Boards Golf Society (Round 5) Greystones Golf Club (17th June 1330 hrs -1500 hrs)(GOLF AND SOCIAL)

slave1

You’re a poet, you just don’t know it

Seve OB

@benny79 must be dancing….. just heard on the radio that hottest day of the year expected on Friday with highs of 26 degrees……. Don’t forget the Factor 50 Folks 🥵

Snackbox20

Captain @FixdePitchmark , the bard of boards 🍺😎

RoadRunner

I feel attacked 😜

charlieIRL

Really looking forward to returning to Greystones for my second round there. From memory it’s a fantastic course but you need to be accurate, should be fun with my erratic drives. Have to work Friday morning so no getting there too early for chats / banter or much practice for me but what can you do - work getting in the way of golf!!!

see ye all Friday.

Seve OB

Nearly have a full house. Couple of spots left if anyone else wants to jump in last minute.

@charlieIRL , can’t believe you only played it once before. We can sort that out, I’ll pick a team event and we can rope 2 other bandits in to join us 🤣

FixdePitchmark

All - I know there will be some edge cases - but as previously mentioned , if the circumference of the ball is touching the fairway it counts - any edge ones can be called for a judgment. It isn't for a major - so make a prompt, sensible and honest call

I know this image is an extreme - but it is on the fairway in my rules.

The Big Easy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119209109#Comment_119209109

Plenty of edge cases around here alright Fix!

FixdePitchmark

All, a reminder that Kevin Markham will kindly be setting up his exhibition for post round meet up.

There will be directions in clubhouse to where Boards Society are to go . Seve, the club manager Liam and Greystones Golf Club have been extraordinary in facilitating us doing a bit more than a normal society, It is important for club operations - that we stick to were we should be and as directed.

I've also asked Kevin to set up his books Hooked and Driving the Green - two great additions to starting a golf journey. I found both books made me think outside the box when it comes to your relationship with this game. You only have one life - and go fulfil them unfulfilled golfing ambitions and dreams. I've never turned back - and have got a great 10 years and many new golfing friends out of that realization.

Please see Kevin's website - and all photos and commissions can be arranged on the day. Thanks so much Kevin - this has really made the day an event.

https://www.kevinmarkhamphotography.com/

Seve OB

Might be an edge case myself. Done something to the back last night playing ball 🤬

eireyiddo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119209643#Comment_119209643

Sadly Ive loads of back issues in last year or 2. All mine were muscle issues from the very same thing. Playing astro

Get some of them into ye ASAP. The deep heat roll on for the round tomoro with some of them nurofen max single tablets and u be alright. The astro is lethal for twinging lower back muscles. Plenty of cat/camels exercises today and tomoro. Exercises and anti inflammatory is the answer.

Bit of luck you'll be alright👍

Seve OB

Fix's Fairway Finder Hole Selection

After quite a bit of chat and discussion with a fair few members I've come up with what I think is a fair selection of holes to challenge your tee shots. It wasn't an easy choice because there are a few great options I had to leave out, but I feel the 6 chosen holes spread the load evenly enough over the day along with testing different driving skills. They are all very accessible fairways for all abilities but at the same time they all have a risk/reward element for those willing to take a few chances.

Front 9

4th This hole requires a fade. Longer hitters may run out of fairway if they hit it straight and will find trouble. I don't often find the fairway on this hole as I generally play for left hand side short of the bunker in order to open up the second shot to the green. It will be a good challenge IMO because you really can't take too much of the corner on or you will loose out to the gorse.

6th From a fade to a draw on this hole so a nice way to test those who can manipulate their ball flight. But be warned as again if you catch the driver straight and hard you better hope it catches some of the bunker because good chance longer hitters can loose it to the gorse here. Aim left side here. You can go over the corner of the gorse as it does open up and the ball will kick back down towards fairway, but don't take too much of it on or it will likely be a lost ball.

9th The first of 2 par 5's on the course, so if the longer hitters want to be going for the green in 2 they need to hit the driver off the tee and not play too cute with a mid iron just to find the fairway. Longer hitters can take aim at the tree which might look like it is in the middle of the fairway, but in fact it's in the right rough. Aim left of it and you can run out into the rough and you don't want to end up behind it! But if you can get over the tree the fairway starts to turn in your favour. If the wind is not hurting aiming right of the tree over the bunkers with a little draw is the ideal shot here for the big hitters.

Back 9

12th A short but tight hole. A clever player here can lay one up with an iron but with one of the most difficult greens on the course to find and hold you don't really want to be coming in with a long iron. It's well protected with a stream, bunkers and run offs on all sides, so you need to be dropping your approach in here from a height. Longer hitters can even have a cut at the green from the tee box. A real risk or reward hole.

13th So 2 short enough but tight holes in succession and this one is going to have the added bonus that it shares a tee box with the 16th (nearest the hole par 3). So I expect a lot of banter, egging each other on, cheering, encouraging the long boys to try and have a crack with the Driver and take the green and slagging them when they wimp out 🤣

17th I love this hole and think its a great choice because laying up with an iron just so you find the fairway is not going to help anyone. You need to take the driver out here and have a crack if you want to get the green in 2. There is a bunker right in the middle of the fairway which is very much in range. The fairway now comes in tighter on the left side so it's quite a narrow strip left of the bunker and balls landing on the the hill will break right, so the bunker is a great line..... just hope you don't land in it 😁

Some notable omissions were the 2nd which is a good bombers hole, but maybe to early in the round with it being the first driving hole as the course opens with a par 3. I kinda wanted to pick the 8th, but felt it might be a bit cruel as there is now an area of rough about 100 yards out which will catch a lot of people out. You'll see what I mean tomorrow. Anyway, I could have picked them all but I think I've a good spread here.

Here also is a quick reminder of the rules

Fix's Fairway Finder Event (Greystones 2022) 

1) This is a new event and a once off - it replaces the Long Drive competition for this event only - but has a much larger novelty prize fund. 

2) It is a game of honesty and if any of the ball touches fairway - it counts - you record on card number of fairways hit out of 6. Card is marked and should be self explanatory. Tick the box if you hit fairway or an X if you miss. Please fill in number of holes made (x/6)

3) If any on extreme boundary - your playing partners can call it, in or out. (without any significant delay in play) 

4) You can play any club you like - but you are perhaps sacrificing your score on hole with this approach.

5) There will be a bonus prize if anyone hits all 6 (According to the stats this is basically not possible for us) 74 % highest accuracy in USPGA tour. 

6) There will be a comedy prize for anyone who hits no fairway ( a cheap one 😂 - as could be too many)

7) If ye all hit every fairway - Fix will be on the first train to Belfast.

8) A bunker - a pond - a tree - a wrong fairway (chancer) - a cart path - a tee box - a green - a provisional) is not a fairway. I don't care if you hit a tree, a distance marker , a fellow boardsie - where ball ends is all that counts.

9) Hitting a green counts....... assistant pro even mentioned a bonus prize if this happens, so even though Fix will kill me for complicating things, I'll sponsor this bonus.

10) Banter and slagging is encouraged.😂🤣

FixdePitchmark

All there is one gap in time sheet if any visitor fancies.....

gypsy79

Looking forward to it guys....Friday golf is a staple in my house, work for a French company who have short days on Fridays for summer

Unfortunately life has got in the way, need to collect new car on Saturday morning and catching up on other crap after been in Greece for a wedding and work in Paris, so I cant booze despite the in laws been down in Dalkey!!

More importantly, my brand new clubs arrived today and I havent even hit them yet. Is there good practice facilities? Is driving range still by Charlesland. I know there is a class putting green from memory

a post punk

Really looking forward to Fix’s fairway finder comp tomorrow. Nice to have the feet up now relaxing on a Thursday looking forward to a summers day of golf with Boards. Plenty of time for the travelling Corkonians to talk tactics on the way up tomorrow!!

First job tonight is check Hooked as usual and along with Seve’s notes all the info will be needed on a new course for me……..

PP

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119212000#Comment_119212000

yes Top Tracer Driving range down by Charlesland. It's 5 minutes from the club. Karl who runs it used to be the Pro in the golf club, so tell him you are with me and he will charge you double 🤣

Great putting green in the walled garden at the back of the clubhouse. Another short game practice area with a chipping green in front and up left of the clubhouse towards the first tee. For the first timers, the first tee is kinda hidden so follow the path up past carpark and through the hedge

Remember folks, green tees tomorrow, the Blues will be out, but they are only for the Medal/Club Championship Overflow, so I also expect the pins to be set up in challenging positions

And Push reminder sent to App, All Tee times 10 minutes earlier please

FixdePitchmark

OK All - a good few prizes tomorrow - spent a good 2 hours setting them up 😅

1st - 2nd - 3rd - 4th Overall.

Nearest the Pin

Gross

Fairway Finder

1st - 2nd - 3rd - 4th - Tie break rule is pts scored

If you hit no fairways and you are out that night - I'll buy you a pint.

Seve wants to give a prize for hitting the green on FF - this is not a tie break or additional score in FF.

Visitor first Overall

Visitor Fairway Finder 1st only

Kevinmarkham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119210499#Comment_119210499

A good selection of holes, Seve.

On the 4th you may not need the driver as the line is the bunker on the left and a good drive could easily reach it!

Kevinmarkham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119209209#Comment_119209209

Cheers, Fix.

See you all tomorrow. Looking forward to it.

Good luck on the course. Enjoy

kieran.

"If you hit no fairways and you are out that night - I'll buy you a pint."

Could be an expensive night Fix

FixdePitchmark

Who called the weather..

Doesn't look bad but rain moving in......

Golfgraffix

Enjoy guys, raging I’m missing another one

FixdePitchmark

Rain gone now...mental day...going to be Jamaica or west Mayo

kev_s88

Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead. Haven't had much chance to hang around post round so far, so this will be a good chance to properly meet everyone and get some good chats in

a post punk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119214211#Comment_119214211

“It’s going to be tropic” Bennys exact words !!

FixdePitchmark

Journey starts ....

bakerbhoy

Arrived.

Snackbox20

At the check in desk 🙂, looking out the window.

Looking forward to the day

spacecoyote

Couple of photos from the course. Will follow up with more details on the round later

slave1

I’ll kick things off so…

A new course for me and therein lay the challenge as some of the blind shots really caught me out on the front 9. Nice par on the first and split the fairway on the second so feeling good until I chunked my second 🙄, then blew the green, nice dull chip back onto the green and sunk the putt for a hard earned bogey so still on track. Caught with trees on the next leaving myself a 96y gap wedge to leave the ball about 6ft from the flag then tipped my putt that absolutely flew by the hole leaving me a longer putt back and subsequent 3putt scratch. Same on next, fluting around chipping sideways from trees and lightening fast 3putt scratch. I’ve no complaints on the greens but the pin placement and speed really got me throughout the day. Nice tap in 2 on the next so happy I’d covered my fuel costs for the day. Provisional required on the next but ball found in left rough so happy days. Left approach to about 7ft so looking at potential back to back birds for the first time in a while, tipped my putt anticipating slick green and the ball just about made it halfway, grrr, par. Next hole was a great golf hole but alas my pretty blind second flew the green never to be seen again and another scratch. That’s 3 scratches in 7 holes which won’t cut it in a Boards outing.

As usual great playing partners, Roadrunner and Burger27 with contrasting styles off the tee, RR smashed when he had the room whereas B27 was a 4 iron all day which killed him, on the greens he excelled with no 3 putts all day for the ex Pitch&Putt county player.

Up to hole 8 on my first Boards Friday afternoon round, great idea by the way so go for it next June too, might have pressed the foot a few times but made it in time to see the second last group tee off so all good. The 8th is a highly downhill and tempter drive for the long boys, RR duly landed his provisional drive pin high…but on the next tee box, luckily found his first but what a drive. After 3 scratches I was going for the pins all day from here and managed to fly to the back, nasty place, two hacks to fly through the front of the green but managed a rare long putt for a salvage point. Nice par 5 to finish the front 9, RR just missed the fairway for a clean sweep of fairway finds on the front 9, my lovely drive and well hit second found a distant enough tree and somehow hurled the ball back towards me and behind me in the rough, I just laughed. Laid up again and nice up and down from 90y for a par. Overall 15pts which on paper I had to be happy with, a birdie 2, three pars, a single bogey, that fighting double on the 8th and three fookin scratches. Burger27 said the back 9 was much flatter so nice contrast coming up.

Nice fairway splitter down 10 (managed this a lot on non FF holes), just short approach and nice chip to about 7ft, outrageous 3putt followed which filled me full of glee. Found the bunker off the next tee but left my par save putt short of pace and caught big break to leave a way longer than necessary bogey putt which I managed to squeak in. Had my worst tee shot of the day back onto the 11th tee box on 12 but a nice two putt from recovery and approach gave me a bogey. Up and down par recovery on 13 so starting to rack some points. Time for a scratch so which I managed on the next par 3 after bunker visit and not holding the green with my recovery, can’t afford to be scratching index 18 par 3’s but I’ve a special talent in that regard. RR hit the pin with his approach and once over the disappointment of not having a hole in one joined me in the 2’s. Nice routine fairway splitter, hybrid layup, wedge, 2putt par next. NTP next, nice length for me too but pushed it badly to just make the right edge of the green, looong putt went past but I fancied the one back, she didn't fancy me though as her curve was a lot more than I imagined. Bogey 3putt, grrrr. Back of the green in two on the 17th but chunked my 9iron tip back onto the green as subconsciously wanted to avoid a flyer back through the green, the second grade cut rough was dense, fair as being consistent but dense, lagged a nice putt onto the downhill placed pin for a happy bogey. RR no doubt will share his adventure on the penultimate hole…

Onto 18 so why not continue with a nice drive and blow my second through the green, some lads coming onto 10th tee box so I legged it over to wedge past the pin well down the green, v happy with lag and tapped in a bogey.

Really enjoyed the challenge a new course presents, the conditioning was great along with the company as always, another point and I would have really jumped up the results but you just can’t expect that with 4 dopey scratches.

Well done first and second, given your respective handicaps that was great shooting on a tight course with greens running that fast and with those pin placements. Thanks Cap Fix and all committee, see ye next month