Tag Archives: pandemic

Competitive Golf Again

14 Jun

Over the last two years, with the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging and upending the world, it was not just traveling and routines that got disrupted – sports and golf tournaments everywhere were canceled too.

At the onset, golf was not allowed in my country when the pandemic broke out. But soon, certain outdoor activities were permitted, and golf was on the list. Our golf club had to comply with the strict SOPs outlined by the government for golf.

On top of social distancing, players were not allowed to share the golf buggy. It was a single-player, single-buggy situation. And gatherings for meals before or after games were not permitted at the club, what more holding tournaments which draw a crowd, breaking social distancing rules. All these experiences and situations are now distant memories.

Finally, after a two-year hiatus of none competitive golf, golf tournaments are allowed again. And my golf club’s Annual Golf Championship resumed. Starting over the weekend for three categories – super senior, ladies, and juniors, it will continue for the next two weekends for the seniors and men categories. The thrill of high-level competition again!

I played over the weekend for my category over two days. What a battle it was. The adrenalin and pressure of playing high-level competition are totally unlike social golf. Every shot and mistake counts for your confidence and stress to do well. So how did I fare?

It will always be a what-if, could-have, and should-have situation.

Day One: what if I didn’t put the ball into the water on the approach shot on the first hole? What if I didn’t three-putt throughout the game for seven holes?

Day Two: how could I have dunked two balls into the water and returned with an incredulous ten for the Par 4, Hole 16? And I shouldn’t have four-putted on the relatively easy Hole 15, Par 3. But then, to begin with, I shouldn’t have teed into the water! The list could go on.

Disasters were aplenty, but there were some feel-good moments too. In the end, the bad moments far outweighed the good ones. All these are part and parcel of competitive golf. A little Lady Luck would have been better, and some calm nerves during the two days would have been helpful. Oh well.

I’m not complaining about the outcome of my participation this year; I merely need to build my mental strength to approach competitive golf better. And I need to trust my clubs and their distances more. Being unsure creates doubts, and this leads to disasters.

After all the golfing drama, the after-game camaraderie, drinks, laughter, and friendship with the other lady golfers mattered more than my performance at the Annual Championship. The occasion is now a cherished memory that was fun and challenging, and I certainly look forward to participating again next year.

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Nine Years and Counting!

13 Jun

I had a notification from WordPress this morning – congratulating me on the ninth anniversary of my blog site! Wow. For nine years, I have had this going. Wow again. I am speechless that I have kept it going for so long.

But this would not have happened if it wasn’t for all you readers supporting me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Keep reading, and of course, I will keep writing.

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DIY Project #25

10 Jun

I started DIY project number 25 two days ago. Woohoo! I forced myself to stay away from my games on my iPad Mini to work on it. It was a good decision as there was less time on the iPad, and I could focus better on crafting.

DIY project #25 has kicked off!

DIY project number 25 is another small set. After working on those few minuscule sets, I find them more therapeutic for my mind and patience. And since I recently purchased three new mini kits in the series of six, I decided to work on the Sweet Jam Shop first. And it looks like all the larger sets that I have will have to take a backseat for a while.

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A Do-nothing Day, Part 2

7 Jun

The do-nothing day yesterday turned out to be do-everything-you-can! How wrong I was envisioning the day ahead.

As much as I wanted to lay in bed, I couldn’t because the morning was not those rainy-weather situations that beckons you to stay in bed. The sun was out, the birds were chirping, and the neighbor’s noisy dog was barking endlessly.

So we did everything we could in the morning, from doing the laundry and hanging the clothes out under the sun, washing the cars, and cleaning the garden mess – it turned out to be a busy day instead. Hubby even baked a loaf of bread!

The public holiday turned out to be an extension of the weekend, and whatever chores we couldn’t get to on Saturday and Sunday, we completed them on Monday.

When it’s a do-nothing day, you should abide by it and do nothing. If not, you’ll do things and tire yourself out by lunchtime. By then, it was a do-nothing day for real. Hahaha.

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A Do-nothing Day

6 Jun

It’s a Monday and a public holiday yet again. We seem to be having a lot of Mondays off lately, be it an actual public holiday or a replacement one. Today is an official public holiday. It feels like a Sunday, only it’s not, and it disrupts the usual start-of-the-week schedule.

I have decided it will be a do-nothing day. A sleep-in morning, a lazy afternoon, and perhaps a leisured do-nothing evening to pass the time. There will not be any hurried things to complete nor any plans to keep busy. Hmm, I kind of like it. If only every Monday were like this.

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A Big Change

3 Jun

Last weekend, after the Texas scramble golf tournament, I decided to do something about my Scotty Cameron putter. I changed the grip!

Now, I have had this putter for years, but it is only recently that I am having consistency issues. And alternating my putter use of the Scotty with the Peanut Putter is not resolving my putting woes.

My Scotty Cameron has a Flat Cat grip now!

The Peanut Putter has a fatter grip than the Scotty’s grip. After weighing all the pros and cons, I decided to upsize the Scotty’s grip to have the same size as the Peanut Putter. Although both putters weigh differently, having the grip size to be similar should eliminate problems.

So during my next game, I used my Scotty putter with the new grip. Initially, I was not used to it, and there were many two-putts, several three-putts, and even a four-putt. I was so irked to the core! I almost hated the new grip change.

When we crossed over to the back nine, I told myself to reset my approach. So I tweaked how I held the putter for a better feel. And it worked!

Instantly, the putting feel was better, and I made par for four holes in a row comfortably, something I have never done before. The adjustment was so simple! All in all, I made five pars in nine holes alone! So yea, I am more than pleased with the change in fortune.

I hope this positive streak will continue tomorrow when I play the Monthly Medal tournament at my Club tomorrow morning.

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Putting Woes Again, Part 2

31 May

It is hard to gauge my putting performance from my most recent golf game. The game was not a typical one but a Texas scramble format, and the score was the result of the efforts of both players from the partnership.

So with the format being such, it’s hard then to determine how my putting statistics were because we each would take turns to hole out if the other did not.

But I’m certainly not complaining because we had a terrific combination and played an astounding 16 under our combined handicap. There were occasions we fumbled, but this did not affect the result.

I guess a few more games to adjust and fine-tune to rid myself of putting woes with the Scotty, then only I will decide what to do next.

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DIY Project #24, Part 2

30 May

DIY project number 24 is a wrap! I’m so proud of myself. Within two weeks, I completed the set because I stayed focused. Every day, I had a mission which was to work on it. So things came together bit by bit daily.

The biggest challenge was the gramophone piece, and I had to improvise to ensure the sound horn could hold its position. I felt the tiny wire, as stated in the instruction booklet, was too weak to withstand the weight of the sound horn. True enough, I improvised by reinforcing with a stronger joint, and it worked out well.

Overall, it’s an easy set to work on and could have taken a shorter time frame to complete. But there were time-consuming steps, which were leaving the pieces to dry after gluing them together. Well, I’m a happy camper, or should I say, crafter with this completion. Onwards with the next set!

My latest miniature!

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Putting Woes Again

27 May

I have been playing good golf lately, aided by some good putting. It’s a good confidence booster. It’s unbelievable when the Scotty Cameron putter has been performing so consistently. But, good things never last.

During my last game, the Scotty suddenly let me down so badly. The consistent performance could not hold, and it’s been a long time since I did 41 putts in one game. Yes, a horrible—for lack of a better word—41 putts. There was a four-putt and several unnecessary three-putts. Emotions were running rampant coming of this disaster.

As a result, Scotty is making way for the Peanut Putter again. Let’s hope there will be better luck and magic to rid me of these putting woes with this change. I play my next game tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

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Increasing the Stash

24 May

Just when I depleted my DIY miniature stash, I increased it again! I have been slow crafting my miniatures this year compared to the last two years under lockdown during the pandemic. My current supply of miniature sets has been collecting dust, and I attribute this slowdown to playing more golf and the new felting hobby.

Despite completing only one set (number 23) recently and in the midst of another now, I felt that I needed to increase my stash of DIY miniatures. There seems to be a sense of insecurity when I take a box from the mountain of miniature sets. Funny.

Three weeks ago, Lady Luck was shining on me as the sets that I had been eyeing were on sale on my favorite online shopping site. The series of six was on offer, and it was tough to decide whether to buy all six or be selective on which ones to get. Decisions, decisions!

One box is dented but insides not damaged luckily

In the end, I picked only three sets. Although my mountain of DIY miniatures sets saw a decrease by two, these three latest purchases have reinstated the security level. Yes, I feel a little more secure now, and crafting miniatures have never been more pleasant!

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