July Golf Report

It has taken me a while to put the words together for this update, but I trust you will recognize how difficult it can be to recount such a month of being trounced on the golf course. With a record in July of one solitary win and three staggering losses, I can take solace only in the certainty that my game has plenty of room for improvement. And in the knowledge that I’ll be getting more strokes in future matches.

My first round of the month was at Dubai, under the lights, in a match against the well-practiced superintendent of The Tiger Woods Dubai, Cameron Thompson. I made the first birdie in the match and got off to an early lead but could not withstand his relentless string of pars and birdies on the closing holes. Record as of 8 July, 0-1.

My record fell to 0-2 with a shocking defeat at the Castle Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. The course is a difficult one and my opponents on the day avoided its hazards while I both found the hazards and found my mind wandering to the adjacent Fife Coastal Path more than to the challenging shots at hand. I was thrilled, then, to finally win a match, which I accomplished at Bramshaw Golf Club in Hampshire (pictured above). I made three birdies in the first seven holes and went on to win the match, against ecologist Lee Penrose of STRI, with surprising ease. One wonders whether my daring outfit of Thaniya shorts, white socks, and black shoes didn’t throw him off his game?

When I stepped onto the tee at Minchinhampton GC in Gloucestershire the next day, I was naturally confident that I could bring my record for the month back to even. I can’t blame the cows for my poor play. The livestock were, if anything, inspiring.

But I lost the match, bringing my record for the month to 1-3, and retired to the pub for a pint of Black Rat cider and a strategic evaluation of my plan for upcoming matches. This quiet pub had well-considered signage and made for a comfortable place to douse my month of losing.

As I write this, I have already played one match in August, and although I will not be so bold as to claim a victory, I can say that I have not yet lost a match this month. With a couple more fixtures on my calendar before the 31^st, and with one trip to the practice range already accomplished, my return to winning form seems right around the corner.