Bad golf luck this year!


It’s not a secret: I play a lot less than I wished! There were years when I played one round a week, from April to October. There were years when I played a little less but still enough to keep up with my game, not lose the touch around the green and kept my swing path for the long distance shots.

Then I came to England in 2011, thought it’s golf’s Mecca, everything will go in the right direction. Well, it didn’t. Without a car in this 14 million metropolis it’s a nightmare to get to courses. It takes ages, is overly complicated, exhausting and costs a fortune. As a matter of fact I had to reduce my number of rounds per year to a single digit number! I was heart broken. At least some corporate golf days enabled me to play some rounds – on weekdays, on beautiful courses, without the hassle of making sure I was allowed to play at some of these posh and classy London clubs.

This was last year. 2013 was supposed to become better. The weather was much nicer, I was willing to take some efforts and was again invited to some corporate golf days. It turned out it I was wrong with the big plan. First I couldn’t really find the time to do my planned UK golfing trips, neither Celtic Manor, nor The Belfry, not to mention the idea going to Scotland for Kingsbarns, Gleneagles and even St. Andrews. Lucky enough I managed to flee to Belek, Turkey for a full golfing week. That was brilliant golfing-wise. Other than that – take an educated guess – nothing!!

My office calendar went crazy during summer; I missed the client’s golf day invitation to The London Golf Club, missed the own golf day to The Grove and missed the other own golf day to St. George’s Hill. How stupid is that?!

I do really hope I find a solution for this situation – it’s just not bearable as it is right now. I’m looking forward to the Australia trip but I guess that’s it then for the year… a shame.

Players to watch in 2013

We’re in 2013 ladies and gents! Happy new year! Hope you had a smooth transition into the best golf season ever: the upcoming one! I hope you’ll fulfil your golfing dreams this year, I keep my fingers crossed for your support.

If you’re as well a pro golf maniac like me, then you should keep an eye on these fellas next year! The pro tours will rock in 2013, believe me!!

Total (golf) frustration after 2012 season ending – a recap

Pretty early in the year, I realised that 2012 won’t work out the way I had hoped. I moved to the UK over a year ago, literally to the holy homeland of golf. And undoubtly there are plenty of golf courses in this country. Point is, only few are in or just outside of London. And secondly, the courses you find around London are really posh country clubs that either charge you a fortune for green fee or don’t at all accept guests to play a round.

I don’t own a car (well to be precise, I do own a car, but my girlfriend is using it in Germany) hence I have no possibility to reach remotely located golf clubs without any problems. I was lucky enough to attend two corporate golf days this year, but you can’t imagine how long it took to get there: carrying the bag to the DLR station (Docklands Light Railway), change into the  Tube, change into Overland train, change into proper national rail train and then finally change into taxi for another 15 to 20 minutes ride to the course. That’s really exhausting, believe me!

Truth be told I only played 8 and a half rounds this year!!… Think about that! Or better don’t because it’s really embarrassing! This definitely has to improve next year, and I still hope it will because lately I met some people that are able and willing to play, I think they just have to be pushed a bit and then it’s possible to get a 4-ball together and enjoy this beautiful sport on a more or less regular basis (and they have cars, which is extremely important as I mentioned).

To set the 8.5 rounds in 2012 into context:

The only tournament I played was that one round in Idstein, Germany where I – believe it or not – played ok-ish and managed to earn 39 stableford points and got to a handicap of 16.2.

The rest is history and I try to forget this year as quick as I can. The experiences I earned on the other hand, I don’t want to miss them either; the rounds in Dubai, the rounds at the Grove or the London Golf Club, seeing Pebble Beach and parts of Cypress Point, being spectator at the Olympic Club in San Francisco for the US Open… all this was very special, including having bought my new set of clubs. If you look at my play and rounds in sum though… well, just can get better next year!

Wishing you all a lovely christmas time, some golf gimmicks under the tree and a happy new year! All the best for you!