I played today and..(Rolling) -originally created by JohnnyDee

Jamesbrown

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Played an Open at Handsworth Golf Club today, a course I've wanted to play for several years as it's one of the few Midlands courses that make it into Bernard Darwin's classic book, "The Golf Courses of the British Isles", first published in 1910.
The picture below shows the opening hole. It doesn't look too dissimilar now, although the tee has moved back slightly and to the right so that there's a token carry over the corner of the pool.

Darwin describes the opening shot thus; "At the first there is a big pool on the right and a generous supply of bunkers on the left, so that the very first tee-shot has to be hit unpleasantly straight".
I've made a fool of myself on enough forum meets and the like that I don't worry about people watching, and my name and home club being announced over the speaker wasn't an issue.

Yet I still managed to hit the ground with my 3 wood about 6 inches behind the ball and send it towards the pool, I'd like to think it reached the pool but I fear it suffered the ignominy of only making it as far as the reeds.
Perhaps a case of too long and too much anticipation!

View attachment 37044

I scored a dismal 51 on the front nine and 39 on the back nine, but that doesn't include a hole NR'd as I lost a ball on the 11th.

In my group were two former members of Ullesthorpe GC, one of them a forumite, though he rarely posts now, @OnTour.

Handsworth lived up to the expectation and I really enjoyed the round, greens were running fast and true but had a lot of subtle breaks that I didn't see......
The Open price of £25 was a bargain and I recommend the course to anyone visiting the area.

Usually play in it every year but date didn’t fall right this year.
Great place made better that they allow “no show” socks now.

Very good greens, nice starting hole that’s a little daunting and a nice downhill finisher.
 

Voyager EMH

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First round of the county seniors scratch knockout this morning. I was fortunate to be drawn at home - or so I thought. I was 2 down with 4 to play. One down with one to play.
I won on the 20th hole.

I've never been beyond round 2 in this comp. Next round I'm away to last year's runner-up!
We can but try.
 

slowhand

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Played the monthly medal yesterday. 2-under nett and came second in Div 2 by 5 shots. HI pulled from 22.5 to 22.1.

Could have been better, as I 3-putted several times. Course was busy as well so all the waiting around didn't help either.
 

Crazyface

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We were held up by a three infront who dawdled about and were pretty poor but the final straw came at the ninth. One woman sank her putt then went to help the other lady find her ball at the side of the green. The bloke dawdled back from the hole to his bag in the dead centre of the green. Then faffed about talking to the other two at the side of the green. We thought they were going to walk off after nine, bit oh no they finally made a move to the path to the next tee. I was after them like a rocket! Luckilly I quickly caught the slowest lady, and OMG was she slow, and politely asked if we could play though as "you're holding the entire course up". After completing the ninth we headed along the path to the 10th. It's a long path. Lord in heaven they were still teeing off. As we got to the mens tee the bloke made his move towards us. I went to meet him. Well, briefly, he wasn't impressed with my request and he indicated that he thought he would decide when he would let us though, well at least that's what I thought he was getting at, he was French you see. I very politely explained to him that wasn't how it works and actually respectfully used the word "Sir" as I walked away. They then, very reluctantly, decided to let us though. I striped one down the middle as did my mate and the wife. Brilliant!
Then the little devils got a wiggle on and tried to keep up with us! The old lady and bloke gave up on the 12th and headed off. The young lady was now on her own and we let her though on the 14th.

I've never ever asked to play though before. I though it went quite well. We then had to explain to other golfers that we saw that it wasn't us holding everyone up but the group behind as we had the rest of the course to ourselves and they were all still backed up all round the course!

PS The wife shot a personal best of 102, and should have been under 100 but for a poor club selection on 17th when at the side of the green for 3 and a putter would have get her on and chose a wedge and thinned it. Came off with a snowman. Still she should get a cut.
 

louise_a

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I played at Frilford Heath (Red course) today in the Titleist matchplay england final, the top 8 qualified for the grand final in Spain whenever that will be. It is a good course but I found it pretty tough, mainly because my usually straight drives went missing, some of the fairways were very tight, which didnt help, I finished with 29 points and had 4 blobs, 38 won and 35 made the plane. It was a good day and I enjoyed the course,
 

tigerwes

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Played at the weekend, I wasn't very hopeful due to playing so bad for the past couple of weeks. To the point where I could have thrown the bloody clubs away

I went on to win the comp. 4 over front 9, 1 under on the back. First ever win and a board comp to boot.

I go for a new iron fitting on Wednesday!
 

IanM

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Played Launceston yesterday. Course really good except I don't think they'd cut the greens that morning, so they were quite slow. Shame really as rest was great.

Lovely weather, Donna's tee shot on 12th hit the flag, which caused some palpitations! I seem to be playing tidy golf too...long may it last.
 

jim8flog

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I played the second round of our seniors champs yesterday hero to zero.

First five holes could not keep my head still with the putts including missing a 10" putt. Had a real case of the pull hooks with the irons and the wedge game was not up to scratch.

Looking at the winner's scores would probably had not beaten him anyway, we were level after the first round and he improved with the second.
 

BiMGuy

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Played the front 9 last night off the forward blue tees (3k yards) with the boy. I just took a 5w 5,7,9 irons and a putter.

Bogied the first witha 3 putt. Left myself a downhill first putt and the greens are considerably faster than last week. So a nice 3 stab bogie to start.

Made a scruffy bogie on the second. Then pared my way in playing some very satisfying golf. Got a bit lucky on 5 finding my ball and being able to get it near the green with my second after, hooking my tee shot into some thick rough.

The grip and swing changes are starting to feel more comfortable. But I'm still far to conscious of my swing thoughts whilst playing.
 

Crow

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Seniors Medal yesterday, I was awful as usual, 102.
Three balls lost in deep rough, which is crazily thick and high at the moment, and one in a pond.
After Monday's open at Handsworth my handicap index is now 17.1, I was hopeful of some good scores this year but have only see my handicap going up. :(
 

Hooker

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Seniors Medal yesterday, I was awful as usual, 102.
Three balls lost in deep rough, which is crazily thick and high at the moment, and one in a pond.
After Monday's open at Handsworth my handicap index is now 17.1, I was hopeful of some good scores this year but have only see my handicap going up. :(

You would probably be more consistent using modern more forgiving clubs week in week out. Just looking at your un-smiley face I think if you continue your passion of using antiquated clubs the compromise is you will struggle. Cant you just use the classic clubs in friendlies and modern clubs in qualifiers?
 

Crow

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You would probably be more consistent using modern more forgiving clubs week in week out. Just looking at your un-smiley face I think if you continue your passion of using antiquated clubs the compromise is you will struggle. Cant you just use the classic clubs in friendlies and modern clubs in qualifiers?

I'd probably score better with modern gear but a stubborn side of me says that I don't want an element of my scores to be reliant on technological advances.
I think that (probably because of the time I was born!) woods should be wooden, or at least not hollow bodied and trampoline faced.
Irons should be made from a single piece of material, not necessarily blades although I play those because they look so much better!
And don't get me started on what's happening to putters, although how much of that actually helps and how much is marketing bull :poop: I'm not sure.

Even though I score higher with old clubs they're still more enjoyable for me so I'll not be changing, hopefully some time this year my handicap will have plateaued and I'll get a cut. :)
 

GreiginFife

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Played last evening with a nice 1700 tee. Breezy as hell and was quiet thanks to the Euros being on.

Only issue was some little scrotes that were out on the course, hanging around in the woods and taking flags out. Flag on the 3rd had been thrown in the burn, 5th was missing completely, 14th was handed to me by a resident who found it in their garden (runs adjacent to the fairway) and 16th was in the bushes next to the neighbouring running track.

Despite me watching them take the flag on 17 and throw it on the ground I was met with denials and aggressive (quite hilarious) behaviour when confronting them. I think they thought that just because there was 6 of them I would just walk past.
 

Imurg

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Standing on the 15th tee with the magnificent haul of 21 points shows how poorly I was playing...
How I then managed to birdie the next 2 holes to be standing on the 17th tee with 28 is unfathomable
And to finish with a semi-respectable 31 points is a minor miracle.....
Don't ask, I don't know the answer.....
 

Tashyboy

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Played off the yellows coz tricky Trev and Big Victor are in a pairs comp off the yellows tomorrow. 38 points and chucked away a fair few quite happy with that indeed. I feel,like me drive is coming back slowly slowly.
 

rudebhoy

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Blobbed the first after knifing a chip straight thru the green, but settled down and played really nicely. 37 points, but should have been a few more. made the classic mistake of going for ridiculous one in a million shots on 14 and 16, shots I would never have gone for if I hadn't been playing so well. End result was 2 balls in the trees, one lost, and 4 or 5 points chucked away. Hey ho.
 

GG26

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Club foursomes knockout yesterday evening. We were getting 23 shots (me off 20 and PP 28, against opponents off of 4 and +3). I was quite nervous knowing that even with the shots we had to be at our best as our opponents would par most holes. Fortunately, we played good steady golf and went from all square after 10 to four up after 14 (we parred 12 & 13 and had two shots on 11 & 14). Halved 15 to win 4&3 and now into the quarter finals.
 
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