From Hero to Failureville in 3 holes

[DJYoshi]

I got out to play yesterday which was probably the nicest day that we've had in Jersey all year. PERFECT conditions, slight wind, 70's and the course was in perfect condition. I've NEVER had an opportunity to break par before. Everything was on point...From smashing drives to selecting the right irons and types of shots to play to the green. The putting was on, and thru 15 I was staring at being 1 under. The last 3 holes aren't that difficult:
16: 368 Par 4 with the wind
17: 438 Par 4 against the wind
18: 184 Par 3 against the wind

I don't know if I was shook b/c I lost my tee after the shot on 15 (lucky tee was with me for 9 rounds).
Or the fact that the grounds crew was cutting trees down while I was at each tee box...but I LOST IT! Maybe it's b/c I looked at my score card not really knowing how well I was shooting until I started totaling the #'s up, but I finished the last 3 holes at 6 over to shoot a 77 on the day.

For the other players out there...do you put extra pressure on yourselves when you're shooting in uncharted territory? How did you get over it? This isn't the 1st time that it's happened to me...but just the chance to shoot a round under par got to me.

[alf174]

So true, don't count your score before you're done. Focus on the moment. This is true in other sports too; sporting clays, trap & skeet for sure.

[thrasher]

I had the same problem all the time before I broke 80 for the first time. I would be at 2 or 3 over at the turn well on my way to 70s, then I would blow up on 10 and 11, get a couple doubles, and end up at 80 or 81. The day I broke 80 for the first time, I just let myself go and gave in to playing well. I wasn't worrying about the score because I KNEW I was playing well and I could easily break 80. I end up shooting +2 on the front and -3 on the back with a bird on the last hole to break 80 AND Par for the first time, lol

[ITgolfHack]

I've managed to break 90 once on a fairly easy course. I can say with almost absolute certainty that the fact that my buddy was keeping score and wouldn't tell me what I shot on the front is the reason I didn't blow it. All he said was "I don't want to ruin it, keep it up". If he had told me I had shot a 42 on the front, there is no way in hell I could have kept my concentration on those final holes.

Hang in there man, if you are that close, you WILL get it. Just ignore the score card next time .

[soloredd]

I do this all the time. I've never broken 90 and had two very distinct rounds where I screwed my brain mentally. First one, I went out on my own and got paired up with a guy who was just starting out. I was +4 at the turn and he was making comments here and there about where are you score-wise and whatever. Finally I gave in before #11 and counted it up and couldn't believe it. Needless to say, I ended up with a 96, +20 on the back!! Meltdown of my life. The other time was going into 18 and all I need was to bogey for 89. Straight up par 4 with a false fronted green but I've played the course many times and where the pin was I needed to get over that front on the approach. Well, I hooked my driver to the left rough but still had a clean look. Hit a 7 iron to the green but came up way short and actually had to chip with the sloping front in play. Crapped out on my chip, I hit it maybe 10 feet, still had 30 feet or so to the hole. Putted but hit it way too hard and with the slope went way left and past the hole. Had a 10 footer to bogey. Left that one short for double bogey and a 90. My buddy was shocked more so than I was.

Was pretty close Monday as well. +4 through 5, went +16 through the next 7, then +5 through the final 7. But that had nothing to do with knowing my score, I just erred out mentally for awhile lol.