The Nineteenth Hole

[stui magpie]

^Cool, ta for that. I'll worry about getting the fkn thing going straight before I worry about extra distance. At the moment, adding 20m to my drive would be just 20m further into the fkn trees.

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Golf last Friday was on the improve, played within myself without trying for the glory shots. Unfortunately had 3 unplayables which pushed my score out to 47.

Finished equal first with handicap in our comp but lost on a countback. At least he was a Pies supporter!!

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Golf is great again! Played very well on Friday arvo. Consecutive weeks I've finished second in our chicken run competition.

Although I hit a 45 again, it felt more like a 40 with a couple of duffed chips, a lost ball in the dam and 3-4 easy putts sliding past the hole. Driving was spot on, held back, rather trying to hit the cover off. I think I've found my game and it can only get better!!!!!

Looking fwd to next week.

[What'sinaname]

I think I've found my game and it can only get better!!!!!

Looking fwd to next week.

Congrats on dooming yourself to a 55+ for your next 9 holes.

[LaurieHolden]

Golf is great again! Played very well on Friday arvo. Consecutive weeks I've finished second in our chicken run competition.

Although I hit a 45 again, it felt more like a 40 with a couple of duffed chips, a lost ball in the dam and 3-4 easy putts sliding past the hole. Driving was spot on, held back, rather trying to hit the cover off. I think I've found my game and it can only get better!!!!!

Looking fwd to next week.

Were your duffed chips close to the green where you might have been able to putt them?
Another option to consider is grip down on a hybrid and use a putting stroke, that'll give you just enough loft to move it through the fringe onto the putting surface.
Practice these around the putting green. It's a great utility club to have and for me acts as a 15th club.

Course management is the other area I reckon most 20 handicappers can regularly cut 5 shots per round. Knowing where to hit to e.g. on a Par5 to make the third shot as easy as possible (unless you're a gorilla and going for it in two...)
An example is one of our regular but challenging Par 5's. I just hit a hybrid off the tee, as I know the maximum I'll hit that is 220m if I flush it, more regularly a nudge over 200m. My view is I can only hit the hybrid that far, so my next shot with a 5i I can make an effortless 165m but if needed, 175m. If I've got 365m out of those two clubs, it's going to be a PW or less down the throat of the green and no bunkers to hit over.
Since I've been doing that, I've avoided doubles, and now pars are expected.

Most Par 5's are between 450m-550m. If you even hit 2x 175m shots, you're likely then in a manageable PW to 8i distance to the green.
Not having to hit over bunkers is crucial. Hit it to the open side of the green. That way when you're looking at the green, you don't have to worry about the hazards.

I love golf.

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Yeah Laurie, the duffed shots were out of putting reach. I have been using a 4 iron with hands down the shaft to bump and run. It has been working well until last Friday. I do have a chipper in my bag but lost confidence with it when I tried to make it do too much.

Since I've got back into the game after 15 years, I've had to change my whole game. Course management had never entered my mind, back then as 250m drives was my strength. Now I'm older the distances have reduced somewhat and am happy to set up off the tee for my second shot. My new strength is my hybrid 4 which is a ripper and hits a beautiful 130-160m with a slight L to R fade.

As we speak, I have a Ping 31degree hybrid in the post. I suppose it's equivalent to a hybrid 7. Can't wait for it to arrive as it will fill a gap in distances.

Yes, golf is great!!!

[LaurieHolden]

Yeah Laurie, the duffed shots were out of putting reach. I have been using a 4 iron with hands down the shaft to bump and run. It has been working well until last Friday. I do have a chipper in my bag but lost confidence with it when I tried to make it do too much.

Since I've got back into the game after 15 years, I've had to change my whole game. Course management had never entered my mind, back then as 250m drives was my strength. Now I'm older the distances have reduced somewhat and am happy to set up off the tee for my second shot. My new strength is my hybrid 4 which is a ripper and hits a beautiful 130-160m with a slight L to R fade.

As we speak, I have a Ping 31degree hybrid in the post. I suppose it's equivalent to a hybrid 7. Can't wait for it to arrive as it will fill a gap in distances.

Yes, golf is great!!!

New club, I understand the sense of anticipation in wielding that out on the course.

Another tip I find helps is use the Don Bradman rule. If you don't need to get it in the air, avoid it. My old golf coach was big on this.
Lofted clubs are precision clubs. If you path to the green is open, consider a pitch with less loft to get your ball rolling to the intended target. But really think about where you're going to land the ball on the surface, plays a big part on where you'll be putting from next.
Theory being, if you start to get the ball consistently closer on those approach shots, the less putts required.
Most golfers hit shots to the pin, where more time needs to be spent on thinking how the ball will release once it hits the deck.

I've been out of playing for too long and coming back my driving is pretty rough. I'm all out of sequence and trying to hit it like I'm 35 y/o again. I need to heed your approach per previous post and stop trying to hit the cover off it...

[stui magpie]

Trying to slow down is easier said than done. I start with good intentions to do that and end up just smacking it.

Played 9 holes today at Strathallan in Bundoora. Never played there before, it's a 9 hole course really, no par 5's, but each hole has 2 different tee areas so you can play 18.

Got the driver going 3 out of the 5 times I used it. Totally ignored lauries advice about keeping it low. One par 4 had a fkn tree in the middle of the fairway about 150m from the tee. I thought about laying up but thought "If I flush the driver I can go right over that" and I did. Another one also had a tree about 60m in front of the tee, I played a 2 iron off the tee which I duffed but still got me a clear second shot.

Hilly course and has a few blind holes so having not played there before and with no course map on the scorecard it was just hit and hope.

Best hole was a par 4 that should have been a birdie. Flushed the drive, second was a 130m 7 iron shot over another fkn tree that landed on the green, plugged and ended up 2 inches from the divot.

Overall shot 49, first time I've broken 50. I think I'll play there more often, 1:30pm tee off it was almost deserted which I loved. If I keep the driver working and tidy up the short irons which were a bit erratic I could shve 5 shots off that easy.

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Enjoying golf now like it should be. Last Friday I won the 'Chicken Run' with minus 11, hit a 47 off the stick. Nice big 2kg chook that went on the Weber Sunday night.

Also played Tuesday and Wednesday hitting a 48 and 46. Yesterdays Chook run Comp. was played in a very strong wind straight off Bass Strait. Object of the day was to keep the ball low without glory shots. Finished with a 44, which I was stoked with. Putting was great, 6 - 1 putts and 3 - 2 putts. Sorted my driving out over last week. Finished equal =3rd in a field of 20.

The hcp system I should explain. New competitors start with a 9 hcp. Every week your hcp increases by 1. The week I won, my hcp was 58, (I played 49 Fridays) so hitting a 47, I finished with a minus 11. (Winner winner chicken dinner). Now after a victory your hcp drops by 6, so this week it was 52. Next week my hcp will be 53.

[stui magpie]

Nice sunny day, first game of golf since May. Went back to Strathallan, started off like a busted arse. Sliced first tee shot right across the beside fairway. 2nd shot was the hybrid 3 which I flushed straight over trees and looked like it settled on the green, but when I got there, I couldn't find it anywhere. That pretty much was the tone for the day but I had my mood settled and enjoyed myself, particularly once I let the sprinters behind me play through. I can't cope being rushed.

Got the driver working after that, tried standing a little closer to the ball and it worked, no hook or slice, just straight. Aiming still needs work.

Lost 6 balls and have NFI how. I saw where they went but when I got there, they weren't.

Overall, erratic and inconsistent, but I had fun and didn't get stressed or beat myself up.