What A Year So Far!!!

Well, what a year I've had so far....

And to pin it down even more what a week I've just had.

At the start of the year we had all that snow so I didn't get out onto the course for about two and a half weeks.  Well the break must have done me some good.

I came out and suddenly my swing was much better.  I had stopped trying to hit the ball and all of my concentration was on my swing.

Because of this my drives straightened out as well as my iron play.

Although my stats won't show my fairway in regulation as being too good, especially for my handicap.  The truth is I'm hitting the ball as far as I've ever hit it, but a bad drive for me might be five yards off the fairway!!  Not in the trees like it used to be.

Then I played in all the frost we've had last weekend and still managed to keep my scores within my buffer zone.

Played at the Priors course last Monday, very cold and the ground was frozen. 

Shot 81 and had my first ever 'Eagle'.  One good, straight drive and a great seven iron to leave me six feet from the hole.  Rolled the putt right into the middle of the hole.

Yesterday I played the Priors again.  Joined up with a bloke who hadn't played the course before.  I shot 80 and this included a couple of penalty shots.

Went there today to play and had to start on the tenth tee as two groups were teeing off on the first as I arrived.

Well I had a great nine holes, shot 33, two under par for the nine.  Had three birdies (two on consecutive holes) and only one bogey!!!  As it happened this was on the same hole as I'd got my eagle on Monday, the 11th hole for those who know the course.

I took a three iron off the tee, hit a full eight iron onto the flat part of the fairway.  Had 80 yards to the green, flag near the front.  Perfect for my gap wedge.  Well I only went and hit it fat, put the ball into the pond in front of the green.  Dropped a ball in the same place and hit my gap wedge to three feet.  Walked away with a six.

Started the front nine and I could feel the round going away from me.

Hit a good drive on the fifth hole and a six iron to the green.  Landed short and was in a very poor lie, with mud on my ball.  I couldn't clean it or move it so played it with my lob wedge.  Hit the wedge fat and my ball went five yards!  Good chip to six feet and hit my putt too hard, went eighteen inches past the hole.  But because I hit it too hard the break never happened.

Came to the last two holes and I was one over par for the course.

Birdie on the 8th hole, hit a PW eight feet past, ball jumped back to stay four feet away from the hole.  Good putt, birdie.

Then I came to the last hole.  298 yards par 4, yellow tees where with the ladies tees.

I hit a good drive which left me with 75 yards to the green.  Gripped down on my gap wedge and took a swing.  A full swing with my gap wedge goes 85 yards.

Didnt' get a good contact on the ball but it made it to the green, only problem was 33 feet from the hole.  A very good putt and the ball dropped into the hole for a birdie.  So a birdie, birdie finish gave me a 69 total.

My previous best on this course is 77.  Shot 77 about five or six times.

So my 69 dropped my handicap from 13 (13.2) to 11 (10.9).  10.9 is the lowest I've ever been.

So as you can imagine I'm walking on water at the moment.

Never in my dreams did I ever think I'd play a proper golf course under par!

Hope you enjoyed the read.  Off to work now to bore the chaps with my golfing tales....

Russ

Congratulations Russ, sounds like a great day!

Nice one Russ.  Altogether now, give me a B, give me an A.....

Which makes me wonder why your in search for new clubs Russ well done fella solid stuff.

you don't have to worry about this pair blue Russ ain't playin an santo;s off 0

Blimey Russ, nicely done.  Just for the Summer Months - when, its, er, dry!

Thanks for the comments everyone.

My problem now is that our monthly club comp is tomorrow (Saturday) and I've arranged to play.

What if I don't do as well?

Should I never play a round of golf again?

Can I find the exact clothing I was wearing on the day?  And which sock I wore on which foot?

Too many things to think about.

Might as well play the round, and just ENJOY myself!

Russ

Well done Russ.  A sub par round is fantastic - what we mortals only dream of.

Just play today on the high and enjoy yourself and see what results. 

Russ

Very well done last week with your 69, I havent broke 80 yet!

Although I did see todays returned card, What happened?

Not find the same socks? Sorry mate you'll bounce back as you know you can do it!

For those who don't know......

Thursday I shot a 69 on a par 70 course (SSS 66).

As David said, today's round.....

Two days later and I played the other course (harder and longer) and I shot a 99, needed a par on the last hole to beat 100!!!

Lots of problems today, first off I think I went there today thinking I was going to tear the course up, didn't happen!

Secondly, because I had played so well on Thursday I was trying to do things I probably shouldn't of done!

Today proves why golf is such a great game. and I'm playing tomorrow, but not in a competitive game, so I'll try and get back to what I've been doing for the last few weeks.