Today’s stableford round was played in ideal conditions; well almost. It started out cold with a dew on the greens. The sun came out and there was no wind! We are not used to calm conditions.

I had a day when my tee shots refused to stay in play. mostly they were leaking out to the right side. I added 5 shots to my score just getting back into play and one more again when my punch shot clipped a hanging branch and ricocheted into the adjacent fairway.

I scored 92 OTS and 28 points. 2 pars, 11 bogeys and 5 doubles. At least my putting was O.K.
I hit 2/18 GIR and 9/14 fairways.

Two steps
1) putting was tidy if not outstanding
2) I kept grinding to score points

One step back.
I was trying to hit the ball too hard and not staying loose in the arms ( I checked this on the practice area after the game)
“Noodle arms” feel and the ball stayed on target.

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Can break 80

What a difference day makes! I played 18 holes with Tony this morning. There was no wind and and only a little drizzle. I got excited at the end of the game when I looked at the score on my phone. It read 79 shots! My excitement was short lived upon checking the game only to find that Arccos had missed two shots. Still 10 better than yesterday is an improvement.

I had changed a few things in my bag today. I swapped out my 56/60 wedged to the CBX2 wedges with more bounce for the softer surfaces. I took out the 29 degree 6 iron and put in a 29 degree hybrids-iron ( Tour Edge) to get a bit more carry in the softer conditions. I also delofted the 3W to 14.5 degrees for lower tee shots into the wind. In general the changes helped.

I have been watching , ” Not A scratch golfer” on You Tube of late. He is a middle aged Canadian, with a pretty crappy swing, but scores in he 70s a lot. Not always! He is like me and can swing 10 shots in a round. His philosophy is to keep the tee shot in play, and be proficient inside 90 m ( 100 yards) . That is, one approach shot and two putts per hole. In order to do that, I have been using the 3W off the tee more. For example today on the long par 5 I hit a 3W, then two 7 W o reach the green and 2 putted for par. Sure I am not likely to hit GIR from 160 m out 100% , but the chip shot on will be fairly short and maybe I can one putt occasionally. I did putt a lot better today, mainly due to having a small target in my mind and goldilocks method of judging the swing needed for lag putts.

Arccos indicated to me that in comparison to a 12 handicap player, my tee shots were about right, approach shots 2 shots better, short game the same and putting at 12 handicap level. I hit 7/14 fairways, but got most tee shot sin play. I hit 7/18 GIR, 3 up and downs and 33 putts. I stopped trying to roll the ball onto the green with the putter. I am not good at it, preferring to use my SL hybrid or 50 degree wedge.

I got 1 birdie, 9 pars, 6 bogeys and 2 doubles. I used the LW well today to get onto the green from just off. No digging in the longer grass today.

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Weetbix

I hit an 86 on Thursday’s comp. Weather cold, and slightly wet. Carry distance was down about 10 m. Hello winter conditions!

I started out slowly with two bogeys, then a par on the par 5 third hole. Then for a multitude of reasons I hit three doubles in a row. I hit the tee shot on hole 4 to a position behind a tree, then fatted a iron shot approach shot. On hole 5 I hit a ripper tee shot onto the green, then 4 putted! On 6 I hit a good tee shot, then leaked the approach shot right into some thick buffalo type grass. My chip was a fail. The grass grabbed the club and the ball trickled half way to the green. I got back into control and scored 6 more pars and the rest bogeys.

Two Steps forward
1) I hit 8/14 fairways, all but one tee shot in play.
2) 9/18 GIR

One step back
1) three doubles ( poor tee shot, poor chipping, chunked two approach shots, poor putting) and some poor putting from 8-12 m.

Today we played at the Vines course near Reynella ( south of Adelaide).

It is a very pretty course with undulating fairways, good sand traps and excellent greens. We got a cancellation tee time at 7:56 and only just made it in time. Needless to say that the first hole was a disaster hole ( triple bogey) after I pushed my tee shot into the pine tree needles and failed to escape. I followed that with a short pitch onto the green, leaving a long first putt that went whistling by the hole ( fast++) and two to get back down the hole. We did improve as the game progressed. I even scored a birdie on a par 5. Best aspect was the distance control I got using only a 3,5,7,9,SW. it was Cross training at its best. I had to choke down and fade a few shots to get the distance I needed. The Tour Edge exotics Bazooka hybrid irons are a bit of a one trick pony. You want draw? How much draw do you want? Fade? What? Why would you want to do that? I did manage a few good fades off the tee with the the old 11.5 mini-driver I have in the bag. I got out of the sand traps reliably. It is so much easier with deeper loose sand in the trap.

I have decided to sell the Tour Edge Bazookas. They have been fun, but surplus to current requirements.

I had a 18 hole practice round this afternoon. 84 OTS. I hit 6/14 fairways according to Arccos, but in reality there was only one where I had to bump out into play. The App does not think hitting to the preferred side rough on a dog leg hole is good play.
Anyway I was happy to play near my handicap. I hit 9/18 GIR, but failed to get any up and downs. Putting was not brilliant ( 39) but most of the three putts ( 3 in total) were really when I had a very long first putt, cause by a poor approach shot.

There was a strong wind from the south east today. My 3W tee shot on hole one went 175 m and so did my 6H second shot. I put a high fade into the downhill green and it kept rolling through the green. Wind assist ( 20 m) estimated. Oops! I managed a par on hole 2, after a tidy 3W off the tee and a 4H to the green ad 2 putt. I followed that up with a par on hole 3 , but I missed the green on hole 4 ( wind?) for a bogey. I hit the green on #5 with a 3W shot for a par, but then the rot set in. The wind assist on the tee shot ( 3W 196m) , caused me to re club for the approach and went through the green with a 9 i shot. The first 3 putt followed for a bogey.
Hole #7 was a repeat, with the 9 i going though the green again. So much for amateurs always being short! Another 3 putt followed for a double bogey this time. Then standing on the windy tee box on #8 I clubbed up, but didn’t hit it hard enough and ended up short in a bunker. Bogey again! I tried to swing easy on tee #9 , but overdid it. Too easy= 134m with a 3 Wood! Oh dear. I put the 4Hybrid shot onto the green and then two putted from uphill 9 metres out. The par impressed my playing partners no end, as they took 4 shots to reach the green.
The back 9 started well with par after a prodigious 9i ( 141m) onto the green. Yes the wind was blowing still. I was happy to get my tee shot on 11 onto the green for another par. I hit a decent tee shot on 12, but the fade on the second shot was a tad too much. I was short sided, but used the LW to get onto the green OK ( a bit long) , but I putted back for a bogey.
Hole 13 ( par 5 dogleg right) was fine until I was on the green. I missed a sitter second putt! I took it too casually. I made par on 14 over the dam, but on 15 my second shot wasn’t great. I escaped with a bogey. same on #16, two good shots and the approach was a bit erratic. I missed left side and had to chip on. The tee shot on #17 was into the setting sun and I heard it hit a tree, but where? I had aimed left at the tree and hoped to fade it away. Obviously it didn’t fade and I had to bump it back out with 3H ( 110 m) , leaving about 50 m to go. I finished with two bogeys.

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Can break 80

I started my game this morning like a champ, making par on the first 4 holes.
I followed with two double bogeys! The chip shot onto the 5th green (par 3) was too short, leaving a long slider to the hole and slide it did down the slope, taking two shots to get it down the hole (5 score) . I must have been a bit weak hitting the tee shot on the dog leg 6th hole. I had to chip around the corner, then hit my approach shot a bit far to the back of the green. I hit the long bump and run with 3H a bit firmly and took two putts to finish with a 6. I got back on track on holes 7,8,9 and finished with 43 score for the front 9 holes.

I finished the game like a chump. I managed to screw up the 11th tee shot putting the ball into the trees. I chopped a PW shot out and then a GW shot onto the green, but it was short. I lipped the lag putt out and repeated that with the second putt. Triple bogey on a par 3 again! After that it was bogey golf until the 17th hole, where I 3 putted again. I was off target with the longer putts, and then missed the come back putts. I managed a par on 18 , when I sunk a 3.3m putt.

Score 89 OTS (42/47) 6 pars, 8 bogeys, 4 double +
FW hit 10/14 ( better)
GIR 3/18 not so good
up and downs 3/10
putts 36 ( poor)

Two Steps
1) Tee shots worked today/ in play.
2)
One step back
1) fairways shots were a bit wayward again
2) chipping wasn’t accurate enough/ short= longer putts more often and I didn’t get them close/ poor start lines

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by xrman.

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Madam, Can break 80