Lakeside Lodge - Lodge Course - 03/10/19
03/Oct/2019 Filed in: Reports
The spirit was willing but the body was weak !
My back won today. After a less than brilliant start by the time I reached the 6th I was having difficulty performing a half-decent swing as I tried to minimise the pain in my back. I really think that I shall need to wait until this back problem resolves itself, and if it doesn't I think golf might have to be abandoned. I conveyed these sentiments back in July but then things seemed to improve, and I had a pretty decent round soon after I started playing again. But things have now worsened again.
I started reasonably well on the 1st although I was aware immediately that my drive was laboured and far from fluid. But a couple of hybrids and a 6-iron got me to the back of the green. A putt on and two putts for 7.
The 2nd on the other hand was a disaster. The drive hit the tall conifer on the left of the fairway, the ball dropping to a playable but awkward position beneath the tree. In trying to not strike the branches with my backswing I actually had an air shot. The next got me out but then I pulled a hybrid shot, hitting another tree! My next 6-iron shot was again pulled, the ball ending up to the left of the left green-side bunker. I then dug in with the wedge, the ball going into the bunker. I clipped it out with my gap wedge and then two-putted for a 9. Score-wise, effectively that was the round over!
My back won today. After a less than brilliant start by the time I reached the 6th I was having difficulty performing a half-decent swing as I tried to minimise the pain in my back. I really think that I shall need to wait until this back problem resolves itself, and if it doesn't I think golf might have to be abandoned. I conveyed these sentiments back in July but then things seemed to improve, and I had a pretty decent round soon after I started playing again. But things have now worsened again.
I started reasonably well on the 1st although I was aware immediately that my drive was laboured and far from fluid. But a couple of hybrids and a 6-iron got me to the back of the green. A putt on and two putts for 7.
The 2nd on the other hand was a disaster. The drive hit the tall conifer on the left of the fairway, the ball dropping to a playable but awkward position beneath the tree. In trying to not strike the branches with my backswing I actually had an air shot. The next got me out but then I pulled a hybrid shot, hitting another tree! My next 6-iron shot was again pulled, the ball ending up to the left of the left green-side bunker. I then dug in with the wedge, the ball going into the bunker. I clipped it out with my gap wedge and then two-putted for a 9. Score-wise, effectively that was the round over!
I nearly made the green on the short 3rd. My pitch was then short and I needed three putts to get down, the third because of a missed short second. On the 4th my drive was a bit better although the following hybrid wasn't that good. I then took an 8-iron to try to keep the lake out of play. The next 6-iron was just short of the green and my pitch then ran on. But I sunk a long putt for a 6. So it was scrappy but not a bad outcome.
I was quite lucky on the 5th and rewarded with a birdie. My drive just cleared the bunker and ran up the slope onto the green. The pin today was that side of the green and I sank the putt for a 2. But I was now suffering a bit and my drive on the 6th only made 90 yards into the pre-fairway rough. I cleared with a 6-iron and then put my hybrid shot into the bunker to the right of the green. My clearance was still off the green but a good putt on left me with a single putt for 6. Once again, better than perhaps I deserved.
The 7th was hard work. After a shortish drive and mediocre hybrid I then miss-hit the next hybrid shot, gaining only a few yards. The next was better but I then took all divot and no ball when trying to pitch over the bunker from about 70 yards. The next attempt was better, leaving me a putt on and one putt for an 8. I again had a poor drive on the 8th, my back causing me to adopt a very laboured action. It then took three hybrids to get within pitching distance, but I needed two shots to get on then two putts for another 8.
And if things weren't going too well up to then, the 9th rounded things off disastrously. The drive was short and my hybrid shot went left, leaving me with a pitch over a tree. The ball actually went through the top branches but I got away with it. I then miss-hit the next hybrid gaining only a few yards. The next was also short, each shot now causing me quite a lot of physical pain. Then I put the next right up against the trunk of a conifer. After a penalty drop I managed to put my iron shot on the green, but needed three putts to finish with an 11, which says it all!
Today wasn't at all enjoyable. It was chilly at around 11℃ although there was no noticeable wind. The ground was quite soft after the heavy rain earlier in the week. I came in on 62 but the score is really meaningless as towards the end I was finding it difficult even to hit the ball. The birdie on the 5th was nice but a bit lucky.
I feel that this might be my last report for a while.
Game Golf scorecard:
I was quite lucky on the 5th and rewarded with a birdie. My drive just cleared the bunker and ran up the slope onto the green. The pin today was that side of the green and I sank the putt for a 2. But I was now suffering a bit and my drive on the 6th only made 90 yards into the pre-fairway rough. I cleared with a 6-iron and then put my hybrid shot into the bunker to the right of the green. My clearance was still off the green but a good putt on left me with a single putt for 6. Once again, better than perhaps I deserved.
The 7th was hard work. After a shortish drive and mediocre hybrid I then miss-hit the next hybrid shot, gaining only a few yards. The next was better but I then took all divot and no ball when trying to pitch over the bunker from about 70 yards. The next attempt was better, leaving me a putt on and one putt for an 8. I again had a poor drive on the 8th, my back causing me to adopt a very laboured action. It then took three hybrids to get within pitching distance, but I needed two shots to get on then two putts for another 8.
And if things weren't going too well up to then, the 9th rounded things off disastrously. The drive was short and my hybrid shot went left, leaving me with a pitch over a tree. The ball actually went through the top branches but I got away with it. I then miss-hit the next hybrid gaining only a few yards. The next was also short, each shot now causing me quite a lot of physical pain. Then I put the next right up against the trunk of a conifer. After a penalty drop I managed to put my iron shot on the green, but needed three putts to finish with an 11, which says it all!
Today wasn't at all enjoyable. It was chilly at around 11℃ although there was no noticeable wind. The ground was quite soft after the heavy rain earlier in the week. I came in on 62 but the score is really meaningless as towards the end I was finding it difficult even to hit the ball. The birdie on the 5th was nice but a bit lucky.
I feel that this might be my last report for a while.
Game Golf scorecard: