Tell us about your game today...

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.. or yesterday or whenever your last game happened.

I played this morning - just a bounce game with one of my regular partners.

There had been a big competition yesterday at the club so the course was a bit quieter today than one might expect for a Sunday. 11:20 tee off as a two-ball and lots of other two balls out there with a couple of quick 4-balls so pace of play was brisk.

Those who have read my posts recently will know that I've been suffering with a nasty foot/ankle injury for a few months and it's just great to be out there at all at the moment. Thankfully the foot came through with flying colours though I think I've been favouring it for the last couple of weeks still and after the game today my knee was playing up but with luck that will just be a temporary setback.

A glorious day though in the Thames Valley with above average temperatures and the course was in remarkable nick for mid March.

The match itself was close for a long way. I felt I was playing reasonably well after not playing much of the winter and after losing the 2nd I levelled it on the 3rd and was one up after nine. Though I felt I was playing better than my opponent I couldn't shake him and he hung in there until I went 2 up on 15. Closed it out on 16 but was made to work for it.

Although it was matchplay I kept an estimated Stableford score and came in with 32 (estimated) points which I wasn't too disappointed with given lack of recent regular play. One NR and a couple of holes where a 3 pointer was well withing my grasp and ended with 1 point (short game was actually pretty good apart from those two nightmares)

Now looking forward to next weekend and a Stableford competition where I've been drawn with last year's captain and next year's!

Nice little friendly game this morning to get away from Wedding fever. Originally meant to be a 3 ball but a 4th joined us on the first tee so we played a 4BBB matchplay

Good front 9 for me (3 under net par) and we were 5 up! Then things went a little wrong for a few holes and our opponents got back to just 1 down! My partner and I got our act together finally and closed it out 3&2. Bad few holes for me in the middle but a good finish left me with an estimated level par (net) round - OK there were a couple of gimmes in there but also a couple of holes where my partner was doing the scoring so I didn't concentrate as much. Level par estimate seems about right.

Another friendly game Sunday - no comps this weekend surprisingly

Played 9 holes at the local pay & play this morning with a mate who doesn't normally play. He definitely improved as he went round, even parring the 7th. To say it took him 3 holes to get the ball properly off the ground, I thought that was excellent. As for me, I annoyed myself by 3 putting the 9th for a one over total for the 9.

played 13 holes excellent golf today. -1 in a stiff links breeze.
played the remaining 5 holes like a complete hacker to finish 6 over and miss out on the silverware by 2 shots...not like me to choke... i'm well pi55ed

positives to take... 0.2 off the hcp. in the money with a 2. 4th top 5 of the season from 8 starts. i've had another top 10 and 2 top 20s so i need to convert the hot streak into a win or two before i slump... though as i type i am aware holes 14-18 today may be the start of said slump...

grrrr.

2nd time had to type this now as was logged out when I clicked send last time!!!!!!!!

Clubs annual Father/Son event today, history made in the event as team Mav became the first Father/Daughter pairing in the comp. she been a member for 2weeks, got her handicap by playing 3 consecutive days then played a junior medal getting herself Cut to 21 and finishing 2nd in that so she was raring to go, comp rule was half combined handicap so we got 10.5 shots not bad for an 11year old new to the game.

She showed me up from the off, my approach shot left her pin high with a slightly treacherous shot from the fringe downhill all the way my advice was play iit how you feel comfy and that will be fine, I was expecting her to putt it from the fringe and if anything else maybe a little chip 'n' run with an 8iron, nope she took out and old 58degree cleveland I cut down for her before I left for last weeks business trip, played it from her back foot accelerate right thru the ball got it to check on 2nd bounce and released into the hole for a birdie nett eagle. I've never shown her that shot so asked where she got the idea for it, she said she'd been reading my golf books and magazines and then been out practising everyday while I was away working to be ready for today.

We continued on nicely, hitting fairways and green and sinking putts until 17th where there was a long drive comp for the dads. With Mavette in the fairway I decided to let rip and right at impact the left knee I've been getting a few twinges from last few weeks felt like it exploded having completed my follow through I then hand to pick myself up from the floor and only made it up the fairway by using a wedge as a walking stick, Mavette said she'd take my drive and hit her approach from 140 to 10feet. I got over the ball barely say 1% weight on left side and couldn't even think about the putt was in so much pain raced it by 5feet but little mavette sunk the one back with a smile.

Having barely made the walk to 18th tee, all my weight on right side was a hands and arms punch to the par 3 barely making it onto the front edge, it was all I could muster, Mavette put her tee shot to 15feet, having finally reached the 18th green behind everyone else with my makeshift walking stick I found little maveete had picked her ball up and she simply said "dad you sit down we'll take your tee shot as your in pain" at that moment was not sure whether the lump in throat was as big as the one starting to appear in my knee bless her. She stood over what was at least a 30foot putt took a couple of glances made her practice strokes, stood over the putt in wound its way left to right and she drained it for a birdie. I wanted to stand up run over and hug her instead she quietly picked the ball out the hole tipped her hat to the crowd on the balcony applauding her and came over to ask if I was alright.

She helped me into the bar and we posted a 66 net 55.5 and managed to win the comp by 0.3 of a shot from last years father/son winning pair, I've never been so proud of her, she played wonderfully, had great imagination and the way she handled herself over the last 2holes when I could barely walk was impeccable. She's already spent her vouchers on some canes to use for her short game plus some other little bits she wanted and I gave her my vouchers for her performance which she plans to use to buy herself some cool pink golf gear!

I've since spent the night at A&E, have been given emergency referal to see a surgeon at his emergency clinic which is bank holiday monday and have to have an MRI tomorrow so there goes my weekend didn't even know the nhs did those things on a weekend, but according the to the a&e doctors x rays show serious knee trauma that will require surgery asap! Suspected ACL grade 3 tear and a lump deveolping caused by the fluid in joint seeping thru the tear!!!! So just as my year was taking off after a couple of wins and some low rounds my years over! It will now be spent watching mavette develop, starting next week she has entered a 36hole junior open at our local muni course that they hold each year as part of their captains week.

Marvellous tale again Mav - terrible news about your knee but what a proud moment for you.

Hope your knee isn't as bad as it sounds but it still sounds like you've got a fun summer ahead following your young superstar. Congrats to Mavette!

Cheers Davie, its been a great golfing year so far and was well on track for getting to +1 by end of competitive season but now I have gut feeling its over not hand a wink of sleep due to the pain so am sitting here watching the ET. With the youngest playing away on the floor without a care in the world, Mrs Mav had to bring him down though as I couldn't negotiate the stairs and carry him. But hopefully Mavette will continue with the dedication she has as she really does have a natural feel for the game but she is young and I'll let her develop at her own pace as if I push her she could get fed up and walk away

I'd say the way she is developing there is little to fear yet of her getting fed up. There is nothing like winning to keep the interest.

The big test will come soon when she discovers boys etc but if you keep encouraging her (without, as you say, pushing TOO hard) it sounds like she has a long future ahead of her

Hopefully your club will continue to encourage her also and help in any way they can - that will also be difficult if she's the only girl junior - but she could be a big asset to them too so as long as they recognize the potential also, then they should be right behind her

Boys!!!! I'm dreading the day that happens but as for encouragement it will be there all the way and I'll only offer tips or advice if she feels she needs it. The first test for her will be when the game bites back as we all know no matter how good your are from amateur to tour pro level it always does to ensure we stay grounded, that's her first test and when she gets that out of the way and if she deals with it then I really think she can flourish, she's off for a round at the local muni later with granddad as she wants to have a practice round before she plays the 36holer next week which she's looking forward to as they have a girls prize, boys prize and overall junior prize, so she'll get to play with other girls in competition, Mrs Mav has been looking about the county for clubs that have other girls opens for her to play in so she gets competition against boys at her club and girls at others to keep her interest

Nice one Mav! And well done Mavette.

If only the other junior Mavs were big enough, they could make a litter and carry you everywhere.

Looking at things from a purely sexist point of view, it wll not do your daughter any harm growing up with, playing against and hopefully beating the lads. If she can do that, in what is by all accounts a much bigger pool, then the smaller pool of girl golfers will hold no fears for her.

More power to your elbow Mavette! I can see a 606v2 sponsorship looming.

oldshanker wrote:Nice one Mav! And well done Mavette.

If only the other junior Mavs were big enough, they could make a litter and carry you everywhere.

Looking at things from a purely sexist point of view, it wll not do your daughter any harm growing up with, playing against and hopefully beating the lads. If she can do that, in what is by all accounts a much bigger pool, then the smaller pool of girl golfers will hold no fears for her.

More power to your elbow Mavette! I can see a 606v2 sponsorship looming.

Sponsorship, if she continues in this vain we'll need it to fund her growing appetite for the game. But I agree completion against the boys will be good for her there'll be ups and downs but in the long run it will steele her well for girls comps, that aided with my brothers boy whose the same age who is having his playing interview today to become a member will ensure the family rivalry is also kept alive in castle mav!

Great story again mav,

sorry to hear about the knee, hope its not as bad as feared.

Todays round for me was a tale of 2 halves. Went out in 46 with 14 putts which included an 8 on a par 5 where i lost a ball. Disappointingly coming back in I took 54 with 23 putts (2 four & 2 three putts).

Putting is usually the strongest part of my game so deciding to look at it in the positive light of getting to the green in a lot less shots, continuing to play regular rounds am hoping to be shooting low 90s by mid may.

Strange day for me too - felt like I was hitting the ball nicely yet the scores just weren't coming. Only a friendly knockabout so the scores weren't really being kept and as a result we were all trying things a bit different and perhaps not concentrating as much as when there was something at stake.

There were some generous "gimmes" and some pickups on bad holes but when I got to the 19th hole and added up an arproximate stableford score it was very poor and much worse than it felt given the ball striking (on the good holes)

Biggest plus of the day however was the feeling that after months of foot/ankle/knee problems, at the end of 18 holes I was feeling totally comfortable and cold have gone out for more - that's the first time in about 6 months that I felt I could say that. Wish I was playing again tomorrow now!

Mav:
We've got a strong juniors section at our club. If ever you fancy a trip to Cotswolds with the family both you and your daughter would be made very welcome on our course anytime

NST I'll take you up on that offer, though sadly won't be for a while now!
Had the MRI yesterday and attended the emergency clinic at 10am this morning for results, and is worse than I feared the Grade 3 tear to ACL is confirmed and a cyst is currently developing through the hole in the tear, making the tear bigger and preventing it from healing, the cyst essentially is just the joint fluid leaking through creating a lump in the hole!

Have been told surgery's required within the next 2weeks, and worst part is healing time minimum 12to 16weeks before I can contemplate a round of golf (where's the crying smily with a hint or depression when you need it) Now off to see a sports Physio who works for Gillingham football club that takes private clients to see if there's anything that can be done to speed up the process

Maverick wrote:NST I'll take you up on that offer, though sadly won't be for a while now!
Had the MRI yesterday and attended the emergency clinic at 10am this morning for results, and is worse than I feared the Grade 3 tear to ACL is confirmed and a cyst is currently developing through the hole in the tear, making the tear bigger and preventing it from healing, the cyst essentially is just the joint fluid leaking through creating a lump in the hole!

Have been told surgery's required within the next 2weeks, and worst part is healing time minimum 12to 16weeks before I can contemplate a round of golf (where's the crying smily with a hint or depression when you need it) Now off to see a sports Physio who works for Gillingham football club that takes private clients to see if there's anything that can be done to speed up the process

Mav

Word of caution do not try to speed up the process, it is not worth it. I had a similar injury to my ankle and to a lesser extent my knee in a nasty football injury. thought I could start playing sooner than I should have done and to this day cannot complete a game of football without my knee flaring up again and the smallest ankle strain becoming a weeks worth of pain. I also cannot ignore the emergence of hip and lower back pain which developed not long after I thought i had recovered.

Unless your pay or career depends upon it, take some time.



Not trying to hype your daughter in a Michelle wii type manner but from the sounds of it she my be superstar, her rising talent is just amazing. When she makes it tell her I will accompany her on some pro amm's should she tire of her dads company.

Mav.
Well done to the wee lassie, brought back a few memories of my first adult/junior event with my then 8 year old daughter playing off 36. [she did progress to +1]
As Mac says, give her room and let her progress at her own pace.

My round today.
One game three different results?
Both played well in our normal stableford for the 'who buys the bacon rolls trophy'
I lost 41 points to 40
I said that if our game had been matchplay it would have been interesting as we hardly seemed to halve a hole.
Worked it out that I would have won by 2/1
I then added up the medal play scores and we would have tied with nett 64's

Sounds like you both need your handicap reviewing

Oldshanker

Out of interest did you play Cambridgeshire Scratch League matches?

Davie

Thanks for your nudge re logging on to 606v2
My good lady finally sorted out my problem.
I posted as The Ubitious Chipper on 606 but as I live near the River Doon I thought I would have a change.

Re golf.
We are a couple of hackers off 14 and 19 and this is the first decent game we have played for yonks.
We both had two bad holes 7's and 6's within that score.

Always let her develop naturally I'm amazed by how she plays the game and potential she has, because in all other sports she's tried she never really showed any natural ability and she only finally showed interest in golf at the back end of xmas and took her to the range a few times and. Was in awe of how she did so naturally, ever since that day she has been obsessed now every LPGA event is on Sky+ which she watches and she is always reading and trying out different things the bug bit her and she has shown real natural ability with a silky action. I'll support her in anyway she needs it without forcing my opinion on her.

Just back from sports physio the mans a genius and bearer of bad news! He asked me to take a recording of my swing with me (if I had one) so took a video of a jollys boys away golf trip from last year (most recent vid of swing) and he watched it over and over with me in slowmo and from the different angles captured and gave his verdict based on what I'd been told by the surgeon and. The graphical evidence at hand. He confirmed what the surgeon said 12weels minimum with his help but more likely 16 then further bad news he paid special attention to the swing sequence and how it affected my left knee and said he could see where I built power on my base but in his opinion some severe changes required when I pick up the sticks as I put to much pressure on the outside of my left knee when winding up and pulling the trigger so will not be able to fire the left side as much, meaning some pretty severe swing changes!

He then suggested I look at Stack and Tilt for the way it helps put less strain on the left side in the golf swing and he knew this would mean a loss of some distance but longevity of playing was more key. He really knew his stuff about not only the body but about golf too and showed me several films of players using S&T and how you could see less stress on their lower half's particularly the knees. So I've booked a series of sessions with him for after surgery to help rebuild the knee slowly not rushing it and now off to look into S&T and teachers of the method!

Mav - This could be the real test for Mavette you know. While you are out for 4 months and she cannot initially play without Pop even just walking and then not actually able to hit a ball - well, let's just hope that ponies don't rear their ugly head eh! Maybe you will just have to employ the services of Uncles LJ, SJ, OS, Rossa, Mercurio, Doc, NST, D4S et al.

Sorry to hear the bad news.

Blimey - just had a thought. weren't you out for a few months last summer as well with an eye problem?

oldshanker wrote:Mav - This could be the real test for Mavette you know. While you are out for 4 months and she cannot initially play without Pop even just walking and then not actually able to hit a ball - well, let's just hope that ponies don't rear their ugly head eh! Maybe you will just have to employ the services of Uncles LJ, SJ, OS, Rossa, Mercurio, Doc, NST, D4S et al.

Sorry to hear the bad news.

Blimey - just had a thought. weren't you out for a few months last summer as well with an eye problem?

OS, I think your right this could be the real test she needs and early on in her development, she will have her granddad and uncle to fall back on as they'll be at the club but not the same as having dad there, but my brothers boy who is 3weeks older than her is now a member as of yesterday so she has a fall back there. But will be a good test for her out there on her own. She is already putting in the work for this weekends 36holer she has entered, I've said I'll be there for that though it'll be sat on the balcony waiting for her.

I won't be hitting a ball now until september earliest and that thought is driving me mad already, and doing as much as I can to look into S&T. In answer to the question about last summer, yes I lost 3months to optic nerve surgery that was due to a footy incident but I was still able to putt and work on the game a little, this is going to create a major overhaul of my swing as I've been told won't be able to fire the left side as much so will be building from scratch so my years written off and so is my goal of getting to +1 after a good start.

As for the uncles! Not sure I want to go there after Macs earlier post sounds like he was trying to groom her. But for this season at least my golf will be through the eyes of Mavette and supporting her goals

Mav

Surely if you play footie then stack and tilt will not protect your knee, or at least there will be no point as footie is sure to cause damage again at some point.


I think left knee strain is common to almost all golfers at some point but the chances are your injury was instigated by a football related incident.

Mac not played footy since last years eye injury, hung my boots up that day and haven't returned for even a 5 a side knock. Its all down to the golf the injury so definitely nothing to do with footy and that why switch to S&T as golf and the gym are now my only sports

Mav

There has to be an alternate to stack and tilt. Remember there are loads of guys out there who have very powerful swings placing a lot of energy through the body who did not rupture their knee. Although you have started to make we worry about my own knee. I have had constant, albeit low level, pain for a number of years. Is it only a matter of time before a join you on the stack and stick diet?

Agreed Ma there are many others who use different styles that haven't suffered this injury but when you've had not only a surgeon but a specialised sports physio look at the images and vidoes of your swing and he can pinpoint the exact area where the pressure occurred its amazing to realise how much stress you put on that joint and muscle group and to be told if the same pressure is applied constantly it could occur in a complete rebuild of the knee Is worrying , its for these reasons and the fact I want to be able to play well into my latter years pain free that I'm now looking at S&T I spent hours with the physio looking at different methods and S&T each time put the least pressure on the left side and can extend my playing for years. I've never been an advocate of it before but now I feel for my own health and addiction to this game I must covert

Before you go launching into a diet of S&T check out any evidence of it causing bad backs. I can't remember seeing anything definitive but I'm sure I've saw it on the net somewhere. Just check it out first.

An excellent 18 holes after work today. The course not too busy and the sun shining all the way round. Would be nice to have a little rain tho'.

I was hitting my irons really sweetly today. All I need to do now is hit them straight. Time after time, just off the green leaving a little chip and run in. Mind you I can't complain too much. This was the best I have played so far this year.

I'm off out for 9 holes after work tonight at a little local par 3 course. A regular playing partner of mine is trying to get back into things after a 6-7 month layoff and we thought a 9 hole par 3 course would be a good re-introduction.

Should be a bit of fun - the first 2 or 3 holes are not much more than pitch-and-putt (90-100 yards) but after that is gets a bit better with a couple of holes that wouldn't seem out of place on a bigger course (150-yards mostly over water etc, though there is a shorter tee for real beginners that skirts the water).

On an evening like tonight promises to be, it should be a nice little stroll

Davie

Wouldn't be the rather pleasant little course out the back of Winnersh by any chance? Can't remember it's name but very pleasant for a summer evening stroll

Billingbear Park GC - yes, kinda between Winnersh and Binfield (unless you are thinking of Hurst GC? That's only 9 holes but a "full" 9)

Billingbear has "big" 9 and this par-3 nine. The "big" nine is still very short but beautifully kept for a public course - the par-3 is a little scrappy but still good fun.

Hurst on the other hand (if that was the one you were thinking of, around the Black Swan lake at Dintern Pastures) has fallen on hard times recently and almost closed. No clubhouse now, just a little hut to pay green fees

Hurst rings a bell. Pity, it was a pleasant little track when I played it quite a few years ago. Still, golf has been hit pretty hard by this current recession

Hurst was a nice little 9 ... par 36 but only one par-3 and one par-5. Tight little greens and the black swan lake in play right down the right hand side of the first two holes. It was actually a council-owned course (and sister-course to Downshire in Bracknell).

Not sure who owns it now but the old 6th is now the first as there is a tea-room for the nearby country park nearby and that's where people pay their green fees now. Haven't played it for a few years but passing by, it looks to have turned into a bit of a cow pasture which is a great shame

I did a midweek medal last night and played some brilliant stuff, but yet again walked off gutted because of doing a Rory on the par 5 9th. Lost ball in the cabbage off the tee and a long walk back to have another go, which carded me a 9. Finished up 4 over nett so no chance of being cut again. Would have been chopped by at least 2 at the weekend, but something always go wrong in every QC on one hole. The last time was a 9 on the par 5 12th for my one errant drive of the day.

I estimate that far from getting my handicap down to 12 where i think it should be. I will be playing off 28 in a couple of years, as I go up by 0.1 after every event at this Flip club

Played last night, bit disappointed in the end with 35 pts, finishing double bogey, par, double bogey, bogey. Make far too many doubles (4 last night) which if I can convert to singles I'll go from over to under handicap.

Well the little 9 hole par-3 was excellent short game practice last night.

The first two holes are not much more than pitch and putt (90-100 yards) then 2 good holes around 150 yards (all over water), 3 holes all around 130-140, and suddenly a 210 yard 8th before a nice finishing hole to a well guarded green with bunkers and another pond

Amazingly for a 21 handicapper I was only 1 over after 7 and had a putt on the last to break 30 (though managed to 3-stab it from not very far to end up with a 31)

And all in about 70 minutes!

Am sitting in the bar of the local Muni watching the ET on sky whilst Mavette is out their competing in her first 36holer. A side not first had confirmation of surgery on knee is 2 weeks away on a friday!! So won't be back on course till likely October then got the swing rebuild to work on! So living my golf through Mavette this year as a supporting role not a pushy one.

She just away now for her second round just seen her crack one down the right side into the rough but she still has the smile of youth where no shot in golf is an issue!

So to her first round score I cannot say how she played as I'm on crutches so my viewing is restricted from the balcony with pint in hand and ploughmans polished off. But f
rom what one of the fathers of one of girls she played with said she seems to be hitting it well and playing solid and her score confirms such she shot a first round +16 so over the par 72 that equates to a gross 88 -21 handicap is net 67 and from the quick check of leader board she looks to be in T2nd in the girls event and overall event T6th. Didn't let her check the board as want her concentrate on her game. She seems be on way to her goal of a 12handicap by her 12th birthday, but she is yet to hit that plateau of where you get to a handicap that's right and then have to fight to reduce.

But she's out there now on her way to whatever her total will be for 36holes and whatever that is I'll be proud of her, now my glass is empty so ordering a refill and will let you all know how mavette finishes

We should rename this thread "tell us about your daughter's game today"

Seriously though, keep them coming Mav - great to hear of her progress and hope she plays well this afternoon!

I can see her being "adopted" by the 606 golfers and she'll soon have plenty of honourary grandpas and uncles cheering her on. Far more worthy too than the old 606 adopted player (Marvin Logie Baird)

I understand some are probably bored at hearing about it but is still new to me and I'm in awe of her at the moment. But cheers for the encouragement davie, I'll only post about her comp rounds as I'm out action for the foreseeable I really am living my golf through her

I can just picture the scene Mav - you with pint in one hand, binoculars in other hand sending dispatch riders out to convey the news back to you like a General in the Napoleonic Wars - Good luck to Mavette

Maverick wrote:I understand some are probably bored at hearing about it but is still new to me and I'm in awe of her at the moment. But cheers for the encouragement davie, I'll only post about her comp rounds as I'm out action for the foreseeable I really am living my golf through her

Not bored at all Mav, in fact I would be a little disappointed should the updates stop.

I can sum up my round today in one word.

Pish.

Morning all, just update to Mavette finals round yesterday, again cannot comment on how she played due to my inability to walk the course. But every card tells a story she returned a good score. +9 front half for an outward 45 and an inward +6, 42 for a total of 87 net 66. Total for 36 was 133net score and finished in a T3rd in the girls event which saw some seriously good scoring over the course of the day but her prize being that she won a years free membership to the muni (all that means is she didn't have to pay the 40quid fee to retain status at course and gets all her rounds for half price until next june) and £30 in vouchers for use at American Golf. But proud of her once again her first 36holer and finished 3rd in a girls field of 37 golfers and in the overall event that includes boys she finished T9th out of 81players. No doubt she will have an event where she has a poor finish as we all do but I think that will come when her handicap Plateaus which I think from her scores will be at back end of the summer and that will be a test of her resolve but I'm sure its one she'll pass.

CSS for the comp by my reckoning will be around the -2mark so that equates to 70 and if that's right I would guess her handicap would be reduced to around the 18/19mark dependent on what her exact is reduced to.

Well done Mavette.

I hope you are looking forward to the next comp. You have a number of new 'uncles' on here who certainly are.

She looks forward to every round comp or otherwise! She has already departed the castle de mav and gone to the course early with granddad even though she can't play till 12pm she has gone to work on her driving she felt it cost her shot yesterday!!! You'd think she played bad, she is in search for perfection.

I'm glad she has honoury uncles on here cheering her on

I'll tell you what Mav, playing as well as she does, if she played at my course I think she'd be off the ladies as opposed to the junior tees. She'd probably still beat me even then the way she is playing.

NST: She does play from the ladies in regular play and the ladies medal tees in competition neither our course nor the Muni she played at nearby us has junior tees they're made play from the respective tee for their sex don't know many course round here that have junior tees. When I return to playing I may apply for dispensation for the ladies tees myself though!

Regular Tuesday bounce game yesterday after work. Just managed to get in 18 although it was a 'tad murky' coming down the last.

Hit the ball well, mostly straight then suddenly a s***k appeared and went, thankfully. 'phew'

My God the greens were woolly though, worst I have ever known them. I just couldn't hit the ball hard enough. All round, any long lag type putt was left 4-6 feet short.

Just back from a weeks golf in Belek, Turkey. Played the Faldo twice and the Carya twice and one round on the Montgomerie, Kaya Eagles and Gloria Old.

Played pretty solid for holiday golf! Best round was 77 on Gloria Old, worst round was 82 on the Carya. Really enjoyed it, lovely sunny weather and all great courses. All in good nick apart from the greens at the Carya. Don't know what has happened to them, they were in superb condition when I played there this time last year but they were in a dreadful state this time. Rumour has it that the course will be closed shortly while they remedy the problem.

Well I took the day off work yesterday to play in a mid-week medal (surpluss of annual leave) - and for the first 9 holes at least I wished I'd stayed at work!

All started when I woke up with a stiff neck - must've slept funny - and though I took some pain killers and had plenty of warm-up it took an awful long time to wear off and for a long time I just didn't feel comfortable over the ball.

Put my first tee shot into a lateral ditch and wasted a couple of shots to get back into position and ended up with an 8 ... then even worse on the 2nd when I managed to card a 9 (first tee shot deep into trees, 2nd into a pond so playing 5 off the tee).

My medal round was effectively finished there and all I had left to concentrate on was trying to recover to my buffer zone to stop h/c going up (the 9 and 8 would be reduced to two 7s for handicap purposes under the stableford adjustment rule)

Parred 3 and 4 which made me feel a little better but then the rest of the back 9 was just one struggle after another - left me 11 over handicap for the front 9 (reduced to 8 over for handicap purposes).

Thankfully the 9 nine was a big improvement and I was 12 shots less for back nine than front 9. Eventually got back to 6 over h/c after 18 and until the penultimate group came in the CSS was SSS+2 so it looked like I might have had an unlikely escape! Sadly the last two groups came in and CSS went to SSS+1 so I missed my bufferzone by one shot

At least it went from bad to good though (as opposed to good to bad) - played the last 3 or 4 holes really well so finally walked off feeling not so bad which seemed impossible after the start I had!

C Medal on Sunday so hoping to eradicate the careless mistakes (or at least some of them) and try to get some shots back