Hillside

Today I played Hillside Golf Club in Southport, in a  day organised bt Golf Monthly. What a superb course probably the best I have played so far. I had a great day and played pretty well but a bit of misfortune on 3 or 4 holes cost me a lot of points. I ended up with 32 points, the winner had 42 but 3rd place only had 35 so I wasnt too far away.
There was a strange incident when leaving the 15th green when a play played his shot too early and nearly hit me, I had to jump away, the guy who played the shot was Kenny Dalgleish! he wasnt playing in our day but along with Alan Hansen was whizzing through us all in a buggy.

The competition was Stableford format.

Hole 1 382yds par 5. I thought I would play safe on the first tee and so hit a 5 iron, I caught it really well and of it soared, sadly my direction was terrible and it soared of the boundary fence onto the railway lines. I hit another off the tee which hit the fairway, followed by a thinned one then a nice 3rd just short of the green, a chip and 2 putts for a 6, sadly made a triple bogey 8 due to the penalty off the tee.

Hole 2 456yds par 5. A reasonable iron off the tee but an iffy 2nd, a decent 3rd then a chip on to the front tier of the green, didnt judge the sloe up to the top tier as 3 putted for a double bogey 7 and 1 point, so off the mark.

Hole 3 332yds par 4. A reasonable drive but in the rough so laid up short of a ditch and 80 yds from the green getting 2 shots here so looking for a good score but topped by chip into the ditch, penalty shot out then hit the chip I should have hit first time onto the green and 2 putts for a triple 7 and just 1 point.

Hole 4 165yds par 3. A tee shot just short of the green, a chip and 2 putts for a bogey 4 and 2 points.

Hole 5 423yds par 5. 3 steady shots to just short of the green, a chip and 2 putts for a bogey 6 and 2 points.

Hole 6.326 yds par 4. A good drive and a 2nd that I thought would be just left off the green but ended up being on the front, 2 putts for a par 4 and  3points.

Hole 7 141yds par 3. A 6 iron to the left handside of the green first putt was woeful and left a good 10 footer which I missed, I leaned over to tap in from 2 inch and only grazed the top of the ball so a disasterous 5 and only 1 point.

Hole 8 347yds par 4. driver a little right luckilt on the top of a mound in the rough, a good second just short of the green, a chip and 2 putts for a bogey 5 and 2 points.

Hole 9 381yds par 5. A great drive and a 5iron to short of the green, a good chip to 2 feet which  I holed for a birdie and 4 points!

So front nine 50 shots for 16 points, a good return following the poor start.

Hole 10 142yds par 3. A nice 6 iron to the left hand side of the green, 2 putts for a par 3 and 3 shots.

Hole 11 481yds par 5.  A good drive from an elevated tee a good 5 iron then a great 5iron put me on the green. 2 puuts for a par 5 and 3 points.

\Hole 12 326yds par 4. A drive too far right found a pond, the water was very shallow and my play was only half submerged to I played it with a sand wedge, I got soaked but hit the fairway 3rd shot hit the green and 2 putts for a  bogey 5 and 2 points.

Hole 13. 326yds par 4. A good drive and second decent 5 iron from the tee but a thinned second left me about 100 yds from the very elevated green 3rd was just short so a chip and 2 putts for a double bogey 6 but got 2 shots so 2 points.

Hole 14 340 yds par 4. A good drive and a good second that I though would be short of the green but actually was pin high but in a bunker, failed to get out with the first then well over the flag with the next followed by 2 putts for a disappointing triple bogey 7 and my first blob since the first.

Hole 15 319yds par 4. A big dogleg, I hit a lovely drive to the top of the dogleg and a good second onto the front of green, overhit my first put then missed the next for a bogey 5 and 2 points.

Hole 16 142yds par 3. A nive teeshot that looked pin high but was actually just off the side of the green, made a mess of the chip, but 2 putts for a bogey 4 and 2 points.

Hole 17 488yds par 5. A good drive but a thinned 2nd. I hit a decnt 3rd to leave about 80 yds to another elevated green, but left the pitch short. chipand 2 putts for a double bogey 7 but got 2 shots so 2 points.

Hole 18 284 yds par 5. Teeshot into rough, decend 2nd but still into the rough. 3rd ran through the green and finished in the rough, messed the chip because Iwas in 2 minds. 2 chip was on but well short and 3 putts for a diappointing triple bogey 8 and no points to finish.

A disappointing repeat of 50p shots and 16 points, I generally played very well on the back nine and the two hole I blobbed I was just off the green and both times took another 5 shots to get down.

So all told 100 shots and 32 points, the wining 3 scores were 42, 36 and 35, so pretty close to 3rd at least. It was a thoroughly brillliant day and a massive thanks go out to the guys from Golf Monthly for the great organisation.