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Another stab at Warra today.
Storms aplenty yesterday. No power (no internet) or phone (no internet that way either) all day. At least I could light the gas hotplates with matches and not starve. Power came on just before 7:00pm but still no phone service.
Course was closed until 11:00 this morning to allow for some cleanup. My tee time was 11:14 so no problemo. Phone worked at the club, so covid check-in ok and miclub ok.
Storm clouds blew through all day but we only had a few wet holes.Points: 16/16 for 32 total.
Putts: 16/18 for 34. Three 3-putts.It could all have been much worse.
Oh the joys of living in Victoria. We had ducks swimming on the fairways and worms surfacing for air on the greens. A Buddhist would have spent a lot of time relocating the worms rather than crushing one. All in all not a bad result OB.
It was wet and windy. How unusual! We hit off at 8 a.m. and it stopped showering about 2 hours later when the sun came out.
I played bogey golf for most of the game. Most TSIP worked, a few went astray, but mostly I had a reasonable second shot.
Approach shots were fairly good length wise , but I missed most of the greens. Chipping was good. Lag putting was good once I worked out the speed of the greens ( slow) , but once again my speed control on the shorter putts let me down badly. I missed several from 2 m or less. In my defence, so did the club champ!91 OTS/ 32 points.
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What a difference in 12 hours. Yesterday the course was in the best condition we have seen for months. The previously soggy fairways and unpredictable green verge areas were firmer and the ball was running. Last night’ s storm dumped about 50 mm of rain on Portland and there are sheets of water everywhere on the course.
I went out for a practice hit with my son-in-law this morning, along with his two year old son, my co-driver. Koa likes to push the go button on the cart. He prefers the ” Bombs Away” position as his older brother calls it. I had to do a bit of deft braking and call for the” stop “position ( foot off the throttle).
I practiced the lag putting with the target behind the flag and it seemed to work, getting closer to the hole. Tee shots were still a bit all over the place. I seem to do left and right quite well. It is centre that eludes me!
I am down to play with the club champ tomorrow, plus my son-in-law ( plays off 6) and another higher handicapper. It will be interesting!
I was thinking about the errors in yesterday’s game.
What can I do to minimize the errors?
I think with my putting I need to stop visualizing the ball to hole distance and add another 15 cm-30 cm.
With the Tee shots, when I start pulling them left, then I could have changed to a different set up to hit them straight or a slight
I mishit two 4W shots when the ball was above my feet. My usual ” rule” is it needs to be a near perfect lie before I try the 4W, or even the 7W. I usually would us my SL 19 hybrid, but I wanted to get to the dogleg corner for my next shot.
The iron approach shots worked well, with only one pulled left 5 metres. That is an improvement. Overall my approach game from 80-160m out worked better.
I think the best part of the game was that I scored much better than I have for months and yet there were still shots that could have been better; room for improvement.Stab at Warra today. A few drops of rain on the early holes but fine and sunny thereafter.
Five 1-putts, no 3-putts or chip-ins; 31 putts.
Points: I had a wipe on the 3rd – ball hit trees and rebounded into the damned dam, drop, hit a tree on the way to the fairway and back down into that damned dam. Holed out for an 8 but it was only 1 putt. No other disasters but only one 3-point.
Total of 32 points.A good effort!
That is more like it. Today the rain was only light and SE wind about 10-20KPH.
I hit an 83 OTS/ 40 points. The front 9 was pretty good, with 38 strokes ( 1 birdie,5 pars, 3 bogeys), but I had a slump on the back 9 holes when I missed four tee shots ( 2 doubles, 5 bogeys and 2 pars) 45 strokes.
Two steps forward
More TSIP ( on the front 9 anyway) and one Drive went 228m.
Better lines with the putts/ small misses/ good chipping close to the hole,One Step back
I rolled 4 putts up to the hole and they failed to drop ( too soft)Weetbix, have a look at the recent YT video from Steve Johnstone on putter grip. I started using it and improved a lot.
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Baby sitting duties over for the day and the sun was shining , so I slipped out to do some practice.
9 holes and I hit some good tee shots, and practiced some LW short sided type shots, the putting stoke seemed to be an improvement and my iron approach shots were on target. I almost birdied the 8th par 3 and birdied the par 4 9th.
Next game on Thursday morning. Let’s see if I can perform slightly better?
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Our last day of holiday in Halls Gap , before we return home for 3.5 weeks of 5 days per week babysitting grand kids.
We went MTB riding in the local forest areas this morning, dodging roos and deer.I went to the local course for another 9 holes after lunch. I had it all to myself.
I started out with a birdie on hole 1. Not a bad tee shot, then a ripper 7 iron to about 1 m from the hole and 1 putt. I felt confident with the 7 iron, mainly because it feels like my SL irons and I know it goes 130m. I was hitting into the wind and wanted 124m to the middle of the green. Knowing the course now, I had an easier time with club selection and avoiding hazards. I found out that I hit the 14 degree mini driver off the turf ( fade)the same distance as the 5 Wood draw ( trivia I know). I hit most fairways, except for the hole that I hit the trees with a draw attempt yesterday. Today I tried a fade and hit the trees on the left side instead. It is narrow near the tee box. The fairways were less wet , but still not much roll. The greens were still soft and slow. I did improve my putting using the new grip (I look like Bryson) but I was still short a few times ( two three putts)41 OTS. I birdie, 3 pars and 5 bogeys.
Two steps
1) better off the tee confidence wise
2) Better putting line controlOne step back?
1) I did try the 65 wedge again today, but it was a disaster. For me it will need a lot of practice. I think I will pack my SL wedges next time. The 65 is a one trick pony for getting out of bunkers IMO.When I said I look like Bryson, I meant his putting stroke only.
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I did play at Stawell on Thursday. It was a lovely day on a well prepared 18 hole course ( all volunteer labour). The greens were the best I have seen in ages. They ran true and fast. Green fees $30.
I played today at Halls Gap 9 hole course. Again it is a all volunteer labour. Despite being adjacent to the Grampian hills, it is a flat course. It has a few trees to dodge , but they use bracken fern as a hazard. It reminds me of Pt. Fairy’s course use of Mirram grass as a trap for inaccurate shots. The fairways were wide and forgiving , so you have to be a long way off course to lose a ball, or decide to play with the snakes if you look for it. I used el cheapo Inesis Distance balls $1.50 each, so I wasn’t going to play with the Tigers. The scenery is stunning with a mountain range about 500 m from the course. It was drizzling and blowing a bit for the first few holes, then it cleared.
I hit a 43 ( 3 pars, 5 bogeys, 1 double bogey.
Two Steps
1) I wasn’t climbing the mountains like the rest of my group. It will be cold and wet up there.
2) I putted really well using a grip change I saw on You Tube this morning ( Steve Johnstone). Promising! The greens were soft and slower, but my long putts were close and stayed on line.One Step back?
1) I have to aim my tee shots a little further centred, if there are trees on the right side close to the tee box. I hit the trees while attempting a draw shot in the last two games. I am getting better with Driver shot direction control though.I was using my wife’s clubs again. I was fooling around with the chipper close to the green. It worked better this time. I even tried a full 65 wedge shoot from 42 m out. Perhaps that it why it started to rain again. Man that shot was high! I love the Cleveland HB Launcher irons; so easy to hit! I saw that TXG channel on You Tube agrees with me on that score.
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Correction : Golf comps are back for regional Vic.
Well in effect they have been for weeks, we just didn’t use the club house after the game.
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As of tonight, what lock down?
Well done all those from Melbourne! Your endurance is a thing of legend.
When is the next election?
I migrated North a few hours and played at Stawell this morning with a very nice local gentleman. I had a collection of clubs; A Nike Driver and my long Arc Master putter, plus my Wife’s clubs ( Cleveland HB Launcher irons A flex,an Adam 5 W and TM Burner 7 W ( both L flex). It take s a while to adapt to using variable length irons ( the wedges feel like toys), but the L flex clubs work OK for me.
The course was in stunning condition, firm fairways lined by big red gums and the best greens I have played on for ages. The was a bit of wind, but the sun was shining. I hit a 238m tee shot. It goes to show that run helps to get up to the green. I calculated that I was about 40-50 m closer then usual, approaching using a PW rather than hybrid. Roll on summer conditions!
I hit 6 pars, 12 bogeys for an 82.For $30 green fee and all volunteer labour. What a credit to them.I will try out the Halls Gap course tomorrow.
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Weather permitting, I am hoping to play at Stawell and the Halls Gap 9 hole course over the next few days.
It will a cross training exercise, because I will be using my Wife’s clubs ( Cleveland hybrid-irons, a mini Driver, 5 W and 7W ladies flex, chipper and 64 wedge). I left my travel 1/2 set ( Tour Edge hybrid- irons and a 5W $90 the lot including the bag) in Adelaide. My wife’s irons are stronger lofted than my SL irons and the 1/2 set by about one club number. That is, if I use a 6 iron for a distance, I need to use a 7 iron in her set for the same distance.I have just finished reading a copy of the book, ” Honesty Box Golf Courses of Western Victoria”, by Henry and Hugh Peters.
It is a coffee table hard copy style book with great photographs of the small country courses where you can play golf for very low cost and place your cash into a box at the course when you rock up. Some courses out here are using the web site Bookatee. com.au for booking a tee time, but many courses no-one mans the office. They have only volunteer labour and do a really great job.If you want a copy contact info@underthecard.com for details.
It covers ;
1) Peterborough ( Otways coast/ stunning scenery)
2) Apollo Bay ( as above)
3) Grampians ( near Dunkeld- fitness test uphills)
4) Halls Gap ( more scenery)
5) East Framlingham ( Warrnambool area)
6) Timboon ( think cheeses/ whisky inland form the Otways)
7) Heywood ( wildlife all over the place/ great design/ roughs are rough)
8) Casterton ( another good design)
9) Winchelsea ( just past Geelong)
10) Birregurra ( cafes/ pretty/ near Geelong.)It would be a great holiday to go west and golf all of these over a few weeks. Of course there are the more established clubs too, such as Colac, Terang, Warrnambool, Pt Fairy, Portland, Hamilton, Stawell and Horsham to play as well.
They all have their challenges and none are more than 4 hours from Melbourne. Warning: the roads are shit past Geelong, getting worse, nearly dangerous near Portland / B Double truck capital of Victoria. You will work out why no-one out here owns low slung sports cars with low profile tyres very quickly.1 user liked this post.
