Five Pars to Start...

[TheLauncher]

my nine hole league round and I end up shooting... 47!!! I always shoot 47! I was only two over after five holes last week and shot 46.

It's just so frustrating to be on the cusp of what would for me be career rounds and not being able to close the deal. I'm not sure if I'm talking myself out of it, if I'm just losing focus, or what.

Anyway, I try to look at the positives. I've shot many similar rounds with less than three pars, so these past rounds must represent a move in the right direction, right?

I really don't know what to say, I just hope I'm not somehow hexed to never break a 44.

[maraca2020]

lol your not hexed. Here's what you do. Play with someone else, but not with someone who you're overly comfortable with. You want to be focused. Tell him to keep score for you. Don't think about the score, only the shot in front of you. I'll bet you break at least 45

[CG031]

Just play with confidence for the remainder of the holes, pick a target, and go. Don't think about swing mechanics after one bad shot, or think about your score (ex. "Well, If I can just bogey out..."). It'll kill ya everytime.

[bjw181]

I played golf for almost a year straight where I would par the first 4 holes or so and then I would hit an off shot...then it would be downhill from there (usually uphill and in the rough.)

Keep focus, keep an amnesia-like memory, and you'll be good

[hkmp5]

I shot my best round last week a 81 on a tough coarse , what kills me is one or two blow up holes , when I shot my 81, I had a bad tee shot , I let it go and played smart golf instead of trying for the hero shot. I would punch it out and give myself a second chance . stay calm and only think of the shot you are doing at the moment focus focus focus and stay relaxed.

In the past I could go out on the practice greens and do well but I found myself getting up tight when it counts. for example the longer the hole the harder I would try and hit my driver until I realized that hitting my driver easy and keeping it in the fairway was all that really counted.

last week on a par five I hit my driver left of the fairway not bad but not ideal second shot 203 yds 19 degree hybrid I stuck the ball three feet from the pin putting for eagle, I looked up pulled it right it lipped out Damb! lost my focus made birdie.

funny game but when you finally shoot a lower score you will get that monky off your back and the next one will be easier.

[shortstop20]

Small steps, I shot 79 a couple months ago and haven't come even close to posting that score since then. I know I'm a better player now than I was then, I'm just having a bad streak. Don't get down on yourself, better scores are ahead.

The worst thing you can do is start thinking about your score. One shot at a time, that's what I did that day and that's why I posted that score. I've struggled to do that since then that's why I haven't posted that score again.

[TheLauncher]

Thanks guys.

Yeah, I guess I did get a little ahead of myself and a little nervous thinking about how I could break 40. I guess I kind of expected myself to blow up. I have to remember that the good stretches are not anomalies, but actually me playing good golf.

[TheLauncher]

OK gentlemen, same ting this week, even through five, this time with one birdie and one bogey and I end up shooting... 41! A career round for me and a huge improvement over the 47 of last week. I knew I could do it and I knew I was close. And Though 41 is disappointing for many of you I couldn't be happier.

[pweenie]

Well done! Stay focused on each shot and not the end score.
There is nothing you can do about the future, you can only do something about the here and now. Easier said than done but then you just proved it can be done.
Do tell us when you break 40.

[TheLauncher]

I'm sorry of this comes off as gloating, but I know many readers will understand. It turns out it is repeatable-- I shot 41 again this week in league.

This is my third year of playing seriously since high school I've kinda been languishing around 46-50 for most of last year and the beginning of this year (my home is only nine holes and though I often play 18 I keep track of my progress by in nines). In the last few weeks I've had some good 46's and 47's but in the last week two 41's a 43 and a 44. I feel like I've finally crossed a threshold I thought I might never see, and yet these rounds leave me knowing I can do better. An errant chip here, a missed 3 footer there, etc.

[Forest]

I'm glad to see your progress here.

Although I am a new member here, I feel like this is a great place ahha.


I had some trouble shooting under 40 at a par 33 course I play at. It's a shot 9 holer that plays around 2500 or so yards. It has 4 par 3s, 4 par 4s, and 1 par 5. I would get my round really low, to about 40, then I would seem stuck there and not be able to shoot lower. I would analyze my scorecard, then see what I was doing wrong, and eliminate it. Soon, I was shooting a 39, which was a great improvement for me. Just a couple of days ago, I shot a 36, which was amazing. I started off with a par, then went on to double bogey a par 3. Another par 3 was up, and I hit a lucky shot that stuck the green, then almost holed out for birdie. The par5 was next, and I hit a pretty good drive, then hit a hooked hybrid (I'm not a long hitter) that flew into the left side of the fairway, leaving a 56 yard shot to the green over a tree. Missed the green below the tier, then 2 putted for par. There was another par 3, which I pared. A 344 yard par4 stood up next, which I bogeyed, then another par 3 par, then a par 4 birdie, then a bogey.


If I would have eliminated the double bogey on hole 2, I would've shot 35 or maybe 34.

Over time, you will shoot lower, it's natural.

[Brent]

As many other SandTrap members have stated, playing with another golfer who you are not extremely comfortable playing with, could very well lead you to play better. On the other hand, some people do not do well under pressure, but you will just have to find out whether intense pressure is good for you. Congratulations on your progress.

[Heimer]

This is my bane.. I always start out strong, then hit a bad shot, then try to "fix" my game mid round.

Like one member said.. It's best to have amnesia like memory..

When you're keeping score it's not time to "practice" it's time to play.

[chriskzoo]

LOL, sounds like one of the 9's we play for my league - it's a par 34 kind of stuffed in between the "real" nines. No matter what I do I always shoot 36 or 37. I can make 2 doubles and I'll make 3 birdies or some crazy combination.