Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Went and played at Bearwood Lakes (near Reading) yesterday for the first time with a good mate of mine courtesy of another forum member. I had heard (and read) how good this course is and was really looking forward to it. I can honestly say, this course if absolutely fantastic. Not a weak hole in the 18, and set amidst some of the most beautiful scenery you will experience. My mate and I got there a little earlier than intended, and sitting in the clubhouse overlooking the course we couldn't wait to get out and take it on.
Our host (Paul) arrived shortly afterwards and introduced us to his brother Dave, who has also just joined Bearwoods and plays off 9. A really nice guy, and hits the ball beautifully. We decided on a fourball betterball match with me and my mate Norman taking on the two members. Paul plays off 13, I am off 12 and my mate is also off 9 so handicap wise it looked like a great game was on the cards....and what a game it turned out to be.
Norman and I went 2 down after about 6 holes, but managed to pull it back to 1 down at the turn. I was also keeping a Stableford score for all 4 of us, and for the first time in over 20 years of playing golf I witnessed all four players scoring exactly the same on the front 9...17 points!! How unusual is that??
We then teed off of the 10th, and after both Norman and I had cocked up from off the green on the 13th, we went 2 down with 5 to play. Next hole was a tough par 3 over a lake, which I managed to win for us with a birdie. 1 down, 4 to play. We halved the next hole and Norman and I won the 16th with solid pars, so now the match was all square, honours even over the two 9's so far. We then halved the 17th in straight pars, and the 18th hole beckoned with the game on a knife edge. I commented that it would be good for the game to have ended like that, as neither pair deserved to lose, it had been that good a game. But no, Norman had other ideas. After hitting his worst drive of the day he found himself in the rough down the left hand side but proceeded to hit his "shot of the day" a fantastic 3 wood out of the crap to end up some 12-15 feet from the pin. Paul was unfortunately out of this hole but his brother Dave was sitting pretty on the green for two so a half looked inevitable. I was also on the green for two but had a horrendously long putt uphill and could only manage a 5. Dave putted and made his 4. Norman stepped up to his ball, hit it and for a minute it looked like it had missed the hole but then somehow trickled in the "side door" for a fantastic birdie! So we won it on the last hole. A fantastic game, and a good inidication of how close it had been was checking the Stableford scores....Paul and Dave had scored 35 points each, Norman had 36 and me? 38 points with 21 on the back 9! 3 over gross playing off the whites....I was well chuffed.
Sorry about the long rambling post, but it was one of those days where everything was right...the course, the company, the golf. The kind of day where you don't want the round to end. You feel you want to play all day.
Bearwood Lakes is a fantastic course. If you have never played it before, I urge you to go and try it. It's definitely in my top 5 courses, and I've played some great ones over the years.
A massive "thank you" to Paul for inviting us, and to the pair of you for your great company on a truly remarkable day.
Rob
Our host (Paul) arrived shortly afterwards and introduced us to his brother Dave, who has also just joined Bearwoods and plays off 9. A really nice guy, and hits the ball beautifully. We decided on a fourball betterball match with me and my mate Norman taking on the two members. Paul plays off 13, I am off 12 and my mate is also off 9 so handicap wise it looked like a great game was on the cards....and what a game it turned out to be.
Norman and I went 2 down after about 6 holes, but managed to pull it back to 1 down at the turn. I was also keeping a Stableford score for all 4 of us, and for the first time in over 20 years of playing golf I witnessed all four players scoring exactly the same on the front 9...17 points!! How unusual is that??
We then teed off of the 10th, and after both Norman and I had cocked up from off the green on the 13th, we went 2 down with 5 to play. Next hole was a tough par 3 over a lake, which I managed to win for us with a birdie. 1 down, 4 to play. We halved the next hole and Norman and I won the 16th with solid pars, so now the match was all square, honours even over the two 9's so far. We then halved the 17th in straight pars, and the 18th hole beckoned with the game on a knife edge. I commented that it would be good for the game to have ended like that, as neither pair deserved to lose, it had been that good a game. But no, Norman had other ideas. After hitting his worst drive of the day he found himself in the rough down the left hand side but proceeded to hit his "shot of the day" a fantastic 3 wood out of the crap to end up some 12-15 feet from the pin. Paul was unfortunately out of this hole but his brother Dave was sitting pretty on the green for two so a half looked inevitable. I was also on the green for two but had a horrendously long putt uphill and could only manage a 5. Dave putted and made his 4. Norman stepped up to his ball, hit it and for a minute it looked like it had missed the hole but then somehow trickled in the "side door" for a fantastic birdie! So we won it on the last hole. A fantastic game, and a good inidication of how close it had been was checking the Stableford scores....Paul and Dave had scored 35 points each, Norman had 36 and me? 38 points with 21 on the back 9! 3 over gross playing off the whites....I was well chuffed.
Sorry about the long rambling post, but it was one of those days where everything was right...the course, the company, the golf. The kind of day where you don't want the round to end. You feel you want to play all day.
Bearwood Lakes is a fantastic course. If you have never played it before, I urge you to go and try it. It's definitely in my top 5 courses, and I've played some great ones over the years.
A massive "thank you" to Paul for inviting us, and to the pair of you for your great company on a truly remarkable day.
Rob
