How long to break 100/90/80...?

[Bluenoser67]

Played first game when I was 14 at our local par 71 course.  Shot 104 first game 94 second game and 88 third game.  Best I could do in my teens was high 70's and low 80's.  Took up the game again about 8 years ago when I was in my late 30's and broke 70 at the age of 40.  Almost broke 60 with our course record 62 last year.

Basically I have always had the hand eye coordination to be able to hit the ball but the short game required more than just natural talent.  Once I dedicated my self to learning how to chip and putt the scores came down from 80's to 70's.

[rushamania]

Started playing in May of 2011. I broke 100 in November 2011. I broke 90 in July 2012 and have done it four times since. My lowest score is an 83. Breaking 80 is going to be really really hard. I was one under through my last six holes (5 pars, 1 birdie) yesterday, so I know I can do it. I ended up with an 89, just have to be WAY more consistent.

[Th3R00st3r]

I played off and on for years 1-2 rounds per year. 2 years ago a high school buddy of mine (we're now in our early-mid 40's) asked if I wanted to join a mens club that his brother was starting called The Morning Wood. I said sure, and he let me borrow his old Titleist DCI's. I regripped them and used them for about 2 months before the club started, then bought my own.

Jan 2011 - 1st time out playing seriously = 99 (shot a 107 the next outing)

March 2012 - shot an 83 on a par 70

I'm now floating between low-mid 90's

[cooke119]

God only knows when I'll break 90. The courses I play have slopes between 125 to 130, e.g., the Red at Bethpage (no I haven't played the Black, I'm not good enough) and I haven't broken 90 yet. The course I play most ofter has a slope of 128 but more important there is a lot of water. (Water and I do not get along.) One day my long game is good but the short sucks or the other way around. Then there is three putting greens, drives me nuts!! It is usually one thing or the other. I once shot a 91 and really thought I was going to do it but.....

By the way, we play by the rules and count every stroke, no mulligans. I'll keep working at it, thinking of lessons this year but they are expensive.

[CraiginKSA]

I picked up the game again in February of 2011 after about a 10 year layoff. I broke 100 after a couple of months, but have yet to break 90. I play a lot. Trouble is, this course is brutal. 133 slope from the whites (6200 yards). 137 from the back tees (6700 yards).

To give you an idea, we had our annual Saudi Invitational Tournament last weekend. 100 golfers from all around the Kingdom. Dubai and Bahrain - all single digit H/C. The wind was blowing pretty hard, Only one guy, a pro from Riyadh, broke 80 in the two days! He shot 76-87. Even our local stud (+0.1) shot 80-83.

As water is a valuable commodity here, they substitute really thick grass and bushes that you have to carry on some holes. Not coincidentally, there is sand on EVERY hole. Bunkers everywhere. Scrubby trees and thick grass line the fairways. If you miss the fairway, you're probably hitting three off the tee. If you miss the fairway badly enough, you're hitting out of sand - if you can find your ball.

I'm pretty sure I could shoot low 80's at my local muni, which is basically a mowed field.

[BuckeyeNut]

I'm not sure why so many people keep talking about only slope.   The true measure of any golf course is the Course Rating.  CR is what determines HC index and slope is nearly meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

Which course do you think is tougher?

Course 1:  76.5CR 129slope

or

Course 2: 69.0CR 135slope

If you guessed course 2...you'd be very wrong by about 7.5 strokes!!!!!

[Dave2512]

This is my first year to golf in at least 13 yrs, not really sure when I stopped but it was prior to 1999. When I started again in April 2012 the first time I played I didn't even keep score it was so bad. Pretty sure I picked up on every hole. But it was the first time in many years and I went straight to the course with no practice. By May I was consistently scoring in the mid 90's. I got serious in June and kicked up the practice and play. Mid summer was high 80's with a low 90's here and there on a bad day. I typically play 9 holes now because of time and weather but I haven't put up anything worse than a 44 in several months. My average scores range from 39-44 these days.

I don't remember how long it took to conquer those milestones when I golfed before but this year the 100's and 90's fell away really quick. I haven't officially broken 80 due to the mostly playing 9 holes thing but I am certainly capable of it. Though I seem to be stuck in the low 40's lately. It's not uncommon for me to be 1 or 2 over through 7 holes before doing something stupid and finishing double-double, or worse. My scorecards are pretty whacky. I can card 4 pars and 2 birdies and fail to keep it under 40. My scores are consistent how I get there is not.

[SouthernBuckeye]

Took me about 9 months after starting to break 100, about  a year and a half to break 90, and now I am in my third year and usually break 80 on easier courses and 80 to 85 on harder ones.

[sofingaw]

This is so depressing!

http://golf.sports.yahoo.com/tracker/1178115/scores

Not sure if this link will work for everyone, but these are all my scores since I have kept my cards and scores. I started playing about 6-7 months prior to the start of this list. Any of my scores before this list (Feb 2013) would have been above 115, mostly in the 120's and 130's.

I've been playing a year and a half almost, with no off-season. Since around July of 2012. I have played probably 40 rounds in that time, including the 28 listed here, and have not broken 100 yet. I had a 100 on the nose a few months back. I always feel like I'm on the verge of breaking through, but I'm getting sick of deluding myself! I'll just keep working, reading, watching, practicing and swinging, and it'll come when it comes.

I really do feel like quite a poor player reading this thread, however. You guys are all pretty awesome players as far as I'm concerned!

For anyone who is still grinding as a hacker out there and is reading this, just know that you're not alone. And also, contrary to what you may read here, THIS GAME IS HARD. Every part of it. Keep trying things, and work on your flaws, and it will come together one day.

In my defense, I value my marriage over my golf game (I would play and practice way more!), I have a full time job, and I play by the rules of golf 100% at all times. No mulligans, no fluffed lies (or even moving the ball at all), no miscounted or forgotten strokes,  take stroke and distance, hit provisional balls, ect...

Usually have mid-30's putts per round. It's the long game, and wedges (100 and in) for sure that are holding me back, definitely. I can 2 putt when I get there. Getting there is usually 4-6 shots. 2-3 of which are wasted somehow.

[JonMA1]

In my defense, I value my marriage over my golf game (I would play and practice way more!), I have a full time job, and I play by the rules of golf 100% at all times. No mulligans, no fluffed lies (or even moving the ball at all), no miscounted or forgotten strokes,  take stroke and distance, hit provisional balls, ect...

You have your priorities right IMO. Gotta keep the wife happy, pay the bills and keep up with the chores.I can accept the fact that I'm not a good golfer, but it would be hard to feel good about cheating and still posting high scores.

It is very humbling to "work" hard at something and come up short. All I can do is admire some of these folks and accept that my improvement will come very slowly. By accepting that fact, the game is usually more enjoyable. Every round is practice and if I hit a couple of nice shots and putts, I usually go home feeling pretty good and with some hope. I always joke that I set low standards and fail to meet them but breaking 100 has been difficult. I've only done it once and that was a 93. I will occasionally break 50 but that's usually after a bad front nine.

You're right, this game is not easy. You can do 4 out of 5 things right on a swing, but that one error will cost you. The same on a hole and the entire round. When I've been fortunate enough to play with good players, the one thing that stands out is their consistency. I can hit most of the shots they do (not the backspins, intentional curves or 275yd drives), but I can't do it on almost every shot as they do. And when they do make a bad shot, they're able to minimize the damage on the subsequent shots.

Anyway, if we didn't enjoy the game we would have given up a long time ago. Good luck to you.

[meenman]

This is so depressing!

http://golf.sports.yahoo.com/tracker/1178115/scores

Not sure if this link will work for everyone, but these are all my scores since I have kept my cards and scores. I started playing about 6-7 months prior to the start of this list. Any of my scores before this list (Feb 2013) would have been above 115, mostly in the 120's and 130's.

I've been playing a year and a half almost, with no off-season. Since around July of 2012. I have played probably 40 rounds in that time, including the 28 listed here, and have not broken 100 yet. I had a 100 on the nose a few months back. I always feel like I'm on the verge of breaking through, but I'm getting sick of deluding myself! I'll just keep working, reading, watching, practicing and swinging, and it'll come when it comes.

I really do feel like quite a poor player reading this thread, however. You guys are all pretty awesome players as far as I'm concerned!

For anyone who is still grinding as a hacker out there and is reading this, just know that you're not alone. And also, contrary to what you may read here, THIS GAME IS HARD. Every part of it. Keep trying things, and work on your flaws, and it will come together one day.

In my defense, I value my marriage over my golf game (I would play and practice way more!), I have a full time job, and I play by the rules of golf 100% at all times. No mulligans, no fluffed lies (or even moving the ball at all), no miscounted or forgotten strokes,  take stroke and distance, hit provisional balls, ect...

Usually have mid-30's putts per round. It's the long game, and wedges (100 and in) for sure that are holding me back, definitely. I can 2 putt when I get there. Getting there is usually 4-6 shots. 2-3 of which are wasted somehow.

Dont feel bad - there are many of us in the same boat.

My work week consists of about 60 hours, Monday - Thursday and sometimes a half day on friday. There is absolutely no time to practice.

I play every Saturday and 1-2 times a month I get out on Friday. I owe the wife Sunday at least since that is about all I see her

Breaking 100 used to be a given for me and now it is a rarity. Even this past Friday - played a course I should easily break 100 at and proceeded to put up 2 snowmen on the back 9 to ruin that dream. Lessons right now would be a waste of time with no time to work on what I would be taught.

Luckily, my weekend group consists of several other guys in the same situation as me - we go out, have fun and play for some small skin cash - our handicaps are all very similar. We pick on each other, root for each other and forget about the scores about 2 minutes after the round is over.