Boards Golf Society 2023 (Round 3) Arklow (15th Apr @11:40am)

Thanks a million @SEORG

I may start charging you for the psychology lessons @Snackbox20 ...and may start practicing what I preach too😂😂😂😂😂

Another great day with boards. To start, thanks to Pakman for the chauffer drive down, the trip flew by with good chats up and back.

Arrived in the gates to blue skies and glistening sea, looked like a great day ahead

Had the company of @slave1 , @kieran. and @kev_s88 3 sound lads who've I've played a few times with over the years. Bit of craic on the first tee, with some slagging over handicaps (how @charlieIRL can be saying someone has a bandit handicap is beyond me 😆)

@kieran. was coming off the back of a great round in his home course, so announced he would be brought back down to earth. He had some highs, but also some lows, with the driver giving some pain. Hit some cracking long irons, with a beauty into the 9th green, and some big hits down some of the par 4s. Some lovely texas wedges too around the greens. Found a few of these kind of spots though, which makes life difficult:

@slave1 is a lovely steady golfer. Has all of the required elements to score, but wasn't quite there today. Every time he steps up to a putt I feel like he's going to make it. Wedges maybe let him down a little, but a great approach to the NTP, and an "eagle" to finish, with a lovely 15-20ft putt were highlights. Couple of knockdown off the tee hurt his game.

@kev_s88 is one of the steadiest golfers in the society I think. As he said himself, keep knocking in 30-ish point rounds and you're there or thereabouts for the jug team. Couple of loose tee shots made him work hard, which he did, hitting some great distance approaches. His wedge game was lovely all day, but like me in Rosslare, the putter seemed cursed. Left everything dead but nothing dropped.

As for me, I came in with no real expectations. Have been playing OK, but not spectacular. Lesson from a month ago feels more comfortable now, so hopefully trending the right direction. Have been solid tee to green, but chipping and putting has been unpredictable.

Thankfully they were working well yesterday, particularly the putter, making a lot of putts in the 10-15ft range. 1 3-putt on the last hole.

Started bogey-birdie, then a run of 5 pars to be level through 7. On 8, hit 3w, found a nice ball size hole (not a plug mark unfortunately). Tried to thump it out, to no avail. Then approach landed behind a rake in a hidden bunker off the right of the green, no stroke on the hole and couldn't get up&down, so a scratch. Onto 9 and hit a solid hybrid which found an interesting lie after kicking left off the green

Got it on the green and made a bogey, just missing the par putt, to turn with a solid 19 points.

Bounced back with 2 pars to start the back 6, and was ticking along steady. Found a fairway bunker off the tee on a long par 4 into the wind which resulted in a double, and ball on the index 1 trickled into the water from a slightly heavy approach for another double. Finished with a 3 putt "birdie" for 14 points back and 33 points for the 16 holes.

Lots of good golf with a couple of blips.

Well played to Pakman and Snackbox to take the top 2 prizes, great scoring on the day.

The two closed holes look like they're tough holes, but they were in a bad state, so weren't suitable to play.

Really enjoyed the day, sound lads in the pro shop. A jump up to 2nd in GOTY, need to keep pushing that Golfgraffix lad to retain my crown.

See ye all in Slieve Russell. Slave was singing its praises, so looking forward to it.

I think you are right @bobster453 , there's also a few other boards golfers who I owe fees for lessons, tips, and Bob rotellas 😂😂😂😂😂

And worse(r) again..I owe @tigerwoods a fiver😂😂

I called off the men in black for now but interest will be charged at a euro a day 😎.

I was playing with Bigchap and Roadrunner, two of the bigger hitters in our society so when i piped one off the 1st tee i was able to walk with pride down to what i thought was my ball in the middle of the fairway and as i turned around and looked at the lads 30yrds back in the rough i could see the lads scrathing their heads as to why a shorty like me was so far ahead🤣. Unfortunely my joy was short lived when i realised it was big chaps provisional and i had to endure a 40yard walk of shame back to my ball.

After scratching the 1st i settled down and birdied the second which started a run of five holes that i actually played some proper golf which i hav'nt done for some time.

It was'nt long before reality hit with a few more scratches but overall i was very happy with how i played and really enjoyed the day. Have to say i loved the course and variation in types of holes makes for very enjoyable day of golf, i will be making a bee line to play there again.

Second time in a row to play with big chap this season and he is playing some great golf ,it won't be long before he hits the winners cicle.

Roadrunner played well and cracking the jokes as usual but i have to blame him for convicing me to have my Van de Velde moment on the par3 13th🤪

Thank god i listened to big chap who talked me into wearing the waterproofs🤣.

Evening fellow golfers, finally getting the post round analysis down on paper. Started out in the road bright and early, it was roughly a 2hr drive up to another new course to me Arklow Links. The sun was ag "spalpadh go hard" as the hopefully speak in the Gaeltacht and it was a good sign that it was going to be sunny one on our final links outing. I had the little nerves on the drive up as my start to boards has not been my best golf as I had a right dose of the Sonia's and even Paula Radcliffe's ( Sonia will run, Paula doesn't run far and is a shot worse than ****) so I had made some improvements at the range, and played well with the team in a champagne scramble in West Waterford last week.

On the way up, which is a road I should be all to familiar with the twat-nav directed me to mullinavat off the M9, I knew I should have stayed on N25 and gone via New Ross bypass onto Enniscorthy. I quickly turned around and got back on the road for New Ross and arrived at the links nice and early. The course looked lovely from the balcony of the clubhouse what a view. As I was early, the first golfer I met was @bobster453 , we had a quick catch up and bobster offered a small fix about my swing and also made a very close prediction that a 34/35 might be the number. After getting the few bits for the round at the pro-shop, I hit the nets and followed another lesson by another member. @benny @benneca1@benny79 told me before any round, hit or swing your heaviest club (my 52°) 30 times before a round. So it was those and a couple of 7i too. I also finally got the opportunity to say hello to @BigChap1759 , (there are still members that I must get to know) and that was where I was paired up yesterday with 3 golfers, I was playing with for the 1st time. As I made my way over to the 8th tee, which I thought was the 1st, I saw a group of 3 heading up the path, 11:50? The tall chap with sunglasses said that's us. I had the pleasure of playing with @SEORG , @boccy23 , and @weapon of grass destruction . A great group and great chats on the round. Seorg is playing off 5 and had a mighty swing off the tee, when he hit the sweet spot on the driver, it was a mile. Unfortunately Seorg had not much outings so was a little rusty, and some shots let him down. Boccy is a nice golfer too, I noticed on a lot of his shots yesterday his 2nd shot was always struck nicely. Weapons, also nicknamed "Weapons of ball destruction" had some bombs off the tee, but there other shots that got away from him yesterday too. We had great chats and craic on the course, even had the football scores between the holes 😁

I couldn't believe how well the golf went for me yesterday, the nerves were on me on the first tee, that and my new diagnosis of slight IBS too (but under control and all good) my first got away nicely and got up and down for a 5. There were still a top or two in the round, but I found recovery on my next shot. On the first par 3 aptly named the punch bowl, I scored a 2 with a very long bump and run 8i for a lovely 2. I was hitting my driver, hybrid, and felt really good around the greens. The course reminded me in some ways of when I played Mulraney on Achill, it had similar fairways but still elements of links landscape in around. The greens in Arklow had so many hills and andulating lies, they were a great challenge

When it came to totting the cards, I was under valuing myself when @SEORG said to me 22 on the front, 14 on the back. I couldn't believe it. As @Golfgraffix said earlier I was like a kid at Christmas, but I may have been in shock and thought I might have been pipped as I was told the 18th was a par 3.

In the end, I came in with a 2 and 36 pts to secure my first W on boards, I was delighted and speechless in my "speech" it was like the Oscars when you are cut off for the next award.

A massive thanks to @boccy23 , @SEORG , @weapon of grass destruction for your excellent company yesterday, to captain @RoadRunner for organising yesterday and for the prize and also to @SpaceCowb0y @spacecoyote for the excellent work for cards and scores. @space2ground1 Thanks also to everyone who congratulated me and for the comments. (I say it everytime, but joining this society was one of the best and easiest decisions I ever made, I love this.) The form continued in to today where I shot 79 (net 62) in our Sunday StrokePlay taking a first there too.

So onwards and upwards to Cavan and Slieve Russell, looking forward to this and seeing you all.

Snackbox

Great score for @Snackbox20 getting around that course with 36. Very enjoyable round and nice to walk off the course with a half decent score, especially after how that course beat me up in the lead up to the Jug last year. Had great company with @VW 1 ,@Golfgraffix , and @bobster453, who I had never played with before. Started off ropey with a big pull to the left, which is now my miss apparently, but felt in good company as we all ventured towards the trees to look for our balls. I was sadly the odd man out, with mine lost to the water behind, and my provisional out right also missing. Made up for it with a birdie on the fourth, with a putt from off the green that surprising went in, and then scrambled my a*se off for the rest of the round to pull out a decent score on the day.

@Golfgraffix was fighting a serious kneecapping with a 4 handicap out there on the day but hit some lovely shots and was only pipped for LD by a few yards I'm sure, as he belted it down there. @bobster453 had a tough one on the front nine which led to him and @Golfgraffix kicking of the battle of the 11 pointers on the back to keep things interesting. @VW 1 was unsurprisingly scoring well with his great ball striking and I suspected he was going well but didn't want to jinx.

First time ever playing 3 days in a row and didn't go too bad with a 37 on the Friday, the 33 in Arklow, and then a 39 on Sunday for Kilcock's matchplay qualifier, which was a 23 front and horrific 16 point back 9 where that left miss turned up once a hole. Hopefully it's gone by Slieve Russell which I am now really looking forward to after everyone talking about it in the clubhouse. Congrats again @Snackbox20 and thanks to @spacecoyote for making the drive pass so quickly there and back and for having a worse back nine (seven) than me 😁

First of all, as always another great day out with my Boards friends. This Society is a unique offering for me in that we get to experience different courses, different playing conditions, partners and indeed on Saturday, a different playing experience with only 16 holes.

As can be seen from the photos, the view from the clubhouse and car park offer a beautiful vista over the course and with the sun shining, it really was an appetizing vista. The fact that the 1st tee, 7th green and 8th tee are all there in the car park also helps the social aspect. Although, it did lend itself to a few trembles standing over the tee shot on #1 with so many eyes on me.

The tee show on #1 actually went fine, a little left in the rough. But this was a bit of the story of my day. I drew a poor lie and tried to muscle a wood out of it. Shot off to the right and drew another shabby lie about 80 yards short of the green with a big tuft of grass behind the ball. Tried to pitch a wedge which shot right, a Tom Hanks?? (not sure, think it was more the lie) and shot through the green and buried itself. So a scratch on the first.

Onwards and upwards. Decent drive on #2 but again drifted into the rough and the same suspect type lie. I said I'd knock a 6-i 150 yards or so down the fairway but it never rose. This then was followed by an angry 5-w from 200 odd yards that rose majestically with a baby fade into the middle of the green giving me a standard 2-putt par. And that was the story for the day for me. I was either parring holes or 1-pointers.

Highlight probably came on #10. A decent drive (you guessed it, drifted into the rough) but here as someone said earlier, because the course changes character, it was sat nicely on top of the grass. Hit a 5-w from 200 which landed just shy of the green, took a big bounce and ran up the green and nearly dropped. 10 feet back down the hill, but left it shy! Ah well.

The inverse side was #8. Sliced my drive towards the practice area, but it stayed inbounds and I drew a decent lie. Hit a 5-i which bounced in front of the green, hard bounce left, ran around the greenside bunker and then dropped in the far side. Left me with no stance and virtually no swing. Couldn't get it out on the first effort and it dropped just under the face in a lovely poached egg lie. Couldn't get that one out either and thinned the final effort out to scratch that one. At least the thin went towards the 9th tee!

Played with @SEORG and @weapon of grass destruction who I had played with before and @Snackbox20 for the first time, although had chatted with him plenty of times before on putting greens or after rounds. @SEORG is a lovely golfer but the lack of playing time came back to bite him in the short game. True gentleman and really enjoy watching him go about his business on the course. @weapon of grass destruction is a true baller who loves letting it rip. His driver very much behaved itself, but the irons were just that little bit off and on that course, that leads to a difficult scoring day. I had read @Snackbox20 report from Rosslare about "sonia" and standing on #1 tee felt that the elevation would help eliminate that issue. But he never had any such problems. He played really well all day, especially the front 9. Highlight was a chip-in 2 on the first par 3 to an impossible pin. Lovely smug look on his face when @SEORG and myself were working hard not to 3-putt an eventful green. His shortgame came to play all day and with consistent driving and irons, I knew he had to be well in with a chance. Delighted to see after that he had indeed won. Congrats again @Snackbox20. Always nice to play with

Overall, I am not sure what to make of Arklow. The fairways and rough didn't feel like Rosslare or Portmarnock to me, but the greens and green complexes were very much out of the links playbook. Some of the greens were huge, such as the 15th. I think we have a par 3 on our course that would fit onto that green! The further into the course we got, the less like a true links it felt. Especially with the rain during the week, the fairways got softer as we went. As @SEORG said, I would like to go back and play it when it is hard and fast to get a true feel for it. The last par 3 was much more like a standard parkland hole.

Again, as always, a very enjoyable day out. As we finished a bit earlier than planned, I took the opportunity to shoot off and earn back some brownie points by taking the family out for tea when I got home! So didn't get a chance to see @Snackbox20 getting crowned. But thanks again to captain @RoadRunner and all the committee for another great day out. See you all in Cavan.

Congrats to @Snackbox20 - Got to play my first Boards society round with him in Corballis and it was a great welcome for me

Really nice fella and you could see that a big score was in him if he went on a run of good holes

Sound @callaway92 👍👍👍

😊👍, I try Tigerwood, these outings are great days out, win,lose, or scratch.

Thanks a million Sir

Nice one @charlieIRL , thank you 😎

not much else I can say that hasn't already been said. Lovely day out in Arklow with wonderful weather for the most part. I do really enjoy the course so was looking forward to the day out.

Played with Space, Kieran and Slave for the day. Seems i'm getting paired up with Space a lot this year and had the chance to play with both Kieran and Slave last year at some stage. All 3 are great company for a round of golf so really enjoyed it.

My golf was ok. Space mentioned in his write up that i've been very consistent so far this year. I would go as far as saying maddeningly consistent. My last 5 rounds have all come in at 30 points, which is great when you're trying to put up points for a Jug appearance but not so great when you're feeling good and hopeful of getting into the prizes. Played unspectacular golf from tee to green but nearly always managed to get myself into position to score on each hole barring 1 scratch on the 6th from a wild drive. The putts just were not dropping for me. I can count at least 6 putts that i left within 2 or 3 inches. The greens in Arklow always play tough with lots of little unseen bumps and ridges along the way and i just couldn't get the putts to drop. Comfortably left 5 or 6 points out on the greens.

Overall happy with how i played and feel im getting closer and closer to a breakthrough round in the society. I'm sad enough to see the Links stretch finish as i was just getting used to it (I usually struggle awfully on Links courses). Looking forward to the trip to Cavan and a return to my comfort zone