On Saturday I Rob and I had another hit of golf. On my way out Elf said "so, you're a golfer now, is this it?". Once again my first shot went straight into the lake. If I keep this up there'll be an island of golf balls slowly rising out of the middle of it. We were a bit more consistent this time - we didn't get par but we didn't get double figures either. The Snack Wagon has now officially changed its name to Tucker Truck, but it did not visit us this time.
We were both pretty worn out by the time we got home. If you're a good golfer, nine holes is not much exercise at all. For the Bad Golfers such as ourselves, it's a complete aerobic workout, involving walking, swinging, swearing, swinging again, searching, and a little each of climbing, crawling and wading.
Bizarrely, on this round we recorded a net gain of 4 golf balls.
Showing posts with label golf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label golf. Show all posts
Monday, February 08, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Return to the golf ball graveyard
Rob and I went back to the scene of our crimes against golf, the Forcett Lakes course. Last time the "lakes" were low and swampy - yesterday everything was looking more established, and the lakes were genuinely lakesome.
Each time I play golf I try, just once, to tee off with a wood. And as I retrieve the ball from up a tree, or the carpark, or pull out a new ball, I reflect that, no - I still can't do that. I teed off at the first (long straight par 4, small lake right in front of the tee) with the 1 wood, and blasted the ball at worm height straight into the lake. Considered throwing the clubs in after it but pulled myself together eventually. On the other hand Rob successfully teed off with a wood for the first, second and third times in his life.
The club now has a Snack Wagon - the management jump in a little unit and motor out to wherever hungry or thirsty players might be. They brought us chocolate bars out on the 5th fairway. Bloke said he's planning to rename it the Tucker Truck.
We both played some nice shots on the way round - just often enough to leave us keen to do it again this summer. But generally, and I have to be honest, we were rubbish. Utterly disgraceful. I just can't keep my head down, and I think my wrists are a little floppy. But I did just edge out Rob by 2 shots, so that was something.
Each time I play golf I try, just once, to tee off with a wood. And as I retrieve the ball from up a tree, or the carpark, or pull out a new ball, I reflect that, no - I still can't do that. I teed off at the first (long straight par 4, small lake right in front of the tee) with the 1 wood, and blasted the ball at worm height straight into the lake. Considered throwing the clubs in after it but pulled myself together eventually. On the other hand Rob successfully teed off with a wood for the first, second and third times in his life.
The club now has a Snack Wagon - the management jump in a little unit and motor out to wherever hungry or thirsty players might be. They brought us chocolate bars out on the 5th fairway. Bloke said he's planning to rename it the Tucker Truck.
We both played some nice shots on the way round - just often enough to leave us keen to do it again this summer. But generally, and I have to be honest, we were rubbish. Utterly disgraceful. I just can't keep my head down, and I think my wrists are a little floppy. But I did just edge out Rob by 2 shots, so that was something.
Monday, January 11, 2010
My Dad's Irons
Which he has just given to me. Since I was little I have loved the elongated numerals. I haven't had a chance to get out and play with them yet.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Marcus's 7th birthday spent on the greens
Marcus turned seven today. Elf masterminded the presents - a build-your-own-crystals kit, and a pair of very good little walkie-talkies. The WTs have been a hit all day.
We booked a party at Putters Adventure Golf for Marcus and 7 of his mates. They all had a great time, both inside chowing down, and outside putting. One of the dads and I led groups of four each up, down and around the 18 holes. Putters is built around a large slope, with dense little blobs of native bush and lots of water hazards. A few times I had to go back to the clubhouse for a spare ball or to help someone find the toilet, and I had to either walk through another group's game or take a compass and packed lunch and go scrub-bashing. Michael scamped about talking incessantly, which was handy for me to know where he was.
The kids loved it but Elf and I were first bemused and finally pretty furious with the slack service. When we first arrived I asked a girl if I could pay for the booking. She squeaked a bit and went looking for someone who knew what to do. A friendly tall youth came out of the kitchen eating a sandwich. He held the (quite tasty looking) sandwich in one hand as he looked through a book for a record of our deposit. After first suggesting we'd come on the wrong day, he found it, took my money and gave change. The receipt and notes missed my hand and flipped onto the counter because he was doing it all with one hand. It went downhill from there. I won't bore you with the details.
Back home the walkie-talkies came out again and the fun continued. The boys next door came over for a game of cricket. Marcus is bowling extremely fast on the 6-metre-long pitch, such that I find I have to start my bat swing just as he lets the ball go. While batting he has cleared the back fence several times this weekend, which under our current backyard rules gets him 12 runs. The backyard rules are now under review.
We booked a party at Putters Adventure Golf for Marcus and 7 of his mates. They all had a great time, both inside chowing down, and outside putting. One of the dads and I led groups of four each up, down and around the 18 holes. Putters is built around a large slope, with dense little blobs of native bush and lots of water hazards. A few times I had to go back to the clubhouse for a spare ball or to help someone find the toilet, and I had to either walk through another group's game or take a compass and packed lunch and go scrub-bashing. Michael scamped about talking incessantly, which was handy for me to know where he was.
The kids loved it but Elf and I were first bemused and finally pretty furious with the slack service. When we first arrived I asked a girl if I could pay for the booking. She squeaked a bit and went looking for someone who knew what to do. A friendly tall youth came out of the kitchen eating a sandwich. He held the (quite tasty looking) sandwich in one hand as he looked through a book for a record of our deposit. After first suggesting we'd come on the wrong day, he found it, took my money and gave change. The receipt and notes missed my hand and flipped onto the counter because he was doing it all with one hand. It went downhill from there. I won't bore you with the details.
Back home the walkie-talkies came out again and the fun continued. The boys next door came over for a game of cricket. Marcus is bowling extremely fast on the 6-metre-long pitch, such that I find I have to start my bat swing just as he lets the ball go. While batting he has cleared the back fence several times this weekend, which under our current backyard rules gets him 12 runs. The backyard rules are now under review.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Rob and I spray marginal farmland with golf balls
Rob and I just went for a round of golf. We were planning to go to Richmond but Rob missed the turn due to the intensity of the discussion we were having, so we kept on straight and ended up at Forcett Lakes. There is a lot of earthmoving going on there, and they are obviously planning great things, but presently its a bit of a marginal grazing land interspersed with small swamps. The greens were tiny and even at 2pm on a 28° day, sopping wet.
However if the course gets about 3 out of 10, Rob and I as golfers get 2 and 1 respectively. Rob went round in 63, just shading my 65. This sounds pretty good, until you realise that was only over 9 holes. We actually did better than we expected. I have played golf maybe four times, the last about twelve years ago. I lost two balls and Rob lost one on the last hole. We didn't kill anyone with a savage slice. I did hit my ball off the premises twice, and had to retrieve one from among a reclining herd of (I think) black angus.
We rounded the day off with curried scallop pies among the tourists at Richmond. A top afternoon.
However if the course gets about 3 out of 10, Rob and I as golfers get 2 and 1 respectively. Rob went round in 63, just shading my 65. This sounds pretty good, until you realise that was only over 9 holes. We actually did better than we expected. I have played golf maybe four times, the last about twelve years ago. I lost two balls and Rob lost one on the last hole. We didn't kill anyone with a savage slice. I did hit my ball off the premises twice, and had to retrieve one from among a reclining herd of (I think) black angus.
We rounded the day off with curried scallop pies among the tourists at Richmond. A top afternoon.
Friday, January 18, 2008
6 under par at work
We have a putt returner (see above), putter and 3 golf balls at work. Its a clever machine - when the putt is on target, a battery powered mechanism spits it back to you, quite forcefully. I've never been very successful with it here at Gore Street. In the old church in Hill St I once sank a thirty-footer, which has given me delusions of adequacy ever since.
It's a very quiet week here, and so the putt returner has been getting a major workout. Yesterday we introduced some innovations. First I swapped the hole and the "tee" around so we had to putt uphill (our floor is very wonky). Then Nathan improvised a ramp. With one's back to the hole one putted up the ramp and hoped for a good roll back into the hole. Then we put the machine on the table, using the ramp to gain access. I am proud to say I scored here with a billiard-style trick shot (first attempt). I addressed two balls just touching, struck the rear one, propelling the front one up the ramp and in. GOALLLLL!
I have always wanted to make the whole exercise more like mini-golf, with a series of shots. And I thought it was time to "explore the studio space". So I went upstairs and teed off from the large edit suite. Nathan called it a par 16. I was onto the stairs* in one. I called Fore! and got a reasonable shot out into the hallway, but was left with a tricky lie behind a camera case.
A bit of fiddling around and I was in sight of the hole, shooting for a 7. I missed the machine altogether, and went into the rough (a bundle of ethernet cables). We checked the rules and it is OK to move cables but NOT peripherals. I wound up in the hole in 10.
*That will stand now as a course record, because what I didn't know is that the staircase in this old building is heritage listed. Playing golf up and down it is specifically verboten.
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