Traditionally over US Masters weekend, a few of us stay in our cottage in St. Mabyn and combine it with some golf. This year the weather was good, not as warm as other parts of the UK but not too much wind and no rain (you’d take that all day long on the coastal and Cornish links courses).
Friday we played China Fleet on the way down. Only five of us due to a drop-out so a two and a three-ball was never going to be quick behind a society, but these things happen. Scores were fairly even, all of us between 25 and 30 points. Usual mediocre stuff (our lowest handicap is 12, highest 24)….sadly Rob our 12 handicapper came last…shame(!)
Saturday at Trevose was fantastic. Sunny and 14 degrees and only a light wind. A blob on the first didn’t help my confidence but I managed to pick up a few later and come in with 32. How much do you hate blobbing the last? It’s a great hole, but a hooked drive and a fat 8 iron into the no-mans-land short left and beneath the green ended in misery….should have been 34 points really. Terry (off 15) won with 38.
Mullion is a favourite. It’s a longish drive but well worth it. The course has some great holes and just the best views you’ll see anywhere. The 10th is a semi-blind drive and depending on the wind, a short iron or a rescue club right down to the green just above Gunwalloe Cove and the little church on the beach. A goodish start (missed a two foot putt for a 4-point birdie on the par 3 1st ), and some reasonable scoring despite some sliced drives on the front nine saw me home in first place with 31 points (off 14).
On Monday we played Carlyon Bay, Terry’s favourite but a sea mist meant the views were not the best. A diabolical start gave me 1 point from the first three holes. A good drive down the 1st with an ok 7 iron approach put me into the greenside bunker. I was very aware of the bush and cliff edge just over the far side of the green so unsurprisingly thinned it out into the English Channel….blob.
Two of us sliced our tee shots OOB on the second, and a scrambled 4 for 1 on the 3rd finally put me on the scorecard. As I arrived at Carlyon in second place overall, that wasn’t really the start I needed, but Terry the leader had the decency to make an even worse one. I scrambled 15 points on the front, fearing the famous BNC (back nine collapse) that normally afflicts me when leading….or at any time in fact.
But a decent back nine from nowhere (18 points) brought me home in 33 and was enough to give me the overall win by 4. I was right to think that Jordan Spieth wouldn’t choke but hadn’t been as confident about myself!
Carlyon Bay GC’s excellent caterer supplied baguettes and chips whilst our accountant (well van driver actually) Colin sorted out the skins and other “bits” over the four days.
A great time was had by all, with at least three of us having somewhat ruddy faces and red foreheads. I’ll bring them all back again next year for more Masters and some different courses.