There is no harm in repeating a good thing – the journey starts again (Remastered)


Originally written in August 2018, updated and remastered April 2020

There is no harm in repeating a good thing – the journey starts again (Remastered)


Greek philosopher Plato once wrote that ‘There is no harm repeating a good thing’ and that is an apt quote to start my reintroduction to golf, but more on that later.



First let me introduce myself and give a brief story about my golfing background- my name is Allan, I have social media platforms in the shape of Twitter, Instagram and a Facebook Page all titled ‘ThisDadGolfs’.

My first experiences of golf came in August 2012 when I turned up hungover from a 21st birthday party the night before saying to three of my mates that we should play golf (this was arranged at the party, drunk, thinking this would never materialise). We ended up playing a nine hole course at Delapre Golf Course in Northampton called the Hardingstone course. This course is no longer at Delapre but it was a challenging, tight and unforgiving course. From the first nine holes I was hooked and wanted to play again and I continued to play nine hole golf for a few months and must have played the same track a dozen times.

Delapre Golf Course 
My first ‘proper’ round of golf came in April 2013 and to say that I was shocking would be fair, even though the Oaks course at Delapre was more forgiving and had wider fairways I was not used to the longer course design and using the bigger clubs and I shot 160 and looking back on it I am surprised that I picked up my clubs again based on my nature of being someone who easily gives up if success isn’t instant! Having said that I was already hooked and love playing, watching and buying anything to do with golf! From then right the way through to November 2015 I was a regular on the golf course- predominantly at Delepre Golf Club in Northampton and in that time I played 64 rounds of golf.

Then life changed, other than my stag doo in October 2016, I did not pick up a club until January 2018. This was because I became a Dad and I now have two children who are my world, plus my career boomed I became a Head Teacher of a school and got married, so balancing all of those things in order to find time to practice and play golf was virtually impossible. My balance was all wrong, I was predominately working and when I was present and trying to be a parent and husband my mind was elsewhere. In the May of 2017 I decided that I could not be a parent and be a head teacher so decided to take a step back from the profession and moved to a Deputy position, as you will soon discover, if you haven't already my family mean more to me than anything. My balance was adjusting, but golf was hugely missing. At the turn of 2018 I decided I needed to find some time for me and made a resolution that I would take up golf again.I think it is so important in life that you find things or continue to do things that make you the individual you are and not be distinguished as a parent, husband and/or headteacher. I struck while the iron was hot and played on the 7th of January at Cold Ashby golf course, a new course for me. But I also decided to golf properly.

Up until 2018, I golfed but I didn’t score rounds the way I should, or do now. That round was a wake up call, it reinvented me with the game and it could easily have turned me off permanently. Previously, if a tee shot was a lost ball, I would tee off another and not record it, if I ended up behind a tree or in heavy rough I would kick it out into a more forgiving place and take my shot, if I ended in a bunker and was unsuccessful at getting out I was move it and not record the shots. I think I did this initially to not get disheartened and then in became a habit. At the end of rounds my playing partner/s would tally up false scores and add them to apps which calculate handicaps which saw me drop my handicap to around 14 in that time. I took no lessons, barely practised and thought I was alright. That round was a shock as was rounds subsequently.

Collingtree Golf Course. One of my regularly
played course
From that round I played another seven rounds that year and had scorecards ranging from 106 through to 121. What hit me throughout that time was I was an inconsistent golfer in terms of scoring and that my previous ‘scoring’ did not help in anyway. I decided in August 2018 to step it up a bit and join Instagram and found that helped to make good contacts with people and I am hoping it has or will continue to help my game. I also wrote some resolutions and wanted to sort my game, which is a work in progress and what I am devoting my blog and social media accounts to. I am now more consistent and have an accurate handicap of 27.

In my future blogs I will review some courses that I play as that is my main driver, I am in the process of writing a Top 100 courses for me and will explain that more later in another blog and I will be journeying my golfing journey as I try to reduce my handicap down as best I can using practice, lessons and time on the course.

Anyway enough from me! Happy golfing!

Comments

  1. Dors17 April 2020 at 12:11

    I found joining a Club mine was a Municipal Course, not so many about now although there are Clubs giving attractive Membership schemes of Pay and Play.
    Playing in regular Monthly Medals helped my Handicap plus the enthusiasm of every chance I got to pick up a club, mainly a Wedge and chip and pitch in the Garden and Fields even dropping balls in long rough to work out how to get out of jail.
    I also worked on having a pretty swing like a Pro or as near as I could at the time.
    I was frequently having lessons, but hit a point where I was just stuck on a 19 handicap. I had left my local Municipal Club to get more of a challenge so I joined the Belfry, my Long Game improved although it was a much longer Course and intimidating, so I was still stuck at 19.
    After a lesson at a Driving Range the Professional said he couldn’t understand why my Handicap was so high with my ability to strike a ball, so he suggested he would give me a game on the Brabazon the following week.
    On the day he turned up and met me on the 1st Tee, I asked if he was giving me 2 shots a hole, he said no you can have 1 shot a hole. Turned out I didn’t need any shots as I played out of my skin. I dropped 1 shot he dropped 4.
    After that my confidence soared and my Handicap dropped, after that game he asked me to partner him in a run of Pro Ams, within 18 Month’s my handicap had got to 1.
    I played many under Par rounds but Medal play I always had one or two holes where I would loose concentration and drop shots, in Match play comps I was not an opponent you would want, I practiced hard on my short game and if I had my sand iron anywhere out from 100 yards I felt I could hole it.
    Then the work thing and a Marriage eventually falling ill with Gaul stones where my wait dropped to 7 stone, It took a long time to get it back, I even played Ian Woosnam and I was so skinny I thought I was going to take off with my shirt collars.
    A few years on and a Member of two Clubs I started to turn it on again, then bang out of the blue my partner had racked up debts of several hundreds of thousands, and I stopped playing immediately to work 7 days a week till I sorted it.
    Now at 66 and 15 years later started again, plenty of practice but only played in one competitive game, and a very weak back down to my other sports over the years, but feeling good about playing again, when we can that is

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thisdadgolfs25 April 2020 at 12:24

      Wow, thank you so much for the comment, my first ever on a blog and such a great story to tell. Some great points to take from your story as well, particularly how you dropped your handicap. I think it is so important listening to people and playing with better players.
      I can relate to how life can throw curve balls and stop you from doing it as regularly as you were. However, it is brilliant that you are playing again and most importantly enjoying your golf.
      Thank you again for your comment I really appreciate it. Stay safe and keep in touch!

      Delete
  2. Anonymous17 April 2020 at 13:01

    Well done mate, keep them coming

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thisdadgolfs25 April 2020 at 12:20

      Thank you very much for the comment and taking the time to write a response

      Delete

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