2012 - Another Year (Time To Get Serious)

A belated happy new year to everyone. I hope the holiday season saw you enjoy time with friends and loved ones and the return to work hasn't been too much of a shock to the system. So here we are, another year. What does it hold in store for Homer's Odyssey towards single figures?

I've never been a great one for resolutions and I've given up setting goals, particularly in terms of golfing achievements. They've proved cumbersome and led me in too many wrong directions, loss of focus and become too demanding. The plan is still to get to single figures and with the help of Rhys ap Iolo at Downshire Golf Centre and the Plane Truth method he's teaching me it seems (well according to him anyway) achievable. However I'm not going to set any dates or targets to achieve this. Play well and the rest will take care of itself. First thing on the agenda for the new year is a short game lesson. It's just holding everything else back. Part mental and part technique, I've got myself in a muddle over what I'm trying to do, how to do it and what to be thinking about rather than "please don't hit it fat or thin this time."

After that, we'll work hard on getting the swing tighter and working better and see where it takes me. The plan is to try and maintain my record of at least one medal or stableford division win per year. If I play in any Golf Monthly events, a repeat of the national final performance and maybe going one step further and winning would be nice. Their online forum hold a number of get togethers each year and I'm down to play Woburn in March, Camberley Heath in June and Cooden Beach near Eastbourne in August. Some very good golfers get along to these and although they are supposedly fun days, the competition (and the banter) is fierce.

Other than that I hope to enter the Volvo matchplay with my regular and long standing partner Mike Stannard from Royal Ascot. I might enter the individual event too. I'm also on the reserve list for the Trilby Tour, another national event sponsored by bespoke tailor William Hunt and covered on television by Sky Sports. I'm not sure if or where I'll play but this event attracts the creme de la creme of handicap golfers and with only the top four at each venue going into a there hole sudden death playoff to decide the winner, I'm going for the experience and to measure my game and not placing any expectations on my shoulders.

It was an up and down year for Homer's Odyssey in 2011 with the handicap going the wrong way but performances picking up over the closing part of the year. The aim is for less of a rollercoaster this year and to get the handicap heading south back to low numbers. Whatever happens the main thing is to enjoy the golf, the people I meet and the courses I play. It's not life or death, well not quite. Work hard in practice, trust my teaching professional and follow the instruction. Step onto the first tee with 100% confidence and belief in my ability and go for it.

There is a lot of new and exciting equipment launches due in the early part of the year including the new Ping I range of driver, fairway woods, hybrids and irons. The pictures look sumptuous and I am keen to give the driver and irons a go. Taylormade have already announced the release of the Rocketballz, or RBZ (much easier) range to replace the Burner line and it has stirred a lot of interest from professionals, journalists and one or two lucky enough to have hit the woods. They are introducing an R11S driver too with even more adjustability. I'm a magpie to anything new and shiny and no doubt I'll be giving plenty of gear a go in the new year and if I do I'll share my thoughts, good or bad.

Here's to 2012 then. It's going to be fun so stay for the ride. If you want to follow the ups and down on a regular basis, follow me on Twitter @mbedboro


I hope your golfing year is as good as it can be and brings you all you want. I'm looking forward to working hard on my game and trying to steer the good ship Homer towards single figure handicap and picking up the odd prize along the way.