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.

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.

DIY Project #31, Part 2

29 Sep

It was a public holiday yesterday and a rare occasion that I did not play golf. Instead, I caught up with my crafting. Finally, DIY project number 31 is a wrap! It took six weeks, but there were days when I did not touch the project at all. Nevertheless, I’m pleased with the pace I took for it.

Light off, light on
Details of the kitchen

And thank goodness the set can sit inside the Ikea display cabinet. But I had to move some around earlier to fit in project number 30. I will take a short break from crafting, as usual, before starting number 32, which I am still undecided about which one to take on.

There is the super tiny walnut kit that I recently purchased, or I could work on the Molan House, which is equally minuscule. Let’s see what my mood will be on decision day.

Not Being Fickle, Part 2

26 Sep

I stuck to my Scotty Cameron putter for today’s game. I did 32 putts in total despite making a couple of three-putts. When I stay focused and allow the putter to do the work, the results show. It is when I lose my focus that errors occur.

The first three-putt on the easy hole came about because I did not take my time and commit to the putt. Oh well, at least I know where my mistake was. The second three-putt was a pure mistake on my line reading.

All in all, I am pleased with my putting for today. I hope I can maintain or fare better for my next game!

Not Being Fickle

25 Sep

The good intention to bring two putters for a round of golf did not pan out well last Friday, partly because the green was inconsistent and unpredictable. I could not get the feel and rhythm of both putters. Sometimes, one putter worked, then it didn’t after that. The situation confused me even more!

I was alternating between the Peanut and Scotty at the start of the game but, towards the end, stayed with the Scotty. I made 37 putts again that afternoon. Sigh.

To resolve my putting woes, I must trust the putter more and allow the weight of the putter head to do the work. I should not be aiding anymore with my strength when putting. And with this mindset, the Saturday game yielded a much better result: 30 putts! Yay.

I should not be fickle – maintain just one putter and trust its ability. With this decision, the Peanut will be retired, and for now, my Scotty Cameron remains in the bag.

Being Fickle?

22 Sep

For my upcoming golf game, I have decided to bring two putters! Why? The last golf game was horrid as I had three three-putts in a row for the first three holes; it spoiled the mood and outing.

Could it be due to the greens being sandy and inconsistent? I struggled and was so frustrated with the TaylorMade Spider Mini because I couldn’t find the right balance to putt well.

So, to avoid the horrors again, the Mini is giving way to the Scotty Cameron, along with the Peanut Putter. The Peanut Putter has not seen much action lately because I have been alternating between the other two. Maybe it will see some action this time?

But I hope I don’t have to swap putters for every putt. It is probably not the wisest thing to do, but my rhythm’s lost, and I need to rediscover it. With two putters in hand, I can fix my putting woes immediately; when one does not work, there is another. I don’t think I am being fickled-minded, and I hope this works. Fingers crossed.

Tiniest DIY Kit Ever!

19 Sep

Just when I thought I had them small, this DIY kit that I recently purchased tops them all!

Every month offers from my favorite online shopping site to coincide with the double digits date and month, i.e., 8/8 or 9/9, are very enticing. So naturally, I bought this DIY kit on the 9/9 sale stretch.

Although it is super minuscule, it will most likely be the next one to work on after I complete DIY project #31. Let’s see if I can take the challenge!

Super tiny!