Anyone got a flake?

Well as you know I'm missing ten days of golf from Saturday so I squeezed in a quick 18 holes after work today. Things didn't get off to the best start as I duffed my tee shot on the 1stand then overhit my pitched approach, two more shots to get it on the green and two putts for a six.

I hit a solid tee shot on the 2nd and although I duffed my second I put my third within pitching distance. Unfortunately a sloppy 3 putt ensued which meant I scored seven. I hit the green on the 3rd, yet another three putt arrrrgh! Duffed tee shot, recovery into play, third to the fringes, chip putt for bogey...getting better.

Hit my longest ever tee shot on our longest hole, 248 yards with the 3 wood. Finished about 50 yards short of the green after the next two shots but hit a great chip to four feet and sunk the putt for par. Thought I was getting the hang of it, tee shot at the 6th brought me crashing back to earth. Sliced off to the right and two poor chip choices and a two putt saw me land another double bogey. Pants.

Our 7th is a reachable par 5 and I stunned myself my reaching it in two with the hybrid (god I love that club). Eagle? Birdie? Don't be silly three putt par, to be fair it was a long first putt. But I was starting to get into my stride. It wasn't consistent gorgeous golf but I was finding ways to score, bogey, par, par, bogey followed and I found myself 100 yards from our par 5 12th after two shots.

Then I peeked, I know I shouldn't but I couldn;t resist the temptation and looked by early to see where my pitch would land. Cue a nasty thin through the green, lost ball. Arrrrgh!!!! Trudge back to where I took the original shot and score an eight. I was still seething when I teed it up on the 13th and hit a orrible slice onto the tee box of our 4th. To be fair you couldn't get a better lie from a shot that bad and I hit a humdinger to the fringes of the green, 213 yards, get in (seriously this hybrid is amazing). Didn;t hit the best chip and my putt lipped out but to come away with a bogey was nice.

Bad tee shot again on the 14th, lost ball, three off the tee and I scrapped a seven. Bogey on 15 courtesy of another good chip and lipped out putt. Then disaster struck, tee shot out of bounds, reload into gorse, find it drop, pitch to green, catches top lip of bugger, anguish, still in the sand, thin it into the lip, three putts back 10. My entire round ruined, in ashes, over kaput aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrgggggggggghhh!!!! Why me!!!

Now things did take a turn for the worst when I caught up with two three balls that had teed off earlier. I had got into a rhythm but I had to wait wo hit that pitch on the 12th and from that point on my round nose dived as I waited on each hole. I MUST get better at waiting and keeping in the zone. My fault, not good enough.

Anyway back to the round and on 17 I found another greenside bunker and struggled to get out. Seriously, how do you escape compact wet bunkers? Second attempt was in fairness pretty good, got it to two feet and dropped the putt for a five. Another five on the 18th and I finished with...

99!

So I've finally broken 100 but I just can't savour the moment because of that bloody 10, not to mention the shocking and unnecessary 8 on the 12th. But the signs are promising, my chipping is getting better, I have fallen  in love with my hybrid and I'm starting to believe I can score irrespective of where I end up. So a brief break from golf and hopefully firing on all cylinders in the mid month October medal.

I do also have a couple of thanks to two Bobs. Started re reading 'Your 15th Club' by Bob Rotella and managed to adhere to the orinciples up until the 12th and my chipping and putting was much better than my recent performances thanks to Bob McArthur's fabulous V-Easy (if you don't own one I seriously recommend you invest.

99 (71)
6(3), 7(5), 4(3), 5(4), 5(5), 5(3), 5(5), 5(4), 4(4), 4(4), 4(3), 8(5), 5(4), 7(4), 5(4), 10(4), 5(4), 5(3)