xrman wrote:

As is usual our weather has changed. I went for a walk on a few holes on the golf course yesterday in the sunshine, but today it is pouring down. The good thing is the rain is extending up north to the Wimmera/ Mallee region, where they really need it. Who knows , Broken Hill might also get some rain.

Isnt it the height of stupidity, you can walk safely around the course, but if you swing a club thats not allowed .

xrman wrote:

Another Vets match has been cancelled ( third in a month). It is great that the Shepparton cluster is contained. Seeing that it is 600 km from here, it seems silly that we have been in lock down as a result of that out break. I guess it is easier to lock down a whole State, to remove the incentive for folks to escape to the country. It is just as boring here too, why bother!

If Dan is consistent with his logic, next time a grass fire breaks out in a suburb he should lock off the whole state in case the fire spreads..

OldBogey wrote:

It was perfect golfing weather today, if only we had been allowed out to play.

yes it was 25 yesterday and a lovely sunny day, too nice to be inside watching Dans press conference
the beach is 5.5 km from home base so went for a drive with dogs
There were lots of locals at the beach and some not locals and lots of Melbourne surfies (who are also tradies) out surfing and all were enjoying them selves and getting their Vitamin D.

10 people were fishing on the pier (no one had caught any Rona’s, )

country living is good.

xrman wrote:

Just as well we didn’t have Delta variant last year in Victoria. I had visions of Monty Python with the undertaker with his cart. ringing the bell as he shouted ” Bring out your dead”!
On the bright side the courses are drying out after record rains last month. Then again, it is a sunny day and no wind in Portland ( rare) , and we are not allowed to play solo golf. Why?
O.I.L. also dictated last night that grand parents are now limited in access to their grand kids for care purposes. Fuck that! The State will not determine when I will or won’t provide care, if asked to do so by my daughters. Dan just lost the Seniors vote in 12 hours!

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by xrman.

lots of traffic around on roads, seems like lots of people are out and about on a sunny Victorian day doing same thing

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Can break 80.

xrman wrote:

Retail therapy today ( again) might just be the highlight of my day,
I received a package from http://www.decathlon.com.au this morning. I wanted to evaluate the products as part of my role as prize purchasing officer for the Glenelg Veterans Golf association. The only annoying thing with this site is that they won’t freight many of their items.
I bought some Inesis Tour 900 and Distance 100 balls for evaluation. I had heard from the Backyard Golfer in Italy and Golf Side Kick in Thailand (You Tubers) that these balls were good value. The Tour 900 is a urethane ball prices at $49/ 12 and the Distance 100 is Surlyn cover at < $20 a dozen. The distance come loose in a box and are a dull white. The Tour 900 come in sleeves of 3 and look glossy. Made in Taiwan.
I needed a new golf glove, so I bought 2 models and a pair of rain gloves to try. XL fits me well.
The final thing I bought was a small Inesis rain umbrella for my push cart. The course will probably be bone dry by the time I get back out there post lock down( #7 for regional Victoria)
Once I try these products, I will report back for your “edumication”.

I don’t feel that bad about my use of the credit card now. My wife is ordering another box of Bremerton “Tamblyn”, an excellent blend form Langhorne Creek in S.A. , after listening to Dan Andrews this morning. Reading between the lines it will be at least two weeks before he considers ending lock down, possibly longer. We might need to order two boxes!

The distance balls will be good on wet greens as need extra flight and will still get plenty of stop. or if play slow greens where need putter “feel”.

Urethane balls are best for firm greens in summer months.

finally got work permit from a client so I was able to travel to site to do some training.

Really don’t know why I bothered, going to all the BS to get one not a police car in sight and the roads were full of cars ,many of them definitely 5km from home going some where.
lots of caravans on road as well.
word from my Client is end of September before we even get close to coming out and then with still BIG restrictions .

suggestions
1) Why not make the event a 54 hole tournament = Friday /Sat /Sunday
2) if playing 36 hole event play same venue ie lake course and murray course sat / sunday
stay on site, dinner at same venue simple
same if play tocumwal presidents course and captains course, stay on course dinner at same venue

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Can break 80.

OldBogey wrote:

Surely there are more L4G members than Xman and myself playing golf atm?

Stab at Warra yesterday. Two regular co-conspirators and myself joined by a friend (playing off 10) who recently moved to the coast an hour south. One of the Warra guys (off 14) had 32 points. The other 3 all had 26 points.
I had two wipes, no 3-points and that leaves six 1-point holes for the 26 total. We all had trouble putting, I had 39. Our ‘winner’ had 42 putts and immediately after the round signed up with the pro for a putting lesson. It must have been the greens because the weather was perfect (for this time of year) -shorts and shirts.

On road at moment, golf is limited to some towns where I have RR.
weathers been bad .
more golf next week when we hit northern area, or when back at the home of golf in 2 weeks (assume no lockdowns)

xrman wrote:

I had a very enjoyable game at Portland this morning with Can Break 80, aka Mr Consistency.What a lovely swing he has! Weather conditions considered we played pretty well in the sloppy conditions on certain parts of the course. The wind built from moderate to strong, as we played the last few holes. It blew my cart over on the 18th.

Arccos rated my game Driver OK, Approach shots from fairway needs work, Short game close to a 8 handicap level and Putting near 5 handicap level. On the first few holes I agree my fairway wood were poor, but later as I took Geoff’s advice I hit a ripper 170m 4W into the wind for a GIR and my Shot of the day(SOD). Most of my 4 double bogeys occurred from silly errors/ club selection errors/ poor tee shot placement. CB80’s shot of the day was a 6 iron over the corner trees onto the green on hole 13 to save par. We mucked about trying various chip shots into the green from close range. The hybrids gave the most reliable bump and run results in the mucky soft verges. My score was somewhere between 85-88 if I allow for the few Mulligans Geoff allowed me to hit. A B- minus game? It was the 17th hole before I got a face full of mud ( wet fairways make for unpredictable bounce effect when you hit an iron shot). I thought it only appropriate that I hit a ball into the dam on hole 16 to show the visitor where not to go.

Two Steps forward
1) I only really put the ball in poor positions from the tee about three times, but only lost one shot each time, recovering back into play without having to go sideways.
2) The 4Wood worked well, but I have to not try to snot it. A slower rhythmic swing works better. Plus I tried to use it too often today, when the 7W would have worked better. We tried it once just to prove the point.

One step back
1) Club selection when chipping today was off to start with. I used too high loft and cost two shots in the first 4 holes. Rookie error. One I hit a SW in long wet grass and went under the ball, while the other I hit a 9 iron and clipped an overhanging branch. The other doubles I scored today were a combination of a poor Driver shot and wind gusts affecting carry distance of approach shots ( one short, one long)

Thanks for a very enjoyable game Geoff.

Thank you XRman and your wife for a lovely dinner the other evening, Sue enjoyed herself, and thank you for the game on your course on a lovely Sunday morning.. Also nice to meet your other golfing fiends’ on the course

The morning was fine and hardly any clouds when we teed off , bit windy, yes the course was wet on some holes but dry on others, greens were good to putt on, and we both putted well.
The wind was strong , but it always is in Portland so the other locals told us , but also meant more of a challenge. Thank you for guiding me around the course and showing me where the green was on 13th and where not to hit it to the lake on 16th. I enjoyed the course.
I like playing golf like that where hit a few practice shots if make a mistake and try different things.
Your game continues to improve and your ball sticking is getting better, thought your driving was good other than a few bad chips and some wrong decisions on some holes as far a chip and approach shots choice went, I thought your game was good. Lets be honest a bogey on most of the holes was a good score in wind and you had at least 4 pars under the tough conditions. So well done.
The hybrid chip shot I showed you worked a treat once you learned it and with more practice once fairways and surrounds dry out, you will find the shot gives you even more variety of scoring options from close in.
Also your putting is better with long putter and your distance control has improved. remember, take time to line up, use the line on ball and simply roll the line, when you did that you looked confident and putted well.
Your 4w with long shaft is a winner especially off the tee on some of the shorter holes like 4, 6 and even off tee on par 5 holes.
thanks again. and look forward to another game soon

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Can break 80.