Tell us about your game today...

First topic message reminder :

.. 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!

jeffkenna wrote:I’m a 6 handicap and I’ve had one of my most satisfying weeks on the course. Club foursomes semi-final on Tuesday- playing 2 notoriously unpopular individuals who use all the tricks in the book to try get walkovers and who possess handicaps 5 or 6 shots above their level of play. One of these gents I had a bust-up with about 8 years ago when I was a student working in the club bar and we have never spoken since so this was a particular grudge match. I have never been as determined on a golf course (and I am an extremely competitive individual!). Started out on the 1st by holing a 30 footer for a half and that I just seemed to hole every putt I had, I think it was pure will and concentration. We won on 15th, a very satisfying victory.
I brought my brother in law (non-golfer) to play par 3 golf last evening as my own course is a fairly challenging links. Proper 18 hole par 3 course with holes ranging from 100 to 220, averaging about the 150-160 bracket. Walked off the 18th with one of the biggest smiles ever after a round. I had a grand total of 7 2s! Turned level par, then bogeyed the 11th before birdies on 12, 14, 15, 16 and 18 for a 23 on the back 9 and 50 total.
Weeks like that which keep us golfers coming back for punishment!

Further to this post on 19th August DoontheWater was interested to find out how we got on in the final of the club foursomes. We played last evening and won 3&1. We both made a few mistakes and threw a few holes away but for the most part we played great golf- 1 eagle, 3 birdies and 9 pars in the 17 holes (a 6 and 10 combination so we play off 8) isn't too shabby. A couple of really good shots under pressure. We were thrilled to bits. My playing partner had his first kid just a few months ago too and so he hasn't actually been playing much golf, played brilliantly throughout considering.

And fellas don't listen to all these people saying "ah the golfing season is nearly over" just get ready to don the longjohns and waterproofs and batten down the hatches fpr winter, it won't stop me playing!

Well done Jeff, pretty nifty scoring.
The others must have played well to take you to the 17th.

Played a betterball match today, with the prize at stake a spot in the regional finals next month (the howdidido competition). Played away at Upminster, which I was pretty impressed with as a course. Receiving 5 shots from a long hitting 5 handicapper whose partner was off 9, we were never behind but never more than 1 up. My partner kept us in it on the front nine, and I managed to finish well, birdieing the par 5 17th for a half to keep it all square. The 18th is a shortish par 3, and all 4 of us hit the green. I was closest and once our opponents had both missed their birdie putts I had a 10 footer for the win, but my partner had 3 putted so I couldn't charge it. The putt looked like it was going to sit on the edge of the hole but a combination of slope and breeze helped it drop.

Well done SJ, nice way to finish off a match. Do you know where the finals are being held? Hopefully somewhere nice

drive4show wrote:Well done SJ, nice way to finish off a match. Do you know where the finals are being held? Hopefully somewhere nice

Cheers D4S. It's at Botley Park near Southampton. We have made it through before, top 2 pairs out of about 12 win a trip to Portugal. We're hoping our previous experience will see us through this time!

SmithersJones wrote:

drive4show wrote:Well done SJ, nice way to finish off a match. Do you know where the finals are being held? Hopefully somewhere nice

Cheers D4S. It's at Botley Park near Southampton. We have made it through before, top 2 pairs out of about 12 win a trip to Portugal. We're hoping our previous experience will see us through this time!

Not far from me then, do you know the date yet?

doon the water- the others played well but in truth we gifted them a number of holes and should never have let the match get to the 17th, a couple of poor decisions and shot executions (good to learn from for the future) when all we needed to do was control it and play more conservatively

drive4show wrote:

SmithersJones wrote:

drive4show wrote:Well done SJ, nice way to finish off a match. Do you know where the finals are being held? Hopefully somewhere nice

Cheers D4S. It's at Botley Park near Southampton. We have made it through before, top 2 pairs out of about 12 win a trip to Portugal. We're hoping our previous experience will see us through this time!

Not far from me then, do you know the date yet?

Monday 24th. We'll probably play a practise round on the Sunday and stay the night.

Bit of a bitter sweet day for me yesterday. Had an inter-society Ryder Cup style day at the Players Club. Morning 4bbb despite personally shooting 3 over gross 75 we lost 2&1.
In the afternoon singles raced to being 3 up through 5 before committing the cardinal sin...3 off the tee at 6, then put 4th in bunker (nasty downhill lie at back of bunker) got it out then misread the long putt. I picked up my ball and my opponents marker (he was about a foot away in 5). As I walked of I realised that I'd actually had a 5 footer for a HALF a 7 net 6...the hole was S.I. 1 it was my only stroke hole (he was off 5 to my 6). Got it back to 3 up at the next but he then went through a bit of a purple patch, 2 birdies and a tap in eagle so I was standing on the 13th 1 down. Fluctuated between all square and one down for the rest of the round and I sank a 20 footer on the last to win the hole and half the match. Gutted but in the end my gimme away on S.I. 1 cost me a win it made do difference to the overall team result we were soundly gubbed!!

I really do wonder sometimes how I can go from shooting 3 over gross on an away course to missing the buffer (by a mile) on my home course 48 hours later. Yes...hollowtined greens dont help but 7 girs suggest that I cant blame putting.

Oh well, bad days happen and I suppose it's the ability to put them in perspective that determines your next few rounds!!

Not today, but yesterday. Best round ever at the best course I've ever played. Broke 90 at Pine Valley, which for me is a real feat. Greens amazingly consistent, but not lightening quick which helped. What didn't help was that the course was playing exceedingly long, given all the recent rain (although it does drain well).

Shotrock

I have not read this thread for a while, so missed that you had played pine valley. Was it the first time?

I have a few pine valley questions if you don’t mind?

Is it as penal as it looks and if so how does it differ, if at all, from the modern type penal courses such as Hazeltine or Doral? No matter how much I read about the course or study images it is hard to see how PV fits the typical golden age characteristics and why it is given a bye for being penal (as opposed to strategic) where other courses do not.

How tight are the tress to the fairways and greens and are any of the sand traps at the edge of play engulfed by the trees? Related to this, how many times did you or playing partners have to reload after a wayward shot?

Did you clear Hells half acre?

On a more positive note what makes the course so great? having said I dont get the course just from research there is probably no other course I would rather have a chance to play. It looks like a great adventure over the 18 holes if nothing else, more so than other courses.

Hey Mac - Sorry I didn't get to your post sooner ... full day of golf yesterday (9 holes of better ball, 9 holes of "add-em-up" and 9 holes of alternate shot) Fun day.

Anyway to answer one of your first questions, I did clear "Hell's Half Acre" but only barely and also made a mess of that hole.

A very good question -- is Pine Valley really that strategic or just that penal?

The course is amazingly playable for most golfers, with one caveat: You must be able to carry the ball 180 yards off the tee. Most of the forced carries come with some great options. Carry more and have a shorter second shot it, carry less have a longer shot in. #1 and #16 being some good examples of this. Also, important to point out that the "hazards" are scrub areas. Sometimes you get a decent lie, sometimes you don't. There isn't a rake on the property.

The fairways are pretty enormous and have a significant amount of movement. The greens can be big with movement, small with movement or somewhat benign. It will test your short game like no other course I've ever played.

Large trees don't come into play much at all. They pretty much just frame the holes. I played the entire round with one ball, and our group had to reload once, We had players in the group off a 1, 2, 13 (me!) and 17. I suppose they could clear some trees on #12, without any complaints however!

Too bad you are not in the area. Tomorrow is the one day ANYONE can go see Pine Valley. It's the final day of the Crump Cup and the public is invited. I think you would be pretty amazed at the property. (One enters the property from an access road in a run down strip mall in Clementon NJ ... really bizarre.)

They recently made some concessions to the modern game and lengthened some holes. The only hole, IMO, that was made worse by this was #14 -- which now plays 200 yards, somewhat downhill, to a target green.

Not sure if you saw this, but a pretty good read about the place:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/pine-valley-golf-club/

Sounds very much like entering the grounds from a run down street in Augusta . . . . .

It's the Kwini Cup this weekend too!

Gotta ask ... what's the Kwini Cup? Format? Where played? etc.

At Kwini (no, I'm not a member so will be keeping dry watching footie), two rounds: Saturday two-man better ball, Sunday two-man scramble, for those living north of the course versus those living south. Might get waterlogged out though.

Is it contested at Newport?!?

Kwiniaska Golf Club!

Kwini, I never knew that was where your 'name' came from!you learn something new....

MPB,
I think one of the old 606'ers sussed it out - I'm not a member, just play from time to time.

I'm just in the final stages of packing my bags, two weeks in Myrtle Beach, we fly out tomorrow.

Timing isn't great, all this great golfing weather that I'm leaving behind!!

Catch up with you all in a fortnight

Have a great time D4S and don't worry, I'm playing a club medal tomorrow so the weather will break.

Taking your lappie with you this time??

d4s,
You're leaving 80F+ and heading over here and I'm shivering in a cold 40F degree rain. Hope you don't get any of wot we got, plenty of sunshine and loads of birds. Bon voyage!

Davie wrote:3 putted the last yesterday to lose a (friendly) game by one shot

I don't want to talk about it anymore

I dug back to find my previous post on this thread and came up with the above.

Three putted the last again to lost a match where a comfortable two putt would have halved it

I'm not normally a nervous putter on the last hole - really

I missed a putt from about 10 inches today if t makes you feel any better,

I blame the top soil.

Apart from that a not bad day, fell in love with my hybrid today,

Who made you putt from 10 inches?

Me and my friend just always putt out

Wasn't actually a game today but a 2 hour playing lesson with my coach. Very well timed given my collapse yesterday (Level par and cruising through 6 on my 2nd course then playing the last 12 in 12 over). I was hoping to play the way I finished yesterday so he could spot what was going wrong. Played the last 7 holes of my home course (which as Doon will confirm really is the business end of our course - lost count of the amount of times I've stood on the 12th tee level par then struggled to make the buffer). So what did I do...1 over gross with 4 lip outs. Struck the ball beautifully, had a birdie from a fairway bunker and a great up & down from a greenside bunker. Luckily I did hit a couple of poor shots reminiscent of some of poor ones yesterday. Seems I may have a tendency toward poor weight shift now and again so something to work on and a valuable lesson.

Played a medal round today and to be fair I played a load of old poopie.

My irons which have been the best part of my game from long to short were not performing at all. Drove well, but still can't putt for toffee.

Not my finest hour.

Ah yes Jas ~ known as the Soggy 5 in our family.

I always found 14 to be a bit of a card wrecker, especially off the tee.
I believe Tom's Garden comes into play a bit now.

16th is a tough par 3. Best hole on the course IMHO. Usually a 3 iron alongside the water hazzard with a wee bit of draw to hit the green. Brave shot required, no get out clause available.

Oh dear that was of course the 13th not the easy 14th~ Jas.

I wish I could remember where I put those bloomin memory pills.

Medal comp today and took a NINE on the first (and that was with a decent putt to save a 10)

Missed the buffer zone by one shot - and that was with a rather weak finish. The 15 holes in between must've been quite good

lol...I did wonder...it would need one helluva hook from the 14th tee to put it in "the garden".

We have high summer conditions at the moment Doon, 15 was a sweet 5 iron. Messed up by going for 17 in 2 (the drive ran on an on so just had to have a go at it...result??....Pond

Firstly I want to just say the golfing weather for the first weekend in October was simply amazing.

Didn't play saturday just put some practice in whilst Mavette played in Ladies medal and got the lowest gross at +9.

Played October medal Sunday (yesterday) and must be the first one of those ever I've played in shorts which made even teeing off on the 10th tee for the medal a desirable prospect...

Must say my long game just didn't show up except for in short bursts. Didn't hit a fairway or GIR in the first 5 holes but managed to chip and putt decently. 6th Hole hit my first real good shot of the day a sweet drive dead centre only to get to where the ball should have been but couldn't find it anywhere so back to the tee box for 3 off the tee. Made a double bogey 6 there in the end.

Back 9 started much brighter 3 fairways hit in a row, had 10foot dead straight putt for birdie on the 12th walked off with a 3putt and a bogey.

16th hole hit my drive within 40yards on the green shanked second into the bunker and took a double bogey 6. 17th hole exactly the same except this time approach was shanked into the trees leading to another double! Then low and behold went and holed out from 110yards on the final hole for an eagle when all I was hoping for was not to shank my 3rd consecutive approach shot.

Ended up with a -2, 69 for lowest gross in the nost bizarre fashion. I couldn't work out if I should be happy with the score or totally perplexed at how I managed to shoot that number. Conclusion I came to was be happy to have got away with it on a monumental scale and had a good laugh with the lads afterwards in the bar.

mav, sounds like you must have had a sparkling run from 7-15, 7 birdies in 9 holes?

alas, the weather got us up here in edinburgh. heavy overnight rain on saturday night meant sunday's open was cancelled with the greens under water - no golf for me as i'd taken saturday off. managed 14 holes practice on thursday night - stunning weather but was bitten to the bone by the blasted midges and even worse - clegs.

ban_bam wrote:mav, sounds like you must have had a sparkling run from 7-15, 7 birdies in 9 holes?

Ha ha, I'm more intrigued by his hole out from 110yds for eagle on the last considering he's previously told us the last at his club is a par 3!! Still I wouldn't want to be accused of poking fun at him and I'm sure it's just a typo or something so I'll leave him to it.

I played pony. Very lucky to be three over after nine and then got what I deserved to be nine over for the back nine. Still it was a lovely day in the "Sunny South".

Hibbz wrote:Ha ha, I'm more intrigued by his hole out from 110yds for eagle on the last considering he's previously told us the last at his club is a par 3!!

Didn't you see the part where he said he teed off the 10th?

Oh yeah, true true. Apologies Mr Maverick.

Ban, the middle part of the round with the exception of the 3putt on the 12th (my 12th having played course the other way round) was indeed a birdiefest holed some seriously long putts, since changing to the new putter I feel like I can't miss with it unlike the driver which behaved in spurts!

Hibbz good observational skills both our first hole and 18th are Par 3'sm but as I pointed outI started on the 10th as we have 2 tee starts and it was my turn to go out back half first this month. Which meant my 18th or in real terms the 9th hole is a mid length par 4 which I'd have been happy just not to have shanked the ball but got one of those lucky moments. But apology accepted sir.

Thank you for the reply shotrock, and thanks for the link. That was actually the link a google search I made a few years turned up and how I found the site. Will definitely be worth a re read.

It is good to hear that trees do not interfere with play as some pictures make them look very tight to the playing areas.

Maverick, what is that some sort of Mickey Mouse course? Shanks? Missed fairways and greens and you shoot 69?

JPX far from a mickey mouse course my driving has not been upto scratch for a while, but my iron play and short game has been immense and got me round in my last couple however I know a nightmare score is coming due to it can only be got away with for so long and as I said it was only 2 shanks and they cost me shots, the rest of the time I was getting away with murder

Maverick wrote:JPX far from a mickey mouse course my driving has not been upto scratch for a while, but my iron play and short game has been immense and got me round in my last couple however I know a nightmare score is coming due to it can only be got away with for so long and as I said it was only 2 shanks and they cost me shots, the rest of the time I was getting away with murder

JPX - one of the shanks hit the windmill and bouced back towards the hole, the other one had a ricochet off the back wall and bounced into the hole. Golf is well easy.

It wasn;t a windmill more like the backside of elephant

My round summed up in a single word "CRAP" 0.1 will be going back on and way I hit it today would wish i could have 4.1 back on total garbage

My round yesterday was interesting. I played generally quite poorly, but I had a couple of highlights. First, a miracle moment - I holed a 4 iron from 180 yds uphill into the wind. The shot was blind, thanks to my tee shot being hooked onto the adjacent fairway, and so after first checking amongst the trees it had to go over in case it had caught one and dropped, then looking over the green, I thought to check the hole on my way past and lo and behold there it was. And on my birthday, too!

Second, and hopefully more usefully, I realised yesterday just how urine poor my course management can be at times. Looking back on the round I realised how simply I could and of course should have turned 33 points into 40/41 without hitting it any better or holing any more putts. I now can't wait to test that out!

I'd settle for being able to hit a 4-iron 180 yards uphill into the wind.

If it even got on the green I'd consider it my birthday

What a glorious day, early "fall" in a sun-drenched Vermont. Nothing like playing as the sun comes up, rooster tails down the fairway as the dew still lays on the green green grass (not of home).
Leaves a-turning so autumn colours a-plenty, course drying up as much as heavy recent rainfall will allow, greens in fabulous condition.

But there's always a but.

The course I play here has 4 sets of tees, Championship at 6,800+ yards, men's at 6,600, then a big gap, way too big a gap, to the intermediate men's at 5,800, and ladies shorter than that.

I used to play to about an 18 handicap here off the men's, but have finally been forced to face up to the fact that I need to leave the "whites" and go to the intermediate "yellows".

Hate it when one reaches that stage in life when you just have to accept that that brilliant future is so far behind you. Like realising you'll never get picked for the Under 23's (Under 21's now I suppose).

So the next time I play, hopefully but not likely on another drop-dead gorgeous autumn day, the wall-to-wall beauty of the place won't be marred by the frustrations from failing to make those ridiculous forced carries off the tee; I might even outdrive someone once in a while. So long as they're playing from the whites of course.

I've got the week off work - mostly to use up my annual leave but also with the intention of playing some midweek golf before the weather gets too crappy

Midweek medal tomorrow but today I had a gentle "friendly" with my main golfing buddy. Just the two of us, following some ladies' invitational. The ladies had a two tee start and we had the first tee time after they went through. A 10 minute delay as we had to wait for the ladies who had started on the back nine come through the first - slow front nine (or at least it felt so though a check on the watch after 9 when the ladies in front had finished showed it wasn't too bad) but then had the back nine to ourselves to get around in about 3.5 hours (back nine was about 1:20 for us)

Lost 5&3 though when we counted up approximate scores at the 16th tee I was right on handicap - my opponent was 6 under his handicap at that point!

Best part though was 18 holes approaching mid October and still able to play in short sleeves

First game for nearly 3 weeks due to poor weather and being busy.
Troon Darley
Playing very long, weather was mizzle with a breeze. Course played well.
Three 7's in the first six holes due to 2 lost balls in the gorse and an exquisite full top which was only a tad off a miss, difficult weather for the specs. Out in 44 [5 fours and a three].
Decent inward half of 41 to be just over my handicap.
Feel was really good today and I played a lot of good shots, even a few delicate pitches.
Last game for a while as I am down south for a couple of weeks. Reminds me, must take my bullphoo jabs.