Dancing In The Valleys

It's Golf Monthly's Centenary and to celebrate they've been hosting a number of competitions up and down the country and offering the top four players at each location a chance to play in a national final at the Forest of Arden in the Midlands in October.

I'd booked to play at St Pierre in Chepstow. The famous Old Course has played host to many top tournaments from the PGA Welsh Masters to the Solheim Cup and Dunlop Masters and off the white tees provides a stern 7028 yard test. The fairways are pretty tight and lined with mature, majestic trees making accuracy off the tee a premium and the smallish greens need accurate club selection to make putting on the quick, subtle surfaces as easy as possible.

I was out with a good friend called Sean Wheatley from the GM Forum and another Berkshire lad (Sandhurst) and two guys from the West Country. Jim from Minchampton Golf Club was off a dangerous 19 and the fourball was completed by a guy called Martyn from Saunton and off 13. It is always a nervous opening drive at any Golf Monthly event given my involvement with them over the years and particularly the forum and so it was a relief to hit a good one down the long 574 yard par five first. As well as being a long opener there were trees tight left and the driving range not too far away to the right but my drive split the fairway and I'd go on to make a par.

The first few holes steadily take you uphill until you reach the tee on the par three 6th which offers majestic views over the Severn Bridge and the Bristol Channel and down the Chepstow valleys. I'd made good progress to that point including a pleasing par four at the long (stroke index 2) 442 par four fourth hole having hit another great drive and finding the green with my second.

The 4th green on the Old Course

By the time I'd reached the ninth tee I was on 18 points. It's the hardest hole on the course and my first bad drive of the day really lay the foundation for a poor hole and my failure to score any points. Still, I was out level to my handicap and so all seemed good in the world.

The tenth is a sweeping right to left dog leg of 365 yards with a pond protecting the left hand side the length of the hole and with a tree strategic placed on the left edge of the rough to force you out wider and therefore making the second shot that much longer. The driver behaved and I hit a peach hugging the edge of the tree and drawing before running down hill. The second is played to a green protected left and behind by the pond and to be honest I was between clubs with 98 yards left and took a pitching wedge but never committed to the shot and hit it fat. Another dropped point.

The 10th green

The back nine was a tale of wasted shots, missed opportunities and the odd piece of bad luck but by the time I stood on the feature hole, the massive 236 yard par 3 eighteenth I'd manage to accumulate 31 points to date which I reckoned would be well short of the required number. The last features a shot from a tee high above the lake. You drive over the water to a raised green on top of the hill by the clubhouse and sanctuary. It looks lovely as you stand there but it's a real brute to play. I hit a three wood and to be honest a combination of fatigue in the humid conditions and trying to hit it too hard produced a pig of a shot. It shot off low and disappeared below the tee box. I was doubtful it would make the carry but fortunately it appeared low and right and it tried hard to scamper towards the green but could only make the rough halfway up.

The view to the tee on the 18th

I was left with an awkward uphill chip of some 54 yards over a bunker in front of the assembled Golf Monthly editorial team and the on course snapper waiting to detail the closing throes. To be honest it was a bit of a half hearted hit and hope with nothing left to play for but it came off and stopped a foot from the flag. Naturally I explained it was played for. All that was left was to make sure I made the putt which I managed to do for a three (nett birdie) and a closing three points for a grand total of 34. I was sure it would be at least two points shy.

I have to say the veteran of the group Jim played some fantastic golf. Despite the course being a brute in length, he never found any trouble and was always on or around the green in three and so chipping or putting for a par. He came back in a marvellous 19 points and level handicap 36 overall. Now that had to be in the running.

After a great three course meal it was time for the results. There were 55 golfers in total and Golf Monthly had split it across various handicap categories to ensure an even spread of players per category. It went 0-9, 10-13, 14-19 and 20 and above. When it got to my category (10-13) and second place was announced on 32 points (a good mate called Tony Reed aka Pokerjoke) it dawned on me. Homer had only gone and won the prize and then came the announcement. A couple of pictures with Jezz Ellwood (deputy editor) and a snazzy Cleveland golfing suitcase prize later I was there. I'm in the national final on the 12th and 13th of October at the Forest of Arden in Warwickshire. I've won an overnight stay at the on-site Marriott followed by breakfast, the final itself and then a meal and prize giving. It has to be my biggest win in many a full moon. I told you blog followers. I promised it was in there. Finally it came out when it mattered and I converted.

The glass half empty part of me was disappointed with the way I played the back nine and the last six holes in particular as I didn't hit it very well and to be honest was trying too hard to chase what I thought I would need to post a competitive score. The glass half full side says it was a tough course off the white tees and a place you'd never seen or played before and that for twelve holes you were hitting it great and very steady.

As the great rugby commentator Bill McClaren would say after a Wales victory, "they'll be dancing in the valleys tonight" and I did have a small libation with my wife once we got back to the B&B in Chepstow we were staying at. I'm off to Tyrrells Wood tomorrow for a game with some of the normal Saturday swindle but the forecast is pretty dire and so any hope of keeping the good form going may be scuppered by the rain and wind. To be honest I don't care and have already had a sneaky look on the internet at the Forest of Arden course. It'll be another tough challenge and there are some good golfers going along but I'm there, a finalist and so anything from here on in is a bonus. Get in!