Another round round-up. Three 39s in one week – and now…this really IS my last “scoring round” of “my 2018 season”.

Summary:
9 holes played at Billingbear Park Golf Old Course, Berkshire. Front 9 (8th is a 210 yard par 3, not the 240 yard par 4 17th).
Par 34
Score 39. (+5 over). AGAIN! For the 3rd time on the bounce, in one week!
0 Eagles. 0 Birdies. 4 Pars. 5 Bogeys. 0 Double Bogeys. 0 Treble bogeys or worse.
FIR: 67%
GIR: 44%
Up and downs: 43%
Average putts per hole: 1.9
Average par 5 score: 5
Average par 4 score: 4.4
Average par 3 score: 4
TWO more “Shot Scope medals unlocked” during these 9 holes.

 

Right then.

Now that I’ve got a few minutes.

Yesterday.

Certainly now my last scoring (Shot Scope stats wise) round (of either 9 or 18 holes) of my 2018 season proper (April-Oct inclusive).

I am indeed certain this will be my last scoring round this year for a number of reasons –

a) The clocks go back tonight and therefore from tomorrow, it’ll be dark from 4:30pm, making post-work rounds (of even 9 holes) virtually impossible.

b) Yesterday’s weather during my 9 holes at Billingbear remind me of why I don’t tend to play competitive or scoring rounds during the months of November-March inclusive. For example a biting NW wind yesterday meant my FLUSHED 3W off the 2nd tee (which I don’t think I can hit better) went 160 yards and plugged in the fairway. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ALL ABOUT?!

c) My right knee started playing up again during the round yesterday – it REALLY needs a rest.

d) I have also caught the mother of all colds it seems – hit me like a brick after the 9 holes last night – and quite unexpectedly too – I had no real symptoms earlier in the day.

So… yes… that really will be it for 2018, in terms of scoring rounds where any stats are added to my Shot Scope database – and to that extent I will soon (perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in November) write a season round up on this blogging website – as I have played more golf in 2018 than I have for perhaps 30 years. (I think I’m up to 19 or so rounds between April and October (inc) 2018).

So.

Again.

What of yesterday.

Well… considering there was a rotten, bone-chilling (and quite strong) north-westerly, blowing RIGHT UP MA KILT all round, I still managed to score… wait for it… 39 AGAIN! (That’s 5 over for these 9 holes and the same score I hit twice before during this week – how ridiculous!)

These 9 holes weren’t quite as much of a struggle as the previous 9 holes I’m happy to say, but I was really struggling with my wood of choice this time – and I have no idea why really – I’ve been hitting it well on the range.

Regular reader(s) of this blog may know I “gamed” a Cleveland 588 3 Wood for a lot of the summer, as with the dry, running fairways, I didn’t need the length provided by my PING K15 driver and I tend to hit my 3W and 4Ws pretty well. I thought I’d re-bag it so to speak for yesterday (it was my only wood in the bag yesterday) and for once I struggled with it.

The weird thing was on holes 1, 3 and 5, where I had the wind behind me (almost), I didn’t hit the drive (3W) well – whereas on 2, 6 and 9 where I was hitting into the teeth of the wind, I got my drives (3Ws) away LOVELY – a real shame as into that sort of wind, even hitting it that well I only got about 170 yards from the tee – and I’ve hit that sort of distance with a 6 iron before!

That was sort of the story of yesterday – the course suddenly became very long, after playing very short all season.

On hole 1 for example in order to get the distance to the green for my second shot, I had to hit a 23 degree hybrid (the equivalent I think of a 7W or perhaps a 4 iron). On hole 2, I needed a 6 iron against the wind to hit the green in regulation, where I have often taken a gap wedge. On hole 4 I needed a 19 degree hybrid (the equivalent of perhaps a 5 Wood!), whereas I have hit that par 3 green with a 7 iron before. On hole 6 I needed two 3 Woods to hit the green (more on this below!) where I have often hit a driver and a niblick or short iron into this green before – and even on hole 9, I needed a 23 degree hybrid to hit my approach to the green (and it STILL landed short!) whereas again I have hit that green with a  wedge for my second before.

So yeah… not quite as much of a struggle as a few days earlier, but a struggle with the wind which always seemed to be in my face!

Shot of the day?

A wonderful 3W off the deck. My second on the tricky 6th. Got it OK, and whilst it never really got above head height – that was probably its strength to be honest, against the wind – and it ran and skipped past the greenside bunker and up the green to be about pin high when it finished.

Almost holed that birdie putt to which would have been nice!

I knew I was on 35 after 8 holes and knew I needed a par on the last to match my last two scores at Billingbear. But after dollying my approach short and then not quite getting the chip and run on quite right – I thought I’d blown my chance to get my third 39 of the week.

And then I holed the 6 foot putt for par!

So…

ANOTHER (third in a week) 39 it was!

I hobbled off the course last night, in the gloaming. My right hip hurt. My right knee REALLY hurt. My nose was streaming and my throat itched.

I’d managed to score sub 40 again, not playing that well and struggling with the wind again (I HATE the wind!) – but I was very glad indeed to get a final 9 holes in before the clocks go back tonight – and was very thankful to end my 2018 season on a par – on the always frightening 9th (and 18th) at Billingbear.

Lots to work on – but more on that soon.

Watch this space (well… this blog website rather than this actual space) for my 2018 season round up soon – including the much coveted (probably!) and inaugural (see!) THREE SHOT OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS and eventual WINNER!!!

I know. I know.

But wait you must.