Running On Empty

After the meltdown on here and the furore around car park golfers, it was back to playing this weekend. Saturday was the usual early morning roll up while Sunday was a club match away at Caversham Heath.

Practice has been sparse so Saturday was really a chance to test my current form and iron out any faults. The tee shot at the opener was a little thin but the first drive of the day with the big dog was solid. The pitch into the green was also thin and a pattern was emerging but despite this I was scoring well and was only one over after six. I dropped my usual shot at the 7th and then missed the green at the short and easy 8th. Still three over gross was better than handicap. Sadly I still had to play the 9th and a shocker off the tee paved the way for an ugly double.

The back nine was a carbon copy. It was another solid start but by the time I dropped a shot at the 14th, I felt tired mentally and physically and dropped shots all the way home. In the end 31 points was a disappointing return but in a small field it was enough to grab the paltry pot.

The round had been a rehearsal for the club match against Caversham Heath. I played the home leg earlier in the season and always enjoy playing at Caversham. It's a long course but it's fair and the greens are always in good nick. I was partnered with Paul Hadden, off 12 as I had been in the first game and so I was with a solid partner.

We started off in explosive fashion. I made a par to win the first, Paul did the same at the second, and I chipped and putted to halve the 3rd. The 4th is a long par five and I made an error off the tee and found a bunker. I didn't get it out very well and with Paul in trouble we were in danger of losing the hole. I went for it and pulled the five wood to cover the 228 yards left. I flushed it and it made the green and I secured a half. We lost the next to a net par but I regained the two hole advantage with a great birdie at the 542 yard par five 6th hole. Good drive. solid second and a wedge to five feet.

However we started to leak shots and both Paul and I started to struggle and we lost three holes on the trot to turn at one down. This would become two and by the time we were on the 14th time was running out. I was in trouble off the tee again but Paul was on the fairway. He hit hit 4 wood into the green at the long 428 yard par four. It was good as soon as it came off the club and heading for the heart of the green. It pitched, ran on and closed in on the flag. It looked close and indeed it was. It rolled up and in for a superb eagle two (net albatross) and was good enough to win the hole.

When the Caversham pair failed to match my par at the 16th we were back to all square. However as I had done on Saturday I was feeling tired and running on empty.

I've run out of gas in my last two rounds - tired physically and mentally

I managed to find the green on the 180 yard par three which plays over a lake. I had a long putt and with one of the opposition handily placed I needed to get it close. One of the features of the greens at Caversham Heath are the undulations and I had a wickedly sloping putt, left to right and down hill. I made a good stroke but was left with a two foot putt for par and a half. I made a good stroke but maybe pushed it a tad or maybe hit it a fraction strong. Either way it missed. One down and one to play.

The last hole is a downhill 415 yard par 4 through a valley with slopes lining both sides. Both Caversham players hit good drives and we needed a win to force a half. I hit another bad drive and hooked it left into the rough. Paul hit a better shot but found a fairway bunker and the writing was on the wall. We lost the hole and the match two down and Royal Ascot were on the end of a 4 1/2 - 1 1/2 thumping.

I didn't play well enough or support my partner enough. I was very tired and although both Saturday and Sunday were warm, I was taking on both fluid and nutrition on a regular basis. I am not in shape to threaten Team GB in Rio but I'm not in bad condition for my age. It isn't the first time this has happened and it is becoming an issue. When I get tired physically the swing gets quick and the driver in particular struggles. I get tired mentally and make some poor decisions and get tired in shot selection, alignment and this feeds back to physical execution.

I've no plans to hit a gym any time soon but it is becoming a cause for concern. I use an electric trolley so I'm not expending energy by carrying. As a diabetic I need to keep the blood sugars level and so I make sure I eat properly and try not to have sport drinks and avoid the sugar spike they can provide. I eat fruit, nuts and weetabix cake (a diabetic recipe involving weetabix bars, milk, raisins - it tastes better than it sounds). It doesn't happen every time I play and not always in warm weather so I can't lay it at the door of the conditions.

At the end of the day, the handicap didn't take a hit, I smuggled a few quid out of my golfing buddies on Saturday and did play some good stuff in places in the match. The game isn't where I'd like it but with a lesson on Friday with Rhys ap Iolo and then a lesson on green reading with Aimpoint (http://aimpointgolf.co.uk/) there is plenty to work on. I'm targeting the Longhurst Cup at Royal Ascot over the Bank Holiday as my next goal. It is a stroke play event over two rounds but players can choose which two days of the three they wish to play on. I'm a former winner in 2000 and would love to win it again. Anything decent scoring wise will get the job done in terms of getting to single figures so there is plenty to shoot for.

I need some fuel in the tank but aside from that I am still in a very much glass half full mood and looking forward to kicking on to the end of the season. I'll keep an eye on the tiredness and fatigue and see what happens but I'll put it down to "one of those things" for the time being. It can't last though and I can't run on empty again.