Impossible or doable?

I want to ask everybody if this is possible. I made a bet with my girlfriend and a friend of mine(who has a handicap at +1). The bet with my GF is that I believe I can get to a handicap of 5 or better before august 2009 and she doesn't think I can do it! I just started playing in January 2008 and my handicap is at 24.1 atm. I play golf atleast 15 hours a week and take lessons once in a while. Do you think it is possible? Why/why not?

The other part of the bet is with my friend. It is if I get to 5 before august then I bet her that I could get to 0 within 18 months after reaching 5. Is this possible?

I'd like if you would make a detailed comment whether you think I can do it or you think I can't!

Thank you!!

I'm sure it's doable, but it's different for everyone. It could take someone a year to get to 5 and then some people will never get to a 5. It depends on how dedicated you. I started playing March of this year and have gotten considerably better as the year has progressed.

It's hard but possible.

Tip: Practice (a hell of a lot) your short game

You have a lot of confidence (and a lot of free time, I presume)... If you have the time and persistence, then who's to say that it is impossible? My money would be on no, though, but who knows?

Reading this post again next august should be interesting.

Getting down to single digits would definately be doable. Especially with plenty of practice and persistence. Getting from a 5 to a 0 in my mind and from my experience was much harder than getting to a 5. Work on your short game a lot is my only words of advice.

Not for most people. The reason I say that is that for most people, getting to 0

ever is something they never achieve. If you work hard on your game, nothing's "impossible", but getting to 0 is something the vast majority will not succeed in doing. -Andrew

Possible, yes. Likely, no. That's just my take with everything I know about your situation - zero. If you're an above average athlete, have good hand-eye coordination, good hands/touch, pretty flexible, very motivated, have a good teacher, listen well and most importantly, have at least 4 to 5 hours for 26 of the next 52 weeks to practice (60-75% of practice being on short game plus playing a round or two) then you've got a decent shot at it, but still no sure thing by any stretch of the imagination. I, humbly, feel I had most of the above when I was a 28 back in late 2004 and still haven't reached a 5. The practice time is the hardest part if your job isn't a golf professional, real estate agent, independently wealthy or single in a warm climate.

All that said, you can do a search on the Internet (even on this forum) and see all kinds of folks that have dropped a dozen or more strokes off their handicap in a year. You're talking almost 20 strokes, so if I had to say yes you'll do it or no you'll not, I'd go with no.

That's a better question to ask after you've gotten down to a 10 handicap. Right now, who knows? I will put in 150 rounds this year and my index is 29.1. Some people just aren't blessed with a natural acuity for golf. It's kind of like asking if you can bat .400 next year. I dunno...but...good luck!

I'd say you would have a better chance bowling two games of 300 back to back.

Congrats to getting yourself to where you are now in this short of time, but trust me, getting your handicap down gets progressively harder as you become a better player. That's not to say that no amateur has ever gotten to scratch in a couple of years, but that requires alignment of the stars. So many things need to go your way. As your handicap lowers, it's all about consistency across ALL aspects of your game. As noted above, dropping from 20+ to 10+ requires a solid swing. Dropping from 10+ to single digits requires a stellar short game. That's what will slow you down dramatically.

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but I'd set realistic goals in this game. Remember, it's really not all about the scores or your handicap. It's about learning the fundamentals, improving at a steady pace, and having fun. I'd reset your goal to the single digits in a couple of years. That's "doable".

As other people said, your short game is the key. Getting down to a 5 handicap puts you in about the top 90% of all golfers; getting to a 0 probably gets you to the top 98%. From tee to green, I bet the difference between a 5 and a 0 is negligible. Generally speaking, the 0 will make more putts (especially from 8 ft in), and will get up and down almost every time.

Also, don't get married and certainly do not have a child in that time. Don't get me wrong, I've been married for 5 years and I have a 6 month old daughter and I wouldn't trade that for anything...but that being said, my ability to get out to the course has decreased significantly.

Possible…Yes.

I know I’m being a bit presumptive here, but this situation is simply dripping with irony. So let me share my similar story. I entered into the same kind of bet with my girlfriend about ten months ago; I bet her an engagement ring that I could reach a scratch rating in a two year time frame. Just shy of a year into the bet, she hates me, and what’s more - she hates the game of golf and anything that is even remotely related to golf. She even hates Scotland.

You will undoubtedly have to sacrifice nearly everything in order to win the golfing wager (of which there was no mention of consideration, that is, what you bet for). Ultimately, the sacrifice will be something that your girlfriend will come to resent; and interestingly enough, she is one of the bet makers. Now, I’m not just talking about your average girlfriend/boyfriend garden-variety resentment. Speaking from experience, this resentment has the potential to be equated to a kind of convoluted infidelity as you try to bed this strumpet of a mistress called GOLF. She will tend to resent both the time you spend practicing at the range and playing. And when you get home from golf, it’s going to be more golf - putting in the living room, short chips from room to room, golf balls and equipment everywhere, the only literature in the bathrooms will be golf magazines, golf paraphernalia catalogs, and “Five Lessons.” The Golf Channel will turn out to be the only TV programming that you watch - all day…every day. And you will spend more and more time on this site, or sites like it, so as to soak up all the tid-bits of information in your Ahab like crusade to sink little white-whales in yonder holes.

Of course I could be wrong, and I often am.

My advice is to work on your short game… and a sound exit strategy.

Fairways and greens my friend.

Thanks for all of your answers. I really do believe that if there is anybody out there that can do it, it is me. I do realize how cocky and confident that sounds but thats how I feel. To let you know more about who I am here goes.

I'm 19. Until december 2007 I played basketball at the professional level, however I did not get paid because I always thought I was gonna get a basketball scholarship, but I slowly lost interest in basketball. I've always been athletic, i'm the type of guy that non athletic people complain about because I learn really quickly. At my first golf lesson ever the pro at my club told me he could probably make a really good golfer out of me.

As far as work goes I work only 30 hours a week. Since I graduated high school in 2007 i've done this. Next summer I will begin my study. My girlfriend is studying and she has loads of things to do other than that, so there is 2-3 days a week she does not have time for me. Since my home course is 40 min away from where I live in a different city, which happens to be where all of my family lives then its easy to combine family visits and golf. The 2-3 days that my girlfriend does not have time for me I tend to sleep at my moms house so its easy to go play golf. So 2-3 days a week I play a lot. I usually practice 2 hours and then go out and play 18 holes. sometimes I stay late after the round to put. Other times I don't play a round, like for example last friday I chipped and putted for 5 hours.

I know a lot of ya'll probably thinks that i'm insane. But I will try to keep posting as the months goes by.

OK, that's a pretty good sign that you have the right idea of the commitment involved.

Please do keep us posted. I wish you the best of luck.

THE BIRDIEMAN ,... FLEX those muscle's,.... (I thought you didn't like it when people do that on here,.... I guess it's OK when you do it huh,...) Please stay on topic,... he asked if anyone thought he (as a new golfer) might be able to do it,.... he didn't ask for boastful self promotion,... you're the only poster who had to talk about himself,... as to Mr Doable,... I think you can do it,... stay hard at it,... good luck

It seems like every thread you are on... you start controversy... why is that?

Good advice - take it yourself! Dude, wth, I've read plenty of posts asking you to just ignore birdieman and like a dog with a rag you cannot let it go.

PLEASE let it go! You are a decent contributor when you aren't trying to piss on birdieman. You cannot like EVERYone, so just accept you don't like him and leave it at that.