Smiling!

Spring has arrived and I feel blessed that I booked today off two months ago with the specific ambition to play golf. I felt relaxed, happy, confident and had the pleasure of some great company and I think that had a positive effect on my golf. I scored 17 points on the front nine with an unlucky blob on the 5th. I say unlucky because I sliced my second shot a little and thought I knew where it had landed but when I walked up there it had vanished. I dropped another on a line with the gorse bush that I though swallowed it and thinned it in there going for a glory shot. Amidst all that we were trying to let the group behind play through and it all got rather congested so I picked up.

It didn't really affect me that badly, probably because I'd hit one of the best shots in my life off the tee on the 4th. Playing a little bit downwind my two playing partners went first and both belted beautiful drives. I felt inspired by there efforts and the noise at impact told me I'd caught it sweetly. I sailed past both their efforts with a 279 yard 3 wood. To give you an indication of the wind factor the tee shot on the 5th played into the same wind, I hit that almost as well and only got it out to 225 yards.

It felt like things were just clicking into place and all the hard work I had done on my wedge distances was really coming into its own. I hit 24% GIR today and some great approach wedges when GIR was beyond me. As a result I spent a lot of time on the green today, rather than the fringes, which led to a lot of two putts with one naughty three.

I had so much confidence with the 3 wood and though I got lucky with a couple of daisy cutters it proved a solid foundation. That said the two highlights for me today actually came after poor shots/rotten luck. On our 12th I found myself in the rough and my attempt to chip out caught a tree and remained in the right hand rough. It was an awkward lie, ball sitting down and resting above my feet. I hit a great PW to 12 feet allowing for the draw the slope would cause. Though I didn't save par it showed me that I had made progress in my understanding of how to play awkward shots. The second saw my tee shot on the 15th draw a little too  much and travel too far finishing in the gorse. My view was blocked so I took the ball back on a line to 190 yards and then nailed my 5 iron to ten feet. I didn't see it land but my playing partners were suitably excited to let me know I hit a good'un. I came back with 24 points for an overall score of 41 points (85 shots for 17 holes) and cursing my luck I didn't finish the 5th for what might have been a PB.

I'm really happy that all the hard work is finally starting to pay off. I feel more in control and funnily don't actually think I am playing anywhere near my potential. My short game still needs sharpening, my putting could be improved and there are still occasions when I make poor decisions. It's great that my consistency is much better with 3 pars, 10 bogeys, three doubles, one triple and a solitary NR today. Here's hoping I've saved some good shots for Saturday's competition. April medal here I come...

85(66)
5(3), 8(5), 4(3), 5(4), -(5), 4(3), 5(5), 4(6), 4(5), 5(4), 3(3), 6(5), 6(4), 4(4), 5(4), 6(4), 5(4), 4(3)