Tell us about your game today...

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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.

So 9 months after my surgery for a complete knee replacement, on Saturday I was leading the Club Championship by 2 shots. Didn't play as well on Sunday and ended up finishing 3 shots behind the winner. I won the nett by 4 shots, which considering where I was this time last year was pleasing. Now back down to 7.4 after getting up to a painful 10.4 before my operation.

Anybody else enjoy Keegan's little potty mouthed hissy fit? If I'm honest i can have some sympathy for her frustration but I also cant help but thinking, did she do that deliberately to deflect the spotlight away from Sunak?


Senior moment...wrong thread, I'll go 3 off the tee on the D$S thread!!

JAS wrote:Anybody else enjoy Keegan's little potty mouthed hissy fit? If I'm honest i can have some sympathy for her frustration but I also cant help but thinking, did she do that deliberately to deflect the spotlight away from Sunak?

Don't think I have any problem with her swearing at least she said what she thought instead of what she thinks people like to hear like that poisonous racist dwarf Sadiq Kh*nt. 
I didn't care when Brown swore or Prescott punched a guy. 
I think you are far too conspiratorial JAS. This concrete is an issue of successive governments.
Think you meant this for a different post anyway didn't you, unless you were referring to Keegan swearing in your four-ball.

Got the green light to book somewhere nice (a couple of rounds and a nice hotel where partner can have a spa treatment) during October half term. I'm currently sitting on 49 of GB&I top 100s so want to chalk off another couple. Seriously thinking of RSG to mark the half way point and might as well do RCP if I'm over that way. Looks like a serious shortage of decent spa hotels in that part of Kent. Anyone know the area well?

The other option would be Norfolk and do Hunstanton & RWN...same, anyone know that area well?

Played for the first time in about 6 weeks on Wednesday (Lord Putt having a health scare, cruise holiday where we caught Covid, bad weather etc) in 9-hole Medal and without any practice apart from a couple of swings on the first tee, scored 17 points! Well chuffed, especially as I missed two silly short putts too. Perhaps I should just play like that all the time

LadyPutt wrote:Played for the first time in about 6 weeks on Wednesday (Lord Putt having a health scare, cruise holiday where we caught Covid, bad weather etc) in 9-hole Medal and without any practice apart from a couple of swings on the first tee, scored 17 points! Well chuffed, especially as I missed two silly short putts too. Perhaps I should just play like that all the time

Ain’t it amazing how sometimes a break actually works better than more practice. Good shooting Ladyputt!!

Another what could have been 36 pointer for me Sat, made a good up and down for par on 1st the fairways & girs through to 8. 3 putt from 36 feet on 8. Was out early and so that was roughly around the time the greens went from dew to no dew and the long putt raced 6ft past…doh! Then hit a real sticky spell of blob, 1point 1point before getting things back on track.  5th counter in 6 rounds and back to 6.8. Unfortunately there’s now a bit of a gap until next qualifier in early Oct.

Also decided to commit to biting the bullet re changing clubs and so from 1st Oct I’ll have a new home club. Not really leaving as in severing ties with my old club, I’ll stay a Club Member and play the big events on a pay & play basis rather than be committed on a monthly DD

JAS wrote:Got the green light to book somewhere nice (a couple of rounds and a nice hotel where partner can have a spa treatment) during October half term. I'm currently sitting on 49 of GB&I top 100s so want to chalk off another couple. Seriously thinking of RSG to mark the half way point and might as well do RCP if I'm over that way. Looks like a serious shortage of decent spa hotels in that part of Kent. Anyone know the area well?

The other option would be Norfolk and do Hunstanton & RWN...same, anyone know that area well?

Used to live Kent side os SE London before moving to Scotland. Only spa hotels I knew of were Rowhill Grange and Eastwell Manor. Mind you that was getting on for 8 years ago so no idea what they’re like! Have you tried Walmer & Kingstown GC? My favourite in that area. Also Littlestone. None of them as “trendy” or probably as expensive as RSG (although I see the attraction) and RCP.

Such a frustrating game, this. On the plus side, the recent improvement I've seen from a simple setup change continues - ball striking so much better than first half of the season and (mostly) hitting a nice draw. On the minus side, some silly mistakes!

Last 4 rounds have counted, which is great after first half of season, and back to 2.8. Will struggle to maintain that, but nice for the time it lasts...

What.A.Glorious.Day. Sun shining, course in brilliant condition for the time of year -couldn't tell the difference between now and summer. Had a very good game, shot 39 stableford points (points scored on every hole). Helped by a couple of birdies. Will win my division and get bonus £££ for a birdie on a par 3. So that's winning prize money two weeks in a row. Kerching.

.....and a third in a row. Seniors Waltz today. Teams of four. (One person to score on 1st hole, 2 to score on second, 3 to score on third, and then back to 1 to score on fourth etc.) So if everyone scored nett par the "average" score would be 72 points. My team won with 84 points, which going on previous results, is nothing spectacular. But more £££ so I'm happy. We pay £3 to enter and any winnings go into your Pro shop account. Saving for a new bag.

Beginning to get out on the course more and more, broke 100 for the first time in a round a fortnight ago at Royal Norwich (which is a lovely course, in my opinion).

Been working on my short game, as generally I can hit it well with my irons, but a total shambles on and around the greens - the real prompt for focusing on that was hitting an approach on a par three to about 20 feet but off the front of the green/putting surface, and taking five (5) to get down from there. Can't have that!

Short game practice is the quickest way to get better, especially combined with better course management.

My game is in the needing an offer from LIV stage.

McLaren wrote:My game is in the needing an offer from LIV stage.

At least you're getting a game Mac. Not played in a month

First game of golf in about 6 weeks yesterday. Slow start but pleasantly surprised after that.
Incredible October weather too.
Do I move back?

Yes. Get back now to ready yourself for an independent Scotland.

Picked up my clubs for the first time in almost 10 years and went to the driving range.  Was pleased with the contact I was making with pitching wedge and seven iron and distances and control were decent.  A lot less pleased with everything else though.  

First few drives were ok but then hit a series of shots where I was hitting the ball too high on the club face and the ball was going very high but not very far.  Managed to improve things slightly by slowing everything down but couldn't get my timing right and was losing significant distance.  Long irons off the deck were the biggest concern.  Really struggled to make consistent good contact and when I did, it was anyone's guess as to where they would end up.  

Wasn't put off though and will be back to try and figure out the mistakes.  

The highlight of the trip though was the guy in the bay next to me topping a drive about 20 yards and then immediately turning to check on it on Trackman.

McLaren wrote:Yes. Get back now to ready yourself for an independent Scotland.

I don't think that's very likely Mac given the SNP have destroyed 30 years of effort on the alter of gender ideology and camper vans.

They're going to get obliterated in the GE

McLaren wrote:Yes. Get back now to ready yourself for an independent Scotland.

Have you completely lost your mind this time?

Ubelievable Jeff! Fourth week in a row I'm in the money. 36 Stableford points in the final qualifier for the year. Pipped to first place in my division by 1 point. More money in the pro shop account. New golf bag must have helped.

Think my handicap goes UP as my oldest scoring round was a good one, and one of my recent best 8. Although handicap goes up, strokes received remain the same. Confusing this WHS.

superflyweight wrote:...The highlight of the trip though was the guy in the bay next to me topping a drive about 20 yards and then immediately turning to check on it on Trackman.

Superfly

That could probably describe any golfers range session no matter how frequently they play.

I really doubt the accuracy of those range type equipment launch monitors. Some of the distance claims that Youtubers are claiming are quite outlandish

super_realist wrote:I really doubt the accuracy of those range type equipment launch monitors. Some of the distance claims that Youtubers are claiming are quite outlandish

Yep, that and the range balls typically available means that I don't you can tell very much with any accuracy.

navyblueshorts wrote:

super_realist wrote:I really doubt the accuracy of those range type equipment launch monitors. Some of the distance claims that Youtubers are claiming are quite outlandish

Yep, that and the range balls typically available means that I don't you can tell very much with any accuracy.

Agreed. I barely glanced at the screen - I was going by the range distance markers. There's also no way that range balls fly through the air as well as any decent balls. I would have happily taken a bay without Trackman but it was raining so didn't want to use one of the outside bays.

Played Wensum Valley on Tuesday in the pouring rain (greens were waterlogged by the time we hit the back nine, surprised they didn't pull us off the course). Tough conditions, but happy enough overall with how I striked my irons, and had some good holes with a few pars on par fours I was particularly happy with. Less said about how I played the par threes the better...(a five putt on one, yikes)

superflyweight wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:

super_realist wrote:I really doubt the accuracy of those range type equipment launch monitors. Some of the distance claims that Youtubers are claiming are quite outlandish

Yep, that and the range balls typically available means that I don't you can tell very much with any accuracy.

Agreed.  I barely glanced at the screen - I was going by the range distance markers.  There's also no way that range balls fly through the air as well as any decent balls.  I would have happily taken a bay without Trackman but it was raining so didn't want to use one of the outside bays.    

Range trackers supposedly have a conversion for ball flight based on pretending the range ball has premium ball characteristics, I just don't but that those YouTube golfers could be as bad as they are if they hit it as far as they claim.
I reckon If I had their claimed distance I would be around +5

Super

I have thought for quite a few years now that youtubers are inflating their distance. I watched a few of those good good videos back in the day and the distances they claimed were ridiculous. Think a few of them are mid to high single figures and they claimed mid iron distances in McIlroys range.

Exactly Mac. If they were hitting the ball that distance then imagine how easy golf would be. The likes of the insufferably self obsessed and smug Peter Finch wouldn't be shooting 80 in his embarrassing "Quest for the Open". I've watched them play rounds on courses I know and in real terms they are probably something like 50 yards shorter than what they claim on Trackman and GC Quad.

My course suffers when the wet weather occurs. A lot of water remains on the "lower" side of the course. So the front nine were closed today, but even that is a bonus considering the weather we have had this year. Speaking to the head groundsman, he has recorded 33 inches of rain this year.
Tomorrow is Beaujolais day, and a whole 12 hours of rain is expected. Yet they will probably open all 18 holes, because the club have already bought the wine. Hope they enjoy it. I'm not playing as I don't usually play Thursdays and I don't care for Beaujolais......

I'm never wrong wrote:My course suffers when the wet weather occurs. A lot of water remains on the "lower" side of the course. So the front nine were closed today, but even that is a bonus considering the weather we have had this year. Speaking to the head groundsman, he has recorded 33 inches of rain this year.
Tomorrow is Beaujolais day, and a whole 12 hours of rain is expected. Yet they will probably open all 18 holes, because the club have already bought the wine. Hope they enjoy it. I'm not playing as I don't usually play Thursdays and I don't care for Beaujolais......

Beaujolais Nouveau is almost never good. I don't mind the more robust Moulin à Vent and Brouilly, though - some of them are quite good.

Courses played in 2023. A fine year for me and my index went down slightly.

Burning Tree (Maryland)
Fieldstone (Delaware)
St. Davids GC (Pennsylvania)
Aronimink (Pennsylvania)
Lahinch (Ireland)
Tralee (Ireland)
Ballybunion (Ireland)
Waterville (Ireland)
Old Head (Ireland)
Portmarnock (Ireland)
Cuscowilla (Georgia)
The Creek Club (Georgia)
Great Waters (Georgia)
Oconee (Georgia)
Saucon Valley Old (Pennsylvania)
Bel-Air (California)
LACC (California)
Sherwood CC (California)
Thendara (New York)
Inlet (New York)
Sadaquada (New York)

Played a round on Sunday and broke 100 again - one of the best driving rounds I've ever had, really only one hole with a duff drive. Had one birdie and four pars too...just a couple of dumb holes in the middle of the round stopped it being my best ever.

Nice work Olly. Hope the roll back doesn't effect your driving too much.

Shotrock wrote:Courses played in 2023. A fine year for me and my index went down slightly.

Burning Tree (Maryland)
Fieldstone (Delaware)
St. Davids GC (Pennsylvania)
Aronimink (Pennsylvania)
Lahinch (Ireland)
Tralee (Ireland)
Ballybunion (Ireland)
Waterville (Ireland)
Old Head (Ireland)
Portmarnock (Ireland)
Cuscowilla (Georgia)
The Creek Club (Georgia)
Great Waters (Georgia)
Oconee (Georgia)
Saucon Valley Old (Pennsylvania)
Bel-Air (California)
LACC (California)
Sherwood CC (California)
Thendara (New York)
Inlet (New York)
Sadaquada (New York)

That’s a year that is Shotrock, mine was decent but in terms of new Ticks, not so much…
Vilamoura Old Course,
Quinta da Lago South,
St Enodoc,
Trevose
Saunton East
Saunton West
Silloth
Gleneagles Kings
Gleneagles Queens
Gleneagles PGA
Carnoustie Championship
Carnoustie Buddon
Royal St Georges

Only 4 new ticks there
Next year I intend to have more “new” ones. Currently top of my list is Bethpage, also want to close in on Royal Cinque ports and Walton Heath to complete English Top 20. Royal Troon would also be nice.

Not quite the quality of Shotrock or JAS courses but here's my list played in 2023:-

Las Americas (Tenerife)
Costa Adeje (Tenerife)
Abama (Tenerife)
Buenavista (Tenerife)
Asia La Cala (Spain)
America La Cala (Spain)
Europa La Cala (Spain)
Lauro (Spain)
The Grove
Cheshire Carden Park
Nicklaus Carden Park
Broome Park
Lingfield Park
Purdis Heath
Felixstowe Ferry
Ufford Park
Hintlesham Hall
Thorpeness
Seckford
Stowmarket
Bungay and Waveney
Stoke by Nayland
Halesworth
Diss
Rookery Park  
Rushmere
Potters Five Lakes
Saffron Walden
Maldon
Colchester
Clacton
Rayleigh  

Started the year at handicap 10.4, got down to 5.8 in the summer, currently 8.8. The joys of WHS!...

Not about my game today, but golf related and this is the only place I can think to put it. Our club has an Xmas raffle for a chance to win money that is put on your pro shop account. Didn't win the top prize, but won £150. Result!!!!

Has anyone played in the last couple of weeks? The courses on clay in Essex are totally saturated and closed. Even the courses in Suffolk which are on sand, so drain well and are usually very playable at this time of year are waterlogged.

It’s been pretty hideous Blue, my old course has barely been open and mostly carry only when it has been, my new one (on fast draining hill overlooking Bath) has been fine until it finally succumbed to closure yesterday. With what’s coming in later today it’s unlikely to be open Sat now but maybe Sunday.

I managed rounds on 23rd & 30th (both just knockabout rounds but managed 35 points each time - 1 putting like a demon, the other driving like I haven’t in some time. Put both of those together and I’ll go low, really low.

I'm having to be content with visits to the driving range at the moment, can't see that changing anytime soon.

Good luck for the new season JAS, that seems a long way away at the moment!

Yep, pretty bad here in Notts, too. Our course is normally (almost) unaffected by wet weather, but this year has been pretty bad so far.

Mine is pretty bad at the moment. The two 9's are different, one low lying parkland, one higher, bit more "Open" type. We rarely get 18 holes open, usually just the higher back 9. Frustrating. Today, whole course closed. As I've mentioned before, head greenkeeper has kept rainfall records. 2023 was the most.

Still no golf to report. After a couple of weeks of freezing weather and greens bone hard with frost, torrential rain today will no doubt soon lead to saturated courses again!

JAS wrote:It’s been pretty hideous Blue, my old course has barely been open and mostly carry only when it has been, my new one (on fast draining hill overlooking Bath)

Please tell me you joined Painswick?

First stableford qualifier this year. Played really well. 36 points for the competition, 37 for handicap. Might drop 0.1 on my index, which won't affect my playing handicap. Muddy conditions offset by lift clean and place on closely mown areas. Should be in the money, but still a few results to come in.

I'm never wrong wrote:First stableford qualifier this year. Played really well. 36 points for the competition, 37 for handicap. Might drop 0.1 on my index, which won't affect my playing handicap. Muddy conditions offset by lift clean and place on closely mown areas. Should be in the money, but still a few results to come in.

Does your club still play qualifiers over the winter then INW (obviously they do), My new one doesn’t which is fine with me, once the whites come in I don’t like playing qualifiers off the yellows in anything less than ideal conditions.

Good shooting by the way ;-)

McLaren wrote:

JAS wrote:It’s been pretty hideous Blue, my old course has barely been open and mostly carry only when it has been, my new one (on fast draining hill overlooking Bath)

Please tell me you joined Painswick?

Eh? Painswick is nowhere near overlooking Bath, it’s somewhere between Stroud & Gloucester

JAS wrote:

I'm never wrong wrote:First stableford qualifier this year. Played really well. 36 points for the competition, 37 for handicap. Might drop 0.1 on my index, which won't affect my playing handicap. Muddy conditions offset by lift clean and place on closely mown areas. Should be in the money, but still a few results to come in.

Does your club still play qualifiers over the winter then INW (obviously they do), My new one doesn’t which is fine with me, once the whites come in I don’t like playing qualifiers off the yellows in anything less than ideal conditions.

Good shooting by the way ;-)

Thank you. Mens first stableford qualifier was 27th Jan for 7 day members. We'll have a couple more midweek stableford qualifiers and another Saturday Stableford Qualifier this month. Seniors are a bit different in that we'll have about a dozen stablefords during the year, usually one a month with two in high summer. Seniors at my club don't like playing medals so we only have two: one a "practice" competition for the seniors club championship which is 2 rounds on successive Mondays. Other Mondays are "fun" competitions for Seniors.