"WOULDA, COULDA, SHOULDA" is language used by those who didn't...a phrase my old high school baseball coach used to say. 

But yeah I agree with your premise...we often think we could just drop a few just like that in our post round analysis if we "only do this". We con ourselves. There is a good thread around here on that. 

While enjoying a post-round beverage...a friend of mine said

"Man, those three 3-putts really cost me."  To which I replied

"Not nearly as much as the fifteen 2-putts."

Typically, I accept that my bad tee shots/approach/chips are what they are. What I tend to not accept is 3 putts where the 2nd putt was well within range that I shouldn't miss. Long range putts I accept as just as likely to be a 3 putt as a 2 putt though. So really, when I walk off the course I typically only think of those 2 or 3 really short putts that didn't go in as missed opportunities. Either way, I scored what I did and got what I deserve. Still, it is fun to look back and say "if only".

12 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I agree completely.  The funny thing is, we never look back and say "I had no right to make that 50-footer on the second hole", or "I'll never chip one in from THERE again!"  I know I've never said "I shot 75, but it really should have been 80".  We take those for granted as well-deserved good results from improbable locations.

I don't know, I've told myself I should have shot worse than I did many times. But then, I tend to be hard on myself.

15 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I agree completely.  The funny thing is, we never look back and say "I had no right to make that 50-footer on the second hole", or "I'll never chip one in from THERE again!"  I know I've never said "I shot 75, but it really should have been 80".  We take those for granted as well-deserved good results from improbable locations.

You are correct, sir!

Although, the first time I ever broke 80, I made a hole in one on the 5th and shot 78. I always kind of felt like I still hadn't broken 80. After all, without that 1 in a million shot I SHOULD have carded at least an 80, possibly higher being as the hole in one came on a hole that was particularly difficult for me. (To that point, I'd never even birdied it.) 

I ended up braking 80 again a couple weeks later. I felt that was more legitimate, if that makes any sense? 

@bkuehn1952, great post. 

Yeah, that kinda cognitive dissonance affects most golfers to a varying degree. Some blame, some explain away and then there are some that blatantly deny any ownership of a particularly poor day on the course.

A good friend of mine is fairly streaky - I guess you can say that about most weekenders like myself but his worst is 20+ shots than his best. He always says something at the end of a bad (for him) round, shooting let's say 104 - "yeah tough day, but we all know I'm an eighties shooter". Of course he does shoot in the low eighties on occasion so it's not an entirely a lie but we all patronize the shit out of him and it's funny how it seems to make him feel better.. lol!     

I think you only can control what you can control. You hit a bad shot, it happened and you move on. 

Recently I became more accepting or quickly moved on from bad shots if I know that I did what I should. But I will be mad if it was the decision making, the messed up shot routine etc things that you can control.

And if there is woulda coulda I would always take that kind of decisions back, not the shots that missed the green from 120 yards because I know it happens even with the pros. 

Long story short I think you should still reflex back and learn from your mistakes and the move on. 

I'm so guilty of this.  It's how I keep myself motivated.  This year, in particular, I've played extremely poorly.  A lack of time has led to a lack of practice which has led to a lack of scoring.  Going from where I was this time last year (low-to-mid 80's) to where I am currently (low 90's) is frustrating.  

I look back at my scorecard and tell myself that I'm a little bit of practice from getting back to where I was.  My game from 50 yards and in is G-O-N-E.  I'm back to ball-first contact but now I'm leaving everything short because it checks up so quickly or I'm thinning the ball over the green.  Instead of getting up & down 30% of the time from 50 yards and in like I was last year... I'm getting up & down about 15% of the time.  

That leads to me sitting in the car thinking about why my scores are 5-10 strokes higher.

If I woulda hit those pitch shots closer than 25 feet on the 12 holes I missed the green in regulation... I coulda made those putts... which shoulda translated to an 83 instead of a 90.  

In reality... if I woulda put some more time in on the range for a few days leading up to my round... I coulda hit more than 6 greens in regulation... so I shoulda done that instead of sitting on my couch.

🤔

CY