Back from Finland

I can't believe that I've been home from Finland for 3 weeks now! I had a wonderful time, a great place to be and it was fantastic to catch up with some old friends and to meet new ones.

I have managed to play golf since I got back but only one full round and to be honest most of it was rubbish.

Ross and I went out last Thursday evening and managed 8 holes. The weather had been changeable all day, sometimes bright sunshine, sometimes torrential downpour. When we set off at 5pm to go to the club it looked like the weather was going to be ok, unfortunately this proved not to be the case and thick battleship grey clouds filled the sky. We got wet, very wet, despite waterproofs, well waterproof jackets; I was unable to get the overtrousers on before it rained and then it became pointless.

We decided to play from the ninth hole a 214 yard par 3. It started badly, my tee shot was topped and ended up about 15 yards away, just past the ladies tee. Things didn't improve and I finished with a 7. The tenth proved even worse, a lost ball from the tee and many shots to the green I finished with a 1 putted 10. Ross had bought a new putter, an Odyssey, and it certainly seemed that I was about to perform my own Odyssey and take 10 years to get round the course! The eleventh was a slight improvement but on the long par 4 twelfth I scored 6 reaching the green in 3 before 3 putting and the short par 3 thirteenth was good too. I shalln't mention the fourteenth, except in passing, but on our last 2 holes I did really well, finishing with 5 on the the par 4 eighteenth.

This was the moment I had been waiting for, when the scores were added up I had taken 4 more shots than Ross but under Stableford he had scores 8 points and I had scored 9! Yes 9, I had won, finally I had actually won, and as he's now gone on holiday for 2 weeks and I will then be off back to Dundee for a month, I will remain champion for at least 6 weeks. Ross has gone to Scotland and will be playing at least once a day for the entire 2 weeks, this means when I go up to Dundee the clubs with have to come too so I can practice after work otherwise I will be well and truly stuffed the next time we play.

I arrived home soaked, but happy. Oh the vagaries of golf, you can play like a muppet but still walk away with a grin on your face, with memories of good shots (yes plural) and all the crap forgotten.

It's the Open qualifier on Monday, I wonder if I should enter?