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One day I will learn to take my own advice. When I can play again of course.
I always say about my Rusty Old Man, he can’t putt for shit, bit I’ll back his read in every day of the week.
I bet your old man likes a beer. With his Bundy of course.
I had a very enjoyable game at Portland this morning with Can Break 80, aka Mr Consistency.What a lovely swing he has! Weather conditions considered we played pretty well in the sloppy conditions on certain parts of the course. The wind built from moderate to strong, as we played the last few holes. It blew my cart over on the 18th.
Arccos rated my game Driver OK, Approach shots from fairway needs work, Short game close to a 8 handicap level and Putting near 5 handicap level. On the first few holes I agree my fairway wood were poor, but later as I took Geoff’s advice I hit a ripper 170m 4W into the wind for a GIR and my Shot of the day(SOD). Most of my 4 double bogeys occurred from silly errors/ club selection errors/ poor tee shot placement. CB80’s shot of the day was a 6 iron over the corner trees onto the green on hole 13 to save par. We mucked about trying various chip shots into the green from close range. The hybrids gave the most reliable bump and run results in the mucky soft verges. My score was somewhere between 85-88 if I allow for the few Mulligans Geoff allowed me to hit. A B- minus game? It was the 17th hole before I got a face full of mud ( wet fairways make for unpredictable bounce effect when you hit an iron shot). I thought it only appropriate that I hit a ball into the dam on hole 16 to show the visitor where not to go.
Two Steps forward
1) I only really put the ball in poor positions from the tee about three times, but only lost one shot each time, recovering back into play without having to go sideways.
2) The 4Wood worked well, but I have to not try to snot it. A slower rhythmic swing works better. Plus I tried to use it too often today, when the 7W would have worked better. We tried it once just to prove the point.One step back
1) Club selection when chipping today was off to start with. I used too high loft and cost two shots in the first 4 holes. Rookie error. One I hit a SW in long wet grass and went under the ball, while the other I hit a 9 iron and clipped an overhanging branch. The other doubles I scored today were a combination of a poor Driver shot and wind gusts affecting carry distance of approach shots ( one short, one long)Thanks for a very enjoyable game Geoff.
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I had a very enjoyable game at Portland this morning with Can Break 80, aka Mr Consistency.What a lovely swing he has! Weather conditions considered we played pretty well in the sloppy conditions on certain parts of the course. The wind built from moderate to strong, as we played the last few holes. It blew my cart over on the 18th.
Arccos rated my game Driver OK, Approach shots from fairway needs work, Short game close to a 8 handicap level and Putting near 5 handicap level. On the first few holes I agree my fairway wood were poor, but later as I took Geoff’s advice I hit a ripper 170m 4W into the wind for a GIR and my Shot of the day(SOD). Most of my 4 double bogeys occurred from silly errors/ club selection errors/ poor tee shot placement. CB80’s shot of the day was a 6 iron over the corner trees onto the green on hole 13 to save par. We mucked about trying various chip shots into the green from close range. The hybrids gave the most reliable bump and run results in the mucky soft verges. My score was somewhere between 85-88 if I allow for the few Mulligans Geoff allowed me to hit. A B- minus game? It was the 17th hole before I got a face full of mud ( wet fairways make for unpredictable bounce effect when you hit an iron shot). I thought it only appropriate that I hit a ball into the dam on hole 16 to show the visitor where not to go.
Two Steps forward
1) I only really put the ball in poor positions from the tee about three times, but only lost one shot each time, recovering back into play without having to go sideways.
2) The 4Wood worked well, but I have to not try to snot it. A slower rhythmic swing works better. Plus I tried to use it too often today, when the 7W would have worked better. We tried it once just to prove the point.One step back
1) Club selection when chipping today was off to start with. I used too high loft and cost two shots in the first 4 holes. Rookie error. One I hit a SW in long wet grass and went under the ball, while the other I hit a 9 iron and clipped an overhanging branch. The other doubles I scored today were a combination of a poor Driver shot and wind gusts affecting carry distance of approach shots ( one short, one long)Thanks for a very enjoyable game Geoff.
Thank you XRman and your wife for a lovely dinner the other evening, Sue enjoyed herself, and thank you for the game on your course on a lovely Sunday morning.. Also nice to meet your other golfing fiends’ on the course
The morning was fine and hardly any clouds when we teed off , bit windy, yes the course was wet on some holes but dry on others, greens were good to putt on, and we both putted well.
The wind was strong , but it always is in Portland so the other locals told us , but also meant more of a challenge. Thank you for guiding me around the course and showing me where the green was on 13th and where not to hit it to the lake on 16th. I enjoyed the course.
I like playing golf like that where hit a few practice shots if make a mistake and try different things.
Your game continues to improve and your ball sticking is getting better, thought your driving was good other than a few bad chips and some wrong decisions on some holes as far a chip and approach shots choice went, I thought your game was good. Lets be honest a bogey on most of the holes was a good score in wind and you had at least 4 pars under the tough conditions. So well done.
The hybrid chip shot I showed you worked a treat once you learned it and with more practice once fairways and surrounds dry out, you will find the shot gives you even more variety of scoring options from close in.
Also your putting is better with long putter and your distance control has improved. remember, take time to line up, use the line on ball and simply roll the line, when you did that you looked confident and putted well.
Your 4w with long shaft is a winner especially off the tee on some of the shorter holes like 4, 6 and even off tee on par 5 holes.
thanks again. and look forward to another game soonThanks Geoff. I do need to think through my approach decisions with a more conservative mind set as we discussed.
Today we played at “Royal” Dartmoor near the S.A. border.. It was a Glenelg Veterans Association event and only attracted 26 entrants. I think the weather forecast for wind and rain deterred quite a few golfers. It was a pity because it wasn’t that bad. The course is on the banks of the Glenelg river and well drained unlike many of our local courses at this time of year. The township is rebuilding population wise, but the number of golfers isn’t. Like many small courses, Royal Dartmoor’s future is under cloud. They need more members and volunteer workers. If you have the chance to call in and stay and play for a couple of days ( $5 per day fee) please make the effort. Best value course IMO.
I was grouped with the two women entrants. We had a very social round, with lots of laughs.My Game? Well I think I used up all my consistency on Sunday playing with CB80. I have to admit I find the greens to be a little difficult. They are faster than I am used to and the visual image with the light coloured grasses, just seems to confuse my green reading. I tried aim point methods, feeling with my feet, walking around trying to identify the straight uphill putt etc, yet some time I swear the ball rolled uphill!!!
I hit some good tee shots trying to de-loft my driver for more distance. I did turn a few over too far in to the left rough/ should have faded those away from the left side. I hit a few ripper 4W shots. I duffed / pushed several 7W shots and a couple of less than ideal 3 Hybrid out of poor lies. The 25 Hybrid performed well, but I struggled with the 29 hybrid to get a solid strike. I think I was standing a bit close to the ball and hit them fat/ too steep. Chipping was pretty good, getting close to the 3 foot circle and I sunk most short putts. Irons worked well today again.So in summary
Two Steps
I hit all the shots required to score wellOne Step
I didn’t hit those shots on the same hole to score well. 25 Points. I was a bit disappointed at first, but many players did not score well today.Next game. A bit of range work needed for the 150-100 m approach shots.
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I had another disappointing day at Portland today. Same score at 25 points.
Why? Well I can’t blame the weather today, it was a glorious Spring- like day. Sure the course is soggy and bounce is unpredictable to non existent, with many balls pugging on contact with the ground. My cart wasn’t plugged in to recharge ( did I forget?) so I was annoyed with myself, but I got a ride with another player. My hip is giving me some discomfort and I didn’t take any pain relief prior to the game. I am sleep deprived as the result of our old dog’s prostate issues making several trips outside each night, in addition to my own need for a pee at night!
I hit a string of double bogeys to start with. The greens had just been rolled and were fast in comparison to their usual speed. We all missed putts to start with. I three putted the first hole after a good start off the tee, a half way reasonable approach and chip on. The first putt went past the hole by about 3 m!
Then my tee shots went astray. Some went too far left when I was trying to avoid the boggy right side of fairways. Attempted fades didn’t fade, they went straight left. I mishit a couple off the tee on the early holes, just trying to smash them I think. I settled down by hole 7 and scored pars on 7,8 &9. The back 9 were a string of bogeys, then I managed to mishit a shot over the tree on the corner of hole 13 and then 3 putted on 14 ( two more doubles). My tee shots improved on the last few holes and I hit a few reasonable fairway wood shots into the greens, but with no roll out none of them got onto the green.
Chipping was not a strength today. I got it on the green ( GIOTG) but no where near the hole, so 1 st putt was a long one.
If it was any consolation, none of my playing partners played a lot better than I did today. The winner ( off 7 handicap) scored 32 points. Good day, good company, poor golf by all. Such is life ( N. Kelly)I am in the market for some water proof shoes.
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Adriano and I had a post work/ pre- lock down hit out for 12 holes this afternoon
Conditions were mild with soggy underfoot , bare lies on occasions ( MUD) with a slight NW wind.After my last game I wanted to work on developing a fairway finder off the tee.. For me that is a straight / slight fade shot that goes about 180 m carry. I hit this shot on every hole with some control on start direction. I wanted to use my 6 Hybrid ( 29 degree) as much as I could to evaluate whether to keep the club in the bag , or not. Of late I have not been confident with this club. It is a Tour Edge E521 iron-wood, a very draw biased game improver that I find easy to hit too far left. Too much off set for me. Today I got it to work, as long as I aim 10 m right of my target. I continued using the Single length hybrid to chip the ball off the wet verges near the green. It is getting better direction and strength wise. My putter worked today too. I didn’t miss by much and speed control was good. I hit a few good 4W approach shots near 170m , but I was 50 /50 with the 7W. It isn’t the club to hit off mud. I worked out that I need to add 10 m to my bump and run/ partial pitch shots for the wet/ soft conditions. I added one club and it worked better getting closer to the hole. It takes a leap of faith that it wont run through the hole.
Overall a good session. My wife just told me that Dan has closed sport in regional Victoria ( again). Sigh!
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What do you do when you can’t play golf in brilliant sunshine, other than curse? Cut the lawns down a bit, and check the bee hives, watch some T.V. while ironing and maybe some retail therapy.
I came across a TS2 27 degree hybrid on Market Place at a cheap price. I have been increasingly frustrated by the 29 degree Tour Edge E521 iron-wood I have been using instead of a 6 iron. It is a game improvement design with a lot of off set ( anti- slice design feature) which I have found difficult to get used to. 50% of my shots are missing left. I am hoping the TS2 set at 29 flat will do a better job.
I have ordered some Puma waterproof golf shoes too on Gannongolf.com.au. My old leather foot joy black leather shoes are starting to fall apart of 5 seasons.
Veterans golf at Balmoral tomorrow has been cancelled, of course.
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Retail therapy today ( again) might just be the highlight of my day,
I received a package from http://www.decathlon.com.au this morning. I wanted to evaluate the products as part of my role as prize purchasing officer for the Glenelg Veterans Golf association. The only annoying thing with this site is that they won’t freight many of their items.
I bought some Inesis Tour 900 and Distance 100 balls for evaluation. I had heard from the Backyard Golfer in Italy and Golf Side Kick in Thailand (You Tubers) that these balls were good value. The Tour 900 is a urethane ball prices at $49/ 12 and the Distance 100 is Surlyn cover at < $20 a dozen. The distance come loose in a box and are a dull white. The Tour 900 come in sleeves of 3 and look glossy. Made in Taiwan.
I needed a new golf glove, so I bought 2 models and a pair of rain gloves to try. XL fits me well.
The final thing I bought was a small Inesis rain umbrella for my push cart. The course will probably be bone dry by the time I get back out there post lock down( #7 for regional Victoria)
Once I try these products, I will report back for your “edumication”.I don’t feel that bad about my use of the credit card now. My wife is ordering another box of Bremerton “Tamblyn”, an excellent blend form Langhorne Creek in S.A. , after listening to Dan Andrews this morning. Reading between the lines it will be at least two weeks before he considers ending lock down, possibly longer. We might need to order two boxes!
Two steps forward
1) I went out to the golf course to add water to my cart’s batteries ; my day’s outing. It might be drying out a bit.
2) I did some indoor putting at 10 foot using the Inesis Tour 900 balls. Nice! at $39 dozen for the yellow ones.
One step back
see aboveRetail therapy today ( again) might just be the highlight of my day,
I received a package from http://www.decathlon.com.au this morning. I wanted to evaluate the products as part of my role as prize purchasing officer for the Glenelg Veterans Golf association. The only annoying thing with this site is that they won’t freight many of their items.
I bought some Inesis Tour 900 and Distance 100 balls for evaluation. I had heard from the Backyard Golfer in Italy and Golf Side Kick in Thailand (You Tubers) that these balls were good value. The Tour 900 is a urethane ball prices at $49/ 12 and the Distance 100 is Surlyn cover at < $20 a dozen. The distance come loose in a box and are a dull white. The Tour 900 come in sleeves of 3 and look glossy. Made in Taiwan.
I needed a new golf glove, so I bought 2 models and a pair of rain gloves to try. XL fits me well.
The final thing I bought was a small Inesis rain umbrella for my push cart. The course will probably be bone dry by the time I get back out there post lock down( #7 for regional Victoria)
Once I try these products, I will report back for your “edumication”.I don’t feel that bad about my use of the credit card now. My wife is ordering another box of Bremerton “Tamblyn”, an excellent blend form Langhorne Creek in S.A. , after listening to Dan Andrews this morning. Reading between the lines it will be at least two weeks before he considers ending lock down, possibly longer. We might need to order two boxes!
The distance balls will be good on wet greens as need extra flight and will still get plenty of stop. or if play slow greens where need putter “feel”.
Urethane balls are best for firm greens in summer months.
finally got work permit from a client so I was able to travel to site to do some training.
Really don’t know why I bothered, going to all the BS to get one not a police car in sight and the roads were full of cars ,many of them definitely 5km from home going some where.
lots of caravans on road as well.
word from my Client is end of September before we even get close to coming out and then with still BIG restrictions .We had 4 yachts cruising out in the harbour today. I guess that is about as socially distanced as you can get, but hardly exercise on a keel boat. I can’t see Dan releasing us form home detention any time soon.
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My new ( to me) TS2 27 hybrid should arrive any day now. It takes about a week for freight to arrive from Melbourne these days. A slow boat from China ought to be Aust. Post’s theme song. Not that I am allowed to go and hit the thing anyway. Way too dangerous. There was a spark of hope that the lock down for rural Victoria will be lifted on Thursday, but I expect some ridiculously non- science based restrictions will remain ( like wearing a mask outdoors/ playing golf/ by yourself).
Arccos data; I saw a You Tube video that was based on Arccos data showing how far we actually hit Driver. It was age based, with handicap levels. I apologize for not writing down all the age levels, but you can search for the video if you are less than 65 yo.
At 65 years of age; Scratch golfer (238 yards) , 15 handicap (202 yards) and 30 handicap ( 180 yards)
For a while my Arccos Caddie app has been telling me that I should be hitting Driver 207 M at my handicap ( was 12). In winter I was averaging 180 m carry an the occasional 195m shot. The app was rating my game as ” need distance” to get my Driver to match the rest of my game. Adding the age filter now, 202 yards ( 15 handicap) is roughly 180m, so I am not doing all that badly after all. The only time I have ever equaled the 215m ( 238 yd) drive was on a Riverland course with wind assist and hard fairways. It rolled forever down hill and measured 240m! It rolled into a tree I recall.
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The 27 degree hybrid TS2 arrived today. After unpacking it I hit it into the net using my launch monitor, set at 28 degrees. I got quite a few good strikes out of 5 with smash factor >1.4. If it is accurate I should get around 139m total distance. That is too long. I want it to go about 130-135, so I have set it at 29 flat and will re- test it once my Pa duty is over this morning.
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I retested the Hybrid set at 29 flat. It seems easy to hit and I was getting smash factor 1.4> on all shots. total distance was around 130m. With any luck, Dan will release us from house arrest this week. “Spring is here, the grass is riz, I wonder where the golf course is?”
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