Unexpected round!!!!

G'day folks. I had an unexpected round of golf this evening. Not only was it a gross 66 (my lowest gross score ever!), but it was the first time I've completed a round of golf without making a bogey. I am completely 110% buzzing this evening. I don't know where it came from but at least for tonight I feel like king of the world. I learned a lot about my game too and that I can trust my swing to produce results under pressure. Provided I give each shot due care and attention, I have now (through much trial and error) developed a swing that works under pressure. All I have to do is trust it and this is where I have had problems. Any golf swing that can produce a bogey free round must be pretty good, NO??!

Apologies to non golf readers but for my own indulgement, and so I can read back on this in the future for confidence, here is perhaps the most solid round of golf I have ever played:

1st hole - 294 yard par 4. I hit a 6 iron just short left of the green (its very downhill) and chipped on with a lob wedge to about 8 feet but missed the putt. PAR.

2nd hole - 433 yard par 4. I hit a 3 wood slightly fat down the right side into the semi rough. I had about 170 yards left and hit a solid 6 iron to about 20 feet right of the hole and two putted. PAR.

3rd hole - 491 yard par 5. Hit a great drive down the middle and had about 220 left. Hit a very solid 3 wood to about 15 feet and then from there 2 putted for a BIRDIE to go -1.

4th hole - 479 yard par 5. Hit another good drive down the right middle of the fairway. Considered hitting a deck driver but ended up hitting a 3 wood just short left in the rough. From there I hit a great flopshot to about 12 feet but missed the putt. PAR.

5th hole - 163 yard par 3. I hit a low running 5 iron to skip it up the bank at the front of the green which I did and it made it on to the front edge (just!). From there about 15 feet I 2 putted for PAR.

6th hole - 315 yard par 4. Hit a bad push with the 3 wood in to the rough (by far my worst swing of the round). From about 100 yards in the rough I hacked a wedge out to about 6 feet and made the putt for BIRDIE to go -2.

7th hole - 156 yard par 3. I hit a nice solid 7 iron to about 10 feet pin-high right of the hole and hit a poor putt for birdie. Missed it right. PAR.

8th hole - 341 yard par 4. Smashed a driver down there about 15 yards short of the green and hit a lob wedge to about 10 feet but missed the putt. PAR.

9th hole - 240 yard par 3. My shot of the round: hit a lovely 5 wood that didnt leave the flag and ended up about 20 feet away from where I 2putted for PAR. Front nine score of 33 (-2).

10th hole - 312 yard par 4. Hit a 3 wood down the right on to the 16th fairway for a better line in. From the hit gap wedge to back fringe and about a 15 foot birdie putt. 2 putted for PAR.

11th hole - 122 yard par 3. Hit a soft 9 iron to the back of the green about 25 feet away. Lipped out the birdie putt and tapped in for PAR.

12th hole - 423 yard par 4. This was a good escape. I pushed a driver down the right in to the semi rough but got an awful lie. Hacked a 7 iron up to just shot of the green and chipped from there to about 2 feet and holed the putt to save PAR.

13th hole - 422 yard par 4. Hit a nice drive down the middle and hit a nice wedge to about 10 feet. Hit a great putt but it just missed the right edge. PAR.

14th hole - 348 par 4. Hit a 3 wood in the light rough on the right side. Hit a 9 iron from there to about 12 feet. Lipped the putt out and got a tad flustered as I was now very keen to make another birdie. PAR.

15th hole - 120 yard par 3. Hit a nice soft gap wedge to about 10 feet but a badly misread putt didn't even look like going in. PAR AGAIN!!!

16th hole - 399 yard par 4. Hit a beautiful 3 wood right down the middle and hit a nice 8 iron to about 10 feet again but missed the putt AGAIN!! PAR. God this round could have great if I could putt!!

17th hole - 302 yard par 4. Hit a good driver up about 20 yards short of the green. For the first time I lost concentration and duffed my lob wedge shot just short of the green but amazingly from there I chipped in for a birdie! That sums up golf. All those birdie chances missed and then when I miss a green I chip the thing in for a BIRDIE to go -3 for the round.

18th hole - 358 yard par 4. Hit a lovely drive to about 80 yards short of the green and hit a gap wedge to about 20 feet from where I 2 putted for par and my round of 66.

This is a very important round for me. Thankfully I have now broke par for the first time this year but to go a round without a bogey was a big goal of mine and I derive an awful lot of confidence from having done this! That's why I wrote it down - I know in future when I get down on golf I can look back on this with a smile and it may just help me.

Sorry if this has bored any of the people who read this blog regularly but my golf is very important to me and things like today especially are a big landmark in my career!!! All I have to now is break 60 ;)

Ciao.....