By which I mean making a round only 10 holes instead of 18.  At least then I'd be able to card a decent score just once in a chuffing while!!!!!!

Played today at Stapleford Abbots on the Priors course.  Nice early game.  Just four of us.  Decent weather (wind got up a little later on).  No exceptionally good players to make one feel inadequate.  Shortish course.  Felt good and was in the right frame of mind.

After 14 holes 28 points.  No 3 putts.  Some cracking 3 iron drives off the tee (avoiding the woods at the mo). Finding a few fairways. A couple of pars.  Only one penalties from which I recovered to still net par. All going well.

15th Hole - 491yd Par 5 SI 6. With onlookers watching, sliced horribly and did almost a complete horseshoe to lose ball.  Provisional off tee sliced and went maybe 30 yards.  After more hacking put ball in the lake and picked up in disgust.

16th Hole - net par on par 3

17th Hole - 377 yd Par 4 SI 9. Hooked off tee into rough.  Didn't play provisional as didn't have a ball in the pocket having put it in the lake on the 15th (I know I shold have done). Thought I'd find it but didn't so dropped a ball which I subsequently fluffed 30 yards.  Putted out for 8 and nil pointe.

18th Hole - 125 yd par 3 SI 12 entirely over water with shallow green and OOB left right and behind.  Partners all found the green.  Took a 9 iron to make sure I wouldn't be short and played a lovely shot to land OOB behind.  Knowing I had played too long I promptly played another with the 9 iron and put it OOB again.  Picked up in disgust.

Looking back I think the 15th rattled me more than I thought it did at the time.  I made poor decisions on the 17th and 18th which cost me a good card as well. 

Hey ho.  Try again next time.  One of these days I'll string together 18 holes and get below 100 again which I've not done for a while.  Still, I enjoyed my round today and at the moment it makes me want to get out there and do better.

Still, it would be easiler if there was only 10 holes!!!!

BTW.  Russ - Got a 6 on the 7th.  Didn't connect too well off the tee but it was straight and made it over the ditch by 10 yds so.

BTW2. Russ - Is there a drop zone on the 18th?  If you put it in the lake do you have to play another off the tee as the tee is right up against the lakeside?

10 holes?

lol

Andy, congratulations on a good 14 holes.....   lol

For your handicap a six is a net par on the sixth hole (SI 1) so you should be pleased with that.  It's a tough drive with only a small landing area.  Then a long uphill shot to reach the green, most people don't!

The 18th hole does have a drop zone, it's on the right hand side of the green but I'm not too sure how well marked it is after all this bad weather.

In the cabin there is a notice about using the drop zone if you hit your tee shot OOB's or in the pond.

I'm sure you'll break 100 and the Priors course is the place to do it.  I'm not sure what I'm playing next weekend but maybe the weekend after you can join me and we'll have a go together.

Russ

How about you play 20 holes and pick your best 18?  That way I might just avoid the two costly blobs per round that I seem to be prone to at the moment. 

Stop complaining, Tim, 38 points with two blobs is bandit scoring.

Yeehaa!  Nine 5's on my card and only one 1 point hole - hopefully I'll get a handicap drop, if nothing else it'll make me feel a bit better.  Considering I've done the PGA at the Belfry, new courses at Conwy, Pinta, Gramacho, Silves, The Lincolnshire and Mapperley so far this year and the handicap has only gone up 0.2 I'm pretty pleased actually.  Smug, in fact.  Must have a go at a course I know some time

Could have done with choosing my best 18 in Portugal. Way you're playing Tim our handicaps will cross in the very near future as yours continues to drop and mine gets higher. Watch you don't get your poncho dirty now that you're playing muddy UK courses again