First ever medal tomorrow

In competitions sometimes you can get held up a bit and have people right up your behind as well, dont feel pressured into rushing, take your time, dont stand there for 5 minutes with a club in your hand, find a way to relax inbetween shots and then when you can take your shot get in the right frame of mind.
 
Well that was an experience - enjoyable in the end but how about this for a start...

Nervous as hell on the first tee and told the guys I was playing with it was first time etc (a 12 and 14 hcap).

The guy off 12 hit his drive slightly right but as is usual on this hole the ball came down not quite onto the fairway but visible from the tee. Other guy was straight down the middle.

I'm afraid I ignored the advice above and took driver as its about the only club I've hit well off the tee for sometime and I would guess I've hit this fairway 13 out the last 15 times I've played it.

Drive looked good but then moved slightly right about the same place as the other guys but none of us saw it come down. We ALWAYS find the ones which go this way but I thought I'd better play a provisional. Not quite sure what happened swing wise but this one went wildly left and hit the post which holds the net up - no idea where it went but nevermind I'll find the first one anyway....or so I thought.

After a few minutes looking for it I ran back to the tee with another ball in my pocket and now with the next 2 groups waiting to go out. Was told to take my time, deep breaths etc but then had a rush of blood and blasted it way right.

No balls left in my pocket but luckily one of the waiting group produced a ball "is this yours - it was in the carpark:o"? Thankfully that went down the middleish. So 7 off the tee - walked off with a 12. Not a great start to medal golf!

Calmed down by about the 4th and enjoyed the rest of the round - probably helped by the knowledge that it would be virtually impossible to card a good score. Had 2 more bad holes (not as bad) and scored worst round for sometime - 107.

Thanks for the advice - I did heed most of it and it definitely helped.

Going to try and play in a couple of midweek medals before the next monthly medal to get used to it.
 
Good luck Wookie.
Your playing partners will probably help you relax if you tell them it is your first medal.

You are not allowed to ask for advice so if your partner hits a good shot onto the green you are not allowed to say thinks like 'what did you hit there'. Same on the greens ' do you think this putt will move left'.

You will be tense so you will probably grip tighter and swing quickly so to grip lightly and swing slower will make you play at normal tempo.
 
:rofl::rofl::rofl:

opps sorry, couldn't resist, shame it did not go better.
Now you can learn from it.
First tee nerves are a killer and will improve the more you play.

Try and remember that although a 12 is recorded, it will be 'stableford' adjusted in the background to doublebogey so not as bad as it seems and you can still salvage the round (make buffer etc).......although wont win any medals. its a good nerve settler if you remember it.
 
sorry to hear your woes its happen to most of us at some point in time i had similar in first comp at new club and i have been on and off playing comps for over 20 years!

use the expierience and move on it will make the next time much easier and a 12 with 7 off the tee solid 5 really other than the nerves taking over.
 
Haha I enjoyed reading that.

Thats the beauty of a medal.

Kind of glad we used to play them alot when I was a junior, couldn't have handled it as an adult for the first time.

The card, the thoughts, the swing etc. etc. etc. is all swirling around in your head if you haven't played one before.

Good on you for sticking it out, lots would have run away!

You will steadily learn how to approach medal golf as it is completely different to stableford and a completely different mindset.

You also have a target to beat now! Sort the first hole out and you will be coming in under 100!!

Ash!!
 
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