Volvo Match play North Regional Final.
Drawn away at Newburgh-on-Ythan near Aberdeen.
Went into the pro shop to buy a stroke saver but they don’t have one!
Never played the course before and it was almost a 3 hour drive to get to due to road works most of the way. Spent 5 mins on the putting green before my opponent appeared of the course after playing 9 holes.
He was off the same handicap as me so no shots, give or received.
The first uphill par 4 (385 yards) into about a four club wind pulled my drive left into deep deep rough and he was on the middle of the fairway. Found my ball hacked out sideways and 7iron on, Stephen missed the green and duffed his chip, hole halved.
2nd is a 224 yard par 3, missed left chipped on and holed the put, S missed right, duffed chip 1 up to me.
The 3rd is a 467 yard dog leg par five that was playing well over 500 yard. Good drive and 3 wood up to the bottom of the hill 100 yards 9 iron short, s took a 7 iron as he knew the flag was right at the back. Back to all square.
4th hole halved, strange hole, had the remains of a building of some sort in the middle of the fairway that was part of the course!
5th 201 yard par 3 into the wind bogey hear was good enough for me to go one up again.
6th 347 yard par 4 hit a great drive to the to of the hill a good 60 yards past S, with him playing first just short of the green. After a 300 yard drive only had 40 yards to go, sh*nk, and again and again. Back to all square.
7th s drove to a dip in the fairway short of bunkers and gorse. Spanked drive bounces left into the gorse, found it hacked out sideways into a bunker but S had put his 2nd shot onto the green. Stephen 1 up.
8th halved.
Onto the par five 9th wind behind, S hit a straight drive down into the valley and still had 250 to go. Teed the ball up and gave it a real lash. It carried over the dip and into what looked like deep rough. Stephen says hit another one that’s gone. Anyway s sliced his 2nd shot just short of the gorse, we walk to the drop off where my ball was heading and there it was on the path only 150 yards to go. 9 iron on for birdie and the hole. Back to all square.
You then head to the old part of the course which has much more a links feel to it.
The 10th is a 339 yard par 4 down wind, I hit a screamer pin high just right of the green, chipped close and tap in for another birdie to go one up again.
11th halved in 4 though I should have won the hole but had another sh*nk.
12th was the same.
13th mad a hash of the hole by under clubbing and the wind taking the ball way off target, back to all square.
The 14th a shortish par 4 was again halved in 4.
15th went badly wrong, S toed his drive right into the bushes. I hit a great drive again straight down the middle and watched it bound down the fairway towards the hole. We found Stephens ball and he hacked out to about 150 yards and then played his 3rd onto the green. We were both thinking my ball was way down almost on the green. No sign of it anywhere. We looked everywhere, nothing.
Had to walk back to the tee as S had played 3 shots had a chance to half? It was not to be. 1up to Stephen.
The 16th is a short 150 yard par 3 but into at least a 4 club wind, was playing long. It’s a blind shot so had no idea what to expect, under clubbed and lost the hole.2 up to S.
With only two holes to go and two down needed a fight back.
Seventeen is a 364 yard par four with the beach left and internal out of bounds right. Stephen drove right and just managed to stay in play, I was right side had 170 to go and hit 3 iron to 5 feet for birdie and the hole back to one down.
The 18th is a bit of a beast in that wind 550 yard par 5, also into the sun by this time. We both drove with no idea where the balls ended up but found them ok I was a good 60 yards past S. put my 2nd shot to 150 yards uphill to a blind green, hit 4 iron that looked good all the way. Stephen laid up to 100 yards with his 3rd shot and the onto the green with his 4th.
When we got to the green I was only just on with a 25 footer uphill, then down as the flag was cut into a bowl. Stephen had put his 4th to 5 feet.
I was confident that if it went to extra holes I’d have a good chance of winning, but it was not to be as this was probably the slowest green on the course and left the put 10 feet short downhill. Misses the 10 footer for par and the match.
So no trip to Kilmarnock for me..
Lovely course and a nice opponent, shame about those dammed shermans, as I still managed to play under my handicap despite them.
Drawn away at Newburgh-on-Ythan near Aberdeen.
Went into the pro shop to buy a stroke saver but they don’t have one!
Never played the course before and it was almost a 3 hour drive to get to due to road works most of the way. Spent 5 mins on the putting green before my opponent appeared of the course after playing 9 holes.
He was off the same handicap as me so no shots, give or received.
The first uphill par 4 (385 yards) into about a four club wind pulled my drive left into deep deep rough and he was on the middle of the fairway. Found my ball hacked out sideways and 7iron on, Stephen missed the green and duffed his chip, hole halved.
2nd is a 224 yard par 3, missed left chipped on and holed the put, S missed right, duffed chip 1 up to me.
The 3rd is a 467 yard dog leg par five that was playing well over 500 yard. Good drive and 3 wood up to the bottom of the hill 100 yards 9 iron short, s took a 7 iron as he knew the flag was right at the back. Back to all square.
4th hole halved, strange hole, had the remains of a building of some sort in the middle of the fairway that was part of the course!
5th 201 yard par 3 into the wind bogey hear was good enough for me to go one up again.
6th 347 yard par 4 hit a great drive to the to of the hill a good 60 yards past S, with him playing first just short of the green. After a 300 yard drive only had 40 yards to go, sh*nk, and again and again. Back to all square.
7th s drove to a dip in the fairway short of bunkers and gorse. Spanked drive bounces left into the gorse, found it hacked out sideways into a bunker but S had put his 2nd shot onto the green. Stephen 1 up.
8th halved.
Onto the par five 9th wind behind, S hit a straight drive down into the valley and still had 250 to go. Teed the ball up and gave it a real lash. It carried over the dip and into what looked like deep rough. Stephen says hit another one that’s gone. Anyway s sliced his 2nd shot just short of the gorse, we walk to the drop off where my ball was heading and there it was on the path only 150 yards to go. 9 iron on for birdie and the hole. Back to all square.
You then head to the old part of the course which has much more a links feel to it.
The 10th is a 339 yard par 4 down wind, I hit a screamer pin high just right of the green, chipped close and tap in for another birdie to go one up again.
11th halved in 4 though I should have won the hole but had another sh*nk.
12th was the same.
13th mad a hash of the hole by under clubbing and the wind taking the ball way off target, back to all square.
The 14th a shortish par 4 was again halved in 4.
15th went badly wrong, S toed his drive right into the bushes. I hit a great drive again straight down the middle and watched it bound down the fairway towards the hole. We found Stephens ball and he hacked out to about 150 yards and then played his 3rd onto the green. We were both thinking my ball was way down almost on the green. No sign of it anywhere. We looked everywhere, nothing.
Had to walk back to the tee as S had played 3 shots had a chance to half? It was not to be. 1up to Stephen.
The 16th is a short 150 yard par 3 but into at least a 4 club wind, was playing long. It’s a blind shot so had no idea what to expect, under clubbed and lost the hole.2 up to S.
With only two holes to go and two down needed a fight back.
Seventeen is a 364 yard par four with the beach left and internal out of bounds right. Stephen drove right and just managed to stay in play, I was right side had 170 to go and hit 3 iron to 5 feet for birdie and the hole back to one down.
The 18th is a bit of a beast in that wind 550 yard par 5, also into the sun by this time. We both drove with no idea where the balls ended up but found them ok I was a good 60 yards past S. put my 2nd shot to 150 yards uphill to a blind green, hit 4 iron that looked good all the way. Stephen laid up to 100 yards with his 3rd shot and the onto the green with his 4th.
When we got to the green I was only just on with a 25 footer uphill, then down as the flag was cut into a bowl. Stephen had put his 4th to 5 feet.
I was confident that if it went to extra holes I’d have a good chance of winning, but it was not to be as this was probably the slowest green on the course and left the put 10 feet short downhill. Misses the 10 footer for par and the match.
So no trip to Kilmarnock for me..
Lovely course and a nice opponent, shame about those dammed shermans, as I still managed to play under my handicap despite them.
