Frustration

It's hard to maintain consistency and I'm starting to feel more than a little frustrated.

I should get out to the driving range and get my new swing programmed into my muscle memory rather than tweaking my swing on the course.

When I slow my swing down, I tend to hit straighter, it's just not as much fun as trying to belt the cover off the ball!

On Sunday I shot 11 bogeys & 1 par - unfortunately the round was still 98!

Full of anticipation

I was looking forward to showing my regular golfing partner my new golf swing & watch how impressed he would be at how straight I was hitting the ball.

Unfortunately my mojo wasn't working as well as I hoped.

There were times however when I felt I was hitting it better - generally when I rotated my right grip further around the club.

I need to get out to the driving range before my next round!

Finally a free golf tip to help me hit straighter

I wasn't sure what to make of Peter as he ambled over to me at a golf tournament in the weekend. He was a tidy golfer and I thought he was worth listening to. I found out later he had been a scratch golfer back in his day. Now he was enjoying his retirement.

He gave me a small tip that made a huge difference to my shots. They went straight!

Just as Peter shared the tip freely to me, I am happy to share it as I know how frustrating a slice can be.

The tip was to move my right hand (I am right handed) further round on my grip. It felt really uncomfortable & weird, but after a few hits is starting to feel natural.

I have a slow swing (rather than trying to smash the ball). I count "1, 1 thousand, 2, 1 thousand, through...). Swing back on 1, down on 2 & then through the ball.

Good luck!

Clearwater Golf Resort

Not far from Christchurch airport is one of New Zealand's finest courses. It has a great balance of difficulty in a beautiful setting.

Clearwater is more enjoyable in light (or no) wind. It's a course that is achievable for the average golfer playing on the white tees (I shot 47 on the front 9 & 52 on the back after losing 5 balls in the water).

Play sensible shots that avoid trouble and you will be rewarded. The par 5's are achievable if played with 3 up the middle. The par 3's all play across water, so take an extra club to ensure you carry the water.

Enjoy the great facilities at the club house afterwards. The pro shop is well stocked and the Course Marshall will sell you drinks & nibbles on the course.

Check out their website & pay attention to the strict dress code at www.clearwaternz.com

How to drop 16 strokes

On Friday I played a round of golf and scored 110 gross. On Sunday I shot 94 gross.

What do I credit the difference with? My top 2 inches.

I played smarter shots. I was confident with my pitches. I took care over the putts. I thought about my tee shots. I often took 2 irons to get to the green rather than pushing the limits with my woods.

Hopefully I can continue to play smarter!

The best golf course in the world

England's Daily Telegraph has rated Cape Kidnapper's the best golf course in the world.

Having played this course I can understand why. It is set in an amazing cliff-top location with dramatic views of the east coast.

From the moment I arrived at the gate and drove up the sweeping driveway, I knew this was going to be a special day.

The club house was opulent & the pro shop had everything required. The practice range had courtesy balls piled in pyramids for players to warm up. The practice green gave me a taste of the incredible greens.

We were given some tips for putting:

• Light green is fast.
• Dark green is slow.
• The ball tends to roll towards Napier's port.

We were advised to play from the green tees if we wanted to enjoy our round & this turned out to be good advice for all but the top golfers.

The course itself was challenging and rewarding. If you ever get a chance, make sure you play this amazing course.

My favourite ball

I have recently invested in some new balls - Maxfli Revolution Distance.

I've been impressed that they do actually go straighter & less likely to spin sideways on landing.

My handicap has dropped to 21.7 and I credit this to a few changes including my new Maxfli balls, so i went out & bought 3 dozen which will hopefully last a few rounds if I don't lose them!