What A Difference A Day Makes

As the song says,"what a difference a day makes". I went out last night straight from work to play a few holes. No warm up other than a couple of meaningful swishes of the three wood on the first tee. No expectation to play well and more a case of seeing how it went rather than anything more positive. The practise session on Sunday afternoon had reaffirmed that I can hit it properly and so it was a case of getting back on the horse after Saturday, trusting myself and having some fun in the sun.

A good drive off the first just missed the green right. A decent chip left a makeable putt from six feet but the Odyssey White Ice #9 I had taken out to try and kick start something on the greens was slow to warm up. Still a net par, no dramas and onwards. I hit a great drive at the second which lay the foundation for a green in regulation and a solid par. I found the front edge of the third in two and had a thirty footer left. I left it six feet short but the second putt found the left edge of the hole for a par. A great tee shot off the fourth and a pitch to within fifteen foot made a par a formality at the next and by the time I'd made yet another par at the fifth I'm suddenly one over par gross. Where had that form been on Saturday morning.

The sixth hole is not my favourite at the best of times. A long par three measuring 178 yards it's played through a chute of trees with out of bounds ten yards to the right and out of bounds left waiting for anything pulled or hooked. The tee box was hard against the right side of the tee ground which meant the trees on the that side were right in play especially as I tend to move the ball right to left and struggle to hit a fade and move the ball the other way. Time for a deep breath, to look deep in my soul, aim for the middle of the green and believe. The four iron was hit well. It was a little right to left but had started at the flag and eventually kicked off the green onto the banking that protects the left side of the putting surface. It had been a good shot if a little conservative. The chip shot was downhill and really just needed lifting over the longer grass and landing on the fringe where gravity would take over. These short ones have been a bit of an issue but this time I executed well and the ball ran to within four feet. This time the putter slipped into gear and I made the par putt. Get in.

I dropped a shot at the seventh having pulled the tee shot left and leaving myself blocked out. I'd taken a six iron to get the ball back in play and hit it so well it managed to find the green side bunker. Had I aimed on a more aggressive line it might even have found the green. The bunker shot came out well if a fraction long and I couldn't make the putt. Still another net par.

And then came the eighth.

This is the shortest and easiest hole on the course and yet seems to regularly cause me issues. This would be no exception. Playing 128 yards, I seriously over clubbed with a 7 iron and added to a poor swing hit it too long, thin and right. It missed the bunkers right of the green which would have been a good result and disappeared into thick rough. I played another and this was no better. It also went right but not as far and stopped right of the sand. The original ball refused to be found. I had a bare lie over a bunker to a tight pin to negotiate. It cleared the sand - JUST - but caught the bank and stopped perilously close to the front lip. I hit a good chip down and made the putt but that all added up to an ugly triple bogey six.

A triple bogey six - a real show stopper and not the first time I've mucked the easiest hole up in grand style

I recovered my composure and hit a good drive down the ninth. I was in two minds over my second. It was 158 yards and should have been a smooth five iron. However I thought I could get there with a well struck six iron. I hit it well but it missed to the right although it was pin high. I had a good lie to play the recovery over the bunker. I hit a lovely high shot that landed softly. To be honest I never really gave the par putt a chance to drop a shot but again a net par. Out in 41 (+6 gross) with all the damage done at one hole.

Normally I'd call it a day at the ninth as it brings you back to the clubhouse and a chance for a drink before heading home. However, my convalescence from Saturday was going well so I decided to plough on, play the tenth round to the fourteenth and head down the last. I absolutely nailed the drive down the tenth to leave just a wedge in. Easy par. I missed the green right with a four iron at the par three eleventh and found sand. To make matters worse it had nestled into an old footprint. I got it out but with no control and it ran to the back of the green leaving a downhill left to right putt of some twenty yards. I hit it well but a tad short of pace leaving an awkward four foot putt. Again the Odyssey kicked into gear and I rammed it into the heart of the cup.

The driver did the job on the twelfth and found the middle of the fairway. I caught the seven iron heavy and it looked like it was heading for a sandy grave but missed the bunker, bounced off the bank and found the front of the green. Heck, my golf deserved a break. Again I left a tricky four footer for a par and again managed to convert. A rare par on the hardest ranked hole (SI 1). The thirteenth is a par three and was playing 172 yards from the tee. I hit a great four iron high and with a touch of draw. It just ran off the green but the putt from the fringe was perfect and an easy par tucked away.

The fourteenth has been something of a graveyard for my game in recent weeks. It was here my swing disappeared in the match versus Oxford City. It was here I lost a ball off the tee in that disastrous practise round the previous Monday. It was here I racked up a treble bogey in the last medal and ended up losing on count back. We have history. I caught it well but the swing wasn't great and it sailed right ending up in the light rough adjacent to the thirteenth tee. In fact it was so bad it was good as there was a clear line of sight towards the green. It had nestled down a bit and so I opted to try and nudge a six iron down there and make a chip and putt. I hit it a fraction right, well actually about ten yards right of where I'd intended it to go and it found sand in the right hand green side bunker. It managed to lodge itself well up the face. I got it out which was all I wanted to do but it was a long way from the hole. I two putted for a five. A dropped shot but yet another net par and so a case of using my stroke well. I hadn't played the hole well but hadn't done any damage. I wouldn't say I'd got vindication for the problems I've had and would call it a dishonourable draw on the night.
I cut down the eighteenth as time was ticking, I'd arranged to meet the wife on the patio for drink and it never does to keep a lady waiting. I hit another good drive and followed it with a decent five wood. Climbing up the hill I could see her waiting patiently. I could also see a table full of some familiar faces. My pitching from short distances hadn't gone well in practise on Sunday and with a pond ready to gather anything shanked and an array of expectant faces there was just a hint of pressure. In the end it wasn't a great shot some fifteen feet short but at least it had found the green. I left the birdie chance agonisingly short but par was a given. That meant I was just two over for the five holes I'd played on the back nine and eight over in total.

Apart from one bad hole and the odd iffy shot - loads to be happy about and to ENJOY

There were a few shots I wasn't happy with but as I posted on here recently if the result doesn't get me into any trouble then we'll take substance over style every time and worry about nailing down the swing issues afterwards. All in all though I am back in a very much glass half full, nay topped up kind of mood and suddenly everything seems a little less frustrating and difficult with this game. I'll keep working hard and hopefully the lesson on Thursday I've got will take me another step forward. Could it be I'm playing myself into form ahead of the Stone Cup over the bank holiday weekend? I'm loathe to get too excited and optimistic but we'll see how the rest of the week pans out when I play and practise. For now, with the exception of the bloody eighth hole everything is slotting into place. "What a difference a day makes."