Another round round-up. Purple hairstreaks.

Summary:
9 holes played at Billingbear Park Golf Course, Berkshire. Front 9 (8th is a 210 yard par 3, not the 240 yard par 4 17th).
Par 34
Score 38. (+4 over).
0 Eagles. 1 Birdies. 5 Pars. 2 Bogeys. 1 Double Bogeys. 0 Treble bogeys or worse.
FIR: 50%
GIR: 33%
Up and downs: 67%
Average putts per hole: 1.67
Average par 5 score: 4
Average par 4 score: 4.6
Average par 3 score: 3.67

OK.

After a mile swim (yes… a mile) with my wife and boy yesterday afternoon – and on seeing that every golfer in Berkshire seemed to be watching the world cup final (between Croatia and France… so whhhhyyyyyyy????!), I thought I’d get another quick 9 holes in on my local course yesterday evening, in yet more blazing sunshine.

The highlight of my round yesterday was not (at all) the golf – but the fact that I was joined on each green by purple hairstreak butterflies. These small (but beautiful!) insects are generally not seen – they spend all their time dancing around the tops of oak canopies feeding on honeydew. Only during protracted dry spells (like we’re experiencing now) do these delightful wee things come down from the oak canopies in a desperate search for moisture (water, nectar, whatever). The greens on golf courses like Billingbear, right now are little islands of green in a sea of parched yellow – THIS is why I was joined on each green by half a dozen or so of these purple hairstreak butterflies.

Before I get on to the golf – I’ll just say that I don’t expect sights like I saw last night on the greens of Billingbear, have been seen during more than 5 summers in the past 40.

Read more about this in my wildlife blog on the subject, HERE.

OK.
The golf then!

Hole 1.
A reasonable drive (3W again – who needs a driver in these conditions (link to we’re all playing links golf now) and a lovely punched approach with a 6 iron. It’s rare I hit this green in two – certainly with an iron for my 2nd – and the conditions being what they are right now – I almost hit it through the green in 2! (This would indeed be the case on the par 5 3rd!) Two putts later and I walked off the 1st with a par – always a good thing and pretty rare at the 1st at Billingbear (the longest par 4 on the course AND uphill to boot!)

Hole 2.
A pulled tee shot into trees meant I had to punch out with a 5 iron. I really should have putted out in these conditions to be honest. Would have almost certainly been a better result!
A chip on and two putts later meant I had my first bogey of the day. I was cheered up somewhat though by the fact that it was on this green that I first became aware of all the purple hairstreaks on the greens.

Hole 3.
An excellent drive (with the wind) and a BELTING 2nd (thought I’d go for this green in two in these conditions – something I don’t remember EVER doing before). My 2nd shot, with the 3W from the light rough bounced 40 or 50 yards through the green!

A played a delightful chip back onto the green to about 10 feet and holed the birdie putt. Now THAT’S how to play the par 5 3rd at Billingbear!

Hole 4.
A baby drawn 6 iron into the wind at the top of the hill, found the green. But a poor, lengthy first putt, meant I missed my second putt for par and so ended up three-putting for boge. Back to one over for the round.

Hole 5.
With the wind again – and even though I hit my 3W quite far (the furthest I’ve hit a tee shot on this hole for years), I didn’t really get ALL of the ball… AND the shot was slowed down on its flight by hitting the foliage of a tree in the ditch at 200 yards. I think if I’d have had driver in the bag yesterday and really got it – then perhaps even the green was in danger in the conditions I played in yesterday – and bear in mind that’s a tee shot of over 350 yards!
Anyway – a lovely Snake Eyes 10 iron onto the green (hit it just right) and two putts meant I’d got a par on what I think is possibly the hardest or 2nd hardest hole on the course. Fine by me.

Hole 6.
Put my first tee shot into the drink (pulled it massively by losing concentration and trying to belt it). So… 3 off the tee then. The next tee shot was fine – and again I put a lovely 6 iron into the heart of the green. Only 6 or so feet from the pin. Unfortunately, I missed that bogey putt and two putted instead for double. I was therefore 3 over walking to the seventh tee.

Hole 7.
Thought I’d take a 7 iron in these conditions – and got it too well really. Carried onto the green and bounced and skipped through. A lightning fast chip back on, meant a missed up and down and another boge. Four over now heading to 8.

Hole 8.
A pulled but long tee shot meant I found myself in awful trouble about 40 yards from the pin, the ball nestled at the bottom of thick (at the bottom) and long, wispy rough, having to play over a parched little valley onto a raised green with very little green to play with.
I got it PERFECT! Gripped the steel of my beloved lob wedge. Hit slowly down onto the back of the ball. Out it popped, over the parched gully, just to the up-slope at the front *(back I suppose) of the green which took the pace off it. On it rolled to within about 6 feet of the pin. Drained that putt for a par. A wonderful up-and-down from a nasty, nasty spot – and by some way, shot of the day.
The photos below show the
a) Shot
b) State of the ball when I got to it.
c) View I had of the shot (I took this photo AFTER I played the shot – you’ll see (if you look hard enough, the result of the shot on the green (I’ll zoom in for you for photo d) and another ball dropped in exactly the spot I hit the shot from, in this photo.
d) The result of the shot (zoomed in).

a)

b)

c)

d)

So… I was still four over, walking to the 9th – my final hole.
Hole 9.
A lovely drawn 3 wood off the tee again, against the wind (taking 25 yards or so off it compared with last time I played this shot) meant I had about 100 yards in. Again, the last time I hit this approach, I aimed for the pin – and GOT IT – but the ball ran 35 yards onto the back of the green. This time I half hit a 10 iron approach and dollied it a little – trying to get too cute. I had to play a 3rd from about 35 yards still… but got it LOVELY again. A 6 foot (ish) putt back for par was drained and so I finished the round at four over (including two penalty strokes on the 6th tee).
Summary and conclusion.

• I am loving playing in these conditions.  I’m SO going to miss them when they’ve gone! Empty courses (due to the world cup), hitting 250 yards 3 woods, being belted with summer sunshine.
  But.
• I do need to work more on short approaches (<120yards). (Accuracy rather than distance – I tend to get a bit quick and block them if I’m not concentrating. I also need to stay down in the shots.)
• I also need to work on rhythm and accuracy of tee shots. I thought I’d nailed this over the last couple of rounds, but again, if I lose concentration and get a bit quick – I tend to pull my tee shots pretty-horribly right now.
• Finally, I need to work on my long, lag putts.

That all said, I thoroughly enjoyed my “me time” on the deserted course last night. The two reasons took up golf (hitting the odd shot like my shot of the day yesterday – which keeps me coming back for more) and to be surrounded by wildlife (and have the awareness and knowledge I suppose to NOTE this wildlife) made me walk off the course with a grin across me chops.

And that goes for my poor foot too… which I thiiiink is verrrry slowwwwly getting better now (on and off), but is primarily the reason why I’m playing little 9 hole rounds on me tod right now (as I can’t walk quickly, nor can I walk for 18 holes! I have another work match lined up at a new course (for me) as soon as I give the boys the word that I can walk again!).

TBR.