I’ve done it again. It seems at least once a year I have a round that is an absolute disaster! So instead of pretending all is hunky-dory I thought I’d share this experience with some hope that you may find some satisfaction from my pain, writing it down might be therapy for me and we may learn something in the process.
When, Where, Why?
My bad round this year took place at Belton Woods, Lincolnshire, UK, on September 7th 2024. On this day (Day 2 of the trip) our group of eight were playing the Lakes course. Day 2 was a shoot out competition for our coveted trophy: a family based competition I’m invited to each year by a friend. The trophy is a memorial trophy for a close friend of the family and former member of the competing group. This was the 7th year it was held. On Day 1 we played the Forest course – we often use Day 1 as a warmup with group competitions.
State of Play
Competition rules
We use Stableford scoring with 100% handicaps, plus course adjustments. Best (highest) stableford score wins the competition and the coveted trophy. For people without an official handicap, we do our best to estimate handicaps using performance from previous years, most recent form and how they played on Day 1.
Weather and Course conditions
Bloody terrible. Well. Not that bad. But the day started very misty causing the course to be closed, with delayed tee off’s around 40 minutes: Belton woods staff did a grand job getting everyone out so quick after play resumed. What started as mizzle, soon turned into some of the heaviest drizzle I’ve had the pleasure to play in. The course became pretty wet without puddles – it was like heavy dew. Note, the previous day was a balmy 24oC with cloudless skies and the course notably dry with scorched patches due to months with little rain (it doesn’t always rain in the UK). The course was in great shape. Nice bunkers and greens, although greens had been punched four to six weeks previous (also known as coring).
My Handicap and Form
Months preceding – Leading up to the trip I had been in decent form. I had recently won the members singles Matchplay competition at Oulton Hall (West Yorkshire, UK) following wins covering three months and four opponents.
Day 1 – On September 6th 2024 my Handicap index was 14.0. On Day 1 we played Belton Woods Forest course. I hit a very delightful +13 (86), which was par for me for the day, playing a course adjusted handicap of 13. The round included three birdies, all on par 5’s! It wasn’t the cleanest round, and I felt there was a little more I could have got out of it. It was the joint best score of the day, with another 14 handicapper hitting the same score.
Trophy Hunting (Day 2) – The Round to Forget…
Feeling decent off the first tee
I was battling a little lack of sleep after a late night that included a few beers and some spiced rum n coke’s – nothing too crazy. I was up, ready, ate breakfast and had that extra 40 mins due to poor weather delays. I did some stretches and teed it up. The first hole on Lakes is a 497 yard par 5 – a steady start. I took my warm-up approach, teeing up my most consistent club, a 4 hybrid. I pushed it a little right into the mist that was lifting…. bare with me, this isn’t a complete breakdown of my round, but there are some important things to highlight. Second shot. I’m a little blocked, so instead of trying a miracle shot I concentrated on a simple pitch back on to the fairway gaining up to 5o yards – “swallow the pain, get it back in play”. So I tried, but failed, over hitting with the ball running though the fairway. A bread and butter shot I could forgive on the first hole. But, I’m now blocked out by trees and bushes down the fairway – it’s worse than before. This really was a poor shot. Still, plenty of time… Least to say, it didn’t end well on hole 1. I walked off with a sorry quadruple +4 on the opening par 5, giving myself a 9 and 0 points stableford. Not the best start!
Forget and move on
Still, it’s one bad hole and the first hole. Long way to go. I’d quickly learnt that the ball was skidding off the greens due to the increasing amount of water accumulating (like heavy dew). I also noticed that I’d pulled something in my left lower back during the first hole – at this stage it felt little more than a twinge. Good news, I went on a lovely four hole streak, which included three pars and one bogey, including a contender for closest to pin at the 5th – although I expected it to be beaten and soon forgot I’d even done it.
Good shots with poor decisions don’t end well with water!
Remember, this course is called Lakes. Stroke index 1 up next (hole 6). This is a cracking hole at Belton Woods. It plays 370 yards off the orange tees. Not too long. But the trick here is to get away well. Too short off the tee and you’ll play to layup before the course pinches to about 15 yards wide and a pond protects the front of the green. I hit a great drive, even if a little leaky to the right. I had 135 yards to the middle of the green out of the wet semi-rough with a decent line in. I needed about 120 yards to clear the water, and the pin sat at the front of the green at about 130 yards. For me, 135 yards is a solid 9 iron. I was happy to finish past the pin thinking a 9 iron shot would easily reach the green and skip on, as per conditions. I pondered if an 8 iron would be safer – no trouble at the back of the green if I go long. Confidence flowing I hit the 9 iron. It was a baller (looked good), all over the line of the pin. Splash! I couldn’t believe it. But I accepted it was a poor decision. The rough playing heavy was the likely cause with the ball coming up short. I didn’t finish well with a triply bogey 7.
Sign of things to come
It turned out that my play on the stroke index 1, 6th hole, summed up a fair bit of my round. My short game was very average. My putting specifically was way off. I didn’t adapt to the speed of the wet greens well, leaving mid-length putts short, but also over hit many long putts. I finished the round with 36 putts: this year I’ve averaged 30.6 putts per round. I found water on four holes. On three occasions these were poor shot choices, rather than execution. I’d underestimated the impact the wet conditions were having, particularly out of thicker grass even with okay lies.
Finishing up
I pride myself on “not letting things get to me” and “cracking on”, but on this day I struggled. I struggled to adapt, I struggled to putt, I struggled to make the right decisions and it started to affect me mentally. By the end of the round more shots were heading wayward and I have no doubt my worsening back issue was playing its part. A nice 8ft putt for par on the last would have brought some relief and a nice finish, but instead I did a lovely 2700 lip-out. It was a typical end to a poor golfing day. I finished with a +30, 102, accumulating 23 stableford points. This was my worst round in over a year. Still, I ended with a lip-out laugh and a shrug, taking the overall poor round on the chin. I still had positives! I took closest pin on the 11th hole, rather than the earlier 5th, which was beaten, as expected. I almost took longest drive, beaten by an opponent behind who must have hit an equally accurate, but longer drive on a pinching fairway. It was just one of those days. I’ll rest the back, remember the 3 birdies from Day 1, closest pin from Day 2 and learn what I can from the mistakes. I’m hoping it’s a long time before I have another Round to Forget. Enjoy your next round!
What happened on your “Round to forget”. What did you learn and what advise would you give others? Comment below.
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