big_russ
Challenge Tour Pro
Ok, so I went to Formby Hall on Tuesday for a pre season golf day with 35 other gents and ladies. I arrived at 10am to find I was in the last group out with our club pro, another pro Colin and a 4 hcp lad from our club. No pressure on me then!.
I was paired with Colin and he made a steady par, par par, start where I was a bit iffy especially with a wedge in hand. As we got to the 7th I was starting to feel a little more comfortable both with the course, which I hadn't played before, and the state of my game. The 7th is a par 5 and after pushing my tee shot right I decided to lay up in front of the water and take my chance with 8 iron over the water to a pin at the back of the green. After a crisply struck shot I found myself about a third the way up the green with about 25 feet left to the hole. I watched as the other pair left their putts short from a similar distance and then lined my put up and stroked it dead centre. Birdie 4 net eagle for 4 points.
I had the honour on the 8th and was disappointed to pull my tee shot slightly left into the first cut of rough. As I got to my ball I had a scabby lie with a tuft of grass behind the ball so I couldn't have had a worse lie. I decided on an 8 iron punch from around 135 yards and struck it well considering. Playing directly into the sun I lost sight of the ball once it had landed at the front of the green but Darren our pro who was on the opposite side of the fairway suddenly shouted "IT'S IN THE HOLE'. Arms aloft punching the air I couldn't believe what had just happened. Eagle 2 net 1 for 5 points.
After much back slapping and finally removing my ball from the hole we moved on to the 9th where once again I had the honour. Stroked my drive just left of centre leaving around 130 to the hole and hitting the centre of the green in two and two putting for a 4 net 3 and 3 more points making it 12 points in 3 holes.
Shock horror I blobbed the next hole them 1 point on the next.
The 12th is a long par 4 and I put my drive left of centre leaving about 210 to the hole requiring a draw to avoid the tree about 30 yards away. The other 3 players played first and one hit the green about 20 feet away and as they all gathered around by ball to watch me play I decided on the 20.5 hybrid and set up dead aim on the flag. I hit the ball and it started just right of the tree with a soft draw with everyone shouting at it to turn over and be the right club. Well it was the right club and landed just left of the right green side bunker and kicked left to finish 10 feet from the hole. Disappointingly I 2 putted for a 4 net 3 and 3 more points to make it 16 points in 5 holes. With a steady run of points from both of us over the final holes we walked off with 41 points in total.
As we got into the clubhouse the food had been served to the earlier starters and the drinks were flowing so the cards were checked and we were the winners by 3 shots. Darren the pro announced the winners of the two nearest the pin prizes and then the overall winners in reverse order and it was great to get a massive cheer when I collected the 1st place prize.
Hope this bodes well for the coming season as I feel that from the last few comps of last season and all winter I have been playing my best golf for a long, long time.
Formby Hall is a great day out and the course was in really good nick considering the weather of late. Had it been a touch warmer without the bitter cold wind it would have been the perfect day out.
I was paired with Colin and he made a steady par, par par, start where I was a bit iffy especially with a wedge in hand. As we got to the 7th I was starting to feel a little more comfortable both with the course, which I hadn't played before, and the state of my game. The 7th is a par 5 and after pushing my tee shot right I decided to lay up in front of the water and take my chance with 8 iron over the water to a pin at the back of the green. After a crisply struck shot I found myself about a third the way up the green with about 25 feet left to the hole. I watched as the other pair left their putts short from a similar distance and then lined my put up and stroked it dead centre. Birdie 4 net eagle for 4 points.
I had the honour on the 8th and was disappointed to pull my tee shot slightly left into the first cut of rough. As I got to my ball I had a scabby lie with a tuft of grass behind the ball so I couldn't have had a worse lie. I decided on an 8 iron punch from around 135 yards and struck it well considering. Playing directly into the sun I lost sight of the ball once it had landed at the front of the green but Darren our pro who was on the opposite side of the fairway suddenly shouted "IT'S IN THE HOLE'. Arms aloft punching the air I couldn't believe what had just happened. Eagle 2 net 1 for 5 points.
After much back slapping and finally removing my ball from the hole we moved on to the 9th where once again I had the honour. Stroked my drive just left of centre leaving around 130 to the hole and hitting the centre of the green in two and two putting for a 4 net 3 and 3 more points making it 12 points in 3 holes.
Shock horror I blobbed the next hole them 1 point on the next.
The 12th is a long par 4 and I put my drive left of centre leaving about 210 to the hole requiring a draw to avoid the tree about 30 yards away. The other 3 players played first and one hit the green about 20 feet away and as they all gathered around by ball to watch me play I decided on the 20.5 hybrid and set up dead aim on the flag. I hit the ball and it started just right of the tree with a soft draw with everyone shouting at it to turn over and be the right club. Well it was the right club and landed just left of the right green side bunker and kicked left to finish 10 feet from the hole. Disappointingly I 2 putted for a 4 net 3 and 3 more points to make it 16 points in 5 holes. With a steady run of points from both of us over the final holes we walked off with 41 points in total.
As we got into the clubhouse the food had been served to the earlier starters and the drinks were flowing so the cards were checked and we were the winners by 3 shots. Darren the pro announced the winners of the two nearest the pin prizes and then the overall winners in reverse order and it was great to get a massive cheer when I collected the 1st place prize.
Hope this bodes well for the coming season as I feel that from the last few comps of last season and all winter I have been playing my best golf for a long, long time.
Formby Hall is a great day out and the course was in really good nick considering the weather of late. Had it been a touch warmer without the bitter cold wind it would have been the perfect day out.
