At Last - Progress

Well after months of telling you my game was coming, a good score was imminent or that I was so close to hitting it well I finally came good and posted 37 points in the Saturday roll up and that included not scoring on one hole (the 17th) and only managing to amass one point on the 1st, 4th and 13th. The other fourteen holes were the epitome of consistency. In the end it was good enough for second place in the group and I pocketed a few quid for my hard work.

I had hit the ball well last night on the range but having fallen foul of so many false dawns hadn't allowed myself to get overly excited. However it may have been the natty pink and grey outfit, the promise of some sun or planetary alignment but I oozed confidence standing on the tee. In fairness the tee shot with my 3 wood was good but I just turned it over right to left a bit too much, it took a hard bounce of the path and ended up in the rough left of the green. If the truth be known I played a rubbish pitch which came up short and so started with a measly one point.

I got that back on the next where three good shots found the green and the birdie putt from twenty five feet scared the hole. I made nett par on the next, but found a bunker right of the 4th green and despite a very good escape I failed to make the right to left putt from eight feet to save par. I hit a rare beauty down the 5th and followed up with a five wood that left me pin high. A duffed chip slowed me down and I ended up with a six (nett par). On the par 3 6th I again found sand but again escaped well and this time there was little chance of missing as the ball rolled to within six inches. I even managed to secure a birdie at the 8th and by the time I'd made a par (nett birdie) at the 9th I was out in a massive 20 points (or two ahead of my handicap).

The back nine was more adventurous and I had to make some good shots to keep the score ticking over and had a few elements of good fortune too. I made a par at the 10th, and a nett par at the par 3 11th but hooked my drive at the 12th (toughest hole on the course). It was a case of getting over excited and the swing tempo was way too quick. I was lucky to have a path through the trees and then managed to hit a good pitch into the green. However I was even more fortunate at the long par 4 14th. having hit a screamer (no really!) I had a 5 wood left from 201 yards into the wind. I hit it and it was flying right off the clubface. Now I can't be certain if I had put drawspin on it to make it come back but lets just say the odds were slim and it seemed destined to go straight right and out of bounds in the environmental area that flanks the fairway down that side. However there was a very large tree between the speeding projectile and disaster which it struck with great force and dropped straight down and with an unrestricted view of the way forward and no overhanging timber to contend with. Granted I still had 188 yards left but my hybrid didn't let me down and I got away with a nett par.

I even managed to save enough good fortune to make an audacious par at the last. Having hit a hooked drive (too quick again) my 5 wood second did go straight right this time with no tree to help. However it managed to clear the trees in the out of bounds and landed close to the path the greenstaff use to get between holes in a great lie. I had a simple pitch back onto the fairway and then popped my 56 degree sand wedge to within a matter of inches from 87 yards. I had 17 points coming home for 37 in total, which is one better than my handicap.

All in all I have to be happy with the performance. I left a few shots out there but also rode my luck. Some of the ball striking particularly in the last six holes wasn't the best but given all the gloom and despondency I've had around my game for a while it is good to beat my handicap. I just hope I didn't use all my good luck up for the medal tomorrow.

However I wasn't finished and after a quick bite to eat it was off to Sand Martins Golf Club to avail myself of their short game area to try and find a chipping action that worked. I'd picked up a tip off the Golf Monthly Forum about hinge and hold. Put simply there is more hinging of the wrist than I have at present and you hold off the club through impact (keep it pointing to the target with the face upwards). I have to say the hinge part was working well but the holding off part was difficult and alien. The good ones were terrific and there is definitely a lot more control and spin but get it wrong and it will either fly off the green as you thin it or land two feet in front of you as you hit it fat. It was definitely an hour well spent. I can't put my hand on my heart and say I've become a short game guru but it does give me a firmer foundation to base some dedicated practice on.

So what more is there to say? Not much really. I'm a very happy golfer itching to get started in the medal tomorrow. I hope it isn't a one off and that this is the start of some purple patch (if only for a couple of weeks) but I'm realistic enough to realise anything can happen with a card and pencil in my hand. That and the forecast is for rain. Oh well at least I can sleep soundly tonight and think I can play this bloody game, if only for one fleeting round.