Just got back from a sneaky round this afternoon on my own (the course was empty). I wasn't sure whether to play or practice given the forbidding clouds and forecast but decided to give it a go.
I wanted to play everything as though it was a medal round and to try and re-focus on my pre-shot routine which had fallen by the wayside during my recent slump. I wanted to make sure I marked and cleaned the ball before every putt and that I took my time to check the line on every putt.
With only a few brief practice swings I climbed to the white tees on the first and proceeded to hit a low slightly thin 3 wood which managed to run all the way to the green. 2 putts and off with a par.
Drive, lay up, a 52 to 15 foot and 2 putts for a par on 2 and on 3 I hit a hook left just short of the trap. I then hit a real crappy slice just next to the greenside bunker right and then hit a chip with my trusty 52 wedge to 8 foot and holed for par. On 4 I hooked a 3 wood into the light rough left but a wedge and a good first putt uphill and left to right from 30 feet meant I was level par after 4.
Hit a monster down the par 5 5th and decided to just hit a 5iron to leave 100 into the green. Hit it slightly too far and left 80 but the 52 got me to 15 foot but I couldn't charge the birdie putt as it was downhill and left to right.
The par 3 6th is a real nemesis and it was 167 to the middle according to skycaddy with the wind into and from the right. I picked 4 iron and hit it great but had a draw/pull on it. The hole is tight with OB all down the left so I was praying for a soft bounce and didn't see it finish. When I got there it was pin high but with a large mound to go over. Hit a soft SW and it pitched on top of the mound and rolled down to 4 foot for a simple birdie.
Then the problems started. Hit a great 3 wood down 7 and left 179 down wind. Went with a 4 iron but hit a hook which bounced once and just rolled into the knee deep stuff. Managed to find it about a yard in but despite gripping a SW hard and opening the blade as the books say all I could do was get it to the edge of the fairway. Chipped on for 4 and left a huge swinging downhill 20 yard putt. Gave it too much borrow and three putted for a 7 - DOH
Overclubbed slightly at the short 7th but made 2 putts for par from the back of the green. Then on 9 I hit a huge hook that went left, with a bit of left spin and some added left, so much so that it ended up on the 2nd fairway. Couldn't get to the green so hit a ropey 5 wood hoping to get it as close as possible. Left 57 yards and hit an easy SW to about 8 foot and made the putt for a par.
Eight straight pars and a disaster meant it was my best ever front nine at Royal Ascot of the back tees.
It slipped a little on the back 9 which is harder than the front. Missed the green on 10 from the middle of the fairway for a bogey and hit a rubbish 4 iron into the par 3 11th. Chipped to about 5 foot and missed the putt.
Hit my drive too well on 12 and ran out of fairway. Hit a rubbish 5 iron (wasn't enough club) that was topped and left about 125. Pulled my 9 iron left and had to chip and hole a great putt from 10 foot downhill left to right for a bogey.
Missed the green on the par 3 13th with my 3 hybrid (playing 174 into the wind) and hit a rubbish chip. Hit an OK drive down 14 but again missed the green with a pull and couldn't hit the chip close enough. Made a routine par 5 (drive, rubbish sliced 5 wood and 9 iron onto the green) to stop the blleding.
On 16 I hit the best drive of the round and only left 189 down wind. Went with 4 iron and I thought I'd hit it fat as it seemed to come off the club low and pitched way short of the green. However when I got up towards the green it was sitting on the left edge (flag back right) and my 35 foot putt was over the brow of a hill and I raced it miles past and missed the return for bogey.
On 17 I hit a bad 3 wood but was hurrying as there was thunder rumbling around and it had started to rain. It came up about 10 yards short but I chipped well to 4 foot and made par. On 18 I again hit a mediocre drive rushing as the thunder was getting closer. Hit an OK 5 wood about 180 into the wind and then put an 8 iron into the pond guarding the green. Dropping behind the hazard keeping where it last crossed and the flag in line I dropped and played my 5th with my wedge and stuck it to 10 foot. As the rain began to bucket down I made the putt for bogey.
+3 going out and +7 coming home. Not my best total score but definitely my best front 9. Hit 59% of fairways, 39% of GIR and had 32 putts. Really glad I made the effort and didn't just hit balls. Off now to reassess my strategy for the back nine and seek out some tuition on long irons!!
I wanted to play everything as though it was a medal round and to try and re-focus on my pre-shot routine which had fallen by the wayside during my recent slump. I wanted to make sure I marked and cleaned the ball before every putt and that I took my time to check the line on every putt.
With only a few brief practice swings I climbed to the white tees on the first and proceeded to hit a low slightly thin 3 wood which managed to run all the way to the green. 2 putts and off with a par.
Drive, lay up, a 52 to 15 foot and 2 putts for a par on 2 and on 3 I hit a hook left just short of the trap. I then hit a real crappy slice just next to the greenside bunker right and then hit a chip with my trusty 52 wedge to 8 foot and holed for par. On 4 I hooked a 3 wood into the light rough left but a wedge and a good first putt uphill and left to right from 30 feet meant I was level par after 4.
Hit a monster down the par 5 5th and decided to just hit a 5iron to leave 100 into the green. Hit it slightly too far and left 80 but the 52 got me to 15 foot but I couldn't charge the birdie putt as it was downhill and left to right.
The par 3 6th is a real nemesis and it was 167 to the middle according to skycaddy with the wind into and from the right. I picked 4 iron and hit it great but had a draw/pull on it. The hole is tight with OB all down the left so I was praying for a soft bounce and didn't see it finish. When I got there it was pin high but with a large mound to go over. Hit a soft SW and it pitched on top of the mound and rolled down to 4 foot for a simple birdie.
Then the problems started. Hit a great 3 wood down 7 and left 179 down wind. Went with a 4 iron but hit a hook which bounced once and just rolled into the knee deep stuff. Managed to find it about a yard in but despite gripping a SW hard and opening the blade as the books say all I could do was get it to the edge of the fairway. Chipped on for 4 and left a huge swinging downhill 20 yard putt. Gave it too much borrow and three putted for a 7 - DOH
Overclubbed slightly at the short 7th but made 2 putts for par from the back of the green. Then on 9 I hit a huge hook that went left, with a bit of left spin and some added left, so much so that it ended up on the 2nd fairway. Couldn't get to the green so hit a ropey 5 wood hoping to get it as close as possible. Left 57 yards and hit an easy SW to about 8 foot and made the putt for a par.
Eight straight pars and a disaster meant it was my best ever front nine at Royal Ascot of the back tees.
It slipped a little on the back 9 which is harder than the front. Missed the green on 10 from the middle of the fairway for a bogey and hit a rubbish 4 iron into the par 3 11th. Chipped to about 5 foot and missed the putt.
Hit my drive too well on 12 and ran out of fairway. Hit a rubbish 5 iron (wasn't enough club) that was topped and left about 125. Pulled my 9 iron left and had to chip and hole a great putt from 10 foot downhill left to right for a bogey.
Missed the green on the par 3 13th with my 3 hybrid (playing 174 into the wind) and hit a rubbish chip. Hit an OK drive down 14 but again missed the green with a pull and couldn't hit the chip close enough. Made a routine par 5 (drive, rubbish sliced 5 wood and 9 iron onto the green) to stop the blleding.
On 16 I hit the best drive of the round and only left 189 down wind. Went with 4 iron and I thought I'd hit it fat as it seemed to come off the club low and pitched way short of the green. However when I got up towards the green it was sitting on the left edge (flag back right) and my 35 foot putt was over the brow of a hill and I raced it miles past and missed the return for bogey.
On 17 I hit a bad 3 wood but was hurrying as there was thunder rumbling around and it had started to rain. It came up about 10 yards short but I chipped well to 4 foot and made par. On 18 I again hit a mediocre drive rushing as the thunder was getting closer. Hit an OK 5 wood about 180 into the wind and then put an 8 iron into the pond guarding the green. Dropping behind the hazard keeping where it last crossed and the flag in line I dropped and played my 5th with my wedge and stuck it to 10 foot. As the rain began to bucket down I made the putt for bogey.
+3 going out and +7 coming home. Not my best total score but definitely my best front 9. Hit 59% of fairways, 39% of GIR and had 32 putts. Really glad I made the effort and didn't just hit balls. Off now to reassess my strategy for the back nine and seek out some tuition on long irons!!
