Sunrise Golf For The Win
WHS Scores
SOW: 25.0
EOW: 25.0
I have found out about Sunrise golf and I can definitely see the appeal! Welcome to 54 to Scratch, my weekly blog where I document my transition from beginner golfer to whatever comes next.
This week, there were a couple of differences to my usual training and playing regime. The first was that I managed to get a bonus round in, teeing off around 7:15am at Lydd golf course in Kent. The second was that my son expressed interest in playing regularly.
Starting with the bonus round, I realised that I had an opportunity to get a round in before work one morning. My home course (Kingsnorth GC) doesn’t open until after 8am, so getting a round in before work is impossible, even on your own.
Lydd open an hour earlier, so means I could be done early enough to get back to work and not miss out on “critical” time. In all seriousness, this is a busy and high pressured part of the year work wise, so being able to get this round in was very much needed.
It also gave me the opportunity to film a full round, which is currently sitting in my to do pile ready for editing as a debut YouTube video. For those of you reading this, you can see snippets of the round as I have started a new regular instagram series called GIRShots, focusing on each hole of a different course each month (or so).
GIRShots will have each hole of the course shown first in pictures taken from the perspective of playing to GIR - Tee and Hole for a Par 3, Tee, Approach and Hole for a Par 4 and Tee, 2 x Approach and Hole for a Par 5. The following day will then show me playing the hole, probably not to regulation…
To date, I’ve played Lydd approximately 8 times previous, never breaking 100. My best score was 103 back in the summer and my last was 104. With the weather having gotten a little drier, I was hoping that I would break 100 - which would be awesome given the fact I was filming!
It wasn’t to be though. After a great start for me (I went par, bogey, bogey), I then came a little unstuck on the 4th, duffing out of the rough on my second shot, and then 3 putting once I eventually got on the green.
A couple of doubles followed, but then I had my best tee shot ever on the 7th, landing it just off the green, but only around 6 feet away from the pin. Unfortunately, putting off the fringe left me short but I got my par.
The 8th was one of 2 holes where poor decisions cost me - I sliced my driver right into some bushes and couldn’t find it, taking a drop in the rough. I then decided to try and get it close to the green with my next shot, using my hybrid. Unfortunately, this went shorter than I thought and ended up right in some water. So another drop followed, with me eventually getting onto the green and 2 putting for an 8.
I rounded off the front 9 with a 7, putting the ball right again with the driver, but eventually recovering to hit 52 for the front 9.
Not disastrous, but also making breaking 100 a tough ask, as the back 9 is probably harder, especially for those that have a natural tendency to a fade.
My favourite par 3 (probably as it has my Grandad’s bench) starts the back 9, which I went into the sand but recovered and 2 putted for a 4. A triple, thanks to a duffed second shot, followed with another bogey next. Another triple followed by a bogey preceded my worst hole, with me hitting a 9 on a par 5 I normally play quite well on.
I duffed my tee shot, hit my next shot along the ground also and then only just cleared water to get just short of the green. However, I then took another 3 (!) to get on the green before 3 putting for a 9.
I rounded out the round bogey, double, bogey for 104 which with some of those shots being down to conditions, plus the lack of distance due to roll, temperature etc, makes me VERY confident of breaking 100 as we move into Spring.
As previously mentioned, you can expect to see the round in full on my YouTube channel at some point, or you can see each hole as I post them on Instagram.
The other thing that happened of note this week that would be different to normal is that my son has decided that he would like to start playing golf. We have spent some time on the range together and it’s been the first time for him using a golf club, so progress is slow but I am loving the expression on his face when he hits one up in the air!
The plan is to spend one evening a week at the range with him and then Saturday mornings at the range again but throwing in some putting too until he is a bit more confident at hitting the ball. Once we get to that point, I’ll take him out for a few holes to ease him in and see how it goes!
As much as I’ve always loved sports, I think that Zach largely associates sport with spending time with me, which is nice and hopefully at some point we find something that he falls in love with! If that ends up being golf, great - I can’t think of any other sport I’d like to see him enjoy, simply because I think it suits his nature.
I also played at Kingsnorth again this week, but as I’ve already gone through one round, I won’t go on for any longer - I scored another 100, playing a real mixed bag of shots and decisions.
This week, the plan is to try and get the Youtube account up and running - there will be an intro video inviting people to get in touch to collaborate - if you are reading this, I definitely want to hear from you!
Have a great game all!
Gear Check
Driver - Callaway Rogue ST
Irons - Taylormade Stealth
Wedges - Taylormade Hi-Toe 52, 56, 60
Putter - Scotty Cameron Squareback
Shoes - Adidas Tour 360 22
