100 HOLE CHALLENGE

Waiting in the car park of Ross on Wye Golf Club at 330am Saturday 23 June, I began to wonder about the sanity of the task ahead.

It began a few months ago when my friend became Lady Captain and thought it would be a great idea to play 5 rounds of golf for her chosen charity, Guide Dogs.  Somewhere along the line 5 rounds changed into 100 holes, as it has a ‘nicer sound about it’!  Myself and two other ladies were approached and asked if we wanted to take on this challenge, bizarrely, we all said yes.

A few weeks ago, we started to think about what we’d actually said yes to.  With little training, except one of us who goes on holiday to walk 130 miles!, I'm sure we were all secretly thinking we might be the weakest link, maybe that’s what kept us going?

Kerry at silly o'clock

It was 10 degrees centigrade at 4am, dawn broke with birds singing their little hearts out, LC took a drive to test the water-no one saw where it went, so we waited a bit longer, probably about 2 minutes as we were getting restless and wanting to get on with it.  Then LC took another shot and whether we saw it or not, we were off- in two balls.  Stroke play for a medal is a real mind game, but as we were pretty buoyant and up for the challenge, no one really thought about the format, we just did it.

12th hole par 3

For those of you that haven’t played the fantastic Ross-on-Wye, you won’t know that there are plenty of trees lining the fairways, the first is one such hole, and whilst it seemed pitch black as we drove those first balls, once we walked 500 yards to our drive (yeah right!) it seemed much lighter for just being out of the trees.  Rob and his green keeping staff at Ross should take all the credit for the course- it is in very good condition.

We played 2 rounds of 18 holes and 4 rounds of 16 holes.  After 36 holes, non-stop-mainly because the club house wasn’t open and wee stops weren’t tempting us away from our task – why is it when you see a toilet or think about it, you just have to go?  We played 36 holes in 5 hours, chatting, laughing and generally having a good time; with the odd good shot of golf thrown in for good measure.  The wonderfully flexibly (and great food too) caterers provided us with bacon sandwiches after 36 holes, but I was running on adrenaline and really didn’t feel like it, so halving with my caddy I felt sufficiently nourished, to be honest though once Id started eating, it hit the spot.

Kerry taking on nourishment and two great
caddies  Dinah and Mo-nick named DynaMo

Amanda and Julia (Caddy)

We were extremely lucky to have a steady stream of caddies to help along the way; supplying their trollies and batteries as needed; although we did sort ourselves out for the first round, as we didn't think it was fair to ask the ladies to do the 4am shift! Tim and his staff in the Pro-shop was amazing, he was supporting and gently reminding people of our challenge.

On the third round we found we were having to share the course with early bird golfers, or lovingly called ‘the worms’ at Ross (lovingly as my hubbie is one of them!)  They were fantastic, they stopped what they were doing, stepped aside and let us play through offering tons of encouragement along the way.  There was a real sense of camaraderie, just as it should be whether its men or women playing, it’s all about supporting each other and appreciating the task undertaken-those few words of encouragement go such a long way, and make you feel great and get you ready to play the next few holes.  Some of us- ok me, performed to an audience of men well – but there was something quite weird about your husband waving you through whilst he stood aside on the 10^th green on our third round – gladly I didn’t mess up my shot and walked away with a par, as did my partner.

It’s amazing when you don’t have time to mess about, thinking about what to do, where to put the shot, which club to play, what’s for dinner and everything else that goes through your mind when playing golf; how well one plays.

Another ball away

My playing partner, Kerry, played out of her skin, she’s a good golfers anyway (11 handicap) but being an all-round good egg helped too, she rarely wavered from her goal of getting the job done.   It’s a good test of a friendship; you really need your friends when you take on such a challenge.

left to right: Amanda, Kerry, Me, Helen

Helen (6 handicap) and Amanda (LC and 11 handicap) played together in two balls for the first 5 rounds, as did Kerry and I, but on the final 6^th rounds we played as a four ball, which was nice as we hadn't played with Amanda or Helen all day. The support from the caddies, spectators and everyone else throughout the day was inspiring, some of the early bird caddies even came back and walked around the course with us for the final round, along with a number of spectators.  Whooping and hollering when a shot was taken and sympathetic arrhhs when bad shots were hit (we did have a few by the final round!)  In short, they carried us through those final holes.

With a spring in our steps we bounced along to the final hole, where it was decided we’d all tee off at the same time – scary stuff.  A bit like at the driving range without the partitions!

16th/100th hole-final drive in unison

But we all hit solid golf balls, despite it being our 100^th tee shot, and all landed fairly close to each other with a good second shot to the green.  Naturally we all hit a different ball, obviously we were very tired, but to have four balls in play, and in a good position just goes to show how we were enjoying ourselves.

When the final hole had been played there was lots of clapping, kissing and cheering – it was like playing in a major –what an amazing atmosphere.

Then to the bar..........

Me-Sarah

Kerry

Helen

Some useful stats

With varying handicaps and playing 2 x 18’s and then 4 x 16’s these are pretty rough stats:

The gross taken ranged from 483 to 553, so we averaged 503 shots per 100 holes each.

Kerry got the best gross score, and I got the best net score.

What is really strange- the gross score for all four of us is 2012

And finally- Amanda (Lady Captain, Ross on Wye GC 2012)

Cristie Kerr Round 1 Interview from the 2012 Wegmans LPGA Championship

Tips For Beginning Lady Golfers.

Tips For Beginning Lady Golfers.

 Here is some basic information you should know before embarking out on the course:
 ON THE TEE:

Tee up between the tee markers. You can place your tee anywhere between the markers and as far as 2 club lengths behind the markers. You cannot tee up in front of the markers and you cannot move the markers.
    Hint:  Don't just place your ball in the middle of the markers...use the whole tee box to your advantage.  If there's trouble on the left, tee the ball on the left, since it's easier to aim the other way.  And find a flat spot to tee your ball, so you'll be more level.  You can stand outside the tee markers when teeing off as long as your ball is within the markers. 
    Keep an eye on the people ahead of you.  Don't tee off until you know they are out of your hitting distance. 
    Keep clear of whoever is ready to tee off and stay out of their line of sight and out of their peripheral vision.
    Be still and quiet until the person tees off. 
    Before teeing off, look at the layout of the hole...where do you see trees, bunkers, water, out-of-bounds areas, etc.  Align yourself and the ball to stay away from trouble as much as possible.
    If the fairway slopes, aim your shot toward the higher side since the ball will tend to roll to the lower side.
    Once everyone tees off, head toward your ball but stay behind the ball of the person who is the first to hit the next shot.
     NOTE:  You may tee off at any of the marked tees, but most beginners use the forward tees.  Some courses have "family tees", usually placed halfway down the fairway.  These can be used by anyone who has a difficult time getting to the green in regulation and they help to keep up the pace of play.

ON THE FAIRWAY: 
    The person furthest from the hole hits first.  Proceed this way until everyone is on the green.  Again, be sure to remain behind the person hitting as you move down the fairway. 
    Keep an eye on the people ahead of you...don't hit until they are out of your hitting distance range.

ON THE GREEN: 
    Notice where everyone's ball is lying and make sure you do not walk or stand on their putting line.
    Mark where your ball is with a ball marker or small coin and pick your ball up.  Be sure to put your marker behind the ball. 
    Do not stand in the putter's line of sight or peripheral vision while he/she putts.  Don't let your shadow get in the way either. 
    The person furthest from the hole putts first.  Proceed this way until everyone holes out.

Reading the Green:
    From where your ball sits on the green, look at whether the path to the hole is flat, uphill, downhill, slanting left, slanting right, or a combination of all those features.  It's a good idea to get as close to ball level with your eyes so you can see the true path the ball will take.  Then imagine pouring a bucket of water on the green from where your ball lies...which way would the water move and in what direction?  What direction would the water move at the hole?  Picturing that image can help you determine where to aim your putt to get the ball close to or in the hole.  The speed at which you putt your ball is very important as well as how fast or slow the green is.  The harder you putt your ball, the faster it goes and will usually roll through any breaks on the green.  The softer you putt, the more your ball will catch the break.  How the green is cut will also determine whether the green is fast or slow for you.  A close cut green tends to be fast so the ball will tend to roll much farther than you think.  It's a good idea to practice putting before you play your round to get a feel for how the greens are that day.  Putting is where you can eliminate a lot of strokes off your game and is much easier to practice than working on your full swing.  Remember that a putt, which is only a few inches from the hole, counts as a stroke just as much as the 200 yard drive you made at the tee box.

Tending the Flag:    The person closest to the hole can tend the flag for everyone else.  Ask the person putting if he/she needs the flag.  If he/she does, keep the flag in the hole and pull it out after the person putts the ball.  If not, carefully lay the flag down on the green, making sure it won't interfere with anyone else's putt.  While tending the flag, make sure to stand where you cause the least interference for the person putting and to stand very still.  Make note of your shadow too...don't let it fall over the hole.  When replacing the flag be sure it's fully in the hole and stands straight.  A person whose ball is on the fringe of the green has the option of having the flag remain in the hole or having it removed.  Ask what his/her preference is.

COURSE MANAGEMENT 

Keeping Up    As you play, you need to keep up with the group in front of you.  As soon as they are out of your driving distance, start teeing off.  As soon as they are out of your fairway hitting distance, proceed to your ball and hit.  As soon as they have cleared the green, hit your ball toward the hole. 

Playing Through    If your group gets a hole behind the group in front and the group behind you is hitting close, you can let the group behind you play through.  This is usually done at a par 3:  your group waits for the group behind you to tee off first.  Once that group is on the green, usually they will mark their balls and wave you to tee off.  After your group has teed off, they proceed to hole out and contiinue on to the next hole.  Your group proceeds to finish the par 3.

Ready Golf    It's a good idea to play ready golf...that means to be ready to hit your ball when it's your turn.  Be aware of your golf mates as you play hole to hole.  See where their balls are and notice where yours is.  Are you the first to hit?  If so, start looking where you're going to aim your ball, line yourself up, and follow your hitting procedures.  After hitting, look to see where the next person to hit is and then start heading for your ball for your next shot.  Continue in this way for all the holes you play.  You'll get used to hitting your ball, seeing where it lands, looking out for your partners, seeing where their ball goes, and get in a rhythm that keeps the game moving along with everyone having fun.

MORE TIPS

• Lessons or no lessons?  To get the basic fundamentals of the game, it's a good idea to start out right and get lessons from a pro.  They will teach you the grip, stance, posture, backswing, and forwardswing properly so that you can work on correcting any problems.  You can check on whether a nearby golf course offers group lessons as well.  You won't have as much indivdual attention as in a private lesson, but you'll be among others beginning in golf and will be able to work on the same fundamentals together.  It's also an opportunity to build relationships and  friendships among people with whom you can golf.
• Do you feel you don't want to go to the course alone but you have no one to go with?  Try golfing early morning when most people are still asleep.  You will be able to play alone, work out any golfing problems, and you won't have anyone looking over your shoulder making you nervous.  And the best thing is that you can take as many swings as you want without holding anyone else back.
• What are those 2 numbers?  Courses list 2 numbers somewhere on the scorecard such as 66.0/113.  The first number is the course rating and the second is the slope rating.  These 2 numbers are calculated in a formula which gives a player a handicap number.  When you are ready to post your scores, you'll need to know these numbers.
• What's that number?  Some courses have yardage markers on the fairway for each hole.  The markers indicate the distance from that point to the middle of the green.  The markers may be actual ones laid out across the fairway or they can be part of the sprinklerheads.  The markers are located in various spots down the fairway and can help you determine which club to use to get to the green.
• Rough, fairway, fringe, green...what's the difference?  The rough is the grass that is not maintained.  It's free to grow quite tall and can be very tough to get your ball out.  You want to avoid going into the rough at all times.  The fairway is the area of the course that is mowed down so that you can hit your ball without too much grass getting caught between the ball and your club.  You want to stay within the bounds of the fairway as you advance your ball.  The fringe is the grass surrounding the green.  It's maintained but is not quite as manicured as the green.  If your ball lands on the fringe, you have the option to chip or putt onto the green.  You also have the option to have the flag pulled from or left in the hole.  The green is the welcome mat for any golfer, but it can be the toughest area to get through.  It's closely cut so that the ball can get a smooth roll to the hole.  However, it can be undulating in various directions, which makes putting the hardest part of golf.
• Keeping track of your game:  As you play each hole, jot down for each hole you play, whether you hit or miss the fairway, the number of strokes it took you to get to the green and the number of putts you took to get the ball into the hole. By looking at the results, it will help you focus on what you need to improve on to lower your scores.