January, 2024 - Dale Thompson Golfing, The Home for Trucking Golfers

My Society Win

I must firstly say that being a golfer for over 20 years has been one of the best sporting activities I've enjoyed, I played football for best part of my life, ever since I could kick a ball really. However a very bad knee injury caused me to think about taking on another sport.

Golf and all that is associated with the sport ticked all the boxes for me, the skill, integrity, patience, honesty, sportsmanship, the frustration factor, the fact that we can play the exact same shot as the Pros do (maybe not as good), made the decision for me to have golf in my life easy.

Tyrefort golf society as been around since 2011, I was introduced to the society in 2017, I was playing off a 7 handicap then, I won the shield in that same year, a few of the guys jokingly told me that I cannot play in the society anymore. I then won it for the 2020/21 season (due to COVID) and I've won the shield again for this season.

The season is played over 8 games, starting in March and ending in October, it is based on a points system, 10 points for a win, 8 for second, 7 for third and so on. 1st place is cut 3 off their handicap, 2nd gets cut 2 and 3rd is cut by 1 stroke. This can get quite difficult for a single handicap player as you can well imagine, it also gives the other players a chance to win and get some serious points up.

The 2023 season was different for me as I had a very different mind set, win at least one of the meetings and then, if I came in the top 5, I would have a good chance of winning the shield again, my strategy paid off as the shield is now sitting proudly with my other golfing trophy's, the picture was taken on our last meeting at the Hatchford Brook GC, right by Birmingham Airport, the shield was presented to me by one of the founders of the society, Mr Bob Hateley.

My Society Win Read More »

The Golfing Widow – by Jackie

Hello my names Jackie, I'm the one in the picture with the finger growing out of my head lol and I am a Golf Widow. Thought that was a good place to start.

Life as a GW well what can I say, I could compare it to playing Golf of ‘course’ the fact that sometimes he ‘drives’ me mad with Golf, Golf, Golf but somehow I manage to ‘putt’ up with it. Not all bad I get to do the housework on Saturdays while he is out ‘playing a round’, I am so lucky said no one ever :-). However all joking aside it can be frustrating not having a free weekend to do things together because Golf is Life can be challenging, feeling like it is unfair of me to take away his weekly game after he works so hard during the week, when I know it is what he loves doing. But what about me?

I started booking us getaways to different courses so I could have a change of scenery and the Golf could continue for him but that didn’t last long as my pennies didn’t stretch to doing it regularly. We did however have a couple of memorable trips to St Andrews and Celtic Manor scenery was breath-taking and I enjoyed a well earned break.

It sometimes feels to me that I am not as important in his world as Golf is but then he will surprise me with a gift or a meal out and let’s me know how much he appreciates me which obviously has the desired effect. So guys and gals when you are playing golf, watching golf, talking golf and breathing golf take some time to think about the person in your life who supports you and your obsession and is always there for you to listen to your highs and lows even though we don’t necessarily understand them, we share them because we care.

Show your appreciation once in a while it makes the world of difference to those of us that don’t share the love of the game but love the golfer.

The Golfing Widow – by Jackie Read More »

All about the greens

There is an art to reading greens, it usually starts from about 50 yards out, or if you're a Pro, the green layout booklet, showing the gradients, pin positions, hazards, sprinklers and so on.

We as amateurs do not get the luxury of a green layout book, perhaps a birdie book showing the hole layout and maybe a picture of the green, showing the undulations with direction arrows.

The most important action you must carry out prior to making any putt is to gauge the pace of the greens, this can only be done on the practice green, so take 5-10 mins getting used to the pace, drop a few balls on the green at different lengths and putt to the edge of the green. When the ball rests on the cut line of the fringe and green, you have the pace.

So here are a few helpful tips to reading greens:

Always walk to the green with your head up, taking in all that you see, especially if the green has been cut that day showing the cut of the grain.
Pace out the length of your putt before you mark the ball, take into account any slopes between your ball and the hole.
Check that there as been very little traffic around the hole and on your line, if so repair.
Clear any debris that may be on your line, this could take a while if you're looking at a long putt.
Stand behind the ball and focus on a basic line.
Crouch behind the ball and focus on the true line.
If you have time (we as amateurs very seldom do this) take a look from behind the hole and both sides.
Crouch behind the ball again and focus on a gate, 2 marks on your given line, that the ball will pass through before it starts to break.
Make a good solid putt, ensuring the ball passes between the 2 marks on your line.

Reading greens is an art form, but when you master it and the pace of the greens, those 20 footers will seems like tap in's.

Also, depending on the time of day the grain could also play a massive part on the roll of the ball, NEVER FORGET THE GRAIN!

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PTSD

2 Comments / Uncategorized /

By Mrs Jackie Thompson Dale Thompson

PTSD & C-PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Disease, whichever one you use they are still the same.

I have had PTSD since Sep 2021, when I actually witnessed an incident that affected me emotionally, even though I have served as soldier for best part of 23 years. I have seen things that would make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end but I have not physically seen an incident that caused the death of a human being.

This all changed in 2021 and subsequently a programme I watch sparked off emotions in me that I have not felt since I witnessed the incident.

Now the definition of PTSD is that anyone can be exposed to trauma, an episode that has caused fear, helplessness or horror in responses to the threat of injury or death.

C-PTSD (complex-PTSD) is the emotions and feelings associated with PTSD that are difficult to understand and control.

Now when we associate PTSD we think mainly about the front line soldiers fighting the enemy, usually in CQB (close quarter battle), this is not always the case. I shot this video for my YouTube channel to get a message across to my audience.

If you know anyone in your life, that you care very much for that is suffering from this hidden disorder, please click the following link to PTSD-UK.

PTSD Read More »

January 2024

My Society Win

The Golfing Widow – by Jackie

Hello my names Jackie, I'm the one in the picture with the finger growing out of my head lol and I am a Golf Widow. Thought that was a good place to start.

Show your appreciation once in a while it makes the world of difference to those of us that don’t share the love of the game but love the golfer.

All about the greens

There is an art to reading greens, it usually starts from about 50 yards out, or if you're a Pro, the green layout booklet, showing the gradients, pin positions, hazards, sprinklers and so on.

We as amateurs do not get the luxury of a green layout book, perhaps a birdie book showing the hole layout and maybe a picture of the green, showing the undulations with direction arrows.

So here are a few helpful tips to reading greens:

Always walk to the green with your head up, taking in all that you see, especially if the green has been cut that day showing the cut of the grain.

Pace out the length of your putt before you mark the ball, take into account any slopes between your ball and the hole.

Check that there as been very little traffic around the hole and on your line, if so repair.

Clear any debris that may be on your line, this could take a while if you're looking at a long putt.

Stand behind the ball and focus on a basic line.

Crouch behind the ball and focus on the true line.

If you have time (we as amateurs very seldom do this) take a look from behind the hole and both sides.

Crouch behind the ball again and focus on a gate, 2 marks on your given line, that the ball will pass through before it starts to break.

Make a good solid putt, ensuring the ball passes between the 2 marks on your line.

Reading greens is an art form, but when you master it and the pace of the greens, those 20 footers will seems like tap in's.

Also, depending on the time of day the grain could also play a massive part on the roll of the ball, NEVER FORGET THE GRAIN!

PTSD

PTSD & C-PTSD