitalised on a good tee shot but M was not put off. After that we were on our own which is always nice. M followed with another 3 holes won on 14,15 and 16. In the end he won on every scoring method and by 6 clear holes.

However... he only beat me by 4 strokes and I was less than my 110 backstop. So why the big margin? I think its just a bit of golfing luck that went M's way. Of the 18 holes, 4 were drawn and 9 were won by 1 point, so most of these could have gone one way or the other. So its still close bring on the next! My score is click here.

My putting was 1 under and I could have saved 3 more if I avoided 3 putts. I made 8 proper golf scores with 1 par on the par 3 across the lake. (Contrast with M who made 5 pars!). I messed up 3 holes. The 3rd by going over the green from a simple chip. The 10th with a duff from the tee and going over the green twice. The 13th was messed up by a duff from 70 yards and then going well past the hole. Thats 6 less if I had not made mistakes. Still no lost balls, penalties or bunkers.

The Geller trophy stays North yet again.

Nice weather to start

Nice shot of the lake on the 16th.

Looking confused .. a duff I think

Hope this one gets in the hole

Have it!

Artistic?

Sat 31st Jan 2015 - 9 at Chichester + 9 at Selsey +Bacon Roll+ 9 More at Selsey

With M on a family hotel break. This one was a real bargain 8.95  for 18 holes for 2 with coffee and bacon roll.

We used our Chichester priv cards to play free on the 9 hole par 3. I played quite well but as usual this was no reflection on the final outcome in the game proper.

The weather was cold with a nasty wind. I had forgotten my wooly hat so was forced to purchase one at Selsey Pro Shop. We were the only ones there so there was no excuse about waiting for people.  This was the first time for about a year when M decided his feet had recovered enough to carry his bag and walk .. lots more social than the buggy! The course is not flat (links?) and due to the rain it was boggy in places. There were a few temporary greens (with large holes) and a few tees on muddy ground and a couple on mats.

The wind was worst on the 1st 2 long holes away from the clubhouse. We played here just after we started golf (4 years ago now?) and we both had terrible memories. But 4 years on we made good progress and M won the first I won the 2nd. The 3rd par 3 we both scored 3. The 4th and 5th come back towards the clubhouse with the wind behind. The 6th is again back into the wind. The 7th is across some barren land an easy par 3. The 8th is closer to the clubhouse and the 9th is over a hedge to the clubhouse front garden. At the end of the front 9 we were all square with 5 drawn holes and 2 wins each. I was particularly pleased to have completed 3 par 3's in par.

The coffee and rolls were quite acceptable and we had a good chat about Scottish golf with the chap in the bar. The break however did neither of us any good.

The wind seemed worse on the 1st 2 holes and M had a nightmare down the right losing balls. I joined him with one lost on the 10th for no good reason. This set the tone and I was worse on every hole on the 2nd 9. We did not draw a single hole on the back 9 with one disaster or another. M had some very bad luck when we were unable to find a ball hit into the sun. On several holes there was an alternative tee. Notably on the 17th, the tee was on the other side of a small pond. I panicked and put my first tee shot in the water.. grr. M got over easily. This may have been OK except for my pitch onto the green went nicely over the green and into a ditch. So M won the 17th and restored the score to all equal with the last hole to play. The 18th tee was a lot further back than the 9th and M went short from the tee, I went long and had a lucky escape from the ditch. However M's 2nd shot was good enough to win the hole by 1 shot and the match by 1 hole. Fair!

The course would be a lot more pleasant on  a summers day so I expect we will return especially for a bargain price. My score is click here.

I was pleased that I was on form with putting. I had several that could have gone in if the hole had been an inch bigger. Still I had no 3 putts and 5, 1 putts (a record?). I managed 6 proper golf scores 3 pars and 3 bogeys. I only messed 2 holes up, the 10th due to a lost ball. The 17th due to 2 lost balls. Could have been 4 better without bunker and lost ball problems.

Cold but good to be out. And it was not as difficult as we remembered.

Looks like a nice day (without the wind chill!)

Nice open course,

Long way to go yet.

A bit of  sunshine! (M lost a ball due to the sun)

The 3rd with a bit more sun