John_Findlay
Tour Winner
A wee story relating how two addicts who have never met, but who have a common love of the game, get together for a game prior to the "GM Forum Users Golf Society" outing.
The players; Madandra and myself
The venue: Craigielaw G.C., East Lothian, Scotland (my home turf)
The weather; Well there were blue skies but last night's standing water was frozen solid so sun cream was not required!
The prize; Substantial (bragging rights until the return match chez Madandra)
It's the coldest day of the year and 2 addicts arrange to play together for the first time. Never having met, it's either a case of wearing pink carnations in the clubhouse to identify ourselves or checking out our swings on YouTube. Fortunately, the latter prevails. In any event I feel as if I know Madandra already when he arrives. We've had a laugh and a rant with the best of you. Handshakes, coffees, stories and the layering of winter woollies follow.
And so to business;-
It's matchplay, no strokes ("He's a confident man" I think to myself) and we're off. It's a tricky but driveable par 4 to start and I'm remembering those booming drives on YouTube with Cheryl Tweedie in hand. The first tee nerves are kicking in but are soon settled with a sweet drive to position A just short of the green resulting in a solid par. Madandra lets loose with his driver and it's a long one but is left with a dodgy lie in the rough so it's 1 up.
Another solid par on the 2nd for me and it's soon 2 up but it's back to 1 after the 3rd with a lost ball from me. The 4th is halved in bogies after a 3 putt from me but Madandra tells me he "only ever warms up after 4 or 5 holes" so this could be a tight one.
Needless to say, his next drive is a boomer, straight down the middle. Best of the day and a lovely sand wedge follows which threatens for birdie. I'm down for another par...but get let off the hook with a 3 putt from close range! It's 2 up again.
Madandra possesses a fine short game and a lovely lob shot on the next is good enough for a par and a win but I win the next with a par after another 3 putt from close range from M. But the 8th and 9th are lost with solid play from my opponent and it's all square at the turn. Heavens.
The chat is good and we're on the golf course. What more could a man ask for?
The 10th is a par 3 and I point out a well known football manager's house beside the course on the right. It's M' s honour and obviously wanting a closer peek at said house.... proceeds to shank one over his garden! I have him, I have him.
But no. The ball is safe, I have a blob with a lost ball and the ignominity of going 1 down to a guy who shanks
madandra
But resolve (and another 3 putt from M) means it's all square after 12.
M is letting me off the hook with his "C game" off the tee and it's time to steady the ship. So a run of 3 pars takes it to dormie 3 ........and a final solid par on 16 seals the deal 4 & 2 for me.
It's bragging rights for me ...until the return match.... when I'm hoping M and I are both on our A game (in which case my drives will be 20-30 yards behind him!!)
Great day. New friend. And I can't wait for the GM Forum golf day. If it's half as much fun then it's beers all round.
P.S. We didn't talk about any of you....much And Madandra made me write this! He's bigger than me...so who's to argue? I'm also pretty sure that Cheryl Tweedie will be out of his bag by then. She sounds like Quasimodo hitiing his bells with a shovel! (Spear & Jackson, of course)
The players; Madandra and myself
The venue: Craigielaw G.C., East Lothian, Scotland (my home turf)
The weather; Well there were blue skies but last night's standing water was frozen solid so sun cream was not required!
The prize; Substantial (bragging rights until the return match chez Madandra)
It's the coldest day of the year and 2 addicts arrange to play together for the first time. Never having met, it's either a case of wearing pink carnations in the clubhouse to identify ourselves or checking out our swings on YouTube. Fortunately, the latter prevails. In any event I feel as if I know Madandra already when he arrives. We've had a laugh and a rant with the best of you. Handshakes, coffees, stories and the layering of winter woollies follow.
And so to business;-
It's matchplay, no strokes ("He's a confident man" I think to myself) and we're off. It's a tricky but driveable par 4 to start and I'm remembering those booming drives on YouTube with Cheryl Tweedie in hand. The first tee nerves are kicking in but are soon settled with a sweet drive to position A just short of the green resulting in a solid par. Madandra lets loose with his driver and it's a long one but is left with a dodgy lie in the rough so it's 1 up.
Another solid par on the 2nd for me and it's soon 2 up but it's back to 1 after the 3rd with a lost ball from me. The 4th is halved in bogies after a 3 putt from me but Madandra tells me he "only ever warms up after 4 or 5 holes" so this could be a tight one.
Needless to say, his next drive is a boomer, straight down the middle. Best of the day and a lovely sand wedge follows which threatens for birdie. I'm down for another par...but get let off the hook with a 3 putt from close range! It's 2 up again.
Madandra possesses a fine short game and a lovely lob shot on the next is good enough for a par and a win but I win the next with a par after another 3 putt from close range from M. But the 8th and 9th are lost with solid play from my opponent and it's all square at the turn. Heavens.
The chat is good and we're on the golf course. What more could a man ask for?
The 10th is a par 3 and I point out a well known football manager's house beside the course on the right. It's M' s honour and obviously wanting a closer peek at said house.... proceeds to shank one over his garden! I have him, I have him.
But no. The ball is safe, I have a blob with a lost ball and the ignominity of going 1 down to a guy who shanks
madandraBut resolve (and another 3 putt from M) means it's all square after 12.
M is letting me off the hook with his "C game" off the tee and it's time to steady the ship. So a run of 3 pars takes it to dormie 3 ........and a final solid par on 16 seals the deal 4 & 2 for me.
It's bragging rights for me ...until the return match.... when I'm hoping M and I are both on our A game (in which case my drives will be 20-30 yards behind him!!)
Great day. New friend. And I can't wait for the GM Forum golf day. If it's half as much fun then it's beers all round.
P.S. We didn't talk about any of you....much And Madandra made me write this! He's bigger than me...so who's to argue? I'm also pretty sure that Cheryl Tweedie will be out of his bag by then. She sounds like Quasimodo hitiing his bells with a shovel! (Spear & Jackson, of course)
