Mystery Object#1

What is this?

 

Spiked and Ready to Drive

Went to my favourite Golf shop on Wednesday   (http://www.fairwaygolf.co.nz/home.bsp) and got Eric to put some new spikes on my golf shoes,as I happened to actually look at them for a change and saw that the wee spiky things had worn right down. I had wondered why they no longer made that funny noise and why I was feeling shorter!

So tonight I have also given my shoes a polish AND
cleaned my clubs too.

Soul Care

Why all this fuss you ask?

Early tomorrow morning I am hitting the road and heading to Dunedin on my next Golfing Assignment.
Today  I was told that another member of the Nine Hole Ladies Club was also heading south in the morning so we have arranged to meet for a game.

We shall play at Lower Waitaki after having a coffee break(or in my case a hot chocolate break ) at Riverstone Cafe.

When I consulted my club handbook I saw that Lower Waitaki is a "sister club" of Avondale.

This means we get to play a round for Free.

But right now I must get to bed as I have a long drive ahead in the morn and I promised my loved ones I would get enough sleep so I did not nod off on those long boring straights between Christchurch and Timaru. 


The weather down south does not sound especially promising but I feel sure I will be able to squeeze a few rounds in between the squalls and mizzle.

I plan on playing only 9 hole courses of which there are at least 6 to choose from.
They are also cheaper!
An important consideration on discovering it now cost $86 to fill the tank of my little blue car.


I really need to get some sponsership for this venture.


Stay tuned for more tales from the Fairway.

Southward Ho!

 

 

The Score Thus Far

So isn't this Blog all about playing 50 golf courses!
Has there been any mention yet of how many I have played to date?
Where am I up to on this Nine Hole Golf Odyssey of mine?

Obviously my recent back injury has hampered proceedings somewhat and I am in danger of falling behind schedule if I don't get back into it very soon.


According to my reckoning I have about 36 weeks left until my 51st Birthday (the date by which I hope to have completed the challenge).




To date I have played   16/50 golf courses.

I have a further 34  play. As you can see it is a tight schedule.
So I really need to be managing to play one a week from now on. 
Or play blocks of courses as I plan various trips about the country. This is how I have been doing it so far.

My first trip away was to Kakanui , just outside of Oamaru.
We hired a little cottage ( Molly's) overlooking the estuary and beach, with views of the resident 20 Spoonbills.
Some dear friends from Dunedin came up for  the weekend to graciously caddy for me and to provide sterling evening entertainment with some wicked games of Canasta, leaving  us all nursing sore stomach muscles from excessive laughter.

Over the four days I managed to play 4 different courses, although I actually played 5 games  because the North Otago Golf Club is so stunning and challenging that I wanted to play all 18 holes of it.

St.Andrews on Friday afternoon

N. Otago's challenging 3rd-uphill dogleg.

Stunning 15th at N. Otago

Waitoa Park-very tidy for a Sunday stroll.

The disastrous Dam-Waimate's 5th.

My second golfing trip took me to Auckland,although the real reason for my journey was to celebrate my Dad's 89th birthday and to also be there with the rest of the family when he received a Gold Bar service award from the RSA,for his many long years of dedicated involvement.

However, much golf was also played.

My family have been very encouraging of my great adventure, and with generous financial 
support for green fees whilst I was in Auckland I was able to play a further 7 courses during my ten day stay.

Phew! 

I roped in 3 of my brothers to be caddies.
However, two of them opted to hire some clubs and actually play a round of golf with me which was really great fun with the added  bit of good- natured  sibling rivalry. 
Third brother felt golf was really not his forte. But caddying certainly was as he proved to be my most dedicated and diligent caddy to date as he ran ahead to read the Fairways for me on the most challenging course I have ever played! 
That was Waitakere.
A beautiful course completely surrounded in Native Bush and the air filled with the sound of Bellbirds and Tui.

And Oh! that 6th hole has to be played to be believed.

I let a couple of guys go ahead of me at this point as I needed to see someone execute a tee shot off the fake grass tee box and clear the ball up and over the bush line and out to the fairway that dropped away far below, before I could believe it was possible to do it.
 I only lost one ball too!
Cleared that bush with my trusty 7 Wood to get sufficient loft and distance.

Walking thru Nikau to get to No6,Waitakere

Hamish the Left-handed natural at Howick

Wild seas on a stormy Monday-Muriwai

 

 

Brother  Putting on 9th, Muriwai

Dad, not to be outdone and wanting to be part of my golf odyssey wonders if we play both 18 hole courses at Albany Mini-Golf together could I count that as 1 of my courses.
Well it is not everyday your 89 year old father wants to play golf with you.


Of course it counts!

Dad on the course at Albany Mini-Golf

 And then as if that is not enough he volunteers to come and caddy for me at Takapuna on an intensely hot afternoon.I ring to see if we can hire a cart to make it a bit easier for us in the heat as I am concerned it will be a bit much for Dad.
Yes all good we can hire a cart.
But when we get there none are available.
I am worried about the effects of heat on poor old Dad but those 23rd Battalion fullas are pretty tough and despite being blind in one eye and with only partial sight in the other he manages to negotiate the uneven ground of the course with admirable style.
As he admits he is not a great caddy as he is unable to see where any of my shots go but he is fine company nevertheless.
A lovely afternoon is had by us both beside the roaring motorway.

Fine company on a sunny afternoon,Takapuna.

 Dad arranges for an RSA buddy of his to take me out to play Waitemata .
 It is a drizzly Sunday morning, and the whole exercise is executed with military precision. The fastest nine holes I have ever played and certainly no time for photos.




I finish my Auckland tour with a much more leisurely paced 9 holes at Whangaparaoa on a perfect late summer day the morning before I fly home to Shaky City.
I am my own caddy and  spend a lot of time taking photos and drinking in the views and watching the pukekos in the swamp.
I score a lovely 59 but alas no point handing in my card without a marker to verify it.
Such a relaxed atmosphere at Whangaparaoa after the fast pace of  city clubs like Howick.
This is golf how I like it.
Leisurely.
With no one in front and no one behind.
Just me and the Fairway.

Just me and my shadow,High Noon,Whangaparaoa.

.

Rookies Rule OK

I have been reading  Jessica Maxwell's book "Driving myself Crazy" and in America they call beginner golfers Rookies apparently, although I always thought that was what they called Law Enforcement Officers.


The Big News this week is that this "Rookie"  won her first ever bona fide competition!

 On Tuesday afternoon after several weeks off golf with my back /rib injury I finally played the pending final in the Handicap Match Play Competition.

My opponent has a 21 handicap and I have an 18 so on the 2nd and 5th holes( the two most difficult ones) I had to give her a shot i.e if i do it in 6 shots she has 7 shots to do it in.

I got off to a very bad start on No.1. After a good long drive, my second shot with the newly trusted 5 iron, veered wildly off to the right disappearing over a hummock never to be seen again! After searching for the allowed five minutes and failing to retrieve my lovely pink Srixon ball our referee(oh yes we had to have one of those , it being an official competition match and all) informed us that I had to concede the hole.


Hmm bad bad start! 

And then on No2 I have to give my opponent a shot so she wins the hole .
The tension is mounting, I am already two down as I tee off on the 3rd and have to remind myself to Breathe  and focus.
We both end up in the bunker to the left of the green and manage tidy shots out of the sand but mine lands very close to the hole and I take the honour by one shot. 

A beautiful drive on No 4 takes me within easy reach of the green but my chip shot lands too far from the hole for me to putt in neatly for a Par so I have to be content with a Bogey. But I have won the hole and we are on equal footing again. So I am back in with a chance.


No5  at Avondale is a most difficult Par 5 and I am yet to play with a lady that does it in Par. So I am well pleased with my double Bogey(7) which sadly is not enough for me to win the hole asI have to give Diane a shot on this hole too. So we halve the hole(this means it is a draw).


Neck and neck we go into the 6th and then the 7th and before I know it I am two down again. What a blur. How did that happen?


Standing on the tee box on the 8th realizing I have to win the next two holes to just get even I am suddenly aware of the big mental component to this game called Golf. I have never experienced this so acutely before,perhaps because I have never been attached to the outcome?


For whatever reason the next two holes turned into a battle with my Self.
 A seesaw struggle between the negative voices telling me I just can't perform under pressure and never have been able to.The voice that reminds you of all your failures-like the time you muffed your lines after nights of great performances just because the talent scout was in the audience.
Ah come on! Think positively.stay steady and calm and Focus.
It is only a game and all you have to do is Breathe and  play the next shot.

I hear my father's voice(he had left a message on my answer phone earlier in the day to wish me good luck) assuring me that I can win the game,he knows I can! Oh no! I don't want to disappoint him and end up using my recent back injury as a poor excuse when really it is about  a loss of nerve under pressure.
I finger the Mizpah hanging around my neck,worn by three generations of women in my family-it is my 'lucky charm' and I always wear it when I am needing strength and courage.
It is like having the hands of both my  grandmother and my mother  resting on my shoulders .


The referee tells me this is called Dormie i.e  when one player is ahead by the same number of holes as there are holes remaining to be played.
Not a great position for me to be in.It is all pressure at this point!


I play well. I win the 8th.

We are still in Dormie!

I do a great drive-straight and long, as I often do on No9.

I am playing well and staying calm,it is still possible to win this game if I just focus and play one shot at a time.

And yes! I win the hole and we are even after 9 holes.


Now we must go straight to No1 !

It is a play off now. The first to win a hole takes the Match.

Okay I have to win it on this hole because if we draw and go on to No2 I have to give Diane a shot because of the Handicap differential.

Fantastic drive and I don't lose the ball on my second shot this time around. All is going very well and I am on the green for three. It is looking good!

A putt that comes up about two foot short of the hole but this is within my comfort zone and I confidently step up to take my winning putt.

 But this is Golf we're talking about!

We all watch as the ball rolls gently toward the target .

AND THEN ROLLS AROUND THE RIM AND DOES NOT DROP.

Poor referee. We now have to play an eleventh hole and it is No2 and I have to give that shot. BUGGER.

Up rear all those negative thoughts again.
OMG
I am going to lose after all this.

I am not sure quite how I do it but I go into a calm and quiet place.
I play this hole well and Diane has  a couple of not so great shots .

I finish with a 6 and she with an 8 so even when she takes off the 1 shot I am 1Up as they say in Golf.
I have won the Match Play Competition.
I don't really know what that means . I guess I get a trophy or something?

My Dad will be stoked.

Mizpah with Earthquake damage

 

Lucky Mizpah and Lucky Hat

Back to the Story

 Argh! Computers can be so frustrating! 
Can anyone tell me why suddenly I get this pink background colour in my text which I can't shift?(see above)
The only way I could get rid of it was to start again.

So, 19 days without a game of golf and several Osteopathic appointments later. 

 I was worried the back problems were a direct result of playing golf.
It could be a contributing factor but really this is an old injury, a chronic condition .

After I came back to the ward following the 2nd major operation (having spent 12 hours on the operating table) I had a large mark like a bruise in the centre of my back. The nurses were concerned it was a pressure sore like the ones on my buttocks (this is what happens when you lie in the same position with limited circulation for a long period of time) but as the days went by the mark remained like some deep bruising whilst the pressure sores healed nicely thanks to Calendula cream.

As the Osteopath worked on my back it became apparent that the problems were really all focused and radiating from  that exact spot where there is still a very faint mark from the initial bruising. It would seem my resilient body has been continuing to function and compensate all this time despite quite a significant injury.

Good body!

Now the 'back' must be heard and the time given to allow it to heal and become stronger.
Of course if my back and rib cage get nicely rearranged I am sure it will improve my golf swing! 

All Good

Already I feel taller after the manipulations the Osteopath has been able to perform, although he warns me it may be a slow process due to the chronic nature of the injury.

Imagine my relief when the Osteopath suggested I may like to try playing a couple of holes this week to see how my back tolerates the exercise.


Happy happy happy!
Golf is my Prozac.

So, played 4 holes on Wednesday;5 on Thursday and 3 today.

My drive is not up for much but my putting has seemingly improved .

On Monday I will try to play 9 holes in preparation for the competition match I am supposed to finally play on Tuesday after having to postpone it for a couple of weeks.

Prior to this acute flair up with my back I was playing very well and my handicap had fallen to 18.6 but now of course I am not playing to that handicap so I shall be challenged to pull off a win in the match.

Remember it is a handicap match play competition which means as my handicap is lower than my opponents' I must give her some strokes. 
 ( If you really want to understand this see previous entry where I explain it in some depth.) 


Yahoo , golf is happening again. 

 

The "Back" Nine

No entries for sometime now as I have been 'out of the game'.

Stuck in the rough with a Crook Back .
Woke  up on the 27th April and could hardly get out of bed.
Have had sore ribs/diaphragm for a few months - since my golfing trip to Kakanui in fact.
But I had been ignoring the niggling pain under my ribs and continuing my usual activities.
Alas, this pain and locked up back was not to be ignored.
Was supposed to play in a tournament at the Rangiora club that day with other ladies from my club.
I had to pull out as there was no way I was going to be able to swing a club.
Cancelling a game of golf?! Indicates it was a serious injury!

Rangiora was to have been my 17th course played in this 'year of golf'. 

 Bugger!