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Today’s Vets game was at Hamilton Parklands scrapes course. It was 1 degree when we left Portland and headed inland after scraping the frost off the windshield. It didn’t really warm up much at all during the match.
There was a field of 41 players who braved the elements. Scoring in general was low. I played with another player at 11 handicap which made it more interesting. Today my tee shots went well in distance and directional control. I used the 4W and 7W ot good effect, but my game within 100 m left me down. The grass around the scrapes was soft and many of my PW chips, failed to run on to the scrape. Eventually I wised up and used 9i and 8i to chip with. For all but two holes I managed to avoid hitting the scrape full lob. It feels quite foreign deliberately choosing a club so that you will be short or long of the target.
The scrapes were very hard with sparse gritty sand covering, Many of them were a low conical shape. If you hit he putts a bit firmly to get past the hole they kept going. I missed a lot of putts today.my playing partner pipped me with 21 points. I scored 20. Not our finest hours!
Playing sand scrapes is in itself an art form of the game that must be learned. I am no expert at them but have played well in past years on some courses and poorly on others.
The locals will tell you to leave your PW in the boot not needed, and chip with 8 or 7 Iron.
also tell you no need to worry about using high spinning balls like proVs’, which are next to useless on scrapes.
best putter I have found for scrapes is bullseyes, they are brass and give good feel on the stabby stroke needed.
success in putting depends on your ability to scrape a smooth surface for your putts.
anyway I look forward to playing Parklands in AugustToday’s Vets game was at Hamilton Parklands scrapes course. It was 1 degree when we left Portland and headed inland after scraping the frost off the windshield. It didn’t really warm up much at all during the match.
There was a field of 41 players who braved the elements. Scoring in general was low. I played with another player at 11 handicap which made it more interesting. Today my tee shots went well in distance and directional control. I used the 4W and 7W ot good effect, but my game within 100 m left me down. The grass around the scrapes was soft and many of my PW chips, failed to run on to the scrape. Eventually I wised up and used 9i and 8i to chip with. For all but two holes I managed to avoid hitting the scrape full lob. It feels quite foreign deliberately choosing a club so that you will be short or long of the target.
The scrapes were very hard with sparse gritty sand covering, Many of them were a low conical shape. If you hit he putts a bit firmly to get past the hole they kept going. I missed a lot of putts today.my playing partner pipped me with 21 points. I scored 20. Not our finest hours!
Playing sand scrapes is in itself an art form of the game that must be learned. I am no expert at them but have played well in past years on some courses and poorly on others.
The locals will tell you to leave your PW in the boot not needed, and chip with 8 or 7 Iron.
also tell you no need to worry about using high spinning balls like proVs’, which are next to useless on scrapes.
best putter I have found for scrapes is bullseyes, they are brass and give good feel on the stabby stroke needed.
success in putting depends on your ability to scrape a smooth surface for your putts.
anyway I look forward to playing Parklands in AugustGood advice there CB80. I can leave my LW, SW, GW, PW out my on my bag in 2 weeks when I play at Dunkeld. (Grampians course)
My advice for you is to bring your thermals in August. Yesterday was bone chilling cold, not unlike Ballarat.I had a practice putt or three on the last scrape at Hamilton after the game. I found that I was better off looking at the hole to get closer to the pin. I do the opposite on a green.
I was joking with the other player on 11 handicap yesterday. My view is that players from non- scrapes courses ought to have a 3 shot increase in their handicap when playing on sand crape courses.
This morning I took my cart back to the local course for storage. I could not resist having a putt or 10 on the practice green to see if my putting yesterday indicated that i had lost my mojo. Nope! I sunk a few long ones, got pretty close for most and sunk 90% inside 1 metre.
What a pity that most courses don’t have a scrape you can warm up on/ work out how they roll, prior to the game.
Yesterdays analysis ( no Arccos data)
Two Steps
1) better off the tee, except when I pushed one into the next fairway. If you are going to miss, miss big! It was a shot that needed a draw to get around a dog leg left, close to the tee box. Poor club selection with using Driver not 4W.2) Fairway woods works 90%. Only sculled one worm burner all day.
One Step
chipping failed to get the ball within a short putt distance , unlike last week on the second nine. On that course I was able to land the short PW shot just on the verge, then let it bounce and roll up to the pin. At Hamilton, the PW shot checked and stopped. I landing it on the scrape once and learnt that that was a mistake, even for a short chip.I have decided to grade my games as follows.
A grade= 78-82
B grade= 83-87
C grade= 88-92
D grade= >93Today I wobbled around the soggy course on a roller coaster ride. 7 pars, 5 bogeys and 6 doubles. The peak of the ride was mid -way , when I hit a few pars in a row. That was followed by three doubles when I hooked the tee shots into the trees. I hit 5/14 fairways, once I stopped trying to knock the cover off the ball. I hit 4 GIR and 5 up and downs. 31 putts with the Arm Lock putter. I sunk two from a long way out.
Two steps forward
1) Once I got used to using more loft on my chips to get the ball on the green, it put less pressure on the putter.
2) I felt comfortable with the Wilson Infinity half way putter.One Step back
Wildly erratic with the Driver today. It got better as the game progressed. Arccos rated me at 30+ handicapper for tee shots today. Approach 19, Short game 10, putting +5.OTS 44/46 =90 which is a C grade game.
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After the game I reviewed the Arccos stats. What was evident was that at hole 14 when I abandoned trying to swing through with rotation off the tee, the control and distance I was trying to get was back. Well that little experiment didn’t work did it?
Oh well, there is always the next game. It will be on a scrapes course in Dunkeld. I recall that it is a sand based course , so it won’t be soggy.I spent 10 minutes on the range to fine tune my stance with Driver shots. Back on track!
I went on to play 18 holes with an score of 81, 8 less than yesterday. The difference was that my swing path was in tighter control with Driver and the ball stayed in play. I hit a couple of 200+metre shots. They felt and sounded well struck in the centre of the face.
I was not as lucky with the putter today ( 36) with a few 3 putts from GIR situation that left a long first putt.Happier Jan! 9 pars and 9 bogeys. No doubles at all (cheering inside)
I only hit one slightly fat shot where I got a face full of mud today. I noticed I hit a few thin shots that I got away with. Possibly it is a reluctance to hit the ground and risk digging deep divots?
I like golf again!
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I had a Rotary Luncheon to attend today at 11.30, so I braved the 2 degree temperature at 8 a.m. and went for a quick 9 holes.
I was hoping to continue my better form with tee shots and I did! 8/9 in play. Not perfect on hole 9 where it ran 204 m ( good) but ended up in the left rough trees (not so good), but a lucky punch shot with 3H got me a GIR and a 2 putt par.So 1 birdie with a lucky long putt on a par 5, 3 pars, 5 bogeys for a 40 OTS. I hit 5 GIR , one up and down. 18 putts including two 3 putts. Arccos rated me at 11 handicap for tee shots, and <10 for approach shots, short game and putting.
Two steps forward
1) 4 shots over 190 m and mostly on the fairway
2) I feel more confident with the Arm lock putting styleOne Step Back
1) The only thing that didn’t work all that well distance wise was the 4W shots on hole 1 and 3. Direction was OK , distance and flight too low. 3 putts; well one was a long first putt that on average would be a 3 putt distance and the other was on the highly sloped 4th green.1 user liked this post.
I played a D grade game at the Grampians Golf course today. The Vets game attracted 39 golfers ( 26 blokes and 13 ladies) to the scenic course situated on the western slopes of Mt Abrupt, near Dunkeld. There were far more kangaroos on the course than humans. Being sand based terrain , it was well drained and firm, unlike most courses in the district. The result was there was way more run on each shot than I am used to. This made for some confusion in club selection. Many of my drives ran off into the rough.
Then there is the issue of needing to avoid hitting the scrapes full lob. Generally it is better to get slightly short on the approach shot, then try a small chip shot close to the pin on the scrape. I managed it 3 times out of 18 attempts! Then there is putting on the scrapes and trying to read the slope. It isn’t much like reading a green. The ” go” is to hit a firm putt at the hole and notice if it deviates and use the information to correct for the second putt. At least this course had plenty of sand on the scrape, unlike Hamilton Parklands course.The wind built as the day went on and luckily the rain fell after the game . We had a great social game, with lots of laughs, and some curses on the scrapes.
93 OTS ( D grade)
Two steps forward
1) Distance off the tee was good
2) chipping into the scrapes was reasonable
One step back
Putting on scrapes sucks!2 users liked this post.
I have decided to grade my games as follows.
A grade= 78-82
B grade= 83-87
C grade= 88-92
D grade= >93Today I wobbled around the soggy course on a roller coaster ride. 7 pars, 5 bogeys and 6 doubles. The peak of the ride was mid -way , when I hit a few pars in a row. That was followed by three doubles when I hooked the tee shots into the trees. I hit 5/14 fairways, once I stopped trying to knock the cover off the ball. I hit 4 GIR and 5 up and downs. 31 putts with the Arm Lock putter. I sunk two from a long way out.
Two steps forward
1) Once I got used to using more loft on my chips to get the ball on the green, it put less pressure on the putter.
2) I felt comfortable with the Wilson Infinity half way putter.One Step back
Wildly erratic with the Driver today. It got better as the game progressed. Arccos rated me at 30+ handicapper for tee shots today. Approach 19, Short game 10, putting +5.OTS 44/46 =90 which is a C grade game.
Like the grading system. I use a similar one but based on 1 or 2 standard deviations.
At moment my average score is 83.5 with a SD = 3.1. giving me scores from 80 to 87 as std range
2SD = 90 at top end.
Then feel contented with range of scores
It also allows me to compare my score at home club with scores away.
At moment scores away from my home club are better than at home, however my home course is more difficult than others.I have decided to grade my games as follows.
A grade= 78-82
B grade= 83-87
C grade= 88-92
D grade= >93Today I wobbled around the soggy course on a roller coaster ride. 7 pars, 5 bogeys and 6 doubles. The peak of the ride was mid -way , when I hit a few pars in a row. That was followed by three doubles when I hooked the tee shots into the trees. I hit 5/14 fairways, once I stopped trying to knock the cover off the ball. I hit 4 GIR and 5 up and downs. 31 putts with the Arm Lock putter. I sunk two from a long way out.
Two steps forward
1) Once I got used to using more loft on my chips to get the ball on the green, it put less pressure on the putter.
2) I felt comfortable with the Wilson Infinity half way putter.One Step back
Wildly erratic with the Driver today. It got better as the game progressed. Arccos rated me at 30+ handicapper for tee shots today. Approach 19, Short game 10, putting +5.OTS 44/46 =90 which is a C grade game.
Like the grading system. I use a similar one but based on 1 or 2 standard deviations.
At moment my average score is 83.5 with a SD = 3.1. giving me scores from 80 to 87 as std range
2SD = 90 at top end.
Then feel contented with range of scores
It also allows me to compare my score at home club with scores away.
At moment scores away from my home club are better than at home, however my home course is more difficult than others.Cripes I would have to relearn statistics methods to work out SD!
I like the idea though! My peak on the bell curve is about 85 at present.
My SD would be wider as the result of playing many courses over the last few monthsThe score differences when playing away can be quite marked, especially when the course is one that you play infrequently , or is brand new to you. Add to that when you play sand scrape greens only once in a while. Then there is the difference in sand scrape quality too. For example, the scrapes at Hamilton are firm and fast, as you will find out soon. The Grampians course and Morralla were better, with more sand and more predictability.
It looks as if I am on Pa duty all August. I was waiting on my daughter #2 getting her nursing training placement in Mt Gambier before I committed to the Vets Hamilton Sand Scrape championship. Looking after the same little boy ( now two) that we were when we met in Melbourne is a bit more challenging now that he can run!
I am off to cut down Sweet Pittosporum at the course now that it is light.
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Perhaps I should warm up with 90 minutes of tree lopping prior to each game!
After the battery on my chainsaw was depleted, I did 6 holes ( 13-18) on the way back to the club house.
There was a moderate NW wind blowing which affected tee shot distance on 13 and 15, but the others I was getting in the 190m range off the tee. I used a few mulligan shots on occasion,trying to get well struck shot to get good data for Arccos. I was trying to take my time on the pre -shot routine to get the feel of each shot before I hit it. I hit a few good iron approach shots. Best shot of the session was a chip into the hole on the 16th. I hope I can take this form into my next game.1 user liked this post.
Well a few days in the entrance hall of my house on the putting mat and I should be a whiz at 3-10 foot putts when I get back to golf. With my golf clubs stored at the club 7 km away, I took to trying a few clubs from the solitary confinement bag in my shed into my backyard net.
Using the PRGR launch monitor I trialed my SL 6 iron and my old mini Driver ( 11.5 degree small head on a 3 wood length shaft).
I like to average out hits with medium smash factor ( 1.3 >) and compare that to my shots with good smash factor ( 1.4>)
I was disappointed to find that I still cannot hit the 6 iron to 130 m reliably, except with a good smash factor shot. How many times do I hit an ideal shot during a game? Not often and the 6 iron shots are too close to the 7 iron shots. Hence why I am using a 29 degree Hybrid, which I hit in the 130-137 m range every time.The mini Driver hits about 180 m on a good shot and 170 m on an average shot off the tee. Slightly longer than the Cobra F9 5 W at 17 degrees. I might try it for a few games instead of the 5 W on par 3s and fade shots on a couple of holes. I can change loft on the 7 W ( down to 20.25) and see if it fits the bill. I am not getting any roll with the 5W and therefore distance of the 5 W and 7 W are giving me little difference in total distance.
Next I will test the Nike 44.5″ shafted Driver against the 43″ mini Driver and see which is easier to hit good shots with reliably.
Yeah I am getting bored in lock down.
Update: I hit 20 shots with the 44.5″ Nike Vapor Speed A flex. set at 11.5 degrees ( same as 2W) neutral face
Swing speed up to 5 mph higher than 43 inch 2W
Smash Factor slightly higher 1.45 on average ( nothing in it)
Distance about 10 m longer.Now to go and test whether I can set the face open and hit a reliable fade shot on holes 2, 6 &9 ( dogleg right) . Wednesday ?
all we can do is practice our shot games indoors or chip in back yard, until we are allowed back to golf
all we can do is practice our shot games indoors or chip in back yard, until we are allowed back to golf
True. I am using a SL 56 wedge out of long, wet grass to my net 20 m away to great effect. It could be the only aspect of my game that resembles Bryson’s game. The reason my grass is long and wet is the amount of rain we have had. It should emulate our local course conditions on the holes we have not successfully drained.
You had better be practising your bump and run shots with the 7,8 & 9 irons in readiness for the Hamilton scrapes. Plan to leave your approach shots 10-20 m short, then roll it on.1 user liked this post.
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