2013 - Season review - how did you fare?

About time we got round to comparing notes - summarise your season.

Targets set, achieved/failed?
Best moments?
New equipment?
Plans for 2014?

Add anything else you like.

For me,

Targets set, achieved/failed? - succeeded in tipping the handicap into the 4 point somethings which was the modest target. Failed to get across the 4.4 line. After being a (seemingly) perpetual runner-up last season (seven 2nd places...but no wins), I won a couple of trophies at my away club in the space of a week - stableford and a 3bbb comp. Highest finish at home club was a 2nd, but won the scratch prize that day. Also reached the Semi's of the singles knockout winning 5 matches on route but falling short of a place in the final - largely to the exceptional play of my opponent. Didn't shoot worse than level handicap in any of the rounds so pleased with that.

Best moments? - lots of good times on the course this year. hardly been a drop of rain and the course has been in excellent condition.

shot of the year? - away course - a smashing 2iron to tap in range on the penultimate hole of the stableford mentioned above. secured a 4 shot swing from one of my playing partners who had been having a superb round up to then and finished runner-up. home course - a sublime up and down on 18 to finish 2nd handicap after a trip to the water left me a drop into some heavy stuff. pitch from 25 yards over burn and bunker to a tight pin - knocked it to 5 feet and sunk the putt to break my medal play PB at home club.

New equipment?
Everything in the bag bar putter has been replaced since December 12. First time i've had a bag of fitted gear (D-PW anyway).

Plans for 2014?
Play more bounce games. Had a spell of about 10 weeks where everytime I played it was a competition of some sort and really wasn't enjoying it. I like to play as many medals as I can, but balance is important. Probably will have less time to practice than this year, so handicap targets will again have to be modest. I think 4 is achievable, but I wouldn't be to unhappy to spend a season off 5.4 or less. Would like to play at least one new top quality course - Dornoch or Castle Stuart would be top of my list.

Targets set, achieved/failed?
I'm not a great one for setting targets. Most important thing to me was to keep enjoying the game and I achieved that. I did set a very modest target of getting down, first to 20 (from 22) and after the first month of competition I'd already won a Medal and a NQ comp - which took me down to 20.8 and I thought I'd be able to reassess the target. Sadly that was the end of the improvements (at least in qualifiers) and I ended up pretty much where I started.

Best moments? Winning a board comp and also later in the summer the pro-shop day with 44 points - my best round in five years at the club. Sadly this one was also a NQ or my target above would have been achieved and more

New equipment? I picked up a 21 degree Titleist rescue club which has become a firm favourite. I used to be a fairly decent fairway wood player (relatively speaking at least), but they started to let me down a bit - however the rescue has filled in nicely and I rarely use the fairways woods now (except perhaps off the tee)

Shot of the year: A slippery, downhill, right-to-left 15 footer for birdie to win a club back on our par5 16th .. a fiendishly difficult hole which I rarely make in regulation .. so to get there in three and then sink such a wicked putt...

Close second would be tee shot to par3 17th just last weekend in the final big comp of the season, to set up a birdie 2 on the most notorious card-wrecking hole on the course

Plans for 2014? To continue enjoying the game. Still making no real targets except to get down to 20 (and then below) would still be nice. I know I can play lower than I am - it's just consistency that lets me down

Thanks for posting ... fun idea ...

Targets - Handicap went up, down, up and then I played best when it mattered most - during our two-day Member/Guest. We won our flight (took home some nice loot) but did lose in the playoff. Loads of fun.

Best moments - In addition to above, it would have to be my Spring trip to Scotland. Playing 36 one day at Royal Dornoch was a treat. An amazing course. Also enjoyed my time at Brora, Golspie and Nairn.

Close second was when I went to my club and ran into a group of visitors from St. George's Hill. I told them how much I enjoyed their course a couple years ago. They had just finished playing and I hooked up with them for dinner and drinks ... great guys and now reason for me to get back to Surrey. Golf really does bring people together.

Shot of the year - As hard as it may seem it was on a hole I double bogeyed. The brutally hard (hardest 1 shot anywhere?) 5th hole at Pine Valley. Dumped my tee ball into the water and then put my 3rd shot about 8 feet above the pin (a 245 yard uphill shot to a very challenging green.

Plans for 2014 - Some visitors from the UK coming over, so I'll be setting up some local play. Also, plan to get to South Florida for play at Indian Creek and was invited to Arizona to play at Whisper Rock. Not sure I can make the latter. Still, the most fun I ever have playing golf is when I do it with my kids ... 9 holes here, 9 holes there and many of those planned for the Adirondacks come next summer. (Kwin could probably understand the appeal!)

Your 44 point round will no doubt be considered in the end of season handicap review Davie - you may still achieve your target!

was their a thread with season targets Barra? i think their might have been! dig it out!

barragan wrote:Your 44 point round will no doubt be considered in the end of season handicap review Davie - you may still achieve your target!

Yes absolutely - I'd forgotten to mention that, I am indeed hoping for a decent cut in the review - especially as I had one other fairly decent round in a NQ. Bit of a case for "card-in-hand syndrome" I think.

Strangest year on record for me as it started with my golf club closing due to a robbing bandit newish owner, who bought the club with the sole intention of selling it to developers for building over 1,000 new homes. Massive protests in the local media and its still all kicking off as we await a judicial review. This meant that I had to change clubs and all the upheaval that goes with it, great course but full of societies constantly and a round can take 5 or 6 hours due to following hordes of toursits. Whatever happens I will not be renewing my membership here.

Luckily for me I'm a country member of a great club in Yorkshire so spend a lot of time there at weekends. However in April I had a heart attack on the course, but luckily it was in the captains bunker next to the clubhouse. Blue lights and sirens all the way to Leeds where I was sorted straight away, although had to have 8-weeks off work and not allowed to swing a club for 4-weeks and even then only a few balls on the range. I managed to spend 2-weeks at the end playing almost every day and found that I couldn't give a Poopie anymore and stopped worrying about my swing and winning etc. Managed to get cut from a dead 18 to 13.9, so really, really pleased with that. I played some great golf without fears and hit a lot of great shots.

We had the best playing conditions this year for a few years, and it was great to see my ball bounding down the fairways as if I was in Spain. Not played as much recently due to work, so not hitting it as well or scoring as consistently, but still love it and I now know that if I can get plenty of play in over a couple of weeks I can get a good rythem going and score low.

Shot of the year was an 8-iron that landed directly on top of the pin and stopped dead hanging over the hole for almost my first ace. The same round I discovered that my 3-wood 2nd had gone in for an eagle on a par 5. I would have preffered the ace on the earlier hole as that eagle was obviously lucky whereas the 8-iron was on target and perfect yardage with the right amount of action on the ball.

My aim is to now try and play to this lower handicap and next year try to get cut again, if I'm still around.

Well done Doc, here's to a continued good recovery and fine golfing form   

Doc,

Great to hear from you, and Good Health.

Surely, your 3-wood second on a par-5 is that rarest of birds, an albatross?

Best wishes,

So, to segue from Shotrock's post:
Hardly played at all this year due to my favourite playing companion, OK, my lad, emigrating to Brooklyn; more murders in Brooklyn than golf courses. Didn't play my all-time favourite place to play anywhere for the first time since 1978 - still feel very bad about that.

Strangely, first time out played really well for the front nine, best I'd scored in ages - reverted to last season's form for the inward nine and subsequently. Exasperating.

No memorable shots, and no new equipment, tho' did fit an oversize grip to my putter and found that helped quite a bit.

On the plus side, took my lad (who's a good player) to Oak Hill for the first two rounds of the PGA and it was interesting to see his take on pros absolutely focussed on every shot (unlike early rounds of normal Tour events for instance).

Would echo all that Shotrock says about father/child golf, and about the serenity of the Adirondacks. Beware though, that they're a strange breed up there - during my first visit, in 1976, an inebriated local informed me there "are more bears than democrats around here".

Following on from Doc's post and his health issue, I have always walked, carried my bag, and have definitely noticed the difference this year after scarcely having played. At an age that most of you feel is advanced, but I consider the second flush of youth, things like that matter! Hope my snow-shovelling is up to its normal standard.

As for next year, am seriously considering joining a club for the first time in 25 years, just to make myself play frequently and get that exercise. Am playing now off forward (5,900 yds) tees and that makes the whole experience more enjoyable after slogging away from 6,600.
Hope to spend a week playing every day on Hilton Head, watch the pros in Hartford and Royal Montreal, and resume my love affair with the GCofN.

Targets set, achieved/failed? - Cat 1....failed got as close as 0.5 but now 1.0 away. Break Par in a medal...failed although I did shoot level par in a bounce game and in the 2nd round of our handicap knockout. An away cut...yes success and at no lesser a place than the Championship course at Carnoustie. Progressed to the 3rd round of the Maulesbank trophy and had one foot in the Q/F before having it snatched away. Reached the Q/F of the hcp singles at home, losing 2&1 to the Club Champ who also won the hcp singles...(First at our Club to do that particular double)

Best moments? - Mostly all away...pick any from a) the 4 birdies in a round at Hoylake, b) 36 points at Muirfield without a double bogey c) 41 points at North Berwick without a double bogey d) getting cut at Carnoustie e) shooting 70 round the Burnside in the 1st round of the Maulesbank for all square then stiffing a wedge to under 2 feet at the 19th for the birdie and the win. I'd probably go for e) but which one would I like to repeat...definitely c) (but with better putting - I could/should have broken par that day)

shot of the year? - Probably the low punchy drawn 5 iron into the wind on the 2nd at Carnoustie to leave a tap in birdie. Deserving a mention though would be the 200yard 4 iron to tap in distance in our midsummer madness comp in the early hours of the longest Sunday of the year (I hadn't been to bed after a night on the lash). Witnesssed by a 606er? The 6 iron out the fairway bunker on the 18th at Remedy Oak...156 yards over water, slightly into wind/off the left to the back fringe

New equipment?
Very recently replaced my Titleist 910 3 wood with the RBZ stage 2. Early days yet but I'm hopeful...already standing over 3 wood shots with more confidence. Perhaps the most significant change though is the new fat grip on my putter. Should have done it ages ago but it's only been through 1 medal and it held up just fine.

Plans for 2014?
Hammer the practice over the winter because come spring I inherit the Captaincy at my home Club. I expect to be playing less medals but more invite type bounce rounds. A bit reluctant to set any stretching targets golf wise...Bucking the trend of recent Captains and not going up would be a bonus.

JAS - I can confirm the 6 iron bunker shot over water at Remedy! We all knew you'd thinned an attempted lay up!!!
In all seriousness you scored by far the best of our group that day, with some excellent pitching and chipping being particularly memorable.
Scores at Carnoustie, Muirfield and North Berwick good memories.

Well done Doc!

So what you're saying is the best way to improve your handicap is to have a heart attack?

Ah...the minute you mentioned "thin" I remembered that you weren't the only 606er to witness my efforts this year. Plunky must have seen some decent shots as I plotted around Saunton East, level par up to the 9th before I knifed a chip.

Speaking of knifed chips.... is the 17th Pin still bruised from the efforts of another familiar name from these parts?

Targets set, achieved/failed?

Try and see as many interesting courses I have not played before..  

Achieved - even got a another Doak in, which as you can imagine is a thing of great pleasure for me.

Best moments?

Whenever I was sipping a beer in the sun, on the porch of any club after a fun round.  You have just played golf. Of course it is a good moment!

New equipment?

None.  apart form changing my bag two seasons ago all my equipment is at least 5 years old.  My irons are probably about 10+ years old. They are lumps of steel, apart form rust why would you need to change your irons more than once every 20 years or so?

I really don't understand you guys on here who waste money on new clubs every couple of seasons?

Plans for 2014?

Same as always.  Have fun playing golf and play more courses.

raycastleunited wrote:Well done Doc!

So what you're saying is the best way to improve your handicap is to have a heart attack?

Ray it probably helped  But from being a person so determined to get my handicap down to single digit's, because I felt that's where I ought to be, I was too hung up on being perfect. Sulking my way around the course at times, whilst trying to keep a smile on my face. Post heart attack and my priorities changed big time. Work almost killed me so sod them I'll do no more than 9-hours per day, golf is a hobby and pass time so enjoy it and don't get hung up on that fat shot, or the knifed wedge, or the tap in you missed. It aint that important because by rights you're lucky to be here .... enjoy it and in my case the cuffs came off and I enjoy every round and every shot. Yes you will still here me say wtf was that you useless arse, but then I smile. Amazing how all of a sudden all that money you invested in lessons starts to pay off. I've carded plenty of rounds of between +4 and +9 since April, so I know I can do it now. Its all in your head guys as we all knew. In my case I dont give a Poopie anymore and eh presto, more things to worry about in life than being unhappy about a golf ball, or those useless gits in front holding me up ....

Targets set, achieved/failed?

get below 5 achieved on the last day of competitions
improve short game thru more practise i dont think i have improved my pitching or chipping despite extra effort at practise area. i have seen my putting improve though towards end of season
be picked for club i made the squad for our interclub games which was great- unfortunatley didnt have much of a run though.
matchplay i qualified out of my group of 6 (2 qualify) which was the aim. dissapointed to get knocked out in round of 16 for second year in a row

Best moments?

placing second in our scratch cup
winning long drive competition
week in Portugal with a bunch of the lads- brilliant time.

New equipment?
new R11s at start of the season and have gone back to a putter i used about 10 years ago. its a centre shaft odyssey white hot. #2 i think.

Plans for 2014?
-try and convince the missus to let me go away on a golf week again
I'm 4.9 now so would like to get to playing 4 handicap if possible. at the moment i think Im not consistent enough for it though i certainly have the shots for it.
- have a decent run in a our match-play comp and get out my group again.
-new wedges and maybe and possibly the TM Rbladez tour irons if bonus time goes well in work!

Targets for 2013 taken from that thread and results :

Enjoy it - Enjoyed it 95%+ of the time I went out and can only recall a couple of occasions when I didn't for anything approaching a full round. Tick! Really good fun season with some great laughs.

Get putting analysed and fitted for putter that suits me (or get my putter confirmed as 'right' for me which would be nice) - Tick! Had confirmation that my stroke/grip etc is consistent and doesn't need tweaking. Now sporting a custom fit Scotty blade. Rolls like a dream and I love it (just need to hit the damn thing the right way now!)

Buy some shiny new woods - Tick! Titleist 913 D3, 913 Fd and 913 Hd. Had a bit of a cash based bonus so also went for Cleveland 588 cb irons and new Cleveland rotex wedges. Full bag changed.


Oh yeah suppose I'd better have a playing target too! Try to get to 4 and hold it (currently 4.6 having cruelly been stranded there by an unexpected CSS drop in the penultimate qualifying comp of last season and a subsequent hack in the last one) - Full season at 5 (currently 5.1) with a brief soujourn into the world of 4 for 2 comps (got to 4.3, never held it). Shot a gross red number off the whites. Technically a fail (but not one that is disappointing, think holding 5 over 30 or so qualifying laps (predominantly CSS par -2) has been pleasing without dipping back to 6.

Here is the pre season targets article, not a great deal on it though -

https://www.606v2.com/t40811-pre-season-targets

Targets set, achieved/failed?
This has been my best year of golf by far. Changed clubs (places not bats) part way through 2012 so started this year not overly familiar with the course. Had hoped to get my handicap from 17.1 down to 15. Instead i managed to increase it to 17.4 and chipped in on the last in one medal to manage a 3 over handicap and stop me moving up to 18. Was getting disheartened and decided to go have a lesson. Changed grip and stance a bit but not much else. In the same week, partly to reignite some enthusiasm, i invesed in a set of Wilson Staff FG62s. Should really be for players way better than my level but the first round with them and after the lesson i shot 10 over in a midweek stableford for my first ever handicap cut. The same weekend i shot 12 over and ended up getting cut 3 shots in 3 days. I'm now off 13.7, have played in 2 qualifying comps to 14 over since so am pleased with that progress for the year.
Also won my first ever singles matchplay game and went on a Kent tour (played Princes, Walmer & Kingsdown and St Augustines) and won that

Best moments?
First round of our matchplay singles, newly off 14, playing a guy off 9. Played the front terribly and was 3 down at half way. Hung on for a bit and then won 15 & 16. We halved 17 so i'm 1 down on the last tee. It's a par 5 and we're both on in three. He rolls his putt up to gimme distance and i have a 15-20ish footer to halve it and only nut the thing. We go back down 1 and halve it and i win it on the 2nd with a birdie.
The whole back 9 was awesome but that putt on 18, i felt like i was Martin Kaymer at Medina ha!

New equipment?
Loads of it! New irons as mentioned. Picked up a Titleist 909D driver which i didn't get on with at first but now is behaving nicely. Binned the sand wedge from my old Wilson CI9s (before changing) and started using a Titleist Vokey 56° out of the sand which has improved my bunker play big time. Also have started using a SkyCaddie SG2.5, nothing flash but has help commit to shots. Possibly the most invaluable thing I’ve picked up is a decent FootJoy waterproof jacket which has turned me from getting the hump at the fist drop of rain to actually revelling the challenge.

Plans for 2014?
I’d love, and really feel like I can, get into single figures. My last 15 rounds – not all in comps - average 10.5 over. I didn’t know there is an end of season handicap review as mentioned above but maybe I will be in for another little cut in that. Who knows. A drop from 13.7 down to 9.4 is prob too much for one year but if I could get around 11 in 2014 I would be very happy.

Long winded one from me, sorry!

Fewer comps this year, more laughs.

Highlight of year was first hole in one, and holing a 160 yard 7 iron two weeks later from the fairway.

Enjoyed a summer of good weather and steady if not outstanding golf.

Plan for 2014, practice a bit more, play a few more opens and continue to have fun.

Would it be fair to say that the decent summer weather and in fact decent weather all year (Until now) has made everyone improve a little. Which also adds up in my case that the last 2 seasons saw me go backwards? nothing worse than playing on wet courses with no run constantly, week after week with balls plugging in the fairways, washed out bunkers fairways not cut ....

Doc wrote:However in April I had a heart attack on the course, but luckily it was in the captains bunker next to the clubhouse

I am surprised Super hasn't provided this insight already, but come on man.  Even Shane Lowry can avoid a heart attack when playing golf.

McLaren wrote:

Doc wrote:However in April I had a heart attack on the course, but luckily it was in the captains bunker next to the clubhouse

I am surprised Super hasn't provided this insight already, but come on man.  Even Shane Lowry can avoid a heart attack when playing golf.

Hope you raked it Doc

JAS wrote:Ah...the minute you mentioned "thin" I remembered that you weren't the only 606er to witness my efforts this year. Plunky must have seen some decent shots as I plotted around Saunton East, level par up to the 9th before I knifed a chip.

Speaking of knifed chips.... is the 17th Pin still bruised from the efforts of another familiar name from these parts?

I remember seeing a ton of good shots that day JAS -- you were a par machine.  I don't actually remember the chip (I am blessed with a very convenient memory where golf is concerned), but I must confess that since that day at Saunton with you, if Mr. P or I hit a disappointing shot we often exclaim "Ach noooooo, nooooooo" ! 

Personally I never focus on my handicap -- I don't play in competitions and the only reason I submit scorecards is just in case on holiday we go to a golf course that requires a handicap certificate.  My goals every year are to play as much golf as possible and try and consistently shoot under 100.  We've already booked a long weekend of golf in Bermuda in January, but have yet to decide where to go on our summer trip across the pond.  

What is the reason some golf courses require a handicap certificate if you are just visiting a course?

We were politely turned away from one golf course years ago because we did not have handicap certificates, and we've noticed that some courses say on their websites that they require one, or that one is "preferred".   Of course since we've been carrying them nobody has ever asked us to produce them !

europeantour.com is reporting that Doc led the Tour in sand saves last season . . . . .

Plunky wrote:We were politely turned away from one golf course years ago because we did not have handicap certificates, and we've noticed that some courses say on their websites that they require one, or that one is "preferred".   Of course since we've been carrying them nobody has ever asked us to produce them !

Amazing, considering how crap most golfers are you'd think producing a handicap certificate to confirm it would be like putting a sprig of parsely on a dog turd.

If someone has a handicap certificate that says they play off 28, are they really any worse than someone who just plays casually and has no certificate.

Don't remember the course  -- somewhere in Devon.  Never happened since, even at courses whose websites said "handicap certificate required".  Maybe the bloke in the clubhouse that day was a bit of a jobsworth !

I was turned away from the world famous Rowlands Castle Golf Club many years ago for not having a handicap card when rolling up as a visitor. Almost in "Puligny" country, not far away from "Turnip"ville.

I have always kept one in my bag (letter from our head professional) for overseas play (UK and Ireland only), but have never been asked.

Also, have never been asked for play here in the states.

Don't get it either ... Assume pace of play is all anyone really cares about ... and bad golfer/fast golfer is more common than good golfer/slow golfer from my experience!

I've never been asked for a certificate though I've taken one with me once or twice

In these days of t'internet you should be able to just provide a name and perhaps your home club (in the UK at least) and they can check you out if they are really jobsworths

In my experience if you turn up looking the part and with ready cash in your hand, they don't really care

super_realist wrote:

Plunky wrote:We were politely turned away from one golf course years ago because we did not have handicap certificates, and we've noticed that some courses say on their websites that they require one, or that one is "preferred".   Of course since we've been carrying them nobody has ever asked us to produce them !

Amazing, considering how crap most golfers are you'd think producing a handicap certificate to confirm it would be like putting a sprig of parsely on a dog turd.

If someone has a handicap certificate that says they play off 28, are they really any worse than someone who just plays casually and has no certificate.

If you are polite and look like a golfer, the guy in the pro shop has to be a complete jobsworth bell end to turn you away.

Super, someone who has a handicap of 28 (ie can shoot about 100) is really not a problem for a golf club, especially as they are likely to understand the etiquette of the game. It's the group who hack it around in 150+ blows and have no idea about golf that clubs are trying to catch.

Some of my friends went to Vilamoura on a stag do recently, and they played Pinhal. Half the group had never played golf in their life, but they were let loose on a championship golf course. I pity the groups that had to follow them.

Well not always Ray, 28 being the maximum you can get for a man, doesn't mean you can, or will ever shoot anywhere near 100, there's a couple of hackers at one of my clubs who I don't think have EVER broken 100, and over at St.Andrews they only care about your money judging by the absolutely abyssmal ability of some of the tourists who get on there and who I've been stuck behind.
I remember the tale of one caddy who had to take his charge in after 6 holes because they'd run out of balls.

Whereas you could be a player whose handicap has lapsed and only play a few times every couple of years but still shoot better than someone with an official handicap.

Being crap at doesn't always make you slow either, though they might harm the course or at least hold it up through lack of indoctrinated etiquette.

The only time I've ever been asked for a handicap certificate was at El Saler. Obviously none of us had certificates, I just reeled off 4 random numbers for each of the 4 of us and that was good enough, the starter watched us on the first tee and seemed satisfied.

I always think you can spot a total hacker without even needing to see their swing. Even if someone has all the gear, there are tell tale signs, such as the unfamiliar way they might pick up a golf club or struggle with the straps of the bag. I remember walking past the 17th green at St Andrews and watching some Japanese guys walking up the fairway. They had caddies with big mizuno tour bags but straight away from the uneasy way they were walking up the fairway I could tell they weren't golfers. Two of them were in the road hole bunker and the caddie just picked up the balls and dropped them by the green, didn't even let them try one attempt at getting out. It must get so annoying behind the tourists in summer.

If  a person squats down to put the tee in the ground, that's a tell tale.

It's certainly annoying being behind tourists Ray, but imagine being their caddy!

Can't be too down on the tourists though, they do subsidise my fees to a quite ludicrous degree.

I always carry one just in case. I have been asked whilst abroad a few years ago at prestigious clubs who dont want rif-raf. Those clubs will now not bother because they want the revenue and can't afford to turn anyone away. The handicap rule was all about making sure tose visitors were no higher than 18 h/c to ensure no hold ups etc and course being shredded.

super_realist wrote:If  a person squats down to put the tee in the ground, that's a tell tale.

It's certainly annoying being behind tourists Ray, but imagine being their caddy!

Can't be too down on the tourists though, they do subsidise my fees to a quite ludicrous degree.

ha that is 100% the easiest way to tell. dead right! its a similar squat to the way they pick the ball out of the hole (if they make it that far)

I was asked for a handicap certificate at the Army Golf Club in Aldershot a couple of years back. It was a weekday, and a fairly dreary one, and i turned up and there was literally not another car in the car park. The fella asked me for a certificate and i said i didn't have one but was off 17. I told him he was welcome to look me up on howdidido and he refused and wouldn't let me on. I've refused to go back since, despite a few offers, the stuffy w@nkers
I'm waiting for the day we play them in a club match!

Love the squatting down to tee the ball up observation! So true!
What other tell tale signs are there? Sometimes at a very public course you see people turn up in jeans and already know what sort of golf is going to follow.........

When someone gets their ball out of the hole turns round to face the fairway and points to the various points from which they played their previous shots in order to count up their score.

Every now and then i get lumbered with playing with the husband of one of my wives friends. He's truly dreadful but quite likes golf.
It gives me a chuckle because he'll stand on the tee with a driver and swing as fast as he can and hit it 80 yards. Then he'll get to that and get out a 4 iron and hit it 80 yards again. Then he'll get to that and get a wedge out and hit that 80 yards, and so on until he gets to the green.
He sets up with his hands miles behind the ball - despite being told not to - so he can get it up in the air....... That must a a tell tale if you see someone taking a stance like that

Went to a course somewhere in france (no idea where somewhere on the dordogne nearish brive) with some mates who had never played. I wanted to go on my own (being the only one that played) but everyone sort of thought that it would be a good idea to have a go. The club asked for certificates that we didn't have (having clocked us for the hacking tourists my mates were). The only one of us that could speak anything other than GCSE french was let loose and after 10 minutes we were on the first tee, with a small crowd...

"You're going to have to go first" I was told "you can actually play."

"How did you get us on?"

"I blagged him that we were semi professional but on holiday and without our clubs."

"Right. So that explains the people around us. This can only go well"

First was a short par 3, 9 iron to the fringe was ok from me. Cue the exact sh*te the club would have wanted to keep away from the course. A 4 yard top. Next up a 75 yard thin slice 45 degrees right and finally the piece de la resistance (we were in france after all). A fresh air. But not any fresh air. A fresh air complete with perfect club release. Iron helicoptering straight up the fairway about 85 yards.

Surprisingly we were not asked to leave (unfortunately!) and what ensued was the most painful 6 and a half (yep) hours of my golfing life. Fortunately we didn't hold anyone up or get in anyone's way as the course was dead (methinks part of the reason they took our cash!) and anyone that got within a hole of us (I think about 3 sets in total) I made us wait for.

One of the lads did subsequently try to take the game up a few years later. Paid for a series of lessons but the pro actually gave him his remaining money back after the first lesson he was that hopeless a case.

I'm having a really enjoyable year, the more so having missed a long period last year through injury. One more competition to go, 36 hole 2 day event at Trevose next week, which will take me to 41 qualifiers for the year. Hoping for good weather!
Main objectives were:
To be able to play;
Enjoy it;
Get back to 5;
Win something!
Well, I'm playing, thoroughly enjoying my golf, handicap 5.0, but won nothing - so far!

Best bit has been playing with some fantastic golfers, and many really good people. Top course of the year Alwoodley, and thought Bristol and Clifton and Long Ashton were a bit special as well.

New kit restricted to Scotty Cameron mallet shaped centre shafted putter which is great, but not as good as Supers tip to move the ball further forward in stance - once again thank you!

I really enjoy the competitive side to golf. Different than any other sport I have played, and I hope to be competitive for many years to come. Fully understand the alternative, playing for fun only, but if I don't have something competitive am inclined to get a bit grumpy. Hey ho, we are all different!

Next year? Play everything I've played this year, and would like to get in the Scottish seniors at Blairgowrie, which i think balloted at 4 in 2013. Also wanting to get my son properly into golf - he can't cut it at the level he is used to in basketball anymore!

JAS - stick has been painted but the dent will always be there!!!
Kwini - not played Rowland's Castle! It's just on the way to Hayling for me, and there's not much I would stop for before getting there!!!

Not a prolific poster on here, and have no time for the rows and insults and playground spats, but stories, information, knowledge and entertainment I enjoy and value. Thanks all.

In the main part was a bit up and down, however, from nowhere shot 2 over gross (off 9) to win my last medal of the year - doesn't get my name on the board but always nice to play well and win.

Started off 9.7 and now down to 7.9 and the lowest handicap I have ever held.

2 young kids means careful negotiation with Mrs H so only played about 10 qualifying rounds this year, however, living very close to the club means summer evenings just knocking a ball around or practising once the kids are in bed - clearly the cracking summer we have had helps and have (almost always) enjoyed my golf this year.

Going to have a few lessons over the winter with the aim of further reduction next year but would like to consistently play to my new handicap.

Into winter league season now which I really enjoy - matchplay, different partner each game, few beers, fines and a weekend away!

A disappointing year although maybe I'm hoping for too much! After a great finish to last season (got to 2.6), was hoping to achieve a 2hcp (main season's target) for the first time - shame I played utter carp for the first few months of this season! Almost went back up to 4 but had a eureka moment in late July (typical, after all the main comps I was interested in!) and from then on have played typically to a 2hcp (or better) and finished back at 2.8. Note to self - must remember what I was focusing on for the beginning of next season!

Best moments? Not many! The above mentioned eureka moment is a highlight and holing a ~25 foot putt for a birdie 2 and a win in the final of our club's pairs KO competition last month was great as well.

New equipment? I wish! Had a driver (previous head cracked) replaced FoC with a great new shaft. Quite like the Ping Darby F putter, in mint condition, I got from eBay a couple of months back as well.

Plans for 2014? Get to that 2hcp and do myself justice in our Club Championship for once! Oh, one other thing - I have to get better from ~120 yards and in as I don't make enough birdies.

Have played very consistently all year, rarely getting point one back but rarely getting anything off either. Started year on 8.2, now on 8.0. Really wanted to get back down to 7 and possibly lower.

Highlight of the year - club won the Jack Hicks trophy. We won our semi final away from home in a very tense encounter (but as always played in very good humour). I holed a tricky curling two and a half footer to square my game and take him down the last (we halved).

No new equipment. Don't change very often.

Aims for next year - to still be playing to a reasonable standard. Feel I'm on borrowed time now. Kidney's are failing (below 20%) so don't know what the future might hold!!

Targets set, achieved/failed?
Only picked up a club again in April this year after a few years away from the game, so I didn't really have any specific goals apart from shooting in the 70s consistently.

Best moments?
No massive highlights but a few pleasing rounds close to par. Made a few eagles which are always a highlight. Came back from 5 down to half a scratch match which felt like I had won the open.
Shot 74 round the grove off Medal Tees.

New equipment?
Seeing as I begged, borrowed and bought 2nd hand all my clubs at the start of the year.. Yes
New Putter (twice) finally sticking with a standard looking Nike Method.
3 new wedges
New (2nd hand) 2 iron which has helped me massively and my go to club on all but Par 5s and stupidly long par 4s.
New Bag and Motor trolley.

Will be getting custom fitted for some new irons over the winter and might go for a new driver as well. My 17 year old callaway big bertha 3 wood will not be going anywhere though, I will use that until the day the head falls off regardless of new technology!

Plans for 2014?
Iv set some high goals for next year. Im off 3.6 now so should be able to get into a few decent open competitions with that handicap.
1.) Play well in the club champs (hopefully regain it!)
2.) Break 70
3.) Place well in some opens away from my home course.
4.) stop going out boozing the night before an early tee time!