It’s Been Driving me Mad

First Published September 29th 2013

So I’ve been at the driving range …

A lot

Practicing with my driver and trying to develop repeatable accuracy, with some success

On the 15th my golfing buddies were unavailable, so I persuaded an old climbing mate to join me for a round at Beckside Golf Club

Frank had only ever played pitch n putt before so it was a novelty to me to be playing with someone with less experience.

He coped fairly well, going round in 144 – one better than my first attempt there.

It was the ideal place for me to test the driver out on course and I was pleased with the results.

I still duffed a few, but notable for me was driving over water to the edge of the green on the 200 yard par 3 7th, and being on the edge of the green in 2 on the 235 yard par 4 17th

I carded 109 which is 4 better than my current average at Beckside. So yes, still 46 over par for the course, but very enjoyable.

The on the 18th September, I decided to take the driver with me again, for another round at Barrow Golf Club with Andrew Turner.

It started well …

I got off the tee in acceptable fashion at the first two holes and double bogeyed them. So I was thinking to myself, if I keep this up I’ll go round in 106 which be a) 15 better than my previous low score on an 18 hole course and b) about 30 better than my previous round at Barrow

Hole 3 started with a decent drive just short of the marker, and then it all unravelled.

It was very windy and there were occasional very heavy showers, but that wasn’t really the problem.

I was, and my head was completely scrambled

Driving of the tee I twice hit the ball 10 yards left, on the same tee

And when I was playing my 6 iron, as I took the club back, I had absolutely not idea whether I was going to hook the ball left, squirt it 90 degrees right, or top if 6 yards in front of me.

I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me at that point, because nothing that I did was working.

Except for the occasional 30 – 70 yard pitch shot, that I’d land on the green.

I salvage my sanity in a minor way by finishing with a 6 at the 439 yard par 4 18th but that was scant consolation for the sheer horror of playing that badly, and I finished on 165 – my worst round ever!

Undaunted by the mental scarring, last Sunday I played at Grange over Sands again.

Mostly it went well …

I went out in 63 and back in 58 for 121

Although still not a decent enough score for me to consider calling myself a golfer, I enjoyed the round because in the main, the ball went where I was trying to hit it.

My membership of Windermere Golf Club has now been sorted out, so today I’m going up there for my first round.

I’ve just returned from the driving range following my usual pre round routine

And I couldn’t hit a bloody thing

So rather than going to Windermere with confidence, I’m now wondering what will happen

I’ll let you know …