Indication of Height by Mr E

His was a complex puzzle in which the setter was competing against the solver in what turned out to be a game of golf. A region of 36 cells was converted to digits using A=1, B=2... Z=26; or, where letters from crossing answers conflicted, the difference. A three by three region was the key – giving PAR, YOU and MRE. This gave 3 rows of 9, showing the par for the hole and the scores of the two contestants. The row above gave the numbers of the holes from 1 to 9. The right hand column gave the scores which, initially, was a draw. However, in two cells there was a conflict where the number in parentheses was one less than the answer’s length. These conflicts gave BALL and HOLE which had to be entered as two circles (o and O). Between these two cells could be seen the word PUTT and a curved arrow could put the ball (o) in the hole (O). Clue 33 indicated that at the end of the game "you lie seven" and the title showed the final shot was 8 (H (8th letter) + eight.  This altered the predicted number of putts and the score for the solver’s final shot and his total had to be reduced by one stroke.

Across
1 Dance following end of first course in Lhasa (6)
TSAMBA (firs)T + SAMBA
5 A soldier's holding backward Australian fighters (7)
AMAZONS OZ (reversed) in A MAN’S
11 Rockwork broken by a collier (8)
ROCAILLE Anagram A COLLIER
12 Sun god is cross (4)
SPAN S (sun) + PAN
13 Brooding over home country, by sound (10)
INCUBATING IN + CUBA + TING (sound)
15 Yank's partner outside prison wall (7)
PARPEND PARD containing PEN (prison)
16 Is a cloak a slip? (5)
SCAPE S (is) + CAPE
19 In endless search for game, cross river (6)
HUDSON DSO (cross) in HUN(t)
22 Undergoing repair whenever backing is caught in soaking (9)
REFITTING IF (reversed) in RETTING
23 Horrified by eastern ruler's initiation of torture (6)
AGHAST AGHA’S + T(orture)
25 Strength of purpose said to be found in one (6)
MORALE ME (one) containing ORAL
26 Tower room where boss has to reside (9)
JEWEL-HOUSE JEWEL (boss) + HOUSE (reside) (ref. Tower of London)
29 Colouring matter returned to police station (6)
ANATTA AT TANA reversed
33 Before final play, what you lie next to is flat (5)
SEVEN ‘S (is) + EVEN (flat. The definition refers to the finale of the puzzle.
35 Twisted pastry - there's one left inside (7)
TORTILE I + L in TORTE
36 Rude supper properly prepared can be great (10)
SUPER-DUPER Anagram RUDE SUPPER
37 A tepid call to Edmund (4)
ALEW A LEW (Tepid – Spenser)
38 John and Paul's first verse - some track! (8)
LOOP-LINE LOO (John) + P(ail) + LINE
39 Determined to ignore the Vatican, which many snobs have done (7)
RESOLED RESOLVED less V (Vatican)
40 Escape from trouble in boxing match (6, two words)
BAIL OUT AIL in BOUT
 
Down
1 Worthless, like The Wasps without Aristophanes's ending (5)
TRIPY STRIPY less S
2 Contemplate backing out after account is to fall due (6)
ACCRUE ACC + RUE
3 Dull affair's cut short (5)
MATTE MATTE(r)
4 Insecticide - half drop put in a pool (6)
ALDRIN DR(op) in A LIN
6 Did she charm me, love? Not entirely (5)
MEDEA ME + DEA(r)
7 A bad lot without exception (4)
ALTO Anagram A LOT (ALTOGETHER)
8 With this woman's help we can demolish a whole pie (7)
OPHELIA Compound Anagram A WHOLE PIE less WE
9 Instruments fallen one is playing (9, two words)
NAIL FILES Anagram FALLEN + I + IS
10 After rising creatures under control nuzzled and slept (8)
SNOOZLED ZOONS (reversed) + LED
14 A sequin - one lira, coming in a range of colours (9)
PAILLETTE I L (lira) in PALETTE
17 Perhaps nucleus of allergen damaged (9)
ORGANELLE Anagram O’ + ALLERGEN
18 Loose sheet - it contains directions (5)
INSET NSE (directions) in IT
20 Break pole with it - or ice (5)
PIOLET Anagram POLE + IT (& lit?)
21 Coat, eg, with fish oil (8)
MACASSAR MAC (coat) + AS + SAR (fish)
24 Musclemen are raised by Soprano to stifle the speaker (7)
HEAVIES I (the speaker) in HEAVE (are raised) + S (soprano)
27 Squares initially forming a cylinder before use (6, two words)
LOO ROLL Definition clue
28 Sign to have soldiers replaced by independent old general (6)
SCIPIO I for OR (soldiers) in SCORPIO
30 Liberal: one to be imitated, perhaps, but not examined (5)
AMPLE EXAMPLE less EX
31 Supporter of mine would be silent if I replaced unionist (5)
STULL U for I in STILL
32 Ernie's head in his friend's cap (5)
BERET E in BERT
34 Short stream having no force (4)
NULL NULL(a)