Going away for a holiday is always fun. But, coming back to routine becomes a problem. I stopped playing golf the week before Chinese New Year, and being away in Bangkok stretched the layoff to two weeks.
Last Tuesday, I played my first game and discovered how off I was. I could not tee off and lost all my muscle memory. My long game was short, and the short game and putting were off. It was terrible.
Despite all the misfortune, I had fun because the outing quickly became a laugh fest instead. To resolve my problems, I adopted the ‘Hit and Pray’ strategy. Just hit the ball and pray for it to land somewhere safe (read fairway, not the rough, ravine, water, or sand bunker). Hahahaha.
I hope I won’t take too long to get my golf mojo back, for I have lined up several games for next week. Otherwise, the ‘Hit and Pray’ strategy will have to continue.
What can I say about the Iron Challenge tournament this year? Well, it was a matter of could have or should have for the strokeplay tournament. The practice rounds did help with handling the long irons. All the other clubs were also good at ball striking, crossing most of the ponds and lakes safely. And I only lost one ball because of a mis-hit. Sadly, putting was the culprit and downright disappointing. I did not expect my putting to be so off the mark.
The TaylorMade Spider Mini did not rise to the occasion! Boo hoo hoo. I had five holes that I agonizingly three-putted and had only two miserable one-putts. But despite the 39 putts that I recorded, I did enjoy myself.
The weather was lovely, my flightmates were fun, and we all faced the challenges together in stride. On two occasions at the Par 3, my poor buggy mate returned with a snowman. But she wasn’t the only one. We all had snowmen on our scorecards! My fair share of snowmen was because of the putting! Oh well, this is part and parcel of the challenge.
Although the outcome was not the best, there is some consolation for me. I took the honors for the NTL (nearest-to-line) novelty, besting the 71 players in the field with a measurement of two feet and two inches to the line. Sometimes, little rewards like this make one forget all the adversity during the tournament. Will I participate again next year? For sure, a definite yes!
And for the record, I’ve decided to keep my long irons in the bag, as I feel comfortable handling them. But the Mini is out, and in its place is the Scotty. Putting is so important. I hope with Scotty now, my putting will yield some better results for my future games.
The final preparation for the upcoming Iron Challenge tournament went well yesterday. I decided to stick with the 4-iron for all tee-offs (except the Par 3s) and second shots instead of using the 3-iron.
After I changed the grip, the iron felt more comfortable. Generally, ball striking with all the other irons was good, so I’m pleased. Distances are optimized once I slow down the upswing before striking the ball.
The putting still needs work because the greens on the Hills course are very different from the Lakes, and I’m not used to it. However, there’s no more window to practice, so I hope my judgment and putting ability will prevail. The Spider Mini is in the bag for the game.
I enjoy the Iron Challenge tournament because it tests my ability to use all the irons in the bag. Sometimes, when I depend too much on the woods and hybrid clubs, I forget how to handle especially the long irons. Participating in this tournament reels me back.
I’m looking forward to enjoying the outing and hope to return with a positive performance for the stroke-play game on Sunday. Wish me luck!
The second golf game of the year yesterday was a practice round with just my iron clubs. The Iron Challenge tournament is nine days away, and I have to prepare for it. Last year, I missed out on participating because of the timing. I was recovering from surgery.
Thankfully, there are no major medical issues this year, only the tail-end of the lingering cough. I should recover by then. Anyway, using the 4-iron takes some getting used to again. This club is only in the bag once a year for this tournament.
This time, I am also trying out the 3-iron, something I hardly use! I guess practice makes perfect, for I should put in another game or two to get used to them. Besides these two irons in the bag, I’m generally pleased with how I handle the other irons. The ball striking is good, and the short game is coming along, but the putting needs further fine-tuning.
All in all, I have to remember practice makes perfect. I look forward to the next few games to sort out my issues before the tournament.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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