Lakeside Lodge - Lodge Course - 31/07/17
07/Aug/2017 Filed in: Reports
I'm a bit late posting this diary entry because I've been re-theming this web site and I waited until I had finished before adding new content. Added to that, I was in no real rush to review the round, given that it was pretty awful. An old back problem has been playing up recently and I found that I was flagging at Rutland Water the previous Friday. The same happened today, a goodish start and then it all went to bits. I've also some weakness in my left arm and have decided to give the golf a rest for a couple of weeks or so while I get a medical opinion. So this report may be the last for a while.
As I've said, I started quite well, some very poor putting marring what otherwise would have been an excellent first few holes. I was on the green for 4 on the 1st with a par chance, but awful putting left me with a 7 and a nett bogey.
My drive of 193 yards on the 2nd was, by my standards, enormous. I then made the green in 2, and yet again three-putted for a very disappointing nett par 5.
I went right on the 3rd and fluffed a short chip out of a poor lie, getting on with the next for 3. I then once again three-putted for a nett bogey 6. It's a good job I now get two shots on this hole!
A reasonable drive and second on the 4th were then wasted when I put the next shot in the lake. After a penalty drop it took me two more to get on, but at least I only two-putted for a blobbed 8.
Into the wind on the 5th I took the driver and hit a lovely straight shot to the back of the green. Then, as you might have already guessed, I three-putted for a nett par 4.
As I've said, I started quite well, some very poor putting marring what otherwise would have been an excellent first few holes. I was on the green for 4 on the 1st with a par chance, but awful putting left me with a 7 and a nett bogey.
My drive of 193 yards on the 2nd was, by my standards, enormous. I then made the green in 2, and yet again three-putted for a very disappointing nett par 5.
I went right on the 3rd and fluffed a short chip out of a poor lie, getting on with the next for 3. I then once again three-putted for a nett bogey 6. It's a good job I now get two shots on this hole!
A reasonable drive and second on the 4th were then wasted when I put the next shot in the lake. After a penalty drop it took me two more to get on, but at least I only two-putted for a blobbed 8.
Into the wind on the 5th I took the driver and hit a lovely straight shot to the back of the green. Then, as you might have already guessed, I three-putted for a nett par 4.
As you can see, with a more respectable putting performance these first five holes would have been quite creditable.
My drive went left on the 6th and I should have taken an iron out of the poor lie, but I tried for distance with a hybrid and paid the price with a short shot. The next was better and I pitched on for 4 and then two-putted for a nett bogey 6.
And now it started to go badly wrong.
The drive went right on the 7th, the ball settling behind trees. I tried a bold pitching wedge shot over the trees but was thin and instead the ball went through along the ground, miraculously missing all the tree trunks. I wasted that bit of luck by hitting a poor hybrid shot, and then put a 9-iron shot into a bunker. Both these shots were also thin. Playing out the first bunker in an attempt to reach the green only put me in the next bunker. This time I got out well, sending me just off the back of the green. A 7-iron chip and run and two putts totalled 9, an emphatic blob.
The 8th was a little bit better. A decent drive and two reasonable hybrids left me a pitch, but I went off the left of the green. I pitched back on and single-putted (yes, single-putted!) for a nett par 6.
The 9th didn't start off all that badly. The drive was short and right, the ball settling in front of the lake. The lie was poor so I took an 8-iron but didn't make good contact, only making just over 60 yards. But I was on the fairway and two reasonable hybrids left me a pitch on for 6 on this par 5. But then I yet again three-putted for a blobbed 8.
So it was a poor 59 but it was the 22 putts that really ruined things. I three-putted five holes! My putting hasn't been too bad of late so I really don't know what went wrong. Perhaps the back and neck problems were having more effect than I realised.
Here's the Game Golf scorecard:
My drive went left on the 6th and I should have taken an iron out of the poor lie, but I tried for distance with a hybrid and paid the price with a short shot. The next was better and I pitched on for 4 and then two-putted for a nett bogey 6.
And now it started to go badly wrong.
The drive went right on the 7th, the ball settling behind trees. I tried a bold pitching wedge shot over the trees but was thin and instead the ball went through along the ground, miraculously missing all the tree trunks. I wasted that bit of luck by hitting a poor hybrid shot, and then put a 9-iron shot into a bunker. Both these shots were also thin. Playing out the first bunker in an attempt to reach the green only put me in the next bunker. This time I got out well, sending me just off the back of the green. A 7-iron chip and run and two putts totalled 9, an emphatic blob.
The 8th was a little bit better. A decent drive and two reasonable hybrids left me a pitch, but I went off the left of the green. I pitched back on and single-putted (yes, single-putted!) for a nett par 6.
The 9th didn't start off all that badly. The drive was short and right, the ball settling in front of the lake. The lie was poor so I took an 8-iron but didn't make good contact, only making just over 60 yards. But I was on the fairway and two reasonable hybrids left me a pitch on for 6 on this par 5. But then I yet again three-putted for a blobbed 8.
So it was a poor 59 but it was the 22 putts that really ruined things. I three-putted five holes! My putting hasn't been too bad of late so I really don't know what went wrong. Perhaps the back and neck problems were having more effect than I realised.
Here's the Game Golf scorecard:
