Tag Archives: putting

Jakarta Again! Part 2

27 May

Traveling with 58 other golfers is very challenging, especially for the organizer. There were, at times, miscommunications or ignorance that delayed everyone being on the two buses on time. We had a 7.15 am tee-off for the first game. The late check-in the night before did not help! 

I was constantly taking big and deep breaths to stay calm and take things in stride. I focused on my micro group of friends to make the most. I didn’t even drink! That’s how focused I was.

The first game in Karawang was terrible for me. I could not find the golf course on my Hole 19 app as the Palm Springs Golf & Country Club that appeared was a different one, located in Nongsa, not in Karawang. So, I played without the app and relied on the caddy instead. It worked out well, but I had so many three-putts–38 putts in total–it was rather demoralizing! Luckily, my flight mates made up for the putting yips; they were most entertaining, and we laughed more than golfed. 

Later, after requesting Hole 19 for a mapping update, I discovered that the course was previously known as Sedana Golf & Country Club. No wonder I could not find the golf course! This info is now updated, thanks to me!

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Derailed

2 Apr
Slight drizzle was enough to derail the golf momentum

Just when you thought the hot weather was here to stay to make golf outings hot and humid, it rained this morning to spoil things. The siren did not go off because there was no electric charge in the air. We had no choice but to tee off and play on.

It threw me off in every department when it came to ball striking. Maybe it was the air and the dampness. And for the life of me, my putting skills failed me miserably. After averaging 30 putts for the last few games, the record turned ugly with 38 putts this morning. Ugh, and double ugh.

However, I should not worry too much because the playing conditions were abnormal, with the weather throwing us off. So I shouldn’t retire my Scotty Cameron putter. And it’s not even a setback with the unfortunate outing.

Come Saturday, another game awaits. So, let’s hope the momentum returns.

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Improved Performance

26 Mar

Now that I am back to my golf routine playing at my club, my golf game, especially putting, has improved because of the familiar grounds. I was doing 30 putts for two games before peaking at a phenomenal 27 putts during the last game!

On top of the solid putting–my Scotty Cameron has been so good–I had a good round with five pars and a birdie, a confidence-boosting outing. The icing to that round – nine one-putts, zero three-putts recorded, and a free lunch. Woo hoo.

My short game was sharp, my drives were straight, and my woods were long, not just the putting. Everything fell into place despite playing in the heat and high humidity conditions. Looks like I can manage my game in such climates.

I hope I can maintain the newfound improved performance. We shall see.

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A Washout

8 Mar

It has been raining lately, unusual for this time of the year after Chinese New Year. So, whenever it rains, planning laundry is hard; likewise, playing golf in the afternoon.

Yesterday’s afternoon game was a washout. We managed to complete only nine holes. Very unsatisfactory, if you asked me. But I try to take the positives from the shortened round, where the short game and putting improved. It was so much better compared to the previous outing on Tuesday. And I caught up with my golf buddies, which was more important than the game itself. I have not seen them since before the Chinese New Year festivity.

On the brighter side of the weather, the rain cools down the temperature and is more bearable. However, this won’t last, as the Weather app has predicted sunny conditions for the next few days. Brace for the biting heat again!

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Short Game Setback

5 Mar

After playing two decent games with good putting (31 putts), today’s game was just the opposite. What happened?

It is darn right demoralizing when things do not go as planned. My short game was off, while the putting was not any better. Today, I did 38 putts! Yikes. And to add salt to the wound, I had six three-putts, missing several short putts. Horrible.

I hope all these, especially the short-game errors, are temporary. On a brighter note, my tee-off has improved. A slight tweak to my setup had me averaging at least 30 meters more than before! I am most impressed with myself with this newfound ability.

Now, if only I could say the same about my short game and putting. I have another game lined up to fix all these. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will hold for the afternoon game.

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Hit and Pray

23 Feb

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.

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Iron Challenge 2024

23 Jan

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.

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Practice Makes Perfect, Part 2

19 Jan

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!

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Practice Makes Perfect

12 Jan

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.

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First Game of the Year

9 Jan

After a two-week break from golf to recover from the nasty cough, I played my first game of the year this morning. The cough is at the tail-end, and I might as well go ahead and play to get some exercise. So, how did I fare?

It was more of an outing to catch up with friends and get some sun, but the sun was not even out! The morning was gloomy, peppered with light rain now and then. And when the sun did peak out, it was darn hot! Sigh.

A two-week break causes a lot of muscle memory loss. I could not swing my clubs well because my rhythm was way off. The tee-off was erratic, the long game was short, and the short game was off the mark. And the putting, I won’t elaborate further. Oh well, I expected this outcome. I take heart that although the rhythm was out, I did not lose a single ball, a small positive consolation.

Maybe once I’m back to playing more regularly, my golf mojo will return to normal. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this to happen sooner rather than later. I play my next game on Thursday, and we will find out the performance then.

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