Golf golf more golf

Thursday April 21 I suddenly felt better after a week of mainly lethargy. I celebrated by going to a driving range and hitting balls. Friday I tested myself and I was negative. I celebrated by playing 12 holes before work--David walked Paddy. Saturday I did a bunch of chores then went to a driving range with fancy analytic screens I didn't know how to use. Sunday I played 18 holes with two very good players. Monday evening I played 11 holes in between work and book club. Tuesday afternoon I played in the weekly competition. I actually did very well--my gross score minus my handicap equalled 72, which is par for all 18 holes. So I played to my handicap (which is still very high, but your handicap is your best 8 scores out of your last 20 rounds, so if you play to your handicap you are within the better end of your range).

Why so much golf? In addition to the weekly competition, where 40-60 Shandon members play for prizes, I'm in three other competitions. The McKee Cup is for Shandon players to compete one on one in match play, with each player advancing to the next bracket until there's a winner. The Challenge Cup is also match play but you play one on one with a member of a different golf club. Five of our members will play five members of Donaghadee on 15 May. I'm not officially on the Challenge Cup team but I'm trying to qualify. Word on the street is they are short on players so I might get on the team by default. Then Tuesday's performance qualified me for the McMillan Cup, another one on one match play among Shandon members, but with the qualifying round (anyone can enter the McKee Cup).

I'm not in all these competitions because I'm good--my handicap is 36.8. I'm in the competitions because everyone has told me that is the fastest way to get better. They say match play really focuses the mind and somehow brings out the best in you. We'll see. For sure the prospect of being in these competitions is making me practice a lot more. I want my handicap to come down and my approach so far hasn't worked (two to three rounds a week, one lesson every other month or so). I'm at the driving range to try to develop muscle memory around the swing Geoff (the coach) is trying to knock into my head. I'm still depressingly erratic but I'm hoping to live up to the adage: The more I practice, the luckier I get.

21-26 April