Andy Kenyon (19.3)

Review of my golfing year 2010

Golf is one of my great loves and my game has improved a little in 2010.  I continue to track my scores and be an active member on www.Golfshake.com – a site that I first joined back in 2006.  According to my Golfshake stats I played 33 rounds in 2010 which is less than I would have liked more...

Snapping my card - Shaker Hills GC, MA

The 12th hole at Shaker Hills Golf Club Massacheusetts

Blobbed it.

Balls!

Went to Dick's sports store last night - big as you can imagine.

They had Srixon AD333's 2 boxes for $25.  Needless to say I bought 4 boxes.  7.81GBP per dozen is a good price so the suitccase will be laden down with balls on the way home!

May get some more b4 we leave. 

Shaker Hills 15th Aug

Crap game.

Played with Brother in law and his friend Stewart.  Don't particularly enjoy playing with BIL but the course was great.

Was playing with borrowed clubs.  Driver was old and small and hard to hit well (for me) and putter was too short a shaft and much lighter than my Yes mallet so couldn't get on with that either. 

BIL has annoying habit of over praising good shots when I play with him - 'oh really great shot, best so far' etc rather than just a normal 'shot'.  This winds me up no end and pissed me off from the start.

I was rattled all the way round and picked up on at least 3 holes in disgust.  BIL played poorly, particularly on the back nine  and because of this he left the card in the cart as he was not interested in the score.  He was scoring for both of us so I do not know what I ended up scoring.  That pissed me off too.

I had copied the first 12 holes scores onto my course guide so had those and  

Snapping my Card

Snapped my card at Kimballs Farm in Westford Massechusets on the Mini Golf.  Kimballs has 2 very impressive 18 hole mini golf courses that are well worth a visit if you were ever in these parts.  They also have a decent open air driving range and a picturesque (if short) par 3 nine hole course.  And of course there is the ice cream, which is famous for miles around.

New Driver

Fresh from my recent round of 90 and hdcp drop to 25, I splashed out on shiny new Mizuno MX700 driver today.  Not sure if it will improve the game but sure feels good.  Will see tomorrow at Bird Hills.

New Putter!!

Spashed out today on a sparkly new Yes Valerie putter from Golf in One in rayliegh essex.

Tried a few.  Didn't like the Odesseys, liked the Mizuno Bettardini(?) but out of my budget.  Like the TM Rossa Spider but bit pricy and not totally sure about such a flamboyant style.

Will see how young Valerie behaves tommorrow at Mardyke. 

France 2008

The short version..!

2008 trip with Surrey Uni mates Steve, Matt and Martin. Sun 22nd to Wed 25th June.

Booked thru www.golfbreaks.com and very efficient as usual (3rd trip with them).  Stayed at The Windsor Hotel, le Touquet. 2 Star.  Frayed around the edges small twin room with adequate bathroom.  Nice lounge and good breakfast.  Didn't spend much time there!

Early morning Eurotunnel crossing in two cars then 18 holes at Nampont St Martin on the Belvedere Course (par 70 SSS 68).  Straightforward and forgiving course - a good warm-up track.  Won stableford with 33 points.  Happy with performance.  Matchplay Steve and Me against matt and Martin ended in draw (my final putt on 18th to draw the match).  Hot and sunny all day.

Monday early start for 18 holes at Belle Dune - a fantastic and challenging course (par 71 SSS 73).  Martin managed to excavate a monster divot on the 1st tee whilst being watched by starter and following group! Won stableford with 31 points.  Very happy with performance on a tough course - felt I played better than score suggests.  matchplay Martin and me won 2-0 against Steve and Matt.  Very hot and sunny.  A few penalties and missed opportunities on what could have been a cracking round.  Dropped the ball within 8' on the 140 yd par 3 3rd.

Tuesday late morning start for 18 holes at Hardelot Les Pines.  Not played this course before.  A really nice course with interesting and challenging holes (par 73 SSS 70).  Played well once more to claim clean sweep of stableford wins with another 31 points.  Again very hapopy with performance.  Started badly with two 8's but otherwise quite steady - even manged a couple of decent tee off's with the driver.  managed an excellent 5 Iron draw around a clump of trees on the back 9 which was very satisfying.  Matchplay was Steve and I against Martin and Matt which we snatched a draw on the 18th to leave Martin and I in tied first place.  Another hot and sunny day.

All three eveings spent in Le Touquet between the fish restaurant oppostite the red Fox, Jean's Bar, the Leffe Bar and Le Globe trotter bar. Also ate in Le Matisse which was good.  Lots of pool played int e backroom ofLe Globe Trotter.

Contemplated playing Hardelot again on the wednesday but stuck with plan of visiting the Somme battlefireld sites as originally planned.  Visited a couple of cemeteries at Poziers and Serre and spent a fair while at the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval.  All very moving and really worth doing.

Retuned via Sainsbury's Calis late afternoon to end another excellent trip to Northern France.  I'd recommend the area, the courses and www.golfbreaks.com.

Bloomin trees...

A great day out at Donnington Grove today in the first Golfshake event of 2007.  Thanks to Darren and the guys for organising and my playing partners for making it an entertaining round.

The 18th was memorable for a couple of reasons.  Being the longest drive I felt obliged to use my driver for only the second time in the round and were the prize for the highest altitude drive then I would have won hands down going far further vertically than horizontally.

My second, a great 3 wood strike off the fairway went straight and true and, passing by a bunker, it rolled up to, and then up, the big tree on the left of the fairway and disappeared from view.  Close inspection revealed its final resting place 3 feet up the trunk.  I contemplated playing it ( for a nanosecond) before declaring it unplayable and taking a drop and penalty.  Photo of the lie below.

1st Lesson

1st ever lesson today.  Went okay.  Need to work on my swing (who doesn't)

Apart from the fact that I need to stand closer to the ball, stand more upright, keep my arms straighter, hold my head higher, stick my butt out more, flex my knees less, bankswing further away from my body, use my hips more, release better and have a more pro-like finish, everything is fine!!

So I now need to get on ther range and practice what feels a really unnatural setup and posture.  The few shots I did hit well from this setup really flew so I have faith that it will do wonders.  I know things will get worse before they get better but feel good that I have at least made a start to becoming a better golfer.

Watch this space....