Sorry to do this folks, but I’m really quite happy about this and I figured it is better to brag here than to bore folks IRL. Handicap revisions came out today, and for the first time ever I’m carrying under a 10 handicap. 9.8 to be precise.
Started the year out at a 12, which had been my previous best ever. Was as high as a 14.6 as recently as July. Last 5 revisions have gone 14.3, 13.4, 11.6, 10.7, 9.8. (Lower is better, for any non-golfers who are bothering with this thread!)
Not earth-shattering by any means, but golf is among my top 2-3 recreational interests, and it is fun to be playing by far my best golf ever at the age of 45. How low can he go?
Anyone else really hitting their stride in terms of their hobbies/recreations?
Congratulations! I’m completely jealous! For people who don’t know, this is quite impressive. More so, that you aren’t claiming it’s your sole hobbie!
I just started golfing one year ago. My first time out was in the 140 plus range (truth be told, I gave up counting on a number of holes) but I’ve managed to bring it down. First to the 120 range, then around 115, then 110 and now about 105. I should be getting my first handicap rating so, so it will be about 30 or so!
I really love the sport, and find it really helps me let go a lot of stress. (When the bad shots are causing stress )
Thanks.
And congrats back atcha on your continued improvement. You will find the game becomes a lot more fun when you start breaking 100 regularly, and then again when you get around 90.
But more importanly, concentrate on ways to enjoy your time golfing that don’t depend on the final score. I think too many people get pissed on the course because they are so preoccupied with their score that they essentially consider the round a failure if they don’t score low. For me, first and foremost, gold is a nice walk in the park with my friends. On top of that, I have a good round if any of the following happen:
-I shoot a good score
-I have a few good shots
-one element of my game improves
-we play quickly
-I find some golf balls
One or more of those things is sure to happen every time out.
Tho you didn’t ask, I’ll offer that at some point in the next couple of years you will do well to take a couple of lessons. A lesson costs about the same as a round of golf, and will go a lot further towards lowering your score than playing another round.
Another thing is that high scorers are often embarrassed by their scores. I (and most golfers I know) couldn’t care less what someone scores so long as he/she follows his ball, gets right up to it and is ready to hit when it is their turn, is good company, and is aware of and exercises basic courtesy. What drives me nuts is when someone is a hack - and is slow and rude about it - taking countless practice swings, not being able to find their ball, talking while you are over your ball, etc.
So what is it like to golf in Japan? From here it sounds as tho the ranges and courses are extremely crowded and expensive. Not a whole lot of land over there to simply plow into courses. How many courses are within - say - 50 miles of your home, and how much do they cost?
I live near Chicago - the golf mecca of the midwest. In a recent CNN-Money ranking of the best places to live based on proximity of courses, all of the top 10 were Chicago and western burbs. And I always am on the look out for specials such that I rarely pay more than $50 for 18 - generally considerably less.
Dinsdale, congrats! According to my buddy in my IT Department, this is quite an accomplishment! (I don’t golf. I know nothing of golf so I had to ask him. I do, however, live right smack dab up against the back 9 of a golf course. Go figure.)
Anyway, as to answer your question about hitting my stride regarding hobbies, etc. - I don’t have hobbies. I am thinking of getting some, though.
Which course? If it is in the NW burbs (and is public) I may well have played there.
Where is your house situated on what kind of hole? Do you get a lot of balls in your yard and/or broken windows?
As much as I like golf, I’m not sure I’d want to live right on a golf course. Buncha strangers walking by all day, pissing on my bushes… Tho it would probably be nice and peaceful once it got dark, and in the winter.
Palatine Hills. Back when I lived in Elgin, I lived up against Wing Park - the back part of THEIR golf course. My son used to go get golf balls and then sell them, the little entrepreneur. Never had a broken window though - we were too far set back. Now, I don’t even get any golf balls - there’s a fence, trees, and we’re again really set back from it.
What is nice is the wildlife - we hear coyotes all time. Freaks my dog right out when he’s out on the deck at night and the howling starts.
I have played lots of rounds over the years and have only once played with a single figure player (although I used to play regularly with a former single figure handicapper). For us average slobs it is like being paired with Tiger Woods on Sunday. Very well done.
Well, color me jealous. I’ve been playing for more than 10 years now, but really only got serious about two years ago. I went into this year as a 19 handicap, and have managed to get it down to 15 this year… I’m hoping to knock another stroke off before the snows come.
But my big victory this year is that I played a local nine hole, par 34 course twice in two days. First day I shot par with only one bogey! Next day, one over with two birdies. One month later, I’m still completely psyched.
Never played Palestine Hills. Do you realize I live like 15 miles straight south of you down 53?
Guys - if a lazy arthritic old guy like I can do it, any of you can.
When I first established my hcp in '02 I was a 17.8.
Took 4 lessons in '03 completely changing my swing plane and went as high as 19.1, before ending the year at 16.1.
4 more lessons in '04 and I hit a low of 13.6 before ending at 14.4.
Ended '05 at 12.2.
Will be interesting to see how low I can go!
Haven’t taken lessons the last 2 years, but will probably go back next year. I think it has probably taken a couple of years for the things I was working on during the lessons to finally really become natural to me, instead of “new”.
Not sure exactly why I am playing so well right now, but my best guess is that it has to do with my current frame of mind. I think things are going well, I’m pretty happy (for me) and I’m not feeling a lot of pressure on myself in any areas of my life. I’m not hitting a bunch of incredible shots or anything, just generally advancing the ball in the general direction of the hole - but it is amazing how easy the game gets the more fairways and greens you hit.
Just so you don’t think I live on the golf course, from April thru Oct I play 9 holes every Sat/Sun. 1x a month I play 18 on Sat instead of my usual 9. And I try to take off work 2-3x month to play 18 during the week. I used to play 12 mos a year if the sun was shining and the wind not blowing, but now I put the sticks away in Nov and don’t pull them out again til March.
I used to practice more than I have this year. This year I didn’t go to the range once. In fact, the main thing I practiced was my putting. Probably went to the practice green at the local course 3x/week for 30 minutes each time. Improving my putting has probably given me at least 4 strokes a round.
Nice shooting! Now that you know you can do it, all you have to do is do it again and more often!
And I’ll bet if I asked you about those rounds you’d say you didn’t do anything special. Just basically hit it straight, stayed out of trouble, and recovered well from the couple of bad shots you hit. I mean, you weren’t all of a sudden hitting 300 yd drives, knocking every iron stiff, and draining 30 foot putts. Nope. Just drive on or near the fairway, hit iron on or near the green, chip close or at least leave yourself an uphill putt, and knock your first putt to within 3 feet and don’t miss any of the short 2d putts. Easy game, no?
When your putter is working, that’s the best way to get strokes off.
Congrats on the 9.8. That’s sort of a goal of mine when I get more time one of these years. I had a job in high school that allowed me to play about 7 18 hole rounds per week. (I played 36 some days). Man, I loved playing that much. I practiced puttting. I practiced sand shots. I practiced every kind of touchy chip. Just the fact that I had time to practice was nice.
I broke 80 once at the end of a summer before I had to go back to college. I think I was still a 15 at that point. (I also shot an 83 once when I was a 29.)
But now, I play about 7 rounds per year and I’m just another mid-90’s weekend warrior.
You know, I have a little problem with that old saw.
For me it wasn’t so much “scoring” with my putter, as it was avoiding pissing strokes away with 3 putts. It used to drive me nuts to hit my driver and irons really well, and then 3-jack several greens in a round.
-Putting is infinitely easier if you plan and execute your approaches so that you have uphill putts. Course management kind of stuff. Most folks would be better off hitting short of the green if it leaves them an uphill chip, than squeaking a miraculous shot onto the back of the green where you face a 50’ breaking downhill nightmare.
If you miss greens with your irons but then hit your chips and pitches within 10 or 5 feet, you are gonna sink more putts than if you blade or chunk your approaches.
If you have enough control over your short to mid irons - and plan your shot - such that your margin of error is the portion of the green leaving you the easiest putt, instantly you become a better putter.
If you are driving longer (and straighter) you are hitting shorter (presumably more accurate) clubs into the greens.
So what I’m saying is, I don’t think putting really oughtta be viewed separately from the rest of the game.
I freely acknowledge, however, that striking the ball and scoring are two entirely different things. You can be the best ball striker in the world, and not be able to score worth beans.
You sound like me in HS (tho I didn’t play QUITE that much!). I took off for maybe 15 years during college/law school and thereafter. I decided to try to get better at golf about 5 years ago after a few injuries ended my martial arts career.
Pretty much. Seems like such an easy game when you can score par by hitting three or four just average shots per hole, and just avoid making any terrible mistakes.
I think the biggest difference this year is has been that I’ve been working on my short game. I read Peltz’ Short Game Bible and have taken some of his guidance to heart. I started carrying three wedges – a pitching, a sand, and a 64*. It took a while to be able to hit something with that much loft, but once you get it, man, it saves strokes when you have to pitch over a bunker and land it soft.
And I’ve finally made the switch and dumped my 3 iron for a hybrid. I wish I did that years ago. And Titleist NXT-Tours are awesome.
I always had trouble with my 3 and 4 iron, resulting in a big gap between my 5 iron and 5 wood. Couple of years back I was looking for the easiest club to hit, and picked up 2 hybrids, 1 with 18 degrees, and the other 24. The 24 is just an automatic 200 yds. Sweet club. it is amazing how many times just advancing the ball 200 yds in a relatively straight line towards the hole will put you in good position.
Re: balls - I’m cheap. I just use whatever I find!
Tomorrow I’m playing a 3-club event. I’m going with my 24 degree hybrid, sand wedge, and putter. Bet my score is within a stroke or two of my hcp!
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