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Saturday I had my first real experience of match play golf. I've played some friendly 4 ball matches, but on Saturday I played in the first round of our club's Summer Singles Knockout competition.

I was playing against a guy with the same handicap as mine, which made figuring the 3/4 difference easy - it was just like pro matchplay, gross, except for the standard of play.

Neither of us had played for 3 1/2 weeks or so, so we were ring rusty, but the match was very exciting - in the end we only halved TWO holes! I was 3 down after only 5 holes, as my opponent parred two, bogeyed one, and birdied one. He gave me the third hole by taking 4 to get out of a greenside bunker when I was lying three 6 feet from the hole. On the fifth I lagged up nicely for a conceded par, and then he rolled in a birdie putt.

After that par on the 5th I started to get my game together. I sank a nice par putt under pressure on 6 to share the hole. I won two of the next three, including a very nice up and down for par on 8, so I went into the turn two down.

I then won 10 despite going OB off the tee, 11 by putting him under pressure with a lovely check chip, 12 with a solid net par, to be one up. He got back to all square with a very good par on the 13th, stroke index two - I nearly shared that one but just missed my par putt.

14 was a brilliant match play hole - my partner hit a nice solid drive, 250ish yards up the middle. I followed with one 10 yards past him in the fairway. He hit a nice iron to the green, but left himself a bit short for a 40 ft putt. I then hit a sweet 8 iron, pin high that used the contours of the green to roll to about 12 feet. My partner then left his putt hanging on the lip, it was a beautiful putt. But I concentrated and rolled my birdie putt right into the centre of the cup, never a doubt. So I was back to one up.

On 15 (a par three) my 5 iron tee shot was pin high, about 15 feet, while his was bunkered greenside. In the end I didn't have to putt as his short game totally deserted him. So two up with three to play.

I lost 16, I made a bogey 5 (which I was happily accept if offered, 16 is my nemesis hole), forcing him to make a tricky par putt.

We shared the 17th with 9 apiece - a truly shocking hole that was best forgotten. My partner was putting for an 8 to win but rolled it 6 feet past. His putt to savew the hole and the match teetered on the edge of the cup, but fell in.

I lost 18 when my third to the par 5 found an atrocious plugged lie, right against the lip of the greenside bunker. I personally doubt Tiger could have got it to the green from there. Eventually I was out in the rough behind the green, lying 5, while he was lying 3 on the green. So back to the first tee we went, for extra holes - where still more twists awaited.

My partner hit a poor drive, well off line but with a line to the green. My drive was even worse, a low pull off the heel, that came off the net protected the clubhouse, and finished inches in bounds, next to a flower bed boundary. It was totally unplayable for a right handed golfer, BUT it was lying on the cart path! For once the Rules came to my rescue, and my relief drop gave me a shot towards the green. I gleefully smacked my 5 wood close to the green.

Meanwhile my partner had played out to the fairway, a duffed iron, and then, for the first time all afternoon, he shanked! I chipped on to lie 3, and his chip came up short. He then putted on to lie 5. I was away and rolled up to about 3 feet. He needed to make his putt for 6 to put me under pressure, and duly obliged (some of his putting was really really good). So I was left with a heart-stopping three footer for the match, and hit it JUST hard enough to roll in! I was shredded!

So that was my first experience of competitive match play golf - lessons learned?

1. Don't get down on yourself, even if you fall behind early. If you play your game the scoring will come and you can come back. Stick to your game plan for each hole. And remember you can only come back by winning one hole at a time.

2. Don't mentally concede a hole just because you go OB, lose a ball, or hit a very poor shot. You can still rescue the hole with a really good shot, or your opponent can let you back into the hole. I twice hit drives OB and won one hole and shared the other. Make your opponent make the shots to win.

3. Put the hole just completed behind you straight away, win or lose.

4. Carry a rule book with you! The Rules can help you! My opponent asked for a club-length drop after going OB. Even though I knew the procedure I used the Rules to show him what he had to do. I'm convinced that the trudge back to replay his shot put him off and I saved the hole.

5. It is hard to close out a match. I was nervous on the first tee, and only settled down after I won my first hole, but I was far more nervous on the 16th when I knew a won hole would finish the match. And the tiny putt for the match felt like a 50 footer.

Bring on round two...

Round Two tomorrow. I will be getting 4 strokes or so - I hope I'm still in it on the 16th where I can use it! Here's hoping I don't need extra holes...

Good luck JungleJ. It's amazing how good par is in match play.

Just as a note, the person you are playing is your "opponent". Someone who is playing on the same team is a "partner". If you use the right terms it makes it easier for people to read.

Good match, isn't match play fun!

Match play rules. I'm like JungleJ and a few months ago had my first experience of real match play in my home clubs summer knockout(I'm in the southern hemisphere in case your wondering ) and loved it. Totally agree whith all afore mentioned points and will add make em putt those 1-1.5footers. Won my second round like that against a bloke off the same HCP. Got to the third green all square, I got up and down, he was a foot short on his birdie putt. As he's walking up to the ball he's looking at me as if to say "come on aren't ya gunna give me that putt". He walks up, knocks it in and says "geeze I thought you might have gimme that one". To which I reply "what did you think you where going to miss it did ya". So after a bit of to and frowing we are all square on the 17th green. I was a foot or so past on my 25foot go at a bird and he says "Pick it up I'll give ya that one" so I offer to knock it in and he "na pick it up" so I do. His bird putt is nearly the same as mine and ends up whith the same foot left to the hole and I get the same look as he's going to the ball. Gets to his ball, takes a long time over the putt and missed it. The last at my course is a 170metre par 3, I hit easy high 5wood to the centre of the green. He steps up still fumin about the putt he just missed or about the fact I made him hit and sprays i rank slice into the pines and says "thats it you win". I felt a bit sorry for him but I got the win totally whithin the rules and match play just highlights how much of this great game is between the ears.

I know, but partner sounds nicer. For the next report I'll call him Slim.

a "partner" is someone you let have that club length drop. an "opponent" is someone you make walk back to the tee to replay his shot.

Definitely make everybody putt everything. I played against the low handicapper in my club and he missed a 3 footer on 17 that would have won him the match and again on 19 he missed one to halve the match.

Well, we played on Saturday. Teed off just before 12.30. It started raining after 8 holes or so, but it was manageable.

We had a really tight match. My opponent was off 14, I'm off 19 so I got 4 strokes (3/4 the difference), giving me strokes on 2,7,13, and 16.

Despite playing fairly well I found myself two down after 5 holes, losing the 5th to a nice birdie. But I birdied the 6th (putted in from the fringe), used my stroke on 7 to grind out a win to get back to all square. We traded pars on 8 and 9 to go to the turn still all square.

I gave away 10 and 11 with poor play - had to take an unplayable drop on 10 when I shoould have hit the green, and 11 was a succession of nightmares.

But then I ground out the wins on 12 and 13 (using my shot on 13 to force an error by my opponent) to level up again. I couldn't get my nose in front but I was making him win the match.

14 I lost despite hitting the shot of the day, a 7 iron from the fairway bunker, so I was back to 1 down.

But I parred the 15th with a regulation 2 putt, then played 16 (a shot hole for me, but also my least favourite on the course) perfectly - drive up the middle, 5 wood just short of the green, and a bump and run wedge that rolled up to 18 inches, par conceded. So finally, after 16 holes, I was in front.

And I kept it that way. I got a bit out of position on 17, but got up and down for par with a sneaky lob wedge chip to, again, 18 inches. My opponent was on in two but left himself a bit of work to do. I was surprised when he missed the par putt, but I knocked in my tiddler to close the match 2&1!

My lessons for this round:

If you're getting shots, make them count. If you play a stroke hole well, you put a lot of pressure on the other guy. If you make a mistake, you've got that stroke to keep you in it. I won all 4 of my stroke holes.

Short game, short game, short game... if you can get yourself up and down, it can be really irritating for your opponent.

Don't feel bad about not giving putts!

Carry an extra glove in your bag - I was glad I did.

On to the next round - I believe they call it the Sweet 16 in the States... My next opponent is either a 7 or a 14 handicapper. Bring it on!

Match play is a different game for sure. I play in a Match Play league. We also use handicaps...which keeps it interesting. I'm a 14 hc and played a good friend of mine in Saturday's match. He's an 8 hc. I lost...but it went to the final putt on # 18. I put a little pressure on him by birding a par 5 outright. I matched his score (in stroke play) on the back, but just couldn't pull it out. It's a great format and I'm looking forward to several more matches.

I played my last 16 match on Saturday - the first hot, sunny day of the summer. Dennis was a 15 handicap (14.5!!!), I'm off 19 so I got 3 strokes. I made good use of them to steal two unlikely halves and a cheeky win. I won the first hole with a one putt par and never looked back. I was never worse than one up and ended up winning 3 & 1.

Lessons from this round: match play is a lot easier when you have a few holes lead!

I'm the first one through to the quarter-finals, so should be a break before the next match. Getting exciting now!

Apparently (I haven't been into the locker room to check), for some reason I've been given a bye to the semi-final! I think some of the other matches have missed completion deadlines so they've been DQ'd.

FINALLY got to play the semi-final match. I played against a real gentlemanly OG who had three times been to the final and never won. We had a fantastic match that was decided on the 18th green.

I was getting a nice 6 shots from my opponent. Sadly I couldn't make the best use of them, saving my abysmal holes for the stroke holes. I won one and halved two of the six holes.

The good news was I played brilliantly on a lot of the other holes. I parred 5 of the 6 par 3's on the course, all of them one putts. I went 3 for 3 in sand saves, sank a bomb for an unlikely half on the 10th and generally did whatever I had to to stay in the match. We were never separated by more than one hole. Overall I made 9 pars which for a 19 handicapper is pretty good!

We went up the 18th all square (I lipped out on 16 for what would have put me 2 up, then left a putt for half on 17 an inch short). I was sizing up an uphill 8 footer for par when my opponent sank a 30 foot snake for birdie and the match.

So I'm gutted that I didn't make it through, but I gave it my very best. Penalties aside I can honestly say I only left one shot out there that might have influenced the result.

I believe there's a rule where in 'match play' if someone doesn't give you honors at the tee and you have them, you can make them replay their shot (or is it a stroke?....it's something for sure, unlike stroke play where it's a courtesy, but not penalized if not followed).

I played a matchplay final at my club on monday. i was giving my opponent 7 shots which ment i had a lot of work to do. it was a very exciting match...

I won the first with a 5. The second was a bad hole all round and we halved it with 6's. The 3rd is a long par 4 and my opponent had a shot on me here. i made a great par to half with his bogey. The 4th is a long par 3 and my opponent had a shot on me again. we both made a mess of it but i scrambled a 4 to tie his 5. Hole 5 is index 1 so a shot for my opponent here again. in the end we each had 6's but he won due to him having the shot. The next he once again had a shot (that was 4 holes in a row) I made a good 5 to tie his 6. this left the match all square after 6. The seventh i hit a poor enough drive but i opponent hit a good drive. we both however managed to hit the green and we each had 15ft birdie putts. we each 2 putted to share the hole with pars. the 8th is a par 3 which we halved with bogeys after both missing the green. The ninth i won with a bogey 5. i was one up. The 10th is the first par 5 and my opponent had a shot here. We both made an awful mess of it and ended up with sevens with my opponent winning due to his shot. The eleventh is a par 3 and i holed a 10 foot putt for par to half the hole after my opponent hit the green and two putted. the 12th is a par 5. we both hit decent drives and after havin a bad lie i ended up short of the green in 3 but i ended up witha a handy 6 to half the hole.13 has really thick rough right of the green, hit it in her and you dont find it. my opponent hit a ball in here and i somehow won the hole with a six!( i hit an awful drive and had to chip out of trees) on fourteen my opponent had a shot again and i made a 5 to half with his six which left me one up with four to play. on fifteen he had his final shot on me. its a tuf hole with ob and water hazards. i hit a perfect drive and but put my second in the water. my opponent was on the green in 3 and made a 5. altho i also ended up with a 5 he won the hole due to his shot. All square 3 to play. The sixteenth is a short par 5. after my opponent finding a fairway bunker and mwe topping my second shot we ended up with 6's which ment all square with 2 to go. I won seventeen with a good par. Eighteen I hit my drive left, missed the green with my second hit a decent pitch to 10 feet but two putted for a bogey. my opponent had a 10ft putt to half the match and go to sudden death. he holed it!
Up the 19th i hit a **** drive but it ran on a mile and i ended up 180 yards out.(if i hit a good drive id be about 110yards out) my opponent was well up but on the right side. i hit a beutiful 5 iron to fifteen feet and my opponent hit his ball right beside mine. we decided he'd putt first. his putt just missed and he had a tap in par. i decided to be bold with my putt and i hammered it in for a birdie!! unbelievable!! absolutely delighted!!