Tag Archives: golf club

A Touring Pro?

5 Dec

Over the weekend, hubby and I attempted to do the unthinkable – playing four rounds of golf like a touring pro! Did we succeed? Well, almost.

The drive in one car with our friends to Sri Menanti Golf Club was pleasant, as there was hardly any traffic. The weather was cooling, and although our one flight teed off at almost 9.30 am, we did not feel any heat.

At 9.00am, the temperature was cool with the low hanging clouds at the clubhouse

The golf course was a gem of a discovery. Narrow, undulating, and unexpected, it was an enjoyable golf course. The best part – buggies were allowed on the fairways. Nice.

After the game, we had a hearty local lunch near the course before heading to Malacca for the night.

Come Sunday, the rest of the group arrived, and our second game was together with them at Ayer Keroh Country Club. Yet another round with the buggy on course, I didn’t feel the pain of walking because I didn’t walk that much! Such conditions help the body not to exert too much and be able to go on pain-free the next game.

The third game at Tiara Malacca Golf & Country Club was a taxing one despite being buggy on the course as well. The fairways were dry, the roughs were nasty, and the sun was a scorcher. Everyone felt the heat to the core.

I was constantly going into the bunkers, and it annoyed me to no end. Adding to my frustration was my erratic putting with the Spider after doing so well with it for the past few games. Sigh.

The three-day schedule pales in comparison to a touring pro’s. I hardly felt like one anyway when we had buggy on-course games. Despite this advantage, the will to go on was there, but the body and mind could not. We gave up the last game. Sigh. On a brighter note, we had good food each time and plenty of friendship bonding time.

Professional men and women golfers are remarkable athletes. While I aspire to be like them, playing several games in a stretch, if I cannot even handle three days of buggy on-course games, what more walking long golf courses for four days in a row? Hats off to them!

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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.

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Eagle Achiever!

21 Aug

The golf game on Saturday, 19 August 2023, will forever be etched in my mind, for it was during this game that I holed out from the fairway for an eagle! A two on a Par 4.

Saturday’s game was the Carlsberg Classic tournament held at my club. I played well despite performing poorly on all the Par 5s again. This phobia is hard to get rid of. Slowly, perhaps to change the mindset.

Thankfully, I fixed some issues I had earlier, and it helped. I was sharp on the short game, and my Scotty putter was good. I also had good company on my flight, and the camaraderie eased our waiting for each shot.

I told my buggy mate we should all aim to finish with a par on Hole 1 because we started with three pars and a birdie on Hole 2 during the shotgun start. With that in mind, I teed up and launched my ball.

Typically, my ball would fly to the left, but that morning, it went right. And actually, it was a much better position to approach the green. I brought two clubs with me when I walked to my ball on the fairway. The distance on the Hole 19 app on my AppleWatch showed 119m. The hybrid choice came to mind since it was a white flag, so it is better to land the ball short for a one-chip, one-putt strategy.

But when I stood still at the ball again, the reading changed! Aiks. It became 125m. Maybe I better use my wood instead. One last effortless hit and a par is still within range.

I lined up my shot, took a test swing with my 5-wood, and struck the ball. It flew beautifully, landed on the green, and rolled a bit before disappearing into the hole! I saw the whole scene unfolding in slow motion. Holy moly, what just happened?

Retrieving my ball from the hole-out eagle shot.

OH WOW! I could not believe my eyes! I just holed out for an eagle. Everyone on my flight whooped and shouted, and I was ecstatic! After twenty years of playing this game, this eagle achievement is my first.

After the game, the club presented a dozen golf balls to me, and I will get an Eagle Achievement certificate too. Nice! Sometimes when the going is so bad, a little surprise pops up, like this one, and you love the game all over again. I am officially an eagle achiever, be still my beating heart!

Marking the Gutty ball on the historic feat

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Weekend Interclub Games, Part 2

4 Aug

The trip to Johore for Interclub games was fun but tiring because of the ungodly wake-up hours and the return journey. Once the second game and luncheon concluded, we left for KL. The weekend traffic jam along the Plus highway contributed to a longer-than-usual trip back.

The second Interclub game on Sunday was against Ponderosa Golf & Country Club, half an hour from our hotel. A morning game this time around, the course challenges were very different from the first day’s outing. However, both days had the same strong wind external factor, creating challenging conditions to play.

The four-seater buggy

Hubby and I had an unusual four-person buggy instead of the typical two-person buggy. A first for us to be using this for a tournament! It took a while to get used to being in the four-seater with the opponents to move along the golf course.

Although hubby and I won against our opponents, my putting was terrible. I made 37 putts, with two 3-putts and TWO 4-putts! It was so demoralizing to have such horrid putting stats.

Being a Matchplay format again, our side lost by a substantial margin to our host this time, 9.5 points versus 20.5 points. But everyone was happy and enjoyed the hospitality and outing tremendously!

Sometimes it is not the outcome but the moment that matters most – the fellowship, the fun, and the experience. The memories are stored away but reminisced fondly again with time passing.

We will sign up for the next away Interclub outing without hesitation, should the next one appear on the club calendar again!

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Weekend Interclub Games, Part 1

1 Aug

Over the weekend, hubby and I participated in our golf club’s Interclub away games. It was a short and tiring trip down South for the sixty players from our club for two interclub matches. We left in two buses in the wee hours of the morning for Palm Resort Golf & Country Club.

From the clubhouse overlooking the fairways beyond

The Saturday afternoon tee-off was at the Allamanda course. We were unfamiliar with the challenging course layout, but enjoyable nonetheless. Thank goodness I resolved my approach shot problem, and it helped. However, we lost our match to the better pair. For the record, I made 31 putts.

The hospitality shown to us was second to none. Everyone had a good time. Although we were the visiting team, we gave the home team a good fight and won 12.5 points against their 7.5 points in the Matchplay format. The match trophy is ours until the next Interclub game again to decide who will hoist the trophy.

It was a nice feeling to end with a win. Our entourage bade farewell to our host and checked into the hotel. I was so tired because the plantar fasciitis on my right foot acted up, and walking anymore after the game was killing me. I did 15,871 steps, covering 10.41km.

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A Little Scare

14 Jul

It is natural when we get attached to our collection of knick-knacks and things for sentimental reasons. My golf accessories are no less. I’ve come to love my set of doggy covers for my driver, woods, and utility clubs. Last Tuesday, I almost lost the doggy cover for my utility four. Man, I was frantic!

After the game, I headed towards the car and was loading up. That was when I realized number 4 was missing! Oh no, where did I drop it? Visibly upset, I sped off in the buggy to the last hole, Hole 9, thinking it may have fallen around that path as I was fussing with my things then. Alas, it was not there. Boo hoo hoo.

I headed to Hole 18 instead, and it was not there either. My mind was racing, and already thinking I may have to buy a replacement. Sadness engulfed me.

I drove the buggy back to the car park and saw a fellow golfer who offered some kind words to comfort me for my loss. I thanked him, but a lump on the road caught my eye! Could it be…?

So I drove past him, and lo and behold, was my beloved number four sprawled on the road! It must have fallen off the clubhead when I hit the road hump a tad too fast as I was heading towards the car. An eye popped out, and the fur was a little ruffled, but it was okay and safe. Phew.

Right eye glued back, left eye a little scratched but safe.

Lesson learned – upon covering the clubs, remember to zip up the golf bag and never drive too fast on the road, as the road humps may cause something to fall off.

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Up and Down, Part 2

11 Jul

I have figured out the reasons for my recent up-and-down trend. Firstly, I picked up a new injury! Silly me, how could I overlook this? I have had plantar fasciitis on my right foot for the past few months.

I will be fine if I play at courses that allow buggies on the fairways because I can minimize walking. Sadly, this is not often, and my foot hurts to high heaven even before completing the game. Ouch, indeed.

Secondly, the wedges that I have in the golf bag. I took out my Cleveland CBX2 52-degree wedge and had a Cleveland Smart Sole 50-degree Gap wedge instead for the last few games. Because of the swap, the short game has not been very sharp. You could say I wasn’t used to the Gap wedge.

Well, I put the 52-wedge back for the buggy-on-course game this morning. And I am pleased with the outcome because the short game improved. Also, being buggy on the course, my foot pain was manageable because I walked less.

I need to be more aware and know where the problem lies. Once I can manage the situation well, be it my short game or physical pain, the up-and-down trend should be a thing of the past.

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Bunker Horrors

30 May

Golf is one funny and challenging game. When you think you are playing well, it goes downhill. Then there are all sorts so woes from the tee to the green. There will be the usual chipping yips, putting issues, and sand bunker shots.

Last week’s game was an eye-opener. The replacement driver turned out better than expected, which was nice. But it was the bunker horrors that put a dent in the overall game. I have not played sand bunker situations for a long time already. Generally, I avoid them and tend to do well managing myself out there.

But last week, it was a different script. I went into eight bunkers, hitting five in a row on the front nine and raking up nine shots to get out. What had just happened? It was as if a magnet was pulling my balls into the bunkers! It wasn’t aggravating anymore but plain ridiculous, and I could only laugh about it. How else to deal with the misery?

One thing for sure, I had left my Cleveland Smart Sole Sand Wedge out of my bag, thinking I hardly use it for my games. And it was usually the case, hardly used. But after that episode, the club was back in my golf bag!

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A Pleasant Discovery

29 May

Last week, I used an alternative driver because my driver was loose at the joint and needed repair. And it was a pleasant discovery with the XXIO Prime SP-900 driver. Although it is longer than my lady driver, being a men’s club, I handled it well.

The best part was the distance that I was able to achieve. Effortlessly, I could hit 10 to 30 meters longer than my regular club! Wow! I never knew an unexpected change in equipment would yield such results.

Perhaps I should consider having this club in the bag instead of my usual XXIO MP-900 lady driver because, with the extra distance, subsequent shots are easier with more club choices to use. Hmm, what a pleasant discovery.

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Downward Slide, Part 2

26 May

After several days of rest, I hit the golf course yesterday. It has been too hot to stay home and be a sloth. The heat and humidity bites at the skin, making it very uncomfortable.

But it was an afternoon game, and I was expecting the worse. Luckily, there was enough wind to cool down the body. Anyway, it was the company and camaraderie that I wanted to have instead of staring at the computer and having designer’s block.

Sometimes it is not the game but the people and friendship. So there wasn’t too much walking and golf, but rather, laughter and chatter.

Separately, I discovered a possible problem with my game. My driver has a gap at the joint between the head and the shaft. My goodness! It is a miracle the club head is still intact upon contact for the past several games.

A loose driver head!

Could this be the reason for my recent downward slide? Most of my tee-offs have been short lately, thus, making the subsequent shots harder. I did notice this gap some time ago but took no heed of it. However, with my recent slide, I questioned everything, and this came to light.

So I used a different driver for yesterday’s game while the problem club was being fixed and recalibrated. Hopefully, after the adjustment, I can tee off well again with my regular driver and subsequently play better golf. Keeping my fingers crossed on this. But until then, more rest to manage the plantar fasciitis on the foot.

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