I played today as well. 92 at Selsdon Park (19 over). Greens were an absolute lottery - like hitting onto a car park. Every fairway had frost down it - I don't give a monkeys what the weather forecast says, it was never above 2 degrees all day. Tee to green not bad (apart from hitting into the trees twice on consecutive holes on the back nine). Would have been an 88 if it weren't for those.
I played today as well. 92 at Selsdon Park (19 over). Greens were an absolute lottery - like hitting onto a car park. Every fairway had frost down it - I don't give a monkeys what the weather forecast says, it was never above 2 degrees all day. Tee to green not bad (apart from hitting into the trees twice on consecutive holes on the back nine). Would have been an 88 if it weren't for those.
How can anyone play Golf in bloody January?
Christ, it was bad enough playing football but at least you could run about and keep warm, how can you even feel the club in your hands when its that cold?
If I was still living in England I would not be playing Golf till at least April, if you play before then you are clearly in need of professional mental health counselling!
Ha, if only, I'd like his missus (saw her in person once - tidy).
Funny, down my club I'm not even anywhere close to being a really decent golfer. Play off 6 but been playing for 20 years or so, was just a decent round, week after I hacked it round and shot 76. It's all about the short game for scoring.
PS comments about Winter golf, it's not that bad. If the course is open I'll play all year round, cold weather doesn't put me off.
All I can say to "Luke" is that your club must be blessed with quite a few pros !!! IMO if you play off anything less than double figs then you're pretty handy and a 6 handicapper, by nature, must be hitting par 2 out of every 3 holes........so not all that bad.
Me............I have been playing for around 15 years and have not got below being an 18 handicap - and that was at Barnehurst which is a very short nine holer with a par of 68 !! - my best ever round there was around 80 and never shot anything under 84 anywhere else. I'm usually happy goiung round in level 5's and dread par 4's over 400 yards. still.........i enjoy it, especially on a summers evening when you have the course to yourself and there is no waiting around.
Played 9 holes last Friday, 18 on Saturday and 18 on Sunday at my club in Sawbridgeworth. Hard work with the greens frozen during the morning but still a chance to get some fresh air and a bit of exercise. Tees all played of mats - hard to get a tee peg in - but playing proper greens. Roll on Spring!
Golfaddick, not sure how you put up with Barnehurst. The course is in a terrible condition most of the time. I prefer to play up at Pedham Place, similar price and much better value for money.
All I can say to "Luke" is that your club must be blessed with quite a few pros !!! IMO if you play off anything less than double figs then you're pretty handy and a 6 handicapper, by nature, must be hitting par 2 out of every 3 holes........so not all that bad.
Me............I have been playing for around 15 years and have not got below being an 18 handicap - and that was at Barnehurst which is a very short nine holer with a par of 68 !! - my best ever round there was around 80 and never shot anything under 84 anywhere else. I'm usually happy goiung round in level 5's and dread par 4's over 400 yards. still.........i enjoy it, especially on a summers evening when you have the course to yourself and there is no waiting around.
I've been playing less than a year and play off 18. You obviously don't play enough :)
In my defence, I have had a few lessons, and my pro is 'extremely pleased' with how I've progressed, so maybe I've got a bit of natural ability.
I love the game - can't believe it took me nearly 40 years to discover it!
I used to play every weekend, usually 18 saturday & then 36 on the sunday,
probbaly doesn't help that i'm 5ft 8 and overweight !! I've never been a long hiter & i'm lucky if my drives go 200 yards.
Bloody hell - 5 ft 8 and overweight describes me exactly, to a tee (no pun intended). My drives are around the 250-270 mark, which must be a big bonus - means I don't leave myself with a lot of fairway wood shots (I'm useless with them) and can make short par 5s in two (provided I nail the mid iron). Of course, this generally means I'm on the fringe, rather than the green, but at least I'm not having to hit three shots into par 5s (less room for error) or hit long irons to par 4s.
How old's your driver? I'm not taking the piss here - a bloke I play (semi)regularly with has been playing for ten years, but had a useless old lump of a driver. He went to the range and got fitted, then bought a second hand Nike driver and added 30 yards ro his drives instantly, with no sacrifice to his accuracy.
My driver's not the problem - relatively new (about 5 yrs old) and although not one of the big headed ones that you get nowdays it isn't and old type and helped my game no end when I got it.
Jamescafc, I play at Sundridge Park in Bromley, I live literally a 4 minute walk to the front door of the club so quite handy to get down there midweek during the summer and play twice at weekends if I get the chance. I used to be at Addington Palace for 17 years or so but got bored and stopped playing so much.
Loads of players at my club lower than 6. There would need to be an outbreak of Swine Flu for me to get a chance of playing in the scratch side. Such is life. I turn up, have a bacon roll, a couple of ciggies and walk round with my mates and have a laugh, anything in the 70's is a decent score and I'm lucky enough to have 36 holes at Sundridge so I can pick and choose what course to play.
Remember, it's all about the short game, if you can get up and down more times than not then you're handicap will come down. I never hit balls in the nets before hand, just chip for 15 mins and have a few putts.
Most definitely, 100% not!! Got a deal when I joined as a my mate who's a member referred me. I've been forking out golf membership for 20 years now so you just get used to the painful part of handing over a cheque.
PS I live in a flat and drive a crappy blue yaris with a dent if that paints a better picture for you!
Having played for nearly a year now, I'm thinking of joining a club - but don't want to do any of the nause stuff that goes along with it. All that 'captain's parking space' and 'members' room' crap gets on my wick. I also like the nomadic way I've played so far (there are about five or six courses in my 'rotation'), so not sure whether spending money on membership at one course (which would inevitably put a serious curb on my visits to other courses because of cost) would end up with me getting bored with the same 18 holes every week.
as someone that plays only during the summer, the ability to drive never really leaves me. Most drivers/3 wood/5 wood are quite forgiving these days and a clean swing and still head means a decent strike (unless you open the face like a garage door)
The major problem with not playing is my short game. drives me mad and pretty much ruins my day out.
to make it even worse it usually improves just before it starts getting cold again!
I used to play at Sundridge Park with my dad when I was about 16. The difference between the two courses there and public courses is immeasurable. Plus you can usually play at your own pace and not have to wait around too much. It might not be so bad now but it used to be very, very snobby. And it is bloody expensive.
I share Leroy's issue about joining a club. Sometimes the variety of not being tied to a course is nice. If you're shelling pout around £1000+ you're not likely to play elsewhere.
Anyone know of any clubs which give you membership to a variety of courses?
Have looked into many memberships at different clubs but am always put off by playing the same course.My Brother and myself join the Greensaver Club each year,it costs £35 and 2 play for the price of 1.You get plenty of courses to choose from and you get a chance to play some courses that charge £50+ a round.
For those looking for membership, but with a variety of courses a friend of mine is a member at Woldingham and can use 4 others of the same group. http://www.altonwood-group.co.uk/
Yeah Dave - unfortunately, Woldingham is average, Westerham is in terrible condition, Surrey National has a fantastic-sounding name but there are better than a dozen courses within ten miles of it that offer a better challenge, and the less said about Godstone the better. The Addington is very nice - but if I was an Altonwood member I wouldn't bother with the others - which leads me back to my original point :)
woodlands (where i am a member) are doing an introductory off of £600 for a 7 day membership. the offer is open until the end of january. you can then pay a tenner to get a photo id for the golf network. this lets you play 26 other courses (some are a bit of a trek) free of charge during midweek. http://www.woodlandsmanorgolf.co.uk/2for600membership
79 today - 41 out, 38 back. Getting better, but had six birdie putts inside 15 feet and missed them all. If only I could putt, I'd be dangerous. Shouldn't moan, after only taking up the game just over a year ago, but its still frustrating to know that if just half of those putts had dropped I'd have been looking at a 6 over par round.
I hate g*lf. I shouldn't I know and I don't have anything against g*lfers, indeed I even have friends who are g*lfers ;-) I don't know why, it is a game of skill and viewed objectively I am being irrational, I guess I just think it is a good walk ruined. I even appreciate that g*lf courses probably have more bio-diversity than farm land. Sorry.
I hate g*lf. I shouldn't I know and I don't have anything against g*lfers, indeed I even have friends who are g*lfers ;-) I don't know why, it is a game of skill and viewed objectively I am being irrational, I guess I just think it is a good walk ruined. I even appreciate that g*lf courses probably have more bio-diversity than farm land. Sorry.
No need to apologise. I used to think it was pony until a year ago too :o)
Played Vale do Lobo in the Algarve last week. Great to play in shorts again. Playing St Mellion next week. Weather forecast suggests we won't be in shorts there.
Played Royal St Georges yesterday. Hit 97 which I was fairly happy with considering i had a massive one on Thursday night.
Wow - I'd love to play there. How much was it (if you don't mind me asking)?
I'm a member of Littlestone and we have reciprocal arrangements with RSG, Royal Cinque Ports, Royal Ashdown Forest and Rye. That basically means we get courtesy tee times when our course is closed, so I didn't have to pay. I think it's around £150 a round.
Golfaddick, not sure how you put up with Barnehurst. The course is in a terrible condition most of the time. I prefer to play up at Pedham Place, similar price and much better value for money.
Doesn't that make it more of a challenge?
About time some of you tried some of the 32 golf courses within an hour of here then... (Delroofer excepted - sorry we missed you mate).
Golfaddick, not sure how you put up with Barnehurst. The course is in a terrible condition most of the time. I prefer to play up at Pedham Place, similar price and much better value for money.
Doesn't that make it more of a challenge?
About time some of you tried some of the 32 golf courses within an hour of here then... (Delroofer excepted - sorry we missed you mate).
Algarve, me and 7 mates are coming to Vilamoura for 4 days on Friday. I've got them to agree to come to Albefueira one night - I want to go to Bar Reno (does it still exist?) as I met my wife in there on a previous golf trip!
Comments
It's still a good walk spoilt though. But each to their own.
Christ, it was bad enough playing football but at least you could run about and keep warm, how can you even feel the club in your hands when its that cold?
If I was still living in England I would not be playing Golf till at least April, if you play before then you are clearly in need of professional mental health counselling!
I dream of 18 bogeys
Funny, down my club I'm not even anywhere close to being a really decent golfer. Play off 6 but been playing for 20 years or so, was just a decent round, week after I hacked it round and shot 76. It's all about the short game for scoring.
PS comments about Winter golf, it's not that bad. If the course is open I'll play all year round, cold weather doesn't put me off.
Me............I have been playing for around 15 years and have not got below being an 18 handicap - and that was at Barnehurst which is a very short nine holer with a par of 68 !! - my best ever round there was around 80 and never shot anything under 84 anywhere else. I'm usually happy goiung round in level 5's and dread par 4's over 400 yards. still.........i enjoy it, especially on a summers evening when you have the course to yourself and there is no waiting around.
Hard work with the greens frozen during the morning but still a chance to get some fresh air and a bit of exercise.
Tees all played of mats - hard to get a tee peg in - but playing proper greens.
Roll on Spring!
In my defence, I have had a few lessons, and my pro is 'extremely pleased' with how I've progressed, so maybe I've got a bit of natural ability.
I love the game - can't believe it took me nearly 40 years to discover it!
probbaly doesn't help that i'm 5ft 8 and overweight !! I've never been a long hiter & i'm lucky if my drives go 200 yards.
How old's your driver? I'm not taking the piss here - a bloke I play (semi)regularly with has been playing for ten years, but had a useless old lump of a driver. He went to the range and got fitted, then bought a second hand Nike driver and added 30 yards ro his drives instantly, with no sacrifice to his accuracy.
Might be worth checking into?
Loads of players at my club lower than 6. There would need to be an outbreak of Swine Flu for me to get a chance of playing in the scratch side. Such is life. I turn up, have a bacon roll, a couple of ciggies and walk round with my mates and have a laugh, anything in the 70's is a decent score and I'm lucky enough to have 36 holes at Sundridge so I can pick and choose what course to play.
Remember, it's all about the short game, if you can get up and down more times than not then you're handicap will come down. I never hit balls in the nets before hand, just chip for 15 mins and have a few putts.
PS I live in a flat and drive a crappy blue yaris with a dent if that paints a better picture for you!
The major problem with not playing is my short game. drives me mad and pretty much ruins my day out.
to make it even worse it usually improves just before it starts getting cold again!
Anyone know of any clubs which give you membership to a variety of courses?
http://www.altonwood-group.co.uk/
you can then pay a tenner to get a photo id for the golf network. this lets you play 26 other courses (some are a bit of a trek) free of charge during midweek.
http://www.woodlandsmanorgolf.co.uk/2for600membership
shot 46 going out, came back in 37 with an 8 (f**king tree) on the card.
still 36 pts off 15.
I don't know why, it is a game of skill and viewed objectively I am being irrational, I guess I just think it is a good walk ruined.
I even appreciate that g*lf courses probably have more bio-diversity than farm land.
Sorry.
Playing St Mellion next week.
Weather forecast suggests we won't be in shorts there.
About time some of you tried some of the 32 golf courses within an hour of here then... (Delroofer excepted - sorry we missed you mate).