The summer season, out with a whimper, not a banger

Well, that's the summer season over. I've played virtually every weeekend competition, won the Challenge Cup and come down by 10 from 24 to 14; Julie has played all year, got her handicap, reduced it from 36 to 31 and we have a fine silver plated candelabrum on the sideboard to prove it. Peter has played for the junior team, representing them at two of the finest courses in the midlands. I've played with some extremely nice blokes, had some good arguments, learnt a huge amount about the game and how it is played, thoroughly immersed myself in golf. That was the summer that was.

Saturday was the traditional season closer, the Turkey Medal. The prizes were not of money or pro shop vouchers but of meat vouchers for the local butcher, including the top prize of a Christmas turkey. Well, didn't really get close. Actually really a long, long way away from close. If you must know, I shot 95 for 95th place... Peter played too and had a nightmare of 107 for 99th. We were both just above the N/R's. Conditions were foul, but that's no excuse. Rubbish.

Needless to say, played again on Sunday, just nine holes and was under par. That's golf, I suppose. Julie had another birdie. That's three in the last couple of weeks, after not having had one before.

Before that, I was in the team for the Alliance match at Wollaton Park. That was interesting - Wollaton is a Nottinghamshire stately home, and the course runs through the deer park. I'd never played there before, but Peter had and told me that you get quite close to the deer. He wasn't kidding! The deer are rutting, and several times we had to wait for the stags to stop bellowing at each other and get off the fairway. It's the only course I've played where there is a local rule that you can ment hoofprints on the greens. Tee to green I played single figure golf. Hit every fairway apart from one and was great. On the greens I was rubbish. 33 points anyway, should have been 36 or 37, but there are lots of should haves in golf.

Bring on the winter. I probably won't post as often through the winter, as the competitions are more casual and none are 'qualifiers'. Hope you have enjoyed reading it so far.