-
Posts
-
I am back home after a 4 week trip into S.A. more remote west coast areas.
I had the opportunity to pay at some really nice courses, such as Clare, Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Coffin Bay,Streaky Bay and Pt. Augusta. I had played the Clare course once before. The others were all new to me. The one thing these courses had in common was irrigation.
Other courses I played like Tumby Bay and Elliston were very dry with scrapes instead of greens. The best part of Elliston was tat we could camp at the golf course with a magnificent view of the coast. The rest of the course could be described as a sand belt course without grass, beach sand in the traps and more beach sand on the scrapes. The only difference I could tell between the traps and scrapes was that the surface of the scrape was a bit flatter. It was more successful to chip a long scrape shot than attempt a putt stroke!I guess the challenge of playing so many courses for the first time is that it makes you think about course management. My best score for 9 holes was at Clare ( 40 OTS)
2 users liked this post.
I played a round of the Mumbannar Masters comp yesterday arvo. 9 holes at Portland GC. It was my first hit at home for a while. Not a great start as my golf cart rolled to a stop and refused to go any further. At first I thought my son in law had forgotten the battery maintenance while I was away. Nope , it was a corroded battery terminal lead. As a warm up I tried out the 7W I had been using on my vacation against my SL 19 Hybrid. Result: 7 W is about 10 m longer, but I wasn’t more accurate with it. Conditions: sunny with a light west wind and lush very green grass ( unlike Eyre Peninsula) Think Desert.
My playing partners arrived, so we commenced. The first to drive sliced right , the second sliced left, the third to play hit short. My drive? Long with a slight draw using my Cleveland HB Launcher Turbo; a thing of beauty I thought , as I hoped it stayed on the fairway. It did, just finishing short of the outside of the dogleg. I hit the approach shot with my 6 hybrid, hoping for a 130m shot just short of the green so it would roll on. I got the just short bit right, but I overdid the choke down grip and I had a 8i chip onto the green and 2 putts for a bogey. I am always happy for a bogey to start with.
I was thinking, “stay left” on the second hole drive and it did, left into the rough of the adjacent 9th hole. Oops! Recovery shot with the 22 SL Hybrid got me back onto the second hole left rough and through the trees. I pulled the 9i approach shot just a bit, and used a SW chip to, “get it on the green” , like Golf Sidekick says ( just GIOTG) Putting with my Ping mallet was a bit tentative, but a tap in for a double bogey wasn’t a bad result, considering the tee shot was ” unfortunate”.
The Par 5 third hole tee shot was another thing of beauty ( 216 m ) slight draw shape. I followed that up with another draw with the 4W ( well 5W set to 17 degrees) that rolled a bit far left. My 9i approach shot hit the green and stayed on. Using the SL irons again felt good. Putt number one was about 14 m uphill and I was left with a tap in for Par. (Warm inner fuzzies occurring by now)
The tee shot on hole 4 ( my nemesis hole) was effective, if not beautiful. The ball ended up centre fairway, just short of the crest of the hill. It was more a great hockey shot though, low and flat. This time I had 140 m over the hill to the back of the green. I decided to hit the 6H again, but give it a wallop. It landed in the centre of the green, leaving me a long uphill putt. I sort of got the length right, but not the line. I had about a 4 footer and I missed it. Still a bogey is better than an 8 score that I have hit on this hole.
The par 3 fifth was 190 m from the back tees. I let it rip and the ball ended up on the verge of the green left side. I hit another 8i chip and then holed the putt for a Par.
The warm fuzzies were short lived on the dog leg right 6th tee when my attempted fade over did the fading bit. I was just short of the corner, 130 m to the back of the green. The sensible shot would have been to chip around the corner, then approach with a clear shot. Did I try the hero high fade over the corner? Yes. Did it work? Yes . I had a tap in birdie putt.
The par 5 7th hole with a little breeze following was next. My tee shot was not a thing of beauty, but effective getting me into the left side light rough. I thought I would try the 7W bending the ball around an extending branch and onto the fairway. Fail. It hit the branch and ended up in the left side trees. I had a punch out shot with the SL 19 Hybrid. It went very well. It was almost as if the club was saying to me that the 7W couldn’t do that! I used my LW to chip over the bunker and GIOTG and two putted back downhill for a bogey.
The par 3 8th hole tee position was back at the 124m mark. Perfect for my 7i , well that i it would have been had I hit it in the centre of the face, not the toe. I chipped on with the 8i pretty well, but missed the putt. Bogey.
Last hole for the day and my Driver shot went a bit left. If I had a lot of confidence I would have aimed at the dam and attempted a draw into the wind with my 7i. I have tried it before and lost the ball to a watery grave. So I aimed at the middle of the green only to see the wind and draw take it left of the green. My PW GIOTG shot worked, but left me with a long putt up a step and a knee tremble putt that stopped 2 cm from the edge of the hole. Bogey.
OTS 42 / 17 putts. A win for the day and 1/2 a stoke inside my handicap of 13. Perhaps I should play away from home more often & use different /variable length clubs more often? I fixed the cart after the game after cleaning the terminal and replacing a corroded battery lead.I made it home just in time for our 45th wedding anniversary dinner.
1 user liked this post.
Winter has arrived with a vengeance in SW Victoria. It blew a gale and rained a lot yesterday. I had to check on my cart repairs late in the afternoon and was shocked to see a couple just finishing their game. Stoic or stupid?
I forgot to do my two steeps/one step assessment of my last game.
Two Steps forward
1) My tee shots hit fairways ( not the right one on one occasion) and had reasonable distance. I aimed down the right and got a draw shape back to the left/ centre.
2) bump and run chips with my 8 i worked well, as did my longer putts and I didn’t miss any second putts.One step back
I am still not confident with direction of my fade shots off the tee. They tend to be going a bit further right than I intend. I think maybe I need to move the ball forward a tad?1 user liked this post.
The weather today was too good not to play golf this afternoon.
I spent this morning from 7-30 to 10 a.m. cutting out sweet pittosporum trees from the right rough of the 12th fairway. 4 trees hit the ground this morning. They are an invasive weed in this district.
Today’s practice round was confidence inspiring. I guess it showed what I can do when I don’t muck up.
I hit 3 birdies, 10 pars, 4 bogeys and one double bogey. 75 OTS is my best ever. No doubt I won’t reproduce this score tomorrow when the weather turns to shit again.Arcoss told me I was on fire with the putter today ( I knew that already) , good with chip shots ( obvious again), approach shots with my irons ( good/ hit greens more today) , but my Driving is letting me down. Arcoss says that I am short for a 13 handicapper off the tee, but accurate. I guess they don’t account for age. They think I should be hitting my drives 207m, but my best is 202 m carry and average in the mid 190’s metres.
Two steps
1) lag putting
2) chipping it close with PW or 8 ironOne step
1) tee shots a bit erratic stillWhat a difference a day makes! The rain started during hole#2 and steadily built until we finished 9 holes. I didn’t have packed my wet weather pants in my bag as yet and my lower half was wet by 9 holes. I was happy to retire, as was another of the foursome.I was unpacking in the cart shed when it really started to pour.
I started poorly on hole one. My drive was in play, but I selected my 4W for the second shot and struck it poorly. For the lie I should have used a hybrid. Then I didn’t hit my PW chip hard enough, so ti took me 4 shots to get it on the green.A double bogey to start again.
My tee shot fade on #2 was good ( 198m) with a strong- ish side wind, but I mishit the 6H approach shot into the bunker. Our bunkers are usually a bit fickle ( insufficient sand depth) and worse when wet. I chipped out a bit far and 2 putted for a bogey.
Another decent tee shot on hole #3 followed ( 204m) , but I didn’t strike the 4W shot or the 8 i well at all. My 8 i chip-putt stroke saved the hole for a bogey.
Tee shot on 4 was O.K. but my approach shot with a 5 Hybrid caught the wind and ended up in the bunker.
Hole 5 I made par, but my tee shot on 6 was crap. A complete mishit. I don’t think I was even looking at the ball when I swung. I salvage a bogey. I scramble for a par on 7 and narrowly missed a putt for bogey on 8. By hole 9 my approach shot was terrible, but it missed the dam and I managed a bogey.OTS 44 , 16 points for 9 holes.
Two Steps
1) only 17 putts and two up and down pars
2) a few good tee shots ( 4/9)One step back
I didn’t handle the cold wet windy conditions today. I had better get used to it over the next 6 months.I had a practice round with Adriano this afternoon. I had adjusted my 4 Wood to 17.5 degrees and had added a TS2 22.5 degree 7 Wood to my bag. I was keen to see what they would do. I had noticed my tee shots with the 4 Wood had been too low, so I tried teeing the ball up a touch more. I used the Driver less and used the 4W and 7W off the tee more often. As a result I hit more fairways and scored better.
OTS 82
Two Steps Forward
1) The 7 Wood TS2 is a very easy to hit well. I was managing a consistent 160 m shot with it, with both fade and draw shapes.
I hit quite a few greens. In general I was more consistent distance wise with it in comparison to my 19 Hybrid.
2) Teeing up a little higher seemed to work with the 4 Wood. I only mucked up one with a bit too much draw when I started it down the middle.One step back
I lost a few shots trying to pitch out of long grass. It needs work! I suspect I was using insufficient loft.I played in a inter- district Vets competition at the Millicent golf club, situated near Mt Burr. As the name suggests it was hilly. Although it didn’t rain , the pre- frontal wind kept building up to around 30 kph.
It was the first time I had played the course and it showed on hole#10 where we started. I hit a reasonable drive off the tee, but my second shot over the rise hit the steep down slope and ran off the fairway, resting next to a tree. I tried to bump it out , but managed only to run it into another tree 20 m further down the hill. A double bogey start again! I should have been more conservative and just hit a safe, over the crest shot.
Forward steps
1) Driving distance wasn’t bad even with the wind conditions
2) I hit a ripper 7W 164 m high into a green that stopped dead.
3) Longer approach shots with 4&5 hybrids and 4 Wood went well.Backward steps
1) I mishit my 6 Hybrid 4 times
2) I mishit 3 fairway wood shots/ should have used the Hybrid!
3) 5 by 3 putts
4) Missed fairways 5 times; three pushes and two pulled shots. I think I was trying to hit too hard into the wind
5) tentative chipping with higher lofted clubs lead to poor results. I am better of using my PW more.I hit 98 off the stick today. I could not get my putting to work, hitting 41 total . So many times I rolled the the ball up to the hole, but they didn’t drop.
On my list of things to work on after yesterday’s game was getting the 6 hybrid under control.
This afternoon I went out to he range to hit a few balls with the 6H club. Having just had my flu shot it was going to have to be only a few shots. The weather was atrocious.So without a warm up I hit three perfect shots 129, 132 & 135 m down the middle of the range. Yesterday they all went left or failed to launch. Possibly it was the above the feet lies? Anyway seeing that the hybrids I have are all fixed hosels, I can’t adjust them flatter in the lie angle. One thing I did with my old F7 Hybrid to stop them going too far left was to fit a Jumbo grip. I will try that with the Tour Edge 6H to see if I can cut out the ” lefts”.
Oh, we lost the district challenge to the Lower South East. The fast greens caught a lot of us out it seems.
I played in a inter- district Vets competition at the Millicent golf club, situated near Mt Burr. As the name suggests it was hilly. Although it didn’t rain , the pre- frontal wind kept building up to around 30 kph.
It was the first time I had played the course and it showed on hole#10 where we started. I hit a reasonable drive off the tee, but my second shot over the rise hit the steep down slope and ran off the fairway, resting next to a tree. I tried to bump it out , but managed only to run it into another tree 20 m further down the hill. A double bogey start again! I should have been more conservative and just hit a safe, over the crest shot.
Forward steps
1) Driving distance wasn’t bad even with the wind conditions
2) I hit a ripper 7W 164 m high into a green that stopped dead.
3) Longer approach shots with 4&5 hybrids and 4 Wood went well.Backward steps
1) I mishit my 6 Hybrid 4 times
2) I mishit 3 fairway wood shots/ should have used the Hybrid!
3) 5 by 3 putts
4) Missed fairways 5 times; three pushes and two pulled shots. I think I was trying to hit too hard into the wind
5) tentative chipping with higher lofted clubs lead to poor results. I am better of using my PW more.I hit 98 off the stick today. I could not get my putting to work, hitting 41 total . So many times I rolled the the ball up to the hole, but they didn’t drop.
5 x 3 putt greens suggests problems with distance control.
Always a bit more difficult on greens you are not familiar with.
Still its not always about scoreI played in a inter- district Vets competition at the Millicent golf club, situated near Mt Burr. As the name suggests it was hilly. Although it didn’t rain , the pre- frontal wind kept building up to around 30 kph.
It was the first time I had played the course and it showed on hole#10 where we started. I hit a reasonable drive off the tee, but my second shot over the rise hit the steep down slope and ran off the fairway, resting next to a tree. I tried to bump it out , but managed only to run it into another tree 20 m further down the hill. A double bogey start again! I should have been more conservative and just hit a safe, over the crest shot.
Forward steps
1) Driving distance wasn’t bad even with the wind conditions
2) I hit a ripper 7W 164 m high into a green that stopped dead.
3) Longer approach shots with 4&5 hybrids and 4 Wood went well.Backward steps
1) I mishit my 6 Hybrid 4 times
2) I mishit 3 fairway wood shots/ should have used the Hybrid!
3) 5 by 3 putts
4) Missed fairways 5 times; three pushes and two pulled shots. I think I was trying to hit too hard into the wind
5) tentative chipping with higher lofted clubs lead to poor results. I am better of using my PW more.I hit 98 off the stick today. I could not get my putting to work, hitting 41 total . So many times I rolled the the ball up to the hole, but they didn’t drop.
5 x 3 putt greens suggests problems with distance control.
Always a bit more difficult on greens you are not familiar with.
Still its not always about scoreGenerally players commented that the greens were fast at Millicent. . I had many that ran up to the hole and stop short, left and right, so I guess speed control was the issue. So near , yet so far!
I had several things to do this morning, so I was told by SWMBO. I cancelled my golf game.
Then lock down was mentioned, so I thought, “F it, I am going to hit a few holes”.I booked in for a 12-30 start, thinking that I would be 30 minutes behind the competition field. It took me only three holes before I caught them up. After that it was slow progress for the front 9 holes.
Unlike my last practice round, I hit a par on hole one after a PW chip rolled up to the hole. Hole #2 I hit a reasonably positioned tee shot, but didn’t strike the 7W shot well. The PW chip shot got me onto the green and 2 putts for a bogey. Hole #3 I hit the tee shot too high, but recovered with a nice fade with 4W. My 8I approach shot I hit fat, but recovered with a PW shot onto the green and 2 putted. Bogey.! Hole #4 I hit a reasonable 4W tee shot , but it ended up left fairway. I tried for a 5 H draw and it worked, ending up on the back verge of the green. 2 putts for a par. Hole #5 tee shot into the wind with Driver faded onto the green at 175m. Piss poor distance first putt lead to a 3 putt for a bogey. Hole #6 I aimed left over the trees expecting the wind to push it right. It didn’t and so I had a short drive after it hit the trees and dropped. I did hit a nice 6H that landed pin high , but right side. I chippedon with my 8i.leaving a 6 footer. I missed. Bogey again. My tee hsot on 7 was 211m ( wind assisted), followed by a 5H lay up. I had an 85 m pitch shot, but I used the GW that landed just short. Another bogey. I should learn to add one club for this hole approach . I hit a good 9i tee shopt on the par 3 8th and scored a par. I tried a fade off the 9th tee to leave the ball left side. Allowing for the wind I put my 8 iron shot on the green, but three putted again. I need to hit them harder I guess. 42 OTS which was an improvement.
If you are in doubt about the effect of warming up, my decision to stop following the field and replay the front 9 again gave me a lesson on what I should do each game. I hit a 188 m Drive on hole #1, followed by a well hit 5H that ended up tap in distance to the hole for a birdie. Hole #2 I hit a 189m shot into the wind, followed by a GIR shot with my new 7W and 2 putts for a par. On the third I tried a different strategy. I hit a 4W off the tee, followed by a good 7W (166m) leaving my roughly where I normally approach the green from . I hit a faded 7 iron into the green to end pin high and narrowly missed the birdie putt. Hole #4 was a repeat of last time; 4W/5H and two putts for a par. I have to aim right side of the fairway to get the draw to stay on the fairway though. I had to finish up there at one under par in order to pick up the grand kids from school. I wish I could get that sort of start in a game.
Two Steps forward
1) tee shots aim and approach shots went better. I think I love the 7W!
2) I eventually got my putting distance control and inside 1 m putts to workOne Step back
1) tee shot distance is still erratic1 user liked this post.
Looks like we might be in our cages until end of June, so back to chipping a ball wherever we get a park to hit in.
Xman
probably down your way around mid July, and I see there is a vets game on at Grampians on 12th July. will let you know if I can play1 user liked this post.
It would be a pleasure to play with you again CB80!
Bring your hiking shoes for the Dunkeld (scrapes) course. It has a few uphill fairways. Let me know if you are going to attend and I will bring my cart. I won’t be going anywhere for a while, so maybe we can have a hit at Warrnambool, Pt Fairy, Heywood , or Portland too.In my cage for Covid? Well yes and no. Being 400 km from Melbourne, it does seem a bit silly closing rural Victoria entirely.
I did deliver groceries for some elderly folks and visited the golf course to get my launch monitor from the cart shed. My neighbour is the local golf club technician. He passed my 6 Hybrid club over the fence to me with its newly placed thicker grip installed.I hit shots into my net in the back yard using the PRGR launch monitor and grouped the results by smash factor. Then I compared the data with my Arccos App results over the last 20 games I played. The distances maximum/ average/ low range shots corresponded. I wish the PRGR gave spin and launch angle data, but for the price it is pretty good.
BTW do you think that paragliding would meet the government’s definition of exercise? I guess the guy soaring over the cliffs today in Portland was unlikely to catch/ transmit covid to anyone!
2 users liked this post.
Under the new ” rules” we are to play social golf only , no warm up, arrive 10 minutes prior to tee time and leave immediately after the round. It was cold and windy and soft underfoot after last night heavy rain. I noticed that my cart had been switched off for the last week and hard 25% charge. Prior to the game I hit a few putts and felt pretty good with the results.
My first tee shot was a cracking 227 m draw that ended in the fairway. The game went downhill from that moment.
Tee shots in general were not too bad ( hit 6/14 fairways) but most of my misses were left side. Generally I need to have the confidence to aim down the right side of the fairway and let it draw back. On the 16th hole my first shot ran into the left side dam, so I hit a provisional with the let it rip down the right side and put in a boomer. I guess I am still lacking confidence that I will not close the cub face and push the ball right side. My chipping was crap and mishits left a lot short of the green. Then I three putted many times. 39 total. Score OTS 100; 13 strokes above a 13 handicapper level. I had to hit quite a few punch shots today; the best club was the 3 Hybrid. I tried the 4H but clipped trees every time. I had to walk the back 9.Two Steps forward
1) better tee shots distance wise
2) The 7W worked well approaching greens and stopping wellOne Step back
1) short game inside 50 m was woeful
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
