Monday 3/1/11 First competition round of the new year has been played and the result was excellent. Finishing 2010 with the beginning of consistent form and sub 90 scores derived from the practise and persistence effort, I have been looking forward to the end of the holiday break and getting back on the course. Had my best ever official score off the stick in yesterdays stroke round, getting an 83 gross for a nett 64 with 27 putts for the day. It was a winning score for the competition and the expected revival of my “Handbrake” monicker in the clubhouse. It is all good natured stirring and something I look forward too as it was a little lacking for a few months in 2010 due to my lack of consistent success. Playing off 19 (18.6 exact) Sundays result should have me playing off 18 at least, the consistent effort of the last 4 weeks must recognise the summer conditions have a major influence on the lower scoring.
I am not the official club “Ned Kelly” icon after the weekend. A fellow golfer who had stated that this year he would be playing much less golf is facing true confusion. This bloke had several years ago practised, played and studied his golf with the dedication that only another golfer can understand in the quest to get a single figure handicap. Accepting the fact that he was never going to get below 12 the game has become an occasional social round and playing off a 22 hcp was enjoying his golf. On Saturday playing at Beachport in the New Year Cray Day carded a gross 76 for a Nett 54. Unable to come to the club for yesterday as it was a Lawn Bowls competition day, it is certain that the “Bushranger of 2011” is going to be his title for a long time. You just have to love a game that can come up and bite you on the @rse with a brilliant result as well as disastrous ones.
As is well known among regular readers, my first competition goal in 2011 is to play well and have a crack at winning the “B” Grade of the Southern Ports Golf Tournament. My entry fee and application has been posted and received, already the training regime that was used last season is in practise and with recent results working as well as it did in 2009/2010 also. After the struggle at times to play consistently in the mid-latter part of 2010 it is very satisfying to be realising the improvement in my game now, accepting the problems were nothing more than a transition period.
An absolute believer that there is no quick fix in establishing a golf game even though I knew it was going to be disheartening at times in 2010 did not make the experience any more pleasant. Now that period has past it is without any shame I can admit that the times where my anger exploded during solo practise rounds surprised me. Adhereing to the ‘gentleman’s’ (rules of golf) code of conduct in competition rounds became a focal point in 2010, for two reason not accepting the bad attitude and antics of others and telling them so, also made me even better behaved to prevent the disgrace of being a practising hypocrite.
Sitting here now it is hard to believe that the game I am producing at the minute is as good as it gets. My confidence is still developing after all it is a marked difference between the 25 Handicap for the same time last year and the 18 today. Still it is possible to improve more and that is a must in fact, needing to be able to play consistently to a 14-15 handicap to win the “B” grade of Southern Ports by the start date in the first week on March. Thankyou for your time and attention all, Have a great new year in 2011. “Hit ‘em Straight “Geoff
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