Still inconsistant

On Monday this week, I took a couple of newer members out on the course as a mentor. The idea was to acquainted them with the basic rules and etiquette. It was a rather cold and windy morning but we stuck it out  and managed 9 holes although it did take us 3 hours, So it was a bit of a slog. I just hope that they both found it useful. In the afternoon there was a divot party, with the intention of tidying and refilling a lot of the divots on the course. This was quite hard work and today I still have a sore back.

Tuesday saw a senior men's open at Ellesmere and so the course was closed all day. I decided to go and play Eaton near Chester, a course that I will be playing in 3 weeks in the EWGA regional final. Unlike Monday it was a glorious day and even though I followed 3 fourballs round the first 9, I didn't let it disturb me and I ended up with 22 points. I had a clear run for the second 9 and despite a couple of iffy shots added another 17 points for a total of 39. I was very pleased that I had played consistently well all round, although in the benign conditions the course was not that difficult. I just hope I play as well when I am there again in 3 weeks time.

So I was feeling confident coming in to this weeks competition, a Stableford. It was another lovely day with very little wind and for the first time this year, the winter clothes were put away and I was able to go out in a polo shirt.  After a bit of practice I headed for the first tee.
The first shot set the tone for the first part of the round, a horrible mishit squirted into a bank just right of the tee resulted in a lost ball. This continued for the first ten holes, I took four from the fringe, on more than one occasion, There was bad luck too, when a shot hit some stones and ricocheted out of bounds.Then on the 11th things changed completely, and for the last 8 holes I played and scored well and finished with a respectable score if not a good one. 

The round.

Hole 1, Awful 6 iron off the tee, shot into a bank to the right of the tee, couldn't find it so teed up again, this time I hit it well and the ball finished 8 feet from the flag, I missed the putt so a  double bogey 5 for 1 point.

Hole 2, Not a great drive but it reached the fairway, I hit a nice 3 wood to about 80yds short of the green, chipped pin high but just off the green, two putts for a bogey 5 and 2 points.

Hole 3, A good drive and an 8 iron to short of the ditch left 130 to the green, pulled a 5 iron and it finished under a tree, I couldn't play a proper chip due to over hanging branches and a bunker between me and the hole, knocked it to the side of the green, but over hit the chip on, missed from 12 feet and then missed the 12nch tap in! so a triple bogey 8, I got 2 shots though so 1 point.

Hole 4, A pulled tee shot, so had to chip down to the green, only found the fringe and 3 putted for a double bogey 5 and 1 point.

Hole 5, Pushed tee shot right into rough but had a lie, thinned a 3 wood, which luckily the ball headed towards a little bridge over a ditch, but it hit the little wall by the bridge and bounced sharp right and out of bounds, played another ball and hit it to just short of the green but chipped too long, missed with the chip back so a blob and no points.

Hole 6, Tee shot again went right, took 3 wood but hit it way right into the rough, hit a 7 iron which finished level with the green but to the left, chipped to the fringe and again took 3 more, for a double bogey 7  for 1 point.

Hole 7, A good drive a little right, didn't quite hit 2nd fully but it finished just short of the green, a chip on and 2 putts for a bogey 5 and 2 points.

Hole 8, Hit the drive way right so couldn't clear the ditch and had to lay up, mishit my 3rd and it only just cleared the ditch a pitch from the rough was short, a chip on and 2 putts for a double bogey 7.

Hole 9, For the first time this season, I hit a good tee shot here, a 9 iron that just ran off the back of the green, left my putt way short but holed from about 12 feet for a par and 3 points.

So thanks to the par at the 9th, I finished the first nine 12 points.

Hole 10, a good drive and a decent 3 wood, left me just to the right of the green but in a hollow, underhit the chip, then overran the hole with the next, first putt to less than 2 feet but I missed the next, so a triple bogey 7 and no points.

Hole 11, A nice long straight drive left about 170 to the green, but as there is a ditch in front and its a par 5 I normally lay up, hoping to leave a nice pitch onto the green, this time however I was frustrated with the round and decided to have a go, I hit a really good 3 wood and it cleared the ditch and finished at the top of the ban, ak chip on and 2 putts for a par 5 and 3 points.

Hole 12, A decent tee shot, but with bunker between the ball and the hole, played a nice chip onto the green and 2 putts for a bogey 4 and 2 points.

Hole 13, Drive went right and behind a stand of trees so could only knock it sideways onto the fairway, a 3 wood finished just short of the green and another chip over a bunker and 2 putts for a double bogey 6, but this was the other hole I get 2 shots on so 2 points.

Hole 14, Hit a 5 iron that landed short and ran to the back of the green, 2 putts for a par 3 and 3 points.

Hole 15, A decent drive and a nice 3 wood, left about 120 to the green, an 8 iron just failed to make the top tier of the green where the hole was but 2 putts for another par and 3 points.

Hole 16, A good long drive but thinned an 8 iron through the green, chipped on and 2 putts for a bogey 5 and  2 points.

Hole 17, A decent drive and a 5 iron left 180 to the green, a good 3 wood stopped just at the top of the bank that leads down to the green, chipped on and 2 putts for a bogey 6 and 2 points.

Hole 18, A mishit tee shot finished at the bottom of the steep bank in front of the green, chipped to the front and 2 putts for a bogey 4 and 2 points.

So despite not scoring on the 10th, I scored 19 points on the back nine for a grand total of 31.

As usual consistency let me down although this time it was mostly on the first nine, instead of scattered throughout the round. The score gave me another 0.1 increase in handicap to 19.7.

The last 8 holes is the standard that I can play to and I should be able to do it throughout a competitive round, instead of just in practice rounds like Tuesday. I am sure that one day I will and I can finally get my handicap moving in the right direction.