Kay Wall's Blog, page 2

Free Golf Lesson

To be a good golfer, you need good imagination.
At Caboolture Golf Club, they encourage golfers to use their imagination, starting on the third tee (pictured below).



The best non-coarse-language saying after a poor drive wins a free T-shirt. Here are some of the finalists:
1. May this driver be recycled and sent to Mars as part of the next Curiosity rover.
2. Take that! You son of a sewing machine!
3. Take that! You son of a treadle sewing machine!
4. You rotten, stinking, festering pustule of a driver on a baboon's bare bum!
5. Bother.


Agonising Golf and More Agonising Golf ebooks available
from smashwords.com

Why Mt Tongariro Erupted

New Zealand volcano erupts!


Did Mt Tongariro volcano erupt because of steam build-up?Did it erupt because of molten magma pushing its way to the top?
No, it didn't!
Well, yes it did ... sort of.
But ... there is another stronger reason for the eruption.
A reason that very few people are aware of.
Now you can find out the real reason for the eruption...






Go to www.smashwords.com/books/view/204365 and all will be revealed when you read 'Mountain Mayhem'.

Tanawha Valley Golf

Tanawha Valley golf course (1122 metres, par 27) is the most picturesque course we've played since arriving on the Sunshine Coast. It's a 9-hole par 3 course with holes from 94 to 176 metres, so you can try out just about every club off the tee.
Green fees are $15 for 18 holes (Mon-Fri) $22 on weekends. If you tee off after 3, you can play as many holes as you like for $10.
There are elevated tees, elevated greens, bush, streams, excellent bunkers (which is unusual for par 3 courses, we've found) and it'll hold your interest from go to whoa.
A picture's worth a thousand words (the exchange rate will make that around 1300 words for kiwis) so I'll make this blog a photo essay.
1st tee at TanawhaThe first hole is 166 metres. Beautifully framed hole, bunker to the right of the uphill green. Fiona hit 3-wood and chipped and 1-putted for par. I hit driver left through a garden, whacked a three-quarter wedge through the green, chipped and 2-putted for double bogey.
I'm getting a lot of practice at shrugging off a bad start.
2nd greenSecond hole, 103 metres. Fiona 3, Kay 4.
Sigh...
3rd tee, yep the hole is as narrow as it looksThird hole is135 metres but uphill the whole way and with a large bunker across the front of the green. This is the only par 3 where I've had to have a rest getting to the green. (It's way steeper than it looks in the photo - the rest half way couldn't possibly be a reflection on my fitness.)  Fiona 3 and Kay 3.
Fourth hole is 94 metres and we both hit the green and 2-putted for par 3s.
5th tee, it's a long, loooong way downThe 5th hole is spectacular. 128 metres long and it must be at least 128 metres downwards as well. Water and bunker right, strategically placed tree left. Narrow downhill green. We both hit 6 iron, but Fiona hit the green and 2-putted for par. I missed left but chipped and 1-putted for par.
I'm three shots behind with four holes to go.
The 6th is usually 114 metres but is presently using a temporary green so is only about 84 metres. (If we'd read the local rules board before we went out, we'd have realised that and not overclubbed. We both scored 4 on this hole.)
7th teeThe 7th is only 96 metres. Fiona went first and was short with her 9 iron so I took my 8 and ended up pin high. Easy 2-putt for par while Fiona chipped and 2-putted for a bogey. One good thing about all the rain they've had here - you can just throw the ball right at the pin and it'll stop dead. They barely roll, even when it's downhill.
8th tee, larrup the driverYay! Finally I have the honour on a tee, with just 2 holes to go.
The 8th hole is a straight forward 176 metres. After the previous shorter holes, the green looks a long way away. As there's no run, I decide to go for the driver ... especially as I hit it straighter than my 3 wood anyway.
The previous 7 holes must have been a great warm-up because I absolutely smoked my driver (you can see the ball in the photo, headed straight for the flag). It looked like it might have gone through the green so I was hoping there was no trouble at the back.
The pressure was obviously getting to Fiona (only 2 shots ahead now) as she blocked her drive into the gum trees. However, it only hit leaves and kept going, but it was still about 30 metres short.
Sure enough, my drive had gone through the green but only a few metres.
8th green, framed by majestic gum treesI could see the sweat on Fiona's brow as she contemplated her shot to the green. She was only 2 shots ahead of me, and I was chipping better than a fish 'n' chip shop navvy.
Fiona left her pitch short of the green.
What a shame.
I chipped to 2 inches from the hole. Easy 3.
Fiona had another chip and putted for a 4.
McBride leads Wall by 1 shot.
The final hole is 117 metres, uphill. Bunker right, considerable fall-off on the left. I went down the shaft of my rescue club ... and missed right, just behind the bunker. Fiona hit the green, but on the left so her ball rolled a couple of feet off the green.
The green slopes considerably from back to front so I aimed well above the pin. The only good thing about the shot was that it stayed on the green. Fiona decided to putt from just off the green and left it on the green but short.
We both faced difficult side putts on a slope. Tricky to read when you know the green and nearly impossible when you don't.
What can I say? Fiona 3 putted for a double bogey while I got down in 2.
Squared match. We both shot 32, 5 over par.
The temperature was climbing so we decided not to go around again. It was time for icecreams at The Old Stable, beside the clubhouse.
The old grey mares...The Tanawha golf course is wonderful value for money. It was a Saturday and we didn't have to book a tee time. We just rolled up at about 11.00 am and walked straight on to the tee. We had no one pushing us and no one holding us up. We would recommend this course to golfers of every standard.
And, if you've ever fancied owning your own golf course in Queensland, you're in luck. This one's for sale.
For $2,999,500.00 you need never pay green fees again.

Essential Tips for Planning Your Sunshine Coast Golf Trip

To fully enjoy your Sunshine Coast Golf trip on a Jandal Budget you must get the planning right. Here's what you do.
1. Choose a calming location such as Alexandra Headlands Gardens, at Alexandra Headlands. Gather your flyers, NZ golf magazine green fee vouchers and Aussie golf magazines and set yourself up here:

Researching by the pool(Note the address position - relaxed and perfectly balanced.)

2. Timing is everything with successful planning. Don't rush your tempo. Make sure you pace yourself or you'll exhaust yourself before the finish: Perfect timing = perfect planning(Note address position now - relaxed but ready to give that planning everything.)
3. Once you've selected your special green fee deals from mags, etc, it's time to get into the modern age and go online to iseekgolf.com. This is where you'll get daily deals on cheap green fees, at selected clubs. At this stage, you must watch your hydration. Remember, it's a heck of a lot hotter in Queensland in August than anywhere in New Zealand:
NZ wine for the best hydration(It's often a good idea to switch to a foursomes format, at this stage, to avoid any Tiger Woods situations. (We're talking 'dumping of caddy' here, not the other...))
4. It's most important to 'warm down' after your planning. This is what we do, here at Alexandra Headland Gardens: Best spa pool on Sunshine CoastRepeat steps 1 - 4 for each day's golf.
No matter how fit you are, DON'T, I repeat, DON'T try and plan your golf for your entire holiday, all at once.Such strenuous activity will have you completing step 4, but unable to get out of it.

Jandal Budget Golf

We decided to start our Aussie golf trip on the Gold Coast, rather than going straight to the Sunshine Coast, so that we could play Ocean Shores Country Club again. We played it last year and just loved it and thought it was excellent value for money. Blue sky golf at Ocean ShoresWe got a copy of The Golfer, a free golf magazine, on our first day here. Most golf courses have them available in their pro shops. It often has special green fee deals and, sure enough, Ocean Shores were offering the same deal as last year - 18 holes, shared cart and lunch for $49. We quoted the ad when we rang and got a tee time on Sunday afternoon.We had the free lunch before we played (starting to get sick of bacon sandwiches so it was well-timed) and were assured that although we were behind two fours, it wouldn’t be too slow.We believed the starter, until we counted six players on the first green we played (we started on the 10th). By the end of the round, we were convinced that they were the six SLOWEST players in the club, playing together. I’m sure the dire pace of play was what helped Fiona beat me, at last.Or it could have been my four 3-putts.Normally such a slow round would colour your judgement against the course but ... this course is a great test of golf. It’s got everything. Lots of well-placed large bunkers, strategically placed water (both in front of greens and beside fairways), elevated tees, large greens (not too heavily undulated).Members who wouldn’t know golf etiquette if it bit them on the bum.And don’t tell me that a two doesn’t have any rights on a golf course. It has a hell of a lot more rights than a six! (No, I’m not bitter and twisted about it - I was born this way.)If you’re going to play Ocean Shores, sharpen your sand wedge. (It’s easier to bury in a tree, that way.) Or, at least sharpen your bunker skills by watching the Ms Kallas-Way bunker tip on YouTube. I spent an awful lot of time ‘showing the crab the view’ and managed to get up and down from greenside bunkers a couple of times.Several of the greens are protected by bunkers, and when I say ‘protected’ I mean, as in Fort Knox protected, i.e. there’s generally only a wee gap of 3 feet between front bunkers. So forget about running your shot on to those par 4s and 5s. You’re going to have to play a lofted shot on to the green, often with a long iron or rescue club.I decided I’d adopt a different approach to today’s round and be more aggressive than I had been. When I’m not hitting the ball well, I tend to take bail-out options and go for the fat part of the green rather than the pin. However, I’m starting to hit the ball well again so I decided to go for my shots.After all, it’s such a buzz when you pull off a good shot over water and ... I’m 4 balls ahead of Fiona as I haven’t lost any, yet. 12th hole Ocean Shores Country ClubThe 12th hole is a 163 metre par 3, with water all the way up the right and cutting in front of the green. You have to carry your tee shot 147 metres, over the hazard, or fade it from the right, or bail out right.Last year my tee-shots were dreadful (weak slicing) so I played chicken golf and bailed out short right. This year I’m hitting my tee-shots as well as ever so I went for the pin. I carried the water but hit the bank of the hazard and popped up just short of the green. (Due to the extremely wet winter they’ve had, there is absolutely no run on any of these courses.)Had an easy chip and one putt for par. There’s nothing like positive reinforcement at the start of your round to make you feel great about the day.There’s nothing like adding up your score after 9 to deflate that feeling. 43, bugger.Fiona scored 45 so I had a 2-shot lead.The 3rd hole was my favourite. A bunker covers most of the front of the green, but the hole measures only 96 metres so you’re playing a short iron. Because the bunker has a high lip, you can’t see the bottom of the flag. But there’s a bunker protecting the back of the green so you can’t bail out long.We decided on 9-irons. Fiona went first and hit hers solidly. We were surprised when her ball landed on top of the bunker lip. Fortunately, it had enough momentum to go forward.I changed to my 8-iron and couldn’t have hit it any better, but we didn’t know whether it was good or bad because we couldn’t see the green. So it was nice to get up to the green and see my ball just 10 inches left of the hole.Easy birdie. Fiona chipped and one-putted for par and, at this stage, led by one, thanks to a 3-putt double bogey and bogey by me.The next hole was a dogleg par 5 of only 385 metres but you have to lay up off the tee because of a drain across the fairway. Second shot has to miss a large pond left and bunker right and then you’re playing your 3rd to a looooong green.Which I 3-putted. (Should have sharpened my putter. Those trees were looking really inviting.)The next hole, par 4, 296 metres, required a good drive to give you a comfortable shot over yet another drain in front of the green. Fiona’s rescue club left her just short of the green and I was just ahead of her so used the same club. And put it into yet another greenside bunker.“Show the crab the view,” I told myself, and put the ball a foot from the hole. Narrow gaps between front bunkersNot keen on the greens here, but I love their bunkers.That might be because I’m spending a lot of time in them.We finished our round in the dark but, alas, it wasn’t dark enough to obscure our scores.Fiona 84, Kay 86.

The Problem with Aussie Golf Caddies

HAVE YOU REARRANGED MY GOLF CLUBS AGAIN?

Gold Coast Country Club, Queensland

17th tee, Gold Coast Country Club
We found a great deal on iseekgolf.com.au (a golf booking system in Australia) which offered green fees and a cart at the Gold Coast Country Club for $19.50 per person. Iseekgolf lists available tee times at a number of courses and the price depends on which are the most popular times to tee off. You must be a member to take advantage of the deals but membership is easy and free. And you can save as much as 50% on fees, especially after midday.
Gold Coast Country Club reminded me of a public course. It looked well used.A lot of the ‘well used’ look was probably due to the high rainfall over winter and the fact that they still let people use carts on a course that didn’t have complete cart paths. So the sides of some fairways had what looked like wombat wallows. Local rules included a club-length preferred lie through the greens, which I found I needed for bare lies rather than muddy patches.But over here a ‘wet’ course is different to New Zealand. At home you tend to get mud all over your shoes and trousers - we walked off today’s course with mudless shoes.Of course, the cart might have had something to do with that.Some of the bunkers were GUR. They were easy to pick out as they were the bunkers with ducks swimming in them.I thought the course was fine. It helped to hit the ball straight, which we both managed today. This was probably helped by hitting 30 or 40 balls at the practice range before we played. (70 balls for $10)The Gold Coast course measures 5526 metres so our fairway woods got more work than at Gainsborough Greens. It had some large greens but the undulations weren’t as severe as Gainsborough Greens so the putting was a little easier. Greens or browns?I think I’m starting to get used to the stringy grass they have on their greens. I suppose it has to be tough to survive in this heat, but I’m finding it difficult to judge speed and to read break. When you fix pitchmarks, it feels like a brillo on grit.Only two of the par 4s were under 300 metres and the greens are well protected by bunkers, so you really need to hit your fairway woods strong and straight to score well here. The first eight holes were interesting enough but the 9th really grabbed our attention.It’s a dogleg par 5 of 485 metres, uphill for your last shot over water. Fairway bunkers to avoid off the tee and you’ve got to place your second shot far enough up to reach the green, but not too far or you’ll be in water, which is both sides of where your ball ends up.For your third shot you look up to a green and if you’re not far enough left, you not only have to carry a swamp, but you also have to carry two large bunkers. And forget about bailing out left of the green, because there’s another bunker there.I carried the swamp ... but not the bunker. Which left me with a long bunker shot to a long double-green (the 9th and 18th). I used my pitching wedge, for a little extra length, and pitched my ball ... into the next bunker. Finally got on the green and managed to 2-putt from 40 feet.That gave me my first double bogey for a 43 (par 36). Fiona was 42.I could hear the car keys jangling.The back nine of this course is where things really get interesting because along with plenty of bunkers, you’ve got water. By the time we got to the 12th (par 3, 115 metres over water) our scores were even. I teed off first and my 6-iron found the green. Fiona’s ball soared over the water and landed just on the other side, almost stopped, and then trickled back into the pond.I offered sympathy (it was a brand new ball) but was told... Well, I daren’t repeat it here because this is not an R18 blog. Two-shot swing.Fiona made up one of the shots on the next hole with a good up-and-down where we were both short on a par 5 with a long uphill green, pin at the back.The 15th is a 345 metre par 4 with a bunker across most of the front of the green. I hit two good woods and still had 40 metres left, over the bunker. Fiona was about 10 metres closer. I played my gap wedge to 6 feet. Fiona played her sand wedge like a driver and the ball skidded over the green and into water, which we hadn’t realised was there.I sympathised. Another new ball. Only a two-shot swing as I missed my putt.The 16th is a wonderful dogleg par 4, only 287 metres but a very narrow landing area for your drive. There’s water up the right from about 130 metres off the tee, cutting into the fairway the further to the hole you go, and trees left. We both drove well and had 97 metres left, 50 metres over water which had cut in front of the green.It was a two-tiered green so I took an extra club, figuring that the hill behind the hole would stop my ball going too far. The plan worked perfectly.Fiona’s ball cleared the water, but not the bank.Splash went the ball.A new ball.I kept my mouth shut.“I’ll drive,” said Fiona.Parred the last 3 holes to shoot 39 (par 35) and a total of 82, so things are looking up.

Gainsborough Greens Golf Club, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Strategy is more important than length at Gainsborough GreensWhen the driver disagreed with the first instruction on Google Maps, to get to Gainsborough Greens, I wondered if it was an omen on the way she would drive on the golf course.
Alas, it was.So the moral of the story is, if you don’t want to set yourself up for diversions on the golf course, don’t take diversions on the way there.Golf is all about setting up good habits and sometimes you don’t know when the pre-shot routine has started.We found a flyer at the brochure stand at our resort for 18 holes at Gainsborough Greens, with a cart, for $39 and managed to book a tee-off time at 12.36. It’s dark at 5.30 so we figured that was probably the latest we should book, as sometimes rounds over here take 5 hours.I loved this course. Okay, it is a little bit scruffy with some of the many bunkers a bit hard-packed around the edges and the greens were not consistent in speed. But the layout means every single hole holds your interest.There are a lot of doglegs and many holes have water features but the bailout areas are generous. Gainsborough Greens oozes ‘character’, unlike most of the resort courses which all seem to meld together in my memory.(There’s dementia in my family so, in fairness, the courses may not be at fault here.)Off the women’s tees, the course measures 5050 metres so it’s not a monster. All the par 5s are over 400 metres and it takes 3 damn good shots to get to them but many of the par 4s are under 300 metres so you don’t have to be a big-hitter to score on this course.The first hole is a gentle introduction, only 246 metres downhill to a hidden green. Bunkers left and right in the fairway so you have to drive straight. I did and was left with 60 metres to the green and managed to hit the first hole in regulation. “Love this course,” I thought, and immediately 3-putted.Most of the greens are small but undulating so the putting can be very tricky if you’re not in the right spot.Standing on the 2nd tee, you’re immediately jolted out of your sense of security. The 2nd is a 285 metre par 4, dogleg right, pond in front of the tee so you had to carry about 120 metres to get to the fairway. Then at 145 metres, you had two large bunkers. So if you are a natural fader of the ball, or you can control your slice, the hole is challenging but doable. Visually intimidating and if I had any brains I’d have played a 5 wood on to the fairway but ... where’s the fun in that?After I wrote ‘7’ in the scorecard, I concluded there’d have been way more fun in that, than hitting my ball into the left bunker, staying in the bunker, dribbling out of the bunker, chunking my iron into the rough, pulling my half-wedge and then chipping and one-putting.At least the hole had a happy ending.Fortunately, that was my worst score at the course but the front 9 (par 35) really chewed me up and spat me out. I scored 48.
Sixth tee, Gainsborough Greens
Fiona scored 45.I got my first birdie at the 11th, a 245 metre dogleg right with a wide pond directly in front of the green. When Fiona went in the water with her second shot, I changed from a 9 to an 8 iron and made the green. Sank a 20 ft putt and decided the greens weren’t so bad after all.The 12th hole is the narrowest hole I’ve ever seen. Well, narrow probably isn’t quite right because it has a bailout area on the left but when you stand on the tee, there’s a stand of trees immediately on your right which appear to go almost to the green. The right front of the green is guarded by a bunker and there are lots of humps and hollows on the left.At 239 metres, it’s a very short par 4 but, once again, visually intimidating. Especially if you haven’t watched the Ms Kallas-Way YouTube video on bunker play.You could easily lay up with an iron off the tee but ... where’s the fun in that?When my drive ended up in the greenside bunker, (I hit the cart path for extra distance and, yes, of course I planned it that way) I decided I had to redefine my meaning of ‘fun’ when on the golf course. But I applied the principles of Ms Kallas-Way’s bunker tuition and ‘showed the crab the view’ to end up nicely on the green where I sank a 15 ft putt for another birdie.The 18th is a superb par 5 finishing hole, 436 metres dogleg left. I suspect a lot of scores have been ruined here but it’s a buzz if you hit the green in regulation without going in the water. You need to keep your drive right as there is water on the left and a very strategically placed tree, leftish, to muck up your second shot.I ended up behind the aforementioned tree but managed to draw my 3 wood around it which left me with 130 metres to the green. Which was protected by a wide lake, directly in front.If you’re a nervous golfer, or running out of balls, you could lay up to the water with a half wedge and then have a short iron to the green but ... where’s the fun in that?130 metres is a 4-iron for me but with that water in front and heaps of room at the back of the green, I took out my 5 wood ... and landed pin high.Unfortunately, I 3-putted. But it’s always a buzz when you pull off those shots across water.Whoever invented the saying ‘game of two halves’ must have been a golfer. Thanks to long, straight driving and steady irons on the second nine (par 37) I managed to shoot 40 coming home.Fiona shot 45, so I didn’t have to drive back to the resort. (Worst gross has to drive home.)The round was very slow on the front 9 but not so bad on the back and took four and a half hours. Although we had a cart, it’s a very easy walking course so we’d use trundlers next time.If you don’t hit the ball straight, you’ll need lots of spare balls because there is a lot of water. And, unlike the resort courses, it comes into play a lot. But don’t let that intimidate you. This is a course where strategy matters (and there is lots of fun in that) and I think it’s got something to offer all handicap ranges.I can’t wait to play this course again.(Not so sure about Fiona.)

Queensland Golf on a Jandal Budget

July 26 and it's our first full day in Australia.

Our mission, and we've chosen to accept it, is to have a really, really cheap golfing holiday, and to give you tips on how to do the same. All prices are in Australian dollars.
After a shocking flight yesterday from Wellington (the flight was smooth but the chin reflected in the airplane toilet mirror was not), we arrived in Brisbane to a warm 20 degrees day.
I'm trying to figure out what it is about me that means every time I fly, I get pulled aside and patted down for explosives. It usually only happens on the Aussie side but this time it happened in Wellington.
"It's because my surname's Irish, isn't it?" I asked the patter-down. She assured me it was completely random. Now, I'm not great at maths but 3 out of 4 flights is not completely random.
It was the first time we'd flown with Virgin and I'd give them full marks (apart from the lighting over the toilet mirror) for an excellent flight.
My definition of an excellent flight is a flight that takes off and lands without killing me.
We picked up our rental car, a 2011 Hyundai Elantra ($976 for 36 days, 100 kms per day, Apex Rental) and went with the $1 per day for tolls option. By doing that, you don't have to worry about ringing the toll authorities, or trying to pick out alternative routes to miss the toll roads. (Not always the best option, especially if you're the navigator and the driver doesn't react well to being told, "Whoops, we should have turned back there" several times per trip.)
Nice car with heaps of room in the boot for two sets of golf clubs in carry bags. However, if you have all your music on your Ipod, you'll need to bring your own Ipod car cable to connect to the car system. Not a problem for us as we own a Hyundai i45.
Of course, once you've connected the Ipod, there could be a problem agreeing on the music. I'd advise anyone keen on their own music to adopt the navigator role as it's easier to control the Ipod when you don't have a steering wheel in the way. Just remember the phrase, "Whoops, we should have turned back there" any time the driver gets uppity. Especially if you're into Siouxsie and the Banshees and the driver's refusing to sing along.
We're having our first five nights in Coolangatta/Tweed Heads because we're keen to play Ocean Shores Golf Course, in northern New South Wales, again. It was our favourite golf course in this area, last year, and they do good deals on green fees.
We found a good deal on the Internet, staying at the Greenmount Beach Resort for $90 per night, which includes a cooked breakfast. The Resort doesn't realise it, but a cooked breakfast also means a packed lunch. Just take a bag or a sweatshirt with you to the restaurant and you'll be able to smuggle out enough bacon for a couple of bacon butties for lunch.
Five free lunches for 2 people (@ a conservative $10 per person) = $100, which equals 2 green fees at a reasonable golf course.
The Greenmount is a bit tired but passes my test as an acceptable place to stay, ie, I arrive and leave without the place killing me.
Whoops, no, that's the airline test.
It passes most of my accommodation tests, which are:
1. It's clean.
2. There's enough room to do my back stretching exercises on the floor and, when I get up from the floor, there's nothing yukky stuck to my back.
3. Central location within walking distance of a supermarket.
4. Quiet room with comfortable bed.
I've struck number 5 off my list because so few hotels/motels pass it.
Thickness of toilet paper.
It's a good idea to look at the brochure stands in the motels as you can find some good golf deals there. We found a flyer for a round of golf at Gainsborough Greens for $39.50, including a cart. Gainsborough Greens is featured in the Golf Australia magazine we bought and they say it's one of the Gold Coast's best-value-for-money courses.
We're playing it today, so I'll let you know.

Rebirthing Breathwork and Golf

Rebirthing Breathwork claims to 'improve physical health, release toxins from the body, increase the ability to deal with stress, and help to release stored emotions from the body'.
So does hitting a good golf shot.

Agonising Golf and More Agonising Golf ebooks available
from smashwords.com