I had previously documented the array of golfing exploits from the first half of 2014 - this is the (long-overdue) second part of my review of a golfing year.
Having enjoyed the high of playing Pebble Beach the previous month, I wondered if it would be a struggle to better that golfing experience and, with a little help from some like-minded/equally idiotic friends, a little over a month had elapsed and we did just that. I had, earlier in the year, decided (in my infinite wisdom) that I should embark on another golfing charity fundraising event - clearly, the memory of our Macmillan Longest Day challenge in 2011 had faded enough to allow me to think that completing 72 holes in one day was, for some reason, not enough of a task. To that end, I threw down the gauntlet to the group that we could, with the right equipment, determination and a clear sky, play for a continuous 24 hour period and, as that would be a significant physical & mental wall for us to break through, we would be able to raise plenty of money for a worthy cause.
Having selected On Course Foundation as recipients of our charitable efforts, we set about planning the logistics, requirements & equipment for this mammoth effort. I have previously documented the outcome of the day, plus my thanks to all involved, but it's well worth a recap. Between the 9 of us we completed a cumulative 1039 holes in (5 minutes shy of) 24 hours, raising more than £8000 for the charity, which allowed 24 ex-services personnel to complete a 3-day golf tuition and skills workshop, preparing them for a future career in the golf industry. On behalf of the team, I wish the very best of fortune to all of them.
August
July didn't really have much to write home about. I had the pleasure of another work trip to the US although, this time, there was no window for golf at all. Once into August, and the searing heat of summer, the days started to count down towards the third instalment of the mini-tour, this time heading south to Dale Hill & Chart Hills on the Sussex/Kent borders. We managed to secure a fine deal, encompassing accommodation, meals & golf, so trundled down to Dale Hill to kick off the tour on the Old Course. Having established that one of our party was going to be a late arrival (he actually missed the whole of day 1), we prepared for our tee times. A few hours (and many lost balls) later, we finished our round on the least inspiring of the three tracks we'd play that weekend. None of us played it particularly well, meaning there was all to play for going into round 2 at Chart Hills, especially due to our handicap adjustment rules. As some of us experienced at Woodhall Spa in 2013, a poor round can provide a timely boost to your shot allocation for the following day - from a personal perspective, it meant the Nick Faldo designed course would be giving me 16 shots, a handicap I hadn't experienced for a number of years.
Quite unexpectedly, I played the best round of golf I have produced for quite a number of months, shooting a gross 79 (+7) & scooping up a mammoth 45 stableford points. Looking back at the scorecard, it was all the more remarkable considering the start I made, a pulled tee shot on the first leading to a very unpleasant triple bogey - quite where the run of form on the back 9 came from, I really don't know, but it was a hell of a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, I was unable to continue the good play on Dale Hill's Woosnam course the next day, a colossal mental aberration - succumbing to the hero hazard - on the signature 17th enough to let my father-in-law back into the overall standings so he won on a count-back. A great trip, a great venue & a lot of fun - looking forward to where we end up in 2015.
July didn't really have much to write home about. I had the pleasure of another work trip to the US although, this time, there was no window for golf at all. Once into August, and the searing heat of summer, the days started to count down towards the third instalment of the mini-tour, this time heading south to Dale Hill & Chart Hills on the Sussex/Kent borders. We managed to secure a fine deal, encompassing accommodation, meals & golf, so trundled down to Dale Hill to kick off the tour on the Old Course. Having established that one of our party was going to be a late arrival (he actually missed the whole of day 1), we prepared for our tee times. A few hours (and many lost balls) later, we finished our round on the least inspiring of the three tracks we'd play that weekend. None of us played it particularly well, meaning there was all to play for going into round 2 at Chart Hills, especially due to our handicap adjustment rules. As some of us experienced at Woodhall Spa in 2013, a poor round can provide a timely boost to your shot allocation for the following day - from a personal perspective, it meant the Nick Faldo designed course would be giving me 16 shots, a handicap I hadn't experienced for a number of years.
Quite unexpectedly, I played the best round of golf I have produced for quite a number of months, shooting a gross 79 (+7) & scooping up a mammoth 45 stableford points. Looking back at the scorecard, it was all the more remarkable considering the start I made, a pulled tee shot on the first leading to a very unpleasant triple bogey - quite where the run of form on the back 9 came from, I really don't know, but it was a hell of a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, I was unable to continue the good play on Dale Hill's Woosnam course the next day, a colossal mental aberration - succumbing to the hero hazard - on the signature 17th enough to let my father-in-law back into the overall standings so he won on a count-back. A great trip, a great venue & a lot of fun - looking forward to where we end up in 2015.
October
I managed to play just one round in September and, given the paucity of quality, it hardly merits a mention - an ugly 86 at Wyboston Lakes (I quickly remembered why it had been nearly 10 years since I had played there), so attention turns swiftly to the golfing oasis in the autumn/winter desert, the Harey Cup. Having made a long-awaited return to the fold in 2013 at La Cala, the motley collection of hackers found themselves heading for Spain's Costa del Sol (the irony of that name wasn't lost on us) again, this time to the La Quinta resort. This venue has three 9-hole loops on site, giving us the prospect of (theoretically) playing each loop twice across the three rounds. In practice, this didn't happen - this was undoubtedly due to the weather, which was abysmally bad for Spain at that time of year, but also due to the somewhat village golfing operation that La Quinta run. In stark contrast to the slick efficiency displayed at La Cala, the team at La Quinta are not quite in the same league - uncertainty about tee times & courses being played, miscommunication about restarting after a weather delay & waiting for buggies (and their keys) are just three examples of issues you simply don't expect at a 5* resort. Nice courses, nice hotel - slightly shabby operation.
For the details of what happened at La Quinta - the Miracle of Marbella - click here for a read. It's still too painful.
So there we are - that was 2014's golfing year. Some extraordinary highlights, some of which are destined never to be matched, let alone beaten. I wait with bated breath to discover what 2015 might bring
I am the Part-Time Golfer
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