Archive | October, 2023

Putting Progress

31 Oct

There seems to be progress in my putting with the Peanut Putter. I have forgotten how light the putter is, but in the last two games, I found it very comfortable to use.

The feel and momentum were so much better without any swaying upon impact. And I can feel my confidence in putting is coming back. I hope to continue with the impressive stats because putting is paramount.

Then again, it is a separate entity if one breaks down the game to analyze it more deeply. One putt too many, and the score will balloon up! Remember all my three-putt horrors?

Who knows? Maybe the Peanut will stay in the bag for a while. We shall see. I have to stay focused!

An LPGA-inspired Game

30 Oct

So I played golf on Saturday, and boy, was I LPGA-inspired after that Thursday’s outing to watch the LPGA tournament at KLGCC! I thought I would have lost my muscle memory and swing after laying off for ten days, but nope, I did okay.

The ball striking with my irons was so beautiful – the sound and the trajectory of the ball flight. And my putting, gosh, it was beyond good. The decision to use my Peanut Putter instead of the TaylorMade Spider Mini was wise after my last disastrous game with my Scotty Cameron putter. There were no three-putts, and I recorded 15 putts on the front nine. Nice.

However, good as it was, it did not last when we crossed over. The pace suddenly slowed, and we had to wait at every hole. Then the sun came out, and hunger got to me, and I could not focus.

I then just went through the motions mindlessly to complete the round quickly. Oh well. In my opinion, a good nine outing is always more comforting and encouraging than a mediocre round of 18 holes.

I take comfort that after watching the LPGA players in action, it did wonders for my approach and mental strength. I hope I can retain this each time I play golf. Watch and learn, play, and excel!

LPGA Action in Malaysia

27 Oct

The LPGA Tour returns to Malaysia after a six-year absence, and I’m excited about it! Right in our backyard instead of on TV in another continent far away. Yesterday, hubby and I joined many golfing enthusiasts to watch the Day One of the tournament at KLGCC. What an experience!

However, I have to admit that the day did not start well. We opted to take public transport instead of driving directly to the venue for the tournament. Unfortunately, we waited for quite some time for the courtesy van. There was no proper pick-up point signage at the MRT stop. We ended up hailing a ride instead. But being at the venue made up for this little cumbersome detail.

A delight to see Rose Zhang at the Par 3, Hole 15

It was surreal to see all the LPGA players in person, although not quite as close but enough. We stayed at the Par 4, Hole 14, and Par 3, Hole 15 most of the time because they were side by side and had a great view. Separately, it was too hot to venture to the other holes. It was weird to see a call-on situation for a Par 4. Hole 14 was 364 yards (333 meters) but reachable for these pros.

The Par 4, Hole 14 was crowded with two flights for the call-on situation

Typically, a call-on would be on a Par 3, where the flight in front would step aside to allow the flight behind to tee off because of the short distance. But this was a Par 4, 364 yards, no less. Yet, several times, the call-on was initiated because these ladies could put their balls on the green! Some even flew past the green.

Atthaya Thitikul assessing her tee-off plugged ball several feet off the green at Hole 14.

We saw many birdies made on that hole, and it was very entertaining. But when they landed their balls in the rough, it wasn’t an issue. They were able to recover and make par. I learned a new thing or two from watching their approach strategy.

The thing that amazed me most was their putting. Every single player that I saw made putting so easy. I wish I could do the same, or at least half of their ability. My putting is, ugh, a constant battle.

Nellie Korda was all smiles with her one putt for a birdie on Hole 14.

Sadly, I did not attend Day Two of the tournament this morning, and on Saturday, I have a game lined up. I hope I have been inspired enough by the LPGA pro ladies to play a good round of golf or return with some good putting stats.

DIY Project #32, Part 2

24 Oct

As I am taking a week off from playing golf, the logical thing to do is to start building the next miniature to keep busy. Otherwise, I’d be on my iPad Mini for ages, playing my games mindlessly; bad for my eyes, I’d have to admit.

Assessing what I have, I think I will go ahead with the Walnut series set. Wish me luck!

Fifth Bag of Free Rice

23 Oct

I didn’t want to continue with the Free Rice game soon after achieving the goal not too long ago, but the app is very persistent. It makes you latch onto the game, and before I knew it, I was halfway towards achieving 15 bags all over again.

This time, the app offers discount vouchers and more water for your plant! How could I refuse? I have 0.28% left to harvest the last bag before claiming my fifth bag of free rice. Yes, the fifth bag!

The temptation to continue is strong

With 123 more times left to water, should I continue so that I can get the discount vouchers? Hmm, it’s a good problem. We shall see.

Change for the Better

19 Oct

After my health scare in January, I had to manage my diet to avoid a recurrence. For the first three months of the year, I avoided alcohol. And I was very conscious of my food intake, and I am still until today. I have omitted quite a fair bit of food with my new low-oxalate diet.

Everything I cooked was bland, but it had to be this way. Salty food was a big no-no for me. The biggest give-up was nuts; I had to give up most of the nuts I typically snacked on, among other things. Spinach, a healthy vegetable full of calcium, is my biggest enemy these days – who would have believed such a thing?

Now, nine months later, with a follow-up appointment with the doctor yesterday, I am pleased to say I am all good and clear. The diet change has been for the better; no new traces of a recurrence inside me. Yay!

Putting is So Difficult

17 Oct

Lately, I can’t get my putting right when my ball lands on the green. In the last few games, putting was my biggest challenge. I have no issues with my tee-off, second shots, or short game, but putting. I have been consistently inconsistent. Is it me or the putter?

I can do 30 putts in one game, but then for the next game, return with 38 putts. Last week, I had a 32-putt game, followed by my second 38-putts this morning. All within a week. There was even an appalling four-putt today on a Par 3! Four putts!!! Horrors. Where have I gone wrong along the way? My Scotty is failing me!

Looks like a refresh is necessary all over again to rid myself of such horrible putting stats. So, out goes my Scotty, and the TaylorMade Spider Mini will finally see some action. I hope my fortunes will be for the better with the change. We will find out at my next game. Fingers crossed.

DIY Project #32

16 Oct

I am keen to start DIY project number 32, but the will to craft and build is not there. Have I stopped too long and lost interest? I’m not sure. My stash of miniatures is still there, and the desire to buy more from my favorite online shopping site is also there, but the will to build is sadly lacking.

Perhaps I have been playing too much golf and hardly any time or energy left for other activities. Well, I guess I have to be disciplined, shake off the layer of dust, and do it!

Going Down South, Part 2

13 Oct

We went and came back from the Forest City Resort Golf trip. It was an enjoyable but tiring trip because of the journey both ways. Waking up at 4.00 a.m. to take the bus with the rest of the group was not fun but necessary for the 12.30 tee-off. But we were delayed along the Plus highway with a traffic crawl due to an earlier accident.

Thankfully, we arrived on time at Senibong Golf Club. After a quick catered lunch, we teed off. I have never played speed golf before. The game at Senibong felt like a race against time! There were three of us on our flight, and buggies were allowed on the course. We found ourselves racing and chasing every shot.

The weather was cloudy, and unexpectedly, rain clouds were threatening. And when we heard thunder, the race to complete the game became more evident. We finished that game in three hours and thirty minutes! What a record.

That evening, we checked into Forest City Resort Golf. The Hotel seems to have lost its luster. Our room did not have a luggage rack. The TV did not work, the furnishings had scratches, the bathroom amenities were minimal, and they wouldn’t issue a second room access card. What has happened?

Luckily, the golf course was pristine and top-notch. The fairways and landscaping were excellent. However, the greens on the Legacy Course were frustrating. It was slow, making putting difficult. I recorded 38 putts compared to 30 putts at Senibong.

Drinks after game

The next day’s game was at the Classic course, and the greens felt better. But being a more challenging course, the return score could have been better. Oh well. The weather was a scorcher, and I don’t think I could have played any better.

Would we return to play again? I wouldn’t mind playing at Senibong, after it was our first time there. As for Forest City, perhaps we should play one course twice instead of both.

Going Down South

10 Oct

The timing to travel south to Johore for golf is, unfortunately, not the best with the haze. But the trip was mooted before the weather conditions changed. Oh well.

We woke up at an ungodly hour of 4.15 am to meet at the club to go on the bus. At least we don’t have to drive because there are enough people to charter a bus.

On the bus now, I can feel the impending headache. Ugh. I hope I can play decent for the afternoon tee-off at Senibong Golf Club. We will find out.