Keeping track?

[seagullplayer]

After reading some of the posts around here I see many people keep MUCH better track of their round than I do.  I can see where it would be very helpful in tracking improvement or the need for it.

How do you go about doing it?  I mean practically on the course while playing?

Do you keep a note book or make some notation on the score card?

I would also love to know just what you track.  What club or distance?  At first I was just thinking # of putts, but if I am going to do it...

How do you make use of this information?

Do you evaluate each round or look at a month or?

Thanks

[dkolo]

After reading some of the posts around here I see many people keep MUCH better track of their round than I do.  I can see where it would be very helpful in tracking improvement or the need for it.

How do you go about doing it?  I mean practically on the course while playing?

Do you keep a note book or make some notation on the score card?

I would also love to know just what you track.  What club or distance?  At first I was just thinking # of putts, but if I am going to do it...

How do you make use of this information?

Do you evaluate each round or look at a month or?

Thanks

Lately, what I've been doing is indicating whether I made GIR (probably not) and how I did putting. I'll write whether I made or missed a putt and its approximate distance. Just jotted down on the scorecard below my score for each hole. Nothing fancy, and I don't keep a running database or anything. It'd be interesting to do that though.

[Patch]

All I usually keep is my short game handicap, since it has the most impact on my score. I don't do it every time, but, but at least every 3rd, or 4th round.

I start counting my short games strokes/putts when I miss a GIR, and/or I make a GIR.  Example; If I miss a green, and it takes a chip/pitch and two putts to hole out, I write down a 3 for that hole. If I make a GIR, and it takes 2 putts to hole out, I write down a 2 for that hole. At the end of the round I add up all the short game numbers for the 18 holes. That number might be 48. I then divide that number by 18, which gives me a 2.66 number. 2.66 is my short game handicap. Add the #2 for 4.66, times 18, gives me around 83.88 (84)  which is usually pretty close what I scored for that round.

The SGH number 2.66 tells me I need to hit more GIRs. I already know that once on the green, I average less than 2 putts per green.

If I can get that SGH number down to 2.25, I would be scoring in the mid 70s.    2.25 + 2.00 = 4.25 X 18 = 76.5  To look at it another way, I need to save around 1/2 a stroke per hole. Does not sound like much, but more difficult than it seems.

[mcanadiens]

If I'm playing by myself, I'll usually record the total putts on each hole. Once in a while I'll mark FIRs. I'll also note details on penalties if I'm really being diligent.

If I play with anyone else, it's just the score for the hole.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

Golflogix on the iphone. Love the app. And it's free. You download the course at the beginning of the round, takes me 30 seconds tops, it has gps although I don't use it at all with my scope now, and you can keep your stats. I turn everything off except for score, FIRs, GIRs and putts. So when I am done with a hole I hit the pencil on it, put in the score, put in if I hit the fairway or if I pulled, hooked, pushed or sliced and then how many putts and it marks whether I GIR'd or not. You can track a lot of other stuff including penalties, sand shots, how you miss putts, etc but that's just too much for me. When you are done or not golfing you can go to the scorecard of each round and it will tell you everything you need to know. Not sue how many rounds it keeps but I am above 120 on it and still tracking.

I only really use the information when I am trying to pick up chicks at the bar though.