4: Golf

The most important shot in golf... is your next...

I have played a lot of golf in my time but never to a very good standard. During the summer golf is a great way to get outside, enjoy the sunshine and spend time with Dad. He used to be a very good amateur golfer back in the day, playing every Sunday with my grandfather. So it gave him a lot of joy to connect with his sons through golf. I set this Challenge because never in my 10+ years of playing have I got a par. Crazy right? Anyway, it was a challenge that I knew wouldn’t come easy, but with persistence I could get there. There was always mini-golf too if the challenge was taking too long.

Game 1

We played our first game at the Oakleigh Golf Course, a 10-minute drive form my house. I take my clubs and gear up for the very first tee-off. I take out the big Dooda-Wacky, place my tee in the grass and steady myself. Dad watches on from the side, not giving me any advice yet but patiently waiting to see how I would hit my first ball. I draw my swing back and make good contact with the ball. I look up and see that the ball went at complete right angles, over the stream to the right of the fairway and into the water. Dad just shook his head and said “this is going to be a long Challenge”. In that first hole I lost 4 balls into the water, and didn’t hit it much better for the rest of the day.

Game 2

After each shot that I took Dad would say things like “look at my swing, I’ll show you how it’s done” or “just imagine the ball going into the hole” or “I’ll pay for you to get some lessons if you like”. Each new iteration of that shot was shite that dad would come up with was less helpful than the last. I finished the day hitting a few good shots but nothing that would bring me close to that elusive par. Looks like we’ll be back again for game 3.

Game 3

This next game Dad and I approached my swing from a different angle. I took a few practice swings at the first T and Dad noticed that I didn’t cock my wrists. This helped for a while, and on the 4th Tee I hit a perfect 8 iron just shy of the green. My next chip shot (which I did with the 7 iron) brought me within 2.5 meters of putting for par. This was my chance. I steady myself, drew the putter back and hit. But like my hopes and dreams of getting a par the ball quickly sailed passed the hole and into the bunker. I was getting closer, but not close enough.

Game 4

We played this game early on a Tuesday morning that I had off work. To help me practice each hole I would play 2 balls, with my first ball counting for the Challenge. On the 3rd hole and I fluked an incredible saving chip with my second ball to bring me just 1.5 meters from the hole for par. With no pressure, as it didn’t count at all for the challenge, I sunk ball. Although it didn’t count I built some confidence knowing that this was something I could actually achieve.

Game 5

Not my best game. I lost 5 balls on the first hole and I think I was still hung over from the previous night’s rave. The next piece of advice that Dad gave me was to hold the club lower down the stick to give me a bit more control over my swing. This actually helped me to make good connection on my T-shots but I was still struggling with the slice.

Game 6

I remember this game because it was a perfectly sunny Sunday afternoon. On the 4th Tee I hit a sweet 8 iron onto the green, with about a 10 meter putt to the hole. I absolute shanked the putt and ended up getting about 7 or 8 for what was my most promising chance in 2 weeks. Even though I was getting frustrated at this point it was still really fun to just hang out with dad on a nice Sunday afternoon. It didn’t help that I jammed my finger in the door on the way home. Maybe golf was just not my sport.

We decided to have a short break from golf to go to the driving range a practice. It was here that dad gave me the advice to keep my left arm straight through the swing. This made a huge difference. I was hitting every ball straight as an arrow. Drivers, irons, even the dreaded pitching wedge went straight. I was onto something.

Game 7

In this game 7 I wanted to try my new “left arm stiff” tactic, but for the first few holes I think I forgot about the other deficiencies in my game (cock wrists and holding lower down on the club) but on the 5th hole it all came together. I hit a perfect 9 iron 2 meters from the hole. I was on; I had 2 chances to sink an easy putt! I lined up my first shot and it sailed way past the hole, I blew the first chance, but I could still redeem it with a good 3 meter putt. Stuffed it, again. I could see the disappointment in Dad’s eyes like his son would never get this challenge. All I said was “hey, looks like we are playing golf again next week, how bad is that??”.

Game 8

My great uncle Allen had come down from England to visit the family and after telling him about the 50 Challenges initiative over dinner he insisted that he help me with one. I wasn’t about to go salsa dancing with him so we booked a round at Burnley golf course for the next day. This was a harder course with longer holes, my driving wasn’t great so I struggled at the start but there was some easier par 3s at the back of the course. On the very last hole I hit a nice shot just shy of the green, followed up by a decent chip leaving me with a 3 meter putt for glory. Missed it by a bee’s dick. Even though I missed the shot I left it on a high, knowing I was getting closer.

Game 9

I didn’t play golf for the next month or so as I was busy with university work and job hunting. Nothing spectacular about this game but on the last couple of holes dad found out the last piece of the puzzle for my game. Swivel the hips. I hit some nice shots towards the back of the course but nothing to get too excited about.

Game 10

Overall this was my worst game. I was hunger over, frustrated and annoyed at myself that I couldn’t get a stupid par. I tried to put together all of the tips: swivel the hips, left arm straight, lower on the club and cock the wrist. But nothing was working. I was ready to switch to mini-golf.

Game 11

By game 11 I was ready to play some minigolf. I relaxed and on my first few holes I was hitting some nice shots. Even on the very first hole, the most difficult on the course, I was a chance for a par. It eventually got to hole 9 and I still hadn’t got my par. I was quite deflated knowing that this was one of the hardest holes on the course (175m par 3). I pulled back my driver, concentrated on swivelling my hips, cocking my wrists, keeping my left arm stiff and imaging the ball going into the hole. It was the best shot I hit in my life, I was 5 meters from the hole! The first putt I hit short, I didn’t want to overshoot and blow another perfect chance. The second putt was about 1 meter from the hole and there was nothing better than hearing that ball sink! On the 99th attempt I had done it. I had scored a par!