Par for the course inflates newer golfers scores.

[laconic517]

If you are a new golfer and want to get better you will need to learn to hit the fairway woods anyway, so why not tee off with the 3wood or Driver?  If it isn't a tournament round I see little point in doing this.

[SamW]

This is really just a standard risk/reward thing that occurs in all kinds of course management situations in golf, its not about the "newness" of the golfer at all.

For instance a tournament pro when playing a hole is really setting their own par, on a lot of par 5's their internal par is a 4 but in some conditions they might play it as a par 5. This is really no different from a high handicap player playing a long or difficult par 4 as a par 5 to be honest.

For a new golfer playing off say 28 handicap you can easily afford to play "bogey golf" and go for 1 over par on each hole, if you set that as your goal and you make it then you played 10 better than your handicap, most days though your inconsistency will still drive your score up a little because you will still hit some bad shots that get you into trouble/cause penalties/miss putts etc.

It's one of the hardest things to do in golf to remove the urge to go for golden moments... I've seen 15 hcap golfers (especially older guys) who play bogey golf and shoot under their hcap often just through real quality chipping and putting.

[jgreen85]

I agree with the OP about the mindset. A friend of mine is starting to pick up the game. He was very frustrated through the first few holes, and so I encouraged him to set bogey as his goal for each hole. On the next hole, par 3, he got a 4; I told him, good you just parred that hole. He pushed back of course, and I said, no, your goal was a 4 and you reached it.

There's no way you can just show up and start parring holes, but new players tend to have that expectation. Managing expectations is key in any endeavor, and creating an expectation for bogey is much easier for a new player to reach. If you think about it, on most holes, if you simply advance the ball on each swing, you'll most likely have a bogey putt.

*Aside* there's just something about golf. My friend had very little interest, but we went out and then the next day at work the first thing he asks is, "want to play again some time this week?" He has the itch.

[FowlPlay]

Here's the thing I gotta ask. Is it a bad thing to work one club-type at a time?

Does it make any sense to play with only using your irons/wedges for more than a few rounds to get those figured out, then playing some rounds with the driver/woods?

My plan right now is to play a good month with just the irons/wedges on the course, while hitting the driver and woods on the range, then once I start feeling comfortable with my driver and woods, start using them on the course.

Basically I'm trying to eliminate hitting balls way out of bounds until I feel comfortable enough.

[rustyredcab]

Quote:

Here's the thing I gotta ask. Is it a bad thing to work one club-type at a time?

It is a good thing.

As a high handicap player, of the best rounds I ever played was nearly all 5-irons. It was a very long course -- five par 4's over 470 yards. On the range I hit straight 5-iron after straight 5-iron and could not hit a wood. Back then, I hit a 5-iron about 175 yards (still do but with a very different flight). I told my caddie, that no matter what I said later in the round, never let me hit anything more than a 5-iron. If there had been time, I'd have put my 4-iron and my woods in the car. First tee, 175 yard 5-iron, followed by a 5-iron, then a 9-iron on a difficult and long par 4. Two putts for a 5, net 4, and I halve the hole for a skin carry forward. This went on all day halving or winning every hole  with me hitting 5-irons at least twice on nearly every hole. Late in our round, on a 600 yard par 5, I drove with my 5-iron and then I asked for a 3 wood from the fairway. My caddie said "Sir, I think it is a 5-iron." He pulled my 5-iron and walked away to help look for another players ball. Three straight 5-irons, a wedge, two putts and I halve another hole. I was a 20 handicap and shot 90 on one of the hardest course ever. By the end of that round I had hit so many 5-irons that they were crisp and 20 yards longer than I'd ever hit them before. Many times I would recall that round and try and use fewer clubs to help with consistancy. For example, I might choose to use either a 3-hybrid or a 4-hybrid for all lay ups on par 5's but not use both. I think most newer players would progress faster if they used less clubs and if kept the woods in the bag. As a new golfer, trying to reach a 480 yard hole in two is a sucker play every time. If you can't get there in two, why not hit the same club twice before trying to get on the green? Instead of driver, 3 wood, wedge, consider 5-iron, 5-iron, 7-iron.

[FowlPlay]

  rustyredcab said:

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

It is a good thing.

As a high handicap player, of the best rounds I ever played was nearly all 5-irons. It was a very long course -- five par 4's over 470 yards. On the range I hit straight 5-iron after straight 5-iron and could not hit a wood. Back then, I hit a 5-iron about 175 yards (still do but with a very different flight). I told my caddie, that no matter what I said later in the round, never let me hit anything more than a 5-iron. If there had been time, I'd have put my 4-iron and my woods in the car. First tee, 175 yard 5-iron, followed by a 5-iron, then a 9-iron on a difficult and long par 4. Two putts for a 5, net 4, and I halve the hole for a skin carry forward. This went on all day halving or winning every hole  with me hitting 5-irons at least twice on nearly every hole. Late in our round, on a 600 yard par 5, I drove with my 5-iron and then I asked for a 3 wood from the fairway. My caddie said "Sir, I think it is a 5-iron." He pulled my 5-iron and walked away to help look for another players ball. Three straight 5-irons, a wedge, two putts and I halve another hole. I was a 20 handicap and shot 90 on one of the hardest course ever. By the end of that round I had hit so many 5-irons that they were crisp and 20 yards longer than I'd ever hit them before. Many times I would recall that round and try and use fewer clubs to help with consistancy. For example, I might choose to use either a 3-hybrid or a 4-hybrid for all lay ups on par 5's but not use both. I think most newer players would progress faster if they used less clubs and if kept the woods in the bag. As a new golfer, trying to reach a 480 yard hole in two is a sucker play every time. If you can't get there in two, why not hit the same club twice before trying to get on the green? Instead of driver, 3 wood, wedge, consider 5-iron, 5-iron, 7-iron.

Sounds like a good idea. But no 3 or 4irons? I'm still trying to mess with my plan cause I won't be out on the course until I can buy some cheap soft spike golf shoes.

[mikelegacy]

  FowlPlay said:

Sounds like a good idea. But no 3 or 4irons? I'm still trying to mess with my plan cause I won't be out on the course until I can buy some cheap soft spike golf shoes.

I use this method a lot actually. Sometimes I cant hold off and I just drive but usually I tee off with my 4i, then hit another 4i and then I'm usually a good PW away from the green. It really depends on your distance with your irons. Off the tee I'm hitting my 4i like 210 and on fairway its around 190-200 so I can get to the green pretty quick. Heck I'll take 210 straight down the pipe over 260-270 but sliced into the next fairway anyday. It's all about what works best for you.

[FowlPlay]

  mikelegacy said:

Originally Posted by mikelegacy

I use this method a lot actually. Sometimes I cant hold off and I just drive but usually I tee off with my 4i, then hit another 4i and then I'm usually a good PW away from the green.

It really depends on your distance with your irons. Off the tee I'm hitting my 4i like 210 and on fairway its around 190-200 so I can get to the green pretty quick. Heck I'll take 210 straight down the pipe over 260-270 but sliced into the next fairway anyday. It's all about what works best for you.

Yeah, I can only assume I'm gonna be pretty short yardage since I've been out of golf for a while. But I'm down to start out using just my irons/wedges/putter for a while. I really just need to solidify my swing motion before I go trying to smash the ball with a driver.

Another question I have is, as a beginner, should I be teeing up my irons, or just play it like a fairway shot straight off the grass?

[rustyredcab]

Always tee the ball when you are allowed -- tee it very low but tee it so you know the lie is good.

I have not carried a 3 or 4 iron for years. I have two hybrids that "replaced" them. A 5 or 6 is much easier to hit well that a 3 o 4 iron and the lost yardage is not enough to add difficulty.

A lot of developing consistency has to do with proper set-up -- how far to stand from ball, posture, ball position... This changes a little for each club. So, less clubs means less changes and a better chance that you will groove a proper set up. That's why I can hit a 5-iron better late in a round when I've hit it 20 times. I'd limit clubs to 5, 7, 9, PW and SW until you feel those even numbered clubs are needed. Add a 3-wood if you want to drive with a wood.

[TourSpoon]

Teeing the ball up for an iron off the tee is always ensuring a perfect lie.

[mikelegacy]

  FowlPlay said:

Yeah, I can only assume I'm gonna be pretty short yardage since I've been out of golf for a while. But I'm down to start out using just my irons/wedges/putter for a while. I really just need to solidify my swing motion before I go trying to smash the ball with a driver.

Another question I have is, as a beginner, should I be teeing up my irons, or just play it like a fairway shot straight off the grass?

Personally I dint tee up irons. Idk about the rules on that, but I prefer to not tee up the ball with irons. No idea why but I always top the ball when I tee up my irons. Completely mental I'm sure.

[FowlPlay]

Yeah, I just remember seeing a PGA Tour player not teeing up his iron shot. I think it was a par 3 though.

[LankyLefty]

I always tee my Irons shots the tee is basically all the way down to the ground but I still feel it gives me better contact.