Out With The Old

Well I played the last round of 2010 today. Much like all that has preceded it this year it was a tale of rubbish, some excellence and a lot of mediocrity. Driving is still a big issue, certainly in terms of consistency, and whilst I hit my irons pretty well, the finer detail such as my 5 wood and hybrid completely vanished from my repertoire. I couldn't buy a putt for love nor money and my chipping is still immersed in the depths of a deep psychotic nightmare.

On the plus side the course was fully open and has drained wonderfully. The greens were receptive and putted pretty well considering the battering they've taken. I played with Martin Davis (Bash) and his nephew Matt from my normal Saturday swindle. Both need to take a cold hard look at themselves. How they can sleep at night with the banditry they produce off their handicaps (18 and 26 respectively) amazes me. Actually I jest, and Bash in particular has played in a lot of events this year and is current singles champion. I just wish I had the extra shots my conundrum of a game requires to be competitive at the moment.

So what have we learned this year golfing wise? I guess the most obvious lesson is not to set the bar too high. Coming down from 12 to 9 seemed such a realistic goal given the amount of dedication and practice I put in along with the regular tuition. However, it is one thing being a scratch golfer at the range and another replicating it on the course.

I guess that brings me onto the second realisation. When do we reach a point of having too much tuition? I have an idiosyncratic swing. I know that. Have I gone too far down the road of looking for something picture perfect and failed to capitalise on the talent I have? Clearly something as simple as chipping a ball onto a green and getting it to land and react shouldn't be that hard especially when two PGA professionals have given you the technique to do so. Why then do I feel I'm fighting an electric eel every time I pull a wedge from my bag and face a chip onto the green?

What I have learned this year and which was one of the main aims (so I did fulfill some of goals) is that even if you are playing like a 28 handicap novice it doesn't matter. There is no point being as miserable as sin and a royal pain in the derriere for your partners. Accept it with good grace, fight hard for the best score you can achieve and be gracious at the end. Hit, it, find it and hit it again. Of course on the very rare occasion that the planets are aligned and the golfing gods are in a magnanimous mood, the delight a good round brings is all the sweeter. Savour it though, it will  be gone on breeze as quickly as it arrived.

And so what does 2011 hold in store? Well the fight for single figures is still joined. There are issues to deal with of course. My driving HAS to improve. Royal Ascot in particular, but most courses to some degree, require you to find the fairway in order to score. If you are offline at Ascot then chances are it will be a lost ball (especially with our rough in Summer) or you'll have no type of shot. The short game is the key. My putting has improved considerably and once the greens come back in Spring I can do the requisite work to hone the stroke. It is the chipping that has me waking in a cold sweat. It is clearly a mental issue (along with a technical phobia - trying to be too precise) but how do I banish the nightmare. That is definitely going to be a work in progress.

I'm also hoping to play a lot more course in the coming year, whether as part of the Golf Monthly Forum meets, or awaydays with friends. It is nice to play your own course and try and master it but you can be too insular. Getting away from the known pitfalls will freshen my game up and who knows maybe even spark my golf into life.

Whatever the next twelve months hold for me in both a personal and golfing context, I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to follow the trials and tribulations of 2010 on here and I hope to see you back next year. The blog itself will be bigger and better and there will be a chance to win some great golfing prizes. Some will only be open to followers so if you haven't already signed up then make it your new years resolution to do so. As I've said before when we hit 50 followers I'll be donating £100 to the Help for Heroes charity so please don't lurk in the shadows but come into the light. If you are already a member then tell your golfing pals (and non golfers too) and get them aboard.

I hope you and your families have a great New Years Eve whatever you are doing and that 2011 brings you everything you wish it to.

Total number of lost balls in 2010 = 74