Boards Golf Society (Round 2) Carton House Montgomerie Golf Course (12th March 1130 hrs.)

Really looking forward to playing this course today. Mental week in work, had a few pints last night and now the getting ready begins before hitting the road.

Nice and sunny in the southeast.

Absolutely, glorious weather here in the sunny south east, I'll try and bring this with me on the way up

Always enjoy waking up on a boards golf morning. Unlike a regular Saturday when I tip out to my own course, always rushing late to the first tee, I tend to make a proper day of it with the birds crew. Even better when I’ve only 20 minutes to travel😎 it’s even nearer than my own club.

i predict big scores today, weather is lovely. Enjoy the day folks, safe travels

Just back home waiting on the indian gives me a chance to put up a quick post. I Hav'nt played with Bobster in years but as usual he provided the banter all the way around. I reckon he was shoe in for the most bunkers visited prize but now after winning the nearest the pin with his sweet 7iron to 3ft on the 17th he won't qualify😉.

It was great to play with some new members Richie and swedish monkey. Both good golfers with richie finishing with a nice birdie in tough conditions on the last. Swedish monkey hit some lovely drives but just couldnt get it flowing on the day.

I probably played the best golf since St andrews today with 34pts even after scratching the last felt like 44pts so i have no complaints.

Thanks to lads for great company and congrats to break 80🎂(great way to celebrate for 60th with super 39pts🤣).

I was texting the Mrs walking down the 10th saying if I was playing with some dry shites I'd have chucked it in 4 holes previous. My golf was terrible but thoroughly enjoyed the round with the lads.

I won't make Nenagh but it's a very underrated course. Raging I'm missing it

Also... The course is such a good design. Every green is pointing at a bunker or cluster of bunkers 100-150 yards out. Rewards good, brave play. Punishes bad, brave play. No real fear of losing your ball but if you are on wrong side of fairway you are losing half a shot. I'd say some of the bunkers are a full shot punishment

Had a really great day out yesterday, fantastic course along with some great company and a lot of good golf played. Was nice to meet more new people, and again the organisation and preparation from the committee/organisers was excellent.

Teed off bang on time, and promptly hooked my drive 40 yards low and right into the water. Reloaded and made amends but wasn't enough to stop me having a 7 and a scratch to start. Improved from there, that was my only poor hit with my driver all day, it really was the highlight of my game in both portmarnock and yesterday. Iron striking was decent, but was let down a little by duffing wedges on 3 or 4 different occasions. Putting was better yesterday, and didn't cost too many shots.

19 on the front 9 had me set up well going into the back 9. Very good driving had me within a wedge of most of the par 4s but this is where my wedges let me down. A few too many cases of finishing with a bogey having been within 100m of the green, very frustrating but solid scoring.

Into the wind on the way down the back 9 made the course play long, and the advantage on the way back was negated by the driving rain. Finished the back 9 on 14 points for a 33 (if I remember rightly!) and was relatively happy with that. I can't give out too much about loose play when I'm only out once a month for the boards outings.

I managed to avoid bunkers until a fairway bunker which took two attempts to get out of, and again on the second last par 3. I tried to chip over the bunker and chipped into it close to the face , which meant coming out sideways.

There was some very good play from my playing partners also, spudsy kev and didn't catch the username of our last player, not sure bout using real names. Everyone drove the ball very well for most of the day. Company was an absolute pleasure and a great day had by all. The rain dampened things but we were blessed to stay dry up to the 14th, so can't complain too much.

Thanks again to fix, seve and the rest of the people working in the background to make sure that we all had a great day.

A round of two halves, before and after “The Fall”. Started well, a pleasure to play with VW1, KEV-s88 and Concerned2, but avoided two few bunkers and managed just 10 points on the front. After slipping and landing on my back beside one of those bunkers, things could only get better, I parred the last and had 17 points on the back. Tried to hand in my card at the main, very smart, restaurant, Maitre D was diplomatic, it wasn’t my muddy clothes, it’s that my name wasn’t on the list. Thanks Fix, Seve and all involved in making this a most enjoyable day. Concerned2 spoke well of Nenagh, thought it would suit players like me, so looking forward to that.

Really enjoyed my round, which is odd as I normally don’t when I score poorly, have a tendency to get a bit “thick”.

Im trying to play with people I haven’t payed with before and it was a pleasure to play with my old buddy Bigchap, Willabur and jarrieta. We all played some good abs some bad golf, Bigchap being the most consistent of us all.

I drove the ball really well and was delighted to pick of the Long Drive win, I’m sure there were guys linger than it but with the camber on that fairway it can be hard to hold. 5 iron into the green side bunker nullified the good drive though.

The course is really growing on me, it’s very clever off the tee. It’s wide open and quite easy but the alignment of the fairways with the tee boxes makes you question the line, added to that the positioning of the bunkers in relation to the shot line is not traditional. The up shot is you can get wayward very easily.

Great turn out again.

My one normal gripe is pace of play, for what was an easy course in relation to loosing balls we as a group (all of us) were very slow. Something to keep in mind for the next outings !!

J

Finally getting to put my musings together following a brilliant weekend. Glutton for more punishment as just in off the course at the home club and playing the Sunday singles. (Very happy with how I played today, must have been the practice from yesterday 🤣)

Yesterday started walking very early in a hotel in Waterford and a quick glance out the window at 7:00am it was sunny and I said the golfing god's rewarded us and we are going to be in for a great day in Carton House. So being in the sunny south east I was hoping that the sunshine would accompany me all along the way. Drive up was perfect and then Delores my Google navigator told me to take the road to Kill/ Straffan. Outside Barberstown there was fierce traffic congestion, but there was some charity event and I was let through the traffic by former Ireland international Niall Quinn 😁. Unfortunately he didn't help as my lucky charm for my golf on Saturday.

Got parked up at the academy which looked very impressive and I could see a few boards members, some I remembered and there was some new faces, had a quick catch up with CharlieIRL and Kieran who was one of my playing partners that day It was gas that the driving range ran out of balls and was completely booked out.

So onwards to the main carpark and use the practice area. What a setup Carton House, I didn't know what to expect but it was wow. When I went to check in it was great to see more familiar faces and I must apologise to the captain I said hello Fixed 🤦🤦, I knew I got it wrong. Apologies again.

Onto the golf, I had the pleasure of playing again with Rainbow warrior and Benny79, and it was my first time playing with Kieran. There was some great shots played by the guys. Great chat and golf from all the guys. Big thanks also to Benny79 for the little motivation after the 7th or the 8th and change the way I was recording the score and app, it was a huge help on my back 9. My first shot on the 1st drive, whooosh splash!!!! Only scoring 9 on the front but starting putting a few pars together on the back 9 gave me 18 and delighted to finish with 27 for such a unique course. I probably could claim the most visits to the bunkers as Peter Cook once said, you know you're in it, when you are in it. Lucky some of the craters didn't have a stira lift out of them. Monty must have been inspired by the moon.

Huge congrats to Captain Fixdepitchmark and the committee for running such a brilliant outing. March is the month of many weathers and our sun god couldn't shoo away the clouds and the rains came on the 11th. Thanks a million again to RainbowWarrior, Benny79, and Kieran for the company and the golf. Still making adjustments to my game and hopefully can build in that going to Nenagh, looking forward to it and seeing you all again.