Must say that I’m a keen golfer. Love the sport. Took it up around 8 years ago and joined a club 5 yrs later after playing society golf. There has to be other golf enthusiasts on this site.
If you want to talk about golf, brag about a good round you had at the weekend, sly coporate junket you’re getting invited to, tales of banditness - whatever then here’s the place to do it.
What’s banditness?
Played my first round of golf in December. 9 holes par 3s and 4s in Julianstown. I was far better at it than I thought I’d be. Mean to give it another shot soon enough. My current toe injury might require me to enjoy more relaxing sports for a few weeks.
Would be a social golfer myself. When i say that I mean I’d only play 10-11 times a year with the lads. Although last year was a bit quieter due to the shite weather. Have never owned my own clubs either but have to say I always enjoy the game when I play and look forward to the day when I can devote a bit of time to it. Took a day off work last year to watch the Ryder cup too.
I’m not too bad teeing off or putting it but when it comes to chipping…be the foook that can drive me nuts.
How were you when you started Lockes, 8 years ago? Did you get lessons?
You’re a member on that Island course in Waterford ain’t you
A “Bandit” in Golf refers to someone with a high handicap but blitzs a competition that would have good prizes on offer. He/she would play crap or not put in good cards in order to keep their high Handicap.
When I started I was shite! Even now I should be better. Don’t get out as much as I should with the family and all but love the game. Best round has been 81 on four occasions. The last 2 years I’ve said to myself I’d break 80 but to no avail. I’m close though, will do it this year fo sho!
I’m not far from a range and go down there defo once, mostly twice a week at lunch to hit a few balls. The putting green is closed atm and it’s there I’d like to be. Your short game is 70% of your shots. Get good at chipping and putting and you’re a shoe in. It’s so important it’s unreal. You talk about it there Pikeman, chipping lets you down. You do have to practice it, it’s the only way.
I was a member in Wexford as a teenager but I was fairly crap at it to be honest. They couldn’t coach the hurling swing out of me and I was ridiculously inconsistent. Then when I went to college in Dublin I let my membership lapse but I still had clubs at home in the garage and I’d go and play the odd round of par 3 with the lads or pay green fees up in Wexford or somewhere. One particular time about 3 or 4 years ago I went home one weekend only to be told by my Dad that he’d given my clubs away to my uncle because he was taking up the game. Bandage Senior concluded I wasn’t really getting enough use out of them and I actually haven’t played at all since then.
Got in 27 holes over the weekend. Half day on Friday took me to a new course in the area. Good I must say but I didn’t do it justice. Not the longest in the world but great greens. Shot 91 but should have been around 85ish. Some bad approach shots and one wayward drive on the 8th and 16th killed me. My mate won the money by 2 shots.
32 (18,14) points off 15.5
9 holes yesterday of my home course. The door was put slightly ajar for me to go and boy did I bolt through it. Glorious day and the course was quiet since it was around 4pm. Wind into the face on the Index 18 par 5 to start with and didn’t make the green until 4 shots were used up, and I was striking the ball well. Took 7 and a scratch in the end. Was by myself and tried a couple of new things. New putting grip was one and it worked (apart from the first but it was still a good putt). Went par bogey par par bogey bogey par bogey for the rest of the 9, with great putts on the 4th, 8th and 9th where I was a millimetre from a par with a great 20ft+ putt. Drove well, irons good, distance not great but it is still winter. Happy with the game atm
20 pts off 15.5 over 9 holes
Congrats to Graham McDowell over in Korea on his win at the Ballantine’s Championship. -24 after 72 holes and won it on the 3rd playoff hole with JM Singh. Had my pic taken with the Ulsterman recently and he was a gent to talk to.
Tiger Woods won the Buick Open with a -10 total. 24 foot putt to win it on the 18th. In fairness to him, he’s “awesome”
That was some shot McDowell hit on the 4th go at the 18th. Singh had gotten to about 6 feet or so from way back and McDowell pulled off a cracking shot to stop it a foot from the hole or so. Great way to win a tournament.
Only once Pikeman, on a Par 3 course somewhere outside Wx town. Can’t remember the name of it. Was on a session in Rosslare and we played (badly) the next day. All I remember really was an incredible urge to take a shit on the 9th and nearly blowing the jacks out of it when I got there. Would love to play the European (?), think that’s in Wex County. Also St. Annes is supposed to be good, think that’s in Wexico too.
Par 3, Twas either Rathaspick or Garrylough I’d say. Played on both and enjoyed them. Well kept.
Wouldn’t recommend Par 3 Borrmount in Enniscorthy. Greens are akin to playing snooker on a rug.
Hairy greens. Shocking when you come across them. Akin to meeting up with a cracking looking bird; wine her, dine her, bring her back to the gaff and find out (the hard way) that she has a stinky snatch… it’s just a let down all round
Currently residing in Beijing and played a round last week. There’s a nine hole course slap bang in the middle of the City, and played 18 on it last week. Putting is the strongest part of my game and I’m not ashamed to say it’s pretty good. The rest is hail Mary golf. Last week was a case in point. For the first nine I had 4 pars but also a 7 and a 6(it’s all par 3’s and 4’s). Second nine degenerated into shit with one par. I was playing with an 8 handicap too so it was painful for him as well. Playing again today I think.
Incidentally, a round there is about 18 quid(9). A Caddy costs a euro. A beer costs a euro. A three course meal costs about 4e.
Also, China is the land of fake shit. You can pick up a set of shit fakes for about 90e or good fakes for about 150e. This is for Calloways or Titleists.
Do most of my golfing at home in Howth at deer park. Super place to play.
Lads,
Sitting at home yesterday after watching the Masters for 3 nights in a row, getting ready for the final night and had a round of golf over the weekend got me thinking; I really love this sport. I was on TFK and I picked the rocks brain about setting up a forum about golf. He gave me some great information. Between myself and a friend of mine we set up http://irishgolfonline.proboards67.com/index.cgi it’s basic out but we’ve never done it before but we just want to see will it work. I’ve hadn’t really had a chance to look at anything until now with work and sick kids at home but it’s up and running. If any of you have an interest in golf, will ye register at least and we can get the ball rolling. I reckon there’s a market out there for a golf forum, there’s enough players out there…
Thanks again to Rock, some great advice. I’m going to look further into setting up a more robust site later in the week (up the freakin walls now though… what’s that all about) but for now the proboards format will do.
Go on, register, see what you think. Not taking anything away from TFK, still a great site, ta!
Good luck with it Locke - I’ll join up later. I watched the back 9 last night and hadn’t watched any of the 3 previous days. I found it a bit boring because a) Immelman had gone quite a fair way ahead (pun intended) and 
the way the course was set up nobody was going to haul him back with a 66 or something so it was just a matter of watching them falling away and dropping shots one by one. He could even afford a 75 himself to win it relatively comfortably. As I said last night, I wonder is it any coincidence Federer, Woods and Henry have all started to lose since that rubbish ad with the three of them for Gillette came out?
Registered there Locke but it’s partly blocked for me. Know how to get round that but don’t have time at the minute and can’t post because I can’t access my email at the minute. I’ll have a look this evening though.
Haven’t a hole lot of time at the moment Locke but I will putt some time aside later on to register.
Thanks lads. Spread the word. There has to be a geeky guy in your work who thinks nothing but golf. Let him know. Put it on a post-it and leave it anonimously on his keyboard when he goes away from his desk.
Good idea Locke but I would have to say that you must get rid of that Garish Green background colour. Will put a lot of people off.
Yeah, tis bad alright. I was just mucking about with the colours. Will get on it asap.