Score well but not play well!!!

[montru]

I had two rounds last week at one of my local courses (65.3/110)and thinking back I can honestly say I don't think I hit more than half a dozen GOOD/CLEAN iron shots and I felt like I did not play at all well, my playing partner was doing the scorecard and at the end of the round on both days I had shot a gross 84 net 68.
I don't think I hit one GIR and maybe at best hit a dozen fairways in two rounds.
Has this ever happened to anyone else?

[HSip]

Yep - and the other way around also. Felt as if I was playing well but not scoring for C**P. Not sure which one is more frustrating but I guess that's golf. Cheers

[microcrayfish]

I've been taking lessons lately and the last couple of rounds I've felt like I've been playing crap but my scores have been pretty much standard. I guess it's because with the lessons and from the evidence from playing a few practice rounds my standard of play has risen but when I was out the last couple of Saturdays it hasn't come together for me. I'm just looking forward to what my score will be when I do feel I've payed well!

[Ad225am]

Yep - and the other way around also. Felt as if I was playing well but not scoring for C**P. Not sure which one is more frustrating but I guess that's golf. Cheers

I completely agree. Often times I feel as though I am playing much better than my score indicates. Especially when compared to my golf buddies. However they always tend to be a few strokes better than me when we add it all up. I am convinced they are cheating, there is no other explanation, haha.

[Grndslmhttr3]

Recently, I have been playing very well. In fact, two rounds ago, I was on the verge of shooting on the 30s, but low and behold, I had yet another blow-up hole. Ended up with a 42. Good round in terms of score? For me, you bet, but was I REALLY satisfied? Not very, no.

On the other hand, however, I thought I was playing like utter crap. Hit few fairways, decent iron shots and putting, etc. Ended up with a 43. However, I felt like I played great, even though in retrospect, I played worse than I played when I had the 42.

[wrx_junki]

I am quite the same. I didn't hit any good iron shots this weekend. Slicing the driver OB twice and my hybrid once. Still managed to score a 88 with 32 putts. Started the round with 4 par's which is a record for me.

[PiKapp23]

For me good scores usually depend on 3 things - good driving, good chipping/pitching and good putting. I had a round earlier this year where I shot 86 and hit 12 of 13 fairways and 13 of 18 greens (probably a record for me). I hit no bad shots (at least no 'really' bad shots), but still only shot 86 because of putting and chipping. When I missed green I almost always left myself with a long putt due to shaky chipping and I made very few one putts. However, I shot a 73 a couple weeks ago and only hit 6 of 14 fairways and 11 GIR, but putted really well with no 3 putts and several 1 putts (plus 2 chip-ins).

Usually, if my driving is consistent I can score well because my short game is pretty good, but when that lets me down the scores can mount.

[BOOMSHANKA]

Recently, I have been playing very well. In fact, two rounds ago, I was on the verge of shooting on the 30s, but low and behold, I had yet another blow-up hole. Ended up with a 42. Good round in terms of score? For me, you bet, but was I REALLY satisfied? Not very, no.

That's sounds familar...It never fails how your mind can play tricks on you. Getting frustrated with your score one round and happy with another and shooting around the same. I guess that's golf for ya...

[kfowler]

For me it often depends on the course. I can play really poor but if the course is forgiving and there's little hazzards, I shoot far better than I expect. On the flip, I played a tough course this past weekend. I felt like I hit the ball well and made some good putts and chips. However, some well struck irons were just off their mark and landed in the sand or a well hit drive dribbles OB. Those things add up quickly.

[TN94z]

I have the same kind of days. I don't know about a 13 shot swing!! But for sure have the same type of days. Right now I know that I can go out and shoot my worst golf and score no higher than 84 or 85. So I just tell myself this when I am having a bad couple of holes or feel I am playing bad. This helps me to not get down on myself and start trying to fix something on the course.

[bubdifab]

check out "the elements of scoring" by Ray Floyd. Talks exactly about what you are saying. Interesting book so far, I havent yet completed it.

[lumpuckeroo]

I have days that go both ways, I will hit the ball well, but look at my score card at the end of the round and didn't break 90. Other days I feel like I hit the ball horrible, check the card and I shot low 80's.

I think it has a lot to do with the short game, I can blade a ball to 10 yards of the green, and get up and down for a par or hit a solid shot into the green and 3 putt for a bogey.

Those are the quirks of the game that I think keeps us all coming back, one day it will all come together!

[TN94z]

My thing is usually GIRs and getting up and down. My putting has always been really steady and I have a lot of confidence in it. I go through funks where I don't hit many GIRs and I have been trying different chipping methods that has caused me to not get up and down as much. Usually if I hit the GIR, I par because if I don't hit my birdie putt then my next putt is usually within 1-2 ft. I may not do much as conistent as I would like, but my putting is there!! If I can get my tee shots and approach shots to a point to where they are consistent...my scores will drop dramatically because I know I can drop the putts. Getting to that point is my next problem.

[iacas]

I went through a period last year where I hit every damn iron shot a groove or so low. Not once did I feel like I'd played well, and yet because the shots were slightly thin they went straight and they still went about the same distance, so my handicap actually dropped despite hitting the ball like garbage.

It can happen. You can hack it around and hole a bunch of five footers for par and shoot pretty well, too.

[TN94z]

I went through a period last year where I hit every damn iron shot a groove or so low. Not once did I feel like I'd played well, and yet because the shots were slightly thin they went straight and they still went about the same distance, so my handicap actually dropped despite hitting the ball like garbage.

Exactly! The days that I seem to be hitting my irons like crap and not hitting GIR, I seem to drop bombs with my putter. It happens every time and that is why my score doesn't get crazy. Now when I hit the GIR, those bombs never drop for birdies....go figure.

[osean79]

We all know how this game puts us all on a rollercoaster, up and down, up and down.
I've also just had a similar feeling last weekend, shooting a 83 on tough course. My driver and iron wasn't good that day, but my short game was spot on. Made 3 birdies but a couple of double bogeys negated it... Overall it didn't feel like a good round, but the scorecard wasn't too bad. A quote from Walter Hagen comes to mind, "3 bad shots and a one good shot still makes a par".