The loop
The journey
Two cards, one loop, one notebook. We play, we log, we argue the stats — both indexes heading for 10–12.
Newport Golf Club · Snapshot 25 Oct 2026 · Target 10–12
Match 1 of 7
10 & 8
Dad closed it after 10 holes. Windy, cold, winter tees, preferred lies. First to 4. Loser buys the roll.
Dad
1
Oliver
0
25 Oct 2026 – 31 Mar 2027
Playing partner
17.3
WHS index · 28 Sep 2026 · 5 shots to 12
Driver, 6-iron, gap wedge. Out 48, in 41 once the ball sat more central. Four fairways.
35 counting rounds this year. 25 Oct was the cup, 10 holes, 48, left out of the averages. Last ten still play to 94.
Playing partner
18.4
WHS index · 28 Sep 2026 · 6 shots to 12
3 wood, 7-iron, gap wedge. The wood was the club. Every fairway he tracked, five greens, 33 putts.
22 counting rounds this year. 25 Oct he picked up the 7th, paper 53 over 9, then took the 12th after the match. New P790s and a 60° from 12 Oct.
The argument
Oliver 8 · Dad 5 · putting split. The cup is 1–0. The stroke cards are a different argument.
Match 1 of 7. 10 and 8 after 10 holes. Not in the stroke averages — both trackers logged it as fun match play.
Simon Randell Memorial. Three clubs and a putter, teams of three, yellows, own scores. Oliver 82 on 17. Dad 89.
The card still says Dad. Playing handicap 19 against 20 off the Newport whites. One shot and a bit.
Garmin, not Wales Golf. Oliver’s watch still has him past Dad. Dad’s estimate drifted to 19.3. Annoying, and not the index.
18-hole average. Oliver’s recent golf is still in the 80s. Dad’s last ten play to 94.
Over the whole year Dad still edges it. 90.5 against 91.4. Barely, and he’s played more.
Brochure numbers. Mavrik against the stiff M3. Dad’s card is longer when both swing it.
Garmin, last ten, par 4s and 5s, duffs included. Saturday he left the driver in the bag. Still further.
The 3 wood found 12 of 12. Dad’s driver found 4 of 13. That’s the argument.
Dad’s 18% is the last ten. Oliver’s 29% is Saturday only — 5 from 17 — first card with greens logged. Still his.
Both 33 on the day. Oliver’s first round with putts on the watch. Dad’s last ten still 35. Nobody under 32 yet.
Dad: no birdies, 19% pars, 34% doubles. Oliver: three birdies, nearly half the holes a par.
Best 18-hole equivalent on the log. Oliver has the low one. 7 Sep already played back to 78.
Dad’s played more. That’s most of why the year average is close.
1.1 shots apart
Target 10–12
Officially 1.1 apart. The cup is 1–0 to Dad after 10 and 8. The last ten stroke cards still say Oliver, 86 to 94.
Recent cards
The loop
25 Oct 2026
Jenkins Winter Cup, match 1 of 7. Dad beat Oliver 10 and 8, finished after the 10th. Windy, cold, winter tees, preferred lies. Dad 48 on 10, out 43, four pars, three fairways, three greens, 18 putts. Oliver’s paper card 53 over 9, pickup on the 7th. He played the 12th after the match and beat Dad with a 5. Cup is 1–0. First to 4. Left out of the stroke averages.
3 Oct 2026
Simon Randell Memorial. Three clubs and a putter, teams of three, yellows. Oliver: 3 wood, 7-iron, gap wedge — 82 on 17, every tracked fairway, five greens, 33 putts. Dad: driver, 6-iron, gap wedge — 89, out 48, in 41 once the ball sat more central. Four fairways.
28 Sep 2026
Board reset off both trackers. Official index still Dad, 17.3 to 18.4. Last ten: Oliver 87, Dad 95. Fairways 42% to 28%. Oliver’s watch says 14.1. Greens and putts are still Dad’s to lose — 18% and 36.
10 Sep 2026
Work event at Portal Golf & CC. 26 teams of four, best two Stableford scores a hole. 90 points, 4th — winners 93. Shots left out there. Individual 95, out 46 / in 49. Six fairways, three greens, 37 putts.
7 Sep 2026
Eleven holes at Newport ahead of a work event. Front 9 plus 10 and 12. 56 (+11), out 44. Three pars, three greens, two fairways, 23 putts. Oliver’s team match stays off the card.
5 Sep 2026
Better ball at Newport. Mark 16 holes, 81 (+17). Out 40, in 41. Two fairways, zero greens, 30 putts. No penalties. Oliver’s Garmin 73 over 15 is the team card, not a true individual — some holes match Dad, 4s on 5 and 12 were his. Logged unofficial only.
4 Sep 2026
The cleaner individual day. Mark 9 holes (1–8 + 10), 45 (+9). Three pars, FW 2/8, GIR 2/11, 16 putts. Oliver 12 holes, 60 (+11). Front 44 including a 10 on the 4th, then 7-4-5 on 10–12.
31 Aug 2026
Foursomes, then extra holes. Oliver jumped in for ten — 46 (+6), five pars, striking it. 83 equivalent, better window than the 87. Mark played all 18 for 100. Out 47, in 53. Irons and putting were fine; two penalties became the 7s and 8s. Longest 313.
25 Aug 2026
Evening 9. Oliver 45, Dad 47. The lad put the stiff M3 in play at full speed — 243, 254, 313. He'd been hiding behind the 3 wood. Not tonight.
24 Aug 2026
Knockout against Archie, Junior Captain, plus one. Lost on the 18th. Front 40, back 47. Seven pars, seven bogeys. First true 18 at 87 — Saturday’s 76 was holes finished, not the course. This one is.
23 Aug 2026
Dad ~270 carry / 295 total. Longest 302. Oliver’s driver is now a genuine 260+ when he commits — the old 200 was conservative.
22 Aug 2026
Dad played every hole for 100. Oliver picked up a few — 76 is the holes he finished (GIR 4/15, one birdie), not a 76 for the course.
After the card
This week’s work
Hidden so the page stays the scores. Open when you want the session.
01
Both
After every range or 9
10 balls from 20–40 yards. Count how many finish inside a club length. First to 6 on the week wins. Short game is the fastest six shots.
02
Both
On the course
No pick-ups when it’s practice. The knockout was 18 holes, no blobs. If you’d pick up in Stableford, drop, chip, putt anyway.
03
Dad
Range
20 balls with the 7-iron at a towel. Don’t leave until 8 land on it. Last ten greens are 18%. Two more a round is the path from 17 to 12.
04
Dad
Driver
10 swings: head still, belt buckle through. The 270 is there — the miss is early lift. Film one, keep the best.
05
Oliver
On the course
Tee it up with the M3, not the 3 wood. Commit. 243–313 when he does. The 3 wood is the layup, not the default.
06
Oliver
Putting green
10 balls from six feet. A miss resets the count. Three-putts are what keep the index at 18.
We review after the round. Same three stats on both cards — index, scoring, fairways. Hole-by-hole stays in Drive. This page is the top line and the work.