I Almost Looked Like A Golfer

And so to the monthly stableford. To be honest it was relief it was the old points based format and not a medal as a) I've had a glut of these recently and b) I wasn't feeling overly confident. I was partnered with a left hander, Martin Keeley and Graham Will. I hadn't played with Martin before but knew Graham's game. He's a tiny figure but has a huge golfing heart and makes playing off 6 look sublimely easy.

It was very warm although there was a swirling breeze but beautiful Autumnal conditions to play in so there would be no excuses in the condition of the course or the weather. As yesterday I started well enough with a nett par. There was an early wobble though when my tee shot at the 2nd was too tight down the right and went into the trees and out of bounds. I did manage a par with the second ball to record a point so gave myself a mental pat on the back for bouncing back. A rare par (for me) at the next repaired the damage but I gave another point back at the fourth with a five. I'd missed the green right but hit what I thought was a decent chip, given my current fragility over this facet and the fact there was a bunker in the way. It looked like it might stop a couple of feet away but just found the downslope behind the hole and finished twelve feet away instead.

I then made the first of several errors at the 6th. I missed the green right with a bunker to go over but no room to get it close to the flag. Instead of playing a percentage shot and hoping for a single point I went for the career shot and put it straight in the bunker. I overshot the green with my recovery and although I chipped on and holed a great 8 footer downhill there would be no points.

I hit two horrible shots down the 7th. A topped tee shot just found the fairway and a topped 5 wood was fortunate to get over the ditch and leave me a shot into the green. I hit a great 6 iron from 147 yards to within 7 feet but then hit a tame par putt. Still it had been a good recovery. I hit the green at the par 3 8th and nearly made birdie and an up and down from short of the 9th for a par meant I'd put together a respectable 16 points for the first nine.

I started the second half strongly and chipped and putted at 10 for a par. I'd hit a great drive and just pushed a 7 iron into the fringe. I made a good four at the next (nett par) and creamed a drive off the 12th tee to be standing in the middle of the fairway surveying my shot. The yardage was 162 to a flag at the front which would normally be a full blown 5 iron.With a bit of breeze blowing I opted to take a 4 iron and knew if it was long it would still be middle of the green. What I hadn't factored in was hitting a huge and horrid slice that found a downhill lie close to the 10th green. I still had a relatively easy shot and no panic buttons were being pressed. Of course, life in Homer's world is rarely straightforward and I hit it fat and stuck it into thick grass in a hazard. I took one swing and barely moved it, had another go, and then tried to smash the daylights out of it in frustration which strangely enough worked. I couldn't score on the hole by then of course.

I bounced back and found the green at the long par 3 13th for a solid par. I pushed the drive at 14 right but hit a sensible (no honestly) recovery and pitched on to make a solid 5 (nett 4 and par). As I had done yesterday I creamed my drive down 15 and was in virtually the same place. I went for the same shot with a 5 wood and was determined not to repeat the bad shot and lost ball from 24 hours earlier. On the plus side I found the ball this time but I'd still hit a pushed/sliced 5 wood. I might have an issue! I managed to hit the green from the rough and made par.

I lost another point on the 17th when I pushed a tee shot wide but standing on the 18th there was a good chance of a score around 32 or 33 which given form and confidence would have been a good return. I hit a bad tee shot low and left but it was in a good position and my second wasn't too bad and so it should have been a simple lay up for position and then onto the green. Homer doesn't do simple. I fatted a shot against a tree which bounced backwards. I made better contact with the next shot but it hit a branch from the same bloody tree and dropped straight down. My fifth was a lay up short of the pond and I needed to pitch it close and make a putt to score. I failed to accelerate into the shot and the divot was in danger of going further than the ball. I had to hole out which I didn't look like doing and two putted for an ugly 9 and no points.

My total of 30 doesn't sound impressive but apart from one real bad drive, a poor 4 iron and 2 duffed chips which meant I didn't score on 3 holes, the total for the fifteen holes where I did get points represents playing to my handicap. In fact I came 11th in my division and was comfortably mid-table. For the most part I drove the ball reasonably (for me) and my mid irons (5, 6 and 7) were really strong today. At times I even looked like a golfer and that I knew what I was doing.

I still have real issues chipping. It has to be in the head now. I'm so wound up with the technicalities that I'm losing any feel I had and not committing to any shot with confidence. I can see a short game lesson on the horizon and hope my regular coach Grant Sayer at Maidenhead Golf Club can unscramble my poor confused head. I need a lie down!

Total number of lost balls in 2010 = 71