Keeping My Head Above Water

A day of firsts today. First round of 2010 on a full course (no temporary greens). First competition and the first chance for the new, more competitive Homer to be released. Mind you the signs weren't that great. Having drawn the first tee time at 8.00am and having arrived in darkness at just after 7.15 there wasn't much prospect of going through my usual pre-round routine unless the club had installed floodlights on the practice ground overnight. I resorted to some stretching and took half a dozen balls out to hit with an 8 iron about 7.40 just to feel club on ball.

For those that don't know Royal Ascot (and anyone is welcome to join me for a game) the first is an intimidating par 3 of 229 yards off the white tees (stroke index 10). There is out of bounds to the right, a pond short left, a line of hedgerow that sticks out on the right about thirty yards short of the putting surface and the ground slopes right to left towards a bunker left of the target. Welcome to your nice easy start to the day.

Another first as it was my honour. Having come up short yesterday in the damp conditions with a 5 wood I opted for a 3 wood. I hit it well with but still ended up about twenty yards short. I hit a good pitch and run to the back edge about fifteen feet from the flag. Then the problems started. A fiery first putt left a testy 4 footer which I failed to convert for an ugly double and a solitary point.

Still the new Homer wasn't going to let that get him down. I stood on the 2nd, a dog leg right, par 5 with OB tight down the right hand side. Picking my target on the left edge of the fairway I drew my driver back. I struck it beautifully. No change that, I flushed it. Trouble was I also hit it straight right. Reload and a lost ball. Even my new hardnosed persona was a little put out and I failed to trouble the scorer on the hole. By the time I stood on the fourth fairway I was in a spot of trouble. Still I only had 112 to the flag from the middle of the short stuff. A pushed 9 iron later into a bunker, a reasonable bunker shot to 8 feet and a missed putt I had the grand total of 4 points from 4 holes. Hardly the stuff of single figure handicaps.

And then I started to play. I was using the new Callaway Tour i (x) I had been given to trial for them (part of a GM Forum giveaway) and having hit my tee shot at the par 3 sixth way right I was faced with a pitch from wet rough over a bunker to a pin at the bottom of a slope. Fat and it was bunkered. Strong and it would hit the slope and run. Opening my 58 degree wedge it flew high and soft and landed perfectly at the top of the slope. It spun on landing and gravity took it down to within a foot of the hole for a par. I repeated the trick with a 95 yard wedge to 4 feet at the 7th for another up and down and limped out in a total of 14 points.

I hit a great drive at 10 to set up a routine par and made an ugly bogey on 11 (although I got a shot) with a rubbish chip. Another great drive down 12 was followed by a huge hook left with a 5 iron. When I got there it was sat on top of the wet leaf litter which was hardly an appetising prospect but somehow I managed to play a great chip and run to around 6 feet and the putt kindly obliged. I was way offline at the 186 yard par 3 13th (in fact I was about six inches from a hole in one on the temporary green!) but got onto the green and drained an outrageous ten footer to save par again. Steady if unspectacular until the 17th tee (2 points per hole) I came to one of my nemesis holes.

Another tough par 3 of 218 yards (SI 13) it has OB tight left and elephant country right. I usually take a four and run. Five wood in hand I aimed as usual for the right hand trap hoping my usual snap hook had disappeared like the snow. It was more hooky than I wanted but it kept its head up and found the putting surface. Two putts later (and a tiny fist pump) and I'd got a par. A poor drive down the long par 5 eighteenth meant I had to play for a 6 (nett five) which I got.

One of the things I am really working hard on is trying to take it one hole at a time and not worry about what has been and what could be. I have to say I achieved this really well today although how much my ropey start and poor front nine had to do with it is an unanswered question. Will I still be able to do it if I know I'm playing well with a good first nine score?

And the conclusion. Well I was still clubhouse leader in my division as I left about an hour after I finished. I hit the buffer zone so there was no damage to my handicap. My driving is inconsistent, my chipping rusty but I guess the thing is I ground a score out which is one of the big aims for the year. Not a bad way to start.

Fairways hit = 6/12
Greens in regulation = 3/18
Number of putts - 31
Sand saves = 0/2

Total number of lost balls in 2010 = 2