Warning, lengthy post. Sorry for the rambling. Only just getting around to posting this. Nearly had a bogey free round on Thursday - only bogey was on 14. Shame about the 4 doubles... 13 pars (3 squandered birdie chances) shows I can play, but some post round analysis tells me I need to get my head right. This is how it happened (soggy kikuyu fairways making the course play longer):4th hole, 320m par 4, dogleg right: I take driver off the tee here, hitting a cut around the dogleg. It's an aggressive play, but not overly risky - it's my natural shape, and I'm not going after it, worst result is not fading it enough and ending up on a side hill lie on a bank through the fairway, which is what happened today. Had a 9i from ~115, but there's a big gum tree protecting the left of the green. Instead of the safe play to the front right, I go pin seeking from an average lie and hit the tree. I get cranky at myself instead of focusing on the next shot, and chunk it in to the bunker. Double #1.8th hole, 362m par 4, #2 index with a tough raised green protected back and sides by thick rough. I hit my worst drive off the day into the right trees. My mistake here was not having a clear plan for my recovery, and punching it through the fairway leaving me an uncomfortable 60m 3rd from a wet, ordinary lie. Leave it short and don't get up and down. Double #2.10th hole, 343m par 4 with a tight tee shot. 2nd worse tee shot off the day, hooking a hybrid into the trees. Again no real plan for my recovery, but get away with it. Putting from just off the back of the green I leave my 4th about 4 feet short, and in an average state of mind rush up and miss the putt. Double #3.11th hole, 345m par 4. Not a tough hole, but let's just say I'm not in the best of moods. Pull driver into the trees well back, grab a wedge without thinking and hit tree branches. If I'd taken my time an 7i would've been fine. Anyway, I hit a good 5i from 175 to pin high left of the green, but walk to my ball with smoke coming out my ears. Half way through my backswing on the chip, I literally think to myself "how hard am I hitting this?" then panic and bash it through the green. Double #4.Apologies for the novel, I'm just hoping some self reflection helps. Playing a vardon at RA tomorrow and another at Glenelg next week, and I'm really focusing on better course management:
- avoid 40-80m approaches
- think about each shot properly and don't address the ball without a well thought out plan
I'm not expecting to break scoring records, the course will be set up tough from the back tees, I just want to avoid the sort of stupid mental errors I've been making lately.