Tell us about your game today...

First topic message reminder :

McLaren wrote:Ben

I am not doubting jas and believe him that the guy handed in a score for 51 points. I am just astonished by 51 points, as I said this is a score that I have never seen before. This is more about acknowledging the rarity of this event.

We are talking rarer than a hole in one, this guy has shot a nett score that only a handful people will ever have shot.

It just seems like others on here are not as blown away by a 20 handicapper shooting +5 as I am.

As a junior in the early 80s, I shot a nett 56 (a +4 or 5 round I think) and a 58 in the same Summer. I didn't cheat, but I did get cut a lot that year.

Nothing wrong with that. I actually really enjoy a texas scramble or a four ball better ball open.

super_realist wrote:The shortest route is the straightest, so why do so many double the length by needlessly trying to flop straightforward chips 20 feet in the air?

In theory I agree with this but in practice you are used to playing much higher quality courses with more consistent conditions compared to most people.

Often on courses where the green speeds vary, the greens are not smooth, and the ball reacts differently on landing on each green you have too just fly it closer to the hole and hope you can stop it.

You are also used to playing courses where raised greens, rough right up to the edge of the green and fairways with unpredictable roll (including fringe) are not common.

Mac, in theory I would agree with you, however your average golfer has such a poor short game that a chip and run is probably statistically more likely to end up closer the hole than a shot hoisted in the air with almost no control, technique or skill. All that is required is a putting action, which anyone can do, unlike a successful flop shot which requires a lot more finesse.
I particularly enjoy chipping from the TOC greens purely to wind up the etiquette nazis and knobend rangers/caddies

You should also know that I don't just play St. Andrews. I have other non links memberships and those do have raised green and rough up to the green and inconsistent playing surfaces and it works just as well, and in some cases better than St. Andrews. The reason it's a good idea to have other courses is that St. Andrews makes you a worse player because it's so wide open.

There is of course a need occasionally for such a high shot, such as over a high bunker, tree, bush etc, but most would do better with a low chip approximately halfway to two thirds to the hole in most chipping situations.
It's funny when you see guys off 16 or so with 4 wedges and they aren't any good with any of them. I'd say that alongside better course management having a simple short game based around one wedge is a very quick way to reduce your handicap. Certainly worked for me.

super_realist wrote:
You should also know that I don't just play St. Andrews. I have other non links memberships

Are you a member of anywhere in Edinburgh?

Not in Edinburgh Mac, they're too expensive and not good enough. Played Bruntsfield the other week. Rotten course.

super_realist wrote:however your average golfer has such a poor short game that a chip and run is probably statistically more likely to end up closer the hole than a shot hoisted in the air with almost no control, technique or skill.

This is me.
So I use a chipper. I find that it works better for me. I quite often thin, duff or otherwise can't do a "proper" chip with a wedge so I use a chipper. On Monday I used it several times from around the green and got it within tap in range nearly all of the time.
The shot I dread the most is to have a short shot over a greenside bunker with the flag close.  If I practice, that is the shot I practice.

And if you don't like the look of a putter style chipper, there is one just on the market that looks like an ordinary club. HERE

If you live in Edinburgh but are not a member of a club here how do you maintain your game to such a high level?Most people would need to be playing several times a week to keep a scratch handicap

Because he’s the chosen one.

McLaren wrote:If you live in Edinburgh but are not a member of a club here how do you maintain your game to such a high level?Most people would need to be playing several times a week to keep a scratch handicap

Shows how little you know about golf Mac......again.
First of all I get a lesson every five weeks, which means I'm not getting into bad habits and it keeps me consistent. I have worked hard on the scoring aspects of my game, for example my chipping is probably about +4 level.
I work on my putting at home because I've got about 40 ft of carpet and I play twice a week on actual courses and hit the range once a week too.
Golf is pretty simple when you break it down into its constituent parts and if you actually employ a bit of course management.

There's no reason that everyone could and  should not be excellent from within 100 yards, whilst anyone from 6-100 should be capable of quality putting. That only leaves about 30 full shots to take care of.
Of course I presume I've got a decent level of innate talent for the game too as I'm generally half decent at most sports, but the assertion that you need to play "several" times a week to maintain a low handicap is simply nonsense.
Even if I was a member of a club here, how often could I play during the week anyway? There's only a few months in the year when it would be light enough after work for any length of time so what's the point of joining anywhere here?, not to mention how long it takes to get there due to the traffic in Edinburgh.

Not sure I understand your assertion that saying a scratch player would play several times a week means I don't know much about golf when the rest of your post goes on to confirm you play several times a week. You say that you play at least a couple of times a week on the course, visit the range at least once and do putting sessions. Isn't that playing several times a week?

McLaren wrote:Not sure I understand your assertion that saying a scratch player would play several times a week means I don't know much about golf when the rest of your post goes on to confirm you play several times a week. You say that you play at least a couple of times a week on the course, visit the range at least once and do putting sessions. Isn't that playing several times a week?

It does sound a hell of a lot like it to me. Regardless of whether it's in component parts of the game or not, that's a lot of practise (especially if, as I suspect, it's good quality, focussed practise).

McLaren wrote:Not sure I understand your assertion that saying a scratch player would play several times a week means I don't know much about golf when the rest of your post goes on to confirm you play several times a week. You say that you play at least a couple of times a week on the course, visit the range at least once and do putting sessions. Isn't that playing several times a week?

Your comprehension is terrible yet again Mac. My point was that it isn't necessary to meet your claim that a golfer needs to play several times a week to maintain a scratch handicap.

What I'm doing is playing "a few times" a week. Playing "several" times a week would be almost every day.

For clarification 2 rounds a week isn't that much, 50 balls at the range and a bit of putting isn't what I'd call intensive. Over the winter I do intend to step this up considerably to the point where I would consider it to be "several" sessions. I'm not sure putting on my carpet at home could be called "high quality focussed practice".

Definition if several is "more than two but not many".

If you are getting two rounds in a week are you paying visitor fees in Edinburgh or traveling up to Fife twice a week for golf?

I'm not paying visitor fees in Edinburgh Mac. Most of the summer, if I've played twice a week I'll have gone up to Fife twice. Are you going to castigate me for my carbon footprint?

For most of the summer I've just played once a week with the occasional week having another game or 36 holes a day. It's only 50 miles or so, not very far and only an hours drive if the traffic is good. People travel further and longer for that every single day for work.

By the way, I don't know anyone who refers to several as simply meaning "more than two but not many", that would be a few, several in common parlance is used for something around 5-6. If you took 3 on a par 3, you wouldn't describe it as several would you?

super_realist wrote:I'm not paying visitor fees in Edinburgh Mac. Most of the summer, if I've played twice a week I'll have gone up to Fife twice. Are you going to castigate me for my carbon footprint?

For most of the summer I've just played once a week with the occasional week having another game or 36 holes a day. It's only 50 miles or so, not very far and only an hours drive if the traffic is good. People travel further and longer for that every single day for work.

By the way, I don't know anyone who refers to several as simply meaning "more than two but not many", that would be a few, several in common parlance is used for something around 5-6. If you took 3 on a par 3, you wouldn't describe it as several would you?

Agreed, but it would be mental if you referred to it as anything other than 3.

superflyweight wrote:

super_realist wrote:I'm not paying visitor fees in Edinburgh Mac. Most of the summer, if I've played twice a week I'll have gone up to Fife twice. Are you going to castigate me for my carbon footprint?

For most of the summer I've just played once a week with the occasional week having another game or 36 holes a day. It's only 50 miles or so, not very far and only an hours drive if the traffic is good. People travel further and longer for that every single day for work.

By the way, I don't know anyone who refers to several as simply meaning "more than two but not many", that would be a few, several in common parlance is used for something around 5-6. If you took 3 on a par 3, you wouldn't describe it as several would you?

Agreed, but it would be mental if you referred to it as anything other than 3.  

I quite often describe it as a "fcuking miracle"

Super why are you such a prickly character, when most people are asked where or how often they play golf the conversation doesn't descend into arguments about semantics and whether someone knows anything about golf.

I think I now get that you want to craft an image of a guy who plays once a week while effortlessly maintaining a scratch handicap but you were never likely to pull that off, especially when getting bitchy about the exact numerical value of several.

But if you can be scratch just by putting in your bedroom and playing once a weekend it begs the question why you don't play 3 or 4 nights a week during the summer and get really good?

I have a sneaking suspicion that after the oil and gas downturn you had to resort to serving petrol at unfortunate hours for golf.

Mac, you seem to think that because you are incapable of being good at something using your amount of effort and talent as a barometer that someone else couldn't be better than you with less effort.
It wasn't that long ago you were raising a quizzical eye over my claim that I played 18 holes in 2h 20 minutes.

I certainly do not effortlessly maintain a scratch handicap, not least because I'm still off one (although just a good round from scratch). It's not an easy thing to do and requires thought, talent and some practice, but I do think people make it more difficult than it needs to be as they do with pretty much everything.

Why don't I play 3-4 nights a week? Well, for a start I already stated that there is little point in playing golf in Edinburgh due to laughable green fees coupled with a poor quality offering of course and short playing window/poor traffic, secondly, and this might surprise you I have other things going on in my life that require time, furthermore I've no real desire to be one of those golf bores who plays constantly. I actually tried it years ago before and ended up hating golf as a result. More practice doesn't always mean you get better at it.

There's quite a few guys at St. Andrews who are like that, and whilst they are very good players (+3,+4 etc), they are complete bumholes and liked by virtually no one. One even said he wouldn't have a second child "because it would get in the way of his golf" which is frankly ridiculous. Another still lives at home with his parents and works part time at 30 because he wants to play golf all the time, although you could argue they are probably mentally ill.

Regardless of how good I (or they) could ever get, they'd still just be club golfers.
Ultimately, I play golf to have fun, and I'm not sure maintaining a level of +2 or whatever my game could potentially get to, would be all that enjoyable. Satisfying to achieve, but not enjoyable.


Does that make sense?

My golf is about as good as my effort deserves.


The bit from your above post that really interests me is the other stuff in your life. Would you mind telling us about that?

McLaren wrote:My golf is about as good as my effort deserves.


The bit from your above post that really interests me is the other stuff in your life. Would you mind telling us about that?

Of course Mac, just as soon as you tell us what you do for a living, what you studied, where you claim to have lived abroad and all the other stuff that you are too petrified to reveal, but are keen to get out of everyone else.

Super

I don't do anything outside golf that would really stop me playing more golf if I wanted to. I do the normal stuff like playing football or video games, eating out etc, but what are you doing that actually stops you playing golf more often?

Nor do I Mac, but I have learned that to play good golf, for me at least is a matter of balance.
In my head I would like to play 5x more golf than I currently do, but in my experience I have played better golf with less golf and less intensive practice.

First of all I have a full time job which sometimes takes me out of the country. When it doesn't I get home around 5.45 from which I go straight out for a run on most days. If I'm out for an hour, by the time I've had a shower and something to eat it's 7:15, there's only a few months of the year when golf after that time is viable. I might have work 5 a side, I might have stuff to do around the house such as cleaning, ironing, food shopping.

Of course if I really wanted to I could probably play more, even if I took a tube of balls out midweek and sneaked on to a council course for a bit of chipping, but as I've already said getting too intense with golf leaves me worse off.


By the way, is playing "video games" at your advanced age normal?

Pitching and chipping a lot better yesterday, focus on hitting landing area and run out. A couple of 3 putts from nowhere really peed me off though, drilled a couple past the hole and missed the one back. A 6 on a par 5 when I'd been in a greed side bunker in two a particular annoyance. One day it'll all come together

Off to Turkey for the first time in a few weeks, around Belek, for a golf trip.

Playing:

Sultan
National
Montgomerie
Carya (twice)

Anyone ever been? Any info?

Golf wise (as I don't post a huge amount on this thread)

Recently came back down to 5 (6.3 @ start of year) and had a couple of holds (via stableford adjustments - can't seem to keep disasters off the card, still! classic example being -3 for 8 and +2 for 9!!!), a couple of point 1's (missing buffer by 1 each time), and last week a cut for a +3 (gross) with a +1 (Net) CSS. Down to 5.1. (Another 5 weekend's play so probably be going off 5.6 when we go )

Putting has been great last few weeks (generally 28 - 31 putts), driving has been good to very good (usually a hot and cold element) since a new driver (Ping 410 - Evenflow Black shaft) a few weeks ago. Irons are off, most of my putts seem to have been rescuing par. Irons must be mostly a mental issue, as I hit wedges and 7 irons on the range before going out and generally hit them well and accurately, but can't transition that to the course.

All good fun and only 1 lap all year that I hit "I don't want to be here anymore" while I was out there. So attitude has been pretty good all year even though scores didn't reflect it - but I've only been out once a week with no practise* so no complaints.

*couple of high quality, focussed, 10 minute carpet practise sessions working on putting strike and starting it off on line with line round ball.

Roller I've just come back from Belek on Monday stayed at the Gloria Serenity, fantastic hotel. Where are you staying? Played Gloria Old and New, Montgomerie and Carya. Montgomerie was probably in the best condition, the Turkish Open is being held there in November. I've seen the Carya looking tidier, after holding the Turkish Open there for the last 3 years they are taking the opportunity to do a bit of course maintenance and returfing. Still a pleasure to play though, with the largest practice putting green you will ever see. Floodlit also, so you can play at night if you so desire! Temperature was great 30+ every day, perhaps a little humid this time of year but that made the courses a little less busy than at peak times.

Went with friends, 8 couples in total. Only 2 of the girls were golfers, but more than enough in the resort for the non-golfing girls to occupy themselves with during the day. Also went in May with 28 blokes from my golf club, stayed at the Sueno De Lux which was also great. We played Carya twice, National, Pines and Dunes. I've played the National a few times now, it was the original course in Belek and probably my favourite. I haven't played a bad course out there yet to be honest.

Already booked for next year, staying at the Titanic in May and back to the Serenity next September. I've had 6 golf trips to Belek now and I don't think you can beat it for value for money with a great product and facilities. If you are a party animal and want to be out to 6.00am then in all fairness stick to Spain or Portugal, Belek probably won't be for you. But you will struggle to beat the quality of the golf courses, certainly the all-inclusive hotels which are magnificent, the friendliness and service, and not forgetting the great weather, all of which are up there with probably some of the best in the world. Have a great time, look forward to hearing what you think!

BlueCoverman wrote:Roller I've just come back from Belek on Monday stayed at the Gloria Serenity, fantastic hotel. Where are you staying? Played Gloria Old and New, Montgomerie and Carya. Montgomerie was probably in the best condition, the Turkish Open is being held there in November. I've seen the Carya looking tidier, after holding the Turkish Open there for the last 3 years they are taking the opportunity to do a bit of course maintenance and returfing. Still a pleasure to play though, with the largest practice putting green you will ever see. Floodlit also, so you can play at night if you so desire! Temperature was great 30+ every day, perhaps a little humid this time of year but that made the courses a little less busy than at peak times.

Went with friends, 8 couples in total. Only 2 of the girls were golfers, but more than enough in the resort for the non-golfing girls to occupy themselves with during the day. Also went in May with 28 blokes from my golf club, stayed at the Sueno De Lux which was also great. We played Carya twice, National, Pines and Dunes. I've played the National a few times now, it was the original course in Belek and probably my favourite. I haven't played a bad course out there yet to be honest.

Already booked for next year, staying at the Titanic in May and back to the Serenity next September. I've had 6 golf trips to Belek now and I don't think you can beat it for value for money with a great product and facilities. If you are a party animal and want to be out to 6.00am then in all fairness stick to Spain or Portugal, Belek probably won't be for you. But you will struggle to beat the quality of the golf courses, certainly the all-inclusive hotels which are magnificent, the friendliness and service, and not forgetting the great weather, all of which are up there with probably some of the best in the world. Have a great time, look forward to hearing what you think!

Cheers Blue, will let you know when we get back. I've only heard good things from a number of people that have been. At £1500 including all 4 flights we need (avoiding an overnight stop either way) together with bag and golf bag) all inclusive for 6 nights it's probably about the same amount as I'd have spent in Spain or Portugal after food and drinks for 5 nights.

Staying at the Sentido Zeynep apparently (I think it's the one attached/linked to Carya?). Having missed out on a golf trip of any kind last year I hopped on the first one with a space on. Only 4 of us and not many 6 am finishes would be on the cards even if they were on offer (some idiot has booked 2 of the tee times early. 1 pre 9 and 1 pre 8 am!

Guess we'll be some of the last round the Monty before it closes for the Open, so it should be in very good nick (and I'll no doubt do my bit for the preparation by leaving the fairways well alone too )

The only money I spent this time was a few quid for buggies and tips, unlike the boys trip when I got involved with a few late night card schools!

The Zeynep is on the beach side of the Regnum which borders a few of the holes on the back 9 of the Carya. The Regnum is where the Pro's have generally stayed in the past, also it has hosted the G20 Summit previously.

The good thing about those early starts is you can get stuck into those all-inclusive premium drinks by about lunchtime!  

You don't need Turkish Lira, they prefer Euros and you need to get a six month Turkish Visa online which costs 20 US, but I'm sure you already know all that. Have a great time

Seniors Stableford Qualifier today off back tees. Front 9 very good - 20 points. Back 9 had two bad holes - two shanks on a par five, and blocked myself out on another hole. But came back in 16 points. So 36 points - but nowhere near the top. Scoring conditions were extremely good. Fairways and greens in tip top condition. No wind. Top score in "low section" was 45 points. Top score in "high section" was 47 points. Still might be top of the table for the Old Codgers Trophy - best 6 qualifying rounds through the year. My score today replaced a 27 point round. Got a 29 point round to beat with only two more qualifying rounds to go - both of these of the yellows though.

Bizarre. Played a match (4BBB) at Hollinwell off the white pots yesterday. Not hit a ball for three weeks and prior to that, Medal results had seen steady handicap increases and a certain level of despondency with the swing.
So, no expectations. What happens? +2 (74) overall, with a -1 front nine. Long game that hasn't been seen for quite some time - >90% fairways and >70% GIR. Stupid...

Goes to show, a rest is as good as a change Navy.

navyblueshorts wrote:Bizarre. Played a match (4BBB) at Hollinwell off the white pots yesterday. Not hit a ball for three weeks and prior to that, Medal results had seen steady handicap increases and a certain level of despondency with the swing.
So, no expectations. What happens? +2 (74) overall, with a -1 front nine. Long game that hasn't been seen for quite some time - >90% fairways and >70% GIR. Stupid...

Think there’s 2 things at play there, Roller nails one of them very succinctly, sometimes a rest is as good as a change. The other one “no expectations”. I’m coming more and more to the idea that for most of us the burden of expectation is directly correlated with the quality of scoring I.e. the higher the expectation, the poorer the scoring & vice versa. Obviously other things come into play but I really think the way to improve is to work out how to disassociate high expectation.

Just got back from my annual trip to the Tassie. As one may have deduced from the lack of posting, it went very poorly this year. Went up there so very confident after 7 cuts in the past 10 weeks, how could I not be confident given what was basically my best stretch of form for about 5 years...and yet just a few holes into the Monday round I was in utter turmoil. High expectation, a bit of bad luck, wrong side of the draw meant I didn’t qualify. Poorest 2 front 9s I can remember in the Tassie, made even more frustrating by playing well on infamous back 9 on the championship course on the Tuesday. Didn’t even go to the Solheim Friday as I intended to do if I wasn’t still in one of the match-plays. Just took the long drive home in a pool of self disgust.

JAS wrote:Didn’t even go to the Solheim Friday as I intended to do if I wasn’t still in one of the match-plays. Just took the long drive home in a pool of self disgust.

I am sure since you typed this you have reflected on how ridiculous this behavior was. A grown man played golf that wasn't all that unexpected for his ability so he drove home in a sulk and missed a great event.

McLaren wrote:

JAS wrote:Didn’t even go to the Solheim Friday as I intended to do if I wasn’t still in one of the match-plays. Just took the long drive home in a pool of self disgust.

I am sure since you typed this you have reflected on how ridiculous this behavior was. A grown man played golf that wasn't all that unexpected for his ability so he drove home in a sulk and missed a great event.  

Mac, if you've never driven(or got the bus home) in a huff then I'm a Dutchman.
Do you really to expect us to believe that you are so accepting of how you played golf every time you have played regardless of the standard? That's about as believable as your "woke", "right on" and "virtue signaling" liberalism which I just don't buy is genuine and that you claim to live your life by.

Just like your hero Trudeau, (Grade A plank) I'm sure you have more than a few skeletons in your closet, even if it's temper at a computer game (which you are too old to play by the way)

If you've never been frustrated at how you've played a sport, then you've never been good enough at them to begin with.
Being annoyed at how you play is one impetus by which one improves to ensure it doesn't happen again, however if it is true it does perhaps explain why you have never achieved anything in your life and are Mr Average. If you never look at something with disappointment and critically how on earth do you expect to get better at it?

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:

JAS wrote:Didn’t even go to the Solheim Friday as I intended to do if I wasn’t still in one of the match-plays. Just took the long drive home in a pool of self disgust.

I am sure since you typed this you have reflected on how ridiculous this behavior was. A grown man played golf that wasn't all that unexpected for his ability so he drove home in a sulk and missed a great event.  

Mac, if you've never driven(or got the bus home) in a huff then I'm a Dutchman.
Do you really to expect us to believe that you are so accepting of how you played golf every time you have played regardless of the standard? That's about as believable as your "woke", "right on" and "virtue signaling" liberalism which I just don't buy is genuine and that you claim to live your life by.

Just like your hero Trudeau, (Grade A plank) I'm sure you have more than a few skeletons in your closet, even if it's temper at a computer game (which you are too old to play by the way)

If you've never been frustrated at how you've played a sport, then you've never been good enough at them to begin with.
Being annoyed at how you play is one impetus by which one improves to ensure it doesn't happen again, however if it is true it does perhaps explain why you have never achieved anything in your life and are Mr Average. If you never look at something  with disappointment and critically how on earth do you expect to get better at it?

Pretty much done most of my reply for me Super, but in addition...
Mac, have you ever undertaken a 9 hour drive? That’s bad enough but sandwich in a few hours wandering around a golf course, the hassle of getting in and out of event parking, £40 entry + £10 parking, a bit of a hangover from the Thurs night so couldn’t leave Carnoustie early so all in all the sensible decision was to bin the visit to the Solheim. As it turned out I arrived home at 10:30pm So to take in the event would have meant me not arriving home until 2-3am, fatigued after a whole week of tough golf that wouldn’t have been safe.
So I was disappointed, no point in pretending otherwise or being in denial that I blew a great chance of having a good tournament. As Super hints at, for some people (and I include myself) such disappointment acts as a motivator to improve and come bouncing back the following year. Getting back to the original point I was trying to illustrate, what I firmly believe is that expectation in golf is a killer. I think for me it’s more important to get a grip on managing expectations, more important than new clubs or lessons.

Super

No, I have never driven home and missed doing something because I was in a huff about golf. Then again I am not in the semi pro 7 handicap leagues like Jas.



Jas

Given your handicap you should expect to shoot about 10 over most of the time.

Jas, golf is a fickle mistress. I'm so glad I don't do it for a living, having to "turn it on" on demand is so difficult. Even the most naturally talented in the world with full access to all the world's coaches, facilities etc struggle at times.

McLaren wrote:Super

No, I have never driven home and missed doing something because I was in a huff about golf. Then again I am not in the semi pro 7 handicap leagues like Jas.



Jas

Given your handicap you should expect to shoot about 10 over most of the time.

Well thanks for your well thought out applied logic Mac that takes no account whatsoever of playing conditions. As it turned out, 2 rounds of 10 over would have got me into the scratch matchplay, never mind the handicap matchplay.

Semi pro 7 handicap??? What’s that all about you condescending fool?

JAS wrote:

McLaren wrote:Super

No, I have never driven home and missed doing something because I was in a huff about golf. Then again I am not in the semi pro 7 handicap leagues like Jas.



Jas

Given your handicap you should expect to shoot about 10 over most of the time.

Well thanks for your well thought out applied logic Mac that takes no account whatsoever of playing conditions. As it turned out, 2 rounds of 10 over would have got me into the scratch matchplay, never mind the handicap matchplay.

Semi pro 7 handicap??? What’s that all about you condescending fool?

JAS, as far as I can recall Mac once admitted that he was also a 7 handicapper, despite him trying to speak about golf talent as if he's Bruce Koepka

Super

I once said after not playing regularly for a while that I wouldn't expect to play better than a 7 handicap.

Jas

So I was correct? You should have been happy with 10 over, it's like I know nothing about golf.

Semi pro 7 handicap??? What’s that all about you condescending fool?

Just messing with you, got to lighten the day somehow and targeted digs like that are one way to do it.

So what handicap do you think you'd have if you did play regularly Mac?

Scratch. Easy.

McLaren wrote:Scratch. Easy.

sometimes you really are capable of making people laugh for the right reasons.

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Scratch. Easy.

 sometimes you really are capable of making people laugh for the right reasons.

Yeah Mac, and with Swinson on the bag for you!!

JAS wrote:

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Scratch. Easy.

 sometimes you really are capable of making people laugh for the right reasons.

Yeah Mac, and with Swinson on the bag for you!!

More like Dianne Abbott, she could make an 85 look like a 62 very easily with her maths.

Back on my home course Saturday and back to my pre Carnoustie form. 7/9 greens in reg front 9, greens weren’t great, still recovering from an early Sept tining, only holed 2 birdie putts, so level par at the turn. Our 10th is a short par 4 about 320, I’m usually always 4 or 5iron, wedge (depending on strength of prevailing wind) but on Saturday the 2 club South easterly meant it was behind thus making it reachable for me. Given the way the front 9 had gone I took the positive decision to go for it with the driver. Whoosh...big dirty hook left o.o.b. So reload with a 6 iron, wedged on and 2 putted.  Yes rued the decision, but left the decision on the 10th tee. Did drop a couple more shots but a very steady 75 net 68 although only a 0.4 cut as CSS actually came down one. Nice to know the form present in July/August is infact still there after all.

Yesssssssssssss!

Trip to Turkey flights were with Thomas Cook.

Get in there. Made up. What a Monday so far.

Now have to scrabble around for alternatives, which isn't great as we have flights off/on the Isle of Man that we've already booked and can't change without spending a relative fortune (Flybe, say no more) so are very limited if we're going to keep our golf/hotel package.

We can do it but may have to go on Turkish via Istanbul - which is a bit of a faff (and an opportunity for clubs to go AWOL...) but is cheaper than changing our flybe connectors and going to a direct Jet2 option. The Easyjet options around the same dates are already up at 5 or 6 hundred quid - at least those ones that aren't full.

Roller_Coaster wrote:Yesssssssssssss!

Trip to Turkey flights were with Thomas Cook.

Get in there. Made up. What a Monday so far.

Now have to scrabble around for alternatives, which isn't great as we have flights off/on the Isle of Man that we've already booked and can't change without spending a relative fortune (Flybe, say no more) so are very limited if we're going to keep our golf/hotel package.

We can do it but may have to go on Turkish via Istanbul - which is a bit of a faff (and an opportunity for clubs to go AWOL...) but is cheaper than changing our flybe connectors and going to a direct Jet2 option. The Easyjet options around the same dates are already up at 5 or 6 hundred quid - at least those ones that aren't full.

Does make one wonder what is going on in the travel industry, I suppose it kind of resembles the troubles on the high street in terms of the emergence of online players with a much lower cost base. You can then add to that mix exchange rates, fuel costs and people with less job certainty travelling less. Not an ideal scenario for well run travel agents never mind debt ridden ones. All of which is no consolation whatsoever for the thousands in your position at the moment Roller.

I'm extremely thankful that I'm in a relatively OK position. We can still probably plot and execute a work round, even if we don't end up with the original flight money back (arguing with insurance company already who, like all of them, are happy to take your money...). At the moment it's a few hundred quid of a headache, but a couple of months of relative prudence and I'll be straight again.

Was just reading on the BBC the family that had been collecting vouchers for their kids first holiday. Worthless now and unprotected. Really feel for them and others in similar positions.

Roller_Coaster wrote:I'm extremely thankful that I'm in a relatively OK position. We can still probably plot and execute a work round, even if we don't end up with the original flight money back (arguing with insurance company already who, like all of them, are happy to take your money...). At the moment it's a few hundred quid of a headache, but a couple of months of relative prudence and I'll be straight again.

Was just reading on the BBC the family that had been collecting vouchers for their kids first holiday. Worthless now and unprotected. Really feel for them and others in similar positions.

That’s cool if you can Roller, I’m seeing a few on my FB feed this morning bemoaning that they’re hundreds , in a couple of cases 1000s out of pocket and little or no chance of an alternative. Also brings into question the validity of the much trumpeted “ATOL Protected” statement you frequently hear on holiday adverts...anybody know EXACTLY what that actually means in practice??