End of Year Report.

[Lord Tyrion]

A bit like @LincolnShep above I've played a lot of away days, Opens and with friends. That has made for a very enjoyable and variable year. Highlight has to be a trip to Gleneagles with my son where even torrential rain could not spoil the enjoyment.

In terms of my actual golf it has confirmed the patchy nature of my game. I had a hot streak in the middle of the year where I was nicely in control, short game on fire, h/c came down. For no apparent reason, apart from lack of talent of course, that streak ended and the scores went up. Annoying and disappointing but I don't practice so should not be surprised by this. I know what I need to do to get better, not good, just better than I already am, but whether I am prepared to put the time in is another thing.

So, summing up. I have had a very pleasant year playing a lot of very sociable golf with very nice people and I am looking forward hugely to the next one and more of the same please.

 

[Tashyboy]

Been an odd year indeed. With the COVID it has been good to get out with pals. That side I have appreciated a lot more. But re my golf itself it has been rammel. At times it just feels like I have been going through the motions.

 

[evemccc]

First full year back playing golf, loved it, every minute and have met some great new buddies along the way.

Shot a lifetime PB gross 78 (6 over) at Silloth, in a comp, off the white tees and in torrid conditions. Oh and won that competition ? Also won an open competition playing away.

Finished the season with a h/cap index of 11.5 only to get an email from the club saying they’ve carried out the annual handicap review and have added another full shot on to mine, so 12.5 ? Which baffles me a little as I’ve won 2 comps with a nett 61 and 62.
View attachment 40075

That’s great scoring at Silloth in bad conditions

Incidentally, what were you mostly hitting off the tee for the non-par 3 holes?

 

[Boomy]

That’s great scoring at Silloth in bad conditions

Incidentally, what were you mostly hitting off the tee for the non-par 3 holes?

Thank you ? It was a torrid day, with a swirling wind and driving rain at times. Nearly aced the par 3 16th, ball ran up the green, straight at the pin, hit it and bounced a couple of feet off - made the 2 though ?

Into the wind driver off the tee, with the wind a 2 iron, but mostly driver.

 

[Boomy]

Nearly spat my coffee all over myself reading about your extra shot back....

Love WHS ??

No wonder I'm uncompetitive ?

On a serious note, great playing on what is not an easy golf course (for some of us ?).

Thank you Ian ? I nearly spat my coffee out when I received the email tbh… I was expecting a shot off. I’ve worked hard all year to get my index down, constantly putting cards in between competitions (and was chuft to end on 11.5 with only playing back for 12 months) so am actually disappointed that they’ve added a shot on.

Targeting well into single figures for next year ???

 

[Boomy]

That’s great scoring at Silloth in bad conditions

Incidentally, what were you mostly hitting off the tee for the non-par 3 holes?

The card ? Starting with a double on the first wasn’t indicative of a PB round ahead…. ? Shot 78, nett 62

 

[nickjdavis]

No wonder i couldn't find one..I only went back to October

You even contributed to that thread!

 

[Imurg]

You even contributed to that thread!

I can't remember what was going on last week, let alone 3 1/2 months ago...

 

[Tashyboy]

The card ? Starting with a double on the first wasn’t indicative of a PB round ahead…. ? Shot 78, nett 62
View attachment 40080
View attachment 40081

Excellent scoring on the par threes ?

 

[sweaty sock]

Probably the least enjoyable year for me, played ok in patches, handicap changed to lowest ever at the start of whs, and has been maintained despite desperate golf.

No wins, no really notable rounds all year, currently in the middle of the longest run in 6 years of not touching a club.

I did achieve all of my lifelong goals this year which makes it even more of a strange downer?!

Not sure what 2022 will bring... I'd imagine a significant lift, hopefully in attitude too!

 

[evemccc]

The card ? Starting with a double on the first wasn’t indicative of a PB round ahead…. ? Shot 78, nett 62
View attachment 40080
View attachment 40081

Third hole at Silloth one of my favourites anywhere

 

[Rlburnside]

No, flat as pancakes. First medal for years and included putts from off the green and only missed about four greens. Not touched the putter or a scorecard since

Oh well at least there’s room for improvement ?

 

[Boomy]

Third hole at Silloth one of my favourites anywhere

Third hole = my (on average) worst scoring hole ? I’m overjoyed to come of there with a par ?

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Third hole at Silloth one of my favourites anywhere

Couldn't agree more.

Great driving hole, full commitment needed knowing left is dead but more room to the right of the marker post than you think.

2nd shot into the wind is all about clubbing, dune behind the green makes you think its not too windy until you see the ball stalling, spinning off the front of the green and rolling back down the hill.

4th hole is another fantastic hole playing with the wind coming from a different direction. Whichever of the two is playing with the wind the other is going to be difficult. Missing the green on 4 is never a good idea, you could be going from one side to the other for a while....

 

[Voyager EMH]

Joined forum.
Thanks to that and @Crow, took up Vintage Golf.

Bought loads of old bats, balls and bags.

Started year 4.3 - got to 2.3 - best two scores of year disappeared from last 20 - now 3.0. (Current best score is 3 over par, but 3 of them that give 1.9 differential each)

Hardly ever played more than twice in one week. Only 5 courses away from home club.
Won a weekday stableford and a few lowest gross prizes in board comps. Loads of pro-shop credit in twos sweeps.
Won our seniors betterball comp and, as a result, will represent the club in county seniors foursomes KO next year.

Have met a few forumers and hope to meet more next year. You have been warned!

 

[AmandaJR]

Noooo! I’m not liking that post! Hope you keep it going and get your mojo back!

Thanks Karen. I'll keep plugging (another pun!) away and hope for some renewed enthusiasm. Hope you're well and had a stellar 2021

Edit - you did!! Awesome work!

 

[Imurg]

Yeah, I had an ok year....

Won club championship
Played every match as my club won the local scratch league
Won a national championship
Represented my country at senior home internationals
Got handicap down to scratch

Ok ok BEST YEAR EVER!!!

Hmm now I have to follow it next year...

Everyone likes a smartarse Kaz????

 

[nickjdavis]

In the "other thread", I reported on Sept 10th....

"Been good so far.....index has dropped from 11.3 to 8.3 since the start of the year so it was nice to see the improvement that started in the summer of 2020 has been capitalised upon and improved further."

I can report that in the subsequent months the index dropped further to 7.6....though I do have 3 very good scores to drop off in the next 4 rounds so I can expect my index to creep back up during January and February but perhaps this is not to be unexpected.

Finally got a settled bag after 18 months of revision, which started back in July 2020 with me dumping a set of Mizuno JPX919 irons that I'd been custom fit for 8 months earlier and reverting back to a set of Callaway Apex's, and culminated in a Miura Giken putter to replace the Gauge Design, that I'd had for 15 years, but lost after leaving it on the roof of the car and driving off from the car park back in June 2020 (none of the putters purchased in the intervening 18 months were "lovable").

Resigned my position on the committee earlier this year, so will give up formal duties effective the end of this month.....they've had 9 years of my time in this particular "stint" so 2022 will be a chance for me to enjoy my golf without too many concerns about "organising stuff".

 

[SurreyGolfer]

So this I guess is 'season one' for me after going for an impromptu round in May

Positives
- Loving the sport and it is definitely going to become my non-work/Dad commitment
- Have met some lovely people, seen some great courses (Brancepeth a particular favourite)
- I have a handicap! hooray!
- I *am* improving, scores *are* coming down, albeit not at the rate I was anticipating, I can now hit hybrids (hurrah), I know my course management is improving....

Negatives
- Either golf is f*cking hard or I'm not a natural, probably both. Ending the year on 31.2 by the looks of things. I thought I'd improve a lot quicker than this......maybe I had delusions of grandeur but I genuinely thought I'd be off ~20 by this point. I'm not and the stats don't lie, so I guess I just need to keep plugging away and bedding in some lessons.
- Still waiting for my irons to arrive, hoping the fact they are custom fit will help shave a shot or so off and help with the backache! Who knows
- On the waiting list at my local club for the foreseeable, would join tomorrow if there was space!

Next Year
- Learn how to hit a 3 wood, possibly a driver depending on how things go (and budget)
- Continue to spend a lot of time on my pitching and chipping, it's gone a little backwards as the year has ended so definitely a focus area
- Pluck up the courage to enter a roll-up at my local club, and by extension play off of the white tees at least once!

 

[HarrogateHacker]

Enjoyed the year, got more involved at my club and was voted into the Board which has been enjoyable. My golf has been poor, but I’ve still enjoyed the expertise and seeing friends. I have decided to fix my game with lessons and practice - turning a corner now and am generally back to handicap, hopefully next year will be decent and might get back to dropping some shots.