westy

So in a weird twist, which by raising ensures imminent floods, we are currently In One of the driest periods for years in uk (at least down south anyway). Ground is cracking, courses are running fast and greens are firm. Frankly courses are playing really hard as a result. Now it is still the UK so it's still not warm! But it makes a change from our usual rain. hope the spring finally appears for golfers across the Atlantic

You just don't get toothy reptiles in the UK.....which in my books is a good thing! Had the opportunity to play Royal Porthcawl (Wales) a few weeks back, it'll be hosting the British Seniors Open later in the year and is a wonderful old school links course. Worth the trip for overseas visitors looking for a real test. So have a putt on a putting green, with surf crashing close by, that was so fast that my first 3 putts missed the green. Then walk to this first tee shot..... No doubt the seniors will manage some great scores off the back pegs, off the yellows I was chuffed to bits with 79.

It's a real shame that we couldn't have had a few more years of Tiger competing, to see him stare down some of the young guns would be great - let's be honest how many majors might Els, Mickleson, Singh, Garcia etc have if Tiger hadn't psyched them out? 4 back ops though, with this one a fusion? The scar tissue in and around those crucial lumbar discs will be a huge hindrance, could he win with a 3/4 swing and get his short game and putting back? No. Every week there are 30 players who could win, all class acts. In some ways though it's good not to have the will he play nonsense before the rest of the majors this season.

First win at a men's open for years today; windy old day and scoring poor but was a bit surprised to see off 87 players. St 6th last week in club championship was my highest ever finish. Now to get that handicap going in the right direction again (SLDR in the bag has meant fairways hit stat is awesome - also put my old Never Compromise back in the bag and it's a weapon from 6 feet)

The SLDR is back in the bag! Took my drivers along to a launch monitor (was there doing crossover testing) and as I thought - it's just so much straighter than my others, carry slightly less but rolls out plenty more and all but complete misses were down the centre line with a baby fade. Stuff carry, I'm going back to in play.

We had a 12 shoot 67 over Easter, think it was an issue with him being new to club or country - think he'd told us he was pretty good!

Slightly surprised yesterday to find I was now off scratch..... Which would be great if it was correct! Investigations suggest an epic IT fail somewhere - finger pointing at slightly elderly handicap secretary pressing the wrong button.

Pretty much the same in the UK, but we can (hcp 6 and above) enter additional scores as long as they are played at a course your a member of with someone signing your card.

First comp off the back pegs of the year yesterday, started out cold and wet and ended cold and sunny! Course was very damp, preferred lies in place. Made two bad swings with the 3 wood, and another with the hybrid ( quickly ping I need that crossover!) cost me doubles. But in truth it was poor decision making - should have hit mid iron for position. Anyway 81 not a disaster, but when you make 12 GIR pars it ain't great. But back held up, although walking like an old man today.

Nice strides, just put these Royal and Awesome trousers in the wardrobe. Ryder cup year.......

Well, I dropped my sldr in the autumn and put a brand new (but clearly old) super fast TP 2.0 in the bag. With a heavier regular shaft, shorter in the TP as well and of course face is open. It was a club that always suited my eye. If my swing speed goes up again (well you never know!) then sldr may come back. Sldr wasn't the most forgiving I've ever had - but it was mostly reliable.

Well it's been a fun winter, floods floods and a few more floods! No fun when it's part of your job. Played a few holes this week for first time in 5 months and it went ok - new seasons a week or two away and I'm stoked. I've had FJ boas before and liked them, the adidas ones seem to be to be lighter. It's a quandary, I like the leather and quality of footjoy but the lightness and stability of adidas. Mind you there's no excuse for the amount of shoes I have. And MGS folk love a bargain? Hell yes, cheaper it is the more we can buy!

My ethos with everything is to to buy the best I can afford, which like many of you means buying sale bargains. Get last years top of the range for the price of this years bottom of the range. So in the winter I look for shoes and summer clothes. Always look for waterproofs in the height of summer etc. My wife bought me some Adidas Boost Boa for my birthday, about 100 dollars but the RRP on these last year was probably twice that.

79 whacks, shockingly average at times. Ground out back nine. 1 double, 6 bogeys and 11 pars. Not sure how I broke 80 - no birdies in round makes it tough.

Walk and if my back allowed I'd carry. Done 36 in one day on 5 occasions this year in comes and it is tough on the feet - but my waste line approves! But we don't really get the temperatures or humidity you'd see in much of the states.

79 and 77 on Sunday, solid but managed to make three 7's in two rounds. A quad, a treble and a double. Couple of lost balls being to aggressive and an unfortunate incident involving a bunker rebound on to my chest (oops). Shame as I was 2 shots off third and 4 off second. Still compared with 6 weeks ago it's a huge improvement.

Yesterday saw me filling my boots with a morning comp at my home course, 78 whacks (38 putts.... 3 lip outs did the full 180 back to me, after the second you just have to laugh). But super steady long game day which was nice. The afternoon was at a course 6 miles away for their once a year comp off the tips at 7650 yards. Aside from losing a ball that'd become an old friend ( it was 49 holes old when I dumped into a pond) and an aberration off the 16th tee I was pleased with an 88. Given the rating of the course that was actually playing to my handicap! Played with the winner, lad off +2 who shot 76 (with a 7 at the last!). Longest putt holed in the afternoon was around 4 feet, I know where my practice need to be at the moment!

82 whacks in a monsoon today. Think I may have gone up to 7 - shame but hey I'm not playing that well. But, found a putting stroke. Gone back left hand below (as I used in the 90's) and my word they are tracking so much better..... Holed nothing much, but didn't have a birdie putt inside 20 feet - lipped out 4 times and made some great distance two putts. oh and finally stuck the ping piper tr in the bag and that bad boy is joyful off the club face. I decided against ketsch (or the Cleveland smart square TFI) mostly because I couldn't win one on this site (not grumpy about that though) and also I prefer a centre shafted putter as a rule.

After my efforts yesterday it's clearly the quitting fade, decelerating into contact an leaking short and right. Grumble grumble.

I'm not that old and hogan is my hero! I like jack more every year. A lovely gentleman, who tells great stories and seems genuinely kind. Rose and Scott for me. They aren't that young though, suppose they are my generation as well.

Nice autumnal picture - love playing at this time of year (when it's not raining!)

Today was the best example of my game, shot 75 (4 over) but managed to hit 14 greens. My playing partners were a little blown away (2 of the missed greens were in the fringe). No birdies, 14 birdie putts and no birdies! Missed from 4 feet at the last.....putter was sooooo cold. Think I had 36 of them today. Assumed that the one on the last would cost me a decent handicap cut and the money, but no. Took division 1 by a single shot and scoring was so bad it looks like I'm going to get cut 0.6. The importance of that is, for at least one week I'm down to 5 (5.4) - the first time in 25 years of golf I've achieved it. Great way to end the season.