# I tried real hard not to break it! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 7, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124 "2009-09-07T01:30:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/1 "2009-09-07T01:30:33Z")
80, that is. The other day I shot a 79, the first time I’ve broken 80 in over 20 years since I was a kid playing 5+ times a week. Seems I’ve been stuck at 82/83/84, just never being able to toss 2 good nines together. Shot 38 on the front. Then made the mistake of looking at the score care after 16, and saw that 2 5s would give me 78. I felt sick to my stomach over every shot on the last 2 holes. 3-putted 17 for a 6, completely chunked my drive on 18 (after striping them all day). Ended up having to get up and down for my 5. MAN, was that last 4-foot putt the toughest putt I’ve had in a while. But now that I’ve done it, I guess the only thing to do is do it again, huh? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/2 "2009-09-07T01:50:01Z")
Congrats!!! 🙂 I remember that particular bugaboo when I was a young lad. For me, the bugaboo is even par, which I have NEVER broken. ☹ Sad part is, having done it once, now you will expect it of yourself every time! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/3 "2009-09-07T03:08:39Z")
Congrats! Now go and crush 80 every time! ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/4 "2009-09-07T03:48:29Z")
Jesus, if I could shoot an 80-anything I’d be proud of myself. I have yet to break out of the 90’s. Of course, I only play a few times a year, with crappy Walmart clubs, but it’s my drives that kill my game. I cannot hit it straight off the tee unless I dip down to a 5-wood. A one wood is anathema to me. I always slice it (or top it) and I can actually hit with the 1 wood pretty well at a driving range, but never on a real course. My putting saves me. Somehow, I’m just innately good at it. Can’t figure out why. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/5 "2009-09-08T02:48:56Z")
What’s the big deal? I don’t play all that often, but I regularly score between the low seventies and the mid-eighties. Wait, this _is_ a bowling thread, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/6 "2009-09-08T13:58:31Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > What’s the big deal? I don’t play all that often, but I regularly score between the low seventies and the mid-eighties. > > Wait, this _is_ a bowling thread, isn’t it? This guy at work told me he could have been a pro golfer or bowler if only he could have switched his scores. Hoping I stay hot through next week when we have a trip to Michigan planned. 8 guys, 5 rounds over 3 days. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/7 "2009-09-08T17:55:04Z")
I’ve been playing a lot the last couple of weeks, as in 5 times, twice on par 3 courses though. In the last 12 years or so of playing I’ve never broken 100 on a ‘normal’ course. I have on courses that are like par 68 or so. Then last weekend I had a great round and got a 98. Only I had one problem. I don’t like to cheat in any way, but on a par 5 I had a shot that went a bit left. Normally I would go find it, but the group in front of us wanted us to play through. I only spent a minute looking for my ball, couldn’t find it, went back 20-30 yards and then hit with my group. I ended up making a 4 without counting the lost ball. Everyone told me to just count the 4, but I fell odd counting it and then breaking 100. I looked at my scorecard at the 18th as well. I shouldn’t have because I knew I needed an 8 or better to break 100. I of course put my drive way right in the trees. Which helped because the second shot would have been 200 yards over water and I don’t have a 200 yard shot so I was forced to hold back. I still don’t know if I can count it as under 100 or not. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/8 "2009-09-08T18:39:53Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > This guy at work told me he could have been a pro golfer or bowler if only he could have switched his scores. > > Hoping I stay hot through next week when we have a trip to Michigan planned. 8 guys, 5 rounds over 3 days. Where in Michigan? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/9 "2009-09-08T19:10:46Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Where in Michigan? We’re heading up N of Grand Rapids to play St Ives and Tullymore, then back down to GR to hit 1000 Oaks, then over to Kalamazoo for 1-2 rounds at Yarrow. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/10 "2009-09-09T00:37:16Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > This guy at work told me he could have been a pro golfer or bowler if only he could have switched his scores. > > Hoping I stay hot through next week when we have a trip to Michigan planned. 8 guys, 5 rounds over 3 days. What part? I’m massively jealous. ☹ NM, I just read. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/11 "2009-09-09T01:53:46Z")
Breaking 80 is nice but golf keeps ahead of you. Once you break 80, then you think, I can do 75. Then you want to shoot par. Then you want to get in the 60s. Every step is huge. 75 is a long way from 80 and par is a big step from 75. It is all about mistakes . You don’t think of good shots when you finish, but where did you lost strokes. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tried-real-hard-not-to-break-it/509124/12 "2009-09-09T02:13:28Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > We’re heading up N of Grand Rapids to play St Ives and Tullymore, then back down to GR to hit 1000 Oaks, then over to Kalamazoo for 1-2 rounds at Yarrow. I’ve heard good things about St. Ives and Tullymore. I haven’t been out to the pink side of the state, and especially not to play golf. Next time, check out the up north courses. My favorite course is [Elk Ridge](http://www.elkridgegolf.com/) in Atlanta, Michigan. The 10th hole is a short par 3 that’s very downhill. The sand trap in front of the green is shaped like a pig. The owner of the course is the owner of Honeybaked Ham. There’s a picture of the sand trap on their website, under “Course Tour”.