 Welcome to part one of my trying to break 80 by using everything I've learned so far in my test in the tip series. The challenge is set in People Scotland at the McDonnell Cardrona Golf Course. Apart from being an incredibly picturesque backdrop, Cardrona produces a real test of championship golf. It all kicks off with a par five, five hundred and six yards and my simple aim is to avoid the bunkers on the right side of this fairway. Away we go. So with the first task complete we're in the middle of the fairway with another set of bunkers that we need to avoid and with the right yardage I choose five wood which should in theory cover the bunkers and leave me with a short iron into this green. Once again the only thing to avoid is those two bunkers front left so we're going to be on the right hand side of this flag and see if we can make our two putt walk off to the second tee with a par. As with any golf course getting the pace early on is never easy and we've got a fair bit of distance away from the flag. This is all about a two putt, can I get it close and like I said earlier walk off with a tap in par and let's get to that second tee. Mission complete. Second tee is a two hundred seventy two yard par four which is very short but severe uphill and the green is tucked away on that right hand side. My aim again is at those bunkers left. They're playing two thirty carry on the full, we're uphill and into the wind and quite honestly I don't think I can get there. So far so good and we've got a fairly blind shot left into this green. I've got no option really but to take this flag on because my line into this green gives me no other option. We've just got to make sure we get that yardage right playing uphill. Super wedged shot in and a realistic birdie chance on the second. I gave it a good roll in terms of its line. Just a little bit scared of that one came up short but happy to start off with two pars. So we're two holes in two pars and to be fair quite happy with what is a steady start but we've got a four oh six down breeze downhill. How bold can we be? Well do you know what that's another one away and we've found the centre of the fairway. It seems to me like testing the tips is actually working on my game at least. You can probably feel a bit of breeze and see the flag we're playing downwind but a hit a fairly flat ball flight which is meant that I didn't get the carry and stay in the air as long as I expected. Right these are good bunker shots or it's first bogey of the day we're facing here come on and just get up a bit more. That was heavier than I anticipated. Oh you're kidding me oh my lord that would have been a saving grace there for a par wow there's a gate again an area game that has improved massively of late right so we make bogey after what was a great tee shot but after that unfortunately it was just a bit of wrong clubbing really happy with the way my game is up to now let's skip on over to the fourth and see what's up next. Do you want this I'm getting it away this morning this is 443 par 4 it's going to play long thank god we're at least a little bit downwind right 190 in I've got a five hybrid which in theory sort of goes around the 180 mark but we're a bit downwind so I think that well if we can pick this one up the wind should get as at least for the front okay that's a aw it's just linked the tad you know look at that oh that's a really good strike as well but backing them bunkers and for this time I know what the sand is like so no excuses so it's never easy with a bunker shot that needs to carry probably 15 20 yards or more and apart from the camera lady being on a bit of a time delay you'll see that I landed quite a bit away from the flag um allow a decent effort to be fair and rolled up to a bogey disappointing from middle of the fairway and off the tee right anyway next tolerance of par five 186 I think we played a little bit forward of that um I've got a six iron in hand and um I'll always a decent strike I knew straight away it leaked out a little bit to the right and not a great deal to the right but a well placed bunker as they always are and uh not overly used to the sort of heavier sand splash this one out quite high didn't really sat down and again decent enough stroke but a complete mystery that definitely thought that one came in from the right and unfortunately it's back to back bogeys and onto the six hole which is a part five 513 yards wind is blowing into us which I'll tell you now but I didn't learn this later on in the hole but got the drive away um a little bit higher than I'd hoped it to and a hell of a little bit in the wind which left a longer second shot than I'd hoped I've got five warden you can see that bunker on the drone footage on the left hand side that is my target line here to cut off that and hopefully bring it back into the fairway to leave me a wedge right so we've played a number of par five so far and to be honest there's quite generous off the tee um and I'm not in a bad position got 130 in and really I could do give myself a bit of a birdie chance because uh as you've seen I've thrown in a few bogeys almost needless bogeys really been a bit untidy let's see if we can get this one in on the flag somewhere oh come on be right on the club this time be right and sit on it no it's not right it's short ha and I thought that one again I just can't work out the wind we're in amongst the trees it's a really picturesque golf old par five see plenty of movements on that green as well but I'm struggling to work out the wind and maybe thinking about it I've just completely got that bit wrong because that's into the wind and not down hence was short big error in terms of clubbing we're clearly into the wind right greens have been rolling really true but I'm a long way from the hole so this needs a good old hoof that's not bad effort I don't think roll out a little bit more I think that's pin I right let's see if we can get back onto that par trail at least right loving the look of this at least we've got a quite a severe dog leg from left to right how bold can we be and just how far is sort of a straight line to that rough we'll soon find out right let's just keep it together this evening just slide one round the corner oh that is that's the best shot of it today come on that's got to be perfect surely well we'll soon find out there's some drone footage going over for you now which gives you a better idea of whether or not my ball is in a good position or not but my feeling is that should be pretty good I definitely my favourite hole on the course so far number seven and it's probably because I'm sitting in the middle of the fairway it's a good tee shop but it's like I said sweeping dog leg and then into this well protected green which I've got 140 into stroke index one if I can get on that birdie train now now's the time to do it and come on let's get one no I don't know left to the pin pin how you're right to do me come on go left to the pin be right be right oh okay so little bit of luck I said don't go left to the pin went left to the pin but at least I got the right club and we should have a birdie chance on stroke one oh well hey that was a decent effort oh four on my favourite golf hole I'll take that right eight another really good golf hole probably wouldn't go driver again off the tee um I think it's a bit risky but I've left just over a hundred in and I'm going to do the 52 wedge and this time I have got the direction of the wind right so there's no excuses now this is where the tips come in and see if I can not go long and left and see if I can utilize something and I have learned of late oh and come on this gotta be good give me a birdie chance sit a such a crisp strike first of all of my little uh the tips are definitely helping my game there's no doubt a bar at right throughout whether it be on the tee or in this case a wedge in which I've got guilty of getting in a good position and then going long left unfortunately it was a little bit left but it's perfect in terms of pin I and we've got a real chance of birdie come on and cannot hold a putt but we're giving ourselves chances and we're getting closer that's another par but well and truly back on that par train right quick change we've had a bit of a downpour in the last two minutes since we've flown our drone footage and I've got a bit wet anyway can we finish off this nine on a bit of a high par three to finish come on see if we can get a birdie in there and it's a nice strike if we've got the yard is because that's coming in towards the flag as well kick on one oh it's a bit short ah it's a tad short wait so that's me done plus three for the front nine relatively happy with the way I've played so far I'll see if I can continue that into the back nine here at car drone and so make sure you tune in tomorrow night and see if testing the tips is doing its job is it really helping me play some better golf it's not doing too bad so far I'll see you tomorrow mate