First High School Golf Match

[Golfingdad]

Good job, keep it up!

Hey, how do they keep score for your matches? I only played golf competitively in junior high (25 years ago, yikes!) and I think we played stroke AND match play against the guy across from us. 1 point for each.  Or I could be completely wrong ... like I said, it was a loooooong time ago.

[WhackAndHack]

Haha well the top 6 guys off each team get to complete. This match was weird because there was 5 teams. Normally there is only 3 or 4 so all the 1's play together, all the 2's play together. etc. So in a 3 some, Guy A keeps track of Guy B and himself, Guy B keeps track of Guy C and himself, Guy C keeps track of Guy A and himself. In a foursome it's just two pairs. There is a triple bogey rule, and it is stroke play. The lowest 4 scores for each team counts, and the lowest team total wins!

[Bastid]

That's awesome, high school golf was one of the funnest times in golf I've had. Granted my team won the high school state championship (Illinois) in '98 so that always makes it better. Just remember to stay focused, play hard, and have fun. Keep your mind on the shot at hand and nothing else. And if you're lucky, one day you'll get to stay in the same hotel as a few of the girl's teams....then it gets really interesting!!

[Wheels309]

As it has been mentioned by others, High School Golf was a blast for me too. Enjoy your time it goes quick. I was in a similar situation as you my freshman year in High School. I was on the verge of qualifying for matches or just missing the cut.

The most important thing to remember is to play your game. For me it was interacting with other players. When I play I like to get in "the zone" and not really chit chat with other guys. Once I began to distance myself and slow the game down one shot at a time it really helped me.

Even though it might seem weird, I was told to put a picture of my girl friend at the time in my bag and after bad holes to pull it out, help take your mind off of the bad shots you just hit. It was different, but in a way it helped me clear my head after bad holes.

Now I will be reminiscing about the good 'old days all night

[WhackAndHack]

Thanks for the stories guys, the part about the girls teams in hotel made me bust out laughing in class. I shot a 48 today on the course we play Tuesday, and the greens were freshly aerated, so I didn't putt well

[WhackAndHack]

Made top 6 for tomorrow. Get out of school at noon! haha. And then I have a one day playoff, 9 holes, against a teammate who is a senior on wednesday for the spot for the Thursday match.

[Grndslmhttr3]

I forgot how ridiculously early we got out for matches - even home matches (despite the course being no more than a five-minute drive away). Hell, we even got out early for practice.

[stealthduffer]

Hey - I envy all of you who got to play HS golf.  I grew up in Canada and our school didn't have golf (not sure if it was even an OFSSA sport back then).  Had a buddy in Wisconsin who played and I was way better than him.  In Virginia HS golf is more of a summer sport - believe they are into Districts by the time school starts.  And no girls' golf - not that it mattered since my daughters ran cross country, swam and played soccer.  But I do envy you and hope that you enjoy(ed) it.

[Grndslmhttr3]

Golf at the school I went to is co-ed; there weren't separate teams for males and females. Most of the girls who played, though, weren't that great and just played on the JV team for fun.

[Jayel]

Congrats on the win, this is a late post but I remember from my years on the high school team don't worry about your opponent. Especially if he is doing really well, their consistent 3's and 4's can easily turn into 8's and 7's. I learned this lesson best by myself as I always joked around with my teammate whenever we played and we'd do great and then just start really ruining our games. But all in all, relax and have a good time... Just not too much fun like I did ha. You seem like you have been doing fine though! keep it up

[WhackAndHack]

Shot a 47!! I placed second on our team even though I was the 5th spot. Our team placed 3rd out of 5 teams and beat a team by one stroke that had previously beat us. I went par-triple-double-double-par-bogey-bogey-bogey-bogey. I had to play with a total tool though, typical rich city kid snob. Couldn't stand the kid and he said I double hit on a bunker shot, when I definitely did not. Next match is Thursday!

[BuckeyeNut]

  WhackAndHack said:

Originally Posted by WhackAndHack

Hello fellow Sandtrappers, I have my first high school match this Thursday which I am pretty nervous about. It is the front nine of our home course which is not in the best of shape. It is a pretty tricky course with 4 water holes, small greens with a lot of undulation, and a mediocre at best fairway. I usually shoot between a 45-48 with my usual score being a 46. The top 2 or 3 guys on my team are usually in the 42-45 range. I just wanted to ask for any tips or advice you may have for competitions and what should I do match today to prepare for it. Should I come into it charged up like I do in football or wrestling? Or should I be more relaxed? Any other preparation techniques or advice would be great!

Thanks,

Duncan

Duncan, just relax and play your game.  Don't be nervous....it's just golf!!

Butch Harmon once recalled the first time he played with Ben Hogan in a casual round when he was a child.  Butch told Mr. Hogan that he was nervous on the first tee and Hogan replied.... "don't be nervous...it's just golf" .....  I saw that on Fehrity......great interview/BTW.

good luck...really, just relax and play your game.

[WhackAndHack]

Might have to check that interview out! And in matches after the first tee jitters I'm usually fine. Nice avatar btw! Thankfully the course on Thursday is a little more of a dog track pretty flat, short, and not too hard. I'd like to crack bogey golf and get into the low 40's I just need to make a few more of those 12 footers and go without tripling any. Did you play high school golf Buckeye Nut?

[BuckeyeNut]

  WhackAndHack said:

Originally Posted by WhackAndHack

Might have to check that interview out! And in matches after the first tee jitters I'm usually fine. Nice avatar btw! Thankfully the course on Thursday is a little more of a dog track pretty flat, short, and not too hard. I'd like to crack bogey golf and get into the low 40's I just need to make a few more of those 12 footers and go without tripling any. Did you play high school golf Buckeye Nut?

The Butch Harmon interview on Feherty was very good.  He's seen a lot of history because of his dad....and he is a good story teller too.   great interview.....

Nope.....I didn't start playing golf until after I was out of school and married.  Co-workers drug me to the course kicking and screaming...and I've been addicted ever since...........LOL    If I could have 1 "do over" .........I'd go way back in time and take up golf at a much younger age.

I've played some competitive golf....my advice to you is RELAX!!!!  If you hit it into trouble, take your medicine and get the ball back into play.  Don't go for the low percentage hero shot that may cost you a triple bogey.  Play the smart percentages when in trouble and keep the huge numbers off your card......aim for the fat of the greens and 2 putt.  The biggest fault I see in beginning golfers is trying to bite off more than they can chew and making unnecessary huge numbers.

[bruceszzz]

Loved playing highschool golf didn't start until my junior year but I was already a good player by my schools team standards, unfortunately our team was pretty bad. Like a lot of the other guys on here have said just focus on your game, by now your probably starting to get comfortable playing matches and it looks like your already contributing to your team. Sometimes I know it can be hard to focus on your own game I'm very competitive and in high school my senior year I was splitting time at the #1 and #2 spot. We played a lot of good teams and I'd often hear how the kid I was playing was one of the top players in the state and one of the kids I played won the state championship the year before. In high school I was typicaly shooting around 40 for 9 holes and the kids I played against usually shot around even, simply put I was over matched but in our league we played match play which gave me a fighters chance. Don't take the expierience for granted I miss it all the time... almost upset the state champ stuck a bunker shot 2 feet from the pin with a chance to pull even with 3 holes to go. Missed the two foot putt and it unraveled still haunts me it would have been a hell of an expierience to beat him. Keegan Bradley played at one of the high schools we played didn't get to play him though that would have been cool, at the time I think there was more talk at least locally about this girl Kim Donavan playing for them she was pretty nasty I wonder if she went anywhere... I'm gonna stop talking now this thread just brought back a ton of memories but enjoy yourself whackandhack it goes by quick make the most of it.