The Late Eight - Rounds 2-4

UK Handicap; 3.3 USGA Handicap; 2.2

I’ve played three rounds since the last update, and as you can see by my handicap above, the target of getting down to 2 by the end of the season is fast evaporating. That’s not to say it’s all doom and gloom, as there has been some half decent golf, but in true sods law format, it hasn’t reduced my handicap.

Round 2 was last Sunday, and once again I managed to use all 3 shots I receive in the course of a round by the time I walked off the 2^nd green. Getting off to a good start is vital with such little room to manoeuvre, and dropping any shots early on creates an uphill battle. By the time I reached the ninth tee I was 7 over par, and all hope of cutting cut, or even maintaining my handicap, had gone. With the pressure off I managed to play the last 10 holes in one over par, but it was too little too late.

Rounds 3 and 4 were both played yesterday, and the first round was played in a combination of weather, from thick fog at the start (see photo), to glorious sunshine, to cloudy and breezy.

I managed to scramble it around the first 8 holes in 2 over par (including another 2 on the 3^rd hole, my 10^th 2 on that hole in 43 times I’ve played it this year), and with 3 easy holes to come I was confident of being no worse than 1 over par on the 12^th tee. Whether it was complacency, whether it was just poor golf, goodness knows, but I played these three holes in 4 over par. I have to admit I lost interest a bit after that, as the round had gone, and I just played my way in without much focus on my score.

Round 4 was a 35 player event in the afternoon, which due to the nature of the event (full handicap stableford) I gave myself no chance of winning, but thought I could go out and give my best and try and get my handicap cut. Well, that was until I found out that it wasn’t a qualifying competition, and the scores would not count towards handicap adjustment. This isn’t a moan about this round in particular, I accept the decision that it wasn’t a qualifying competition (I was sure the same competition in previous years was a qualifying competition, that’s why I thought it would count for handicap this year) or a criticism of anyone in particular, but the UK really needs to review what counts as a qualifying competition. As far as I am concerned, where there is a group of people playing in a group for a prize, and the competition states that the rules of golf are adhered to (i.e. all holes are putted out, there isn’t a restriction on the number of clubs used, etc etc) then I don’t understand why it isn’t mandatory for the scores to be submitted for handicap adjustment. In 2010, with the advent of Inactive Handicaps for players who haven’t submitted 3 qualifying scores in the past year, it should be doubly relevant.

Anyway, back to the round, and on the back of the news that this wouldn’t count for handicap, I went out and played really well to score 38 points, which would have got at least 0.2 reduced had the score been submitted. I had 3 birdies and 4 bogeys, hitting 13 greens in regulation and 32 putts, very very close to my standard target of 14 and 32.

To my utter amazement, although with hindsight maybe because; the conditions were difficult with some rain, the course was playing long, and the greens were like putting on a pinball machine, my 38 points was good enough to win the competition. Playing against 34 players with higher handicaps, there is generally at least one person who has a good day and comes in with a score well better than their handicap. But it didn’t happen yesterday, so I was delighted to pick up the trophy.

This blog focuses on my handicap, I see that as my trophy. I’m not normally bothered by actual physical trophies, in the 3.5 years I’ve been in my current golf club I’ve won; A silver plate, a carriage clock, a glass decanter, a set of 4 crystal tumblers and on 7 separate occasions a crystal glass for winning a monthly medal / stableford, with another trophy of some description on the way for a competition I won a few weeks ago. They sit in a cupboard in my house, most have never even been looked at. This is the first time I’ve won an actual trophy, something with two handles and a cup, so it’s gone in pride of place to be looked at for the next year, where I’ll either have to give it back, or try and win it for another year.

So, four competitions rounds left, one of which is next weekend, then a triple header of the following Friday, Saturday and Sunday to finish the competitive season.