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I like Stablefords. i guess as a high 'capper they suit me.
As I've previously noted, our course is a 9 hole course, and I always think the first 4 holes are easiest, the next 4 are hardest, and the 9th is a raffle - sometimes good, sometimes bad... Accordingly, I always think I want to aim to finish the 1st 4 holes on 1 over par to allow for the holes 5-8...
So - 1st tee shot - well right into the rough, but I dig it back out well for actuall a pretty solid bogey 5. I then bogey the 2nd and 3rd, before parring the 4th.
3 over after 4. That's not exactly my gameplan...
Even so, I par the SI3 5th, and bogey the 6th, 7th and 8th.
On the 9th tee, having felt not great about it, I'm actually 6 over par. It's pretty good. Because the winter tee is much closer under the trees, I've had to change my gameplan, and now I try to send it over the fron left bunker, and fade it back into the middle. I hit it perfect, and two putted for a par.
After 9 holes, I'm om 6 over par, which, off my 21 HC, gives me 23 points. You know what? This is looking good, and I have a shot at this...
10th tee: good strike with the 2H - it's left, which means it's a bit of a hanging lie beneath my feet, but I get a good pickup with the PW, and get it on the green, probably 15 feet away. The putt looks good all the way and drops beautifully. Birdie 3.
I par the 2nd and 3rd. The 4th is a nice PW, and it bites hard 7 feet away, but it's still a grim putt, but again I put it in the middle of the hole for another birdie, and I'm in the bizarre situation of standing on the 14th tee being 4 over par.
The 14th tee shot is a rubbish driver; high and left, but actually still on the fairway, 150 out. I then stuff the 2nd into the trees on the left, and have to fudge it out as best I can, still 35 from the green. I put a nice wedge up, but it just slides through the back, and I two putt from the fringe for a double bogey 6. Bah! 1 point!
Tee shot on the 15th: hauled left into the fence. Luckily it bounces off into a playable lie, and I get the 5I to the place that I should have put the tee shot, leaving me with a PW down the hill to the green. I send it through, and then chip and 2 putt back for another 6. Bah! 1 point!
Tee shot of the 16th (SI2) - the draw round the corner. I pull left OB. 3 off the tee, but the 2nd effort is much better, 170 left. Completely fluffed 5I goes about 20 yards, the next 7I is on the green, and I pull out a tough 2 putt for a 7. Bah! 1 point.
This is ridiculous. I don't feel angry or cheated, just baffled. How am I doing this?
Two holes left, gross 70 played, and a swift calculation makes me think I need bogey and par on the last two holes to get a PB.
In fact I'm wrong. Bogey, bogey would be enough.
The 17th tee shot is a well struck hybrid, and it's great to see it fly away. I was worried about it, and there aren't too many bad shots left. I take a 5I to the green, and it's good contact, but in the greenside right bunker. I splash out, and it's just right - I'm really happy to get it 7 feet away, and the putt goes down for a sand save par 4 that I'm SO fired up about.
So - no heroics needed on the last. I'm so nervous. I think it's the most apprehensive I've been on a golf hole.
The tee shot is fat - really fat. I hit the winter mat, and it takes so much sting out of it that it flies straight, but pitches between the two front bunkers, nestling 25 feet from the pin at the front. The chip isn't great - I get it to 6 feet, but I know I'm home and dry. I two putt for a bogey 4.
Out for 39 (+6), back in 39 (+6); 78 (+12) beats my personal best by two shots, representing -9 nett. I scored 45 Stableford points, putting me in first place, and beating the two tied 2nd placed players by 4 shots.
Loved it. 9 out of 12 fairways hit, 7 out of 18 GIR, 32 putts.
You know what? I refuse to beat myself up about the run of double bogey, double bogey, treble bogey at the end. I made the birdies, and I should be grateful for the PB, not wonder about what might have been.
HC will come down, but I don't know by what yet till I know CSS. My best guess is I'll come down to something around the 19.7 mark-ish, but we'll see.
Happy days. I'm SO fired up!
That's my 2nd big club win of the season. Nice not to finish 2nd for a change
It also probably goes some way to explain why my short game is so much better than my long game; I think there are very few technical rights and wrongs of the short game, whereas there's much more to go wrong in a full swing...
So I'm a 'technical teenager' which is a huge milestone for me, but I need to get rid of that critical next 0.3 to get me to 19