First ever comp in the morning....any tips?

[KeefG]

Well, after playing golf for 6 years and getting joined at another club, i'm playing my first EVER competition in the morning, a winter greensomes knockout with my brother as my partner.

I've got to be honest and say i'm absolutely terrified of letting my bro down, but I know if i play as well as i did last year I can tear the course apart (well, in hacker terms anyway)

Anyone have any tips on how I can keep myself calm that doesnt involve alcohol or drugs? lol

 

[Alex1975]

Relax and enjoy is the best advice!!

 

[jammydodger]

It's matchplay , there's no pressure in keeping score so just put all thoughts of a card out of your mind and take one shot at a time. Just believe you can play the shot and let it happen. Dont try anything you know you cant do and keep it simple.

Have a laugh with your bro and talk to your oppo's and relax into it , its only a game of golf and you dont even have to hit all the shots

 

[Crow]

Get rid of all your nerves and anxiety on the first tee, just SMASH the ball as hard and as far as you can.

(You can always take your brother's shot if you miss it!)

 

[drawboy]

Just take it as any other knock about. No need to change anything just get out there enjoy it and tear it up as usual.
Good luck.

 

[goldenbare]

If you wear what you did for your picture avatar it might put them off and give you an advantage!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Any news on the outcome?

 

[vig]

Keef, just hold the rubber end of the shiny stick, if you have it the other way around, it don't go very far.

When you coming for a knock around a former track. not in bad knick for this time of year

 

[KeefG]

Well, I arrived at 8:45am, due to tee of at 9:30am, went to the practice ground for a bit and was hitting the ball lovely....i mean really lovely, irons going straight, driver going fairly straight.

Got to the 1st tee, adressed my ball, heart was thumping, arse was twitching and i blocked it left into some trees about 10yds in front of me, played my bro's drive and shanked it into a bunker, my bro arsed his bunker shot up then i thinned it through the back of the green, the 1st was horrendous and our opponents must have ben laughing their heads off

We were 4 down through 4, we had to concede the 2nd as we played out of turn (schoolboy error) and I thought we wouldnt get past the tenth.

I played shocking until the 6th when, after electing to play my brothers drive, i hit an approach with a 7 iron from 140yds to about 2ft away, my bro duly tapped in to win our first hole, we got it back to 1 down through 9 with me holing from about 8ft for the win, we halved the only hole we gave them a shot on (11th) and then won the 12th to go AS, won the 14th to go 1up, lost the 15th to go back to AS and then won the 17th & 18th to win 2up.

My bro sunk a cracker from about 12ft for par when they had a 2ft for par (which they missed anyway lol) which if we'd missed and they hadnt meant we'd be back off down the 1st!!

Have to admit i loved every minute of it after the 5th, my nerves were shot to pieces and i really struggled to compose myself on every shot, but once i hit a few good shots and we won a few holes an i got some confidence it was a really enjoyable game. I really enjoyed alternate shot though, very tactical sense of the game!!

Round 2 here we come!!!

Vig - anytime you want fella, can easily get down most weekends for a knock, weekdays a bit tricky at the moment as work has gone through the roof

 

[jammydodger]

Well done Keef , boy that match sounds like one big roller coaster ride. 4 down after 4 and win 2 up , your oppos must have wondered what the sweet bejesus was happening.

Got to say though i've never come across a mens format of greensomes matchplay. I know its popular with mixed comps though

 

[KeefG]

I have to be honest, if the high handicapper of our opponents had any length to his game at all we'd have been toast.

My bro is off 12 and i'm off 19, our opponents were 13 & 23 but highest allowed handicap was 18, the 23 handicapper had absolutely no distance with anything, whereas the guy off 12 was very long off the tee, and pretty much every 2nd shot was by the guy off 23 and if memory serves he only hit 1 green in regulation.

If the guy off 12 had somebody to back his length up we'd have been dead and buried for sure

 

[USER1999]

We have two winter knock out comps. Greensomes and also foursomes. I don't think it is that unusual.

 

[Twire]

Well done Keef. I remember my first matchplay, I was 5 down after 6 and then won on the 19th. So I know how you feel, it's great once the nerves have gone.

Your loss of hole for playing out of turn confuses me, as I thought all your opponents were entitled to do, was ask you to play the shot again, but when it's your turn.

Edit..When you say out of turn, do you mean you played your brothers shot, or he played yours? Because I think that is loss of hole, but if it's because you weren't furthest away then I think it's as I mentioned.

 

[KeefG]

It's a par 5, both our drives were ok with my bro's being slightly longer, going for the green in 2 was out of the question so we agreed i'd lay up and he'd play the approach....stupidly we said we'd play my drive which meant he should've played the 2nd shot but I did and our opponents didnt approach us until we were putting on the green.

Schoolboy stuff, thats what 1/2 a litre of vodka the night before does to your brain i suppose lol

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I wouldn't worry about it mate. The lower guy obviously knew what his partner was like and you can only beat whats in front of you. At least in the next round you shouldn't be a nervous