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Scotsman
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Golf is so difficult - and I'm not helping myself with an issue I'm surely not alone with
It's a hard enough game but even more so when you are getting in your own way too often Sign up to our Golf newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Even in my 61st year on this planet and swinging a golf club for the vast majority of that time, I still find playing the game so bloody frustrating. I'd set out this year determined to adopt a new attitude, particularly when playing in competitions, something I've made no secret that, unlike many others, I have never really liked. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad My main enjoyment when it comes to playing is being out on the course with my mates and particularly so in a fourball when there's a match taking place but, at the same time, it's just a bit of fun with lots of banter flying around. Getting the ball in the hole in medals is one of the biggest challenges for club golfers |I've grown to accept, though, that to get better you need to be able to get the ball in the hole for a full round and that is my main mission for 2025 in terms of the playing side of the sport. Completely by chance after coming across an old Mizuno driver and 3-wood in the back of my locker, I made a couple of equipment changes at the start of the year and felt pleased about the initial impact. With the driver, I wasn't spraying it around as much as I had been with the weapon that had been in my bag for the past couple of years while I was also really pleased with the 3-wood, especially off the tee. It had been discarded because I got to the stage where I felt I just couldn't hit off the deck, but, though still fearing a top, I've actually started to take that shot on again rather than relying on a 4-iron all the time and even the odd bash at a 3-iron. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was time to try something different with putting I also made another change for this year, which was deciding it was time to try something different for putting but that wasn't to ditch my Ping Anser, which is older than both of our daughters. Instead, I started to use a left below right grip for putts from ten feet and in and I have to say that seemed to be making a difference. Before the competition season got under way, I played 16 holes one day in two over, which was the best I'd managed for a long time, and so I headed into my first medal of the year at Aberdour, my home club, feeling somewhat optimistic. After ten holes, things were going along okay. I'd reached the turn in 39, six over, and started for home with a par. What happened thereafter probably tells you everything about how poor I appear to be when it comes to trying to overcome a bit of adversity on the golf course. A quadruple-bogey 8 at the 11th was followed by four successive double bogeys before another quadruple-bogey 8 at the 16th then a double to finish added up to a dreadful 52 coming home and net 80, one of the worst scores on the day. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Remember, it's the next shot that is the most important one,' said one of my playing partners in trying to hammer home that you simply can't be heading to the next tee feeling angry about a bad hole when that was clearly the case with me on this occasion and, as a consequence, then had a run of bad holes. Golf Correspondent Martin Dempster plays his golf at Aberdour on the Fife coast | Contributed My next medal outing came the day after arriving home from The Masters and not playing for a fortnight. On a similar occasion in the past, I was absolutely buzzing after being at Augusta National only to be left feeling totally deflated as I sent three balls in the Firth of Forth from the first tee and maybe even shanked one into the bushes as well. Ouch! Again, though, I was doing okay, having reached the turn in 37 this time and once again making a par at the short tenth. Though not necessarily stemming from a disaster at the 11th as a 6 went down on the card on this occasion, it was disappointing nonetheless to cover the final eight holes in 13 over and end up with 31 points, which at least left me in a less embarrassing position. Scotland's best golf courses Read our guide to Scotland's best golf courses Martin Dempster has covered golf in Scotland for 30 years. Sign up to his new newsletter guide to Scotland's best courses for top tips on how to play and how to plan the ultimate Scottish golf trip For some totally unbeknown reason, in a couple of media day outings thereafter I then started faffing around with the height of my tee with the driver and played dreadfully on both occasions, the penny not dropping until the 16th hole in the second of those outings that, for me anyway, it's a case of teeing it high and trying to let it fly. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad So, with my head feeling a bit clearer again, I set out in medal number three last week. Six straight bogeys to start may not sound too positive, but all of them could easily have been pars and the seventh is one of the easiest holes on our course. Not, however, when you find a greenside bunker, take three shots to get out and walk off with a quadruple-bogey 8. Yes, one of those again, prompting that same reminder from the same playing partner as my shoulders dropped and blood boiled inside my body on the walk to the next tee. It's mindset that really makes the difference On this occasion, I actually did a bit better in terms of trying to leave that setback behind me and would probably have walked off the course feeling relatively happy if it hadn't been for what happened on the 17th. My approach found a bunker and guess what instantly came into my mind? Yes, that mishap earlier in the round and, of course, I then ended up doing exactly the same thing again. For the record, it was an 88 on this occasion, which means that I am currently playing the golf of a 20-handicapper when I honestly believe it could be a single figure if I had the right mindset because, let's not kid ourselves, that's what really makes the difference at any level. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Press and Journal
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Shinty: Glasgow Mid Argyll hope to have Logan Adam back following ice hockey injury
Glasgow Mid Argyll open their Ferguson Transport & Shipping Balliemore Cup defence with a tough tie at Kilmallie. The Glasgow side hope to have Logan Adam back in their squad as the former Aberdour attacker, who is also a promising ice hockey player, has been missing since being on the wrong end of a heavy challenge which sent him crashing into the boards during the Fife Falcons' 3-2 Scottish Junior Cup final win over the Lightning Pirates last month. GMA boss Alan MacRae said: 'It will be good to get Logan back and Ryan Boyle is also available again. We're missing Craig Anderson though. 'Kilmallie have definitely hit some good form, scoring plenty goals, so they'll be dangerous opponents.' Kilmallie's Calum MacDougall goes in hunt of his 20th goal this season, and he said: 'We've a couple of guys unavailable through injury but otherwise, we've a strong squad. 'It was close when we played GMA earlier this season and given our recent results, we know we can score goals which is something we hope to carry into this weekend.' Glenurquhart host Col Glen, Bute welcome Inveraray and Oban Celtic meet Ardnamurchan. 2023 winners Lochaber received a bye as Kilmory were unable to field a team. Mowi Premiership leaders Kingussie host Kyles Athletic. Manager Iain Borthwick was without playmaker Ruaridh Anderson last weekend and said: 'It's not looking good for Ruaridh this week either as he hasn't trained but we'll make a late decision on whether he'll feature. Robert Mabon's on holiday, but Rory MacKeachan returns after injury.' Kyles boss Grant Profit said: 'It's good to be back after a couple of weeks off. 'Our keeper Iain MacFarlane is on his honeymoon but the vastly experience John Whyte is making a comeback to help us out. 'Ross Macrae and Scott Macdonald are injury doubts, and we'll allow them until the last minute to prove their fitness.' Oban Camanachd manager Daniel Cameron is on holiday and misses Lovat's visit so assistants Iain MacMillan and Aidan MacIntyre take charge. Iain MacMillan said: 'It's looking a bit more positive player-wise this week as brothers Daniel and Joe MacVicar are back in the squad, Andy MacDonald is free from suspension and Malcolm Clark's looking to take a place on the bench after his broken thumb which is a big boost. 'Craig Macmillan serves the final game of his suspension, while Louie MacFarlane and Daniel MacCuish are still a few weeks away.' Lovat manager Iain Nicolson has had a full squad to choose from over recent weeks and said: 'It's been a good headache to have for the last three weeks or so. 'We're looking forward to getting going again after our free weekend. Oban's always a difficult place to go but we'll be ready.' Beauly's Euan Mccormick has completed his five-match suspension ahead of Kinlochshiel's visit but defender Angus Renwick serves a one-game ban. Shiel manager Willie MacRae said: 'Jonny MacAskill's picked up a one-game ban and we'll give Ali Nixon a late fitness test as he's a quad problem. Zander MacRae is back though.' Kinlochshiel won 8-0 when the sides met four weeks ago, but Willie MacRae added: 'Don't pay any attention to that. It was a freak result as Beauly played quite well that day. Saturday won't be the same.' Skye's James Morrison and Newtonmore's Drew MacDonald will both have fitness checks ahead of their meeting in Portree. Caberfeidh and Fort William both look to bounce back from defeats last weekend when they clash at Castle Leod. Mowi WCA Premier League leaders Badenoch returned to winning ways, beating Inverness 5-0. Megan Ralph and Zoe Reid both bagged braces and Rhona McIntyre the other. Lochaber remain in the title race after winning 2-0 at Glasgow Mid Argyll. Leah Maxtone and Claire Delaney scored. Second-placed Skye and Badenoch have a top of the table clash in Portree on Saturday whilst Lochaber travel to Inverness on Sunday.
