Still Not Broken The Spell

I played in a club match away to Maidenhead Golf Club yesterday. I love these club matches. Although everyone is trying their hardest to win, there is a much more relaxed and friendly atmosphere than some of the bigger club events (Hillman Trophy etc) where it's all about the result. I have to say I have mixed feelings about Maidenhead, no doubt clouded by the fact that I never seem to play well there. Indeed the last time I went there for a Volvo Matchplay event with my good friend Hywel Lloyd my game went into complete meltdown, starting with a shanked second shot at the 1st and going downhill from there. I had a howler and basically topped, sliced and shanked my way around. If we'd just paid a green fee I'd have walked off after seven or eight holes it was that painful but as it was a match I was stuck there for the duration. Given that Hywel played with distinction meant we were only dormie one down playing the last and so I had to endure each and every hole. In the end we lost one down but that game holds nothing but nightmares.

Still, that was then and this was now. I was partnered with Tony Wheatley, a very accomplished 13 handicapper and I had been hitting the ball okay. Our opponents were off 13 and 21 and so we were only giving six shots away to one of them. Not as bad as it could have been.

Maidenhead Golf Club opened in 1896 and was designed by Alex Simpson and in 1908 the legendary designer J H Taylor was commissioned to advise on further improvements which saw 700 yards added to the length and 17 new bunkers constructed. It is set in 150 acres of wooded parkland, very close to Maidenhead town centre. It is a course that requires careful course management. The greens aren't very big and a lot have very narrow entrances. The putting surfaces are always very, very good and the club has a fine reputation for the standard of their greens.

I have to say I started well scoring wise but the quality of the ball striking was leaving a lot to be desired. I seemed to have developed a mysterious case of the hooks and everything was going sharp left. Surely the Maidenhead voodoo wouldn't strike again? I managed to save par at the first with a lovely chip to within a foot from well left of the green. I hooked my tee shot on the 2nd but found the green with my approach and did the same at the third. Despite being three shots under my handicap we were still only one up. That didn't last long as we promptly lost the next but Tony made par at the 5th to restore the advantage. Again we couldn't hold on to the lead and both Tony and I made a real hash of the relatively simple 195 yard par three 6th. Tony went left into the trees and I missed the green left, AGAIN!, and then proceeded to have chipping issues to give our opponents a soft victory.

However we regrouped and Tony managed to salvage a valuable half at the sweeping dog-leg 7th whilst I had issues with my tee shot going left and leaving myself a blind shot around the corner, blocked out by a tree some twenty yards in front of my ball. There was to be no Seve like recovery. However I did finally find a fairway at the 8th followed by the green to set up a par four at the long 429 yarder. Tony and I both made par at the par five 9th and suddenly we were two up and had some daylight in the match.

This was extended further at the par 3 10th. It's 151 yards and was playing into a brisk breeze. Both Tony and I cleared the cavernous bunker guarding the front of the green and were on the putting surface whilst our opponents had both missed the green. Although Bill, the twenty one handicapper managed to get it close out of the bunker and apply some pressure it was to no avail as Tony calmly knocked in a fifteen footer for a birdie.

Typically we then lost the next but I managed to chip and putt to save par at the shortish 12th hole which was good enough for the win and to take us back to three up. Although both Derek and Bill on the Maidenhead side managed play some consistent and good golf after that we always managed to find a way to sneak a half and by the time Tony made a par at the 16th they had simply run out of holes and were emerged as 3&2 victors.

On a personal note, that extends my unbeaten run in these "friendly" club matches to fourteen with 9 wins and 5 halved games. However in the overall scheme of things Royal Ascot didn't fare as well going down 4-2. However as the food was served and the wine flowed the results didn't matter as much and we had a very convivial evening. I have to say both our opponents were a joy to play with and were warm hosts on and off the course and hopefully we can re-join the battle the next time the fixture comes to Royal Ascot. Many thanks to to Tony for carrying me, as all my partners seemingly have to these days, especially during my mid-round wobble from the fourth to the eighth.

However, I was fortunate that it was a matchplay format where it's just about winning the hole and not an individual event as my golf was pretty up and down all day. Off the tee in particular I hit everything right to left in a vicious hook. I've no idea where that came from and can't put it all down to my Maidenhead jinx. It certainly wasn't there at the Grove on Wednesday when I drove the ball as well as I had in ages. It seemed to affect every club in the bag right down to the wedges. However as it is currently tipping it down with rain today (Sunday) as I write this there is no way I'm getting out onto the practice ground at Ascot to seek the solution. That can wait for a range session later in the week after work.

I can't put my hand on my heart and feel that the Maidenhead jinx has been broken although I do feel I can play there now with more confidence and certainly that Volvo fiasco can be consigned to my very own golfing room 101 and that the mental scars have healed. It's actually a very nice course and so maybe I'll have to take another trip over there soon for a social game and see if we can't break its spell once and for all.