Big score on a hole is caused by:

[dave s]

In MOST cases, not getting the ball in play and down the fairway from the tee box!

Whoever said 'drive for show, putt for dough' might not have had it quite right. I'm trying to eliminate those 'big score' holes from my game. EVERY triple or worse begins with a bad tee shot.

Sunday, I was 9 over on 3 holes and carded a 91. The quad and triple were holes where I drove the ball badly and into trouble. Partly because the course was so wooded, the errant drives, (let's call a spade a spade here ... they were embarrassing drives!) led directly to the quad, triple and a double on the holes.

On the other hand, I can literally roll one down the fairway, blade a hybrid somewhere near the green and possibly stake a wedge or hit a great chip and come away with par or bogey at worst.

What cause the BIG score on YOUR card????

dave

[Shindig]

What cause the BIG score on YOUR card????

My big scores are generally when I don't pay attention on my approach shot. I occasionally hit a tee shot O.B., but it is generally when I don't pay attention to my approach shot. Sometimes I have a thought process like "well, I need to carry that hazard, so I'll go down [sic] a club." Other times it's just a very casual grip and casual swing or I don't bother aiming and just hit it wherever.

[rubbery]

More often than not my big score is caused by me trying to be a hero, e.g. trying to play a 90 degree cut with a 3-wood around a tree instead of just punching out, taking driver off the deck, trying to play a stinger hybrid when the wind is gusting in my face and hooking it O.B., or my personal favorite, trying to take 3-wood out of a fairway bunker on a long par 5.

Sure there are times when it's perfectly appropriate to try these shots, but usually it's just stupid (especially the 3-wood from the bunker). I've gotten a lot better at keeping my impulses in check, but there are times when adrenaline gets the best of me and I try to hit the miracle shot.

[NI4NI]

Too many strokes cause my high score.

Actually, a bad tee shot doesn't necessarily sink my battleship - I can recall many times where I made birdie, par, or bogey after a crappy tee shot (as long as it was not OB). And this is my point - I seem to really focus on the situation only after I'm in recovery mode after teeing off (meaning lying one); however, if I don't mentally recover in time for my second shot (and make sure that I'm loose and relaxed), then I tighten up, and proceed to blow the hole up.

So, not being patient and and playing within my abilitiy both increase my score.

[TinCupTampa]

I will put half the blame on errant tee shots... but the other half would have to be on the approach shot after bad tee shots. More than likely I try to do too much after a bad drive and continue to ruin the hole.

[Todd]

Either topping shots in the fairway, flying the green when close or bad tee shots are generally my reasons.

[chingali]

I don't make very many double bogeys and very rarely do I have a triple. Looking at my stats I'll make a double on average less than once a round and a triple once every four rounds.

And I know when it is that usually I make a double or worse too. Sometimes it'll be the poor drive ending up in an impossible position or resulting in a penalty stroke, but in most cases it'll be when I have missed a green in the wrong place and I get cute and try to get it close and end up not putting with my next shot. Despite being very good around the greens it's the one part of my game I have never been able to eliminate. I think it's because I am so good around the greens that when I have a very difficult/dangerous shot I still honestly believe I can get it up and down despite what that little voice of reason in the back of my head is telling me!

[Smallville]

How about a chunked chip shot that goes 1 foot, then "making sure this one's good" and hitting it way past the hole, or worse, off the green on the other side. Then a poor chip back that leaves you a loooong putt, leaving that one way short and missing the next before finally making it in the cup. That's 6 shots, greenside. Doesn't even count the good or bad shots that got you to that point. That's at least a 7 on a Par 3, probably 8 and 9 (at least) on Par 4's and 5's.

I'm glad I have never done it though!

[Petden]

The worst in my opinion is trying to flop a shot from 10yards out and accidentally skulling it. Those usually end up in an extra 2 shots for me.

[Stacey_E]

The biggest scores for me, not doubles but quads and higher, are caused by one thing alone - Throwing good shot after bad, or more correctly throwing bad shots after bad.

Examples:
Hit a drive OB, then try to make up by pounding the 3rd shot off the tee
Errant drive and trying a hero shot to reach the green
Short sided in the junk and trying a Mickelsonesque flop
Charging a 50 foot bogie putt, Tiger style, but leaving it 20 feet past.

I'm always trying to tell myself "don't throw good shot after bad". Believe it or not, in some situations a double isn't that bad. But in those situations I usually have steam coming out of my ears and am in no way rational.

[Wisconsin Golfer]

My trouble is my approach shot onto the green and that usually Leeds to a few bad putts out of frustration. I also need to practice and play more to get some consistency.

[N.V.M.]

i would probably be a single digit handicapper if it were'nt for two major reasons:
a few too many putts and those dreaded lost balls. so that's both ends of the spectrum. i play on many kinds of golf courses and losing 3 to 4 balls on many of them is almost impossible, although i should be able to putt well on all of them. i've put my driver and 3 wood away for the past couple months and my scoring has improved, due to seeing my ball after my tee shot. also, i have high hopes with my new Nike Unitized putter( i have a thread about it, HERE ). i'm really hoping to be under 10 by this time next year, although i'm thinking that to go much lower than that, i'll have to practice a lot more with the big guns.

[NBGC]

Shoddy course management.
Think back to any blowup hole and most times it could have been avoided by using good course management.

350yd Par 4? Try a 3W instead of your 260 yd driver. Better to be 130yds out and hit a PW than a 6I out of the rough. (good days even, bad days save 1 stroke)
Hit one into the right/left side woods? Punch out into fairway for a good 3rd shot instead of trying to hook/slice it around that tree. (good days save 1, bad days save 2+ strokes)
240yds left on a Par 5? Hit an 8 or 9 and leave a good wedge shot in instead of grabbing that 3W and going for it and going oob/hazard/topping/fat shot. (good days even, bad days save 1-2 strokes)
15yds to to downhill green over a bunker? Try your normal 15 yd chip and worry about a slightly longer putt instead of trying to flop it and then scull it 60 yds. (good days even, bad days save 2 strokes)

You have to take the time to think- If I hit it perfect whats my situation? If I hit it average whats my situation? If I hit it horrible whats my situation? What are your chances/ability of hitting the perfect shot vs horrible? If the difference between perfect and horrible is more than 2 strokes, play it safe.

Do I follow my own advice? LoL look at my hdcp, but I'm getting alot better. Last few rounds I had no hero shots, even hit 3W on Par 4's. Course management is no fun. We wanna hit that great WOW shot. Simple fact is, for an average golfer (18-22hdcp) proper course management can shave 5 strokes everyhitng else being the same. I've had dozens of people try and tell me that, but never tried or believed them til recently. I'm a beliver now.

There's the old story about a 10 handicapper playing with a 20 handicapper and the 10 says, "I bet I can score better than you playing only 3 clubs- 7i, wedge, and putter"....If you can guess who wins then you already have the knowledge how important course management is to scoring well.

[GolferDot]

In MOST cases, not getting the ball in play and down the fairway from the tee box!

My Big scores are after a scenario like this when I play a shot where the risk does not equal the reward. ie. not way in hell I can get it to the green but still try anyway.

[JCDot33]

Shoddy course management.

+1

I am printing this one off and putting it on my bag ... this couldn't have been put any better for me. Anytime I have a blow-up hole there has always been 1 reason alone ... a dumbass decision on a shot that bites me in the ass ... I am a whole-hearted believer that making good, sensible, decisions on the course will lead to lower scores ... play to your strengths, improve your weaknesses on the range.

[pjsnyc]

I think it depends on your skill level. Higher handicappers tend to get into more trouble off the tee and lose most of their shots there. Lower handicappers/scratch golfers tend to lose shots (but not as many) on the approach - especially when trying to pull off a miracle shot. Check this thread out, there's an interesting article linked there.

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14930

[TheWarHound]

Teeing off, approach shots, chipping and putting all add to the HUGE hole in my card. I am going to work on my course management a lot, not just reach for the Big Dog.

Steve

[Jay-Bird]

For me it's ALWAYS been an errant drive OB that makes a big number. I've found myself hitting more and more 4 woods off the tee lately on the tighter holes. I HATE making a triple. I can live with a double every now and then.