Question for scratch golfers

[laxbballgolf]

If you are a scratch golfer, can you write how many years you played golf until you got your handicap to 0 or below?

Also, if you could estimate how days per week you played in that time or how many hours per week, etc.

I am very interested to see the results, thanks!

[neudi]

I started golfing when I was 4 and I became a scratch around 18. I have played 4 days a week consistently since becoming scratch and probably played a little more before I became scratch.

[polodinks]

well ill tell you im far from scratch golf..... but only practice and time on the course will make you better..... im 20 now and for the last 2 months ive been playing everyday and it only gets better...... i can now play a bogey game compared to what i was it was horrible about a year or two ago..... like anyone will say get out there and play and play and play

[ryohazuki222]

I'm hoping this thread gets a lot of responses. I'm really curious how many people become a scratch golfer within a year of picking up the game.

[iacas]

I'm hoping this thread gets a lot of responses. I'm really curious how many people become a scratch golfer within a year of picking up the game.

Roughly 0. And this thread can only get as many responses as we have scratch golfers to respond.

[ryohazuki222]

"roughly 0" ....... so it's THAT unlikely?? That's helpful inandofitself

i realized the symantics of the response issue..... hence the ****HOPE*****

[Incognito]

u're better off trying to find golfers that became a single handicap in a year. i would think that would be much more likely, though extremely rare. finding someone who became scratch in a year is almost impossible.

[bjw181]

Ive been playing 10 years...and I still can't play scratch

[Ben]

If you are a scratch golfer, can you write how many years you played golf until you got your handicap to 0 or below?

To put my experience into this thread without going on forever, I'll elaborate on the latest chunk of golf in my life. The time it took for me to get where I am today +0.8, from a 5 when I first started working at the club, five and a half years ago. Other than the nine weeks off when I broke my ankle last year. I've had a golf club in my hand practically everyday. I do miss a stray Monday maybe twice in two months. And I have taken a couple rainy day breaks. But other than that, everyday.

[imtomtomim]

Getting to scratch your first year probably requires you to be under heavy coaching with some sort of high level athletics background or understanding like from a college team. This is only my second season and just updated my handicap to 5.8 after a bunch of great rounds from whatever is displayed to the left. I'm hoping to make it this season, I guess as a lofty goal, but I'm not expecting that to happen. You gotta recognize the amount of work you need to put in for that kind of control, muscle memory, training your eye, same as any sport.

Just bought an unlimited ball range pass 2 days ago and went out yesterday and didn't flub a single shot! Gotta work on the flat stick though. Practice prevents mistakes. The less mistakes you make, the closer you get to a perfect round.

[Elsfan]

Could you please explain exactly what a perfect round of golf is?

[iacas]

Could you please explain exactly what a perfect round of golf is?

Actually, let's just stick to the topic at hand. If you want to start a tangential discussion, start a new thread.

[MiniMoe]

Played for many years in the 70's. I changed my swing to mimic Moe Norman, learned a lot about course management and shot selection and it took me 2-3 years to be a consistent scratch or better. The biggest difference for me was course management. I always had a pretty good swing, but I did not know how to use it until I changed my swing and had to learn to score with a swing that was not really good. So, when my swing got good, the scoring became easier.

[rex433]

I have been golfing for four years now after playing baseball my whole life to that point. I have finally gotten to scratch after being a 4 for two years. It takes a lot of practice to get from a single digits handicap to scratch.

[Bluenoser67]

Picked up the game when I was 14 shot 104 first round in a rain storm and then shot 94 next round and never came near 100 again. Gave the Game up when i was 18 for University and wife and kids for the next 20 years. Was probably a 8 handicap when I gave it up.

4 years ago I joined local club and became a 2 handicap by the end of the year(attributed this mostly to learning how to chip and putt). Next year was a 1 and last year and since I have be a scratch golfer.

I live in Canada so our season is only 7 months long (if were lucky) but during the year I get out 3-4 times a week for a game. Probably practice another couple of hours a week.

Keys to Scratch have been - as I said before I learned how to bump and run the ball around the green and my up and downs went way up as opposed to trying to pitch the ball which is all hands and feel. Secondly I learned how to lag putt and avoid the dreaded 3 putt. Outside of that I'm a little better at course management. And I have upgraded my equipment every year. Esentially for me I have always struck the ball well but needed to get a Scratch golfers short game.


Hope this helps.

[jl923]

Here's a question for the weekend warriors - how did your game progress playing/practicing once a week? I really want to improve but can only play once a week or every other week. Will i ever reach single digits at this rate?

[sblack5]

3 years. Practice around 2 hours a day in the mornings some days on the range, and others playing the short game test. I Play a round thursday, friday, saturday, and sunday. Putt around 100 balls 3 nights a week.

[golferjoey3]

I started when I was 4, played sparingly until I was 13. Then I started taking the game really seriously, I'm now 17 and this past summer I finally broke through into the plus.