SUFFERING an injury that prevents you playing is a huge frustration for anyone with the golfing bug. Being struck down in the height of the summer doesn’t bear thinking about, but that is exactly what has happened to me.

Having played throughout what was one of the wettest winters on record, to say that I’m irritated to be missing out on the recent good weather would be a dramatic understatement. In fact, I am almost inconsolable.

My problem is a wrist injury, which I picked up making a ‘world-class’ save while playing in goal during a kick-about with my friends. We were having a penalty shoot-out and I flung myself to my right to keep out a powerfully-struck effort, deflecting the ball brilliantly over the crossbar.

My joy at making the save was soon overcome by concern as I felt pain from my right wrist, which must have been jarred sideways with the ferocity of the strike.

The next day, I could barely move it, but it eased off as the week went on and golf didn’t really cross my mind as I was whisking my wife away for a romantic weekend to celebrate our anniversary.

It was only when I was almost unable to hold the putter during a seaside round of crazy golf that the severity of the problem really hit home.

I was due to play with my brother-in-law, Steve, last Friday, but a midweek swing in the back garden saw my worst fears realised, with sharp twangs of pain on both the downstroke and follow-through.

My mood was not helped when I woke on the day of the round to see the sun beating down, bringing to mind all of the rounds I had played in the soaking wet.

I decided to have another swing in the garden, but it wasn’t to be, and rather than sunning myself on the course, I spent the afternoon ironing. Bad, bad times.

It might have been a good round to miss though. By all accounts, Steve played some excellent stuff, shooting a sub-90 round that almost certainly would have reduced my lead over him for the year further.

This wrist injury might just continue to bother me until he’s back to hacking around again.

Follow me on Twitter @JBoymanGazette