Well Melbourne’s fickle weather yesterday saw my planned 9 holes, turn into a non designated golf day.

I had high hopes of the showers clearing as I made the drive from work towards the golf course mid-afternoon, but halfway there, the rain turned into hail, so I figured that it was done and dusted for the day.

An hour after I got home of course, the sun was out and the clouds had disappeared…....... bastard weather gods!!!!.

When “the beloved” got home a further hour later and was surprised to see me there, she suggested I still go and play 9 holes …... how good is that??? I decided to cut my losses for the day though and spend a bit more time chipping.

Anyway, todays plan for after work is as per yesterdays plan, go and throw some balls down in my usual 2nd shot locations on course, and try and work out club / shot selections and aimpoints …. and come hell or high water, it’s going to be on.

I’ve also got to remember to put my name down on the sheet for Saturday’s comp …. gee I hope we’re playing “par” this week …. not!!!

Good luck with that style of practice, I try the same thing when I play an easy nine,
My problem is I keep finding locations that I haven’t hit from, you would think after playing Beaky for nearly 25 years I would have played them all by now.

When I’m at the range I play 6-10 ball with each taken club then 10-12 drivers.
Then I play the front nine, different club each hit. I aim at the 200 sign for driver and pick an appropriat mound for the approach shots and short chips to the 2 front flags.
Narrows down the range to a single lane road width.

Sounds like a good solid range plan to make sure you cover both playing and practice nicely TD.

Beacy does have some little pockets here and there that I’ve rarely ventured into, but when my game is off the boil, I generally just hit them to the same old trouble spots ….. so I’ve had plenty of practice in getting back out from those.

Do u use this to find out what we are playing

http://www.beaconhillsgolf....

Sounds like a good solid range plan to make sure you cover both playing and practice nicely TD.

Beacy does have some little pockets here and there that I’ve rarely ventured into, but when my game is off the boil, I generally just hit them to the same old trouble spots ….. so I’ve had plenty of practice in getting back out from those.

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

“The meek may inherit the earth ……..
but they’ll never reach the par 5 green in two”
Longdrive Champion Vic ISG Round 3 OOM Growling Frog.

Try the little pocket to the LEFT on the 3rd, spent many a happy hour in there, great scenery, lots of wild life if you look hard enuf you may even find a ball or 2, but never the one your looking for.

Yep been there regularly TD …........ back in the days when I had a nice regular slice in the golfswing. (Leftie)

My bad shot these days seems to be the straight one right up the hill and continueing on into the mulga.

I guess going to stiffer shafts has also helped straighten me up a tad off the tee, (by not having the clubhead lagging way behind in my swing, and the clubface being dragged thru in an “open” position)

Now though, I have to really focus in order to do something (a big fade)........ that I used to do unintentionally for years.

Perhaps that’s also …. just a sign of getting older???

Yep been there regularly TD ……..... back in the days when I had a nice regular slice in the golfswing. (Leftie)

You call mine a “Gay Fade” but yours – “a nice regular slice.”

Hhhhmmm

Hey Pete …..... there is probably a difference of about 40 metres (sideways) between your bread and butter shot, and my former wild ways.

Those 20 odd years of regular slicing though was great for working on my recovery shots, eg, under trees, thru trees, over trees, around trees etc. I think after all that time I had them pretty much perfected, and decided it was truly time for me to move on ........ and find other “news ways” to stuff up a golf hole.

By the way, how are the long club’s coming along?...... Are you any closer to working out the proper shaft flex for you, and sorting out which clubs will fill the top end of your bag? (Feel free to jump into this thread to discuss it at anytime buddy)

Onto last nights practice at Beacy now …....... and with the Monthly Medal off the back tees scheduled for Saturday …... I played the usual 9 holes off the back tees in preparation.

What I found is that for me, there is no real difference in the additional distance of the holes. (I play off them half the time anyway) I still hit them to roughly the same locations as the more forward tees, and have the same sort of shots into the green. I am playing all the par 5’s at the moment as 3 shotter’s anyway (and playing them pretty comfortably), so that plan will remain.

Last night though, I was focussing on my iron shots into the green, and found that this area of my game needs a fair bit of work ….. probably at the moment, the most work.

As Beacy’s front 9 is quite hilly, there is always a sloping lie at the very least, to contend with.

Ball position, clubface angle, the lie, and changes in elevation to the green, along with the ever-present wind’s influence, all need to be carefully assessed in order to get them to where they need to go.

I found that I struggled at times to compute all of these factors and come up with the correct methodology that would see the ball sail nicely to the green.

Instead, I played some shots further back in the stance than I should have, some more forward than I should have …..... some I closed the clubface too much, some not enough.

On a flat course, the mental assessment of shots is so much easier, and this is where Beacy, while not being long by any means, can present problems. There is always much more than a “see the ball, see the green, hit it there” pre shot routine to go through.

I did manage however, (after hitting a few balls at each location) to come up with at least one that went where it should …...... but I’ll need to take a lot more care in comp mode to ensure that I come up with the right answers …. the first time.

One particular shot that has had me stymied for months (if not years), is playing a 100 metre shot, with the ball above my feet. (5th hole, 2nd shot …..... into the green).

With a huge drop off on the right and at the back of the green, and a bunker left, and the ball naturally tending to draw to the right from that lie … I tend to pull it right most times, and leave myself with a nasty shot to try and get back up out of the crap and onto the green.

I’ve tried aligning myself left, but with only a wedge in my hand, (and the ball above my feet) the tendency for the wedge’s clubface to close thru impact is almost “magnet like”.

On the times when I’ve aimed left and opened the clubface, sometimes it goes okay and still curls gently right onto the green, other times though …. the little bugger will fly straight and lob into the bunker. I’ve tried moving the ball back in the stance, moving it forward, yet I am still to come up with a consistent solution for this one shot.

I’ve tried going short, but there is little flat ground just short of the green, it all tends to slope to the right and throw the ball into the scrub.

With the short par 4 hole being a dogleg, the issue is compounded, as there are no real other options eg, not putting it there to hit from in the first place.

I can’t be short off the tee, as that would then block me out from going for the green, and I can’t be too long either as that would put me into the trees. The inside corner of the dogleg is probably the best location in which to fire at the green from, yet the sloping fairway with a wegde in hand is my current nemesis.

Perhaps in my next practice round, I’ll take a step back in time and blast my driver off the tee instead (of my 3 wood) ....... and try to bring back the slice, just for this one hole.

Nothing like bringing a bit of nostalgia to your golf game …...

Thanks Gaz…....Played at Churchill yesterday and took your 3 wood. I also used it at Yarra’ and hit some good shots. That one might be a “keeper’, but it is still experiment time.

I would like to get down to the range again, with all of them, to have a good hit out with them as I have struggled a bit with the hybrids. I’m still trying to get the right position for the hybrid I bought from the classifieds but once I sort that out it should be ok.

One particular shot that has had me stymied for months (if not years), is playing a 100 metre shot, with the ball above my feet. (5th hole, 2nd shot …….. into the green).

Perhaps in my next practice round, I’ll take a step back in time and blast my driver off the tee instead (of my 3 wood) ....... and try to bring back the slice, just for this one hole.

Nothing like bringing a bit of nostalgia to your golf game ……

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

“The meek may inherit the earth ……..
but they’ll never reach the par 5 green in two”
Longdrive Champion Vic ISG Round 3 OOM Growling Frog.

Another alternative is to hit where I used to (sometimes not intentionally) Hit to the outside of the bend down the right side. The lie is a little flatter and you are able to hit back up the hill at the right of the bunker. The drive needs to be fairly accurate (so you don’t go too far into the scrub) but a mid iron is all you need.

So was that the “strong Titleist 3 wood” or the Callaway 3 wood?

There is a couple of degrees difference in loft between the two …. and also from memory, a different shaft flex, (the Titleist is stiffer).

You want to end up with one though ….. that doesn’t “tail off” at the end of the ball flight. (You want to be able to aim straight and then see it fly straight ….. makes life so much easier)

For the hybrid, I’d start with the same ball position that you’d use for the corresponding iron eg 3H …....... start with your 3 iron “ball position” and work from there and see how they fly …. just remember to hit down on them, and don’t try sweeping them buddy.

I can’t remember….....the one with the green shaft that you liked. It goes straight when I hit it flush.

As for the hybrids…....that may have been my problem as I’ve been trying to sweep them. Thanks for that tip.

Another alternative is to hit where I used to (sometimes not intentionally) Hit to the outside of the bend down the right side. The lie is a little flatter and you are able to hit back up the hill at the right of the bunker. The drive needs to be fairly accurate (so you don’t go too far into the scrub) but a mid iron is all you need.

I’ve thought of that Pete, and it is an option, probably one that I indeed should go to …... if I can’t get the current 2nd shot sorted.

It will leave me with a longer 2nd shot into the green, but as you say it is flatter out right, and firing in from that side does open the green up a tad.

It may well be the “smart play” for the hole ….. I can be stubborn though in not trying to give up on the wedge in ........ but bugger it, I think I’ll go with your plan tomorrow, and then, if it does work out, it will save me from any further work on my “trouble shot”.

Many thanks for that Pete …...... I’ll let you know how it goes.

We have a couple of talented juniors who almost drive that hole.
One is a lefty and gets it within 30m easy chip from there.

If I’m going to have a quad bogey thats the hole to do it on, so bloody simple yet hard to recover on.

I’m doing 9 there this arvo with Taylar prob about 4pm on and am in the 1050 group Sat morn.

I can’t remember……..the one with the green shaft that you liked. It goes straight when I hit it flush.

As for the hybrids…….that may have been my problem as I’ve been trying to sweep them. Thanks for that tip.

2011 ISG OOM Finalist
2011 ISG Order of Merit # 2 Putting Champion – Long Island
2011 ISG Growling Frog – Handicap Equal 5th

http://www.gippswebs.com.au…

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

Green shaft = Titliest 909F2 13.5 degree ….. The shaft form memory is the Titleist Aldila NV 65 …..... Stiff flex.

Perhaps the straight ball flight you get with it …. is a sign that you might need to “stiffen” up your longer clubs.

I’d suggest that you try a couple of the “stiff” shafted drivers as well, and see how they fly, just to make sure.

As the length of the golf club increases, (and the further the clubhead is away from us) I figure that would create greater pressure on the shaft in the golfswing ….... so stiffening them up as the club length increases, would to my mind, make sense.

We have a couple of talented juniors who almost drive that hole.
One is a lefty and gets it within 30m easy chip from there.

If I’m going to have a quad bogey thats the hole to do it on, so bloody simple yet hard to recover on.

I’m doing 9 there this arvo with Taylar prob about 4pm on and am in the 1050 group Sat morn.

LOFT. the real reason why my handicap is where it is!

For such a short, easy looking hole I reckon I’d take a 4 on there and walk off happy every single time. It has teeth but not obviously so.

It’s only when you’ve run thru the dogleg, or missed the green, that you can pretty much kiss any thoughts of par goodbye, and switch to recovery / survival mode.

So don’t go tempting me to “go” for it just yet TD.

I’ll play it conservatively tomorrow, and save the “driver” for practice rounds at first. If it goes well in practice mode though, then I’ll give it a go in comp …......... but not before.

Oh, by the way, I’m down to tee off 11:01 Saturday …....... so I promise …..... I’ll try not to hit up on you buddy!!

With your lenght off the tee you may want to wait till I’ve hit my 3rd shot.

Ha!!

Actually, I’m trying to play in “control mode” TD, as the course (I think) really has only one hole that has distance as its major requirement.

The long straight, and uphill Par 4 12th …..... I guess is all “distance” off the tee, (in order to get anywhere within reason for your 2nd approach shot), and to give yourself any chance at par on the hole.

The remaining 17 holes on course for me are more about precision rather than flat out distance …........ which doesn’t help my natural game I guess !!!

Nice to meet you in person this morning, thanks for giving me the chance to hit “the longest traveled ball”, shame about the bogey but at least I didn’t lose it.

Ps I pared the 5th : 3wood and 9iron 2 putt in regulation. One of the highlights of the day really.
I was a bit preoccupied trying to play with 3 women at the same time.

good work GPJ…sounds like you have quickly settled in…Course was in great nic this morning, greeens still a little bumpy, prob a week or so off championship standard once again

Update time from the weekend now …....... and it was a round of “missed opportunites” for me in the Monthly Medal (Stroke off the back tees).

As TD stated …... he had 3 ladies to play with, while for me, I played with their 3 husbands in the following group. It was a fun group to play in, and the banter flowed from the 1st tee, the whole way around.

Pulled my driver on the 1st, but got it back under control. Slight pull of my 3 iron on the 2nd ….... but got it back under control. Off the tee of the 3rd, hit it straight but as the hole doglegs left, it might as well have been a pull …....... again got it back under control.

Got to the troublesome 5th and pulled it right past that flat area Francie suggested I aim for, and right thru the trees (3W instead of an iron I’ll know better next time when picking the club …. sorry for not following your advice Pete)

I managed to scramble it in for a 5 with a decent putt, and followed that up on the next with a birdie 2.

I hit a perfect draw with the driver on the 7th dogleg right, leaving myself mid fairway around the bend, with only a short 80 metre shot uphill. I duffed the shot and left it 20 short, I then duffed the next to leave me on the fringe, and two putts later got it in the hole for a 5. A complete and utter waste of yet another great drive.

Fast forward to the par 5 14th dogleg left. I hit a perfect tee shot down the steep hill and right into the middle of the fairway just around the dogleg’s corner, leaving myself only 170 uphill from the fairway to the green.

After waiting for the green to clear with 3 iron in hand, I pulled it way right, 30 metres short of the green and into the trees. I then had to chip out, then chip on, and then I 3 putted the steeply sloping green for a 7.

From 170 out after one shot and in perfect position …. it took me a further six shots, to get it in the hole.

When my driving is on song, as it was on Saturday, I am wasting any advantage that I am getting out of the distances I’m going off the tee.

This is so frustrating at the moment as one perfect tee shot after another is putting me in position to score well, but I’m letting myself down time and again.

Given my handicap (12) I allow myself the odd three putt or missed green in my reckoning towards making up those extra 12 shots, but on Saturday I figure I had another 8 shots that I completely wasted (when 8 times out of 10 I would have done much better on them)

I finished with 44 on the front 9 ( with 4 completely wasted shots among the others)
Finished with 43 on the back 9 ( with another 4 completely wasted shots)

I finished with 87, and realistically, it should have been much closer to 80. Time and again I was in very good position to score, but let myself down by simple errors such as going to easy on shots and falling short.

More analysis to follow ….........

Nice to meet you in person this morning, thanks for giving me the chance to hit “the longest traveled ball”, shame about the bogey but at least I didn’t lose it.

Ps I pared the 5th : 3wood and 9iron 2 putt in regulation. One of the highlights of the day really.
I was a bit preoccupied trying to play with 3 women at the same time.

LOFT. the real reason why my handicap is where it is!

Nice to meet you too TD …....... nice work on the 5th by the way, I’m jealous, you bugger !!! (my 3 wood went back over onto the 4th …...... got to take a 3 iron as Francie suggested, oh why didn’t I listen to him!!).

And speaking of the 4th though …..... we had a bit of a quiet chuckle on that hole …......... as one of the guys racked up a 12.

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone hit a 12 before, (without losing at least one ball) .... so the other guys gave him a bit of stick over it …....... once he’d calmed down of course.

good work GPJ…sounds like you have quickly settled in…Course was in great nic this morning, greeens still a little bumpy, prob a week or so off championship standard once again

WINNER of ISG Invitational Golf Classic, Emerald, May 30 2010

More Tigerish than a wounded TIGER

Hey Dave …......... yeah, I’m all settled in already.

I think “the pants” at the moment are a bit of a converstion starter …... so with a few pairs yet to unveil, and just slotting myself in amongst any random group that has a spare slot …... I’m sure they’ll all know me soon.

I’m enjoying it up there though, and the Saturday crew are all pretty friendly …........ Beacy has a nice homely feel to it doesn’t it??

I can’t believe how quickly the greens are coming back though after their coring and sanding ..... from having a hit up there a couple of times during the week, I can see the changes in speed from one hit to the next.

By Saturday they were rolling pretty well once again, just the odd core hole giving a sideways bounce here and there …...... but it won’t be long until their “true” once again.

I reckon the pants, and your prodigious…length…could have something to do with it, G.

No homo.