@MagpieRacer awesome to hear the new gear is working out so well mate.
@Stavingo nice one mate on shooting 5 over, I don't think I'll ever get to that standard again. On occasion when I was playing 20 odd years ago I could but alas as I get older, I don't think it will happen again. Well done.
So a bit of an update on where I'm at. I'll break it down into sections.
I'm in deep.
Membership: Ok I've joined another club
here, to supplement what I'll now call my
home course. Cost was fine as it's a $150 joining fee then you just pay $17.50 a week, the sort of money you don't even notice gone really. What I wanted was somewhere close enough that on a whim I could just nip down and play either 9 or 18. This place fits the bill perfectly, years ago it was a pretty exclusive club that to gain membership you pretty much needed to be a doctor or lawyer. That became their demise and now it's a 9 hole course within a housing development. Thing is it's still very well maintained and a great little course for iron play. There are 4 par three's on the nine and you literally can play irons on the whole course if you want. More on this later.
Equipment: When I found out about the delay on my incoming irons from my fitter I asked since that's the case would I be able to fit for wedges? He said sure, we have a PW here in your incoming set to use also for distance as I explained I wanted the initial wedges to be an extension of the irons. So off I went and after once again hitting around 100 balls I ordered Vokey's in 48 and 52 in F grind along with a 56 in S grind. To my surprise because they were pretty much standard, I got a call 3 days later to say there had arrived.
When my irons arrive, I'll have room for one more club in my bag but not in any rush to fill it, after quite a few more rounds at my home club if I feel I need something I'll address it then. In all my years of previous playing I don't recall ever having 14 clubs in my bag.
General Play: I feel like it's starting to come back to me, still hit some terrible shots as to be expected but they are becoming less and less. To touch on my new course I played with my new wedges for the first time a little while back. I made to conscious decision to play 'smart golf' on the first nine and have a crack on the second. The first hole is a short par 4 which doesn't really, for me anyway benefit smashing a driver to leave it just short if hit very well. Took a 5 iron off the tee, followed by the 48 wedge to the green which hit the green and spun back off it. Next shot I chipped in for a birdie with the 48 so my first shots with the new wedges were an impressive strike with crazy spin and a chip in, instant fall in love with them and the subsequent play with them confirms it.
In the end the 'smart golf' first 9 netted me a 41 followed by the grip it and rip second 9 netting me a 47
.
Handicap: Still trying to fully get my head around this but it makes sense. As to be expected it's high and after submitting my three cards was given 23. Turns out as I'm sure you all know that's dependant on course and which tee. Back in my day you were at the whim of the grumpy old bastard you would hand your signed card into after each round.
Now I can be playing off of 27 at my home course (slope rating 132) on the black tees down to 22 off the front tees. The new course gives me 20 with a slope rating of 122. Seems to be a much fairer system compared to years gone by.
Only played the one comp since getting my handicap and they hacked .9 off to put me at 22.1, I didn't even play to my handicap scoring 34 points in Stableford and finishing 4th on the day, bastards
.
I'm playing again at my home course tomorrow in the daily comp so I'll see how that goes.
