El Presidente

With Ed away and our new golfing buddy Tom Cullen in the group behind, I had the pleasure of playing with Jim and Phil in the weekends presidents prize. Although in the strokes format I didnt have many pars, my lack of treble bogeys kept me in the hunt. I should have left the putter at home and used a shovel instead - 3 putting the first 4 greens(lucky I was on in or under regulation)

Hada a lovely days weather, considering the showers the came on Saturday and finished with a Nett par - 72. Having being told leaving the clubhouse that their was already a 68 carded, I went home thinking I had done respectably and thats that. The ensuing text from Gerry, our competition secretary, was to the contrary - I had come in the prizes and to present myself at the prizegiving in the club. My score had pushed me to a tie for 8th - 6th overall on countback and a nice Catergory 2 runner-up prize.

No cut for me as the SSS was 69, but also no .1 back as I was in the buffer zone. This weekend sees the standard stableford competition and 2 weeks to Vice-President Dermots prize, something I would love to have a good crack at.

"Medal"lion man

Last Sundays Medal was a nice golfing experience for me - I got to play with my regular playing partner in a major - luck of the draw.

I played well to card a nett 71 and finish 3rd overall, with my handicap getting cut again to 20.4 only a small step away from being a teen handicapper!!

BUFfy the Friday Slayer

Not letting my golfing buddy Ed be alone in this one, I joined him in the ranks of 9 hole Friday competition winners at the weekend. A haul of 20 points won it for me after an enjoyable round with Ed, Dr.Pat and Aidan. Nice bottle of wine as the prize to boot- and a nice tune up before the July Medal.

Winner Alright

Its been exactly two weeks since my last update and I have played a blinder - winning this weekends stableford competition and dropping down a shot in the handicap.

Last weekends competitive golf was a washout, myself and Ed walking off the course after 6, drenched to the skin. We hadnt played too badly but the conditions were unbearable.

And so to this weekend, where myself and Ed set out for an 8:20 tee-time. I woke up firing on all cylinders, parring the 1st hole for the 1st time in competition play. I didnt capitalise until the back 9, where a par on the 18th clinched the win for me via countback, with a respectable score of 38 points. That afforded me a .8 cut which brings me to 20.8, my first handicap cut.

I was, as usual, in good company - Ed chipping in on the 12th from off the green for a birdie, after a risky shot to cut the corner paid off. He made some good putts on the back 9 and his 31 points enabled him to have a top 10 finish in his first qualifying competition as a member of Ballinascorney.

Next week is my 3rd major(Ed's 1st), the July Medal, where I hope to break 90 for the first time in 2 years and be in with a chance of getting my handicap under 20 quite soon.

Neglect, in a kind of good way.

I haven't been keeping up to date as I have been basking in some glory but I was brought down to earth this weekend.

Whence last we spoke I was in about 8th place after day one of the Captains Prize, 5 or 6 shots off the blistering pace set by Dermot Murray.

Day 2 however was a different proposition altogether, putting together a string of pars to come in with the best score of the day, a net 71.

This left me lying in 2nd overall and although ineligible to win, I could still post a decent score to stay in the top three positions. As it turns out, I didn't handle the playoff well, as my 9 on the last sealed my fifth position overall. Dermot had a fairytale ending, pitching in for a birdie in front of the swelling crowd.

Presentation time and my net 177 for 42 holes was enough to secure a category win in my first club qualifier.

I was taken down a peg this weekend though- scoring 99 gross after having 2 balls in the creek on the first hole. No medal for me but on the improve, 93 now my best course score...