Readers will sympathise with our correspondent because her handicap has steadily increased and rather than relaxing and enjoying her golf, she’s having difficulty in accepting the extra shots.

As the next edition of Women & Golf hits the shelves today, here’s a sneak preview of what you can expect from our correspondent Philippa Kennedy in this issue.

For the past year or so I’ve been struggling on my 18 handicap. Once in a while I get within three or four shots of it but last time out I didn’t even break 100.

It’s very depressing and I’ve been trying to work out what’s happened. I’ve been at 18 since I returned to the UK eight years ago after three years living in sunny Dubai with its beautiful big wide fairways, trimmed to perfection and in my opinion, aimed at visitors from the States who get upset if they lose their balls.

Playing two or three times a week in a light breeze with brilliant sunshine, I came down to a steady 14 but arriving back to wet and muddy Surrey, I slid out to 18 and stayed there.

This week, after an indifferent performance at Sandy Lodge with its marble greens, my handicap reached the dreaded 18.5 so now I’m officially 19.

Is this the start of the slippery slope, I’m wondering, or can I ever hope to knock a few shots off my handicap again?

I’ve always thought 18 is a nice sort of a handicap. A shot a hole is a comforting thing but I’m vain enough not to want to be given two shots on any hole so the 19 number has been weighing heavily on my mind. I see it everywhere - it’s the date of my birthday, the number of our new abode and I’m writing this on the 19th of the month. The golfing gods are clearly laughing at me.

This is just a snippet of Philippa Kennedy's article in the latest issue of Women & Golf magazine. You can pick up Women & Golf, on sale NOW, or click here to subscribe now to read the full feature and enjoy W&G delivered to your door!

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