Tag Archives: golf club

An Epic Fail

2 Aug

I have been playing golf for dinosaur years. And somehow there’s always a first for an unthinkable shot. An epic fail that is…

Tuesday was a public holiday and we took the opportunity to go play golf instead of just staying at home doing the usual carving (me) and gardening (hubby).

Our tee-off at 8.11am was later than our usual weekend 7-ish slot but we didn’t mind, it’s a public holiday and everyone’s playing golf. Anyway, the weather was lovely and the pace good without having to wait too long for every shot.

I must say I am playing much better now because there’s no pain in the wrist, carving less Gnomes these days. So the results are encouraging as each game goes by. But there’s always a first for an unthinkable scenario.

As we headed towards Hole 9, the last hole, I was getting a little tired because it was very hot by then. After all, we teed off late.

I had about 60m to the green. And although the coconut tree on the right wasn’t directly in my path, I thought launching my ball slightly left of the tree was the best approach to land nicely on the green center, close to the pin. So I took a full swing.

The ball flew above the tree but it never landed on the green as envisioned. Instead it landed in the tree! Yes, in the tree 15 feet or thereabouts above ground; my pink Nike golf ball never came out, dropped down or go past the tree. I was in disbelief!

img_4449

There, right there amidst the coconuts on the tree lies a pink Nike ball.

The approach space was so wide and yet, I managed to land my ball in the tree. That’s a first for me with such an unbelievable approach shot! An epic fail. Hahahaha…

Tags: , , , , , ,

A Game of Opposites

28 May

I often say golf is one funny game. The harder you try, the more it backfires and the harder it will be to gain in strokes or advantage. But when you don’t exert or make effort, you play better. It’s a game of opposites and I know this fact, yet I am always wanting to defy it. And suffer the consequences in confidence and ability in the process.

After the golf binge last week, that’s how it was for me during the game on Saturday. Something went totally awry; it was terrible as everything fell apart. I lost five balls, I lost focused in every department, and I even lost my swing! It was one of those days… my confidence was busted. Sigh…

The mode of play was Stableford and I came back with a meagre 25 points. Then when I played again yesterday morning – the postponed game from last Friday, it was a totally different story.

My swing came back, I was more focused and despite losing one ball less than Saturday, I played so much better. Maybe the masseur who focused on the shoulders more than the legs, knew my needs better than me.

In terms of Stableford points, I scored 33 points! Words fail me here. The flight mates are people I usually play with, the stakes are the same, the course too, so why such a contrasting outcome? Unexplainable this game of opposites, don’t you think so?

My next game is this Saturday because the intended game on Wednesday is now pushed to next Monday. Let’s hope I will manage well during the weekend’s outing and not be consistently inconsistent.

Tags: , , ,

Marathon Golf

13 May

Last Friday I was free and agreed to a round of golf with my golf buddies. In fact, we played not a round but two rounds! Marathon golf was what it was, 36-holes.

The morning round was very enjoyable as the weather was lovely and there was no crowd in front to delay our progress nor at the back chasing us. It was very unusual but pleasant on a Friday at our golf club.

So much so, we decided to go at it again, after lunch to play another 18-holes! And the second round concluded in good time too. But the afternoon round was rather draining because the sun was scorching and we were tired by then. Two rounds in two days is pretty normal but two rounds within a day can be taxing if it’s not something we do all the time.

At the end of the two rounds, my Mi Band2 recorded at whopping 20,390 steps that I had done and my day was not even complete yet because it was only 5.00pm, and I had to go out to meet a friend later that evening!

When I finally climbed into bed that night, I recorded 22,093 steps and covered a distance of 13.1km. Dang… drained to the core.

Tags: , , , ,

Scotty, Oh Scotty

1 Apr

The outcome from the Iron Challenge golf tournament at my golf club over the weekend was not a result I had hoped for. Although there were more Red Tee boxes moved up (compared to last year) to shorten the distance to green to make it friendlier, this didn’t help my game.

And while I was mentally and physically prepared, there were areas that were such let-downs, it deflated the spirit. The putting especially with my Scotty Cameron putter.

Whilst I had a slight mishap only in one sand bunker, the putting was the biggest let down. On that hole, a Par 3 mind you, I took three shots to come out from the sand bunker with the 56 wedge and the damage wasn’t that bad until I had to putt. I took three putts to hole out. That hurt.

And on the next hole, the Par 4 where I blew up last year with the bunker failure, I was three on the green and three-putted as well. Scotty, oh Scotty, why did you fail me when it’s most critical?

In fact, the putting throughout failed me this time. I can only conclude that playing in tournaments sometimes bring out the worst in judgement and shots. And it wasn’t emotion, the sand bunker or fear that got the better of me.

It was my putting or should I say inability to putt well when it mattered most. In total, there were six holes that I three-putted. Six holes and that’s enough in a tournament situation to be costly.

Oh well. Another year, another experience chalked up. Did I have fun? Well, a couple of dunked balls each in two holes that resulted in double digits on the score card was another factor, along with the inconsistent putting to erase all the good gained. It could have been better. Sigh…

Tags: , , , , ,

Iron Challenge Again

29 Mar

This year my golf club has scheduled the 2019 Iron Challenge for this Sunday, 31st March instead of towards the second half of the year. And I have been mentally preparing for it, not just physically. After last year’s outing, whereby I still remember my bunker failure, I need to stay focused and not be out-of-sorts especially if I end up in a sand bunker.

The remedy? Putting a 56 degree club in the bag.

All this while, I never had a sand wedge because there was no need for one. And if I landed in a bunker, the 52 degree or P wedge worked fine. Unfortunately, on that fateful Challenge day last year, the 52 failed me.

So this year, with this additional club to help me get out of sand trouble, I hope to have a better and more enjoyable outing. I have been practicing and teeing off with my 4-iron the last few games and gaining my confidence with it. Come Sunday, I should be ready.

Tags: , , ,

March Madness All Over Again

19 Mar

March is the month for sports that I enjoy. There’s the golf Iron Challenge at my club at the end of the month which I am preparing for and then, there’s the college basketball NCAA Tournament which has started after the regular season ended.

This is the fourth year I am following the March Madness schedule and putting my two cents worth to predict the winners for both the men and women’s games in the draw.

M1’s university has made it to the NCAA Women’s Division 1 bracket again. For the third consecutive year, six Pac-12 teams made it. And of course, I will be rooting for her school. The first round games start this Saturday.

Tags: , , , , , ,

A Costly Mistake

17 Sep

The Golf Iron Challenge on Saturday morning was quite a fun outing at the Hills course. To my surprise, another girlfriend signed up at the very last minute to make our sole ladies flight a four-ball.

It was delightful indeed as some of the tee boxes were moved up and thus, psychologically it was friendlier because distances were cut short and certain ponds were taken out of play. Hubby, who played too, laughed at our first tee box at Hole 1 being moved forward akin to the Drop Zone, which we discovered was indeed the case for Hole 6’s Par 3. Aligned at the Drop Zone. Hahaha…

img_5078

Tee off at the Red or the Drop Zone? Hehehe…

I held up well on the first nine because I took a painkiller prior to tee off to suppress the nagging pain on the left wrist and it helped..

Then upon the cross-over, drama unfolded. Drama always unfolds when the sun comes up and it becomes too hot.

Unlike last year, where fear got the better of me, this time it was just plain silly mistakes. Silly mistakes that became costly mistakes. The first three holes on the cross over, I three-putted, adding strokes unnecessarily in this stroke play tournament.

However, it didn’t bother me too much as I felt I could still recover. After all, the more difficult holes were completed without any problems.

Then came Hole 14. An unsuspecting hole. I never thought I could be bunkered by a sand bunker this time around as I always thought if I overcame the pond fear, I would be okay. Well, there’s alway a first for everything.

The 60 meters approach third shot shanked to the right and landed in the bunker. And what a horrible bunker it was because the sand was so compacted and hard, the setup wasn’t ideal. But somehow I was unperturbed and was very calm; there was no fear in me as I tried to get my ball out and onto the green. Unsuccessful of course…

And I kept trying and trying and trying.

I took nine strokes to come out from the darn bunker! Nine freaking strokes, another record of sorts for me (remember my six balls in the water last year?). A chip-in and a two-putt, I came back with 15 strokes on that Par 4, Hole 14. 15 strokes. Bunkered to the core, you could say.

Amazingly, I could still be jovial about it. Whatever was gained on the front nine especially was lost on this one hole, just like last year with Hole 18 at the Lakes course. But the difference this time, my mental wasn’t beaten to a pulp.

After the game and to my surprise, I was rewarded ‘1st place’ – an improvement from 2nd place last year, for my front nine’s effort of two-under for the nett score with three tubes of ball! I certainly did not expect this, better than all the men. What a morale booster! Now if only this reward could erase the costly mistake of the sand bunker…

f564beb8-6329-4bcf-a266-ecaa62708c2b

What a lovely surprise!

There’s a lesson to learn from this year’s Iron Challenge – be wary of bunkers too, not just the water. I take pride that I managed to hold up well and did not have my mental strength beaten to a pulp this time. I also did not lose any balls, in fact I gained three new tubes and it’s just most unfortunate that one mistake became such a costly mistake. It’s one of those days I suppose. Sigh…

I certainly look forward to next year’s Challenge again.

Tags: , , ,

The Day I Feared, Part 3

14 Sep

A few days later after the Iron Challenge tournament last year, I played the Lakes course again and when Hole 18 came around, I crossed on the third stroke (but with my 3-wood of course) and made bogey! Golf is one painful and mentally challenging game.

The day you fear, fear will get the better of you. One should not fear but be fearless then adversity will be overcomed. Having said that, I have been prepping my mind mentally to play the Iron Challenge tournament again this year.

Although the Challenge will be held at the Hills course which has less treacherous water to cross compared to the Lakes course, I must remember that golf is also a game of mental strength regardless of the challenge ahead.

The tournament was initially scheduled for February but was deferred to this coming Saturday and I am certainly looking forward to it without fear. Although my left wrist injury has recurred unfortunately, I am positive and taking extra precautions to deal with it for the tournament.

Tags: , , ,

The Day I Feared, Part 2

11 Sep

When fear gets the better of you, everything goes awry. On the morning of the Iron Challenge, drama unfolded at Hole 18 of my Club; it definitely wasn’t tiredness that I felt. Hole 18 the Pacific Ocean being so vast visually, played my mind and created doubt.

The mental approach weakened and fear got the better of me when the planned third shot to cross the water didn’t make it. But I had to cross because the mode of play was stroke play. So when another ball dived, the mental strength started to collapse. Then another sploosh… and another sploosh…

That morning, I dunked an amazing six balls into the Pacific Ocean of the Par 5 Hole 18. It was quite a record for me I must say. All because of fear.

By the time, I finally crossed and got onto the green to hole out, all the progress that I did for the last 17 holes was wiped out with this one hole’s attempt. I took things in stride and even laughed about it.

In honesty, my mental strength was beaten to a pulp.

But like all good stories, there was light at the end of the tunnel. I was pleasantly surprised after the game, I was rewarded for my 2-under effort for the front nine. I certainly did not expect that! The six balls that dived was replaced with two tubes of brand new balls. A sense of positiveness was regained, recovering from the beaten mental experience.

Looking back, the phrase ‘golf without fear’ is so true here for one must never allow fear to get the better of you. I have to learn to master my thoughts better and hone my mental strength to be strong, not just the physical to play well and enjoy a good round of golf.

Tags: , ,

The Day I Feared, Part 1

10 Sep

Golf is a painful and mental game I have said before. Days when you think you can play well, you end up with such a horrendous score, you’d want to not just hang up those clubs but throw them away. Then days when you think it’s going to be just a meh game, you play one fantastic game, the results make you want to play another 18. Immediately.

More than anything else, golf is not just a strategy game but also a mental one. And a Science challenge because there’s club loft, course elevation, ball trajectory plus wind and swing speed to consider. Seriously, one has to be sensible, calm and mentally strong to pick up and recover when things don’t always go as planned.

Last year around early February, I participated in an Iron Challenge tournament at my Club. The challenge called for players to play 18 holes using just irons; no driver off the tee and no woods or hybrids on the fairways. Just irons and of course the putter to hole out.

Mentally I knew I could do it because I had a strategy. Physically I knew I wouldn’t have any issues because I didn’t have any injuries then and I could handle my 4-iron well to get the distance off the tee and on the fairways.

The game went smoothly and as planned. There was no pressure and I had a lot of fun until the last hole. Oh my goodness, the last hole… It didn’t go as planned with the tee off, the lay-up and the third shot to cross the water, followed by probably two more shots and a putt to close with a bogey or double at most on the Par 5, Hole 18. It was treacherous.

I call my Club’s Hole 18 the Pacific Ocean because the water to cross is so vast visually, it always, always plays the mind and creates fear unnecessarily.

So maybe fear got the better of me that morning?

Or maybe the thought of crossing an ocean without any woods in hand suddenly felt too enormous a task to execute because visually, the water being so vast played the mind. I should have had more faith in my long irons but I had a major collapse at that moment because I feared.

Tags: , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →