Close, but no cigar

[blackxpress]

One of my 2010 goals was to break 80. I've been so close lately, averaging 12 over the past couple of months, but today was a real heartbreaker. We got a little break in the winter weather today and I was so excited to get in 18 holes. Was 7 over after 16. All I needed was par on 17 and 18, the easiest 2 holes on the golf course. I nearly always make par or birdie on those holes. Not today. Bogey, bogey, 81. Aaaaargggghhh! Oh well. I really wasn't upset. It was December, it was Ohio and I got to play golf. It was a good day.

[kpaulhus]

It will come my friend, it will come. Keep working at it.

[joepro23]

You can do it. I know breaking 80 is a nice milestone for every golfer, but if you make a big deal about it, it will be harder to do. I am guilty of the same thing with breaking 70. I have done it twice, but after choking a few times, I made it into a tougher feat in recent years. I don't play as much (thank you law school), and I have forgotten how to "close" out a good round. Now when I am 2 or 3 under with a few to go I start telling myself, "just par out and I shoot 69". That is just dumb because I would start planning how not to screw up instead of focusing on the shot at hand.

Good luck

[Camo]

I feel your pain, last Tuesday as we rolled up to the 18th my buddy informs me I was sitting on a score of 76.

Now the 18 is a tuff par 4 with plenty of water and narrow.... I blew up and built a snowman and finished with my best score ever of an 84. I was stoked but also kinda bummed as I have birdies the 18th once and usually get a par.

So today playing the same course I decided to look at my total after 17 as I don't typically keep an eye what I am shooting and just enjoy the game, anyhow I was at 75. Surely I figured I could get my par and break 80 !!!!!!

Nope, bogeyed it for my lowest round ever , an even 80.....lol

One of these days it will happen but in the mean time I am just glad to be playing good golf. but I think I am going to go back to not adding up my scores until after the round... To much pressure......lol

Keep up the good work !!

camo

[The Recreational Golfer]

The first time I broke 80, I didn't look at my score until I was on the 18th tee and saw that a par would give me a 78. I got it, but it wasn't fun.

From then on, when I have played well on the the front nine, like one over after five, I intentionally stop paying attention to my score until I'm in the clubhouse. It works.

[joepro23]

I intentionally stop paying attention to my score until I'm in the clubhouse. It works.

This definitely works. After adding up my front nine (and the front of others in the group), I make a small note of it, but I "move on". I like treating the back as a clean slate and try not to pay attention to my overall score. No joke, I have so many rounds this year where I would come in off the 18th green and all the caddies that I know would ask me how I shot and I would respond, "I have no clue yet, but it has a '7' in front of it." It would usually end up being something like a 75.

[ghalfaire]

I agree with don't add up scores until your round is over. As Kenny Rogers said "there will be time to count the money when the dealing is done". I have found that it helps me to stay focused on the hole and shot at hand if I don't know my exact score (of course we all have a sense of how well we are playing, or not). But even if my playing partners add the scores at the turn I tell them in advance I don't want to hear any scores until we're finished and ask they keep it to themselves.

[plum]

breaking 80 used to be goal of mine but i took it too seriously. i dont care anymore and i know it will come.

but knowing my score as the round goes would not help.

[DaSportsGuy]

"Close, but no cigar" ~ This explains why I have yet to have an ace. Come close a couple times but I can't get it to fall in the cup.

[Yukari]

...I would start planning how not to screw up instead of focusing on the shot at hand....

There are basically two different style of players: "offensive" and "defensive". What I mean is you either try to play to win (a.k.a. "agressive play") or try to play NOT to lose (a.k.a. "smart play"). Playing NOT to lose makes it very difficult to win, whereas if you play to win, you will win more often.

I too typically played "to NOT to lose". But since I started to play to "win", I broke 80's more often. Of course playing to win does not include making stupid choices.