Possible to become a scratch golfer?

Hi Everyone,

Background...

I'm recently new to golf, as least taking in the sense of taking it serious.  I've played a handful of times when I was younger (9 holes, about 5 times a summer from 8th grade to 12th grade) and had played once in the last 7 years.  I never practiced, but just enjoyed going out on the course.

Current Situation...

I am now 28 and played my first 18 holes in May with some buddies from work.  I remembered how much fun it was and decided I wanted to "get into it" and take it seriously.  I played baseball all of my life and in college (Div. 1 AA) and am blessed with great eye hand coordination.  That day in May, I shot a 108.  I began playing 2, sometimes 3, times a week and practicing once or twice a week.  My score began dropping.  I've been able to work from home for the last 3 weeks and have been practicing everyday right after work for about 2 hours.  I shot an 80 last week and have shot in the mid 80's the few rounds prior to that.  I am taking my first golf lesson tomorrow to make sure that I am not doing some wrong with my swing that will keep me from shooting low scores.

Goals...

My goal after that first day of playing golf again, was to break 90 by the end of the season.  After I accomplished that, I set a goal of trying to break 80 by the end of season.  Last week when I shot an 80, I missed a 3 foot putt on the 18th hole that would have given me a 79 (pressure!).  I have a severe case of the golfing bug and my girlfriend would attest to my current addiction.

Question...

I have now set my goal to be a scratch golfer by the end of next season (I live in CT and just hope to hit the range a lot in the winter).  Am I out of touch with setting this goal?  I truly believe I can do it.

Please off suggestions / advice.

Thanks!

[S][/S]Let me go at this from a slightly different direction...... Pls tell me, how do you define "scratch golfer"?

I define a "scratch" golfer as someone who shoots even par.  If I play at a par 72 course, I shoot a 72.  Par 70 course, shoot a 70.  Is that right or do I not even know what a "scratch" golfer is?!

Well basically yes, but a scratch golfer is generally a bit easier; your handicap can be down to zero or a low decimal without ever shooting 72. Courses with high difficulty ratings can lower your handicap if you can still shoot the same score as a normal one, even though the par is 72 it can play like a par 76 for example.

Also handicap is meant more as your likely potential score, not just your average or best score. Breaking par once in a while is an easier goal than averaging 72 by a lot. It averages your recent rounds, throwing out certain scores that are off your usual range, applies course rating and slope to account for the difficulty of the course, you need a degree in calculus to be able to do it in your head.

I'd say work on getting to 90, 80, then once you can shoot in the 70s worry about getting to scratch. But honestly breaking par on your luckiest round is easier than getting a legit scratch 'cap.

It's definitely possible.......(albeit unlikely)

go for it!!!

You are a beginner on the right track.  Since you are doing well, be sure to learn the rules and play by them. (no mullies, preferred lies)..etc, etc...  Register with GHIN and start posting scores so you can track your progress.  Good luck!!

I wish I could get my kid addicted to it. He's also got good hand to eye coordination and played little league. He is shooting in the mid-80s and plays once a week. If I could only get him out two or three times a week, he might improve. What made you catch the "bug"?

By the way, I think you can get to scratch, eventually. Some of us will never get there, so give yourself a little bit more time than one more season.

Wow, seems like you're right;  with a little more effort your son could be real good.

I  guess I've always really liked golf, but money was always an issue.  It's not like other sports where you can gather some friends and play baseball / football / basketball / tennis competitively and not spend a dime.  Now that I have a job and can AFFORD it, it has become much more enjoyable for me!

These posts always bewilder me a bit.  I don't truly understand why a stranger would ask a bunch of other strangers what their potential could be.  Only you and/or a some instrucing professionals could really assess your talent level.  And only you know how much work you are going to put in to achieve your goal.

So I would say for anyone..    Time, efficiency in training. and a certain amount of talent level could lead to being a scratch golfer.

I say almost certainly not. This is has got to be the most tired thing in golf. Everyone starts playing sees drastic improvement and thinks that given their current rate of progress they should be scratch soon.

There are a bunch of blogs online of other people doing this, the most famous right now is thedanplan where the guy quit his job several years back and practices golf full time. He shot 35 over in his last two day tournament. He carries an alleged 5.6 handicap however.

Mygreenjacket was another good one, the guy was coached, played/practiced all the time got down to low 80's like everyone does (as an average) and stayed there forever (also like just about everyone does.)

So the story goes, take up golf, shoot 116, keep playing and practicing quickly break 100, then 90 and maybe even 80, Get really optimistic about (committing yourself to golf), or really going for it just to ultimately realize that you aren't really getting any better at some point.

I would just say it expressed best in this way, it is far more difficult (or requires a lot more talent) to get from a 8 handicap to a 4 than it was to get from a 35 handicap to an 8. Getting from a 4 to scratch is likely 4X as difficult as getting from an 8 to 4.

So for fun lets say it takes 4 units of effort to get from a 35 to an 8, 16 units of effort to get from an 8 to a 4 and 64 units of effort to get from a 4 to a scratch.

Your talent and practice has allowed you to get 6% of the way to scratch.

Judging by what I've seen on courses this summer I'd say a true scratch golfer is rare, and I think it's not uncommon for people to exaggerate their HC. A few weeks ago there was a guy in the pro shop of my parents club bragging to the head pro about how he'd finally gotten his HC down to 5. They were the group ahead of us so I figured I'd witness some excellent golf that afternoon. I'm not sure if he was a member or where he usually plays but that course ate him alive. If he kept his round below 100 I'd be surprised. We waited for them the entire day from a half hole away and I saw the disaster as it unfolded. By the end of the day I was certain he was nowhere near a 5, a 25 maybe.

I think I am taking on some of the afford part and first tee takes on a larger part. My main goal is for golf to help him get into a good school. It seems like grades and academic desire are not enough these days. You've got a good key there with the "gathering of friends". Tough to find golf buddies at his age, though. Thanks for the thoughts.

I agree possible but unlikely, personally my goal this season is to get below 5, right now I'm almost there and feel I'm in pretty good position( most of my lowest rounds have happened in the past ten) to get there as long as I can get a few more good scores posted in the next couple months. I have been playing for more than 25 years and have probably hovered right at 10 or below during that time but now I'm able to take most of the summer off for 4 months or so and really dedicate myself.Next year I'm looking at getting to a 2 along with breaking 70 and lastly playing pebble for my birthday next year also.Like Buckeyenut says get into a club and get your ghin number and play by the rules, don't let yourself get frustrated if you struggle cause 10 of your worst 20 scores are tossed away anyhow, your gonna get your low scores in there once you get used to playing by the rules.Taking lessons is gonna get you there quicker than anything else.

If you make it to a scratch golfer in two years, you missed your calling. Quit your job and join the tour.

1. Why do you think that? How can you "think" that without having ever seen him hit a ball. On what basis can you have such a belief?

2. Some.....?????? Considerably more than 99% never get there, nor could they ever get there, even if they practised all day every day. And even that is discounting the "scratch" players who've never shot a par round.

I agree that it is really hard, but he was a baseball player at a Division 1 school. Not sure if you know what that means. To me, it means someone who is REALLY athletic. Secondly, based on his progress over 1 season, I am surmising that he uses this given ability properly and naturally toward this game. While I agree that he might not get there in 1 more season, he definitely sounds both Athletic and intelligent enough to be good at golf. Plus he has the bug. ;-)

I don't think he missed his calling. Division 1 baseball?