Bit Off More Than I Can Chew?

[don28]

I just recently broke 90 for the first time earlier this month. After breaking 90 again the next round, I have played 2 courses that I hadn't seen before, and of course struggled through both of those rounds, hitting 101 and 103.

Both of the 90-breaking rounds were at my home course. I wanted to play other courses so that I didn't become a player that couldn't score anywhere other than at my home course. But I think that maybe I should have concentrated on continuing to break 90 on courses that I am familiar with instead of trying to play new courses which I am not familiar with.

For instance, between the 101 and 103, I played 9 holes at a familiar course, and shot a 43. I just wanted some feedback from those who have been in my position as to if I made too big of a reach.

[pup]

I play better at my home course as well. However, playing at other courses presents me with different challenges, and I have learned how to make adjustments to my game. For example: my home course has extremely wide fairways except for two holes, and those two holes were nightmares for me. Another local course has all narrow fairways, and after I played that course a few times, I found that I could play much better on those two holes. Might not be the answer you were looking for, but hope it helps.

BTW: I dig that Gotham City avatar.

[don28]

  pup said:

I play better at my home course as well. However, playing at other courses presents me with different challenges, and I have learned how to make adjustments to my game. For example: my home course has extremely wide fairways except for two holes, and those two holes were nightmares for me. Another local course has all narrow fairways, and after I played that course a few times, I found that I could play much better on those two holes. Might not be the answer you were looking for, but hope it helps.

The avatar is actually the Nashville downtown skyline. The tallest building is the AT & T Building, known in Nashville as the Batman Building for its distinctive shape (similar to Batman's hood.) I understand what you're saying about different challenges. I just don't know if what I have experienced is normal, or did I get subconsciously overconfident and learn that I had a long way to go to better golf?

[Gerald]

Our home course is long and difficult, whenever I play at another course I mostly play 3 - 5 strokes better than my current handicap, mostly because of when you are not in the fairway at our homecourse woodland course, you're in somekind of trouble and most other courses around us are more open. But when I played at a shorter and easier course some 5 yrs ago, I alway had a bad score at most other course. So it has about all to do with the difficulty of your home course.

[Shindig]

Playing lots of courses, if that's available to you, will help make you a better overall player. When I started getting better (that is, when my handicap went from mid-20s to mid-teens), it was about the time that I switched to playing the two tougher public courses near me on a regular basis, instead of two of the easier ones.

Also, some of those shots at the other courses could have been unfamiliarity. Go play them again two or three times, and I bet you score just fine there.

[oneoverwrx]

Happens to me just like this. I usually shoot in the high 70s and low 80s at my home course and other local courses. I have played 2 courses this year for the first time and shot 96 and 94 on them. Recently went back to one of them and shot an 86. Better but not great. Just different things to get used to. DOnt worry about it, keep playing those courses and youll eventually be shooting great scores there too.

[pup]

  don28 said:

The avatar is actually the Nashville downtown skyline. The tallest building is the AT & T Building, known in Nashville as the Batman Building for its distinctive shape (similar to Batman's hood.) I understand what you're saying about different challenges. I just don't know if what I have experienced is normal, or did I get subconsciously overconfident and learn that I had a long way to go to better golf?

I've always heard downtown Nashville called Gotham City because of the Batman building. I think that's what everyone in East TN calls it, I just assumed everyone called it that.

[don28]

  Shindig said:

Playing lots of courses, if that's available to you, will help make you a better overall player. When I started getting better (that is, when my handicap went from mid-20s to mid-teens), it was about the time that I switched to playing the two tougher public courses near me on a regular basis, instead of two of the easier ones.

  oneoverwrx said:

Happens to me just like this. I usually shoot in the high 70s and low 80s at my home course and other local courses. I have played 2 courses this year for the first time and shot 96 and 94 on them. Recently went back to one of them and shot an 86. Better but not great. Just different things to get used to. DOnt worry about it, keep playing those courses and youll eventually be shooting great scores there too.

Thanks! I'll keep plugging away with a mix of familiar and unfamiliar.

[mx273]

I use to have trouble driving a long way.I started playing at a different course that had a lot of water. This forced me to hit it far or i would lose my balls i now hit about ten to twenty yards farther.