Silver and Bronze medalist Masters Games 2011

Silver and Bronze Medalist 2011 Naracoorte Masters Games

The two days golfing in the Naracoorte Masters Games was an effort well worth the time. Playing at a course which over the past month has simply taken my game and thrown it out into the street with the rubbish, did not get any easier during the competition. The positive at the end of the two days, was to see in the scores of the other competitors that it was not only me who the course bettered. In 2010 when I travelled and played other courses the change in my game for the better began in earnest. It was not easy, the lack of experience putting on different greens and especially playing on courses which had trees over 5m made me add a lot more diversity in shot making.



To share the experience with the other competitors was very different to any other golf competition I had been in. Not just an A, B, C Grade Open but split into the age groups it was a change of status, knowing the challenge to beat a single digit handicap player for me was the same as the 20 and 30 handicappers in my age group to beat me. I threw everything I had at the course and was definitely bloodied for the effort. To finish with a Bronze in my age group on the first day after scoring a nett 83 was a surprise. To come home on the final day from a 54 front nine and 44 back nine (nett 84) and be rewarded with the Silver medal for my age group gave me a reality check on how much I truly enjoy playing golf.



The playing partners both complimented me on my good nature and how I was smiling and laughing through the disaster of the front nine, and this did not change as i took the course on and won on the back nine. For me it would have been easy to throw the game, instead I persisted and finally began to come out on top of the challenge. It was flaming exhausting mentally, the front nine was nothing more than poor tee shots and taking two - three shots at the start of a hole before being where one shot would take me usually. The damn trees to the left were not leaping in front of my tee shots I was simply unable to play confident forward shots down the narrow necks to the fairway.



On the back nine I began to drive with the confident charge that previously was in a galaxy far far away. Dwelling on the problems will not be a feature of this post. Nor will how I overcame them. The social side of the Masters games far outweighed the importance of the result, if you are 35 years or older have a crack at the Masters games if you get a chance. To be in a clubrooms as the awards were handed out and hearing the clink of medals round necks in the room was culmination of one of the most satisfying golf experiences I will ever have.

Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em Straight all” Geoff