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I did play at Stawell on Thursday. It was a lovely day on a well prepared 18 hole course ( all volunteer labour). The greens were the best I have seen in ages. They ran true and fast. Green fees $30.
I played today at Halls Gap 9 hole course. Again it is a all volunteer labour. Despite being adjacent to the Grampian hills, it is a flat course. It has a few trees to dodge , but they use bracken fern as a hazard. It reminds me of Pt. Fairy’s course use of Mirram grass as a trap for inaccurate shots. The fairways were wide and forgiving , so you have to be a long way off course to lose a ball, or decide to play with the snakes if you look for it. I used el cheapo Inesis Distance balls $1.50 each, so I wasn’t going to play with the Tigers. The scenery is stunning with a mountain range about 500 m from the course. It was drizzling and blowing a bit for the first few holes, then it cleared.
I hit a 43 ( 3 pars, 5 bogeys, 1 double bogey.
Two Steps
1) I wasn’t climbing the mountains like the rest of my group. It will be cold and wet up there.
2) I putted really well using a grip change I saw on You Tube this morning ( Steve Johnstone). Promising! The greens were soft and slower, but my long putts were close and stayed on line.One Step back?
1) I have to aim my tee shots a little further centred, if there are trees on the right side close to the tee box. I hit the trees while attempting a draw shot in the last two games. I am getting better with Driver shot direction control though.I was using my wife’s clubs again. I was fooling around with the chipper close to the green. It worked better this time. I even tried a full 65 wedge shoot from 42 m out. Perhaps that it why it started to rain again. Man that shot was high! I love the Cleveland HB Launcher irons; so easy to hit! I saw that TXG channel on You Tube agrees with me on that score.
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Our last day of holiday in Halls Gap , before we return home for 3.5 weeks of 5 days per week babysitting grand kids.
We went MTB riding in the local forest areas this morning, dodging roos and deer.I went to the local course for another 9 holes after lunch. I had it all to myself.
I started out with a birdie on hole 1. Not a bad tee shot, then a ripper 7 iron to about 1 m from the hole and 1 putt. I felt confident with the 7 iron, mainly because it feels like my SL irons and I know it goes 130m. I was hitting into the wind and wanted 124m to the middle of the green. Knowing the course now, I had an easier time with club selection and avoiding hazards. I found out that I hit the 14 degree mini driver off the turf ( fade)the same distance as the 5 Wood draw ( trivia I know). I hit most fairways, except for the hole that I hit the trees with a draw attempt yesterday. Today I tried a fade and hit the trees on the left side instead. It is narrow near the tee box. The fairways were less wet , but still not much roll. The greens were still soft and slow. I did improve my putting using the new grip (I look like Bryson) but I was still short a few times ( two three putts)41 OTS. I birdie, 3 pars and 5 bogeys.
Two steps
1) better off the tee confidence wise
2) Better putting line controlOne step back?
1) I did try the 65 wedge again today, but it was a disaster. For me it will need a lot of practice. I think I will pack my SL wedges next time. The 65 is a one trick pony for getting out of bunkers IMO.When I said I look like Bryson, I meant his putting stroke only.
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Baby sitting duties over for the day and the sun was shining , so I slipped out to do some practice.
9 holes and I hit some good tee shots, and practiced some LW short sided type shots, the putting stoke seemed to be an improvement and my iron approach shots were on target. I almost birdied the 8th par 3 and birdied the par 4 9th.
Next game on Thursday morning. Let’s see if I can perform slightly better?
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That is more like it. Today the rain was only light and SE wind about 10-20KPH.
I hit an 83 OTS/ 40 points. The front 9 was pretty good, with 38 strokes ( 1 birdie,5 pars, 3 bogeys), but I had a slump on the back 9 holes when I missed four tee shots ( 2 doubles, 5 bogeys and 2 pars) 45 strokes.
Two steps forward
More TSIP ( on the front 9 anyway) and one Drive went 228m.
Better lines with the putts/ small misses/ good chipping close to the hole,One Step back
I rolled 4 putts up to the hole and they failed to drop ( too soft)I was thinking about the errors in yesterday’s game.
What can I do to minimize the errors?
I think with my putting I need to stop visualizing the ball to hole distance and add another 15 cm-30 cm.
With the Tee shots, when I start pulling them left, then I could have changed to a different set up to hit them straight or a slight
I mishit two 4W shots when the ball was above my feet. My usual ” rule” is it needs to be a near perfect lie before I try the 4W, or even the 7W. I usually would us my SL 19 hybrid, but I wanted to get to the dogleg corner for my next shot.
The iron approach shots worked well, with only one pulled left 5 metres. That is an improvement. Overall my approach game from 80-160m out worked better.
I think the best part of the game was that I scored much better than I have for months and yet there were still shots that could have been better; room for improvement.What a difference in 12 hours. Yesterday the course was in the best condition we have seen for months. The previously soggy fairways and unpredictable green verge areas were firmer and the ball was running. Last night’ s storm dumped about 50 mm of rain on Portland and there are sheets of water everywhere on the course.
I went out for a practice hit with my son-in-law this morning, along with his two year old son, my co-driver. Koa likes to push the go button on the cart. He prefers the ” Bombs Away” position as his older brother calls it. I had to do a bit of deft braking and call for the” stop “position ( foot off the throttle).
I practiced the lag putting with the target behind the flag and it seemed to work, getting closer to the hole. Tee shots were still a bit all over the place. I seem to do left and right quite well. It is centre that eludes me!
I am down to play with the club champ tomorrow, plus my son-in-law ( plays off 6) and another higher handicapper. It will be interesting!
It was wet and windy. How unusual! We hit off at 8 a.m. and it stopped showering about 2 hours later when the sun came out.
I played bogey golf for most of the game. Most TSIP worked, a few went astray, but mostly I had a reasonable second shot.
Approach shots were fairly good length wise , but I missed most of the greens. Chipping was good. Lag putting was good once I worked out the speed of the greens ( slow) , but once again my speed control on the shorter putts let me down badly. I missed several from 2 m or less. In my defence, so did the club champ!91 OTS/ 32 points.
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I started well in today’s game scoring 3 pars in a row. Then I pulled a tee shot into the left trees on the fourth. I chipped out, but my third shot went through into the soft pine litter. I thinned my chip out and then had along putt downhill ( double score). I got back on track until the par 3 eighth when I pulled my 8i tee shot into the bunker. I used my 3H to run the ball out of the bunker, but I over did it a tad. Another double! Front 9 6 pars, 1 bogey and two double bogeys. OTS 41/ 20 points.
I started the back nine with two bogeys. Then I was distracted while hit the the shot on hole 12. The resultant shot was a high toe slice OOB. I haven’t done one of those for ages. Two penalty stokes = triple bogey. I pulled my tee shot on 13th left into the trees, but recovered to score a bogey 6. On 16 I pulled the tee shot just short of the dam, but got back into play. My 4th approach shot with a 7i went pin high , but pulled left. I was chipping on to the green when the ball struck an object in the grass and stopped dead. In the end a disappointing triple bogey.
Back none score 49/ 13 points.
I hit 5/14 fairways
hit 6/18 GIR
3/11 up and downs
35 putts.I played stroke at Heywood this morning with my son-in-law, his father and Adriano.
The weather felt a bit like Queensland. Warm ( for here) and light wind, possibly a bit humid. It was overcast and later it did rain a bit. The fairways are still soggy in places and around the greens, bounce and roll is a bit unpredictable still.I hit only 2 GIR and had two up and downs. I did hit 10/14 fairways, but had two roll into the notorious Heywood rough and were unplayable. 32 putts was better. I just made some dumb decision and mishit a few shots off the fairways.
One birdie, 5 pars, 5 doubles , 7 bogeys. 91 OTS. -15 handicap = 76.
Two steps
1) Tee shots in play much improved. I tried to aim down the right side and draw it back to the centre. I few were almost as long as Justin’s and Adriano’s shots ( 10 m shorter). The few fade shots I hit worked too.
2) Putting and chipping were a lot better.One Step
1) I think inattention and tiredness at the end of the game contributed to the two 7 scores on 17 and 18. I found the pace of the game to be slow. We spent a lot of time looking for lost balls.It was Vets day at Casterton golf club today. We had the AGM prior to the game. I was relieved when we had a volunteer for the Treasurer’s role.
I was playing off 14. I hit 7/14 fairways; 4 /18 GIR, two up and downs, 35 putts, average approach distance was 104 m.
I birdie, 4 pars, 7 bogeys and 6 doubles. 93 OTS and 31 pointsTwo steps forward
1) I struck my driver well
2) chipping was pretty goodOne Step back
1) Aim with tee shots was off. I hit them well, but into the trees= 6 doubles. I pulled my iron shots a lot too.I had time to do an analysis of yesterday’s game. What else do you do when the 2 year old is sleeping?
Problems that cost me shots
1. Pulled iron shots ( 2) . I have to alter my swing path a little more in to out to fix this and finish high/ not swing around my body. I had it sorted by the end of the game.
2. Tee shots that faded too much (2) . I need to adjust my starting line more left/ or slightly strengthen my grip to make it a straight left shot/ tight baby draw.
3. Tee shots that failed to return to centre/ right of centre. (5) I think I was trying too hard and my wrists tightened up= push shots.
4. Fades with FW woods and hybrids that started too right (hit trees) ( 2). Aim more left and trust it will fade.
5. Club selection (2) I used a 60 degree in a poor lie with tall- ish grass and lost about 20 m distance (found the bunker though) , Then I measured the distance for layup to a tree to give a good angle into the green. I hit the ball to under the tree ( no aerial shot possible) . I should have allowed for 10 m less.
6. 3 putting once
7. mishit irons ( 2) thin . One went into a bunker, the other into a water filled drain!A learning experience.
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Baby sitting finished for the day, so I went out for 9 holes at 4 p.m.
I tried hitting the tee shots on the tighter tree lined holes with a slightly less strong grip and an out to in swing plane. It resulted in a straight shot that went slightly left of centre. I placed it well on holes 1, 2 , 3 , 4 ( hate that hole) and 5. I turned it over too much on 6 and ended up in the left trees. I have been playing that hole with a tight draw with some success, so I think I will keep doing that. On hole 7 there isn’t much out right side , so it invites a big draw shot to catch the tail wind, I have to aim my swing inside the line of big pines to avoid ending up in the pines , or just underneath their canopy. I got onto it today and gains 30 m ( wind assist?). I hit a fade 7W at the green and the found the green about 5 m short of the pin . That was S.O.D. (shot of the day) ! I missed the Eagle putt, of course, but not by much. That is my first ever Eagle putt chance on that hole. I finished with a par on holes 8 and 9.
Up until hole 5, I was stuck behind a couple of slow guys, so I hit two balls and practiced chipping and putting while I waited for them to get ahead. The bunkers have dried out a bit ( not rock hard sand anymore) so I did a few shots out of the bunkers. It is so tempting to be too “finessey” when the pin is close to the bunker. I found that I was better off hitting it by the pin and putting back, rather than trying for a shot soft and failing to achieve priority #1 ( get out of the F—— bunker)
No golf tomorrow. Baby sitting an online funeral to attend. My step mother-in-law passed away .
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Despite the terrible weather I went for a 9 hole practice session with a friend. I was keen to get him out of the house. His wife passed away last week.
Maybe I have turned a corner. Usually Arccos tell me I suck off the tee due to distance, or lack thereof. Today I missed only 1/9 fairways and hit three drives over 200 m. Marcus Edblad has helped me a lot.
My approach shots 100-150 m were the part of my game that let me down today. When I hit a GIR I am closer than an 8 handicap player, but other wise I am 6 m further out than a 8 handicap player. I two putted every hole today, but the short ones I selected a small target and it worked.We played 7 holes on Sunday arvo before the weather got even worse. I started with a par, but it got nasty wind wise and it was harder to score. The shot of the day was on hole 7 ( par 5) where my tee shot clipped a pine tree and fell short ( around 180m) . My next shot was a low piercing 4W hit that went 204 m!!! Wow. That is roughly 30 m longer than usual. It got a lot of run.
What a difference in the weather away from the coast. It was 27 degrees and bloody windy while we travelled to the north east of Victoria. We camped at Waranga Basin last night, part of the regions irrigation scheme..I was hopping to play at Rushworth’s course, but the grass looked pretty dead.
Today I played 18 holes at Bright. The course was in great condition. The greens felt quick to me, but locals told me that they are fasted as summer progresses. The fairways were firm and the air thinner than I am used to, so the balls went further. I managed a birdie on the 9th hole par 5, s few pars and mostly bogies. The concave greens with fast pace made putting a lottery at the start.
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