16th August Monday. Beginning to become tired of playing in the wind at the minute, nothing in the comment in fact just the usual winter doldrums getting vented. It may appear that for an amateur I am being too serious about improving my golf game, that is not the case. It is not easy taking the next step down the handicap figure in my game, a slow process though is the reality of getting the improvement in so many facets of my game consistent features in rounds. Having worked on one part of my game at a time, now starting to get the overall benefits is the reward. This takes a level of commitment and focus that usually would only be used in my work. There is nothing natural about a ‘golf swing’ so it is a matter of teaching your body to react as it should for a good swing plus it is “a game of millimetres”. Using a stick to make a little round ball fly through the air and land it on a target and having to co-ordinate so many facets of your body to do this as perfect as possible. The add to this activity the mental challenge of competition and all the nuances this brings out in individual personalities and there is the essence of why this game hooks players.
The winds and rain continued throughout Sunday, fortunately I hit off an hour and a half earlier to go around with another player who had to head to Adelaide and wanted to get a qualifying round in. The weather conditions decided an acceptable target of a 95 off the stick for me would be a good round. Not playing at my best at the minute, still tuning my game on the green and around them at the minute. The #2 Hybrid was used off the tee all day and the Driver was not even in the bag.
That said I came in with a 98 off the stick with 34 putts and one lost ball penalty, as my playing partner commented it was one of those days where a little luck went a long way. Not being a player who relies upon luck to do well but never rejects it, a few strokes especially on the green could have used some good fortune. One putt finished with part of the ball hanging over the lip of the cup, the wind was strong enough to hold it there and I had the good humour to laugh at that. Another two putts stopped just shy of the rim of the cup. That is just golf and not a concern , the other three putts that took off like a space shuttle and rocketed way off course to boot were a problem. The cause though was from my weight training and having increased the routine, it happened previously in my golf game and for a week or two my ‘touch’ with the putter will be a bit sensitive. Accepted the 98 which with a 10 metre birdie putt dropping in on the 18th was given a lift. Having finished at 2 pm and the rest of the field still had 9 holes to go I do not know how my score fared in comparison but from some chat know I was by no means the worst score in the first qualifying round for the club championships.
Importantly I have a score on the board and with another qualifying round to go and many golfers skipped the day due to the weather. I can pull the stops out and have a real crack at getting up the table for the match play seedings. Today I played a casual 9 holes with my set of blades which felt good and I hit the balls well. Even the adjustment needed to counter the shorter shafts on them was no problem, again I realised the benefit from improved technique and the weight training adding another 10 m to these irons. Used the Cobra driver for a few hits and that will need a bit of work before the coming round, Hit is poorly with a slice but not too hard to correct with a bit of diligence in practise. On the 22nd it is the 3rd and final Caledonian Inn Trophy match, myself and two others lead this and I will be trying hard to win, as well as the following weekend when the same three are all in the lead for the John Leake trophy. Thankyou for your time and attention. “Hit ‘em straight all”
Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff
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