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

My driver game has fell apart over the last couple of months. Quite bizarrely out of nowhere really have been hitting these low-mid ballflight hooks. Clubface is obviously closed at impact and I'm quite shallow into the ball which maybe promoting the in to out path and super closed face and it's not pretty. It's so destructive to scoring. I did manage to find a temporary fix by opening everything up at set up and trying to smooth tempo out but it's so reliant on the swing being connected and the body engaged which mine just isn't more often than not. I say driver, but it's really with most clubs except wedges. It's obviously a swing, technical issue. I've been hooking irons all year so nothing new there really but it's quite wild how it's now translated into driver and it's costing me big time out there. My putting has got really sharp and my short game has improved dramatically recently but the long game is costing me so much. Almost every tee shot or approach more than 120 yards. Clubface control is lacking big time. My handicap has jumped up to 11.5 as a result.

Last few rounds - 84 (shorter course), 85,95,89,92,88,97,95.

Even taking my last round 84, which was at a fairly short course at 5800 yards, par 69. It really should've been about 74 but I just couldn't get off the tee. Quite mental and not something I've ever had issues with.
Put this in ask the experts there’s a few very knowledgeable lads there.
You never know.

Sounds like an early release or on your back foot to much.👍
 
Shot 75 (+3) for 35 points yesterday in what were quite testing conditions. Wind was blowing a bit, one of those days were you hit drives 200 into the wind and 300 downwind even on not great strikes. First 7 holes all played with the wind but then it was a struggle after as most of them were into or across. Turned at -1 and was disappointed with that as I had 2 very sloppy bogies. The back 9 was a struggle and I was just hanging onto a score. Bogied 16 with a 3 putt after massively under clubbing and leaving me 60+ foot short of the pin and 17 with a miss from 4 feet. My long putting was phenomenal all day until that 16th, I had 5 other putts of over 50 foot and left every one of them within 2 feet, 3 of them shaved the edge.

Another slight cut as I had a 76 falling off, down to 1.7 now. Going to be on the struggle bus when I go back to a parkland course next year, no chance of maintaining this handicap with how wild I can be off the tee.

On a happier note the change in our greens since the did the tining 5 weeks ago is amazing. No complaints at all yesterday, the greens look lovely now and they were running pure and faster than they have been.
 
Club comp this morning in the rain.
Seniors better-ball off the yellow tees.

Partner and I got 44 points and won 3 points clear of second place.
I parred my 4 shot holes for 3 points each. I got two birdies on the back nine.
On the par 5 seventh hole I went into the left rough with my drive. Bunted one under the tree branches up the fairway a bit. Holed out with a 95-yard 50° wedge for an eagle.
We were both on the card 9 times each.
Me 26 and partner 18

I imagine that for my 4-under gross nine holes, I am going to get my lowest score differential of the year. Just have to wait and see.

Par 70, CR 69.1, SR 127
HI = 4.5

Any informed guesses as to what my score differential will be?

(EDIT: re-informed myself and I think it might be 2.6. A cut of 0.5 might ensue.)
For winning this comp, my partner and I will represent our club and be entered in the County Seniors Foursomes Knockout 2026.
I know, I know - a betterball qualifier for a foursomes knockout - just the way my club has chosen to do it - nowt I can do about that for the moment.

I did indeed get a 2.6 score differential - sitting there as my lowest just below a 2.7
 
Pretty poor round in the weekday medal today with three double bogeys on the front nine.
Two over par back nine to remind myself that I can play a bit. Going up 0.1 to 4.1 though, I believe.

These Tuesday medals run from 1st April to 30th September. A few weeks in the year there are other comps on the Tues and the medal is cancelled.
There are 3 left: 16th, 23rd and 30th.

We run an eclectic for the year. Best score on each hole and half CH taken off.
My current CH is 5.59. Half that gets rounded to 3. I would have to get HI down to 3.6 to be reduced to 2.
Up to this morning I was lying second. I have improved by one shot with a birdie on the longest par-4 3rd hole 453 yards.
Don't do that one very often. It was a tap-in after a 24°-iron running onto the green.

Here is the top 10 from the table before today's round. Note the two players with (-1) which means their CH is +2

2025 eclectic.jpg

My birdie on the 3rd today puts me just one shot behind first place and I don't think he is playing today. Chaps in 3rd and 4th place are playing.
Of course, being a retired ahld gadgee and able to play plenty of times has improved my chances.
3 more Tuesdays to go.

I'm trying to imagine myself getting a birdie on the 18th on the 30th September.
 
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Played today and after nine I was 2 under with an eight on the card. Overall I finished level par after 18 and that was with three Eights on the card. 🤬🤬🤬
I suppose it is easy to talk about them three holes, but the vast majority of the golf was sublime. But at times it was like switching from sky sports to the comedy channel in one hole.
Hopefully a nice cut though.
 
Played today and after nine I was 2 under with an eight on the card. Overall I finished level par after 18 and that was with three Eights on the card. 🤬🤬🤬
I suppose it is easy to talk about them three holes, but the vast majority of the golf was sublime. But at times it was like switching from sky sports to the comedy channel in one hole.
Hopefully a nice cut though.
How have you shot level par with three 8s on the card?
How many birdies did you have?
 
Oh right sorry I was thinking gross score not net score 😂
Gross. 😂
Flippin eck. In me dreams. 😂👍
Don’t get me wrong though. Those six parts could easily of been 10 with mis read putts. How does a ball finish 1/4” behind a Hole. 😳
 
4.5 hr round today, last 9 took forever, my body was stiffening up.
Shot a gross 80 which was okay given I haven’t played for a while. Putting from distance was a bit poor, but that was to be expected given the condition changes. Driving was fine as well.
Little bit off on some iron distances but that’s minor stuff, so overall content.
Just not sure why the ladies should have inter club matches that require they all finish the hole ? There was some incredibly dodgy stuff going on regards staked trees .. she had a driver in her hand and was saying the tree impaired her swing but she was arching her back to reach the tree .. then another set up for a shot and looked the club put it back in the bag and then selected another which she hit 60yards in front of her .. I know golf is supposed to be inclusive but this is too much, it’s unfair to other members when you have 16 players clogging up the course.
 
My birthday round today, at Old Fold Manor. Apparently they had sanded the greens, but most of them were still very quick bar a couple on the back nine that were a bit more sandy than the others. We got County Card rate of 40 quid anyway so didn't mind too much.

I started on fire, parring the first two, had a birdie on the 5th and was level par after 6 - followed that with three bogeys though for a 3 over front nine. 22 points.

Had a couple of slip-ups on the back nine, doubled 13 & 14 - on both I shut the face on an iron and pulled it left, and on both I missed a short putt too (these were the sandier ones I mentioned though which threw me off a bit). Recovered well with two nice pars straight afterwards, and a miracle bogey save on the 17th - drive ended up right up behind a tree in a dip; I had to take a penalty drop, then punch it through a narrow corridor of trees, then up-and-down from 133 yards with a 9 iron and a 20 foot putt.

16 point back nine in the end for 38 total (82 gross, 11 over par). Won the day by a distance as second place scored 29. And I had my second best round coming off the bottom of my handicap record, but I actually managed to beat the differential by 0.7 so might just see a 0.1 cut in the morning.

Perfect birthday round really. 😁
 
Playing in round at Stoneham today, nice and sunny but a bit breezy.

Played with 3 members, all very welcoming and nice to see how the course continues to develop. No idea on the score as we didn’t record them, but it would have been about 85 as rode the bogey train for most of the round with 5 or so pars thrown in.

Even after the summer, the course was in very good condition, with the greens pretty much immaculate.
 

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Day 2 of our Scottish trip, Boat of Garten yesterday, just gorgeous golf course even with the very undulating fairways made driving the buggy interesting at times. Won 2&1 v HiD
Today at Golspie and treated to 2 Typhoons giving it large for half an hour before we teed off.
First round walking after a cycling accident 3 weeks ago and still very much all arms swing.
2 birdies in a 7 over and HID won the last for a draw after being 4 down at the turn .
For views and playability Golspie shades it over BoG.
 
Played Cruden Bay yesterday, what an absolutely fantastic track. Straight in to my top three all time favourite courses. Didn’t do it justice but played round with a huge grin on my face all day. The par 3 fourth is also right up there at number 2 in my favourite par threes.
 
Played Barlaston this afternoon for the first time. All I can say is for a reduced rate at £25 what a pleasant course and one that makes you think your way round, it’s not overly long but you can’t just over power it you need to hit the right positions to attack the greens.

Swing changes are really starting to take hold, fundamentals are bedding in, swing length is now 3/4 which is stopping me getting the flying right elbow and early extension which is leading to a consistent impact and finding the centre of the club face.

Driving is hugely improved and am averaging around 260 off the tee and managed to bomb one 305yds on the par 5 9th hole (I’m claiming there was no roll)🤣 , distance control with the irons is good, overall feels like my game is getting back to where it was before my nearly 6 year sabbatical a lot quicker than I could have hoped for.

The pencil grip in putting really taking hold as well with only 29 putts and some good distance control.

Only 2 frustrating holes due to dodgy bounces but that was down to not knowing the course well enough which led to penalty drops causing an unnecessary bogie on one hole and double on another, but lessons learned for next time.

Played the Front Nine in 36 & back nine in 37, for a really well put together Gross 73, which if not for the 2 silly penalty drops could easily have been a 70/71.

Overall I’m a very happy devil this evening 🤣
 
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9 holes with the youth at Willow Valley. Pretty much every bunker out of play after what I would only describe as some moderate rain on Sunday.

Big investment in the course needed. We're on clay and it looks to me like the good soil on which the course was built has eroded away and the clay has made it's way to the surface. The green keepers had been out digging the bunkers to try and find some drainage and in some of them, it was very obviously a clay and sand mixture around the wet areas. The tees aren't great either.
Greenkeepers do their best with the resources they have but I hope the owners look to address some of the issues we're starting to face.

On a completely separate note, I played garbage.
 
Vets B game yesterday v Burslam. Played v 2 smashing blokes. I turned up with the back of my left hand ballooning up and hardly able to close it to grip a club. I thought I'd smashed it against something but could not remember doing so. The overall opinion of the lads was it was a bite. The pain went right in to the bone. I had tried to contact the captain to cry off but got no answer, so turned up. I played with my mate who was being our captain for the day. We were four down after 6. He was awful and I was struggling with my hand. It started to ease a bit though. We slowly dragged it back to level by the 12th. Then lost 14. Halved 15 + 16 where we thought we'd win one of them. Then our 17th 550 yards par 5. I hate it. Double fairway so to can't miss it, but many do. A ditch running down one side then across. I kept out of it for once, my mate was in twice! Ended up having to make a 60cm putt for par for the hole, and got it. We played steady down 18, an easy par five. Both of us could have got a par but my mate got his first, and they were nowhere. My hand is now fully puffed up and painful. Doc's appointment at 17.20pm.
 
Midweek Stableford today, the forecast was dire, but we identified a weather window of sorts and it wasnt too bad out there.
17 on the front 9 including a par on the difficult 9th and a blob on the 3rd.
21 on the back with 3 further pars including a 4 pointer on a 2 shot hole :)

38 points and probably a .4 cut to take my index to 19.5 well on the way to my target of 18

Little chubby Bro played like a donkey, (That might be rude to Donkeys)
22 points, he wasnt happy and certain clubs should be getting air miles.

keep him away from trees and rope for the next few days (y)
 
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