Golf Thread

We are BACK BABY!!!!!! :cry: :cry: :cry:

After plummeting the depths of despair at the weekend, rush to the range at lunch time to hit 50 balls with some focus on a couple of things from old pictures/video my pro sent me.

Hit it ok.

Out tonight as the 16th qualifier taking on the Number 1 seed in the handicap club champs knockout. Giving 7 shots away.

Not much in it early but I birdied the 6th when he had a shot so that was a good win and rattled him a bit.

Got 4 up thru 11 but our stupid SI ratings means he gets 4 shots in the last 6 holes.... (ridiculous)

He won 12 & 13, but I won 14 to stay 3 up. He won 15 with a shot.... Had another one at 16th but made a mess of it and I won 3&2....

Very happy to find some fairways and greens tonight... .solid golf and on to last 8 on Thursday night.
 
Nett game last night at Oulton Hall. Ended up finishing A/S in my match in probably best I've played for a while, shame the fella I was playing said the same about his own game. A half was probably about right. This seasons form of 2W 1D and 1L isnt bad going. Home match next week!
 
Played 9 after work this evening and shot 36(+1)

Had an eagle putt on the 1st that didn't drop but left a tap-in birdie

Then had birdie putts on holes 2-7 but again, couldn't get any to drop annoyingly

Ruined the scorecard by finding bunkers on both 8 and 9 and not saving par from either of them

Green side bunker on 8 was a fried egg in the front face that I felt was a success just to get it out

Found the fairway bunker on 9 that rolled up to the front edge and I could only advance it about 80yds due to having to take a lofted wedge

After the last few bad rounds it felt good to strike the ball as well as I did and I feel like I figured out my issues - think it has been as simple as letting my stance get slightly too narrow

Got another tee booked after work on Thursday so will see if it continues
 
US Open this weekend - looks like carnage if the wind blows....

Saw an interesting stat....

A scratch golfer from the back tees at Shinnecock would get a playing handicap of.... 7....
18 handicap index would get a playing handicap of 31 !!!! Target score would be over 100...

My 5.4 handicap - playing I would get 14!!!!
 
Finally - started using a grass driving range near me - immediately feeling better about range sessions, as hitting off mats gives you so much "false" feedback. Been struggling a LOT with early extension/shanks, so good to work on that in a more representative environment.
 
played one of the rounds of recent years last night in our matchplay singles winning 6 and 4. I was getting 12 shots and my opponent pretty much played to his handicap but I was on fire and made a lot of par nett birdie and nett par which made it impossible for him TBH. Got the club championship 1/4 final at the weekend where I hope my ball striking remains the same. Every part of the game was good last night. A few birdie putts just missing by mm as well. It was a glorious evening weather wise as well.
 
Doubles win last night.... Mate is playing very very well at the moment. Hitting the ball great off the tee, and he changed to "claw" putting earlier this year and it's been very good for him.

I played ok, some good, some average stuff but 3&2 win.

Quarter Finals of the Club Champs tonight. Playing an older chap in his 70's - giving away 7 shots. He's very straight - never in danger, just down the middle of every fairway etc. See how we go.
 
Didn't get out tonight after work - left home in blue sky and sunshine, but the closer we got to the club, the worse the weather got with the wipers barely able to cope with the rain that came down, so we just had a drink and then headed back home again

Not able to play this weekend as already had plans, so unless we manage to get out one evening next week, my next round will be a comp from just under 7,100yds off the back tees at my club.....that could be fun......maybe.......
 
Brutal weather last night playing Quarter Final Club Champs. Pouring it down.... Playing old guy 74 years old.... He can still shift it off the tee...Giving 7 shots away to him

One over par front nine from me, including birdies at the first and the second. Only one up :eek: :eek: ...

Two up with 6 to play but he has four shots in the last six holes....

Managed to half 16 to stay one up.

Then i hit a stunner of an eight iron to 2 ft at 17 to win the match....2&1

Semi finals later in the year of handicap club championship...
 
Played a medal today, was alright for the first 6 holes with 4 pars and 2 bogeys, followed by an 8 (lost ball) and a 9 which was a repeat of last week getting stuck in the thick rough. Got out 2nd shot and somehow put it back in. Couldn't make it up. Nr'd on the 13th and just played the odd shot after that to practise. No club comp next week so two weeks to wait.
Playing tomorrow morning with my eldest then have a lesson up carus on Friday. Thinking hit a few shots with each club and see if they think it's ok then see what I can learn about getting out of crap lies
 
Played a medal today, was alright for the first 6 holes with 4 pars and 2 bogeys, followed by an 8 (lost ball) and a 9 which was a repeat of last week getting stuck in the thick rough. Got out 2nd shot and somehow put it back in. Couldn't make it up. Nr'd on the 13th and just played the odd shot after that to practise. No club comp next week so two weeks to wait.
Playing tomorrow morning with my eldest then have a lesson up carus on Friday. Thinking hit a few shots with each club and see if they think it's ok then see what I can learn about getting out of crap lies

Always keep in mind you're entitled to declare the ball unplayable and either take relief sideways no closer to the hole (max 2 club lengths), or, back as far as you want in the line from your ball position to the flag.

Sometimes it's better to weigh up your options of X amounts of swipes from crazy rough Vs a penalty stroke

 
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Always keep in mind you're entitled to declare the ball unplayable and either take relief sideways no closer to the hole (max 2 club lengths), or, back as far as you want in the line from your ball position to the flag.

Sometimes it's better to weigh up your options of X amounts of swipes from crazy rough Vs a penalty stroke

Brilliant thanks for this. I had in my head if it's in a bush and clearly can't hit then declare but didn't know I could do this in the rough. We have the twiney(if that's a word!) rough it's a mare as club snags, I think a swing like mcilorys would get it out but I wouldn't.
Like today my only bad drive went into some ****** rough, 2 shots to get it out and the 2nd one sent into another long bit of rough. Par 5 and I was 5 in with pretty much 400 yards to go.
Last week I got stuck and had 4 or 5 shots.
If only I had known :(

There's an open next week so no comp for me for 2 weeks. Determined to win something this year whilst my handicap is high.

Had an interesting one today rule wise the old chap we played with got to 7 strokes and picked his ball up on the 2nd hole forgetting we were playing a medal. Other guy told him to take a penalty shot and put it back down. Kinda stupid **** I would do
 
Yeah I remember a few years back I ended up carding a 15 on the "hell hole" at Balcomie Links after hooking my tee shot into the left rough and taking multiple mad swipes then losing the ball, it was only afterwards I realised ah **** I could have just dropped it 40ft behind me on the 7th fairway :) sometimes you just get tunnel vision so it's always good to try and take a moment to assess all options on the table - that was a painful lesson learned!

Edit and just to add if you openly declare a ball unplayable to your playing group no one can challenge that, it's your decision
 
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Yeah I remember a few years back I ended up carding a 15 on the "hell hole" at Balcomie Links after hooking my tee shot into the left rough and taking multiple mad swipes then losing the ball, it was only afterwards I realised ah **** I could have just dropped it 40ft behind me on the 7th fairway :) sometimes you just get tunnel vision so it's always good to try and take a moment to assess all options on the table - that was a painful lesson learned!

Edit and just to add if you openly declare a ball unplayable to your playing group no one can challenge that, it's your decision
yeah, you can declare any shot unplayable in the general play area and take 1 shot penalty relief. So if you putted off the green and down a big hill you could declare it unplayable and go back and hit the putt again which might be preferable to trying to pitch back onto the green.
 
Lot of golf played this weekend :)

Yesterday first leg of the Haygarth Trophy away at one of our sister clubs Hill Barn. Foursomes in the morning singles in the afternoon. Unfortunately lost both matches I was in.

2&1 in the morning, close match which ended when my partner put his tee shot in an impossible spot on seventeen. Had to take penalty relief back in line and then try and play a miracle flop over some bushes and a small tree to get it close to the pin with our opponents in good position. Not a shot I've ever really practiced. Got the height but didn't hit it hard enough and came down in the tree.
5&3 in the afternoon to an opponent who played very well barely making a single error.

This morning another pre 6am alarm call for a drawn Texas scramble. High, mid (me) and low handicap groups, one from each making three man teams. Minimum five tee shots to count from each player. Really enjoyable event, helped by playing well. Our team was six under gross without a bogey on the card through seventeen. Unfortunately we were in the position of having to take the tee shot of our higher handicap player who put it tight to the trees down the left. Had to punch out and couldn't get up and down from 115y to save par. Still came in with a 59.x Ended up third, 1.9 shots behind the winners.

Club champs on 5/6th July. Time to get some rest!
 
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