Shooting Your Age - What Are Your Standards for Claiming That Feat?

[TourSpoon]

  On 7/28/2022 at 3:49 PM, bkuehn1952 said:

Our club's founder, age 95, shot 73 during our Tee It Forward event.  He played from 5,400 yards like me.  He says the day he can't shoot his age with be the day he quits playing.

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That's amazing! I see some of these guys go low because they have such good fundamentals. What a great life to be able to even play at that age! 

[iacas]

I don't think there are any real rules, except that it can't be an executive course.

It's a case of "you know it when you see it."

[StuM]

I could be wrong but my thought is Par covers the concerns on course length.  A really short course would have lower Par and thus selecting par 70 or greater would eliminate Par-3 and most executive courses.   I choose par 72 because, to me, that is a "Standard Course" and from my experience is more frequently encountered.  I feel to brag about "Shooting your age" you need some conformity in how much over Par. To me a Pro (or any golfer for that matter) shooting a 60 is a fantastic round, but to shoot 60 on a Par 70 is not the same as shooting 60 on a Par 72 course.  Both are fantastic rounds, but which is better? 

Why should one 80 year old get to brag about shooting his age, 80, on a Par 70 course but a different 80 year old does not get the same brag if they shoot 82 on a par 72 course.   Both players are +10 and the only reason one gets the brag is they played a lower par course.  Both are great rounds and worthy of a brag, but IMO are not equal for the "Shot my Age" brag.  Shooting your age on a Par 72 is just a little harder than shooting your age on a Par 70.  As said above, I think there needs to be conformity to the amount over/under par for the brag to be relevant.  

The harder part is which tee box.  I would rely on a golfer's integrity and say they need to play the appropriate tee box for their normal game and the same tee box they play year in and year out.  No moving forward just to get a shorter course and better chance at shooting their age.  I understand some players have less integrity, but the guys you play with frequently would know if you moved up and hopefully that would help prevent it.  Maybe we should also add "No Solo Rounds" as with Handicap to limit this.  And finally, as I said in an earlier post, no mulligans and in accordance with the rules of golf.

[sjduffers]

  On 7/28/2022 at 5:13 PM, StuM said:

60 on a Par 70 is not the same as shooting 60 on a Par 72 course.  Both are fantastic rounds, but which is better?

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I disagree. Par 70 can be just as difficult as par 72. It's not just the number of strokes you take, it's also the holes you take them on.

For example, a course I play often has 3 par 5s and 5 par 3s for a total of par 70. From the tees I play (the Blue tees, known as the back tees, around 6200 yards), none of the par 3s are shorter than 175 yards, with one at 200 yards over water, uphill, while the par 5s are all in the low 500 yards range. I spend many more strokes (bogeys mostly, but an occasional double too) on the par 3s than I do on the par 5s, I can guarantee you.

If you would (and could) turn a par 3 into a par 5, the course would become a par 72, its length would be close to 6500 and it would most likely play easier, not harder, for a competent golfer. QED.

So, for the shooting your age purpose, getting a 70 on this course in my 70th year would do, without having the feeling of getting off easy. Thank you very much! 

[TourSpoon]

  On 7/28/2022 at 5:13 PM, StuM said:

Why should one 80 year old get to brag about shooting his age, 80, on a Par 70 course but a different 80 year old does not get the same brag if they shoot 82 on a par 72 course. 

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If I am lucky enough to be playing golf when I am 80 and I shoot an 80 on a par 70 from 5,800 yards, I will have to say, "I shot my age!" I will then proceed to buy everyone a drink. Well, except anyone who brought up this post from 2022! 🤣

[iacas]

  On 7/28/2022 at 7:56 PM, sjduffers said:

I disagree. Par 70 can be just as difficult as par 72. It's not just the number of strokes you take, it's also the holes you take them on.

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Of course they "can" be, but the odds are… they're not. I mean, I could take a par 67 course and "make" it a par 73, but that doesn't change the course.

  On 7/28/2022 at 7:56 PM, sjduffers said:

If you would (and could) turn a par 3 into a par 5, the course would become a par 72, its length would be close to 6500 and it would most likely play easier, not harder, for a competent golfer. QED.

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No, it wouldn't. That's a terrible argument. The post to which you replied said "60 on a Par 70 is not the same as shooting 60 on a Par 72 course." It's not about how it plays relative to par, but to a score.

You're not going to reduce scores only by lengthening a course.

[JPGolf99]

I shot a 43 on 9 holes the other day, lol. Hopefully I'll be able to shoot my age on a full 18 one day before I'm 86!

[StuM]

  On 7/28/2022 at 7:56 PM, sjduffers said:

I disagree. Par 70 can be just as difficult as par 72. It's not just the number of strokes you take, it's also the holes you take them on.

For example, a course I play often has 3 par 5s and 5 par 3s for a total of par 70. From the tees I play (the Blue tees, known as the back tees, around 6200 yards), none of the par 3s are shorter than 175 yards, with one at 200 yards over water, uphill, while the par 5s are all in the low 500 yards range. I spend many more strokes (bogeys mostly, but an occasional double too) on the par 3s than I do on the par 5s, I can guarantee you.

If you would (and could) turn a par 3 into a par 5, the course would become a par 72, its length would be close to 6500 and it would most likely play easier, not harder, for a competent golfer. QED.

So, for the shooting your age purpose, getting a 70 on this course in my 70th year would do, without having the feeling of getting off easy. Thank you very much! 

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First, I would be happy with shooting 70-80-90 any time on any course (other than a 9-hole course) regardless of Par as those would be extraordinary rounds for me even now let alone in 20-30 years.  However, to compare an accomplishment I think there should be some consistency and to me that comes down to over/under par.  If I were 71 and shot 18 consecutive pars on a Par 70 course I technically shot my age but shooting par on 18 consecutive holes of a Par 72 is just as good a round but does not give the bragging rights and that seems wrong to me.

Today, at age 60, it is highly unlikely I shoot my age this year and I just just hope to be playing in 20-30 years to have a better chance of shooting my age.

 

[Double Mocha Man]

  On 7/28/2022 at 5:13 PM, StuM said:

Why should one 80 year old get to brag about shooting his age, 80, on a Par 70 course but a different 80 year old does not get the same brag if they shoot 82 on a par 72 course.   Both players are +10 and the only reason one gets the brag is they played a lower par course. 

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Moral of the story is, when you're in the neighborhood of shooting your age, play only par 72 layouts.

In 2002 Walter Morgan, age 61, shot a 60 on the Champions Tour.  And that was with a cigar hanging out of his mouth.  That record still stands today.

[Zippo]

  On 7/29/2022 at 1:08 AM, Double Mocha Man said:

Moral of the story is, when you're in the neighborhood of shooting your age, play only par 72 layouts.

In 2002 Walter Morgan, age 61, shot a 60 on the Champions Tour.  And that was with a cigar hanging out of his mouth.  That record still stands today.

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Jeepers. It almost makes me want to smoke cigars just so I can break that record...  🙂

[RickK]

I never thought about "shooting my age" for only 9 holes when I was younger.  I came within 1 stroke shooting my age every year after I turned 70 but did not actually do the deed until I was 74.  Did so playing at 6039yards on par 72 golf course.  I did it again, a couple of months later and then shot my age after I turned 75...same course.  

Edited July 29, 2022 by RickK

[Shindig]

  On 7/28/2022 at 10:38 PM, StuM said:

Today, at age 60, it is highly unlikely I shoot my age this year and I just just hope to be playing in 20-30 years to have a better chance of shooting my age.

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I hope you're still playing in 20-30 years, too, not only because you'll be around and playing (and I hope hanging out on TST), but because people who aren't playing golf have a much lower probability of shooting their age.

[DeadMan]

I think you need a par 70 or higher for it to count. I think we're talking a standard course here, and to me, that means at least a par 70. 

Yardage I think is slightly different. I think it should be at a yardage that is close to what you generally play. So if you normally play at 6000 yards, I don't think it would count to go down to 5400 and shoot your age. There is a lot of variance in how far people hit at that age, so I don't think one standard is right. I definitely don't think it needs to be from the tips or from 6500 or something like that to count. 

[billchao]

  On 7/28/2022 at 12:58 AM, phillyk said:

I shot my age last year, for 9 holes, 31 on a regulation course. 18 holes, hard to say. Up to the individual, I think. 

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Shoot my age over nine holes? That’s just a matter of time 😃

All joking aside, that’s a great score.

[DaveP043]

I'm getting to the age where shooting my age may become possible.  Yesterday I would have done it, if I'd have stopped after #16!  And at the end of the day, 75 is just 9 over my age, that might be the closest I've come so far in my life.  But largely I agree with @bkuehn1952, I think the par should be at least 70, and you should play tees that are rated for men.  As an additional qualification, you should play your "normal" tees for that course.

[Shindig]

  On 7/30/2022 at 8:51 PM, DaveP043 said:

Yesterday I would have done it, if I'd have stopped after #16! 

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There was an Advil commercial a few years ago, I think it was with Jim Furyk, and he suggested this as a sure-fire way to shoot lower scores.

[Richard Newbury]

This summer I shot par (70) on the course I regularly play. At my age I play the white tees, the most forward for men. My son (24) plays the blacks (farthest). We play even… no strokes

Whites are 5300… blacks are 6300

I am 71 and shot par 70 …..but I don’t brag cause the course isn’t > 6000 yards…. But by some standards I’ve read here I can claim the accomplishment.

My son and playing partner chide me for not engaging in the brag….

what say ya’ll…?

Regardless… it was an exilerating round.

[StuM]

  On 8/31/2022 at 3:21 PM, Richard Newbury said:

This summer I shot par (70) on the course I regularly play. At my age I play the white tees, the most forward for men. My son (24) plays the blacks (farthest). We play even… no strokes

Whites are 5300… blacks are 6300

I am 71 and shot par 70 …..but I don’t brag cause the course isn’t > 6000 yards…. But by some standards I’ve read here I can claim the accomplishment.

My son and playing partner chide me for not engaging in the brag….

what say ya’ll…?

Regardless… it was an exilerating round.

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I have my criteria but that is for me, you shot a great round and if you feel it worth the brag, go for it.  For me, I am looking more at needing to be on a Par 72 course but others disagree with that.  As for the distance, you are playing the tees appropriate for your game and not "Moving Up" just to get that advantage so I would not worry about the distance.  For me it is more about "Par = 72". 

Of course, I am only 61 so have no expectation to shoot my age on any course for a while and I may change my mind when it becomes more of a possibility for me.  However I did shoot 60 yesterday....but that was on 9 holes and I have no desire to brag about shooting my age on 9 holes.