That one bad hole..ARGH!

[Maverick]

I feel that I've been playing better and more importantly consistent lately. I've been shooting 91 my last four times out..but it's always that one bad hole that pushes me over from breaking 90 on a consistent basis. Like today, I just needed a bogey to break 90, and end with a triple to go 91. Just seems that there is a bigger difference, besides numerically, between shooting an 89 and a 91

[Trapper]

I know how you feel. A while back my goal was to break into the 30's on 9 holes. Shot 40 & 41 just one bad hole away from my goal. Then finally boom Just had to bogey the last hole, ended up with a Par and shot a 38. It was awesome. But I have only been back to the magic 30's once this year. 39.

Now I'm currently taking some lessons cause my next goal is to break into the 70's on 18. Changed my swing and grip still getting used to the new style. But I'm having some good flashes of greatness on the course. It's there, but I still have some work to do.

I do suggest some lessons, if you want to get better lessons are the best money you can spend on golf.

[Shindig]

My first time breaking 90 was at Knollwood, not too far from you. I stood on the 17th tee - that scary par-3 - at 81 shots. I went birdie-par to finish at 87. If I had known I was sitting at 81, I probably could have found a pair of fives somewhere.

Don't add up your score. Put the whole number and commit to not doing any adding during the round. That includes at the turn!

[ks8829]

I have had a string of double bogies in my last couple of rounds. My scores are worst in the back nine, I wonder if I need to work on my endurance? or is it simple making bad decisions?

[Dr. Griefo]

I am fairly convinced the bad hole is what seperates better from ok golfers. I can play like a 5 or 6 handicap then I'll have one or two bad holes (i.e. 7,8 or even a 9) which brings my handicap back to where it belongs for the day. Oddly, when I am shooting bogey, bogey, bogey, double bogey I never have a 7,8, or the dreaded 9 but I will end strong and shoot just above my handicap. Can't blame the hole because I birdied almost everyone of them on my home course this year, mentally I am never in a panic and I do not track my score during the round so I am guessing it skills, I simply am not skilled enough to sustain a high level of play for 18 holes but it's getting better.

[Kieran123]

Yup, common thing as an amateur.

I usually have one or two blow ups...like two triples in a row on Saturday...then a double......

The number of times I have shot 40, 41 or 42 with a f-ing triple or a couple doubles.....sigh.

Part of the game i guess, one day it won;t happen as much.

[saevel25]

Got to buckle down, period..

If you hit it OB, then hit your next shot on the green, limit the big numbers.

I do say that Haney might be onto something with take it three holes at a time. Because i found that i might start off bad, but then i usually can fnish the final 6 holes really well, or i might loose concentration after three holes, then finish strong.

I think its purely mental, you got to get your self use to refocusing at points during a round.

[zeg]

My course is either really kind or really cruel, I can't decide. The first hole is a 430-450 yard par 4 with a small green. It's fairly wide open, but there are rows of trees on each side of the fairway so if you miss, you probably don't have a great line to get close. As a result, most of my rounds open with a 6 or a 7... It wasn't until last month (after over a year of playing this course regularly) that I actually scored better than a 6 on the first hole.

It's cruel to start you off like that... but it is also kind because it immediately disabuses you of the notion that you'll have a blow-up free round. Plus, it's a bit easier to shake off a double on a long par 4 than it would be on a hole where you felt like you blew an easy bogey-or-better opportunity.

But I tend to think it's cruelty they were after, since the 9-hole course also closes up with a similar par 4. It's a bit shorter, but a dogleg left up a gentle incline to an elevated green. Even with a great drive, it's a challenging hole. So usually my round is capped by a 6 or 7 at each end..... bleah.

[$2 Nassau]

Same thing happened to me earlier this year. Needed par to shoot 79 and doubled instead for 81. Thought about that 70's round too much and forgot that I still needed to play one more hole.

[kpaulhus]

Its easier to say to yourself, "Today Im going to shoot in the 70's" Instead of saying "Today I want to break 80"....just gotta get yourself in the right mentality.

[majorchamp]

in a college tournament, I had 5 birdies in 7 holes...played them even LMAO

Went birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, quadrupal bogey, birdie, bogey.

In a Nike Winternational Junior Series event back in 1999, played Pinehurst #2 in March, was either chunking it or blocking it.. on the very first hole, I am in the trees, etc.. get about 8 feet to the side of the hole for double bogey, miss it on the low side, the ball rolls 30 feet off the green into the middle of the fairway. First putt doesn't make it up the hill and it comes back to me. Next put goes 10 feet by. I miss it coming down and it goes to taht same spot in the fairway. I finally knock it up a couple feet and make my putt for an 11 LMAO.

Another guy that day was next to the green in two, made a 13. The pin position was in a VERY unfair spot. Another guy that day on hole #5 missed his birdie putt and it went into the bunker.

[ks8829]

I remember, when I was playing twice a week, your golf game improves as well as your consistency