Hyper (and it's not in a good way)

Played yesterday with Hywel and a guy from the Golf Monthly Forum. I have to say the course was a picture being cut and set up for the BMW Qualifier today but it was bloody freezing, especially in the wind. It was a chance for our visitor Phil to play Ascot before coming back for the Golf Monthly Forum day on June 9th. As there was only three of us we decided on a friendly little stableford and set off.

I had hit the ball pretty well in my defeat on Wednesday but had made far too many mistakes including a poor drive off the first and in front of a guest was determined not to repeat the mistake. Cue a good drive a chip on and a solid 4 to start. On the 2nd I hooked my drive and only managed to get it out and leave 178 yards in. I hit a great hybrid and it cleared the left hand bunker but I though at the speed it landed it must be through so you can imagine the grin on my face when I saw it nestled on the green. The birdie putt didn't do the approach justice but a good par. On the 3rd I found that damned bunker on the right again but hit a great 7 iron onto the green and made another par. I'm not sure what they had done with the real Homer but the impostor could play a bit.

Another par at the 4th and a scruffy dropped shot at the 5th following a poor drive into the thick stuff brought me to the 6th. On Wednesday I made great contact but sadly was directionally challenged as it hooked out of bounds to concede the hole with a whimper. Determined not to repeat the mistake I took my trusty four iron and produced a great shot that found the back of the green. I managed to totally mis-read the putt but the par was some redemption. Standing on the 8th and things were still going well. A great 7 iron to about 15 feet had a swagger in my step and that got even bigger when the putt dropped for birdie. Even when I hit my tee shot at 9 into the rough I wasn't unduly fussed. I was Homer Simpson and I was back. I took out my trust hybrid thinking only of the green. I swung and as soon as I hit it I knew it wasn't good. It shot to the right and low. The only thing going to stop it was the greenkeeper's shed. To be fair, it made a hell of a racket as it crashed onto the roof. I've no idea where it finished. I took a penalty drop and fired it over the green. It was inevitable I wouldn't score on the hole but I'd amassed 19 points going out anyway.

As the back nine started I felt rather strange. Very tired and a little light headed. I thought nothing of it and munched on a banana. I didn't play 11 or 12 too well and a three putt on 13 didn't cheer my mood up. I made a decent five net four on 14 and after hooking my drive down the 15th I allowed myself for be talked into going for it. Suffice to say I didn't threaten the green but still walked away with a par. I bogeyed 16 and 17 and made a solid if unspectacular par down the last to finish with 34 points which was good enough to win the bragging rights.

I still didn't feel great but was suitably buoyed for today and was really looking forward to it. I felt progressively more tired and dizzy last night and went to bed feeling unwell. I woke this morning and not right at all. As some of you may know a few years back I was seriously ill (I was about an hour away from my pancreas perforating which is seriously bad news) and spent nearly a month in hospital. As a reminder not to be a silly boy again I got diabetes for my trouble. Doing a quick blood sugar test it was up at 14 (it should have been 6) and despite taking my medication it wasn't dropping. Following a quick call to the out of hours doctor I was told I was having a hyperglycaemic episode. Cue a trip to the SEBDOC and an insulin injection to boost my medication and lower the blood sugar. The bad news is it seems I might now have to switch from controlling my diabetes via medication to daily injections which for a needle phobic is going to take some real mental agility. The really bad news was that I was in no fit state to play golf and so had to make an early morning call to the pro shop and pull out.

I'm gutted. I'm not saying I'd have won or even done well in the drizzle, showers and the wind but I did feel as though my game was coming back. I've not been able to do anything today golf related like practice and my wife has put an embargo on any internet purchases. The good news is I am feeling much better although it seems the club match I was hoping to play in tomorrow has been postponed.

I've a swing lesson booked for Monday evening so there seems little point in working on my long game tomorrow. I'm tempted to wander over to Sand Martins and use their excellent short game area or focus on my putting. My heart says to go out and play but my brain (which I don't often listen to) is saying more rest would be wise.

All in all then not a good day. At least my game is coming back. I beat Hywel (or Pedro the bandit as he's been christened in some quarters) and Phil my guest. My mojo is back. I've vouchers to spend, a cup to collect at presentation night and the lesson on Monday should kick me forward for the rest of the season. Well that's the grand plan. Right I'm off for my medication. "Nurse, the screens if you please"