How did you score in your last round? - 2024

Target proximity for 5hcap on left, my average with arrows

We had our voucher at the weekend. It was windier than I would have liked and the course is drying out which is good but still only 16 holes open. It's also at that stage where I think it's playing it's most difficult in the year, no run on the fairways so drives are all carry, enough growth in the grass that the rough is getting pretty dense before the sheep get out (yes we have sheep on the course) and lastly the tees moved back to summer position.

I've been putting a lot of work into some pretty big swing changes but yet to feel the benefits. This was the first round I've played that I could see the changes paying off. First couple of holes were scrappy but a good birdie on the 4th, a par 5, had me back in decent shape, 2 over after 4. Went on a bit of a bogey train then of 4 in a row but then managed 4 pars in a row which would still have had me in a pretty decent position at 6 over with 4 holes left to play. Then one bad shot led to a catastrophic blow up. Classic trying to play a hero shot out of some rough rather than the percentage shot. Went through the last 4 holes in 10 over. Ended up only being 6 shots off the winner which could have been very possible, even bogey golf for the last 4 would have had me tied.

A lot of positives to take away but disappointed with my decision making on that one hole. I'd been making smart decisions before than but for that one shot ego won over logic. Trying to smash a 3 wood out of rough to the green. Even with a decent lie it was a bad call.

Got 40 pts for the first time in a few years yesterday - being a while coming . Off 8 on the day - but WHS puts you were you should be fairly quickly - so you end up where your average is. There is a psychological battle with WHS - and you got to just run with it and go - this is my form , this is the average golfer I am. But you still think back to the old system - but the new system gives you more shots and the new calculation also gives you more shots. So new 40s are a little bit of lesser value. You have to retrain the brain a bit.

Anyway - still had to go 4 over - and I felt I could go a little lower too.

Nice when you have the day when it pays off - But I still find golf very very hard - and you put massive amount of work in at range - practice area and improvement is slow. But I'm hoping I'm going to have a bit of a step change in performance - there are signs there - more birds - hitting things at range , hole a few putts and chips. Hitting fairways and greens - and as mad as this sounds - a bit of luck. Maybe you don't know why you get this luck - but it comes all at once at times.

Such a very very odd game - a mystery.

Not sure how long the form will last - but might try get near the par this year / summer.

It's almost summer so it means Wexford Strawberries and counting golf!

We didn't have counting golf at the weekend but it was close enough tbh. Almost perfect conditions for Sat/Sun bar a couple of soft areas and GUR.

Played with a mate on Sat morning off the blues and we went "as-is" except mudballs. Turned in a respectable 89 off 15 course HC. After going +1 through 5. I threw a massive hook to lose a ball and triple. Next I had a monster drive (for me) on our index 1 par 4 #7 with a little wind assist. Left a 9i (never had 9i off blues) that I pulled a bit left of the green. It wasn't a bad leave and then I conspired for a double (short game horrors 😂). The rest was irrelevant tbh. It was almost enchanting to play the full course, see the ball carry more and roll out before being fooled on slicker greens.

Sunday I felt good having dusted off the cobwebs the morning before. Now time for the whites off 13 playing HC for our Sun comp. Unfortunately, it was hilarious army golf on the front 9 for the most part so I used up my 13 shots with 11 points. However, I didn't foresee my fortunes turning on the back 9.

Ripped a big drive onto the downslope of #10 long par 4 index 2. Then hit a career shot tbf. I rifled a 185yd 6i from the downslope that faded towards the back right pin, pitching on the hump before resting to 4 feet. I couldn't see the ball finish as it was hidden behind the hump but it brought a welcome surprise. Made the putt with no fuss and I was over the moon. One of my goals for the year was to birdie the last two hard holes (7&10) which I have barely threatened since I took up the game. To make it funnier I was telling my playing partner I've yet to birdie 7&10 before I hit the iron despite having loads of approaches from 130-170. So he was giving me loads of stick before the putt.

An avoidable double aside the back 9 could have been my best ever back 9 with +2 gross (I won't count it due to placing and a temp green). I wasn't far from eagling 18 with that temp green about 30 yards short of normal. Driver/6i onto the temp dance floor and gave it a good scare from 15ft.

A trio of 3x stabs on the way out was disappointing but that back 9 and birdie on 10 felt magical. Roll on counting golf next weekend and our first major. With any luck at all the forecast will change and we get some half decent weather.

First counting comp today. Strokeplay off the blues. Turned in an 87 for nett level par.

Started well with two pars. Whisker from birdie on 1 and a great up/down on 2. A couple of bogies followed by 2 pars before a dissapointing double from the fairway on our index 1 par 4. Scrambled a bogey on 8 before bogeying 9. Had a wedge from 75 yards and flew the green 😁.

Luckily found a bad drive in scrub next to OB on 10 before making a double on what could have been a biiiig number. Bogeyed the next 5 inc a poor 3 putt on 15. Scrambled 2 ridiculous pars on 16/17, both with 15+ft putts off the back fringe. Duck hooked 18 and took relief from machinery tracks before pulling my 2nd into the spinney. Opted to hit a high wedge over a tree but caught a branch and had to punch back out. My pitch spun and didn't release onto the temp green so I closed with a dissatisfying double. The green is 30 yards short so it's a driver/6i par 5 atm and par should be a given.

A mixed bag but I was delighted to get the 72 on reflection. The luck balanced out tbh. My index drops 0.3 and I'll qualify for next week's final round. Leaders bunched on 66-67 so I've an outside chance. Great to see the ball going miles in 17C and sun on the back. Hopefully, some good weather to dry out the course.

Don't beat yourself up too much, we all have bad rounds...at least you broke 20 both days 😀

Adjusting from placing everywhere to play as it lies often will have a bit of a short term knock on effect while people get back used to not teeing it up in the rough

We play as it lies out of the rough in Arklow during the winter months. So can't even blame that. Just poor golf after improving my driving so much over the winter, my short game went to pot.

Back at it this weekend.

Great golf..as almost impossible to keep it going or not have 2 or 4 nightmare holes there ...

I know, thanks. It was just one of those weekends.

The last few seasons I was so inconsistent with my driver, now after a lot of practice, I'm a lot more consistent and a lot longer off the tee, out driving some of my mates by easily 70+ yards. To then start struggling around the green is a bit of head melt.

It'll all come together for me this season and I'm sure to post a great score.

Rosapenna for the 3-links ticket in 2 weeks time, be the perfect time. Hopefully some of the same weather as this weekend.

I’ll add to some of the misery posted.

Picked up a chest injury at the beginning of April and a back injury at the end so played very little and what little I did play only made my golf worse. Topping driver, fatting irons,have it all

Now (relatively) healthy and struggling to score. Last few rounds have been 92,85,86,93 and plus 4 for 9. Took a lesson but need to go back as was the plan. Went from an out to in swing to over the top and a poor release and weight shift. All over having to lift something awkward. Ah well

Head is telling you "dont hurt yourself".

Practice easy swings to convince yourself its ok.

Back injuries and operations taught me that one.

The game is 90 percent whats going on between your ears😃

What course was it?

I’ve been meaning to play the rare blue tee comp in Headfort new the last two years but missed it both times. Last time I played it I was off 23 and had a nightmare😂 It’s very long from the blues, off 8 it gives me a PH of 13 😂

Anyway, played some good golf last night for at least a few holes. Swing is getting there, tee’d off at 5pm after been up for work since 3.30am so was feeling fairly tired on the back 9. Put too many in the rough on the back 9, it’s either wedge it out or try to chop it out with a hybrid and both usually go the same distance , grass probably 3/4 of an inch above the ball 2 ft into the rough

83 strokes

3 over front 9

8 over back 9 with a lost ball and two doubles 🤦‍♂️

+2 75 gross in Lucan today.

Pretty scrappy round but I ground like hell, couldnt have really have been any better.

Made a good putt for par on 1 before errant drives right on 2 and 3 led to bogies. Was only hitting a 6 iron into the par 5 4th but made par which was disappointing. Made a good par on the tough 5th then drained from 20ft odd for a birdie on the 6th to get back to +1. Then doubled 7 to throw all that away, and 3 putted the par 3 8th for good measure. Pushed drive off 9 but hit a very good, flat out lob wedge over trees to get it to 18ft and promptly nailed the putt; poorly read and struck, it had no business going in but she caught the left lip and dropped. So +3 the f9, not great but not terrible.

Hit a scruffy 5wd up the middle of the par 4 10th; downwind so left me with a gapwedge in. Pulled pin high to maybe 22ft and nailed that one too. All good on the greens at this stage but did miss from 10ft on 11 after a good 7 iron off the tee. Regulation par on 12 then hacked my way up 13; longish par 5 but it was straight downwind so a birdie chance with a decent drive. Which I didnt hit. Drop kick left and could only hack an 8 iron out of cabbage to within 115 yards odd, which left an awkward pitch with the wind and the angle. Pulled a sand wedge and missed the green left, where theres a big drop off. Had a nasty 4th up a 15ft rise with no green to work with. Got that to 8ft (pretty happy with the shot tbh) and made the putt, so delighted to get out of that one with a par.

Ditto on 14. Terrible drive, pull hook, couldve gone OB for the same money. As it was, a chop out sideways was all I had. PW from 130 to 5ft and made it for a par. Decent par on 15, then a bit unlucky on 16. Decent 7 iron that ran by the pin and through the back of the green, which left a tricky chip, downhill but into the wind. Got it to a foot. Onwards, 2 par 5s to finish.

Decent drive on 17 but caught a poor lie in between the semi and the primary rough right. Had a go with the 3wd but hit a poor shot, into a fw bunker right. 60 yards from the pin. Rotten length shot, tried to pinch it clean and caught it thin, went through the green about 60ft away. From there, I hit maybe my best shot of the day, a lovely chip that made it to the top of a tier and rolled out stone dead for a par 5.

And then came 18, also a par 5, index 2. Tough hole from start to finish and kicked things off with a horrid drive, way right, one place you cant go. Hit a good 2nd, hack 4 iron that had to get over a pesky root only a foot in front of me. Still 200 plus away for my 3rd, but downhill downwind, it was a lashed 7 iron all day. Poxy shot, thin and heely short right, which left me with a nigh on impossible 4th shot, a 15 yard chip / bump, with a steep ridge only 15ft short of the hole from a fluffy enough lie. Hit the worst shot I hit all day, just a horrible torquey blade hit that scuttled through a patch of semi rough 2ft in front of me, dribbled towards the aforementioned ridge, almost stopped dead on top of it, before finding an extra foot of momentum and trickling out to 3ft beyond the hole. Putt was fast, left edge with good pace and, thank God, she dropped.

Respectable number on the face of it but it was a struggle out there. At least the thunder storms held off!