Breaking Bad Club - A Thread for Golfers Trying to Break 100

[AndyLL]

I've played in a 9 hole league for the past 3 years.  Last year I averaged between 55-65.  Lots of penalties... lots of trees hit.

This year I started with 62 & 63 and fed up I paid for a very nice range package and have hit at least 5 days out of a week since.  The practice as paid off.  My scores in league since then:

50,51, 50, 49,48 ( 2 rain outs were I would have been at 50 or below )

Last week I broke through... shot a 42.  It could have been better but I peeked at my score after 7... realized I could break 40... and preceded to 3 putt the last 2 holes from 15 & 20 for a double double.

I drove poorly ( my biggest issue ) but every drive was in play.  Old style tree lined course.  The few times I was in the trees I never tried the hero shot... just got it back to the fairway.

Today I played my 1st 18 in a while.  Plum Creek in Castle Rock, CO.  A challenging Pete Dye course.  I played from the 2nd set of tees at about 6300. A bit windy and a little raining but that was ok because it chased some of the crowd away.

Shot a 94.  Surprised at the score... it felt much worst.

4 penalties.

4 3-putts and 1 4 putt.

As bad as the putting sounds ( I usually average 2 putts ) I hit a 35 footer for par and a 15 footer for birdie.  Most of my 3 putts were very long on faster, trickier greens then I am used to.

As usual my issue is driver.  Out of my 13 drives only 2 were good.  10 of the other 11 were playable but most were short and off the fairway... and I struggle when I am off the fairway.

If I could be just average with the driver I'd been in the under 90 thread because the rest of my game has really improved.

[Moppy]

Started out bogie par bogie par. Both pars came on unconscious long putts, 15 to twenty feet from the edge of the green. Then reverted to form, but still shot a 48. Two lost balls, but I think that I can avoid them in those particular cases. Both came from aiming left out of fear of a slice and losing the ball left. I didn't slice a single shot until the last hole, where there was so much room right that I just laid into one. It was still playable. I also think that if I can learn to pitch better and to avoid hitting the irons right, off the tee on par threes, then I can break 50 pretty consistently. I took a couple weeks off after playing so badly that I walked off after losing all the balls I brought. So the little layoff, spent fishing, was good for me.

[Moppy]

Cripes, I have been giving myself a two stroke penalty for lost balls. Just found out it is stroke and distance. No wonder it has been so hard to break 100! D'oh! I guess I just shot a 46 then.

[krupa]

Just played 9 on a new course with rental clubs. First hole was a par 5. On the green in regulation... 4 putts later I had double bogie. Once again, I was hitting the ball well but couldn't putt to save my life. At least this time I have the "rental club" excuse. Ended up with one lost ball and a 53 on the card.

[krupa]

Wow some good scores posted the past few days.  :dance:   Now I have to blow my own horn a little.  I shot a 95 this morning for my first sub 100 round in almost 7 years, 2nd one ever and lowest ever.  (last one was in 2008, a 96) I shot a 45 on the front and a 50 on the back.  Only one penalty stroke, I had to take a drop on unplayable lie on the last hole.  My ball bounced into a spruce tree and stuck in the branches.  I really didn't strike the ball that well, but my putting was good and I stayed out of trouble for the most part. [URL=http://www.gamegolf.com/player/pecos24/round/502391]http://www.gamegolf.com/player/pecos24/round/502391[/URL]

Congratulations!

[cutchemist42]

While its not the best course, my dad as a Forces member got me a decent membership at the military golf course, where a majority of my rounds will now be from. Its a different assortment, with 3 par 4s, 1 par 5, and 5 par 3s so not entirely sure how to evaluate it as coming close to breaking 100 or not now. but this might be closest to a decent game of golf so far.

http://imgur.com/qu9OMzS

[oudrees]

I shot a 47 today on a really soggy course.  I actually played the tees further back with this 4-some than I do in my Saturday league.  For some reason I actually decided to use my driver on the par 5's and hooked one bad into the houses and got an 8 on one of them.  I also doubled both par 3's because I missed the greens and 3 putted.  I felt pretty good and the fixes I am making in the My Swing thread seem to be paying off some. The guys I played with took several mulligans and had 46's on their cards.  I would have had a 45 if I would of mulliganed the one I put into the houses but gotta respect the RoG for my Sat league.

[Moppy]

I decided to do a practice nine where I dropped multiple balls around the green on each hole (I was the last golfer) and pitched and putted mostly. I have been losing a lot of strokes being unable to pitch. I played with a good player a couple of weeks back, he shot +4 for nine holes anyway, and he showed me a couple things which I had never picked up, usually playing with lousy players like myself it is hard to learn some things, so I just practiced them. Anyway, I feel like my ability to get up and down has improved. I guess we shall see tomorrow night when I play my evening nine seriously. Meanwhile, I will be practicing my pitching on lunch breaks around the practice green for a little while. I think there might be three strokes there, maybe four if I can get consistent. I hate getting pin high and taking two shots to get on the green, but it happens to me a lot.

[pecos24]

While its not the best course, my dad as a Forces member got me a decent membership at the military golf course, where a majority of my rounds will now be from. Its a different assortment, with 3 par 4s, 1 par 5, and 5 par 3s so not entirely sure how to evaluate it as coming close to breaking 100 or not now. but this might be closest to a decent game of golf so far.

http://imgur.com/qu9OMzS

Maybe instead of looking at as breaking 100, look at it as how many strokes over par.  So on a standard course par is 72, so to break 100 you are looking at +27 or less, +13 or less over 9 holes.

So on this round you scored a 43, 11 over par.  Looks good to me!

[Moppy]

I focused on my grip last night, unfortunately could only play six before it got dark, but focusing on my grip, grip pressure, and clubface alignment before every shot paid big dividends. I got two pars in those six holes, a couple bogies, a double and one triple. and somehow, after a "pronounced fade" on my tee shot, a draw snuck into my shots. I think that came from the grip adjustments.

I knew something was up when I aimed my first approach left figuring to miss right, and the shot went exactly where I aimed it. Plus I only had one fat shot and one mishit off the tee both of which I recovered from nicely. One hole that has a dogleg right and a somewhat elevated tee, I like to carry the trees and play my fade, (a slice just goes in the woods) and it bent left a little, not right, but still left me only about 110 from the pin. I got within 6 ft of the pin with my iron shot and choked and three putted for the bogey.  The next hole was my nemesis Par 3, where I always lose at least one ball in the weeds right. I just hit a sweet little draw right near the pin and two putted for par. Sort of got mad it got dark, but there was also a huge thunderhead incoming, and I didn't want to walk farther from the clubhouse.

I have been playing every single day recently, after 6, walking nine. I think it makes a difference too.

Anyway. I feel like I have turned a corner. The above side would easily have come in under 50, and this one had no long distance putts that you can't count on, like the last one.

[Judah Ben-Hur]

I finally cleared the 100 barrier for the first time yesterday at the local course (69.2/124 @ 5808 yards) .  I played the front nine by myself and then played with 3 others for the back.  Things were backed up pretty bad and the long wait on number 9 had the muscles starting to tighten up.  They ask me if I wanted to join up on number 10 so I said why not.  I limped home with a 97 with triple bogies on the last two holes.  I added up the score before teeing off on number 17.  Look what I got out of that little ordeal.  The second hole which is a par 3 gave me some fits by throwing a quad up on the board.  I did my version of ping pong golf with 3 lip outs and was saying some choice words.  I knew it would be tough sledding from then on out but managed to get a 46 on the front.

The bag makeup has been mixed up the last few rounds.  There has always been certain clubs that I have been reluctant to hit on the longer par 3's or dogleg par 4's.  As I get better I can see the 3w coming back.  I usually hit driver and play from there.  Obviously that mindset has to change over the next rounds.  A duffed 5w from the tee got me for 71 yards but it will take some time to get over it and play some good golf for the rest of the hole.  I took the 3w, 4i, and club set A & SW wedges out.  I lowered the loft on my 5w and added a 4h.  The short end of the bag now goes club set PW-44, 50, 56, and 60.  I am just trying to shore up the short game and use the 'proper' club from the tee box.  The last few rounds before this one had me playing with some of the better players in the club and I got some good pointers on some things.  One was dealing with the grip and stance, choking way down when around the green along with hitting with the ball above and below the feet.  It also helped this round that I wasn't throwing too many penalties up on the board or topping the ball like crazy.   I have been trying to focus a little better on the back of the ball and not picking the head up so early.  I friend of mine told me that if you want to see a bad shot pick your head up.  My version of using a little stronger club but throttling the swing back has seen some really good shots.  My distance reading and control is still on a learning curve.  It does feel refreshing taking a mild swing vs some swinging for the fences type of deal.  The thing that still ticks me off is my habit of just coming up short on little pitches or chips.  It is like a wall is in front of the green and then I am long putting.  Hit the damn ball and don't worry if it goes long.

Hopefully I can continue getting better and stay below 100.  My handicap has been climbing the last few weeks but I feel like I am hitting the ball much better.  There has been some changes thrown in with the swing, grip, putting stance and grip, along with a bum leg that is robbing me of distance, new course, so I probably shouldn't have been recording them for ghin but it is what it is.

http://www.gamegolf.com/player/srx700xxx/round/515606

[JonMA1]

Congrats @Judah Ben-Hur .

[Judah Ben-Hur]

Congrats @Judah Ben-Hur.

Thanks!

I just got done today and came home with a 47/49 for a hard earned 96.  I will be going back in for therapy on my leg tomorrow.  When I can bend on it without a pain spike, the swing feels so good.  The problem is I can't stop pulling the trigger once I'm in motion.  The highlights were a scramble on number 18 after having one bounce into the water.  I made a 50 ft. putt that broke about 4 feet and slowed past the hole and sat for an instant then dropped backwards.  Weird shot but I'll take it.  I also striped a drive 284 yards in the middle of the fairway for my longest of the year.  Then the wheels fell off on the hole.  My next shot was heading for the pin but went past and sat up in the rough just above the green.  I proceeded to hit two lob wedges a total of 2 feet or so then two putted.  Number 17 turned into a mini debacle with hitting trees, hitting another tree, then hitting a beautiful approach that just dribbled to the back of the green.  My putt was all downhill and I smoked them back and forth for a 4 putt.  I scrambled for a bogey on a par 5 after hitting a moonball off the tee.   That sucker almost went out of sight and I think I got about 120 yards out of it.  It didn't even make the fairway but it was straight as an arrow.  The only real disappointment on the front nine was on number 6 when I hit a nice drive to the end of the fairway.  I was 75 yards out and the guys that just putted out asked if I wanted to play through.  Sure!  I then proceeded to bounce the club before the ball and hit into the sand.  It took me two tries to get out of there and then I did a 3 putt routine with everybody watching.  I rushed myself so bad on the second shot till the end.  As I thanked them and drove by, I heard one guy say take your time, don't rush.  That hole was like I had to get done before they were going to turn the lights off for the day.  Stupid stuff like that hurts and I don't have the game (yet) to take the strokes off the board.  It's like holding a wall of water back, eventually the dam breaks and all hell breaks loose.

http://www.gamegolf.com/player/srx700xxx/round/517937

[JonMA1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonMA1

Congrats @Judah Ben-Hur.

Thanks!

I just got done today and came home with a 47/49 for a hard earned 96.  I will be going back in for therapy on my leg tomorrow.  When I can bend on it without a pain spike, the swing feels so good.  The problem is I can't stop pulling the trigger once I'm in motion.  The highlights were a scramble on number 18 after having one bounce into the water.  I made a 50 ft. putt that broke about 4 feet and slowed past the hole and sat for an instant then dropped backwards.  Weird shot but I'll take it.  I also striped a drive 284 yards in the middle of the fairway for my longest of the year.  Then the wheels fell off on the hole.  My next shot was heading for the pin but went past and sat up in the rough just above the green.  I proceeded to hit two lob wedges a total of 2 feet or so then two putted.  Number 17 turned into a mini debacle with hitting trees, hitting another tree, then hitting a beautiful approach that just dribbled to the back of the green.  My putt was all downhill and I smoked them back and forth for a 4 putt.  I scrambled for a bogey on a par 5 after hitting a moonball off the tee.   That sucker almost went out of sight and I think I got about 120 yards out of it.  It didn't even make the fairway but it was straight as an arrow.  The only real disappointment on the front nine was on number 6 when I hit a nice drive to the end of the fairway.  I was 75 yards out and the guys that just putted out asked if I wanted to play through.  Sure!  I then proceeded to bounce the club before the ball and hit into the sand.  It took me two tries to get out of there and then I did a 3 putt routine with everybody watching.  I rushed myself so bad on the second shot till the end.  As I thanked them and drove by, I heard one guy say take your time, don't rush.  That hole was like I had to get done before they were going to turn the lights off for the day.  Stupid stuff like that hurts and I don't have the game (yet) to take the strokes off the board.  It's like holding a wall of water back, eventually the dam breaks and all hell breaks loose.

http://www.gamegolf.com/player/srx700xxx/round/517937

Sounds so familiar. I think better players have those kinds of holes but they have the game to make up for it with pars and birdies - something I surely lack.

At least you're getting decent scores out of it. You must have a pretty good game to recover as you did. Keep up the good work.

[uitar9]

Last couple of games have at least been consistent: 50+51 and 47+47

Always suffering through those three or four blow up holes: a decent drive or decent second shot followed by a couple of fatties. triples. Thats an extra 6 or 8 shots per round.

Inconsistency.

[Tailgater]

Big day today for me - I broke 100 with 99.

[uitar9]

Cripes, I have been giving myself a two stroke penalty for lost balls. Just found out it is stroke and distance. No wonder it has been so hard to break 100! D'oh! I guess I just shot a 46 then.

Been doing this as well. Thanks for this-don't lose to many (excluding water) but may save a stroke or two over a couple of rounds

[cutchemist42]

Played my 2nd round of 18 holes at Hecla in Manitoba. It was also my first time playing in damp weather, and it took me way too long to notice I likely needed 1-2 irons higher than normal. Also the first time where I brought out my umbrella, needed it for 5 holes on the front 9. Shot after shot coming up shorter than I thought, and had a hard time whenever I got into taller grass. Talked with a server after who confirmed this when he plays the course in similar conditions. Had 3 blowup holes on the 8,9,10; would love to play this again in normal cirumstances as I think below 100 was possible here. Accidentally turned on handicap scoring in Golfshot for this round.