18th fairway in foregroundand dunes in the distant background.
Summary
I played on my own. I scored 53 (11 stableford) over the first nine and 45 (18 stableford) over the back nine for a total of 98 (29 stableford). The score and stableford points over the back nine is a personal best, as is the total stableford points. I'm obviously very happy with that.
It was the first time out with my new set of clubs and I may have fared even better if it wasn't for the adjustment. I also started out late after a delay and was a little hurried over the first five holes as I had a very fast 3-ball breathing down my neck (they hopped over to the 10th hole after no. 5 which is the way to play if you're only doing 9-holes on our course). Being late, my regular caddie wasn't available and one Nicholas did a pretty good job.
On checking my handicap on the National Golf Network site, after the game, I realised that under the new competition system I should now be playing off a 23 (handicap = 30), which would have brought my total down to 97 (stableford points unchanged). But I'll leave that be...
More detailed description
The weather was quite nice. A light south-easterly was blowing, it was sunny and mild.
A lot of new & different things today
A lot of things were different for this round - which could have lead to disaster. I actually fully expected a disaster. I had a brand new set of clubs, that I have not hit a single shot with before, I had new golf shoes and a different caddie. I'm also used to teeing off before the first official slot, which makes for an empty course and a relaxed pace. As stated above I was very rushed over the first 5 holes today.
The coastal vegetation on the golf course,as viewed from the 18th fairway, with dunes in the background.
My new clubs For more on my new clubs, click here. This is the first time I put them to the test. In general I'm more than satisfied, actually pleasantly surprised. Although not reflected in my round's score today, I'm convinced that it will assist me in lowering my scores and handicap. I definitely got more distance and have more options out of the rough.
Two clubs stood out for me. The 3-wood definitely has a larger sweet spot than my previous one. I hit much straighter and even my bad shots had significantly better results than with the old wood. The 3-hybrid is incredible. It's my first time playing with a hybrid and it was an absolute pleasure. I'm comfortable playing it out of the rough in lies for which I would previously have resorted to a 5-iron and obviously get more distance as a result. It also plays very sweetly from the fairways.
Mpumi, a wonderful lady, who takes my food order via cell phonefrom the course and has it ready for me shortly after I walk off the course.
The biggest adjustment for me is the Pitching Wedge. My chips were terrible today. The one or two times that I hit it sweetly were great - but it was mostly disastrous. At least it was only the one club. It could have been the case with all of my new clubs. The putter is heavier to what I'm used to , which meant that my weight on puts was often a little out. But I like the putter. I hit one good drive with the 1-wood at 190m, which is a good distance for me. But I'm putting the 1-wood aside until I get a chance to hone it on the driving range. I'm not used to teeing the ball high enough for a driver.
Part of the clubhouse bar.My swing
I use a three-quarter swing for more control, i.e. not a full back swing. However, it is obviously a compromise. I'll probably get much more distance from a full swing and I'm curious to try it out on our very distant driving range. Tampering with something that's not badly broken is dangerous, but what the heck. I did fade some of my balls quite badly and I'd like to see if I can tweak that as well.
Hole by hole
- 'Hugh Kelly'. par 4. score = 6 for 1.
Drew the drive with new 3-wood, but got good distance. Semi-rough, not a bad lie.
I pull my approach shot to the left of the green and end up in deep rough.
My chip is messed up and I need another one to get on the green.
2-put into hole. - 'Hippo's Bath'. par 4. score (stroke 4) = 6 for 2.
Faded drive with new 3-wood, but good distance. Lucky not to be out of bounds, lie close to the fence line, but playable.
2nd shot PW onto the fairway.
3d shot PW, hit a flat shot (in the teeth) over the green with a lie at the foot of the 3d hole's tee...
4th shot PW, hit on the head - wasted shot rolling two metres...
5th shot PW, once again poorly connected, but luckily it runs onto the green.
6th shot, good put into hole, thus avoiding a 7 on this hole. - 'Thalassa'. par 4. score = 5 for 2.
Lovely straight drive with 3-wood. Better trajectory than my normal flat shots - perhaps a bit high in fact. 160m drive. Not incredible, but I'm quite happy considering that I hit the fairway and am in striking distance of the green.
2nd shot with 6-iron faded to the right, but more or less pin-high.
3d shot with PW. Good chip to within a metre of the hole.
4th shot with putter. Line 100% but I get the weight wrong with the heavier putter and the ball pops out of the hole...
5th. Putt in for 5. - 'Atherstone'. par 4. score = 6 for 1.
Nice straight, if low, drive with new 1-wood. 190m drive. I hit the fairway. Best position ever on this hole for me. Open line to the pin, 90m on. - 'Mullins'. par 4. score (stroke 2) = 7 for 1.
Flat, hooked, drive with new driver. Poor shot into rough.
2nd shot with 3-hybrid. Poor direction but very good connection and distance.
3d shot with 7-iron from the rough, ±150m from hole, which is at the end of a long downhill. End up 40m from the hole.
4th shot. Messed up chip...
5th shot. Chip onto green.
Two-put into hole. - 'Happy Valley'. par 3. score = 4 for 2.
1st shot with 7-iron into light south-easterly. Pin high, but approx. 15m left of green. I'm lucky that the ball runs down a slope to within 3m of the green.
2nd shot, PW chip attempt hit the ball in the teeth... but onto the green.
2-put into hole. - 'Shelly Beach'. par 5. score (stroke 6) = 8 for 0*.
* = After entering my score I visit the NGN site to check my handicap and learn that at my present handicap of 30 I should be playing of a 23 (up to now I played of 24) and thus this hole should in fact have been 7 for 0...
Looking back to fairway from 7th green.
Drive with new 1-wood once again, flat, low and hooked. However, the distance is not bad and I end up in the left rough 'two bumps' past the front of the fairway.
2nd shot is my first with new 8-iron, for that matter first with an 8-iron in a very long time as I lost my previous 8-iron somewhere on a course long ago. I hit the ball high... but it rolls onto the fairway at least.
3d shot with 3-hybrid from the fairway. The moment I connect it I know it's going to fade. Good distance and connection, but I end up to the right of the very narrow rough - out of bounds. I suspect I have to look at straightening my swing?
4th shot = drop.
5th shot with 5-iron 40m short of the green into the right bunker...
6th shot with SW roles 2m, still in the bunker. Didn't swing through...
7th shot with SW gets me out of the bunker but short of the green.
8th shot with PW short of the hole = blackout on this hole. - 'Keith Grainger'. Par 3. score = 4 for 2.
Nicholas on the 8th tee, the green is in the distant
background, just in front of a small tea-house.
Drive from elevated position with 7-iron (I think) and end up just onto the front of the green.
Three put... - 'Phillipson'. Par 5. score = 7 for 0.
Drive into bushes with 1-wood...
4th shot not great, but I reach the fairway.
5th shot with 3-hybrid from fairway. Great line and length.
6th shot from approx. 100m out on the fairway, with wind from behind. Full swing with PW. I hit it in the teeth and travel over the back of the green.
7th shot a bungled chip. I blackout on this hole... - 'Whale Back'. par 4. score (stroke 3) = 4 for 4.
Great drive with 3-wood, onto the left of the right sloping fairway - within reach of the green.
2nd shot from fairway with 3-hybrid is pin high, but about 5m to the left and below green.
3d shot an attempted chip with PW. I hit the ball on the head but I'm very lucky that it rolls to within a metre from the hole.
4th shot is a solid put into the hole. - 'Punch Bowl'. par 3. score = 3 for 3.
Perfect drive with 3-hybrid. Straight to the flag, ending up approx. a metre from the green. Probably about a 160m drive - the tee is slightly elevated.
2nd shot is put onto the green, perfect line, but a little soft ending up 40cm short of the hole.
1-put into the hole. - 'Greenmantle'. par 4. score = 5 for 2.
Tee is at the back most elevated location today, 358m from the hole.
Drive with 1-wood is disappointing. I feel the club head shift on impact and suspect that I didn't swing through either. End up approx. 165 from hole, i.e. a 193m drive (from high elevation...)
2nd shot with 3-hybrid from the rough doesn't work well, with ball veering off to the right - almost in the rough again. 50m from the green.
3d shot with PW is well executed and reaches the green.
2-put for 5. - 'Doug Dold'. par 3. score 4 for 2.
Nicholas on the 13th green.
On the caddie's advice I opt for a 5-iron, which I believed would be too short for the 178m to the green. In my effort to extract distance from the ball I force my swing and end up in the rough 50m to the left of the green. The distance was actually OK.
My 2nd shot, PW, is hit in the teeth and ends up against the bushes 30m to the right of the green.
3d shot with PW and virtually no room for a back swing. I improvise a shot angling the club face towards the green but swinging sideways from an angle. It works perfectly and I'm on the green.
2-put into the hole. - 'Southern Cross'. par 5. score 7 for 0
View from clubhouse. Practice green in front.
14th tee just beyond and below, and 14th
fairway stretches out towards the ocean.
Drive with 1-wood is disastrous. I hook the ball into the 13th rough.
2nd shot with 3-hybrid across Milkwood trees works well and I in the middle of the 14th fairway.
3d shot with 3-hybrid from fairway takes me to within 50m of the hole.
From there disaster strikes with my PW and I ring the hole... - 'Graham'. par 4. score = 4 for 3.
At this point I've decided to put away the 1-wood. Drive with 3-wood fades but works very well and hits the fairway. A 200m drive into an uphill fairway, with assistance from a light easterly.
2nd shot. A successful swing with the PW ends up on the edge of the green.
A 30m put ends up within 40cm of the hole and the 2nd put finds the hole. - 'Vroom'. par 4. score (stroke 1) = 7 for 0.
Drive with 3-wood hooked and very low, ends up in the 17th rough. Once again the distance gained is better than a similarly poor execution would have produced with my old 3-wood.
2nd shot with 3-hybrid from the rough not great, it dovetails to the right but at least finds the fairway approx. 80m on. 200m from the pin.
3d shot with 3-hybrid is hit on head and only travels ±55m to within 145m from hole...
4th shot with 4-iron similarly poor shot, but it rolls along the fairway and ends 40m from the green...
5shot with PW again hit on the head, but once again I'm quite lucky and it ends up 3m beyond the pin.
6th shot I put right-side, while caddie actually said 'right-edge' and my well executed shot rolls past the hole.
I miss a short 1m put and ring the hole... - 'Connaught'. par 4. score (stroke 5) = 5 for 3.
Drive with 3-wood is below average and I end up in the left rough, with a fair lie. 140m uphill drive - not great.
2nd shot with 3 hybrid is not well aimed but connected very well, travelling nicely.
3d shot is a good 40m PW, within 3m of the hole.
2-put. - 'Settlers'. par 5. score = 6 for 2.
Drive with 3-wood not well executed. Drawn to the left rough, but distance surprisingly as good as I've ever got on this hole with my old 3-wood.
2nd shot with 5-iron from the rough not to bad, ending on the fairway.
3d shot with 3-hybrid fades into right rough, 80m from the hole, which is not a good place to be on the 18th.
4th shot a full swing with the PW from a very deep rough, ends up 10m short of, and 10m below, the green.
5th shot with PW well executed, ends up 2m from the hole.
I round of the day's play with a good 2m put straight into the hole.
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