The Year that was 2013 - 2014 Here we go

FixdePitchmark

Ok lads,

We did this last year and was a bit of a laugh.

Coming to the end of the year. Give a small , review of your golfing year, or anything you want to say

Your highlights or low lights
Your goals you achieved or failed
Your great shots your worst
Your best day on the course , you worst.

Your plans and goals for 2014.

Anyway lads - good year weather wise - best of luck in 2014.

alxmorgan

Your highlights or low lights
Highs :
Winning my first ever comp.
Breaking 80 twice.
Getting cut 2.4 in 3 days

Lows :
Playing poorly for most of the summer despite 3 days of super golf as above
Getting so pissed at game I gave up for 2 weeks in height of summer


Your goals you achieved or failed
No : Didn't make my goal of 12. (12.5 :rolleyes:)
Yes : Won a comp
Yes : Broke 80

Your great shots your worst
Good:
Playing in a scramble, 2 partners in water. 200 yard shot over water. Hybrid to 10 feet. Pressure is for tyres

Bad:
Too many to mention

Your best day on the course , you worst.
Breakin 80 for first time in April. Doing it again in October on my home course. Both casual rounds :rolleyes:

Finally scoring well around Adare

Castlemartyr during summer. Lovely course. Lovely day. Good company. Loved every minute of it. No score card. Just a top course, a stroll and hitting some nice golf shots. Bliss

Worst - Mid summer, all my rounds were poor due to putting too much pressure on myself to get cut


Your plans and goals for 2014.
Hope to play as much as this year. I have been looking to get cut two shots every year so that would mean 11 next year. But I would love to make single figures as have a feeling this may be my last big golf year for a good few years

Enjoy it...don't want same thing as last year to happen again

ryaner777

Your highlights or low lights -
High
Joined my first club
Low
Preformance at the one or two boards outings I made it too

Your goals you achieved or failed
Goal was to put money aside each week to pay for my membership (achieved )

Your great shots your worst
Best Shot
8th hole corballis. Playing with two blokes I'd just met on the first.
Ball went way right off the tee, blind shot into green. 150 meters. hit a six iron sweet.
pitch mark about 6 inches from pin and ball inbetween the mark and the pin.
The tap in was sweeter than if it had gone in as I wouldn't have seen it drop into hole.

Worst
5th hole par 3 corballis
Probably the shortest hole in golf. Down hill max 95 meters ?
Went into the bunker to the right of green. 3 shots until it left the bunker but went about 30 yards down the other side of the green. hit back up and went back into the bunker. This continued until I finished with a 13


Your best day on the course , you worst.

Not sure, will need to think about this

Your plans and goals for 2014.
Get handicap as low as possible. Aiming for 14 after a full year of practice and competetions.

Kevinmarkham

Your highlights or low lights
Highlights: none, nada, zip. Well, going to the opening of Carne's new holes
Lowlights: serious consideration to giving up the game. Letting my dad down in Father&Son

Your goals you achieved or failed.
Achieved: Not a lot
Failed: Hoped to get back to 5... steeply going the other way

Your great shots your worst.
Great shots: sure, hit a few, but surrounded by mediocrity at best. Close to hole-in-one at Royal Dublin.
Worst: literally, forgetting how to swing a club at the Atlantic Coast Challenge

Your best day on the course , you worst.
Best Day: 35 points at Rosses Point (after an argument with my wife - go figure)
Worst day: 2 days later at Enniscrone. Fluffed maybe 8 shots.

Your plans and goals for 2014.
Still figuring that out.

FixdePitchmark

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Your highlights or low lights
Highlights: none, nada, zip. Well, going to the opening of Carne's new holes
Lowlights: serious consideration to giving up the game. Letting my dad down in Father&Son

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I was all smiley there for a while - but it goes to show this game can truly torment even the biggest fans.

Well Kevin, sound like "things can only get better".

If it is any consolation - your work over the last few years - has given me nothing but pleasure. And, I'm not just bull****ting you there.

Dossy

Your highlights or low lights
Highs :
Deceided to take up Golf more seriously in June, got few lessons and proper practice (swing has really improved)
Was 24.1 Now 22.8
Won a Footjoy jumper in my Society Outting

Lows :
Didnt get down to 22 even after getting cut 1.6 in Tipp with a 5th place 42pts
Following few comps were crap and got .1's back


Your goals you achieved or failed
No : Didn't make my goal of 22 (22.8)
Yes : Won a Prize
Yes : Hit low 80's twice

Your great shots your worst
Good:
Hit a 52* wedge to 1ft from 110yrds

Bad:
Hitting fat shots now and again
Duffing chips :mad:

Your best day on the course.
Created two chances for eagles and tapped in 2 easy Birdies
Day out in Dromoland Castle - just enjoyed the Day....Amazing

Worst day on the course
Few days of not taking my time and setting up targets....in a daze i suppose
Trying to get cut all the time and didnt enjoy the Golf as much as i should have,
Gonna trust my practice in the winter and enjoy everyday next year


Your plans and goals for 2014.
Goal is to get cut to 18,
Have a plan in place at the moment for good practice during all the Winter,
Joined the Dromoland Castle Driving Range which has an unbelievable set up with 2 massive practice greens and bunkers so no excuses

Hit the ground running for 2014

hades

Highlight
Finally getting cut Went from 18.4 to 12.6 in 3 weeks over the summer.
Winning my first competition away from home, Fota.

Lowlight
Having a nightmare in the captains prize, wondering why i even bothered playing the game. Thankfully i had that magical 3 week run soon after. Otherwise it was going to be a depressing winter.

Your goals you achieved or failed

Handicap goal was achieved. I would've like to play more away courses.

Your great shots your worst

Good - On one of my better rounds i drove into trouble on a par 4, was only able to chip out sideways. I didn't want to loose momentum, thankfully i stuck my approach to a foot to save par.

Bad - Playing great i walked onto the 14th tee with 32pts in our society captains prize, i decided to play it safe with a 3w eventho i was hitting my driver well all day. Result went OOB, i went on to scratch the hole and my confidence was broken. The next 4 holes were equally as bad.

Your best day on the course , you worst.

Best day - hitting 44pts in competition and knowing i left a bit out there. Everything seemed so simple...... haven't felt that way since.

Worst day - a round in Cork GC with a buddy, couldn't hit the ball out of my own way

Your plans and goals for 2014.

Short game, short game, short game. I've already started back with my lessons and practicing. Joined the gym also, to get the extra bit out of it.

TrapperChamonix

Your highlights or low lights
Highs :
Won 2 competitions and cheated out of a 3rd place due to funny count back scenario.

Lows :
Still can't stop the occasional slice off the tee which ends up costing me the round.
When in winning positions, I still tend to get ahead of myself and blow the round.


Your goals you achieved or failed
Yes: Targeted to get from 18 to 14 in 18 months and completed it in the 3rd last counting competition. Now at 13.6.


Your great shots your worst
Best:
Not so much a shot as a hole. Into the teeth of a gail, Driver, driver & 15ft putt to give me an improbable birdie. I'd have a better chance of a hole in one than repeating that hole.

Worst Shot: Playing off 18, I was 5 over after 7 (2 better than handicap) and in the middle of the fairway, I shanked twice to record a 9. 5 over for the rest of the round meant I had a gross 86 and a net 68.

Your best day on the course , you worst.
Best week was 1st week in June. Played every day with my son in Ballyconeely in beautiful. Forget the scores we were getting around in 3hrs 15min to 3hrs 30 in exceptional weather.

Worst - A game in August where I could not hit the ball at all. The most embarrassing thing was I was playing with the eventual winner and he was awesome. As it became clear he was in contention, I just had to try to keep out of his way.


Your plans and goals for 2014.
Break 80 on my home course.
H/cap to 12.
My son went from 28 to 18 (17.6) so I need to kick on again.

jj72

TrapperChamonix wrote: »

Your highlights or low lights
Highs :
Won 2 competitions and cheated out of a 3rd place due to funny count back scenario.
.

Ya gotta tell us more!

Benicetomonty

Highs : Winning the Scratch Cup Class 1 in my place and the gross for the Captains Prize. Certainly 2 ticked off the bucket list there!

Lows : Very poor display in the North of Ireland at Portrush in July. Course was set up as hard as Ive seen it but weather was so perfect I really had no excuse.

Your goals you achieved or failed
Managed to get back to 2 handicap and closer to 1 than 3, so happy with that. Also played 5 fabulous courses for the 1st time: Sligo, Enniscrone, Carne., Tralee and Royal Co. Down.

Your great shots your worst
Best:
A lobwege to 3 feet on the 18th in Lucan for a birdie and 47 points with the ol fella in a fourball in Sept. Was devastated to lose out over the last 3 to the most acknowleged bandit in the club.

Worst Shot: A missed putt from 18 inches on the 2nd hole at Beech Park during the Senior Cup. Played well on the day but he had all the momentum he needed after that and took me down in the end.

Your best day on the course , you worst. 2 weeks stand out- the Atlantic Coast Challenge with bro and Dad, and a 36 hole comp over Tralee and Ballybunion with dad again and Uncle. Both fueled with significant quantities of port and Greenspot Irish whiskey.

Worst - all well forgotten!


Your plans and goals for 2014.
All areas of the game need work, but v anxious to sort out a swing issue thats been bugging me for a while now. Any reduction in my handicap would constitute a successful 2014.

Senna

highlights

Shot under 80 for first time
Won my first comp/medal

Low lights

Shooting over 100 in two medals

Playing in the quarter finals of our clubs doubles matchplay, on the 15th I have a 2ft'er for par and a win to bring it to 2up with 3 to play. Tricky putt but I haven't missed a putt all day, hit it firm and confident, MISS, then miss the return 3ft'er, to lose the hole and bring it back to all square.
We go on to lose it 1down.:(


Your goals you achieved or failed

Wanted to play more comps this year and I did
Wanted to get handicap down to 12 from 16 and I did

Your great shots your worst


Both on the same hole:D
Hit two shanks in a row on a par 5, then get up and down from 100 yards for a par.

Your best day on the course , you worst.


No particular rounds, a few of the good weather rounds during the summer were really enjoyable regardless of scoring.

Your plans and goals for 2014

Keep playing the same amount of golf but get more practice in during the week.

Drop handicap from 13 to 9

FixdePitchmark

Nice posts lads -

@ Benice .

I like it - sometimes the best days are not about your own golf , but who you are with.

Nozebleed

All in all a positive year.

Started on 16.8 and got down to 8.4 for a single round. At the moment im currently stuck 8.9 and playing terrible.

My best round of the year was +2. Should have been par!! Where I hit 3 birdies in a round for the first time.

Next best was +4 on two occasions.

About 3 weeks ago i had 4 birdies in a single round for for the first time. I also managed back to back birdies for the first time too.

All in all a good year but ive developed a few bad habits lately hooking driver and the like..its a strange game..but I love it.

Next year I hope to get down to 8.0 and maintain tat standard.

FixdePitchmark

Keep it short. Sorry lads for big post – was a big year.


Your highlights or lowlights

Getting my friends to play golf – and having them in on this crazy little love called golf. Winning and retaining my friends’ Society, Golfer of the Year – small group but the bragging rights and piss up after was monumental in Arklow. I’ll never forget the company, the craic, the competition, the great weather in Wicklow Golf Club – some of the lads are off a 36 handicap, but that is all part of it. One of those days you never forget on the course.
Meeting the lads from Boards at outings and the great days we had out, on great courses around the country – Winning the Ryder Jug after a pick (thanks P) – even if I bottled it a bit.
Joining a club and getting a single figure handicap – a bit unrealistic at the time – but still got one.

Low – the number of injuries I had – from trying too hard. Practicing the wrong things and the inconsistency in my game. My putting abandoning me on a couple of times this year and my general poor form when it counts.

Your goals you achieved or failed.

Very low rounds for me of 76 and a 75, an under par 9 – plenty of 36s, 37s, 38s on 9 holes. I improved my course management and learnt how to switch off and play good golf when I have too. I got plenty of tips from great lads on here and read a few books on the mental stuff – if you are mental, at least understand it. I’m not sure I like playing golf in such a boring way – but you do remember the low scores.

Failed
At times, failed to get to the putting green and deal with my short game falling apart. I failed to test myself enough in a true competitive environments and was not match fit when needed. I ran the risk at times of being too intense at it all – I learnt that good golf is not so intense. You are sort of floating around in a zone. The good, the bad is all the same. Next shot.

Your great shots your worst
Near 3 hole in ones, 1 foot from 187 yards – 6 inches – 1 foot. I holed - I think a 147 yard 8 iron for eagle – will never forget that one. Had a couple of shots were I faded into holes deliberately into crosswinds. So I definitely hit some of the best shots I ever hit this year. Also had 2 eagles – so hope to get 5 or more next year.

Worst

Too many to mention - a shank , a top, a big OBB drive, missed putts below 2 feet. Last chip in Ryder Jug will haunt me.

Your best day on the course, your worst.
Best days were Wicklow in still sun, Woodenbridge in a gale, A few days with Boards lads. The day I had a 75.

Your Worst
Lanzarote and Dunmurry springs. From one extreme to the other. Dunmurry in good company after getting my handicap of 8 – here we go a single figure golfer (lol)

– the game just fell apart and couldn’t do anything right – started with a duff at full speed on the first (it was a classic) and after settling down, fell apart again, on the famous dog leg hole on the hill and then even the weather got to me. Not like me at all – like an outer body experience

Lanzarote
Was comical – this lad from Manchester asked me to join him, great. Hit a good drive, ran off the teebox – it being a volcanic island – of course, out of nowhere, a bit of volcanic rock is under my foot – was like a sniper took me down or like a Ronaldo dive (the fat one). Got up – your man didn’t see it. Was in bits – finished the round and had problems with my feet for the rest of the Irish summer of golf.


Your plans and goals for 2014.

Improve the poor and erratic parts of my swing using the lessons I’m going to.
I hope to improve again and make rounds in the 70s the norm, well 1 in 3. For the first time ever, I feel I have a par round in me, if everything goes right and on my home course. If the putting gets hot.
Deal with the short game. Just do it.
Play in more competitive golf.
Keep the enthusiasm up – don’t burn out – keep fit and injury free – play a few more top courses.
Somehow – keep her happy with it all. Done well so far.

He doesn't half expect much that lad.

sydneybound

Highlights

Keeping a decent stroke round together +5 on a tough course, came 2nd but only lost on count back. Winning something and getting a decent cut for the first time in three years. Also got to play more links golf in the good part of the summer.

low lights

Not playing enough competitions and getting sick the night before the 36 hole club championships in which is my only chance to play a 36 hole competition in my club.

Achieved

Kept my handicap the same 7.5 which I suppose is something I achieved

failed

I hoped to get down to 5 but it certainly wasn't to be

Your great shots your worst

I've obviously hit some good shots but none stand out while bad shots have you got all day! No it wasn't that bad!

Your best day on the course , you worst.

I only think of the best and they were on Rosses Point when the sun was shining this summer, they stick long in the memory.

Simply put I enjoy playing the game of golf, I take it a little too serious and am very hard on myself but I couldn't give it up as I get so much enjoyment from the game.

thoscon

Your highlights or low lights
Highs
Been asked to be vice captain of my club next year
Shooting lowest score of 76 early in the year
Playing links golf for the first time playing the island
Lows
My whole summer of crap golf ,shooting 92 nett off 7 after shanking 3 balls out of bounds on the first:mad:


Your goals you achieved or failed
Aim was to go from 7 down to 5 but ended up goin out to 9.was in a car accident in march and spent months going to pyhsio for neck and back injuries probably should have stopped playing for a while due to the injuries but kept on playing through the pain only coming right last few months

Your great shots your worst
Holing my second shot on the 2nd in rathcore for eagle:D & hitting a 4 iron to 10 inches for eagle on the 10th.
Shanking 3 irons out of bounds on first hole in a medal was a shocker

Your best day on the course , you worst
shooting 74 early in the year was the best ,92 nett in the medal was the worst

Your plans and goals for 2014.
Hope to get back playing more consistent and hopefully get back to 7

Russman

Highs/Lows:
Highs - for about a month in the summer, finally playing good golf after about 3 years of utter rubbish.
Lows - getting injured and now going to be out for 5/6 months.

Goals achieved:
Got back to 5 handicap, having been 9 in 2012. Slipped back to 6 at the end of the season, but hey.

Great shots/worst shots:
Great - a 50 yard cut with a 4 iron from behind a tree & over a hazard to the green on a course I played on holidays.
Worst - most shots with the driver

Best day on the course:
Competitively - shooting an absolutely effortless 42pts in a singles in July.
Non-competitively - playing with my dad on holidays and both of us shooting 40pts on an amazing course in Orlando.

Plans/Goals:
Main goal is successful rehab from injury/surgery.
Secondary goals - get back playing by May, hopefully get back playing well by August.

TrapperChamonix

jj72 wrote: »

Ya gotta tell us more!

"cheating" is my hyperbowl it was all above board.
I played a competition where the nines were reversed ie played we played 10 - 18 followed by 1 -9. If the count back was done on the order in which we played I would have had the better back 9 (1-9), but it was done on the basis of the normal back 9 (10-18).
The rules surrounding this had been posted on the notice board in advance so I had no excuse. But still.......

the lawman

Your highlights or low lights

Highs:
Shooting lowest score of 77 in Rathcore.
Changing from Hurley grip to normal.
Winning singles comp in The European Club.

Lows:
Two separate injuries with 8 weeks out each.
Third last group on captains Sunday and bottling it.

Your goals you achieved or failed:

Original goal was getting to singles but that changed early in year when decided to change Hurley grip. New target was to change and stay at 12. Managed to achieve that.

Your great shots your worst

8 iron from 140 on 18 in Rathcore for tap in birdie.
Swung driver on 1st in Core and hit ground inches before ball. Ball went flying into heavy rough to left of tee. About 3 feet away. Full tee box watching. Ball lost.

Your best day on the course , you worst

Shooting 77.
Second round of captains was diabolical.

Your plans and goals for 2014

Down to single figures.
Improve hybrid striking.
Play Old Head.

PARlance

Highlights

Joining a club for the first time and everything that goes with it. A few mates also joined and being able to play a round with them brings the enjoyment to another level. Also got to know some posters that are fellow members on here a lot better, a pure pleasure.
Too many highlights really, there are 2 low lights below and apart from them the year has been class.

low lights
-Struggled with my initial HC at the start, also struggled with the mental side of going from casual golf to seeing 0.1's
-Winter rules kicking in on the Oct bank hol, had got the missus out of the house for the weekend and had myself down to play Sat, Sun and Monday and was bringing in some real form... was gutted once I found out on Sat morning that it was non counting...

Achieved

They gave me 17, drifted to 18, achievement to get back to 17 (It's taken me a while to see that as an achievement)
Have enough encouragement from this year that I can take a big chunk of that next year.

failed

Had a rather ambitious goal of getting to 13 but still could have managed to get there during a purple patch in Sept/Oct if it wasn't for my putting let me down... you may remember me from such movies as "41 putts", the sequel "42 putts" and the trilogy "43 putts".... if I had managed to have 36 or less I'd have broken the 80 barrier and would have gotten a couple of ESR's.

Your great shots your worst

Best shot was holing an 8 iron from 135 ish...on the practice course before a comp round. It didn't count for anything, I was alone, but boy did it fell good.
Edit: Just remembered my second best shot, the complete opposite to the first in the sense that it was infront of a gallery of about 20 (a boards soc member among them for proof) on the first tee in Elm Green, short Par 4.
Out with the big stick and carried the 270 or so yards and landed on the dance-floor, had a long one for eagle that resulted in a tap in birdie...nice.
The worst.... so many to choose from but taking the hybrid out for a fairway bunker shot in the Heritage boards outing was probably the one that I felt like the biggest idiot after.
Basically every drive from June onwards too goes down as great shots... I finally got rid of my horrible horrible slice.

Your best day on the course , you worst.
Best day, too many, every day is a great day when you can get out golfing.

Worst day in terms of how I played, see below, we couldn't hit it into each others way

hades wrote: »

Worst day - a round in Cork GC with a buddy, couldn't hit the ball out of my own way

Goals for 2014
Bambino #2 on the way, 2 under 2, I may have to get back to you on the goals.

alxmorgan

PARlance wrote: »

The worst.... so many to choose from but taking the hybrid out for a fairway bunker shot in the Heritage boards outing was probably the one that I felt like the biggest idiot after.

I reckon you only did that to make me feel better I was having such a shocker

PARlance wrote: »

Goals for 2014
Bambino #2 on the way, 2 under 2, I may have to get back to you on the goals.

Goal#1 - stay alive
Goal#2 - see goal number 1

RoadRunner

highlights
eagle on the par 5 in elm hall

low lights
poor shooting with attacking irons.

goals achieved
play some golf

Your great shots
Have had some excellent long iron shots. One in particular was about 190 yards into a wind, over a bunker. Playing partners were all gathering around to see if I'd go for it or lay up. Struck it perfectly as hard as I can hit a 3i right at the flag. Pitchmark maybe 20 feet short of hole. Ball about 15 feet from hole. Hit it just before a train came passed. The ball was in the air for ages and passengers on the train had the perfect view of it.


your worst
Badly fading drivers, mixed with pull hooks.
Annoyinh inconsistency with 8-pw.

Your best day on the course
Had a lovely game in carton house o meara (won a 4ball on broadsheet.ie)

You worst.
Played 18 by myself, which was pretty boring.

Your plans and goals for 2014.
Join a club, get a handicap. Play more golf. Improve my 100-140 yard approach shots.

Osgoodisgood

Your highlights or low lights

Biggest highlight was playing a lot with my Dad this year. He's not very well and I never know how many more rounds we'll have together. Lowlight was not playing any great courses for the first time. I usually try to get a couple of new ones in every year and I'm definitely going to try harder next year. Lahinch and Co Louth are on my radar.

Your goals you achieved or failed

I got down to 6 this year for the first time in a loooooooong time (I took 20 years off golf!) Didn't win any major events and I'd like to win a medal sometime.

Your great shots your worst

I don't know about mine but watching my Dad negotiate all 4 par 3's in par figures at St Margaret's without losing a ball and without laying up. He can carry it about 125 yards and two of the holes require a 150+ carry if you go straight at the flag. The man's a legend!

Your best day on the course , you worst.
I won a few 4balls this year with my regular golfing pals. Any good day with them is a laugh and a half. The worst was a medal round that took 5 and a half hours. Unbelievable.

Your plans and goals for 2014.

Get down to 4.

ForeRight

]Your highlights or low lights

Highs:
Shooting 71 in an open comp by getting 4 birdies in the last 6 holes
Getting 2 eagles in one round in westmanstown
90% of the time shooting 30+ points all year
Maintaining handicap with minimal play due to being daddy day care
All year I think I had 7-8 eagles on different courses.

Lows:

Not playing enough


Your goals you achieved or failed:

Failed to get a stroke cut this year which was my goal


Your great shots your worst

202yard 4 iron across a lake to stick it about 3 foot from the pin for eagle.
7iron to within 10ft on the 18th to set up a birdie chance for my first sub par(and only) round
Too many bad shots to talk about.


Your best day on the course , you worst

Every day on the course is my best day as I'm playing the game I love.


Your plans and goals for 2014

Improve 3wood striking
Maintain handicap.[/quote]

shaneon77

Your highlights or low lights

Highs:

Shot a 74 using new irons for the first time, I swung it easy for the first time in my life. Light bulb moment.
Level par back 9 in the gold medal play off off the back markers.
Won my first medal.
Level par spring league round.

Lows:
Got the shanks so bad I had to quit playing for 3 weeks. Was lucky enough to be cooking in a golf club at the time so had 3 pros to help me out. Cheers lads!


Your goals you achieved or failed:
Missed out on my target handicap by .1 bittersweet
managed to play regularly despite my missus being pregnant with our 3rd for the whole season. I know she'll never see this so its ok for me to admit the following...... I wouldn't enjoy the game so much without her support and understanding. Where's me Kleenex ��



Your great shots your worst

par 3 18th in knightsbrook , tee shot went straight into the cup but just popped back out again to a few inches.
The aul shanks in may were a killer. Ruined a few rounds on me.


Your best day on the course , you worst

best day was winning my first medal as conditions were tough. I won it by 3 shots so very satisfying.
Worst was shooting in the 90's on the next medal. Talk about back to earth with a bang!


Your plans and goals for 2014
Handicap 4
3 birdies in a row
Level par round.
More birdies than double bogeys
Keep my missus happy to let me play as much
Play the father child with my 6 year old boy (and win it ��)
Enjoy practicing with said son and watch him improve further
Play with my dad and take a few fivers back off him

nuts86

Your highlights or low lights
Highs :
Finally breaking 70 on my home course, was -3 playing last... took six to finish on -1
Playing Bruen and Junior Cup for my club, winning 3 out of 4 matches in Junior cup and 1 from 1 in Bruen
Getting cut to my lowest yet 4.7

Lows :
Losing area final of junior cup, came down to my match and I lost on the 20th after holing to huge putts on 19th and 20th for pars my opponent followed me in for birdie on 20th (fair play).. took me ages to get over it.
Going all the way back to 6.3 from 4.7
Losing club foursomes final
Losing club singles matchplay to a good friend on 19 after being dormy 3 up (to be fair he got up and down from the water on 18)


Your goals you achieved or failed
No : Didn't make it to 4
Yes : got on the junior cup/bruen teams
Yes : broke 70

Your great shots your worst
Good:
1 down playing area final and my tee shot on 18 straight out the middle followed by 9iron to ten feet to set me up to win the hole
Holeing a par putt from 10ft in the 19th after being in trouble off the tee in(same match)

Bad:
Too many three putts.....(AAAARRRGGGHHHHH)

Your best day on the course.
Area final... the excitement/tension everything was unbelievable experience

Worst day on the course
Area final.... the disappointment of losing took me ages to get over, really affected my game

Your plans and goals for 2014.
Still unsure, moving to Dublin in January for 9months so don't know if I can justify paying sub for my home course when I won't be around... probably will in the end

dan_ep82

Your highlights or low lights
Highs :
Starting Golf in September
Breaking into the 90's
Breaking into the 80's
Making Bogey
Making Par
Making Birdie
Finding a Club I want to join

Lows :
Going from low 90's to over 100 after a grip had me raging for a while
Putting 4 balls into water in one day
For over a week I couldn't put to save my life


Your goals you achieved or failed
No : Didn't get a handicap or join a club (very soon though)
Yes : Broke below 100
Yes : Bet my Unlce (by 16 strokes! )
Yes : Got clubs I really love
Yes : Learn to play a draw with the driver. Works most of the time

Your great shots your worst
Good:
30ft + put for par a few months ago
Monster drive the other day on an uphill par 5. GPS measured it as 290. Ended up with a Birdie

Bad:
Too many to mention. Basically slice slice slice lag putt

Your best day on the course , you worst.
87 the other day. Just a nice easy round with the brother.

Playing Rathcore. Didn't play well but enjoyed it immensely.


Worst - Navan GC. Lost alot of balls just into the rough


Your plans and goals for 2014.
Get my handicap and play to it regularly and hopefully improve it.
Play some comps
Play some course I didn't get a chance to (Headfort,Curragh,Kileen etc)
Enjoy the summer golf, only got one very good day this year due to starting late.

Keano

Your highlights or low lights

Highs:
Winning my first ever tournament

Lows:

Nearly giving up the game, wasn't enjoying it for a period of time
Losing my matchplay...really felt I should have won and still play it over in my head!


Your goals you achieved or failed:

Didn't qualify for the Ryder Jug team automatically or win an outing.
My handicap also went up and yet to finish in the buffer or get cut


Your great shots your worst

Hit plenty of good ones but nothing stands out
Plenty of bads ones too!!


Your best day on the course , you worst

The last 2 months I've finally started to play good golf.


Your plans and goals for 2014

Get using the driver to make life a bit easier
Get the handicap down
Work harder on the range

Ben1977

Your highlights or low lights
Highs : Shoting 84 off the back sticks.
Lows : Thinking I'm a better golfer then I actually am.


Your goals you achieved or failed
Achieved : Have becoming a more constant player. 30pts is now a bad round for me.
Failed : Had a goal of 6hc, got no were near it. Sitting at 12.0 at the moment.

Your great shots your worst
Great shot : Ryder Jug, index 1, had to chop out side ways so was left with a 9 iron in with our opponents with a 15ft birdie putt. 9 iron to 2 foot.
Bad shot : Every greenside bunker shot I hit this year.

Your best day on the course , you worst.
Best day : The boards outing in The Heritage, not because of the course or golf but because I love playing golf in shorts. Felt like Spain.
Worst day : Knowing I had a comp. in my hands but could only score on 1of the last 4 holes. The hole I scored on I managed to eagle.

Your plans and goals for 2014.
Get down to single figures and shot below 80 constantly. Bunker play has been causing me nightmares over the last couple of months.
Really need to play more qualifying comps, so will limit the interclubs to just 1 team this year.

denishurley

Your highlights or low lights
Highlight, finally beginning to get some cuts. Since I got my handicap in 2010 I had drifted out to 22 but once I got the first cut in September I got on a roll, came down to 17.4 for one round, finishing the year at 17.6, having been one more .1 away from going to 23.

Your goals you achieved or failed
See above. I wanted a cut, of any kind.

Your great shots your worst
Can't think of any standout shot but the best general improvement was that my slice was eradicated.

Your best day on the course , you worst.
Best - winning a singles with 45 points, shooting 82, which shattered my previous record. Honourable mention to a three-man team event win, one to count everywhere and two at nine and 18, we had 61 points.

Worst - playing Ballybunion Old Course in March or April. Hurricane coming in off the sea and my slice was at its worst, I don't think I got double figures in terms of points.

Your plans and goals for 2014.
Just to keep gutting cut, no particular target in mind (bar scratch )

FixdePitchmark

loving the posts.

I knew, but goes to show you how serious people take their golf here.

tigerwood1

hcp 19,
drive the ball like 15 hcp
chip/put 15 like 15 hcp
bunker play like 28 hcp
sand to 9 iron like 17hcp
8 to 5 iron like 28 hcp
woods like 20 hcp

wont play 2014 until i get a few lessons

17 rounds played, best round 34pts portarlington boards outing, best 9 gross 40 millicent, best performance 7 pars on 1st rd of year playing with searay at boards outing esker hills bk in feb had,nt played or swinged a club club previous six months went backwards from there for rest of year. low of the year 20 odd points dunmurray cound,nt hit the ball out of my way on one of my favorite courses. most exciting was first five holes at powerscourt east golf digest event was writing my winning speech before the index 1 6th slapped me out of it.

Ambition for 2014
1, to win any prize
2, to win boards event
3, to win golf digest event
4, to get my hcp bk down hopefully 15

spacecoyote

Your highlights or low lights

Highs:
A good round in very tough windy conditions early in the year, saw me beat the CSS by 5 & get cut a full stroke.

The weather this Summer!!! :cool:

Finishing the year with some good rounds of golf & picking up a couple of class prizes in Nov/Dec

Getting to meet & play with a few boardsies in my own place.

Lows:
Not being able to kick on from the above round and spending the rest of the year going sideways with the handicap.

Playing all of my worst golf during the best of the weather in the Summer.

Your goals you achieved or failed:
Won a Competition & picked up 3/4 Class Prizes.

Was aiming to have birdied every hole on my course in a competition by the end of the year. Managed to knock all off the list except 1, I'm still left with the Par 3 11th

Had an ambition to go from 12.2 - 9.4, went from 12.2 - 11.7 :mad:

Your great shots your worst
4 shots really that stand out in my memory:
1 - A 3W from 245yds to about 8 feet. Was downwind admittedly, but required a lot of carry as there is a stream about 20yrds short of a slightly elevated green on the hole. Made the putt for my only eagle of the year.

2 - A Hybrid from a fairway bunker from about 180yrds which I hit to about 6 inches leaving a tap in birdie.

3 - An Iron in to the par 3 last in Knightsbrook on a society outing that I stitched to a flag that was tucked behind the bunker. Made the putt to pick up a prize & the 2s money on the day.

4 - Driving the green on the short par 4 17th in Kilcock. Walked off with a solid 2 putt birdie.

Your best day on the course , you worst
Pretty much every day I was on a course was a great day this year.

2 consecutives Mondays in the Summer I played with the same member who shot 46 & 47 points. Was a pleasure to watch & see someone making such a serious drop in such a short time.

Worst Day was the Society trip I took out to Kilcock. Think I had 21 points in Total, 7 of those points came from the last 2 holes as I managed to finish Birdie Birdie, which meant 14 points from the other 16 holes

Your plans and goals for 2014
Get the hard work done early this year so I can have a more productive Summer.

Aim to get down to single figures.

Get that elusive birdie on the 11th on my home course.

Break 80

(I'm not asking for much )

Barnaboy

Your highlights or low lights

Highs:

The month of September- I lost over 2 shots off my handicap, dropped from 15.9 to 13.8 in three consecutive rounds.

Finally shooting sub-80 round, a 78 a few weeks ago. That round was so special to me, shot 3 birdies in 5 holes around the turn and played the back 9 in +1, the first time I ever broke 40 for the back nine at my home course.

My first ever sub-40 9 at an away course (I think?) in Knockanally. When after a fairly steady and unspectacular front nine, I started the back nine with three bogies and then parred the last 6 for 39 strokes.

Finally got around to playing in a Boards outing, the first of many I hope.

Lows:

After spending much of April, May and June getting lessons, it took an eternity to get good scores going. A run of bad scores is to be expected after a restructure of a swing but I put far too much pressure on myself and drifted out 0.8 in a few months. But perseverence, practice and crucially, relaxing, finally delivered the results I wanted so badly. I never once went back to my old swing.

Your goals you achieved or failed:

At the start of the year I had three goals:

1. Get an eagle- finally managed it during the summer, see below!

2. Break 80- finally managed it a few weeks ago, mentioned already.

3. Get down to 13 handicap- just missed out. Finished the season on 13.9. My hot streak came just about in time to get down but if it came just a few weeks earlier I'm sure I would have got even lower.

Your great shots your worst

1 - Holed a 9-iron on the first hole at my home course for an eagle. My first one ever.

2 - Struck a magnificent 4-iron into the wind at a 160m par 3 a few weeks ago. Finished about 18 inches from the hole, and on the far side too. It must have been so close to a hole in one (hard to see from the teebox). I have had several close calls over the years, never managed one yet, maybe next year

Worst- no particular one stands out but weakest part of game for years is my long game off the turf. My fairway woods/long irons have been very poor for years, slowly improving on this though.

Your best day on the course , you worst
Shooting a net 69 in a medal. Far from spectacular on the surface but it got me a 0.9 cut on the handicap. Close second was the 78 in winter rules a few weeks ago.

Don't want to dwell on the bad days, so no comment in this regard!

Your plans and goals for 2014
(similar to spacecoyote!)

Play plenty of golf during the winter and start back with lessons as soon as I can afford them (might be a while yet :mad:) so I hit the ground running in April.

Not sure yet if single figures is possible (it's 4.4 reduction required to get there), but if not in 2014, I'd like to put down a good deposit on it!

Win a competition at my home course. probably more likely to get the single figure handicap with the scores that come in in our place....

Break 80 in a summer rules competition (and hopefully for it to become a semi-regular occurance).

Seriously considering trying to get into some of the club teams, never even tried before.....

Wichita Lineman

Your highlights or low lights
Highlights – My first ever eagle. Dungarvan’s 9th hole in August while playing with my teenage son. As I posted at the time it was like this - ‘after a good straight drive I knocked an 8 iron straight towards the flag from about 110 metres out. It dropped just short of the green and ran towards the hole but I didn’t know it had gone in until I got to the green and couldn’t see my ball so seeing as I knew it had gone towards the flag I checked the hole and there it was!!’
LowlightsNot playing at all in the last 5 weeks due to a combination of illness, Christmas and atrocious weather.

Your goals you achieved or failed
Achieved – Played to my hc with more consistency. Played most weeks in competition and handicap only increased by 1 from 14 to 15.
Failed – To play as many ‘away’ courses. Only 6 in 2013, compared to 15 in 2012 and 13 in 2011.

Your great shots / your worst
Shots at greatness – First eagle as described above. Also improved my driving length and accuracy by switching to a 9 degree driver.
Failures – I honestly try to forgot my bad shots as quickly as possible, but I do recall I took 9 on 2 different occasions on Par 5 16th at Moate after scuttling stupid shots into a bunker. Should have been simple lob onto the green and be putting for birdie instead I was in sand that I shouldn’t have been within an asses roar of and I struggled to get out.

Your best day on the course , your worst.
Best day out – Really enjoyed a rare links outing with my first attempt to tackle The European Club. Played with 3 other guys from Moate in a team / classic event and we had a ball.
Nightmare round – Headfort New in lashing rain and I just completely forgot how to play. Lost a ball from what I thought was a cracking drive on the first hole and never recovered. Lovely course but I had a miserable experience and got soaked through to make it worse.

Your plans and goals for 2014.
2014 Fairly simple, I’d like to beat my lowest ever hc (13) and strokes (81) but to be honest I’ll just be aiming to play as often as I can and take it as it comes, it’s really not worth getting stressed over. Will definitely make an effort to play a few more ‘away’ courses too.

CarefulNow!

My Highs

Made my first effort to improve in a while, started at 7 finished on 5 which was a goal.

Represented my country abroad and won a medal in singles and fourball

Best round 70

Weather

Lows
I did get fairly inconsistent with the driver and definitely have lost power somehow
Worst Round 82

For 2014
I have joined a new course 2014 which I hope will let me improve further as its 2 miles from my house, my previous course was a 70 mile roundtrip for a game so never got midweek golf. I also hope to discover where the loss of power has come from, perhaps I need to start hitting the ball more aggressive… to be investigated

Here is to a great golfing 2014!