ScienceBoy
Money List Winner
It seems many moons since I first mentioned a round at Brockenhurst to SyR and therod, finally the day came yesterday!
I can count on one hand the amount of full rounds I have played this season, chuck in another meagre handful of 9 hole outings and thats my on course experience since August last year.
My forum opponents are the short game wizard of SyR with his deadly (specially sharpened) lobber and therod, the resident "professional". The fourth was made up by a local who goes by the name Neil (accompanied by Mexican guitar music) and his enormous pile of shots in hand.
Two games were decided upon, a random drawn betterball team game and the individual stableford. SyR, yet to get an official handicap took 14 and I honestly took my old handicap of 12. The draw put the two unofficial handicaps on opposing sides as Neil and SyR were paired against myself (ScienceBoy from now on to make it easy to follow) and therod.
Soft ground and a mixed bag of weather predicted on a warm bank holiday afternoon already provided a thick atmosphere, the nerves on the first only served to make it almost hard to breathe, as so much pride was on the line.
The first tee shots all made decent progress with only one venturing deep into the rough, that same player then fired a second to just a few feet for an opening birdie! One up are therod and ScienceBoy!
A first 9 of shared blows saw a tight match until the turn, from then it was all SyR and Neil who lead 3 up and 5 to play. Standing on the 14th tee a wee joke was made about "how anyone can win 3 up and 5 to play" and that "only those with true character can come back from 3 down in just 5 holes". Such fighting talk can take a game either way, SyR and Neil were now playing for the pride of all those Cat 3 and above golfers!
A scrappy 5 stopped it being dormie 4 before the magic happened, suddenly it was 2up with 3! A magnificent birdie on the 16th from therod then reduced the lead to just one hole. Next came the tricky 17th, shots in hand for SyR and Neil meant this could be it. First therod fired a hybrid fading round the corner, then so did ScienceBoy. The pressure on, not used to teeing off second Neil and SyR both found tricky lies from the tee. After making progress up the left side, Niel eventually left the trees and made his way to the green. SyR also gave them a chance by setting up a chance for 5. ScienceBoy to go first fired a 3 iron high and at the pin, only for it to fade slightly and catch the bunker. All now on therod he steps up and puts it just shy of the green on the right.
What happend next was beyond belief, first ScienceBoy flicked a bunker shot that rolled out to three feet above the hole and therod chipped to three feet below. SyR made his putt meaning one of the two low handicappers had to hole out to win the hole, which they won twice over
So after 17 holes the two teams stood on 18 A/S, therod and Scienceboy both hit long drives out to leave short irons in, the game is on! SyR and Neil again made decent progress up the hole. After four good approach shots it came down to one man, therod with two putts from 20+ feet to win the match, his first finished hole high and the match was over.
In the end a fun day was had by all, in the stableford SyR, Neil and therod all finished second on 30 points, the winner on 34. Only light showers fell on a beautiful well laid out course that left all wanting to come back another day.
I hope I got the details right, at least the result is correct if nothing else
Thanks again to SyR and therod for being fantastic and welcoming hosts. I would recommend the course to anyone, it feels very well laid out. There is no green nor hole that feels manufactured, there are some tough "Blackmoor" like greens but all are fair and pins are well placed.
Hopefully next time I will get to sample the food and quench my thirst at the bar, it will not be long before I am aback!
I can count on one hand the amount of full rounds I have played this season, chuck in another meagre handful of 9 hole outings and thats my on course experience since August last year.
My forum opponents are the short game wizard of SyR with his deadly (specially sharpened) lobber and therod, the resident "professional". The fourth was made up by a local who goes by the name Neil (accompanied by Mexican guitar music) and his enormous pile of shots in hand.
Two games were decided upon, a random drawn betterball team game and the individual stableford. SyR, yet to get an official handicap took 14 and I honestly took my old handicap of 12. The draw put the two unofficial handicaps on opposing sides as Neil and SyR were paired against myself (ScienceBoy from now on to make it easy to follow) and therod.
Soft ground and a mixed bag of weather predicted on a warm bank holiday afternoon already provided a thick atmosphere, the nerves on the first only served to make it almost hard to breathe, as so much pride was on the line.
The first tee shots all made decent progress with only one venturing deep into the rough, that same player then fired a second to just a few feet for an opening birdie! One up are therod and ScienceBoy!
A first 9 of shared blows saw a tight match until the turn, from then it was all SyR and Neil who lead 3 up and 5 to play. Standing on the 14th tee a wee joke was made about "how anyone can win 3 up and 5 to play" and that "only those with true character can come back from 3 down in just 5 holes". Such fighting talk can take a game either way, SyR and Neil were now playing for the pride of all those Cat 3 and above golfers!
A scrappy 5 stopped it being dormie 4 before the magic happened, suddenly it was 2up with 3! A magnificent birdie on the 16th from therod then reduced the lead to just one hole. Next came the tricky 17th, shots in hand for SyR and Neil meant this could be it. First therod fired a hybrid fading round the corner, then so did ScienceBoy. The pressure on, not used to teeing off second Neil and SyR both found tricky lies from the tee. After making progress up the left side, Niel eventually left the trees and made his way to the green. SyR also gave them a chance by setting up a chance for 5. ScienceBoy to go first fired a 3 iron high and at the pin, only for it to fade slightly and catch the bunker. All now on therod he steps up and puts it just shy of the green on the right.
What happend next was beyond belief, first ScienceBoy flicked a bunker shot that rolled out to three feet above the hole and therod chipped to three feet below. SyR made his putt meaning one of the two low handicappers had to hole out to win the hole, which they won twice over
So after 17 holes the two teams stood on 18 A/S, therod and Scienceboy both hit long drives out to leave short irons in, the game is on! SyR and Neil again made decent progress up the hole. After four good approach shots it came down to one man, therod with two putts from 20+ feet to win the match, his first finished hole high and the match was over.
In the end a fun day was had by all, in the stableford SyR, Neil and therod all finished second on 30 points, the winner on 34. Only light showers fell on a beautiful well laid out course that left all wanting to come back another day.
I hope I got the details right, at least the result is correct if nothing else
Thanks again to SyR and therod for being fantastic and welcoming hosts. I would recommend the course to anyone, it feels very well laid out. There is no green nor hole that feels manufactured, there are some tough "Blackmoor" like greens but all are fair and pins are well placed.
Hopefully next time I will get to sample the food and quench my thirst at the bar, it will not be long before I am aback!
