How long did it take you to break 100?

[Beach Golfer]

What you need to realise, mangine77 is that some people just have a natural talent for hitting a ball with an implement.

Just to back up your point, I once played with a guy who shot 80 in his first ever roung, without cheating, he just had natural talent. He know plays off about 2 and has been lower.

[tm22721]

It took me two years to get to 100.

Now I am in the low 80s if I play within my limitations. Low 90s if I take risks.

This game is all about learning your limitations then applying risk management.

[mrgilmore]

It took me a few months of playing 2 times a week. Ever since then ive played from 2-5 times a week and im down to playing high 70's - low 80's and hopefully soon i can get down to mid 70's.

[iacas]

I believe someone can break 100 after playing a bunch in one season, but no way after the first couple times.

I did. I can't recall shooting over 100... ever.

I took up the game at a summer camp. We chipped, putted, and hit drivers on the range. They didn't let us play. I knew I liked it so much that I spent $20 to buy an old 7-iron in the fall. I hit balls all fall and even most of the winter (with snow). I chipped and spent every spare moment I had reading every golf book or magazine I could get my hands on. I worked on everything. In the spring, I'd go out to my course and play with four or five golf balls, using the course as a driving range. After all, I had a "membership" (for $150) to the course, but not to the driving range. I'd spend hours chipping and putting. I wanted to prepare myself to play "real golf." I spent a month or so doing this - March, 1993 IIRC. Finally the day came where I said I was going to play for real. The course is 6300 yards, par 72, and was really wide open just about everywhere. There's one water hazard and a few trees, but they're more like saplings. That first round I played, I shot 96. Since I was so starved for golf information that winter, I had literally even read the entire Decisions on the Rules of Golf book (and the Rules, too, of course) that winter. So I knew the rules. My worst shot back then was a huge hook or I'd sometimes hit the ball quite thin. Both would roll forever. I was always near the green in regulation, so if I got it anywhere on the green I could usually two-putt pretty easily. Nerves of a 15-year old, as they say. So it is possible. Unlikely, but possible. P.S. My old swing, my "first" swing, had some funny flaws. I read so much about how everyone sliced I guaranteed myself I'd never hit a slice. My grip was strong, I swayed back and through (so as not to perform the dreaded "reverse pivot"), and I hooked the crap out of everything. No way was I gonna be one of those slicing hackers, I told myself. I did everything the opposite (in the extreme) of what the golf magazines kept telling me were the "common flaws."

[sonicblue]

meenman, with all due respect, you're being awfully pigheaded. Multiple good players on here are telling you that playing a shorter course is a great idea, and will teach you tremendous lessons about scoring and about mental approach. You continue to say, "I want to break 100 the real way," which not only indicates some pomposity, but also that you're not even listening.

IME, most people shooting 100+ spend most of their time recovering: punching out from trees, hitting from rough from 180+, in bunkers AND they're usually there because they're either trying to bomb the ball or simply hit shots they're not capable of. Playing a short course simplifies the shots you have to make and helps you realize how much easier the game is from the short stuff AND what the real important shots are: chipping and putting.

Sounds like you belong to some course you consider "hard," and sounds like your continuing to bang your way all around that course shooting your 100+ is a great way.....well.....to continue shooting 100+. If I may make a rash assumption, I think you're hung up on the ideal that, one day, your swing will all come together, and that's what will bail you out of that vicious cycle. Quite the opposite, your mental approach needs to change, and THAT is what will free your swing.

And I know this because I was JUST like you at one point. Take the Sandman's advice. Play from the reds, or go play a chip and putt. Your "swing" is never going to overpower the game and leap you to the next scoring barrier. It just won't.

[clemsontiger]

It probably took me a while, but I cannot remember. I started playing so young that I could not hit the ball very far. As far as I can remember, I was under 100 when I was in 7th grade. I started in 6th, so a year maybe.

[albatross]

Oh really?

I am not lying about breaking 100 in a couple of months or breaking 90. Trust me, I have no life. When it started getting warm out this year, I went to play golf a couple of times with the boys. We drank beer and didn't keep score. I got hooked. I went and bought my own clubs and played a couple more times. Then I joined a club which is one mile from my house. Par 72, 6334yds from the back tees, course rating 70.3 slope 122. When I say I have no life, I mean I started going straight to the course after work without going home first. I go and hit the pitching / putting greens after work for 3-4 hours and hit a bucket of balls at the range. Then I started going out on the course by myself to play rounds. I keep honest score - I count all strokes, not just ESC (except for handicap purposes in the pro shop computer). I want to play honest golf, not just drink beers and joke around.

If you would read my post and then your reply, you're actually proving my point. I said I'm not buying that you broke 100 your

first couple rounds ever . QWKDTSN- Your post says you broke a hundred after a couple of months . This I totally believe. That's a lot different then your first round or two. Correct? So what are you arguing about. My post clearly says that I believe someone can start out with a lot of talent and break 100 pretty early on. Saks- Your post says your first rounds were 112, 108, 103, 103 . Where is the argument?? You didn't break 100 your first 4 rounds. That is exactly what I said. And you guys don't need to come back with ripping on my game. I'm certainly not envious or trying to tear people down because you're better than I am. I know my game needs help but I unfortunately don't have the time to put into that I wish I did. You guys should really have read my post before getting all fired up and posting hateful responses. By the way, I received a boatload of private messages from folks saying they're glad I was calling people out for saying they were breaking 100 their first times out. So obviously I'm not the only one here that's not buying it.

[meenman]

meenman, with all due respect, you're being awfully pigheaded. Multiple good players on here are telling you that playing a shorter course is a great idea, and will teach you tremendous lessons about scoring and about mental approach. You continue to say, "I want to break 100 the real way," which not only indicates some pomposity, but also that you're not even listening.

blah blah blah

Honestly I started out on an easy course and was thrilled to shoot a 114 - what it didnt prepare me for was my first saturday morning out there thinking I know the basics and shooting a 145 on a harder course. I am far from pigheaded - my scores have slowly improved - I have sat through the 140s,130s,120 and 110s - now I am in the 100s - I will break 100 my way. My biggest problem right now is hitting the course everyday I can instead of *settling* for the range. When I started golfing I spent 2 months of 6 days a week on the range before I even hit a course. Now Ill hit the course 4 times a week and the only range I hit is 20 balls to warm up. I know my issues - if I could play it safe for a round that 100 goal will be long gone. Its my discipline I have to deal with. Shortening the course 500 yards and taking all the hazards out of play isnt going to help me or very many for that matter.

[Franco!]

blah blah blah

Maybe you should practice actually hitting the ball?

That would help. It's a waste of time to go out on the course and hack your way around. It's people like you who don't know how to play and don't want to learn how to play that cause slow play.

[MrSandman]

meenman, with all due respect, you're being awfully pigheaded. Multiple good players on here are telling you that playing a shorter course is a great idea, and will teach you tremendous lessons about scoring and about mental approach. You continue to say, "I want to break 100 the real way," which not only indicates some pomposity, but also that you're not even listening.

Well Said.

But apparently meenman wants to be the guy playing the blue tees who cannot break 100, because he thinks practicing is not the "real way" to improve. Meenman has no interest in learning how to make pars and bogeys, and god forbid a birdie. He thinks that making triples on a "hard" course (in his opinion, a "hard" course), is the way to play the "real way". Some people never learn. And that is why you have people playing golf for a decade and still carrying 20+ handicaps.

[MrSandman]

Shortening the course 500 yards and taking all the hazards out of play isnt going to help me or very many for that matter.

I'm not saying shorten the course by 500 yards. I'm saying shorten the course by 1,000-1,500, maybe even 2,000 yards.

Find a course that is 5,000-5,500 yards. And no, don't count that as your "I finally broke 100" score. Count it as a practice round. Count it as a learning experience. Count it as a way to mentally prepare to make pars and birdies. There are four or five single digit handicaps here telling you that this is a good idea. That this can help you mentally prepare, that it can teach you course management, that it can teach you how to score. But hey, what do people who frequently break 80 know? I mean, you haven't broken 100 yet, so you obviously are correct. And how can you say that this technique would not help many others? There are people here, who have not only broke 100 more than once, but have broken 80 on a somewhat regular basis, saying it has helped them. David Pelz advocates this, he even has his own short courses just for this purpose (to learn how to score) (Cordillera in Vail, CO.). Meenman, do you know who David Pelz is? If so, why would you say that a technique he preaches would not help others? Are you dense, ignorant, or just plain stubborn? He is one of the top teachers in the world, and not for swing technique but for scoring improvements. Also, I think you might be surprised at how little you improve on the short course. Your high scores are not likely due to the difficulty of your course, rather your inability to manage your game. It will take you a few rounds on the short course to learn to score, it is not like you will show up on a 5,000 yard course and suddenly fire a 78. But the short course provides more opportunity to score, and will ultimately help your game.

[albatross]

Sandman- I don't think it's any use. I totally agree with what you're saying also and I'm so far from being a single handicapper that it's not funny.

If he doesn't want to try it once eventhough a lot of the good players on this site are telling him to, I would just let it go.

[MrSandman]

You're right, mangine.

I guess what annoys me is his insistance that:
1. practicing means that you are not doing it the "right way", and
2. that this practice technique would "not help many people", even though there are many people who have said that it does help them.

some people are destined to be hackers their entire life. sounds like meenman has such a desire.

[bunkerputt]

I didn't start breaking 100 until I started putting my tee shots in play. This TOTALLY changes the game, which is what this whole thread has become and why it is a good idea to play from the reds (call them that if it makes you feel more comfortable). Before, if I made par on a par 4, with a blown tee shot I had to get up and down from 180 yards with a 5-iron. Think of how difficult this is compared to missing the green on your approach and chipping it close for a par. The game is totally simplified: Tee shot not perfect, but in play, approach not great but on the green, 1st putt not in, but within 3 ft, second putt in. That's a par. If you did that every time, even though it is totally "lame" and not very sexy, you'd be SHOOTING 72! Sandman is totally right.

[JKilgore44]

I started playing in 8th grade. I can remember the first practice round I played with my buddy that taught me the game. And I can remember my first tournament in 9th grade, my first actual round. I shot 104. I was embarassed to do so, but it was legitimate. Lot's of lost balls and OB. I never shot over 100 again in a tournament. I practiced every single day. You can't break get better without practice.

[Saks]

Those of you that are claiming to have broken 100 after playing a few rounds can't be telling the truth.

I would call 4 or 5 rounds a few.

If you would read my post and then your reply, you're actually proving my point. I said I'm not buying that you broke 100 your

Mangine77, you say a few and then a couple... I did it in a few, others did it in a couple (or never shot over 100 ever). Dont split hairs. It is possible. In saying that, I fully believe that you got those PM's from people who don't think it can be done either.

Natural ball hitting ability is an amazing thing. I have played for my region in cricket before I played golf. Hitting balls is natural for me. I bet you could take a reasonable baseball or hockey player and they could break 100 first few times as well.

Your "swing" is never going to overpower the game and leap you to the next scoring barrier. It just won't.

Not by itself it won't. But after the hard work I have put into mine, the slice has gone and it is now a swing that can break 80 (not regularly yet), and I will shoot par or lower one day (my goal!) at my course. This applies to getting your swing to a point where you can break 100. It won't happen punching out of trees etc.

When I started golfing I spent 2 months of 6 days a week on the range before I even hit a course. Now Ill hit the course 4 times a week and the only range I hit is 20 balls to warm up.

And you still can't break 100?

I am envious of the time you have to play golf but that must be frustrating... I see it every weekend. Guys hacking around doing the same thing they have always done and....getting the same (bad) result. The won't take advice from better players, and won't really get any better. A mate that started when I started 1 year ago, his best is 98. If he took advice from me and more so from a guy we play with who is a 6, he could break 90 by christmas (I believe...he has the shots for it). He wont listen and instead, he wont break 90 by christmas. He will be lucky to have more than a couple more sub 100's. You can't help some people.

[meenman]

So there I was, playing my normal tees, playing my normal game and damn - in the same day - my drives and putts were all clicking.

Glanced at my scorecard after 9 - a 50 even and I always have more problems with the front 9 than the back 9. I figure to not grab a beer at the turn and since todays cartgirl really sucks I have a chance to finish this round with less than 4 beers.

Holes 10,11 +12 - help me like they always do - par, bogey, par. At this point I am just feeling it. I get to 17 with a 90 - a par 3 and par 4 to go. My tee shot on 17 makes it over the water and somehow gets trapped between a tree and the curb - no biggie chip it out, chip and putt for a bogey.

Sitting at 18 needing a bogey for a 99 - I look at my watch -we've only been out here for 2 hours and 45 minutes - as I start to stand there my wife asks why I am not shooting. I had to break the news to her that according to the *experts* we do nothing but slow up play.

I finally agree that it is ridiculous to let a so called expert make me stand there for 2 hours.

Then it dawns on me - according to sandman and a few of his puppets there is no way I can ever break 100 playing from normal tees. So i turn sideways and start firing balls into the woods. Again my wife asks why I am doing this. I carefully explain that there is no way I will ever break 100 from these tees so I may as well shoot 1,3,5 and 7 into the woods so I dont make anyone look bad.

[MrSandman]

Nobody is saying that you cannot break 100 from your normal tees. Actually, after 9 months, you should be breaking 100 at least every other round, even if you think your course is "harder" than others.

But if you want to learn to make pars and birdies, and not be satisfied with a 48 or 49 for 9 holes, but learn to shoot a 42 or even 40, play a short course and learn how to score. Learn how to make pars. Learn how to make a birdie or two in the same round. Learn how to manage your game in a fashion that saves a par or bogey, not struggles to keep the snowmen off the card. This will translate into your course management on your "hard" course that you brag about, and it will help you to not only break 100, but break 90, and even break 85.


Your goal should not be to break 100. Your goal should be to break 90, or to break 85, with some regularity.

But hey, if you think that people who do this are nuts, and you are happy needing only a bogey to shoot a smooooooth 99, then who are we to say anything?


Keep shooting those 99's if that's what you want to do.