Archive | October, 2023

Double Happiness Thrice Over

9 Oct

This year seems to be a year of weddings! First was my nephew, then my niece, and now it’s my cousin’s daughter. The best part of such happy occasions is seeing the extended family again. And some new faces whom we’ve never met before.

Last night was another happy occasion, thrice over that we saw everyone, if not most, again. Everyone looked great, from the aunties and uncles to the cousins, nieces and nephews. We caught up from where we left off at the last wedding.

The lovely bride looked beautiful and blew my mind away from what I recalled of her during her younger days. The bride and her groom made a lovely couple. Congratulations to my cousin brother and his wife for having a new son-in-law.

As we grow older, such family gatherings become more treasured. The photo session to have everyone in becomes a priority. Perhaps there will be another such occasion soon, and I look forward to it.

The Heat is On

6 Oct

The weather, of late, has been wonky again. It constantly flips between being hot, like a furnace, and cold, like being in the highlands when it rains. Unpredictable is what the weather is.

Playing golf in the afternoons is very taxing on the body when it’s hot. I find myself drinking more water than ever to stay hydrated. However, not all afternoons are hot, and there are days when afternoon golf can be a washout.

I’m glad I rested the last few days to allow my body to recover. Regardless of the conditions outside, I have been indoors chilling and doing nothing. It’s nice as I caught up with my reading.

Recently, there have been reports that the haze is back! The heat is on and gets to me. It becomes unbearable and uncomfortable. Sigh. I hope this won’t last; otherwise, we have no choice but to be indoors more than ever. We will have to monitor the situation.

Time to Rest

3 Oct

I think I am playing too much golf, raking up three games in a row last week. It’s tiring. There do not seem to be any improvements in my ability to play well. The putting gets to me, the roller coaster scores upon completion irked me, and I feel piqued to sacrifice all those balls that cannot cross the ponds and lakes. The list can go on! Sigh.

Thankfully, I have conquered my fear of the sand bunker and can escape without adding additional strokes to the score. I will take a short break to let my tired body recover and focus on building my miniatures to keep busy.

A Horrendous Record

2 Oct

I have been keeping track of my putting stats for some time now whenever I golf. Three putts are, of course, the biggest bane for me. And I’m sure for most golfers as well. The average two putts are good, while a one-putt is revered.

Yesterday, I played in my club’s Monthly Medal tournament, and as always, the putting was something I was more conscious of than my other shots. I was doing okay until one hole – it was disastrous beyond words.

Whenever the flagstick is at the back of the green, doubt would creep in. What do I do? How do I play the shot? Unfortunately, I tend to make the wrong decision on what clubs to use to approach the green.

It’s as if I never learn from past experiences and repeat the same mistakes whenever I’m in this situation. All the time! Why? Yesterday was no different.

I approached the green and left myself short on the front for a long putt. Or what I call a three-putt zone. Uh-oh, danger lights were flickering wildly for the impending three-putt.

But did I three-putt? No! I did not. Instead, I five-putted. Yes, you read that right! I landed on the green front on three and did a five-putt! I was beyond peeved. Was it bad putting? I certainly erred in my line reading.

When I missed the third putt, I lost my focus. Whatever it was, it was a record, albeit a horrid one, for me to do a five-putt. I hope this will be the first and last time.

The lesson learned here is perhaps not to approach the green short on the front whenever there is the blue flagstick. Either play it short for a chip-and-run approach or take a club or two longer to land the ball closer to the cup.

This theory may or may not work, and I will only know the next time I golf and find myself in this situation again. I hope I can remember this theory to save the blushes and no more repeat of the horrendous five-putt record.