It’s been a while, all is well with me but I just felt I needed to pass comment on something that without realising it expressly is very dear to me.

I have always liked Tiger.

A bit like my adoration of Steve Davis when I was a kid, I have always has respect for those who seemed able to just grind out win after win after win, rising head and shoulders above the level of everyone else. Awesome.

I never minded how dull the nugget actually was as a personality while he was winning. I just loved the fact he kept doing it - or so I thought.

Looking back now though there was much more to that affection that I had - and still have - for Davis that in light of this rules breach situation at the Masters, I no longer have for Tiger.

For those, like me, who were aware of a “furore” around some dubious potential rules breach that Tiger was involved in over the weekend but never quite got to the bottom of it - and so never really made a proper judgement - here are all of the facts of the matter, described and explained far better than I would be able to:

http://www.barryrhodes.com/2013/04/tiger-woods-penalty-at-masters-is-golf.html

The bottom line from all of the above is this.

Tiger made what was almost certainly an honest mistake. The rules of golf can be tricky at the best of times - I know that better than most.

The rules of golf are however such that not matter how honest a mistake is when it is made, if certain rules are broken then significant penalties are applied. In the case of the rule breach that Tiger made, that penalty should have been disqualification.

Because it was Tiger, the rules committee did not fully and properly apply the rule. Shame.

…But here is the rub; even after he was made fully aware of the situation - the the Rules Committee’s “fudge”, neither did Tiger.

Ask yourself this: Can you ever imagine Steve Davis failing to declare a foul  on himself that he knew he had made?

I can’t.

The resultant penalty may have been significantly more draconian for Tiger (disqualification!) than a 4 to 7 point penalty and potential loss of a frame for Davis but the principle is the same.

Thus, having forgiven Tiger over the years for the spitting and swearing on the golf course, the womanising and the very dull wardrobe choices off it that we have all at some time let ourselves down with, I have realised that his utter determination to win at all costs - including in this case the cost of his own integrity and the integrity that is part of the fabric that IS the game of golf - I have realised that whilst recognising the genius that he is, Tiger is no longer worthy of my respect and sporting adoration.

His desire to win, for his own selfish reasons, and the arrogance displayed in not disqualifiying himself - regardless of the gutless rules committee’s decision not to disqualify him - has relegated Tiger to a selfish, over ambitious fool in my eyes (I had to delete the word “cheat” and replace with “fool” as it is such a strong term but you get the strength of my sentiment.

I wanted Tiger to regain the number 1 in the world spot, I wanted him to win more majors. I respected him for the effort, the application and the dedication required to “push on through” after all his trials and tribulations. I wanted it all - for him and for the game of golf and as a shining example of what dedication and application can achieve to all.

I now sincerely hope he never wins another tournament. Very harsh - but absolutely true.

Ultimately, there is so much more to being a sporting god than simply winning consistently.

True icons are genuine role models in sport and in life. It is possible to be super-successful, set a genuine example and still be human - But you have to be true.

Hail Steve Davis - My true sporting god!

They say it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Well, during the intense year long affair I have been conducting with the game of golf there has certainly been love, commitment, passion and pain. The affair is now over and while there is a sense of loss that I will no longer be able to make the daily commitment to the relationship that I have been involved in this last year, I feel that a lasting bond has been forged, borne of respect and shared experience, that will be maintained over the years to come rather than ending in sadness and bitter separation as so often happens with such passionate affairs!

I know that I have been quiet for the last couple of weeks. I submitted my 3 cards for handicap purposes on Wednesday 6th June and I just felt that until I knew the final result of my endeavours I really didn’t have anything to say. I received my confirmed handicap on Monday this week - but didn’t get to read it until yesterday but I’ll get to the handicap in a moment if I may.

I have received various emails and texts over the last couple of weeks enquiring about how it’s all finished up, how I feel about things and what the future holds for me. For those of you who have enquired, your interest is gratifying. Thank you.

Since I played my final round of the challenge on Tuesday 5th June I have only played golf once - on June the 6th ironically enough at Poult Wood - and I played tidily enough (except an eventful 8 at the 130 yard par 3 17th!) finishing 8 over (+the 17th!). Other than that round I have been dedicating my time to Lindsay, Gracie May, Jack & Francesca - they have deserved some payback after so much of my time and attention both on and off the course has been taken up with the challenge.

I have attended swimming lessons, health progress clinic and Baby explorers with Gracie May, a piano recital for Chess and Jack has a football tournament when I next see him that I’m looking forward to supporting.

I have also been feverishly planning for my working life post challenge with Lindsay. It’s too early to confirm our plans but the year that I have spent away from corporate life has certainly served its purpose in terms of focusing both my and Lindsay’s minds on what we want our working lives to look like going forwards. I didn’t realise it while the challenge was running - but actually I was subconsciously considering and refining what I wanted to do next without ever actually meaning to.

I’ll confirm when we have finalised our plans but I can say with absolute certainty that my working life going forwards will be a direct result of me having committed to the challenge and will bear no resemblance to anything I would have stepped into if I had not taken the time away!

Lindsay, Gracie and I came away on a brief holiday on Sunday for some Spanish sun so it with a sea view and a cool Mediterranean breeze that I finish off this update.

So, to the end result.

I submitted 3 cards of 76, 77 and 78 for handicap purposes. The 76 and the 77 were each 6 over the standard scratch of the course when they were shot and if either were treated as my best card would have resulted in a solid 6 handicap as per the official handicap calculation rules of the EGU. The 5 over par 77, as you will know if you have been following closely, was shot on Saturday 2nd June just 3 days before the end of the challenge.

The handicap that I have been allocated from cards at 4, 5 and 6 over par (6 and 7 over standard scratch)… 9.5

Am I disappointed? Yes, a little.

Am I bemused / angry / confused? - No

The handicap secretary had a tough job to do issuing me an initial handicap with the members, me and the governing body to keep happy. Had he used only my three submitted cards he would have issued me with a handicap of 6 - but he felt it fairer to take account of various other cards I posted to the website  in the last couple of months of the challenge.

His call and I respect it.

I guess you have to consider the following points:

If I had been issued the 6 handicap my three cards suggested I should be issued with according to the rules, could I have played to it regularly? No. Almost certainly not. Occasionally - certainly. Regularly. No.

I shot as low as 3 over par round Nizels but I accept that towards the end of the challenge my scores generally went backwards. Pressure? Weather / Course conditions changing quicker than I could adapt to? Trying too hard? All of the above probably but the fact is that wile my best delivered results were 3 or 4 over par (witnessed) too often in the last couple of months I was playing but not breaking 80 even.

I would not be human if I didn’t feel a little hard done by - but I shot what I shot in the time I had available and I always accepted that the handicapping side would be out of my control.

Even if I had shot 3 71’s in the last few weeks I knew very well that I would almost certainly not be issued with a zero handicap (or not even a guaranteed handicap lower than 5!!).

The aim of the challenge was not to call to question the handicap system or try and cheat it. My aim was to become a genuine scratch golfer in 12 months.

I missed that aim by a fair distance in truth - but I improved from 106 strokes to a best of 3 over par 75 (best witnessed 4 over par 76) - a witnessed 30 stroke improvement on a championship golf course in 1 year.

I am proud of what I have achieved and the way that I have achieved it.

After my short break to reflect and recharge I will turn my attention back to how to maximise the fund raising potential from what I have done. I had to give the golf 100% of my time during the year but my fundraising commitment remains for the weeks, months and years ahead.

To that end if you have enjoyed reading about my progress over the year and haven’t hit the Bobby Moore logo yet PLEASE DONATE NOW.

CLICK HERE or text “RELF66£XX” to 70070 to donate (max £10 per single donation all texts are totally free)

So, all that remains for this particular post is to thank those who have either made the challenge possible or have given their time or resources to help me along the way:

Linds, Helen, Fler, Justin & all the kids, Duncan, Jason, Nick B and all my other friends and family who have been there for me and helped me along the way.

Vanessa Machin and Ash Weller at Nizels and all the guys at Hilden Golf for your support and the use of the facilities. You guys made the challenge possible.

The members at Nizels - I may have been mad, bad, slow, and daft so thank you for putting up with (and humouring) me.

Paul and Leigh at Titleist - Thank you so much for the equipment support you gave me. I really was very serious about golf indeed!

David, Lisa, Jit and The Algarve support network, including the Oceanico Group and Quinta de Ria. Thank you all very much for helping me through the cold months and the fundraising during the challenge.

Gary Edwin and the Right Sided Swing Guys over in Australia, Jason Gilmore, Mark Haines, John Richardson - The man who DID achieve scratch golf in 12 months - Sam Hollingdale, Rob McEvoy, Dave McEvoy, Ian Griffiths - the mad podiatrist - Danny Williams, Greg Hazelby, Lingfield Golf Club, The Golf Show Group, and everyone else that offered me course time, coaching, technical support and encouragement.

Last but surely not least to Peter Hudson and Iain. My two main men.

A funny old trio we made (especially Iain and I being all but joined at the hip around the club) but looking back, you two were the rocks on which my challenge was built and you kept me going throughout.

Lets do that curry - we earned it!

So, after my 77 on Saturday evening I had Sunday off  and then Monday daytime to reflect and spend time with the family again before hitting the course again on Monday evening with Jason, my neighbour, to try an better 76 as a witnessed PB.

It had been a mixed day weather wise but conditions were ideal by the time we played. I didn’t feel quite as relaxed and “in the zone” as I had done on the Saturday - but I still felt up for it.

Sadly the round didn’t go as well and I had all but blown my chance of a “proper” score by the end of the front 9. It is sloppy of me but Jason was marking my card and I haven’t recorded the final score. I was around 5 or 6 over at the turn and will have finished around 10 or 11 over. It was just one of those rounds really. Too many missed putts and a sloppy tee shot or two.

The one high point was a lovely birdie… on the 13th hole - so the last hole to be birdied was tamed with just a couple of days to go!

The view down the 13th towards the big lake from the 12th fairway. The evening light was just hypnotic You can’t see the pond in the cleft of the dog-leg which has caused me so much angst this year!

It’s daft really making such a big deal of the hole - but it really felt great to finally hole the putt that put it back in its place!

We also got the chance to shoot some swing video at the 16th

Always good fun with Jason…

And that was that - my thanks to Jason for taking me out for a celebratory chicken kebab after the round. Your support has been a great strength to me.

And so on to the final round of the challenge. A 6am early morning tester as the last hurrah. It was to be played with young Matt who was the only one kind (or daft) enough to join me at that ungodly hour on Bank Holiday Tuesday for a round of golf.

In truth it was a lovely - if not a productive round to finish on. It was a truly beautiful morning and it represented everything that the challenge was all about to me. The weather was perfect, the course was empty and the company great. I even played pretty well for first thing. The doubles spoiled the card - as did the needless 3 putt from 20 feet at 14.

I had to complete the card after the event so it may be a putt or two up or down here and there as I wasn’t marking the card at the time and completed it from memory - but you get the gist of the card.

I’ll remember that round far more for meeting up with Iain at 17 and sharing the last two holes with him and Matt.

After all our hard work together and with the pressure already off it was just a real pleasure - and fitting - to wind things up together.

Matt’s drive at 18

My last drive of the challenge…

Walking the home stretch

The final approach, before…

And that, as they say, was that!

It felt right to share the last couple of holes with Iain. I’m glad I sunk the putt at 18!

The last shot before the boot gets emptied for the last time…

So, my three cards for handicap purposes are a 76, a 77 and a 78.

The cards have been submitted. Watch this space for the official handicap when it comes.

I’m conscious that during the latter stages of the challenge my writing has been very factual and descriptive. I plan to post a few more times in a more reflective vein - how well do I think I’ve done? what did I do well? what could I have improved on? are all questions I’ve been considering at this time and need to be aired.

But for now a brief rest, and brace myself. The handicap is coming…

I had, frankly, been getting pretty fed up with scoring like a dog no matter how well I seemed to play.

Being in the final few days of the challenge the pressure could be built up to monumental levels but I have absolutely refused to allow the pressure of desire for success to impair my enjoyment of every minute of what I’m doing.

So Saturday was mainly spent with the family, my mum, the kids and their friends and the scoring round I played was set up to be as late as possible in the afternoon. There is something to be said for being as calm and relaxed as possible prior to playing as yet again I had this feeling of well being and rhythm prior to playing.

I met up with my podiatrist, challenge supporter - and friend Ian Griffiths at around 4.30 for a 5pm tee off and although I had barely swung a club in practice I just felt ready. I chipped and putted to get the pace of the greens (which were quick) and we were ready to go at 5. The weather was warm, with just a light breeze. The perfect Spring evening. The course was also really quiet due to England playing and it being the bank holiday weekend. Perfect!

I got off to a slightly nervy start after the perfect 3 wood drive - but holing a breaking six footer for par at 1 settled them somewhat. Finding the green from a fairway bunker and making par at 2 gave me further encouragement.

I just felt like it might be my day.

A little wobble at 4 and 5 was followed by being just a few feet short of the par 5 6th green in two and taking 2 putts duly earned me my first birdie.

I have tended to blow the hole after a birdie in the past and with a fair left to right cross wind at 7 I was proud to produce two excellent (and ballsy) shots to put me on in two and down in 4.

The Goslings are generally growing at a pace - except this little one it seems. I was relaxed enough to be comfortable taking in shots of the wildlife.

Completing the rest of Nizels little “Amen Corner” of 8 and 9 in par for a 1 over front 9 made both of us think that a score could be on and it’s to his eternal credit that Ian resisted the urge to mention it. Some things are much better left unsaid…

There are two shots from the remainder of this round which will stay with me forever and both significantly contributed to me achieving the score I did. After a well struck drive, cutting slightly too much of the corner off at 10 Ian and I spent time looking for my ball and I only found it in deep, deep rough on my way back to the tee to hit a second ball. my joy at finding it was immediately replaced with trepidation at the fact I was going to have to try and hit it…

The rough was a good 18 inches deep and the ball was sat deep, deep down.

I could barely swing at it and I was acutely conscious that I could have taken 2 or 3 shots to get out - but I wasn’t greedy for too much distance and I was overjoyed to stay committed to my shot and pop a 56 degree wedge 60 yards back onto the fairway.

I cheered with relief and joy as it bounded out.

I took a 6 from there but felt like I had got off lightly.

Three shots were then dropped at the 11th and 12th and the wheels were threatening to come off. This made my 3 wood drive at the elevated 13th tee all the more memorable and inspirational for me.

I backed away from driver as the wind was behind and I risked the trees at the far end of the dogleg. I’d just dropped a double bogey after a shocking 12th hole effort and the round was in the balance. I pulled out the 3 wood and set up for a high fade around the pond 220 yards up the right in the corner of the dogleg.

100% commitment to the shot and a beautiful, easy swing resulted in the perfect shot, starting (a bit frighteningly) left and then cutting back around the pond to rest in the absolute perfect position. I just felt at that moment that I was going to sort my round out - and so it proved.

Ian and I both (without mentioning the fact to each other again) felt that I might have got a hole in 1 at the long par three 14th hole. I just hit another absolutely cracking hybrid laser straight to the pin which we just knew would be close and as we both approached the slightly elevated green there was no sign of the ball for a long, long time. In actual fact the ball was hidden 6 feet away by a slight ridge but it was quite a moment.

I have to say that I’m really proud of the way that I held myself together for the last holes of the round - even the 18th hole which has recently held all sorts of horrors for me contained a lovely up and down for my 5 after I had sliced my 3 wood drive right into trouble and had to chip out sideways.

I feel that the round contained by far my best golf of the challenge so far and while my putting was actually pretty good on the day - if a few more of the 10 to 15 footer had dropped it could have been a very special round indeed.

For now though I’m content. A witnessed 77 now means I have 76, 77 and 78 signed and ready for my first handicap calculation.

Not scratch - but I’m edging closer!

Thanks for you company, and discretion Ian. Both much appreciated - but not as much as your signature on that card!

So, it’s been a busy three days.

Wednesday was all geared towards a scoring round with young Matthew and my warm up was to meet up with Iain for 9 coaching holes.

My score wasn’t really relevant for the 9 with Iain as we were working on making my swing as consistent as possible and Iain was watching my course management very carefully.

View from the 15th green up the 6th fairway. The course is looking great!

It was an absolutely gorgeous morning and the course is looking just superb as the green keeping staff are in full preparation for the Henry Cooper Junior Masters which takes place later in June.

My swing continued to be dogged by my tendency to “spin out” of my shots causing a high fade - and so it proved on the course in the afternoon to my cost…

The frustrating “nearly” round

Before going into any detail I just need to put the final few rounds of the challenge into context. to get my handicap I need three signed (witnessed) cards within the last 6 months. I already have the following three cards a 76, a 78 and a 79 all signed and ready. I shot a 75 recently but I was on my own and it doesn’t count. So, I’m looking for 76 or better really with a witness to improve my potential handicap.

…So taking a ridiculous and needless 8 by slicing my approach into all sorts of rubbish at the second wasn’t part of my master plan on Wednesday afternoon! confidence knocked I then bogeyed 3. Ironically, after that I just thought I might as well go for it and I relaxed. 7 over after 9 wasn’t great though and I have to confess that even after my nice run on the back 9, the bogey at 16 left me pretty fed up and I just lost concentration for the last two holes. I’m only human!

Then to Thursday - “The Back 9 Roller Coaster”

I felt great on Thursday. I can’t tell you why. From the time I walked onto the putting green to practice I just had a calmness about me and I felt physically relaxed. I really noticed that my putting stroke was smooth and even. My distance control on the practice green was great. This followed through to my full swing and  despite another double at 2 (a perfectly struck PW was a club too much and shot off a slope at the back of the green into some nastiness) I was striking the ball beautifully and feeling great. 3 over for the front 9 including a lovely birdie at 7 (PW to 3 feet) and this laser straight drive at 9…

A following wind certainly helped but threading the needle of those trees from the back tee to land 270 yards up hill was one to remember.

This was the approach I was then faced with - the drive was just too long! Still out came the 60 degree wedge, straight over the tree to 15 feet. Par well and truly earned here!

How hard to earn the scores - how easy it is to blow them!

The driver right stats speak for themselves at 10 and 12. At 13 I was too long with it again and had to hack out of rough at the end of the dogleg in the fairway (I just couldn’t believe I’d carried 270 INTO the wind). I was unlucky with my lie under the back lip in the bunker. C’est la vie!

Two birdies in three holes at the end including a chip in at 18 were scant consolation to me. Playing so “well” (OK that’s open to debate!) yet scoring so badly was a tough one to take. 3 doubles and 2 triples will never end well though, eh.

And so to Friday. An early start and a caddied round with my elite performance coach Peter Hudson.

A 6am meet, followed by some short game range practice and looseners with the long stuff and I was on the tee at 7.08. Despite my good prep - and in contrast to how I felt just the day before I felt like the proverbial “bag of spanners”. I felt like I had a raging hangover although I hadn’t touched a drop! It was as if I was aware of every move in every muscle in my body - but in a mechanical rather than a “mind and body as one” kind of way.

Peter was helping me with my visualisation processes and pre-shot routines and caddying me. In truth my front 9 was like trying to race a badly tuned, yet turbo charged Morris Minor round the Indy 500. I coughed and spluttered my way round with occasional flashes of excellence (chip in birdie at 8 from the sand) but general indifference.

Yet again my very poor start to the back 9 put paid to any real chance of the kind of round score I was really after and I then settled down and played steadily again - although it still felt like pulling teeth in all honesty.

So, not exactly my Sunday best: 87, 84, 84. I know I’m pushing a bit too hard and probably taking one or two too many chances to get the dream score.

Just a few days left until the challenge is up now so I’m just going to let be what will be.

Enjoy your Jubilee Weekends - I’m determined to enjoy mine!

Its been a few days since my last update.

No. I haven’t given up early - quite the opposite - but I’ve been so focussed on playing that I’ve just been too exhausted to write. Early bed every night for me!

I played very early this morning with Peter Hudson with every intention of updating this afternoon but I was absolutely exhausted after the round and have had to rest up. I feel rancid.

So you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for the full update.

I’ve 3 rounds to update on - whether they are my best or not you will have to wait and see…

The weather, it seems, has a change curve just slightly steeper than my own!

When I look at my card for yesterday I just don’t really know what to make of it!

It looks at first sight as if I’m going backwards, losing the plot - maybe I am. The truth is though that I’m not hitting the ball that badly. The GIR stat doesn’t lie and I have been having issues hitting greens - but not because I’m not putting a decent strike on the ball (most of the time).

The weather is so hot the ball is flying a mile off the club face, the fairways have become bouncy with roll and the greens are quicker than I have ever played them here. Add even a touch of breeze and I feel like anything can happen.

Truth be told when faced with a 110 - 160 yard approach I just don’t quite know which club to take. Sounds crazy as I’ve played the course more than a hundred times but it’s true. The indecision over club selection is making me tentative, I’m missing too many greens and when I do hit them I’m often 30 feet+ from the hole and I’m instantly putting pressure on my putting (which lacks confidence on the quicker greens - I’m constantly over hitting putts and over borrowing on the shorter ones)

A few examples:

Pin high on the par 5 4th in 2 into a light wind. First time ever. Two great strikes.

Through the green on the 16th with a 3/4 7 iron 155 yards. Mad.

310 Yard drive (straight!) to 40 yards of the green on the 18th - I’ve never seen anything like it!

OK the 12 and 17th I was punished for bad mistakes (an under hit 52 degree wedge left me in the sand, short and I thinned out to some horrible rough and did well to get away with 6 and I played a really loose (safe!) 5 wood off the tee on 17 into some horrible stuff, right and docked myself stroke and distance.

Off the tee (EXCEPT THE PAR 3’S, 6 AND 17!!) I was really pretty good.

I didn’t up and down enough to recover from my tentative iron play.

I came off having played a generally relaxed, free spirited round where I had struck the ball reasonably well with a horrible 87 - having just parred the tough 18th with the drive of my life!

Today I have a 9 hole warm-up / coaching session with Iain before I go for another scoring round with young Matthew.

Come on Clive, ADAPT!!

What’s with this UK spring?

Yesterday was a long, long VERY hot day. No complaints for me to have some sun but  god it was strong.

Now I check and its rain scheduled for the back end of this week?

I started early with Iain with a quick range review session just to try and get me swinging as consistently as possible. This went quite well and I felt comfortable with what I was working on.

I then retired from the searing sun for an hour to produce my last update - but then I had the real lucky break of the day. I have been struggling to find appropriate Nizels members to commit to playing rounds with me so that all my rounds are witnessed and I can get a signed cards - so it was with a pretty heavy heart that I was hanging around on the practice green hoping to join up with someone to get a witnessed round.

Then, out of nowhere popped a young lad, Matt, who told me he had just joined the club and was to be playing on his own but he was after a partner to get initial cards signed for his handicap… A match made in heaven!! He has also just finished some exams so he wants to play as much golf as possible over the next couple of weeks. Happy Days!!

So I was energised!

We went out for nine holes of practice golf first. I played OK (4 or 5 over the front 9) with the plan of then putting in a scoring round later in the afternoon.

Decent plan.

We played the back 9 first for the scoring round and I was relatively pleased with progress until another duff tee shot at 15!

The real issue with the round was the amount of golf we played in the full heat of the day though. By the time we got to play the front 9 (the back 9 for us) we were both absolutely tired out having played 18 already in the midday and early afternoon heat. So our best plans and intentions worked against us.

I still took some heart from playing uninhibited (if still occasionally careless) golf. I just really struggled for concentration during that back 9 due to fatigue.

On the plus side Matt and I will play plenty more rounds over the coming days and I’m hopeful that a score or two will come!

Come on Clive! - and my thanks to young Matt.

Friday was my birthday so just the 9 holes for me.

I chose the front 9 for the challenge and played, ironically, as well as I have done in a couple of weeks. The birdie at the first with a sizable putt holed helped.

Generally I just swung freer - probably not surprising as I was on my own again. No point in rallying witnesses for nine holes.

The sun was shining and although it was a little frustrating being on my own for 9 it felt good to be playing better in the sun on my birthday.

After my 9 holes I made my way into London for some drinks and a spot of Chinese karaoke with friends which was just what the doctor ordered. It was great to catch up and relax.

The “in” joke was was that I was 40 but I can assure you I have another year to wait for that particular landmark. My mid life crisis has obviously come early!

Saturday was Lind’s birthday so I took the day off to spend time with her and Gracie May who now has two teeth - how time flies.

So it was Sunday that I made my way back onto the course for 18 holes with my neighbour, Jason.

I was on of my most frustrating rounds as I was swinging and playing really well - but scoring poorly again. The heat was intense but made gorgeous with a light breeze. The ball was flying an absolute mile and the greens had sped up significantly which caught me out a few times to my scoring detriment. Why can’t things just stay the same?

I was slow to settle but I felt good even on the first couple of holes. It was my mid iron and longer play that let me down. I got away with nasty sliced 6 iron second at the 4th - but the same bad shot as a tee shot on 5 cost me two stroke hacking out of long rough - as did the same one again into the drink at 8.

I drove a full 300 yards with a slight following wind at 13 (to within a yard of the lake) only to carelessly over hit my approach and end up with 3 putts. My tee shot at 15 - a true and very rare complete mis-hit - left me in the long stuff lost left of the tee box and so a solid par with my second ball resulted in a 7.

I shaved well hit putts all over the course and came off wondering how I could have played as well as I had and scored so badly - but I did so I just have to take heart from striking the ball better and go again today.

The best thing about the day though was that I played without the tension and fear that has been dogging me of late. I just have to keep faith that the scores will come. My birdie was further confirmation that my short game practice and tight yardage work is paying off - a 60 degree wedge pitched to 2 yards and a safe putt felt great.

Next!

Thursday was all about preparing for a scoring round with Iain at Nizels.

I struggled to get my head together a little and had to return home for my golf shoes from 2 miles away and also left my phone at home (including GPS yardage app which I rely on). I didn’t realise I’d left this until I arrived at the club so it was too late to recover.

Thursday was also our 1st wedding anniversary so I had a few surprises to arrange!

I spent a good couple of hours on Iain’s range, warming up and practising some bunker play and mid range irons before heading to the putting green to get a feel for the pace of those too. The weather was absolutely scorching and the greens had sped up significantly.

Linds then popped in briefly for a quick anniversary drink with Gracie May and then it was off to put a score together.

My 82 was an improvement on some of my recent scores but Iain noticed immediately that I was tense and trying to “guide the ball round the course. I was.

I relaxed much more on the back 9 but I felt like the game I was playing wasn’t my own - almost like an out of body experience.

I also had a couple of favourable chunks of luck which helped the score along - even if my hash of the 18th brought it back somewhat. By that stage I wasn’t focussed on my score at all so it wasn’t nerves - I just lost concentration too early.

In the circumstances I was content with my 82.

Home then for the perfect anniversary dinner.

A very special day.