Sat 21 March 2015 - 18 Holes for 3 at Chichester

I avoided breakfast at the clubhouse for a change but met M after he had not avoided it! We had a tee time of just after 8. We were following a 3 ball who kept ahead of us with no problem. The lone golfer following asked if we minded going round as a 3. We expressed alarm and said we were rubbish etc but he was not put off. No one caught us and the pace was a steady 4 hours with no waiting.

The weather was even better than the previous week and the course had no boggy sections and the greens are getting towards their summer standard.

M was first as the defending champion and got to the green, I went right with a bit of a duff under pressure and the other golfer M2 went in the bunker. M got stuck in straight away with a longish putt to start with a birdy. I struggled to chip and got down in 5.

On the 2nd I went down the fairway to the green in 3 while M went right, this was a drawn hole. M2 hit a very long straight drive and was on the green in 2. (Turns out he has a handicap of 6).

With the extra observer I was nervous across the lake but managed to scrape across and got down in 3 and getting even.  As the game went on we relaxed a bit and started to play our usual game feeling less pressure.  On hole 5 we saw how easy it is to get a par if only you can hit a long straight drive. By the end of the front 9, I was 2 holes up and I get a shot on the 10th which I won anyway.  After 11, I was 4 up. We shared the wins and draws on the remaining holes  with result that the Geller comes back South.

As well as getting a first hand view of a good golfer playing off white tees we had a few tips which may help if future games. In particular confidence to hit down behind the ball in a bunker and also to make sure the ball in in the centre of your stance.

M played well from the tee using his trusty 3W and on the 17th hit a long drive that just stayed out of the pond and managed a par... not sure if this has been done before? He had an interesting escape from a lost ball on the dogleg 7th where that ball suck in the fence (see photo). My score is click here.

I got to the green with a chance of a proper golf score on 6 holes but only converted 3 of these. My putting owed me 3 including 7, 3 putts not sure how much was bad putting and how much was bad chipping. I managed 4 proper scores but only 1 par (the par 3, 3rd). I messed up 2 holes. Hole 7 was a pity as I was set up to get to the green in 3 and instead I went for a couple of shots in the bunker and then added a 3 putt. On the 16th I hit a poor tee shot using 4i instead of 5i and then adding the only duff of the day perhaps because I was thinking about keeping the ball in the middle of my stance. So with 3 less putts, one less bunker and no lost balls on 16 and 17, I could have been 6 better. I also messed up the tee shot on the 15th resulting in a penalty that should have been avoidable.

Still playing with 3 makes a change and it was fun to win for a change!

M looking for a nice up and down

Moody skies at the 14th

Sat 14th March 2015 - Breakfast and 18 Holes at Chichester

With M meeting for breakfast at 7. When I set off from home it said 1 degree but it was 3 at Chichester. So cold but pleasant! We set off on cold gear but in the middle it warmed up enough to take a layer off. Breakfast was good as usual except perhaps the sausages were not cooked as well as usual?

The course had dried out a lot since last week and this helps. I am not sure the greens are in the best state yet and perhaps this was to blame for some of the putting problems!

We were following a few quick 2 balls that accelerated away and we never saw them again. We managed to keep ahead of a 4 ball never closer than 2 or 3 holes. This meant the pace was perfect!

For myself, what a difference a week makes! I thoroughly enjoyed being out playing golf, no tiredness and no where near the same number of disasters. On the first tee M got to the green and I went in the bunker but we still drew with 4 each. On the 2nd I went on the fairway to green in 3 and sadly 3 putted but still won the hole. Its been a long time since I have been in the lead. The 3rd over the lake was into the wind but we both managed to get over then both put balls over the back... My ball went too far and it cost me the hole (with a penalty). So all square after 3. M had the best start ever on hole 5 way down the fairway, but I managed a respectable tee shot over the pond. My 2nd shot was good enough to make a challenge but Ms good start gave the advantage and he won the hole, NOTE: 5 and 6 is probably one of the best combined efforts on this hole. On hole 6 I decided to risk my 5W for the first time in ages and it worked well enough to win the hole. At the end of the front 9, M was up by 1 hole, but it was very even. On the 10th I have an extra shot which I converted to a 'won' hole and followed with another to go 1 up after 11. Then hole 12! I set off OK but my 2nd was hooked and my 3rd was in the trees on the left. This cost me 10 and M won with a poor 8. We have both played this hole better recently. So back to all square. M played a great hole on the easy 13th and managed a par to go 1 ahead, We drew the next 2 but M won the 16th after a long drive from the tee. With 2 to play I was 2 down. Ms tee shot from the 17 was well right and he landed in the bunker before the green, this cost him the hole. So on the last hole I was playing for a draw. I had a lucky brush with the tree from the tee and M hit a blinder almost to the green. It was close but the 3rd par of the day was enough for him to win by 2. I am sure the Geller trophy is gathering dust not up North.

So it was close! My score is click here.

My putting was 1 over but only 2, 3 putts so not so bad really.  My scoring was not terrible with 15 holes at 6 or less but there were only 4 proper golf scores all bogeys. (need to convert 6's into 5's). I was not too bad off the tee with 10 FIRs. I messed up 3 holes. The 3rd with the poor chip and a penalty. The 9th I blame on use of my 5W setting off right into the trees. The 12th must have been lack of concentration I hit a few good shots into trouble with a few duffs to get out.

Contrast this with M who won on all scoring methods. Only 3 FIR (10 right). Putting minus 5 with 4,  3 putts. 7 proper golf scores (3 pars). He also messed up 3 holes. And still won! If there problems were sorted out I would be in real trouble!

One stat that is unusual is that there were no lost balls and only 1 penalty (me).

The 5th is drying out nicely!

Nice even before we started

Oh dear not one for the sky sports shot analyser

Sat 7th March 2015 - A bit of par 3 and 18 holes at Chichester

I almost forgot to blog this one. The reason for this will become clear as you read on...

With M (and A as part time flag holder). We met in time to get a couple of the par 3 holes done for a warm up. To be honest I can't remember how this went.

We set off with M using a 9i instead of a 6i with predictable results. I got onto the edge of the green (left) leaving an easy chip or put. My chip was so bad that I overshot the other side of the green. M did a nice recovery and finished with 4 and I took 5. This should have been a 3 or a 4 for me. Anyway no real problem, on the 2nd I hit a nice fairway and M went well right. I was just short of the green in 3 then overshot the green again and then a 3 putt. So from a good start for me, M had another win with a 7. So 2 down after 2. Time to calm down. M got straight onto the green on the 3rd and I went in the pond. Taking "one on the way in" I did it again! ending up with a 7 and I was 3 down after 3.

If you have every watched a sports person when you thought "whats wrong with them?" then that was me. I felt tired and had no energy and my golf was poor to go with it. We drew the 4th and M won the 5th and 6th. My first win cam on the par 3, 8th when I won with a 6 due to M taking a double dip in the pond. After 9 I was down by 5 holes. On the back 9 I played a little better and scoring better than M but it was too late and I lost by 3 holes. Even on the last hole I was in range of the green in 2 and added a duff, a short and an over while M got from under the hedge at beeches brook using my 60 degree wedge and managed a draw.  The Geller trophy seems to be stuck "Up North"! This will adjust M's handicap by 1!

Still apart from feeling slightly out of it it was still fun. My score is click here. My putting owed me 2 over par and included 4*3 putts so that could have been 4 less. I only had 4 proper golf scores the best being a nice par on the 15th. The 2nd was messed up by going over the green and 3 putting. The 3rd was 2 lost balls. The 5th was due to a tee shot right onto the other fairway and the getting stuck in the trees. (I forgot that we let a pair of golfers through on this hole and one of them messed up big time.. that they were slower than us...). On the 9th it was a 3 putt that cost me. On the 10th I did a zig zag down the fairway and end with a duff before the green. The 18th was described earlier. So my score was over 110 but could have easily been 7 better on a different day. I should be pleased to get over the 16th and 17th with no mishaps!

Before the par 3 .. look at the weather

Ghostly shadow around the winner!

It was nice day!

The end of the round

Wed 4th Mar 2015 - 18 Holes at Paultons

12 quid each a bargain! We were worried incase we did not finish in the light. Starting just before 3 following a 2 ball (that ended up quicker than us after the first few holes) we easily got round before dark at just after 6.

In a similar manner to the last time we played here (on the front 9) I set off OK but had a few duffs and an odd poor chip or putt and my score seemed to be just on the edge of acceptable. However when I look at my score I only messed up one hole (the 9th). On the back 9 It seemed easy no holes messed up. I was winning by 1 hole after 9 and ended up winning by a few more.

My score is click here.

I made 8 proper scores but only 1 par 3, the rest birdies. My putting owed me 1 with 3*3 putts. My worst hole was the 9th where I did a nice tee shot and then messed up going up the hill, ending near the green in some very messy mud perhaps don't try so hard next time? I was particularly pleased to have so many fairways on the back 9 perhaps it is a record?

Weather started off Nice but windy

And got better!

We had to wait for the sun to go down

Sun 1st March 2015 - 18 Holes at Dummer

With M and A as part time caddy. I was a bit late due to picking up some diesel on the way. We had a tee time of 11:45 ish. We were advised to make it after 12 next time as it would save a few quid. Anyway with no time for a practice we set off with only a 2 ball way in front (we never saw them again) and followed by a very good 4 ball.

The first hole set the tone for most of the match. M sneaked a win by 1 point. On the 2nd I had a VERY luck break chipping onto the green and getting the ball stopped by M while he marked his card. I could not have planned it better I got a par and won the hole by 1. Holes continued this way with 1 point wins. At 8 holes we were 3 each but on the 9th M went on the rampage winning 5 in a row. With recent form M was hitting his 3W well from the tee putting me under pressure to use my 4r. This did not work too bad and in the end my score was only poor not terrible. With 4 to go I needed to win 4 in a row just to draw but it was too much and yet again the Geller trophy stays North.
It has to be said that the wind played an important part in the play in this match with very strong gusts not the best for great golf.

My score is click here.

Only 5 proper golf scores with 2 par 4s and 3 birdies. My putting on the back 9 saved 4 (good job!) I only messed up 3 all on the front 9. The 3rd with a duff from the tee and a 3 putt. The 5th was unlucky landing in the bunker and getting stuck and then 3 putting. The 8th was silly as my tee shot was a good one but I took 5 to the green. If I had avoided bunkers this would have saved 3,  3 putts would save 4 and the ball lost in the lake on the 18th 1 more, 110 is on my limit for acceptable but it was close and fun.

The 4th .. its a nice sunny day!

I am left and M is right

The lake on the 18th

Action!