I’ve written before about three ‘golfing firsts’ I achieved last year including my dream start at Hindhead Golf Club in Surrey, where I found myself four-under standing on the 6th tee.
By the end, sadly, I was four over par, and I think many golfers will understand why this inability to finish the job off caused me just a little soul-searching and late-night ruminating.
Shane Lowry imploded with one hand on the trophy in February’s Cognizant Classic
(Image credit: Getty Images)
To set the scene, my handicap index is 7. I’ve never been particularly great at the game but I’ve mostly been okay despite the kind of swing that many have been unable to resist passing comment on over the years.
In spite of the dodgy aesthetics and mechanics, I have been able to maintain a handicap somewhere between 4 and 7 for a quarter of a century or more.
THE ROUND IN QUESTION
I know the last thing any golfer wants is a blow-by-blow account of someone else’s round, but I don’t think there’s any other way to do this. I will, however, try to keep it as brief as possible for all our sakes…
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
1st – par 4, 413 yards
Going into that round, there was nothing in the form book to suggest a strong performance might be on the cards. But playing off the ‘navy’ tees (Slope 125; Course Rating 71.3) a nice drive and 8-iron into the 1st was an encouraging start, and par was secured despite a woeful first putt that I left 7ft short.
Level
2nd – par 5, 456 yards
Another good drive brought the green into range. Hooked a hybrid towards the trees and played a provisional, but found my first ball, hit an average pitch to the fringe, then holed a curling 20-footer for an unlikely birdie.
1-under
3rd – par 3, 189 yards
Blocked a 4-iron 15 yards right up a steep bank but it somehow bounced down onto the green to about 6ft. Holed it for birdie.
2-under
A lucky bounce off the right-hand bank on the 3rd yielded a second birdie of the day
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
4th – par…
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