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I played in a family four ball yesterday at a beautiful course, Carton House, near Dublin, where they have hosted the Irish Open. It was my dad's 80th birthday present, we got him a gift card for him and my mum to stay at the resort. Their three sons, me included, traveled down early on Sunday morning to meet for our annual golf match. He's getting old now so not many more games like this left I guess. Anyway we have been playing the same format for ~ the last 25 years or so. My younger brother and I playing my dad and my older brother. We also play side-bet matches against each other and it's ultra-competitive, with lots of slagging / wind-ups, sibling rivalry on steriods.
It was a very windy day but the standard of golf was quite good considering. My older brother played the front nine in +2 playing off a 12 index. My dad was getting a shot per hole and he came into his own with a few pars, including holing a +50ft monster putt on one hole, which gave us all a great kick, high fives all round. That put them 4 up in our match. In fact they were 4 up with 5 to play. I won the 14th, a par three with a par, to lie 3 down with four to play. We came to the feature hole on the course, a par five over water, it was playing about 465 yards off a forward tee. We both hit good drives which put the green in range, although it was into the wind. I reckon I had a carry of 225 over the water into a breeze. There was a simple lay-up option leaving a wedge to the green or a "all or nothing" shot. I was giving them a stroke so figured I needed to gamble for a birdie. We had to wait for ages as the group ahead messed about, I think all of them found the water at some point, so I was standing over my shot for almost 10 minutes.
I then proceeded to hit it a little thin and watched in agony as it failed to carry, splashing down in the water. Agggggghhhhh! I had the choice to drop up near the green for a straight forward 4th. But thinking the match was gone, I said in my best Roy McEvoy voice "Fxxx it, I got that shot!!" I reached for another ball and dropped it leaving myself the same shot. This time I connected beautifully and watched it sail towards the green carrying up to the flag and just running off on onto a slope into the fringe about 20ft above the pin.
My brother went with a four iron but took about half of Ireland with his fat attempt, hitting it only about 70 yards. That was a funny moment. He then hit his third beside mine and chipped down to about 4 feet. I needed to hole my chip to have any chance, and I removed the pin. With total focus and pig-headedness I holed it, "willing it into the hole" and he then missed. He had a shot so we halved the hole. I went on win the last three holes to salvage a halved match!! We only play for ÂŁ1 but the money means nothing, I knew I had wounded him!! LOL!
We then met with my mum after the golf and had dinner. A great day out, one to remember for sure!
btw that's me highlighting the card of the turning point in the match.
It was a very windy day but the standard of golf was quite good considering. My older brother played the front nine in +2 playing off a 12 index. My dad was getting a shot per hole and he came into his own with a few pars, including holing a +50ft monster putt on one hole, which gave us all a great kick, high fives all round. That put them 4 up in our match. In fact they were 4 up with 5 to play. I won the 14th, a par three with a par, to lie 3 down with four to play. We came to the feature hole on the course, a par five over water, it was playing about 465 yards off a forward tee. We both hit good drives which put the green in range, although it was into the wind. I reckon I had a carry of 225 over the water into a breeze. There was a simple lay-up option leaving a wedge to the green or a "all or nothing" shot. I was giving them a stroke so figured I needed to gamble for a birdie. We had to wait for ages as the group ahead messed about, I think all of them found the water at some point, so I was standing over my shot for almost 10 minutes.
I then proceeded to hit it a little thin and watched in agony as it failed to carry, splashing down in the water. Agggggghhhhh! I had the choice to drop up near the green for a straight forward 4th. But thinking the match was gone, I said in my best Roy McEvoy voice "Fxxx it, I got that shot!!" I reached for another ball and dropped it leaving myself the same shot. This time I connected beautifully and watched it sail towards the green carrying up to the flag and just running off on onto a slope into the fringe about 20ft above the pin.
My brother went with a four iron but took about half of Ireland with his fat attempt, hitting it only about 70 yards. That was a funny moment. He then hit his third beside mine and chipped down to about 4 feet. I needed to hole my chip to have any chance, and I removed the pin. With total focus and pig-headedness I holed it, "willing it into the hole" and he then missed. He had a shot so we halved the hole. I went on win the last three holes to salvage a halved match!! We only play for ÂŁ1 but the money means nothing, I knew I had wounded him!! LOL!
We then met with my mum after the golf and had dinner. A great day out, one to remember for sure!
btw that's me highlighting the card of the turning point in the match.
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