Just got home from a fabulous day at Silloth with Niall Carlton, Marty Bonnar, and my mate Adam Stott.
We played a warm-up 12 holes this morning followed by an excellent lunch. With some difficulty we dragged ourselves back to the tee for the match proper at 1.30.
The lunch took its toll on all of us, particularly the Sassanach contingent. After a bogey-free morning, +4 handicapper Adam dropped 4 shots in the first three holes and I quickly went 3 down in my match against Niall.
Adam bounced back well, with a string of birdies in the gathering wind, and I steadied the ship, avoiding going further behind but without making inroads on a very steady Niall.
The game changer was the long, very difficult 13th, played into the teeth of a gale.
My so-called mate Adam advised me that I might consider laying up with my second shot as threading a ball up the hill through the narrow gap in the heather could prove a challenge too far. As I was receiving a shot on the hole I heeded the advice and promptly hooked a five iron into a gorse bush. My provisional 3-wood of course, was duly dispatched with pin-point accuracy directly up onto the top level fairway 50 yards short of the hogs-back green.
Thank you Adam!
So we arrived at the 14th tee with Niall 4 up.
Deciding that I had lured Niall sufficiently into a false sense of security I quickly won the next two holes, followed by a half on the short 16th.
Just as I was sensing that the momentum was swinging my way however, Niall produced a fabulous pitch to the 17th green, leaving himself a five-footer for a birdie. My par was not good enough as Niall drained the putt to win 3 and 1.
Adam was pleased to finish level par for 30 holes. Six worse than his handicap!
Marty was terrific company.
Well done Niall, and thanks to all for a wonderful day out at my new favourite golf course.
Adam and I can't wait for the rematch at Glasgow Gailes.