From 120 to 100. How long did it take you?

[DJYoshi]

My 1st time playing I shot well over 120! I walked off the course after the front 9 and I was already at 66 strokes!

1st year: played twice a week. End of the 1st year 26 handicap

2nd year: played 3-4 times a week. End of 2nd year 11.5 handicap

3rd year: played 3 - 5 times a week. End of 3rd year: 8.5 handicap

4th year: played 3 - 5 times a week. End of 4th year: 1.5 handicap

5th year: WHO KNOWS!!!! HOPEFULLY scratch or better.

I really do feel that it's not just how often you play, but how you play...are you understanding the swing.... there's a point in my game when everything just clicked and it helped me to understand what your hands do, angles, planes, etc..once you have and understand all of that (and we're all still learning everyday), but once you get it... you can fix your game on the fly on the course instead of wondering: WHY IS THIS HAPPENING.... that's when you'll see the most improvement.

[Laoch Draoi]

August of last year took up the game. My first time out I shot a 134 and then brought that down to the 120's over the next couple of weeks. The thing that brought my scores down to 100 after a couple of months was leaving the Driver at home. I was hitting maybe 2 fairways a round those first couple of months.

The driver is now back in the bag because I have managed to tame it considerably more than I used to, though I still only use it on wide par 4's or par 5's.

I've been out about 10 times this year and now shoot low 90's after 4 months(I watched a lot of the Golf channel and read a lot of books over the winter that helped, I also worked A LOT on putting).

As another poster stated something that also helped me at first was not aiming for par when I was shooting an 8 or a 9 on a par 4. I was trying for Bogey or double bogey on a par 5.

[dursty]

Ive been playing off and on for about 17 years.  I still shoot between 110 and 130, LOL.  I've gotten a little better but still struggle a lot.  I can make good contact with the ball but directional control is often a issue along with thin and fat shots.  Generally I lose about 8 to 10 balls a round which adds 20 strokes to my score (hence the higher scores).  it's a definitely a struggle for us not gifted people, LOL.  I have shot a couple scores in the 90's but that's about it.  I still love playing though and have been watching a lot of youtube videos in the hopes of  improving.  I would love to get lessons but the cost is far out of my reach.   

[mcanadiens]

About six years ago I picked up the game in my mid-30s and I was positively brutal.

Physical coordination was never a strong point for me and resources for things like equipment and lessons were sparse. Scores were in the 130s on easy courses and using something other than proper rules. Progress seemed really slow. It was almost a year from the date I started when I broke 100 for the first time.

Now I realize that improving beyond the "not embarrassing" threshold is much harder

 

[Alx]

First 9 I ever played I shot 57. 6 months later I played my first 18 holes and was in the high 90s.

So a few months probably?

[Kalnoky]

It took me a year to break 100. My first 9-hole round I shot a 64. I was so nervous they were going to kick me off for incompetence. That was hard. 

It's important to play from the correct tees. After a few early debacles, I wisely moved ahead to the forward tees until I could consistently break 100, and once I started consistently breaking 90, I moved back a set of tees (we have 4).

Ultimately it's your money, but I don't think shooting 130 is much fun. So I recommend all beginners to play the forward tees first. Because really that first 100 doesn't matter much, so take it where you can get it. 

 

Edited July 11, 2017 by Kalnoky

[JetFan1983]

First time I ever played, I kept score and shot a 160-something. It was at a friend's private course, and we were the only ones out there. I think it was nine months later that I shot a 99, at a 6000 yard par 71 course called Pebble Creek in Colts Neck, NJ. I was 25. It took me like six years or so to reach a single digit.

Greg Norman was scratch in two years, but most never get there. My advice is not to give much of a shit about how good you are relative to everyone else. Enjoy yourself out there the best way that you can in spite of the bad shots. You never know when it will all be taken away from you. Obviously the game is easier to enjoy the better you get at it, but don't try to get there as fast as possible, or faster than average. If it happens, great. If not, who cares. 

Edited July 11, 2017 by JetFan1983

[Valleygolfer]

5 hours ago, dursty said:

Ive been playing off and on for about 17 years.  I still shoot between 110 and 130, LOL.  I've gotten a little better but still struggle a lot.  I can make good contact with the ball but directional control is often a issue along with thin and fat shots.  Generally I lose about 8 to 10 balls a round which adds 20 strokes to my score (hence the higher scores).  it's a definitely a struggle for us not gifted people, LOL.  I have shot a couple scores in the 90's but that's about it.  I still love playing though and have been watching a lot of youtube videos in the hopes of  improving.  I would love to get lessons but the cost is far out of my reach.   

Damn those rounds get pricey...hope you buy used balls. Kudos to you for sticking with it I guess. I know I shot around 110 my first year back to serious golf. Around a yearish to be under 100 but I really cannot remember completely. I am not sure if I have my backed up data on the golf scorecard app I used to use.

[NJpatbee]

Starting at age 40 and playing about 25 rounds/year it took me a year and a half to start shooting under 100.  That also include a set of lessons and about 50 range sessions of about 45 minutes.  25 years later I am under 90 about 25% of the time and I am walking on air if I shoot in the mid-80's. Try to keep in perspective the amount of time you actually play and practice when setting your goals and expectations. Good luck and have fun!

[Lazarus]

Took up the game 5 odd years ago and started shooting 120-125s. My mates spotting  me a shot a hole, occasionally more than 1 (still wasn't fair).   Didn't enjoy that so took lessons every month and played and practised when I could and got to 100 or so about 6-8 months later. Basically the difference was learning that you swing a club, not hit out at ball hard (smooth not wild), make sure you get out of the bunker even if its 1 yard (or a thinned 110 yard wedge), avoid the water, OOB as much as possible.

(Now I spot those same mates 6-10 strokes and got my money back a while ago.) 

 

[Dave2512]

Not sure exactly but I was down to under a 50 a side from picking it up on every hole within a few months. I started April 2012, signed up for handicap that July and by end of season in Nov. I was down to 12.3.

[swffjvl]

I'm still at the beginning and my best score so far is a 44 on a par 29. So I'm not there yet but, I do like a few have mentioned here on their practice style that I hope will finally get me down.

[saevel25]

I honestly can't remember. I know that I started golfing about 13 years old. I know I tried out for my high school golf team when I was 15. To make the team you need to shoot 40-45 for JV, and sub 40 for Varsity. At 15 I was averaging between 45-50, at 16 I was averaging 40-45. I suspect it took me less than a year to break 100.

[Killa]

Playing a bit over a year, I never actually broke 100 but I have had multiple 9 hole rounds in the 47-50 range. I only played 4 18 hole rounds in my life. 

[MrDC]

It took me about two years from my first swing to get from the point of not even bothering with a scorecard, 120+, to being in the low 100's regularly.

Then it took me another two years to get from low 100's to 90's, which is where I am now.

But I feel it will not take me as long to break 90, I expect to be there by next season.

Edited July 13, 2017 by MrDC

[dursty]

I've made more of an effort this year to get better and play a lot more as my son is old enough now to play with me (he's 7 and has been 'playing' for 3 years now).  We started playing 18 holes last year and he's actually progressing very well (which I started when I was 4 rather than 30, LOL).  We even when to the drive putt and chip competition last month which he loved. 

I guess the thing that is a bit frustrating for me is all the conflicting information out there.  Example..one teaching method for chipping is hinge and hold, and another is stiff wrists.. and then middle of stance.. back in stance.. neutral hand position others say hands forward.  I mean it would be nice if there was some consistency to techniques but for many things there is zero consistency in teaching.  

[todgot]

I started golfing when I was 14 and honestly I can't remember shooting 120 but we weren't keeping great score either.  I didn't play a lot in high school but got the bug for real in College and my first handicap was 16.  I've been as low as a 7 but now I'm back up to 11.  The upcoming revision is trending down into the 9's.  So, overall, starting young was a bonus but I haven't improved a lot since then... just living off of raw talent.  

[Tee Wade]

Shot maybe 150 my first time playing.  Hit only one awesome iron shot during that round but it was so pretty that I fell in love with golf.  Took me about a 1.5-2 years of range work/playing to get below 100 regularly.  Eliminating 3 putts and better course strategy helped me drop to the low 100's within the first 3 months.  Spent a year working on my driver, it's my best club now (due more to accuracy than length).  That got me below 100 with consistency.  Being in the fairway gives you room to flub your next shot and still have a realistic shot at par or bogey.