Alf. S

St Andrews has about 13 courses Old, New and Jubilee are the more established the Castle is newer out by Kingsbarnes or even the Fairmont courses all are good tracks. But I prefer Ladybank, Downfield, or as Barbajo has said Lundin Links they have all been used as Open qualifiers and are members courses Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

So when I subjectively think of my home course West Lothian I say 16th , 427 yard par 4 up hill and normally into the prevailing wind. I'm normally hitting 3w or 3h as my 2nd shot and find it a tough par. But then I looked at my Arccos stats and I play the 13th a lot worse. who'd had thought.

Kiradech Aphibarnat Winning score -3

I've ended up going for Mevo, mainly due to spin and launch angle plus video capability. Hopefully 1st day out on Friday depending on weather.

Get the usual ball markers but like to get some logo stuff at the special courses. I have a set of Muirfield headcovers, Royal Troon oversize towel and all sorts of Turnberry logoed shirts.

Use to just use the general purpose club marked SW for just getting out of bunkers because that's what it says it's for but it seems a waste just using a club for bunker shots which for me is maybe 1 shot a round. I evolved long ago to using a 56' wedge which has a bounce of 14'. This in most cases is enough to get me out of the bunker successfully. It is also a 100yd full shot, 60yd half shot and I use it to chip around the green. Open the face for a flop as well. I'm currently using Cleveland RTX 3.0

The Duck's Guts, what does that mean? I guess a bit like the "Dog's Bollocks"!

I've really been struggling with my driving. I changed my iron setup over the Winter to get more consistency I moved from having a left hand dominated swing to more neutral. With my driving the consistency and distance went, with the bad one being a high fade. I went back to my old setup last week for my driver with left side dominating, wider stance and swing. This seems to have sorted it, distance is back need to work a little on setup. One bad drive on Saturday was a nice draw, double cross started on the left hand side of the fairway and clattered in to the trees over the course boundary 30 yds left. Doh!

Played Senior League match on Thursday lost 2&1 in betterball was 7 over on my ball so not a bad day. Giving 4 and 5 strokes to the other team and it told in the end. Saturday was a real frustrating day hitting the ball well but not scoring. Ball seemed to defying the laws of Physics.. Summed up by the 10th approach shot right at the flag but a little short, pitches on a drain cover on the fringe and flies through the green. Bunkered on 18 catches the ball really well and lands on the green exactly where I was aiming on a left to right down slope with the spin the ball had to go right and roll down to the hole nope went left. Shot 82 missed buffer back to 7.2. Off to the Algarve on Wednesday with clubs for 5 rounds in the sun to cheer me up.

4 Competitive rounds for me last week. Tuesday beat 5 and 3 in KO comp against 2 h/c. 4 down after 5 never really recovered. Thursday senior league match betterball lost 2 and 1. Really good game 2 down then 2 up, all square at 15th, partner and I both double bogeyed to lose to a bogey. Then they birdie SI2 at the next. Friday won 3 and 1 in KO comp against 5 h/c. Saturday played a Texas Scramble team event. came in with scatch 64 (-7) net 58.9 for 3rd and a nearest the pin. Got our monies worth at £10 a skull. Partner really driving the ball well with his new Epic Flash.

The guys that shout this p!sh are not doing out of respect or their knowledge of golf but because they want to stand out from the crowd. i.e. they try to shout as soon as the ball is hit so they can say to their friends with pride "I shouted Mash potatoes you can hear me on the coverage". If that is what you aspire to you need to get a life.

Well I got pumped by the low handicapper 5 and 3. 4 down after 5 and never really recovered. After the 1st 5 holes it was to avoid the dog license (7 and 6 for our US cousins). On my stroke holes lost 3 out of 4 and halved the other!!!

There was a infamous couple that played the Mixed Open circuit in the UK. They would play their required 3 handicap qualifiers in the year to validate their handicaps then play Opens. Because it is doubles they would win the Open and not be cut. They cleared up for 5 years until they started to banned and were blackballed.

Depends if it refers to age or strokes!

A bit of controversy. I've been that guy in the past that you beat a player and they say to me you don't play of 14 and grumble all the way back to the clubhouse and it takes the shine of what could have been a great round. Matchplay is so much a mental game, you can have a bad hole and it is totally reset on the next tee, I get more aggressive on my putts. Anyway I'm off tonight to play 1st round tie against a 2 handicapper giving me 5 strokes, wish me luck.

For the last few years for a premium ball I've played Pro V1 but as a fall back I've played Srixon balls. Our Pro has a strong relationship with Cleveland/Srixon so the balls are readily found around the course I always found the Soft Feel (Ionomer) more to my liking that either of the AD333 (Urethane) types. I didn't see must distance gain with the AD333 and liked the feel /noise better with the Soft Feel. Also the Soft Feel felt similar to the Pro V1 You can off course get a ball fitting through your local Pro but personally I would forget trying to differentiate between them on spin and find a ball you like the feel of.

Update Handicap Season Start = 7.3 End April =7.4 Current = 7.1 After a couple of 0.1 increases my handicap had slipped to 7.5, playing handicap of 8 for my strokeplay competition on Saturday. I wasn't overly concerned because I see my game improving and have been suffering from back and hip stiffness. I also thought that it would give me a extra stoke for 3 Match Play games I'm playing this week. Went out on Saturday in really tricky conditions and came in with 79 net 71 with a CSS 73 so 1st cut of the season to 7.1. Bogeyed 3 of the last 4 which I put down to the back, I was hitting it pretty bad for the last 4 holes. Small steps, bonus cheque this week so a new Launch Monitor is on my shopping list. Also fancy the Odyssey red dot.

Mainly on the range, I'm looking to try and get more consistency in my swing and increase my swing speed. And for my wedges specifically hone my carry distance.

Been doing quite a bit of practice this week to sort out my driving, out on Wednesday evening, hitting it really well off the tee and irons. Played a Senior Open yesterday with an 83 (11 over). Couldn't drive the ball at all and irons were getting knifed, but chipped and putted well. I compare my game to a clown's car, you fix one door and another falls off.

When I get problems with my chipping I practise with no weight on my right foot at all. Keeps lower body out of the shot. If it is a tight lie I will tend to let the left arm dominate and nip it ball then turf a little back in my stance. Flop right hand dominates with ball pretty much off the left toe

2 rounds over the weekend for me both 79s. Should be scoring better but my head is a bit of a mess at the moment too many changes and thoughts to get a settled round. e.g. Saturday changed my putting setup went round with 30 putts but struggling with my approach 5/18 GIR. Sunday changed my setup on my approaches 12/18 GIR and went back to my old putting setup, 39 putts.

I now use 10 finger and it doesn't go straight. I've tried them all and can get a big high cut with them all, even when I don't try. Just a matter of degrees for me.

I think your 2nd paragraph should read. "Only a million different ways to swing the club wrong?" And I've used them all!

Neither, baseball, I use to interlock but for the last 3 years I don't overlap at all, just touch. Started with chipping, trying to take my left hand out the stroke now do it on all clubs except putter. Find it more flexible in terms of hand positions.

Lovely golf weather in Scotland over the weekend. 70'F through the day. Wee bit breezy in the evening but still playing until after 8pm in shorts. Practise Friday, Knockout qualifier on Saturday (couldn't putt), 9 holes yesterday evening and hopefully 9 holes after work today. Forecast not so good heading to next weekend.