Saturday 15th September, 2007.

Stoke Round – Round 2 Yarraview GC Club Championships.

Arrived at the Clubhouse with the course under grey, threatening skies. Having checked the weather forecast the night before, though, I was comforted by the fact that the boffins who should know such things were saying there was only a “slight chance” of some drizzle in the morning and things would clear to a fine and mild afternoon. Which, thankfully, is pretty much what happened.

Given my poor form with the driver and 3 wood last week, I settled on 1I from the 1st tee and the decision was a good one, straight down the centre, dying off left to finish left edge of the fairway about 135m away. My 8I 2nd was well struck, started right of the pin and stayed there, coming up a little short into the prevailing breeze and left me with a chip of some 15m to the pin. SW chip stopped much quicker on the soft green than I had anticipated and I would leave my 10ft par put about 6in short in the heart. Tap in bogey 5 to start.

Unsure why, but I took driver from the 2nd tee and promptly pulled it left into the tree line, finishing just outside the 150m marker but with no real shot at the green. So, taking my “medicine” I punched a 1I out to the centre left of the fairway, leaving myself about 50m to the green. PW pitch finds the green, nowhere close and a 2nd consecutive 2 putt bogey followed.

My brain is such a strange thing when I’m on a golf course and even after pulling that last tee shot into the trees left, I grabbed driver again on the tee for the par 5 3rd. 2 seconds after pulling the trigger, I was again shaking my head as I watched my ball start left of centre and pull further left into the tree line again. D’OH!!! Why do you do that? On getting to my ball, I find I have a reasonably safe path out of the trees and taking 1I manage to fashion a fade of sorts and ball finishes on the right hand edge of the fairway only some 20m from the green. PW pitch to about 20 feet and a 2 putt par 5 resulted. At this point, I am 3 strokes better off than last week. About now I was smiling.

Moving to the 4th tee, I settle on easy 6I and somewhere about half way back my brains goes “too MUCH club” and I proceed to fat the ball badly and it runs out to finish about 50m from the green. Bugger!. A nicely nipped SW sucks back off the green leaving me with about 20m to the pin. Taking putter from the fringe grass, hit it a little too firmly and run it some 10 feet past the hole, leaving myself a nasty little downhiller for bogey. Barely breathing on the putt, the ball didn’t take the turn I thought was there and finished 18 inches past the hole. With steam still pouring from my ears, I blocked the tap in putt back and it too rolled past the hole. Tap in 3 putt 6. NOT HAPPY JAN!!! At this point I am ripping strips off myself.

Moving to the 5th tee, I again grab driver and this time I hit a high block right and the ball finishes out on the adjacent 6th fairway. 7I back finishes just short of the green, centre of the fairway and again, my chip finishes nowhere close and yet another regulation 2 putt bogey 5 follows. Have calmed down a little, no more damage done!!!

From the 6th tee, finding my resolve to leave the woods in the bag, I took 1I again and split the fairway. My PW 2nd from about 60m away found the green about 15ft away. The birdie putt just slid by the hole high and a tap in 2 putt par resulted.

Buoyed by the Par, I grabbed driver on the par 5 7th tee and smashed it straight down the centre. The ball took a hop left on landing and finished about 170m away. With a green light to try and cut the dogleg to the green, my 5I 2nd flies nicely and starts nicely on my intended line, then starts to turn left and I wonder if I’ve over clubbed and so being unsure of where I might have finished with OOB a little behind the green, I hit a provisional and top it badly into the tree line. On getting to the ball, I have to poke it forwards as I’ve no shot whatsoever and do so. It comes to rest centre of the fairway, about 100m away laying 5 with the provisional. Steaming again, I get to the ball and look at the green, where there appears to be a ball pin high left of the flag, so, given that I’m waiting for one of my playing partners to get to his ball to play his 4th, I sprint up to the green and sure enough, it is my original ball, sitting proudly on the fringe grass about 25m from the cup. PHEW!!!. Walking back to my bag, I advise my marker that I’ve found my original ball and I’m laying 2 by the green. Pick up the provisional ball and head to my original ball. Still panting a little after my run, I manage to mishit my unrealistic eagle attempt and finish about 15ft away, from there another 2 put par results. Things appear to be on the improve and I’m smiling again.

Coming to the par 3 8th hole, again an easy 6I is required and again I get the “too much club” thought half way back and this time I pull the shot left towards the greenside trap. Thankfully, I haven’t struck the ball well enough to reach the trap and I’ve left myself a testy little pitch up and over the pot with the pin cut only some 15ft on. Nip the SW well enough and it pitches on just short of the flag and again sucks back towards the waiting pot, luckily it only comes back as far as the fringe grass between the putting surface and the pot. From here I would over play my putter onto the green, miss the one back and tap in for a double bogey 5. Know full well it’s effectively a 3 putt, despite my not being on the green. So from a stats point of view, I took the 2 putt and I walk to the 9th tee feeling a little bemused.

Again 1I from the tee and it flies wonderfully well straight down the centre, finishing just inside the 150m. My 7I 2nd shot is all over the flag in flight. “Be the club!” I yell and the ball appears to pitch on the putting surface just beyond the flag, coming to rest seemingly close. On arriving at the green, my ball is some 15ft away and I would roll the breaking downhill birdie putt 6in past the hole on the high side and then tap in again for my 4th regulation 2 putt par of the round to date.

Sitting by the 10th tee box waiting for the group in front to clear the green, my marker asks us to checks our cards. Having taken 44 for the 9, I have to say that I’m surprised that the total is as low as that, feeling I had done much worse, despite having hit the ball pretty well, other than a couple of poor tee shots and a few pretty abysmal putts. At only half a stroke over handicap through 9 holes, I was hopeful of a better back 9 and maybe playing myself back into contention in the Championships.

Thanks for reading, will post the details of my inward 9 in the next day or so...

Thanks for reading.
Cheers