My Life (Sub 80)

Seves Three Iron

I read 'Dream On' and 'Bring Me the Head of Sergio Garcia!' a few years back. I can never remember which one was which. Enjoyed them both.

Just two small criticisms; they often sell these sort of books/challenges as 'a complete useless guy trying to be a pro', or some such 'rags to riches' type pitch. But when you read a few pages in you almost always find out that they were good young players, or hit a decent level at some stage. Like, teaching a 30 year old to play hurling to any decent level would be tough. But teaching a 30 year old, who hasn't played hurling since he was 15, would be an awful lot easier.

The other thing was that one of them kept referring to Seve and making up imaginary comments in a mock Spanish accent. Think it was the Dream On book. Most annoying. Both books worth a read tho.

FixdePitchmark

Spacecoyote and Seve’s3I

Yes that is the one, thanks Spacecoyote you stuck it in my head and the experience he had, whilst mine not as extreme, was so similar – glad I read it after.

Seves3I , I guess you didn’t like him mocking you (lol). Yes that is the one, it was annoying. I guess he tried to introduce a bit of second person narrative and a bit of humour, it didn’t work and was a bit corny – but who am I to criticise corny.

I agree Seve he was far from a hacker, he was a member of Portstewart as young lad, so no novice. But, fair play, still a great achievement.

Out tonight for the last big session of the Christmas (Thank God), annual college thing, I use these opportunities to convert my hurling and GAA and soccer friends into golfers.

Hit the range today and was delighted that after two sessions I was back to my best, hitting it fantastic. But – the course is where I need to hit next.

Was planning a session with a pro for an NCT, but could work out that I had reverted to bad casting of the club. I fixed it in 20 – 30 balls , great to be able to fix your own swing. I then hit ever single club in the bag , Hybrid, Driver, all wedges and every shot was near perfect. The best session in the range I can remember.



I was driving away in car, thinking. It would be an awful waste all I have done, to not drive on and improve. I hit the putting green yesterday and it is even way better than a year ago. I’ve a short game lesson lined up.

I’m not 100 % happy the with the way I played the day I had a 79. Great back nine, but it was no where near the way I played over parts of the year . I had 36 ,a 37 a 37 a few 38s. I would have loved to have had 2 good nines over the year.

I’m not saying I’m incapable of being happy, I am and had moments of pure bliss, I’m not saying I can be scratch or a low handicap player or have the time for that – but I know I have 2 good nines in me. I guess we all have anything we want in us.

New Year always causes people to come up with crazy dreams and false resolutions.

God, would I ever just go away.

Holy Diver

Seves Three Iron wrote: »

I read 'Dream On' and 'Bring Me the Head of Sergio Garcia!' a few years back. I can never remember which one was which. Enjoyed them both.

Just two small criticisms; they often sell these sort of books/challenges as 'a complete useless guy trying to be a pro', or some such 'rags to riches' type pitch. But when you read a few pages in you almost always find out that they were good young players, or hit a decent level at some stage. Like, teaching a 30 year old to play hurling to any decent level would be tough. But teaching a 30 year old, who hasn't played hurling since he was 15, would be an awful lot easier.

The other thing was that one of them kept referring to Seve and making up imaginary comments in a mock Spanish accent. Think it was the Dream On book. Most annoying. Both books worth a read tho.

Reading Dream On at the moment and have to say those two things are quite annoying alright.

I think he was sub 80 in his teens or something and wasn't playing regular golf for a while before taking up the challenge. Not quiet a 100+ hacker after all like...

That imaginary Seve thing is v annoying as well.

Btw well done FDP

Seves Three Iron

I do the odd book meself and pitched an idea to my publisher last year of; 'How would a 9-5 guy fare as a touring pro'. The thesis would be trying to get from current handicap, 5, to 2 to try out for Europro tour (amateurs off 2 or better can try to qualify for Europro) while holding down a demanding job. Looking back it was perhaps impossible. Thank God they knocked me back. Had a kid and wrote a different book in that year instead! Point is that I would have been telling the truth, not claiming to be a hacker breaking par or some such.

FixdePitchmark

I've decided to go for a score of 76 and extend thread.
Mad Mad Mad to the power 76.

ForeRight

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I've decided to go for a score of 76 and extend thread.
Mad Mad Mad to the power 76.

Kace

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I've decided to go for a score of 76 and extend thread.
Mad Mad Mad to the power 76.

You're kidding....Book out in 2014 ?

Loire

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I've decided to go for a score of 76 and extend thread.
Mad Mad Mad to the power 76.

Good man

Milkers

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I've decided to go for a score of 76 and extend thread.
Mad Mad Mad to the power 76.

FixdePitchmark

Since the completion of the N11/M11 all the coastal Wicklow towns are now bypassed, the great towns of Bray, Greystones, Wicklow, Arklow – roads like the R761 and R750 are no longer part of the passing Dub’s life. What great roads they are. I was off for a few days with the family before the rat race restarts. I just kept driving (kids having a nap) and searching for the great courses on that coast. You see why The Garden County is so well named. It occurred to me, that you would have an unbelievable golfing holiday by never leaving Wicklow. Could Wicklow be the home of Irish golf ? I’m only in these parts over the last few years – I may have found my new golfing holiday home.

I had taken a bit of time out from golf and was interested to see how the game would be. I was in Druids Glen Resort for a few days and hit 9 holes each day on Druids Heath. I didn’t have enough time to play Druids Glen –decided to come back on a day with no time constraints. I played ok both days, but the putting and short game is a bit rusty. The long game and driving have improved – 42 day, 43 day 2.

I’ve put up a school report (bit of fun) , where I feel I’m at – I know it is subjective , but I need to be honest with myself. Shooting 76 or lower requires a level of detail; I have never really worked at. As it is sort of bull doing it myself, I hope to go out with a pro or a great player and get him to mark up my report. Interesting to see where I think I am, versus where I actually am in the eyes of a pro.


Report card End 2012


Driving 70% (You don't hit it 300 yrds but, good sometimes)
Irons 65% ( Room to improve , just let the club do its thing)
Wedges 60% (going the right direction now)
Chipping 55 % (more homework in this area on the way)
Putting 50 % (Smoking behind bike shed for that class)
Course Mgmt 60% (Keep listening to GreeBo - hope yet)
Mental side 40% (Yes Is)
Fitness 50% (Thank God Christmas is over)


The 15th and 18th today are good examples of where my game is:

15th ( Short par 5) Great drive, 6 iron into green side bunker, thin bunker shot into rough , chip out to edge of green , fail to get up and down – 7 (double)

18th Great drive over trees, 108 yards in, good S/W to 7 feet, missed putt for birdie –score a par.


On the 17th green, I looked out to the Irish Sea, what a view. What an Animal of a golf course – very hard course in the wind. It is long, the greens are near impossible – I have nothing but admiration for the lads that are single figures out of that place. It was built at a time when there seemed to be no limitation to what people dreamed up. It is built across large hills and is a very tiring walk. I actually felt a bit unfit walking around the place, which is something I also need to think about, I should not be getting injuries at my age. But, I was hitting too many balls on the range and too many big swings.

So, I’ve decided to drive on and try improve again. I felt I had done the hard work and have learnt from my mistakes. I know that I spent 80 % of my practice the last time around on the long stuff and my swing – it is about reversing that now and learning how to get the ball in the hole and building confidence.

The main reason I wanted to go on , was the fact that I had not put together 18 holes that I was happy with , I know I won’t have 18 perfect holes, but 2 good nines is what I would like. I also felt that I had not played as well as I would have liked on my 79. I just feel I have more in me. I also considered what people said, that if I had set my goal lower, would I have scored lower. Should you set your target at more ambitious level.

The Positive Bit

I’m very lucky that I have the support of my wife and have time outside of family time to do this – I have pros now I can go to, I’m not afraid to ask questions now. When I started the (Sub 80) thread, I had never even had a lesson and was a bit intimidated in that setting. I know who to go to and how to improve now; I know some of the practicalities and logistics of this. I have better equipment starting off, I have help on Boards.

I hope to score 76 or under by the end of the summer - I would hope to do it earlier. Perhaps 76 is not ambitious enough again, but if I do things right I’ll undershoot that with ease. If………………………….

I got back to the hotel room, I was looking out at the signature par 3 12th on Druids Glen with my little girl, the winter enabling a view through the trees, golfers are mad. Shot upon shot, hitting the water or trees or short or too long, only 1 in 4 (at best) looking like a par is even on. Most dropping a ball before water hazard after landing in water, then not committing to chip, then going back into water due to a fat chip. Why oh why do we play this game.

There’s me saying golfers are mad (the irony), looking at all the different practice strokes and head drops and styles and mistakes and great players and lack of routines – I would have sit there for hours and watched , my daughter wanted to go swimming and “play golf”, the trance was interrupted – back to my real life.

I know now, I’m looking to be that 1 in 4 golfer who can par that hole and most of the other holes. They are “The Special Ones” who get to that level, I know I’m not a long term single figure golfer, I’m just hoping to gate crash their life for a day

ROS123

always an interesting read....

FixdePitchmark

No golf on the east coast of Dublin at 0830 hrs this morning. Did not look too bad, but the more northern I went, it dropped from 3, to 2 to 1.5 oC. When I hit Corballis, it was a sight to behold, fairways and greens all white, with flags the only element of the course distinguishable.

I was just about to turn around, when I seen the car park packed, golfers breathing a heavy fog – the answer would be in the latent heat of ice. The temperature difference not favourable.

Amazing, there were 3 lads on the first green, was laughing, saying, "I guess they are not hitting white balls". A giddiness amongst everyone, a male giddiness, you only come across when you know you are doing something that is crazy.

I’m not the most experienced of winter golfers and was sure that there would be no play due to the possible damage to greens, but the word from the greenkeeper was it was only “surface”, surface ice, but unusual to play in my eyes. The yellow balls were selling like yellow balls would. Away we go, in the golf in thin snow.

I was not expecting too much, considering the conditions, so was delighted to be only 2 over after 6. The frost was funny, every 200 yards you would need to bang your shoes to take the compacted stuff off, the wheels of the trolley too. On the first green, my putt was 10 feet short. When I examined the ball, it was like the beginning of a snow man as it was starting to form a small ice ball on its short journey to the hole. Amazing – but funny too.

It is a pity, as it was so still, the air was so clear and it was stunning. By 1100 hrs, it was almost clear, except in the shadows of the deeper dunes. I was happy with my irons, my driving was great. My putting and chipping poor. I have this pull that comes into the odd iron that I need to solve, but if I can get the putting and chipping back I could have a real good round soon. I only hit 4 drives all day, all good drives, very long and straight.

It was a great day to relieve a bit of stress. My Dad has been in hospital and required an emergency operation – it was touch and go. He gave me everything in life. The amount of times we got a dart or a bus to play public golf. There is not a chance you would think of doing that these days. He made it through it. He has lived a great life and has told me he has nothing left to do. I told him, I need to shoot a 72, he laughed.

I was happy to finish 11 over par, was a good bounce back into the swing. I’m heading off now to talk to my Da, about my day on a white golf course, I’m so glad to tell him a golf story he has never heard. I’m so glad to be able to talk to him again.

I finished the day with a walk across the Wooden Bridge in Dollymount and past Royal County Dublin with the kids, every time I walk past that place, I get a funny feeling. I just can’t put my finger on it. I have a sense that the place has a role in my golf story, this golf story perhaps - I must hit it soon and get rid of the curiosity.

The first day of the year, that I seen a hint of light after 5 pm. I asked my son (6) what did he think of the sky? “It is a cut of light and a cut of dark”. I was amazed, don’t know where he got that from, they would amaze you sometimes kids.


Round Summary

1 Birdie
3 Doubles
6 Bogies
3 3 Putts
3 pulled mid irons, costing doubles
1 fat chip



Plan

Short Game lesson (1/2 day booked)
Putting practice for one hour before next round.
2 more rounds this week
Driving range once, work on pull – or go to pro with it.

spacecoyote

Sorry to hear about your dads turn, best wishes to yourself & himself. Things like that help give a bit of perspective to things

FixdePitchmark

So an 81 today, 10 over. Rained all day, golf was slow out there today. Did the hour practice before my game and could see how poor the putting was. I was missing 1 out of 3, 4 foot putts , and missing 2 in a row 3 foot putts sometimes, just awful. Tends to be a pull. The rain was a pain in the ass. I’ve never been a fan of rain golf; I have a tendency to watch the weather. But, for what I’m doing, have to ignore that now. I’ve better equipment these days. Have everything I need to stay dry. The only thing I noticed was how wet my glove was at 13. I was thinking I could change the glove. Then laughed and said, “Jaysus”, your not that good, you just topped your last 6 iron. Maybe that was the wet glove (no, ).

This top is a bit of a worry, it is a bit embarrassing, it can be on a 6 iron down. Perhaps it is more a duck hook sometimes, something still not right with weight transfer or shoulder turn or hips. No point me guessing, I need a pro to see it. I look like a very high handicap golfer when I do it and then can go 4 holes paring in a row. I definitely have playing partners scratching their head.

Hit the flag on 11 from bunker for a near eagle, pity, greedy, but I want an eagle now (lol). I’m driving the ball so well, an eagle is on at some stage, on a short par 5. It is not important, but if you want to shoot in the 70s you should be able to hit two good long shots in a row at some stage.

So plenty of problems, but still 10 over. It is an odd thing that the putting was better on the round. Still missed a 5 foot putt for birdie - terrible. A couple of other 6 and 7 foot putts missed too. Horrible, to miss a birdie from under 6 foot. All that hard work and two great shots for nothing.

My GIR figure was very low today only 6, but some just off edge. I’ve a feeling my putting was not as good as it sounds and it was more a case of good up and downs from off edge – I need to look at a different putting stat perhaps ?

So work on putting , work on short game. Some fat shots from 40 to 60 yards. Investigate duck hook / pull / top.

I sound like a total hacker when I write it all down – don’t know how I’m scoring 10 over.


Summary


Strokes 81
Putts 28
GIR 6

Shots Causing lost shots

Topped 5 iron on 2 resulted in bogey
Duck Hook Drive at 7 resulted in double
Pulled PW on 8 resulted in bogey
Pulled 8 Iron on 9 resulted in bogey
Topped 5 iron 12 resulted in bogey
Fat wedge on 14 resulted in bogey
Pulled 6 iron on 17 resulted in bogey

Loire

If I shot an 81 I'd be delighted...just shows how far you've come. :cool:

Don't worry about the putts...keep practicing and enjoy walking up to the green next time.

FixdePitchmark

Loire wrote: »

If I shot an 81 I'd be delighted...just shows how far you've come. :cool:

Don't worry about the putts...keep practicing and enjoy walking up to the green next time.

Thanks Loire.

Was thinking about that too - I even did enjoy the rain (a little bit). Odd. But yes, a bad hole now is a double. I can recover from the bad shots now and get a bogey - last year a bad hole was an 8 maybe a 9. There is a little water hazard on the course, I would be in that once or twice per round. I would be having 3 or 4 3 putts. I would be 1 or even 2 balls O.B.

I'm starting the round well, 2 over after 7 today. This was a real weak point last year.

Plenty of positives.

But I need to set higher targets now - I need to be under 80 again. I need to be 1 over after 6, not aiming at 2 over.

That is a nice little target now , +1 after 6. I had a 40 yrd chip on first to be in for birdie , ended that hole with a struggling par. I topped a 5 iron on 2 and topped a 6 iron on 3 - that is not good enough. Much work needed.

FixdePitchmark

One of the lads here gave me a tip a while back, I was fixated on the numbers, so he told me to beak the round up into 3 rounds of 6. If you have made a balls of the first 6. You forget that and try par the next 6.

So a new little target was to go +1 for six holes. I’ve done this in the past, as I have had a level par on 9. So I wanted to get back to a decent 6 hole score.

Standing on 7th tee box – 7 over, I was thinking. What a fool, thinking you are getting somewhere only yesterday, golf makes other plans whilst men dream. I decided to give it a go on the next 2, 6 hole sections. A restart.

It had all started bad on the first , A1 position with 102 yards in,nice 52 deg , but I was aiming at pin and the wind was stronger than I expected ended up with a double bunker shot and a 3 putt – 8 on the first (par 5). Me bull****ting yesterday about 8 and 9s gone from the card. It was a jump out of the car and play day –could be something in that.

I started to relax a bit more on 7th, I was hitting the ball well and made sure I had a slight tilt of shoulders to avoid this duck hook (You Tube) I Know!. I don’t know if it was that, but I was more relaxed and distracted from destructive swing thoughts.

So 4 over on the next 6. (ok)

Then it all clicked from 13 on. Played the best golf of the year (same sort of level as Carton house), Birdie, Bog, Par, Par, Par, Par. It should have been way better, 6 foot birdie missed on 17, 5 foot putt Birdie missed on 18. I should have been happier leaving – I was happy, but you can’t miss two Birdies like that in a row. Both pulled putts.

I walked straight over to the putting green. Putted for an hour. Something is wrong. I seem to be too tense, too much body movement. It is strange because my long putting can be good.

Anyway – a good week of work – A week off now, the putting mat for a week and more short game work. I made great progress with chipping today. Went back to 52 deg for plenty of shots, held the club lighter and got a little bit more weight on left hand side. The stuff I knew in the past, had just got a bit trapped on the right hand side. Chipped in on index 1 for Birdie that was a great feeling. Jaysus, I could easily have had 5 birdies today – we all say we could have, the golfer’s could have.

Summary

Score 83 (front 45 – back 38)
Putts 32
GIR 7

Bad shots and decisions

Played for pin with wind from left on first
2 Bad Bunker shot
Bad Putting on first 6 holes
Hooked 6 iron, resulted in O.B
Bad 3 putt on 8th
Very bad missed putt for Birdie on 17

From Now On - The Good Points

Great Driving , very long , plenty of fairways
100 yrds to 160 yrds very good, great release and control.
Hit two draws to hold against wind and hit greens both times
Chipping improved, chip in at index 1
Good club choices on many holes – in birdie range on 5 holes
No more thread for a few weeks (lol)
The Indian I had after was “Unreal”.

Next Week

Putting
Short Game
Work on hook problem
Join a club – about bloody time.

mafc

Keep it up Fdp it's only a matter of time when you will shoot sub 80 again....

Just checked my records and realised I have been sub 80 twelve times out of thirteen..... & that was an eighty. Brute force & ignorance with a good short game has paid dividends .😄

FixdePitchmark

mafc wrote: »

Keep it up Fdp it's only a matter of time when you will shoot sub 80 again....

Just checked my records and realised I have been sub 80 twelve times out of thirteen..... & that was an eighty. Brute force & ignorance with a good short game has paid dividends .😄

Great shooting - you should have done this thread . Yes feel a big round coming very soon. In or around plenty of Birdies - I know i don't need Birdies, but means you are in the right place.

Trying to work out if a pro would do a minor adjustment or feck me up if I go to one.

GreeBo

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

15th ( Short par 5) Great drive, 6 iron into green side bunker, thin bunker shot into rough , chip out to edge of green , fail to get up and down – 7 (double)

He has eyes but cannot see, ears but will not listen...

FixdePitchmark

GreeBo wrote: »

He has eyes but cannot see, ears but will not listen...

Your hard man GreeBo - I'm 76% better this year , but want an eagle at the moment - can we not have a greedy or dream moment - I can hear, but want to live.

Meanwhile GreeBo 180 yards out - wedge to 100 yrd- Wedge to 6 feet, Walks away with Birdie.

Eddie the Eagle Spa Edwards ends up with a double.

Greebo laughs, a single figure golfer, but one day the pupil will show the teacher a lesson.
I wake up to an alarm going off, dream over.

FixdePitchmark

“As he stuck the fifth needle in my arse, I screamed like a little girl”.

Bending down in work to pick up an 80 kg milling machine tool bit ( aka a 30 gram computer mouse), I felt something go, Jesus what was that. It felt like I pulled something. As the day progressed, sitting was a problem, then standing, then sneezing.

My own fault, I was hitting too many balls and the core work that I need to do for my back had gone on the back burner. I’d put on a bit of weight over the Christmas too. Mistakes, mistakes – I had expected not to be making the same mistakes again this time around.

As I was lying on the physio bed, the 5th needle was stuck in my arse, “nerve and disc problem”. Should be ok but lay off for 3 to 6 weeks. “What!”.

It is only when, something that you are doing, that you love, is taken away, that you realise how much we take our health for granted. Or anything for that matter.

It is a pity, I was working on fitness, had great plans to work on strength, my top / hook was coming around, I had just finished signing up for a club, had short game lessons booked, had a game with a few Boards lads booked. All gone or in doubt.

Ah , a bit of drama . Hopefully I’ll be back on the course in a month or sooner with more needles in my rotund behind. A bit of core work and back to my stretching exercises. A close call, a warning (I hope).

I guess, I know for sure now. I’m still hitting too many balls, too many of the big shots – the mistakes I was not expecting to make this time around.

The night before in the range, I saw a lady playing, who had just taken up the sport in the bay next to me. She was milling the ball, an ex tennis player, she told me. It was funny the determination and tennis player grunt she was making. We got talking; she said the range was great, quick and sociable. We got talking about golf, I told her she will have no problem with speed, but just concentrate on an easy swing to start. I’m not one to go around offering advice like the auld lad in Leopardstown, lol.

I was swinging away after, with an 8 iron, hitting it as easy as I could, amazing how a well struck shoot does not need to be forced – it was just beautiful to see the ball soar into the night sky – just past the 150 mark.

So, the words I had said to that lady, sunk home on the night, it was like I pre-empted my injury. I just did not expect it would be off the range or course.

So – I’ll try stay positive. The needle s**t is mental, feel improved after one go. There is too much at risk to make that mistake again. What would I do without golf now – I was hoping this golf was with me for life. Warning taken, sorry golf Gods.

“aaahhh me arse” .

The Chinese and their crazy needles. I’m opening my mind to things and ways, that I don’t understand.

m r c

It's simple fdp be 'sh*t hot putting' when you go back. Nothing like a little lay off the full swings to sharpen ones putting stick.

FixdePitchmark

m r c wrote: »

It's simple fdp be 'sh*t hot putting' when you go back. Nothing like a little lay off the full swings to sharpen ones putting stick.

Thanks, was thinking that- when i can stand straight, i will spend a full month on the 7 foot Mat - could be a good thing - Overly positive perhaps.

Seves Three Iron

Back pain is truly evil. I've been off golf for 5 weeks now with it. Have a long-term problem with bulging disc and stretched the bejaysus out of it on Christmas week. In Beaumont the last cpl of weeks with specialists and latest suggestion is a load of physio. If that doesn't work it's knife time. Yikes.

Hope yours clears up soon. Nothing worse than that electric shot feeling.

FixdePitchmark

Seves Three Iron wrote: »

Back pain is truly evil. I've been off golf for 5 weeks now with it. Have a long-term problem with bulging disc and stretched the bejaysus out of it on Christmas week. In Beaumont the last cpl of weeks with specialists and latest suggestion is a load of physio. If that doesn't work it's knife time. Yikes.

Hope yours clears up soon. Nothing worse than that electric shot feeling.

Were you playing golf Seve ?

Thanks. I think that you are on my eventual road.
My problem is a birth weakness, i can imagine someone saying dont play golf at some stage.

But my own fault. Stopped exercising and played too much.

Best of luck fingers crossed. Yes strange feeling.

Rikand

Once you have the back sorted by the first boards golf society outing

Seves Three Iron

Aye, hit a 5 iron and felt that familiar shock up the base of the back! Bent over for next 2 wks. I first damaged it in '07, playing footie/road running. Been battling it since. Seems to be getting worse unfortunately but ya never know....

As you say, proper exercise might help.

FixdePitchmark

In pub, down 2 prov1s so far. Great Dublin trad live , Cluxton on the wall.
Golf on tv.
Dublin is class. When you know where to go.

Forget all for the night, spin back to life in the morning.

Musical affair plays.

FixdePitchmark

In pub, down 2 prov1s so far. Great Dublin trad live , Cluxton on the wall.
Golf on tv.
Dublin is class. When you know where to go.

Forget all for the night, spin back to life in the morning.

Musical affair plays.

dirty auld town now