Medal and Gatton Away

So Saturday started OK. I got up and it was dry, but the forecast was for rain from 10:00. Oh well the good news it is a medal and I am now out in the first group with my new handicap of 7.4 :-). I am not sure how many of you have noticed but I think it is a great sign of how well things are going is the time you get to play in the Medals, and I am out in the first group again next week too, so lets hope it continues. So up at the club at 7:00 for a quick few balls on the range as I have not played since Wednesday (a round after work at Forest Hills in Coleford, Forest of Dean, where I shot 6 over). I was out with Paul McHale and Nick Baker, so a chance to impress the Captain of the Scratch team is always good. All started well and I was 3 over after nine, but the predicted rain started on the back nine and I ended up putting my waterproofs on after my birdie on the 13th to keep me at 4 over. So 4 over, playing the 14th and it was all looking good, but maybe the waterproofs were the problem. I started with my tee shot in the water on the right, my third after the drop ended up in the deep rough on the left 200 yards from the green but I did manage to hit this out the greenside bunker. So in the bunker for 4 and my thoughts were I can either put this in or close and make a six. I then played my 5th shot from still in the bunker and my 6th just got out. My 7th was a chip that went a little long, my 8th a Putt that went 8 ft past? my 9th a putt that missed again and my 10th finally went in the hole. So 4 over after 13, 9 over after 14, I seem to think, I now officially hate the 14th hole. I ended up with an 83, net 76, and as my 10 only counted as and 8 for Handicap I managed to keep my 7.4 for at least one more comp.
I and Paul M (who shot a good 76) did manage a 2 each so at least I had won some money, but when I checked the results I noticed there was 5 of us who had got 2's and one of these was on the 13th. After some investigation I found out Neil Dann had and I quote "Hit his drive to about 30 Yards short of the pin - flopped a wedge onto the top of the green and it rolled slowly down to the pin - poetry" so congratulations on a great eagle.
On Sunday we had our match against Gatton Manor. It is great this year as last year I had to organise all the teams and this year Richard Kindon does it all and all I have to do is turn up, play, have a drink and something eat, say a few words, and go home. Today I played with Paul McHale and so we were giving away a few shots (8 and 13 plus 2 for me). We started well and over time we made it the 15th Tee, 2 up, with Paul 2 over gross and me 3 over gross. Then it went horribly wrong and we lost the next 3 holes and ended up standing on the 18th tee one down. Luckily our opposition hit both there shots left, but then Paul and I hit both of ours right. (they were both lefties and are both righties so all slices). We did end up winning this hole but only after our opposition managed to miss a four foot putt for a half to win the match. But I think that was a fair result and we all had times when we played well. Int he end we lost a very close match 2.5-3.5 but we can pull this around when they come to see us in October.
Tomorrow is the Bader Cup lets hope the weather continues as it was today.