Card Wrecker Holes

[cyclistgolfer]

Ok, is it just me or are there anybody else out there that seem to always have 1 or 2 holes per round that wrecks the whole card?

I picked up the game in May of 2004, and I am absolutely addicted to it. I play and practice whenever I can and now shoot mid to high 90's occasional100's. I am a few strokes away from breaking 90 more often but it seems like every round I play, I would manage to have 1 or 2 blow up holes. Like last 9 holes I played, I scored 3 pars and still manage to score 49.

Anyone has any suggestions? My playing buddies always tell me that I just need to manage my game more, but how? I would hit a beautiful drive right down the pipe on a par five maybe 250-270 yards, I would play conservative and get a short iron out and lay up because I still have 200 yards to go, what do I do, shank a pitching wedge and get the ball into the water, before I know it I am scoring an 8 or 9 on this hole.

I need some management tips.....help me

[Thrdroc]

I know the feeling. Try to only play shots that you know you can do. When your 200 away from the green and in the rough, instead of going for it, clubs down and go for the fairway in front of the green and give your self a chance for a nice up and down. Again when you are behind trees and you have a 1 foot gap to try to get the ball through, just punch it out and try to advance the ball 50 or so yards. That last item has really been saving me strokes.

The number 1 thing i would say, is don't get caught up in your score. Try not to count or let someone tell you, hey your 2 over at 6. Next thing you know your 4 over after 7. When you are playing well, you know it, you dont need a score to tell you that. Wait till the end of the round to add up everything.

[Lbob]

I feel your pain. I shoot in the mid 80's to mid 90's although I keep it under 90 most of the time. Practicing is a good idea, although only if you are practicing good things rather than bad. I love to practice myself and it's helped me. But I think one of the keys is to stay in the moment. Here's an example, yesterday on the 390 yard 18th which has water on the right, a jungle on the left, and a tree in the left, I hit a career drive. Right down the middle and only 100 yards from the center of the green. My buddy was whooping over it and I was feeling pretty high. I started seeing birdie on the card. The result? I stood up on a simple wedge shot and bladed the ball over the green. Ended up with a bogie. I think that good golfers need selective amnesia. Forget the last shot, forget the next shot, just focus on the one you're about to hit. Get everything out of your mind, go through your routine (you do have a routine right?) and hit the shot.

[cyclistgolfer]

I know the feeling. Try to only play shots that you know you can do. When your 200 away from the green and in the rough, instead of going for it, clubs down and go for the fairway in front of the green and give your self a chance for a nice up and down. Again when you are behind trees and you have a 1 foot gap to try to get the ball through, just punch it out and try to advance the ball 50 or so yards. That last item has really been saving me strokes.

I think that is one of the things I am doing is getting caught up with the score card and obsessing over it. Its just a great feelling to shave a stroke or 2 you know. 89 sounds so much better than 92....

[cyclistgolfer]

I feel your pain. I shoot in the mid 80's to mid 90's although I keep it under 90 most of the time. Practicing is a good idea, although only if you are practicing good things rather than bad. I love to practice myself and it's helped me. But I think one of the keys is to stay in the moment. Here's an example, yesterday on the 390 yard 18th which has water on the right, a jungle on the left, and a tree in the left, I hit a career drive. Right down the middle and only 100 yards from the center of the green. My buddy was whooping over it and I was feeling pretty high. I started seeing birdie on the card. The result? I stood up on a simple wedge shot and bladed the ball over the green. Ended up with a bogie. I think that good golfers need selective amnesia. Forget the last shot, forget the next shot, just focus on the one you're about to hit. Get everything out of your mind, go through your routine (you do have a routine right?) and hit the shot.

LBOB, another great point to stay in the moment and not think birdie or even GIR, everytime I play a whole round conservatively, thats when I play my best.

[elivate]

Yes, I have this issue but things have turned around in a strange way for me lately. I seem to play better on the hard holes now and mess up on the "easy" holes. For example, yesterday I bogeyed the toughest hole on the course and then I birdied the second toughest hole... And on one of the easier holes, a medium distance par five I get an 8 This hole has a huge fairway and is the easiest driving hole on the course and I still managed to hit my drive o/b...

[Thrdroc]

I think that is one of the things I am doing is getting caught up with the score card and obsessing over it. Its just a great feelling to shave a stroke or 2 you know. 89 sounds so much better than 92....

I know what you mean. I think the same way but I hardly ever add my totals up till atleast hole 16 or 17. If my friends do they know not to tell me because i get pretty mad. I ruin rounds when I know stuff like, if i par this hole i shot a 39 on 9 holes. I usually wind up double bogey or worse because i will try to get cute and play shots that i don't really know how to play. the less you know the better.

[phicar2]

Well, I have to disagree here. Personally, when I am playing a round that is not in a tournament or for cash (small cash, I don't play big money matches I always know my score and I set goals for the front nine, back nine and total score and I track my progress. The reason I do this is to PUT pressure on my (I WANT to go into the 17th knowing I need par par to break 80). For me it helps to get used to playing like this (under pressure) because then when I do play a tournament or a cash game the difference in pressure isn't there, or not much of a difference anyway. I have seen/played with a number of good players with nice single digit or low teens handis and I watch them crumble under the pressure of tournament time because they aren't used to the pressure...

That said, if you don't plan on playing in pressure matches then absolutely don't keep track of score until after you are finished. And definitely play smart - when trying to break 100, remember that bogie is a great score, don't forget that! Bogie, bogie, double, double, bogie, double, par, double, bogie is 12 over through 9. Double that and you break 100 easy. You have to avoid triples (or worse) to break 100. Breaking 90 is just a few doubles becoming bogies. You can do it!

[Thrdroc]

And definitely play smart - when trying to break 100, remember that bogie is a great score, don't forget that! Bogie, bogie, double, double, bogie, double, par, double, bogie is 12 over through 9. Double that and you break 100 easy. You have to avoid triples (or worse) to break 100. Breaking 90 is just a few doubles becoming bogies. You can do it!

That was extremely well said.

[cyclistgolfer]

Well, I have to disagree here. Personally, when I am playing a round that is not in a tournament or for cash (small cash, I don't play big money matches

Tournament, no not anytime soon but I am so competitive in my little way that when I have the bragging rights for the whole week within my golfing buddies, it gives me a good feeling. BTW I think that your style fits my mentality a little better, I will further disect it and set my goals on every hole (small victories kind of thinking) and see where it takes me. I am excited again for tomorrow's game.

[WhiteSoxFan]

That said, if you don't plan on playing in pressure matches then absolutely don't keep track of score until after you are finished. And definitely play smart - when trying to break 100, remember that bogie is a great score, don't forget that! Bogie, bogie, double, double, bogie, double, par, double, bogie is 12 over through 9. Double that and you break 100 easy. You have to avoid triples (or worse) to break 100. Breaking 90 is just a few doubles becoming bogies. You can do it!

That was extremely well said.

Yeah, I'm basically happy if I break 100. And I agree with not adding up score and then putting a bunch of pressure on yourself on 8 and 9 or 17 and 18. But, what I like to do is have a goal for every 3 holes. Since I want to break 100, I know that if I get 16 every three holes that's 48 for 9 and 96 for 18. (15 for every three you will shoot exactly 90) If it's 3 par 4's or a 3,4,5 that's 2 bogeys and a double - which is pretty manageable. You can do this with any 3 consecutive holes, and if your aiming to shoot 100, even with the 16 you still have a few shots leeway. If you do have that blowup hole, you sort of have a more manageable way to make up for it as opposed to thinking about your entire score. Hope that helps a little.

[Dent]

Yep, at my course the best ive been is 1 or 2 under after 6. I get to the 7th hole Par 4/445 yards. Number 8 Par 5 Dogleg Right/516 yards. Ninth hole 396, stream infront of the green. Its a killer.

[lamebums]

I know the feeling. Invariably, I have a blowup hole at least once per round, where I get an 8 or higher. Sometimes, it's a really ugly number, like, 12, or something. I try not to put pressure on myself, but it seems that one bad shot deserves another - especially consecutive shots out of bounds, which is what usually causes me to rack up a big score. Either that, or several water balls in one hole, when I try to carry a lake and fail.

The latter is crappy course management, but I can't seem to shake the OB shots.

On a day that I get my shit together, and dont have a blowup hole, I can break 80 - but on another day I can struggle to break 100, especially if it's a tight course with lots of woods and OB in play.

[royalwulff]

And definitely play smart - when trying to break 100, remember that bogie is a great score, don't forget that! Bogie, bogie, double, double, bogie, double, par, double, bogie is 12 over through 9. Double that and you break 100 easy. You have to avoid triples (or worse) to break 100. Breaking 90 is just a few doubles becoming bogies. You can do it![/QUOTE]

I would have to agree with this, ever since I started playing bogie golf my game has gotten better, my confidence has increased, and the occasional par seems easier to get. Once I get consistent with this then I will start moving holes a few at a time to the par golf goal.

[mkoreiwo]

Blow up holes are wat makes high handicappers. The other day I played 18 and was hitting really well for myself, and there were a few holes where absolutely nothing whent right.

Despite all our efforts to play wihtin ourselves, it boils down to consistency. That is one of the things that separates the highs from the lows, not how far we hit. Until I really get my swing consistent - through good, effective practice, I accept the blow ups as part of the game at my level.

I don't let them bother me - tthe last two holes I played were two of my best.

[Shindig]

That said, if you don't plan on playing in pressure matches then absolutely don't keep track of score until after you are finished. And definitely play smart - when trying to break 100, remember that bogie is a great score, don't forget that! Bogie, bogie, double, double, bogie, double, par, double, bogie is 12 over through 9. Double that and you break 100 easy. You have to avoid triples (or worse) to break 100. Breaking 90 is just a few doubles becoming bogies. You can do it!

Yep. This has been my plan for a bit (bogey average is 90 on a regulation course). Of course, I have a handful of doubles and two card-wrecking holes, different each time I play.

[Jeepthrills]

I am usually one or maybe two holes per nine from being a single digit. I have the uncanny ability to make that one bad swing when things are going well and follow it up with the stupid recovery attempt. This usually results in two or three dropped shots in a matter of minutes. Sometimes it's just missing the green in the wrong place and trying something high risk to pitch it close and save the hole.

One of my biggest problems is I always know my score and what I need to do to shoot 39 or in the case of the short course I play 34. On my league night I also always know where I stand relative to my opponent. This will often become a mental issue with me and I will start to press.

[ILLZ]

Ah yes, the blow up hole. I'm getting better at managing these. For me, the key is recognizing the holes that are starting out as blow up holes. Once you say to yourself, "this is the possible blow up", try to set a realistic goal for the remainder of the hole that results in a subpar result, but not something that will destroy the round. If you're trying to break 90, which is about where I'm at, a triple bogey is the result to avoid. If a hole starts out bad within the first 2-3 shots, just try to do whatever it takes to make double and no better.