A bitterly cold day yesterday saw me record a new PB but only by the skin of my teeth as I collapsed towards the end of the round.

The 1st is a short Par 4 of about 320 yards but with a narrow fairway, trouble on the left and OOB all the way down the right. A sensible and safe tee shot left me between a wedge and a nine; chose "an easy 9I" but just hit it too well, one bounce and through the green. Not a good chip back and just missed the one putt, tapping in for bogey.

The Par 5 2nd saw me in a greenside bunker in three; a great sand save – at the 2nd attempt – for another bogey.

We’ll gloss over the 3rd save to say that I played my usual card wrecker in military style with only a good putt keeping the score to a double.

On the Par 3 fourth I avoided the pond to the left and trees to the right to be sitting 8 feet from the pin; left the putt 2 inches short, ah well a par is a par.

A misjudged pitch and 3 putts saw a double on the 5th – mind you off 22 I get two shots on this SI 1 hole.

Pushed the tee shot on the next Par 3, pin high but right, nice chip, one putt, thank you Sir.

The 7th is a Par 3 as well, found the sand again but this time got out, two putts making a bogey.

The up hill, into the wind, Par 5 8th saw the first the top of the day (a problem when I get too aggressive with the rescue / utility) but recovered to be on in 4, another two putts for bogey.

The 9th, another Par 3, played just like the 6th, push, chip, putt.

So with a lot left out there I tot up the damage to find I’ve gone out in 43 and 15 putts – the equivalent of playing to 16 instead of my nominal handicap of 20-22.

I can’t remember much of the back 9 (2nd time round the same 9) until the 17th except that a putt from the fringe on the 10th salvaged a par and was the first hole in a run of par, par, bogey, bogey (including a drop), bogey, par, par – 3 over for the seven with seven putts.

So I’m standing on the 17th (8th) without knowing my score but knowing that given the way I’ve played the back 9 that a PB was there for the taking.

Halleluiah, a deep breath and easy swing with the 4 wood saw me short but dead centre, managed to get another up on the right leaving a “go for it” decision. I played safe and for my 4th I have a wedge to the centre of the green and two putts for bogey.

Its there that I lost it, I didn’t stay in the present and messed up the wedge, another try and 3 putts saw me walking off with a treble.

Somehow got a bogey on the 18th including another 2-shot bunker.

Three over for the first 7 holes of the back 9 with 7 putts. Four over for the last 2 holes with 5 putts.

Still a 42 with 12 putts though, but so close to a 40.

A total 85 was a PB by one shot but with so much left out there, literally in the case of the two bunker fluffs.

Losing it with effectively just two wedges required to really drop into the low eighties was a killer but I think its getting there.

As Craig always says. Thanks for reading.