Met My Goal.. and then some

I started out the year with the goal of breaking 100.  After spending a lot of afternoons on the course I finally surpassed that goal about a month ago and have been floating under/around that 100 mark.  The last 7 outings I haven't shot above 100.  It feels good, not only to break 100 but to be able to play consistently under 100.  I've played off and on since around 2006 but never broke 100 until this year.

Yesterday, I shot an 89, never thought I would shoot in the 80's.  It's probably just a fluke but hopefully if I keep going I can keep it around that level.  The one thing I noticed is that I'm usually on the green one over GIR and putting for par, which usually results in 2 putting for bogie.  Is this a normal trend?  I just wish I could get more consistent balls striking with my irons so I could get more of those GIRs.

great job man!

now the addiction continues, you'll want that under 90 all the time, then under 85... and so on.

As far as your gir issue... that's about how most people are when playing in the 90-100 range. On in one over and then try to two putt for bogie. Some days the putter will get hot and you'll get under 90 others you'll have a handful of 3 putts and be closer to 100.

Until you get some heavy practice time on the irons to tighten up that area you'll continue to play bogey golf. Also, next time you play, make note of how many fairways or at least playable drives you have. I know my troubles start at the box... If I have a hard time off the box my whole score suffers.

High 80s shouldn't be too hard... if you can get on every green in one over regulation and 2 putt, that's bogey golf so either some one putts or GIRs and keeping the two putts and your there. You just have to avoid the blow up holes and 3 putts and it'll be consistent. Great job hitting a goal and good luck staying there.

Focus on tee shots (take less club if necessary to get in the fairway or close enough), approach shots (whether a GIR or not, you must get on the green when you have the chance), chipping (for when you just miss but can get up and down fairly easily) and putts (so you can 2 putt or finish off the up and down).

Tee shots do not have a direct correlation to score but they do have a relationship. Bad tee shots will lead to high scores (unless you are getting incredibly lucky) but good tee shots will not necessarily lead to low scores. But like Pascal's Wager, you might as well hit good tee shots :)

I agree, good tee shots don't necessarily equal good scores but increase the odds greatly to give you a chance to hit the green. Having a good up and down is great but your only going to do it 50% of the time so hitting out of the fairway is best.

Agree.

I'm having a big problem slicing my driver at the moment so I decided to play shorter course (5561yrd) where I could hit tee shot with 5 wood.

Sinec the course is short, I could hit green many times and had the best score of my short golf career

Tour striker is great tool. Bought 7iron in Feb and I'm seeing a bit of improvement.

When I'm at the range, I try to throwing club into ground and it works.

That describes me pretty well.  I finally learned to hit the ball pretty well consistently - in terms of making good contact and getting it to go a reasonable distance.  Aiming is a whole 'nother story.  I usually hit my drives in play, miss the green on the approach and then try to get up and down.  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.  I have my hot days when I'll get up and down 4 or 5 times (I usually just play 9)  - and other days I won't get even 1.