The Buggy Breaks Even.
I haven't written much lately about golf for the simple reason there has not been much play due to the lovely Spring weather we have been having. Wind and rain, then rain and wind, a few showers and breezes just for something different.
I played four times over a six week period, which to make it worse I played shit golf too. I think its called going stir crazy or just nuts. There I was with my nice new shiny red buggy and unable to use it. Frustrating!
Wednesday 15th of October was a red letter day for the red buggy. Finally I played well enough to actually get a return on my investment. Well almost. The boys (in their 70's) were running two competitions that day. Oscars is an open competition which anybody can play in and then there is the Duckhook competition which is for senior club member over 55. Both had a $5 entry fee. I entered and cursed my way round the course ending up with a mediocre score of 33 points which I figured could have easily been four or five shots better if only I could have made those short putts. If 'ifs' were dollars I would be a billionaire.
I left the course figuring I had probably paid for the prizes yet again. Said to Marja - 'maybe' a small return as I was in the top third of the score sheets. I played on Saturday and at the halfway mark the lady doing the bar handed me two envelopes. I had won a prize in both competitions. Wow! Then I read the amounts, $5 in each envelope. I can't really complain as I had broken even. Onward and upward!
Wilf Wood 36 Hole Event 18/10/2025
Which brings me to Saturday. The Wilf Wood Trophy celebrates one of the founding members of the Inglewood golf club who helped turn acres of paddock into the course we play on today. Wilf's three sons are still members and run what is now two tournaments a 36 hole competition for the main trophy (prestigious one) and an 18 hole competition for those who do not want to participate or have the time for 36 holes.
About two months ago my partner for the day, Jason Ballantine, asked if I wanted to play in the 36 hole event. I thought about it and said Ok.
Fast forward to Saturday 18th October and I crawled out of bed at 6.15, got dressed, breakfasted, loaded the car with food and drink for the day, buggy is already loaded, and leave for the golf club just after 7am. Get to the club and unload the buggy and then load everything on it. 7.45 I am ready for the 8.00am tee off. I get up to the tee block to find we are the fourth group to tee off and had another half hour to wait.
I got may score card out of the printer and saw I have gone out to an 18 handicap (shot a hole). That is the highest handicap I have had for over 20 years, which just goes to show how much rubbish golf I have been playing. We teed off at 8.15am for our first 18 holes. Jason is on a 9 handicap and is a good player. We really combined well for the first 18 and were in third place. A good second 18 and we would have a chance. We both faded down the stretch. Where we had been getting birdies and pars in the 1st 18 we were now getting bogeys and worse. We ended up 11th out of 15.
Post mortem time.
That is the first 36 hole event I have played in for quite a few years. Physical problems have stopped me even thinking about it. But the little red buggy has given me the confidence to give it a go. Good Kiwi spirit. The buggy got round the 36 holes without any problems. Not so me. I got round the first 24 holes feeling Ok. After that the body started going down hill. The last four holes I had to get the other players to put the marker behind my ball as I could no longer bend over far enough to do it myself. By the time I finished 36 holes I was a basket case. I wont be doing that again in a hurry.
The Little Red Buggy That Could 22/10/2025
Following on from last Saturdays 36 hole event, I moved on to Wednesdays events. Again there were the two competitions in play, Oscars and Duckhook. I used the $10 winnings from the previous week to pay for the entry fees for this week. Saddled up the buggy, gathered up the other three players for the group and off we went.
The way the day went I have to agree with Dot Bray that what I needed was a bit of time on the course to start playing better.
I had a very good consistent day. Though to be fair the, front nine was a bit rocky. I only scored points on seven out of nine holes for 20 points. A very good return. The back nine I scored on every hole but only ended up with 19 points. The back nine lacked some of the magical shots of the front nine.
A total of 39 was a good score, and cost me 1.3 shots off my handicap. I left the club house with my score top of both competitions and by the time I got home I had been demoted to second. That second place held and I was pleased with that. 2nd in both comps gave me a return of $35.
Duckhook has a jackpot competition for the six par threes where if you birdie one of the par 3's you go into a draw to win the jackpot. Two of us had birdies, Jacko on the 2nd and me on the 8th. The numbers of the six par 3's are put in a bag, shaken up, and one number drawn out. If it is one of the holes that was birdied that day you win the jackpot. The jackpot is over $100 at present so well worth winning. The jackpot hole had not been drawn by the time I left. I had a message from Alan Farrel asking if I had won the Jackpot. He was more excited than me to find out if I had won. I messaged one of the organisers who messaged back "Jackpot not struck". Disappointing.
