From 120 to 100. How long did it take you?

[huskylawyer]

So I took up this great game a month or so ago, and my competitive streak is really driving me to play a ton of golf.   I'm hitting the driving range 5 times a week, and playing 36 holes a week (rain or shine).   Right now I'm hitting between 110-120 on a consistent basis.  For the most part I've eliminated the 10+ hits to the hole issue lol, and now I'm bogged down in triple bogie land, with an occasional par and an occasional 8 on a par 4 or 9 on par 5 (3 putting, requiring 2 shots to get out of sand trap, etc.).

My best 9 hole round is a 50, and I thought I won the lottery when I hit that lol, but for the most part I'm stuck in 55-60 for each 9 holes. I do feel like I'm getting better though.

So my question: how long did it take you to get from 120 "hack golf" to 100 "not embarrassed golf" when you first started? (please don't tell me you hit in the low 90s the day you picked up a golf club, or I might quit now lol)

I'm guessing I shouldn't be that frustrated, since I've only been playing a month, but boy is this game frustrating.   I'm looking forward to the day where I can play in the group and not be embarrassed lol.

[BostonSully]

For me it took about 3 years.

This will be my 4th golf season. However I never played 36+ Holes and multiple range visits every week. For me it was like

Year 1: 1-2x A week golf and or range. Mostly drinking and screwing off.

Year 2: 2-4x A week golf and or range. Finally taking it more seriously still terribly inconsistent.

Year 3: 2 Range trips a week, 9-27 holes a week. Mostly playing competitively and focusing on improving Ball Striking and Chipping.

At the end of last year I shot a best 42 on 9 and consistently between 44-48 for 9 holes. So for me 3 years. If I was at your pace(Dont burn yourself out). Id of expected to reach this level in about 1.5 years.

This was of course without golf lessons, and or skilled friends to get pointers from.

edit:

Also after reading your sig you got much nicer gear than I do. Which means you probably have more $$$$ and free time at this point in life than I do. So that should be in your favor, investing in lessons would seriously accelerate your learning curve.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by huskylawyer So my question: how long did it take you to get from 120 "hack golf" to 100 "not embarrassed golf" when you first started? (please don't tell me you hit in the low 90s the day you picked up a golf club, or I might quit now lol)

It took me about 6 months.

[Johnnyooze]

+1 for 6 months (basically the first season). I didnt practice too much though. range once a week golf once per week/two weeks. Get a lesson from a pro and read Ben Hogans 5 Lessons. Itll help you out alot since you just started. Also, thats ALOT of golf. Be carefull your not tiring yourself out. That will work against you.

[Roblar]

Took me a while.  Here's what helped me:

1. Take lessons --- they help.

2. Don't swing hard. Slow down your swing until you can make more consistent *good* contact with the ball. Extra distance will come with practice and time.

3. Don't try to play a course like a scratch golfer.  If you're at triple-bogey average, play each hole as if double bogey were par.  Don't worry about getting to the green in regulation -- -take an extra stroke (or two) (and that means you can hit 7-iron + pitching wedge instead of trying a 3-wood.  Trust me, after a few months of lessons and practice, you'll start hitting your longer irons/woods with more confidence.)

4. Use your 7-iron (or 8-iron) like a putter when you're near the green --- don't take full swings with a lob wedge when you're close to the green.  Practice that at the range until you've got your distances down.  (There's nothing worse than heeling a ball 80 yds past the green when you're only 10yds away... I learned the hard way.)

5. Don't listen to high-handicappers like me on SandTrap.

[Gerald]

I started golf abouy 30 yrs ago, got some lessons from a friend playing hc. 14 and he arranged a permission to play the par 68 9 hole course for pratice after about 2 weeks, then I went to the driving range about every day and met a hc. 8 player who was at the range about a much as I was. One day he asked what my handicap was, he couldn't believe that I started golf a few weeks before.

Anyway he asked if I would like to play the course with him, so we did and like you said ...... I played 49 strokes first nine and 47 second nine ........ 96 first time out !

Must say that this score came from playing with the 8 capper, who gave me lots of tips etc.......... but it took me at least a few months before I could play such scores my self and went to a 21 hc in my first season and also broke 90 in my first season........ went down to hc 14 in the next few years and up to hc 17 at a more difficult course just before I quit golfing.

Last year after a 20 yrs layoff I started golf again and now I am playing from 5.8 and I am more serious now than I was in my twenties.......

I never mind taking new golfers out for a round and I am allways ready to give some tips, but then don't expect me to play my hc. in a casual social round......

[nuck81]

Two Lessons and a month of practice.

Last March I started as a total beginner (120ish) to breaking 90 the first time in July, to rounds consistent to a few strokes either side of 90 in October.  I want to be below 85 consistent by this October...

[The_Pharaoh]

I started playing golf aged 14 and shot 134 my first round (April). Two months later I played again and shot 117. Playing 5 times a week for the next 3 months, I was breaking 100 regularly by the end of the summer. I never took lessons, I never practiced. I just played A LOT. I admit though, I regret not taking lessons for the first 4 years that I played.

[mdl]

1 week, maybe 2?  I pretty much started with an average round in the high 90s, obviously with some worse rounds in triple digits at the start.

[sacm3bill]

Is the question "How long until shooting 100 or better the first time", or "How long until being able to do so consistently"? I did the first in 6 months but the latter took 2+ years. (I think I've improved more slowly than most people though.)

[livendie4golf]

I started golfing in 9th grade and got a chance to be on the golf team.  So I spent the golf season (about 2 months golfing 5-6 times a week, 9-holes at a time) shooting in the 50's.  A low 60 popped up now and again, and the low round might have been under 50.  The I got a membership over the summer and started breaking 50 consistently.  That said the course over the summer was pretty easy.

Keep practicing.  As long as you can keep up with the pace of play, and understand the integrity of the game; anyone will be willing to play with you.

[huskylawyer]

Thanks for the input.  I'm already feeling myself creeping into the 110 territory.  Today over 18 I had two pars (a par 3 and par 4), only got in the sand once (took 2 tries to get out though), and no hole worse than 9 (bunch of bogies, double bogies and triples).

Good points on not burning myself out.  I kinda have an addictive personality (Golf is way cheaper than poker!), so I probably need to slow down a little bit.

Another thing that is helpful is the pick-up groups I join.  I usually play during the day on weekdays as a solo, but a few times I've joined some folks I don't know (and 99% they are way better than me).  Today some guy gave me some great tips on my swing and set-up.  It was very helpful.

[max power]

First rounds of golf were 9 holes when I played 1 semester on the golf team my senior year of high school.  I shot around 56 or 57 my first time, within a few rounds I was shooting under 50 for 9 holes.  I don't remember playing 18 until 4 years after high school when I graduated college.  I shot somewhere in the low to mid 90's.

[billinga]

Thanks for the input.  I'm already feeling myself creeping into the 110 territory.  Today over 18 I had two pars (a par 3 and par 4), only got in the sand once (took 2 tries to get out though), and no hole worse than 9 (bunch of bogies, double bogies and triples).

Good points on not burning myself out.  I kinda have an addictive personality (Golf is way cheaper than poker!), so I probably need to slow down a little bit.

Another thing that is helpful is the pick-up groups I join.  I usually play during the day on weekdays as a solo, but a few times I've joined some folks I don't know (and 99% they are way better than me).  Today some guy gave me some great tips on my swing and set-up.  It was very helpful.

If golf is way cheaper than poker, you are playing poker all wrong. My golf addiction has limited my poker play severely which is costing me money every week since I am a ton better at poker than I am at golf.

[Jasonbolt]

As of April i will have played one year.

2 months - 130's to 100's full swing didn't really improve a whole lot, but avoided 4 putts and playing ping pong over the green with a wedge.

2 months - Took a lesson and went from 100's to 90's. got rid of iron slices. (driver sliced)

4 months - broke 90 every other time.  eliminated 3 putts, got up & down occasionally

3 months - took 3 lessons and went from 90's to a 8.1 handicap. Hitting a nice draw with the driver and irons. up & down 50% of the time, average less than 2 putts per green.

Low 18 hole round is a 76 and 9 hole round is a 36. (par 72)

[Carts]

I started at about 110-115 and I broke 100 in about 2 months. But, I have played Hockey all my life and people say that helps with the fundaments of swinging a stick and stick/eye coordination.

[Mattplusness]

I went from constant 115s to breaking 90 in one season. Granted I played when I was in grade school - but I don't think that is really relevant.

[A_Duke]

I played 9 holes only the first 3-4 times I went out to play. shot between 55-62 each time. My first 18 i shot a 112. Then after that it took me around 6 months to break 100. Then another 6 months to break 90. 6 months later and I still can't break 90 again but my scores hover between 92-96, so at least I gained some consistency. I try to play 9-18 holes every weekend, and go to the driving range maybe once a month, so call me a weekend warrior if you would like.

The key I beleive to get down into the 90s is to develop a somewhat consistent swing by learning the fundamentals and knowing what goes wrong when you hit a bad shot. If you don't have this then all the practice in the world wont make you a better player because you won't know what to work on or how to fix your mistakes. When i began playing golf there was a huge difference between what I felt was the right move and what was actually correct, it was very frustra. The best ways to learn are either to get lessons or get yourself a training aid, or a book like Hogans 5 lessons. Also practice your putting, chipping.