A great end to the weekend..

20/12/10


Golf forums are markedly different to many of the sports forums which are popular on the ’net. Whilst most sports forums have the posters commenting mostly about the Highest Professional Competition ie AFL, NRL, FA, NBA etc. Golfing forums do cover PGA competitions yet there is a great deal of comment on individual golfers, club and regional competitions. Golfers are not in the main spectators and importantly we are not team members like players of football, basketball, hockey and other sports. This is perhaps self explanatory to why golfers can openly discuss their own performance and not be treated with derision for doing this as most of the readers are not armchair critics who do not play the game and can relate to what is being said.



Getting very close to the end of the season/years postings for 2010 and keeping my list of goals short and sweet in the results targeted has been a success. Well I am calling it a success, the most important goal was to achieve a 16-15 handicap and at the minute I am waiting for the last two rounds played to be loaded by the respective club handicappers. As posted above (yesterday) prior to the round that followed Sunday afternoon, on Saturday I won the Kingston SE Summer Open Div #2 (B) grade with an 88 (69 nett), this was matched with an 87 (68 nett) 41 stableford points in the Robe Club Competition the next day. In the two days I played to a 15-16 handicap and my handicap at the minute was 19 so I expect to drop to 17-18, (have not done the calculations myself for now).



That is good enough for me to accept as a win in achieving a goal. October and November were hard months as my game began to improve and the vital consistency had not established itself. Also the necessary mental adjustments to how I played the game were not strengthened to match ready. This was the most difficult transition to make, being mentally on the same level as my improved playing ability.

It was a difficult struggle adjusting to play in my preferred low risk percentage game whilst the shots the previously were safe, would play too well now, as I could hit the ball so much better. Golf is a game of millimetres and that is how little change in a shots execution can happen to make the result very different. For now though it is time to sit here and wallow in the results and satisfaction of my golf in 2010. Thankyou all for reading and commenting though the season. Best wishes for the New Year and a happy Christmas to all. “Hit ‘em Straight all” Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff

KINGSTON Summer Open

19.12.10


It is with a sense of self satisfaction that I can say my year of golf in 2010 has been a success. Yesterday was the Summer Open at Kingston and my score of 88 Gross (69 nett) was good enough to win my first Div 2 (B Grade 14-20 hcp) competition. It has been a good year as always on and off the course and the result yesterday was the culmination of the past 2-3 months of practise and persistence coming to fruition. Avoiding the time honoured golfers cliche “I could have played better” is easy in this “warm fuzzy” moment. There was no moment of ‘Zen’ consciousness when scoring a good result was in my minds eye vision of the achievable. The final score was a result of playing within my limits, not trying to push my limits. When the conservative safer option existed that had a higher percentage of success associated with the effort, I took it yesterday.



A return to the way I played last season has been on the cards all season. To do that had to include the additions to the way I play now; A) Using a Driver off the Tee and not Irons on all holes. B) Using #2 Hybrid on fairways and tees. C) Being able to hit the ball with more consistency and accuracy with all clubs. The difficulty came with being able to accept being a better golfer able to play shots that previously were ‘too risky’ and could now be played with a much higher success rate. This was not easy to adjust to. My confidence was shattered a few times when I played a shot that failed in the main because I was breaking the “what is possible” template from 2009.



The conditions yesterday were not perfect either, with a consistent wind that threw in some very strong gusts out of the blue and an occasional shower. In retrospect today is a crap day, very strong wind plenty of rain overnight and showers predicted for the day. Whereas yesterdays conditions had a beneficial affect in contention on the game, today it is a challenge to be able to lift myself and go out and play in much more adverse condition. I will accept the challenge and that is not because of ego but the desire to enjoy being able to have a crack and push my limit. Winning is a definite bonus that gives a lift in it’s reward for the effort put in over a season. Even though the 88 gross was not my best score off the stick, it is playing to a 16 handicap on one of the 2011 Southern Ports Tournament courses. There is a day between rounds during the actual tournament, today I will be going out and playing 18 holes on another Southern Ports course, in more trying conditions as part of my conditioning program.



Time to start getting ready for the days competition, Thankyou for your time and attention all, Hit ‘em Straight all”
Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff

Southern Ports Golf Tournament 2011

Could not maintain the form into Sunday’s round of the past week. So close yet not good enough a gross 92 for a nett 73. Happily I beat my conqueror in the B grade semi final by 1 stroke on the day. It was a good day of company and comradeship and some good golf thrown in as well. What made the day fun was being able top play a game in a very mentally refreshing state, seeing the errors that cost me at the end of the day for the true fault, concentration lapses which for the most part resulted in playing too fast instead of slowing down and taking the time to set myself properly to execute the strokes well. Penalties from 1xOB 1x Lost Ball, two bad pitches, three terrible putts from misread greens was the statistics of faults.

Had a no golf Monday and today played nine holes for a gross 44 with 1x lost ball again include two x 3 putts in that and I am satisfied with the results. Comfortable in the knowledge of where the mistakes came from in my mind and looking forward to the Kingston S E Summer Open on the 18th December this coming Saturday.

A great opportunity to refresh my play on this course which is one of the three in the Southern Ports Tournament Feb 26 to March 5th 2011, 54 holes played over the week at the 3 courses and I am anticipating the challenge to come. Handicaps are A Grade 14 and under, B Grade 15 – 20 and C Grade 21-36 A and B Grade are a stroke competition and the C grade is a Stableford Competition.

I will post further details in coming weeks on the tournament but for any who are considering entry in the event The Secretary is Jennifer Gritton Phone 08 8767 2416 Southern Ports Golf Tournament PO Box 521 Kingston 5275



Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff

Kingston SE Summer Tournament

9th December 2010


Into the last month of 2010 and a brief review of the past season is enough to say I improved and had fun playing golf as much as 2009. Just came in from having my best score for 18 holes today, 82 off the stick. The 18th of December is the Kingston SE Summer Open and that is my next serious round and will be a fine way to finish the season for myself. I managed a win in the C grade handicap section last Summer Open, at a course that was also the site of missing the last putt and finishing second in the Southern Ports Tournament in March.



The new 18 hole Kingston course has been completed now and that adds to the anticipation. As well, my own game has began to show an improved consistency and the associated lower scores. Playing on other courses besides the home club has been a major enjoyment and benefit to my golf this year. A definite effect is that course stroke traits that begin to become a factor in a round, are seen for the negative effect they have when used regularly on another course. October and November began as a real struggle with playing well and slowly all of practising with grip, swing, club changes began to have an effect, for the better. Perhaps the most frustrating part of my game now is having to endure the errors I make, that are a result of being able to play so much better. Being patient and stoic is a couple of character traits the if not present in my makeup would have had me join that long line of quitters in life. To all those impatient golfers, please keep on ‘jumping the gun’ any advantage over another player is a bonus in competition.



First meeting of the club season is next Monday and I am almost up to speed with he club operation and the tasks that come with being on committee. It is not all that difficult being on committee, although I had no intention of taking up the secretary position. The fact is I did all of the club/group committee stuff in my 20’s and 30’s. I had no desire to do it again and it took a good speech by the club pres. and concerns on my on part to make me stand up and get involved again. My commitment to the position is one season (2011) perhaps 2012 but that is 90% not going to happen.

PS My entry in the NSW Australia Day - Reel Australia competition has survived the many site cliches. LOL Looked at the site and some film vote scores went from 100 to 4000 overnight. The site admin. sent an email out after removing all votes after it was discovered some entrants could vote more than once for their film. Here is my shameless request to you. Have a look at my entry “Aussie’s Younger Days” View my latest film clip and vote if you like it! (Register and You could win $250 from NSW Australia Day Council for voting TOO!) Oh yeah and pass it on to your friends every vote counts! Or click LIKE on the Facebook Link and feel welcome to comment. Thankyou for your time and attention regards Geoff

AUSSIE'S YOUNGER DAYS
Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff

Club Secretary and Short Film Last days To Vote

1st December 2010


This post is the first were I get to discuss my standing for and being elected to the club committee as secretary. The intention was to stand for general committee and go on some sub committees to contribute more to the club. After many years in local government (yes I did do a real job, way back in the last century), my standard response to that endless line of people complaining about how things were done, etc was, “Stand for council and do something about it!”. Hypocrisy is not something I would want to start doing now, so I had to stand up and contribute myself this year. Fact is I have served on enough committees etc in the past and all I want to do is play golf. It is apparent the club needs some fresh perspective and I can do that, as well as do some work as well.



As I was elected unopposed, I did not get to speak about what I identified as action that needs to be taken for the future development and success of the club. There are three things I have identified of interest to me and that must be resolved. Membership needs to be increased particularly active players among the men. Following my suggestion and commitment to do the work, two membership drives were held in the past 12 months that worked particularly well for the women, where as the men had a more moderate success. Next I will propose another membership drive and club promotion plan for 12 months, that will get an even better response.



The next point of interest is the club expansion from 14 to 18 holes. This has been in action for the past twenty years and in that time four new holes have been added and two older holes removed. I had written to the committee on the matter earlier in the year and the course development was discussed at the AGM. One proposal brought up was the reduction to a 9 hole course with 18 tees, alongside the same plan that requires additional land to be obtained. The club does have a very solid bank balance but the old plan is going to fail in my opinion. I have since drafted a mud map of the course with 4 new holes on the existing land that can be done. Oddly two of these ‘new’ holes were partially constructed in late 1980 and one tee and green was actually used. Before a club member backlash at it being too hard to play as it was over water off the tee had it taken out of play, I could be wrong. The other is a green situated in the centre of a lake and this was stopped for the similar reasons by a number of members. Fortunately the area was all constructed and all it really needs is a landscaping of the green surrounds a surface and tee to become usable. This is two definite holes ready for completion available after some politicking is done. The next requires an existing par 5 being reduced to par 4 and a par 3 created using the ‘acquired’ land. The fourth is a difficult one as it may not be possible to clear the land due to environmental rulings on land clearance.



Lastly I would like the club to consider establishing a business management plan for the club house, dining, bar and convention centre uses of the club house and course region. At the minute it is run as a typical club with members volunteers to do the bar after comps etc. I have no experience in running a venue but am sure that if a /business professional management plan was established the venue can become an asset that could be improved.





The practise and combined change of shafts on my irons delivered the results in the Robe Village Ambrose. I did not have much to say to the team captain, except I really want us to have a good try at winning. The format was a 5 person Ambrose and our handicap was 7.4, at first glance we had a reasonable mix as well a 6,9,17,19 and 25 handicapper. It worked out well as the group did gel and a team spirit was quickly formed and a bucketload of laughs and fun was had . Best of all the players all did what could be expected the two single digit players dropped a few birdie putts after the rest of us missed, the higher handicappers all had those occasional brilliant shots and we ended up 9 under after 18 holes. Finished in third place after handicap with a 55.4, First Place was 54.3 and second place 54.8.



Sunday was the Robe Village Classic and invitational event for 6 handicappers and under, I spent the day filming the event and do have the winners and all on tape but will follow that up in a later post. The editing is a big job to do in coming days. Did get some great footage of shots and it was a very good trial for the planned Documentary in 2011 at the Southern Ports Tournament.



AUSSIE's YOUNGER DAYS
G’day All, only 3 days to go friends please view my latest film clip and vote if you like it! (You could win a prize from the organisers NSW Australia Day Council for voting TOO!) Oh yeah and pass it on to your friends every vote counts! Thankyou for your time and attention
regards geoff

Create a 2 minute film capturing ' What is the Reel Australia?' Your film should ultimately showcase Who We Are as a nation

Beginning with three flags representing the indigenous people, a state and the national flag, I then recited selected poetry of Australia’s national poet Adam Lindsay Gordon who first captured the utterances of Australia’s forming identity. I chose to use images of monuments to explorers of our nation and immigrants together with a memorial of fishermen lost at sea to highlight the challenge it took to set off to the new lands. Australia is still a young country and the combination of rural and urban life is not hampered by the tyranny of distance as it was no more than a century ago. The view of Lake Albert at Meningie that was shrinking for 2 years, in the space of a month was back to past levels when the Murray began to flow again. Children are the future and being active and having a go is part of the Aussie ethos. Humanity and nature are things Australians do react to and our origins needed action to succeed and that is why I end with another iconic passage of Gordon’s poetry.
Thankyou for your time and attention “Hit ‘em Straight all” Geoff