Played Bearwood Lakes (near Reading) today and had a surprisingly good match considering just how much it had been raining in the run-up to our game.

I don't remember being more than 1 down for the entire match and yet shooting 1 under par for the last 7 holes was only good enough for a half!

The course was playing tricky as all the pins were at the front of the greens, not my favourite position by a long shot, but never-the-less some fine shots were played by everyone.

Smiffy and his friend Paul took on Myself and Murphthemog (that's not his real name!), we played pretty well together with Murphthemog making several pars on the holes that I didn't, especially the tough 11th par5 over the lake and up the hill which he nearly birdied despite a trip to the trees! Paul played very well, in fact I can't remember many holes where he didn't feature...good job Smiffy was there to keep patting him on the back...and patting, and patting .....and patting, but Smiffy was saving his best for last as per usual.

Notable shots of the round for me were Murphthemog holing a bunker shot on the par3, 9th from about 40feet for a par. Every single putt that Paul hit (he must have holed about 100ft of putts) and his driving was pretty decent. My shot of the day... so many to choose from <wink> was a 56° wedge to 2feet on the 17th for a gimme birdie....and then came Smiffy's contribution... a fatted chip on the last which rolled out to tap-in distance which he promptly holed with shaky hands for a half - all square, a fair result.



Really enjoyed the round, can't wait for a rematch in the Summer. What a great place to put a golf course... if I could build my own house I would put it there!

You cheeky git!
I came in on a few holes to help out!!
But I seriously didn't want that putt on the last.

It turned into a pretty good match in the end. I enjoyed the company and despite the weather it was worth the trip. That place must be gorgeous in the Summer.

I would rather have made my birdie putt on the last (I thought I'd holed it when it left the putter face) than win because you miss a tiddler. I was confident that you were going to tap it in (it was only about 16") .... I'm obviously more confident about your putting abilities than you are!

So on the basis that you don't like matchplay James, what do you want to play next time out?
Medal?
Stableford?
Skins?

I think the only format we could play that gives you free reign is a medal mate

I don't mind mate.

My issue is I have a hard time seperating my score from the game. I get faced with choices that aren't as straight forward as some, eg: I can reach all the par5's in two, do I go for them or not? If I wasn't long enough then I could just knock it down there without a second thought.
I like matchplay (I do) but have a hard time justifying it sometimes, it really is a different animal if played correctly, winning is everything in matchplay and score is totally irrelevent. I think I take that a bit harder if I'm paying £45 and not even having putts that count. Take the 8th for example, par4, 297yds, Murph was in great shape down the middle - do I knock a 5-wood down there too? or try and apply a little pressure by ripping a driver at it? To me matchplay dictates that I hit the driver, strokeplay says play more conservatively. If Murph was in trouble then I would have reached for the 5-wood, maybe found the green with my second and possibly walked off with a par or less. As it was I made a 5 after a decent wedge and a crap putt, but felt like after losing my drive I might aswell have picked up... hardly worth the green fee.

I think that because my game is going through changes I just want to see a little more consistency. I probably hit the ball about as good as you've seen me play?, I felt like I played crap, the only thing that tells me that it wasn't too bad is my score... no shame in being under par for the last 7 holes on a course you've never seen before that has all the flags in hard spots and it's boggy to boot. If I wasn't watching my score then I would have no measure.

If we are doing £15 green fees on courses that we've already played then I reckon things would be different. Murph & I would probably do well at Edenbridge, it's cheap enough to chuck a small green fee at without worrying too much about your score.

One thing is for sure, I'm looking forward to playing the Addington game. I enjoy playing 36 holes, whatever the format

I would be happy with medal, shot 10 over anyway.

Medal might be a way to bring Hywell down to size, as he normally has a 10 in there somewhere. Stableford plays right into his hands.

As for Smiffy, have we found a format he can win with?

Maybe we need to set a limit for match play, so on the more expensive the course we switch to an individual score (with side bets on individual match play if necessary to keep Smiffy in the game?).

You git.......
I have no problems with matchplay, I am more than capable of holding my own thank you very much!
My game is a little "off" at the moment. I'm not driving well at all which on a course like Bearwood Lakes, playing as long as it did, put me at a distinct disadvantage when up against a couple of guys like you and James who were driving well on the day.
I know I keep mentioning it, but my arm is not helping. I am hoping that it sorts itself out before too long otherwise I can see this season being a washout for me before it has even started.
I'm pissed off that I'm not hitting the ball as well as I know I can. It's ok saying you drive for show, putt for dough, but when you are leaving yourself as far short as I was on Sunday and having to bang hybrids in as second shots when your playing partners are hitting 7 irons, it does have an overall effect on your mindset.
It will come back, it's early in the season yet. But I am seriously cheesed off that I'm not competing at the moment.
As I was leaving for the course on Sunday, I picked a couple of clubs up and immediately felt my arm twinge. I said to Sam that I didn't think it was going to be a good day and was right. I try not to moan about it on the course, what good does it do? Jeez I moan enough anyway...fatted chips, missed putts etc.
But I am being seriously hampered by it.
I would love to take you and James on in a match partnering Norman. He and I have been playing together for years and raise each others games. We gel well together and are a tough pairing to beat.
That one will be for another day

Got a strong back has he?

Moderators been around????

Caught redhanded! Guilty as charged.

I was just browsing the very few members we have when I accidentally deleted one

...honest!

Can we pick a date for the Bearwood rematch, I have my entire years schedule infront of me right now and spaces are disappearing fast! The quicker I get something pencilled in the better, I know it's early but......