Tag Archives: Greensome

Costly Three-Putts

20 Aug

My golf club’s Greensome competition that concluded over the weekend had all the thrills of a challenging tournament. My regular partner and I were at it again, having played the first Greensome tournament earlier in the year.

That time, we won the Ball Sweep for the First Nine, coming in second place. So, how did we fare this time?

I had several days of rest to recover from my exhaustion in the run-up to the game on Sunday. Thankfully, it was not a washout like the week before during the Scramble competition. We started on Hole 16, and it was a conservative start, with two bogeys on the first two holes. But we fumbled by the third hole with a three-putt. Hrmph.

Despite the setback, we remained focused when we crossed over to the front nine, which was easier to manage. Our partnership clicked, our game plan was effective, and we played well.

Then disaster struck on Hole 13 with two errand shots by both of us. And we were left with a two-putt for a double bogey. But the ball lipped out when it struck the pin! Argh, it was painful – another three-putt.

We were almost out of holes to play, so the next two holes were critical for damage control. We had to make a par and a birdie to salvage a stroke back to remain three-under. Alas, we could only manage a bogey. The birdie on the last hole was a small consolation. But we took it in stride as we improved our performance this time.

And it was with mild surprise that we won the First Nine Ball Sweep again but in third place. Oh well, a reward is still a reward. Looking back, it was the two unnecessary three-putts that cost us.

A small consolation

Greensome is a fun competition, and we both thoroughly enjoy it. We look forward to bettering our luck next year because we know our mistakes and understand our strengths better. So, thank you, partner, for the improved results and fantastic partnership.

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Hit and Pray, Part 2

27 Feb

Last week, I played my first golf game after a two-week break, and it was so bad I could only laugh it off. Then I thought, oh dear, that’s not good with the upcoming Greensome Tournament on Sunday. I hope I won’t let my partner down.

Thankfully, I had a strong partner, and with our combined handicap of 16 and a game plan, we should fare better than last year. I did not have to hit and pray because my partner crossed all the treacherous lakes and gained distances I never could on my own. For the Par 5s and Par 3s, we only bogeyed three holes.

However, we made some mistakes on the remaining Par 4s. There were pars, bogeys, even double bogeys. And it took one hole to erase all our efforts.

My partner launched our third shot way left from the flag on Hole 17. The ball landed on the green but could not hold. It rolled off the green, down the slope, and landed in the compact sand bunker. Uh oh, trouble. And my turn for the sand shot. Gulp.

Bravely, I stood over the ball but could only pop it into the rough on the slope, not any further. The compact sand got the better of me, and the sight of the steep slope facing me did not make the task any easier.

Thankfully, it was my partner’s turn to play the next shot, and I felt the predicament was still under control. All he had to do was chip onto the green, right? The outcome could be a double bogey or a triple at most. But this did not happen. Sigh.

Uncharacteristic of him, he did not contact the ball well on the slope, and the ball rolled back into the sand bunker. Horrors! More trouble, and my turn again at the sand shot! I cringed.

So what did I do? I shanked my shot out from the bunker and almost hit my partner! Yikes. To cut the misery and not relive the nightmare anymore, it took a chip shot and two putts to finish the hole with a horrible nine on a Par 4.

Despite the horrible outcome, we managed our emotions and clawed back the next few holes when we crossed over. We did well, and looking back, the damage on that hole was not too bad. A couple of missed par opportunities saw us finishing the game two over.

Golf is a game of could have, should have, all the time. The outcome of Hole 17 on the back nine should not be the main culprit, for there were other unforced errors throughout the game. Although both of us worked well together, we also did err in judgment. We take to heart the lessons learned and look forward to our partnership again for the next Greensome Tournament.

There was some consolation at the end, though, for our partnership won 2nd Placing for the Ball Sweep on the front nine of the Greensome Tournament. The focus paid off upon the cross-over, and we were rewarded with half a dozen balls each. Nice.

Our Ball Sweep rewards

Who knows? Maybe we will do even better for the next tournament, and I can’t wait for it to come soon again.

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On the Uptrend

20 Feb

I am pleased that my golf mojo is coming back! By my third game yesterday, there were vast improvements. The tee-offs were good in direction and distance, likewise, my second wood shots.

As such, by the third shot (or fourth, if it is a Par 5), it is only an iron or wedge to use to land on the green. The putting, at times, was brilliant, save for silly mistakes. I made 31 putts yesterday, which was quite good. Separately, I did not feel too tired being out under the sun and kept hydrated more than ever.

I look forward to the next few games lined up this week in preparation for the upcoming Greensome Tournament on Sunday. It should be fun!

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Lady Luck Strikes Again

1 Apr

Sometimes when we join golf tournaments, it is not just the will to want to play well but to gain competition experience to be a better player. How to manage our emotions on the golf course, have good course management, know our ability and hit shots sensibly, yet at the same time, play without fear. To win a club-organized tournament is icing on the cake and a booster to our confidence.

But being social golfers, our competitive drive is not quite at that level to win tournaments. So we aim for the next thing, which is to win the lucky draw during the prize presentation after the game.

Last Sunday, after returning from Forest City a day earlier, I participated in the Greensome tournament organized by my golf club. My partner and I started well but faded midway. It was a case of could-have and what-if. Our combined handicap was 15, and we returned with a three-over for our net score, far below other pairs that played better and scored well under their combined handicaps. Oh well, it was a good experience.

But all is not lost as there’s the lucky draw after the prize presentation! There is still hope to win something. And win we did, woohoo! Lady luck has been kind to me, this being my second time in three months winning something at the lucky draw during competitions. The first time was iron covers; this time, a golf travel bag.

And now that borders are opening for most countries and traveling abroad is picking up, the travel bag will come in handy, not that I don’t have one already, for a golfing trip abroad. But my recent experience at Forest City Golf Resort has superseded any travel ideas abroad for golf. Then again, we’ll keep our options open. Thailand?

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