Teed off in glorious conditions and the outcome has me scurrying back to re read Dr Bob's work a couple more times......

Following last weeks 90 and having put driver into trouble more times than not, I made a concious decision to leave the Driver and 3Metal at home and to only hit my irons to see if I was any better this way than not.

After I put my opening tee shot on the first into the dam behind the 10th green, I was already wondering if I'd made the right choice.

It should be said that I'm one of only 6 or 8 guys at the club that can reach the 10th dam off the 1st tee and to get there with my 1 iron, well, yes although I blocked it right, felt I'd made a very good swing with good contact. (If that makes sense...)

After taking my drop, I had about 120m to the green over some gum trees and was pleased that I managed to find the putting surface with my 3rd shot, leaving myself about 35 feet for par. Disappointingly, I 3 putted to collect just the 1 point for the hole. It should be said that I jabbed at the 2nd putt of about 2 feet whilst off balance, trying to avoid standing on my playing partners line. Mental error there. Should have marked my ball and taken more care.

Pulled my 1 iron tee shot on the 2nd left into the tree line and had to recover almost sideways to the fairway. Found the putting surface with my 3rd from about 80m away and 2 putted from 25 feet or so for a bogey 5 and 2 more points.

Again blocked the 1 iron off the tee into the right hand tree line and this time got a little lucky in that my ball hit solid timber and rebounded left to finish on the right hand side of the fairway. With my progress directly to the green blocked out by the gum trees along the right side of the fairway, I had a reasonable lie and tried to hit a fade around the trees toward the green. Overcooked this a little and finished about 50m from the green, again in the tree line on the right side of the fairway. Finding I had a bit of a path through the trees, my punch 3rd looked good off the club and pitched about 20m short of the green and rolled nicely towards the flag, but, having caught it well, it rolled through the green finishing some 5m off the green in the fringe grass. No real harm done. My sand iron chip finshed only a foot from the cup and a tap in par 5 resulted. 3 points for the card and my round, despite 3 poor tee shots, was back in order.

Taking 7 iron from the 4th tee, my ball starts nicely on line, drifting slightly right of the flag on the prevailing breeze, finds the green leaving me with a 20foot right to left putt for birdie. My attempt at birdie looks good for pace but a little high on line and finishes pin high a foot and a half away, a second tap in par and 3 more points. Mood now decidedly better than it was after the 1st hole.

Decide on leaving the 1 iron in the bag for the rest of the round and take 3 iron from the 5th tee. Smoke it beautifully and finish centre right of the fairway only some 80m from the green. Sand Iron 2nd comes up short and my chip attempt dies on landing, leaving me to 2 putt from about 25 feet for a bogey 5 and only 1 point for the card.

3 iron again from the 6th tee and though it starts nicely, it draws too far left and into the tree line. Get far better connection on the bump n run 2nd have to play than I bargain for and my ball rolls through the green to again finish 5m off the green on the fringe grass. Chip nicely on to about 10 feet. Roll the par putt in for a par 4 and 2 more points.

3 iron again from the par 5 7th tee and again smoke it beautifully down the centre with a slight draw. 3 iron 2nd across the dogleg looks good off the club but starts to bend a little too far left for my liking and may not be that good. This is borne out when I get to my ball and I am dead under a tree with no shot. Taking an unplayable, I catch my 4th a little fat and come up short of the green. Chip on to about 20 feet and 2 putt for a double bogey 7 and only 1 more point. Bugger...

7 iron again from the par 3 8th tee and it starts nicely on line, fades a little right on the breeze and comes up not quite pin high about 20m from the pin just off the fringe grass. Lie isn't too good, so rather than take sand iron, I try to bump n run a 7 iron towards the hole and over hit it slightly, running the ball about 20 feet past the pin. 2 putts from there for a bogey 4 and 2 more points.

3 iron again from the 9th tee and I don't catch it all that well, a little thin if anything and the ball takes off very low and almost rolls its entire trip of only some 150m albeit straight down the centre of the fairway to finish almost 200m away. 5 iron 2nd is struck sweetly and flies just right of my target line, draws back nicely and pitches just short of the green and hops on and rolls out to about 30 feet away. Birdie putt was never really on line, though good for pace and tap in for a par 4 and 3 more points giving me 18 points for the front 9 with 2 penalties taken. At this point, yes, I was reasonably happy and looking forward to the back 9.

Hmm this has gotten long, have to post in two halves...

More later......