Well I know after Christmas Day it can seem that every snack and meal for days on end afterwards can include cold turkey, what I didn't think or ever bank on was that I could actually be experiencing it due to all the wet and horrendous weather we have experienced which has led to my golf course here in Coventry being closed for days during the holiday period!
With a few new golfing presents in hand to add to my bag, when was I going to get back out swinging?
So, for a few days immediately after Christmas I have been reading Ken Brown's "One Putt" book which was a present, my first impressions of it, is, that it will and should help me in my quest to drop some serious shots in 2016, because if there's one place where we all drop silly shots, it's on the putting green! After discussing this book with a few other people and informing them of my targets for next season, I was encouraged to look at 2 other books called "Every Shot Counts" and "Golf Tough", so I went ahead and purchased them both, so I now have all 3 to read and absorb!
As you can see, I'm really serious about my 2016 golfing season and my targets, it's not just a hopeful whim without putting in the work, this is why I am very focussed already and preparing myself as best I can through the winter but without putting too much or any unnecessary pressure on myself, it's very important to me that I still enjoy myself out on the golf course, which I did yesterday when my course opened for the first time since before Christmas.
I managed to join up with 3 other members to form a 4-ball and play my first 18 holes in over 9 days, which felt more like 99 days, hence the title, Cold Turkey.
I joined up with our celebrity member Andrew Carman who's now off 1, my newly elected Vice Captain (Russ) and another long standing member, Bill, the balls went in the air, I was partnered with my VC who's off 8 and off we set. I got off to a great start, even though I was first to drive and in such company and not having played with them before, I was so pleased to see my drive sail down the righthand side of the fairway, a deliberate easy 6 iron followed so I was short of the bunkers leaving me 110 yards to the pin, it was wet, damp and with a slight head wind so I gripped down on my 8 iron and stiffed it to 2 feet leaving me an uphill putt for par, 1-up.
Overall I was having a very steady round, although I did knock 1 OOB (out of bounds) on our 4th (si2) the second time around with my 2nd shot, however, I was still 2 under handicap on the turn but unfortunately we found ourselves 2-down after 9 losing those holes to birdies! I didn't finish our 8th on the second loop of the front 9, I could have only got a 6/5 at best but another birdie killed us off and the hands were firmly shook.
As I've previously written, I just need to get off the tee with a better degree of consistency and stop trying to take the big dog out all the time, I also need to stop trying to make adjustments whilst in a match when it's not performing, especially as when I use my 12 degree Mini-driver it's just as long at times but far more accurate and controllable.
So, it was great to get out on the course, although our back 9 was still closed, I'm also feeling a few aches this morning with not playing for nearly 2-weeks and piling on the Christmas pounds, and with it being quite soft underfoot, which I think takes a bit more out of you, a day's rest today will be enjoyed reading my books, but, I'm then off playing at the fantastic The Centurion Golf Club on Wednesday, which no doubt you'll read about soon.
No more Cold Turkey for me...
