A mostly poor week.

Monday was the last game in ths season's handicap shield matches and we were home to Whitefield, I was first out after my handicap cut of the week before and I was happy to finish on a winning note coming through a close match by 3&2. The team signed off well with all our players winning for a 7-0 victory, which left our record at won 2, tied one, lost 3. disappointing after winning our league last year, but enjoyable non the less.

It was my first year organising the Ellesmere team and it was certainly challenging and I have learnt that not everyone is as eager as me to play in these matches. It was a struggle sometimes getting 7 players and often I was on the phone the day before desperately trying to get someone to make up the 7 players required. I will have to be better organised next year.

On Tuesday I played in the captain's charity event at the club, in a team very generously entered by the husband of one of the girls I played with. We started very well and had 42 points after the first nine but faded badly on the back nine only scoring 27 points. Personally I played very well but my short putting was abysmal missing 7 times from inside 4 feet, despite this I still scored 87 gross. After the round I hit the practice green and messed about with putting style making a change than seemed to be a lot better, of course time will tell if I putt better on the course.

Thursday's competition was a medal and I couldn't have started better, holing a nice putt for a birdie. Alas, things could only get worse after that and indeed they did. 2 double bogeys followed and then after a par, I went double, triple, quad ruple, before settling back down, although after a decent back 9 I finished with another double. My score of 93 gross, 80 nett was very disappointing but fortunately the competition ended up as being reductions only and so I didn't get a handicap increase.

On to Friday and I played at Northenden, a course I hadn't played before, in the second round of the HowdidIDo knockout. I played against a lovely chap, 78 years old and recovering from a stroke he had had earlier in the year. I didn't start too well and lost the first 2 holes, but after halving the 3^rd with a par, I had a nice run and 3 more pars saw me 2 up after 7.

I hit a great tee shot on the 8^th to around 10 feet and he found the back of the green, but then holed a monster putt for a birdie 2 and I  missed my mine. This started him on a great run that saw  hm play 9 holes in just one over gross. I couldn't live with that and he closed out the match on the 16^th. I hadn't played badly, I was one under my handicap after the 16 holes, however he was 4 under his and deserved the victory.

I have to say I really enjoyed our match and found the members at Northenden to be very friendly, the course was very nice, but to be honest it was a little too flat for my liking.

So this weeks medal round.

Hole 1
I hit a lovely tee shot to 15 feet holed the putt for a birdie 2.

Hole 2

A good drive sadly took a bad bounce and finished in a bunker, I got it out but then left a wedge short of the green, I chipped on and 2 putted for a double bogey 6

Hole 3

Another decent drive and I laid up in front of the ditch but in the rough, I hit a reasonable third but it was too far right,I chipped over the bunker and putted to less than 2 feet but missed the putt, so a double bogey 7

Hole 4

My tee shot was to the right of the green, I chipped to 3 feet and holed the putt for a par 3.

Hole 5

A nice drive but then I pulled my second and it caught he bunker short of the green, I got out and then chipped on, 2 putts gave me a double bogey 6

Hole 6

I hit my drive which felt strange and neither I nor my partner saw the ball, so I had to take 3 off the tee, I this ok and my next finished 50 yards shot of the green, my chip only reached the front of the green and I left my first putt short, then missed with my second so a triple bogey 8.

Hole 7

I hit my drive too far right and tried to just miss the trees with my second but didn't hit the ball well and it finished under a the tree, I knocked it out but then fluffed the next into long rough and never found the ball, so I had to play another, this time I chipped on and took 2 putts for a quad bogey 8

Hole 8

My drive was a little short and in the rough, I cleared the ditch but then missed the green with my 3^rd, so chipped on and 2 putted for a bogey 6

Hole 9

I hit my tee shot left, but chipped to 3 feet and holed for a par 3

So after a great start, 5 poor holes in the next 6 meant 49 for the first nine holes

Hole 10
Again my drive was high and short, a good 2^nd was short of the green, I chipped on and 2 putts gave me a bogey 5.

Hole 11

A good drive then I laid up, my 3^rd found the front of the green but my first putt was short and I missed the next so a bogey 6.

Hole 12

I hit my tee shot shot right of the green, and my chip was thinned to the back of the green, I then chipped to a foot and holed for a bogey 4

Hole 13

Another short drive and then I hit my second to the right of the green behind trees, I tried to chip passed the trees but hit a branch, I then chipped to about 15 feet and holed for a bogey 5

Hole 14

I found a bunker in front of the green, got it out but only to the bank of the bunker, I then chipped to 2 feet and holed the putt for a bogey 4

Hole 16

Yet another high short drive, then hit my 2^nd a bit thin and left a 6 iron to the green, I pulled it a bit left but chipped to 8 feet and holed the putt for a par 5

Hole 16

Finally a nice drive and then I found the green with a wedge, then 2 putts gave me a par 4

Hole 17

I hit a good drive then laid up a little short, I hit 3rd way right and my 4^th only reached the top of the slope down to the green, I chipped to 5 feet and holed the putt for a bogey 6

Hole 18

I hit a nice tee shot but it was to the right and found a bunker, I got out but over the green, so chipped on and 2 putted for a double bogey 5.

44 shots was better than the 49, but still too many for my new handicap, The one bright spot was my putting, despite 3 putting twice, I did have 8 single putts. I just need to putt like that when I am hitting the ball well.