I represented my club in a B team pairs better ball match yesterday evening at a particularly challenging course that has been used as an open qualifier in the past.  I had quite a good start.. par, par, par, par, par........you get the idea!

Thankfully an opponent nailed a birdie putt to beat my par to avoid a 7 & 6 defeat.  We eventually won 5 & 4 with my partner contributing to one hole.

Clearly the dreaded B word was banded about and I was apologising for my handicap as I cant seem to put a decent medal card in!!

Medal round coming up this Saturday so Ill be trying hard to be cut!!!!

 "I cant seem to put a decent medal card in!!"

Your not alone David, thats me everyweek ! frustrating, I think and hope I've turned a corner but I wouldn't be to happy either if a 15 hcp started with 5 or 6 pars I must admit, but well done,

You obviously hit every green in reg so you didn't have to use your wedges

David,

I can personally relate to what you say so well.

I recall, at a very tender age, competing in the Derbyshire Boys' Golf Championship at Mickleover. I was playing off 12 at the time and my handicap was regularly tumbling.

I opened with  par, par, birdie whereupon I received such angry looks and a cruel remark from the youth and his caddie whom I was playing with that my game fell apart. Yes, I was forever wrongly feeling guilty and apologising.

Nowadays I refuse to entertain such feelings and have chosen to personally opt out of the handicap system. I prefer instead to play off scratch and do not mind in the least being invariably thrashed.

My shoulders are broad enough to take it, and at the end of the day it's only a game.

well how about this for bandits

i went for a quick knock yesterday at my local muni with martin

whilst at the bar afterwards we caught up with an friend who played a charity do (best 2 from 4) 3/4 hcap and he explained to us that his team finished with 83 points and didnt come in the top 10

the winners came in with a total score of

100 pts

They should be shot.  That's outrageous.  Even off full handicaps it's a stretch

Hi Dave

Sorry, i havent looked at the site for ages (baby boy and all that)

Maybe you should try playing without your Sombrero and horse if the way you played at the N v S is anything to go by !!

 Only joking. Consistency over 18 medal holes is the only real difference between 10 and 20 handicapper, not ball striking.

Would have love to have played in your Ryder Cup day, just too far, sorry.

Hopefully Jan and I will see you and John at next years N v S and the finals of the pairs comp LOL  !!!

Leyo,

you'd be even more gutted as he was playing off his club handicap of 20!

Dave, your starting to play some decent golf the last few weeks, let's hope it continues for Cleobury & the medal the day after.

Darren,

Is that best 2 overall scores or best 2 scores on every hole? If it's the latter then is it that bad? If 2 of them out of the 4 managed to par each hole then that would give them (assuming only 1 shot per hole) 108 points.

'Best two scores to count' on each hole and then add in 'Stableford' can throw up some real funny scores.

Once saw a score of 135pts posted. It wasn't until the Card was checked and the 135pts was the total for all four players that the truth came out.

You can always have a good Team score when you have a low Hcp player with three guys who are half decent and listen to Course management advice.

TheLyth