How's your year going in golf?

[Matt M]

I just wonder sometimes, I play these, well in my mind, good rounds of golf for weeks straight. Out of no where I go into the weeks strait looking for or trying to get it back. This is a brutal game I know I've played it all my life, but it seems this year is a year of streaky golf. I spent most of evening hitting balls on the range after 18 holes today. Thank goodness for wine takes the pain from the blisters away, lol. How's your year going in golf, are you meeting your expectations, or are you stuck in a rut?

[doublesuited77]

scoring fairly well, however, i have had maybe 4 rounds this year where i really liked how i hit the ball Will likely be getting new irons soon.

[Shindig]

I just wonder sometimes, I play these, well in my mind, good rounds of golf for weeks straight. Out of no where I go into the weeks strait looking for or trying to get it back. This is a brutal game I know I've played it all my life, but it seems this year is a year of streaky golf. I spent most of evening hitting balls on the range after 18 holes today. Thank goodness for wine takes the pain from the blisters away, lol. How's your year going in golf, are you meeting your expectations, or are you stuck in a rut?

Well, I broke 100 for the first time about two months ago, so I'm having a great year. The only times since then that I haven't broken 100 were all on courses I hadn't played before, so I didn't know where to miss

You sound like you've been playing up to your ability sometimes and not others. Don't write it off as a hot streak.

[marto97]

It's been a relatively good year so far. I started out slowly and we just kept saying "Oh well it's just spring training" but it lasted longer than I would have liked. But for the past month and a half I've been very consistent. My index had gone up from 6.8 at the start of the year to 9.5. With my play of late though it's back down to 6.9. My goal for this year was to get it down to 5, so that's not too far away. We have at least 3 more months to play here.

[Dent]

I was doing good at first, i started off with a bang shooting amazing scores. Then Near the end of the year i Had a blowup in club championship after leading and then nothing went right from there. Since i got hockey now My golf season is over.

[MountainHip]

Glad you asked!

I broke 80 (twice) at the beginning of the year in May and I haven't done it since. I golfed like a mad man in May and June, once July hit, the days off from work got wonky, and my regular playing partners and I missed our golf days.

Between May and June I played 50 rounds, and Since July 1st I've played about 15-20

At the beginning of August my body decided to forget how to hit the driver, and I was duck hooking it severely. I stopped using it and discovered that I can hit my 5 wood just as far.

A local pro gave me some advice on my driver, and I have since corrected the hook, and hopefully I will break 80 one more time.

Played 45.5 holes of golf the other day, trying to get it all in before the course shuts, early next month. But I won't do that again, although I shot average for me. 88-86-42

I did pretty good this year, being a member, (and high green fees in my area) I tend not to play other courses, last year I only played 5 different courses, this year I am over 10.

And that's pretty much it.

Golf Season is pretty much over around here

[niblick]

I'm pretty pleased with how it's gone. I've met all but one of my goals so far. I've shot multiple rounds in the 80s, played rounds without losing a ball or taking a penalty stroke. I've got my index to 20.9 right now, so my one remaining goal is to get in the teens by the end of the year. I feel like I'm a better player now than I've ever been, and things are headed in the right direction.

[lamebums]

Pretty good all considered. I was a total hack when this year began, and got myself to somewhere between a 12 and a 15 (still no official handicap yet). I thought for sure my glory days this year had passed after the end of July when I posted some amazing scores but proceeded to hack it up during most of August - I was ready to pack it away, but then I cranked out an 81 and some other low numbers for nine holes, and hey, I'm back in the game and shooting where I was two months ago.

Just to compare a bit how I've improved from this time last year, now that I put it into perspective.

Driving Distance: ~180-200 to about 265-270. Just to put that in perspective a bit, my usual buddies used to think I had big drives - "massive 800 yard John Daly drives" as one of the put it at the end of last year. Now one guy doesn't even want to take his tee shot after I hit.

6 Iron Distance: 135-140 to about 170. Not as consistent as I'd like to be, but a load better than before. No more ugly dribblers, that's for sure.

Wedges: Went from one wedge to four. Everyone still gives me hell ("You have 4 wedges and can't hit any of them!") but hey, I'm better at chipping now than ever before.

Scoring Average: Last year I'd card in a 95 but it would be loaded with so many mulligans and shaved strokes it was a joke. Real score back then? Probably 120. Nowadays I pretty consistently shoot in the 80's, or low 90's on a bad day.

Putting: Used to be - and was until recently - really horrid. I'd take 50-55 putts a round sometimes, but now I take 35-40. Miles ahead of before.

Chipping: It was incredibly annoying how all four of us would blade the ball across a tiny, steeply sloped green. Three or four times. Each. I sure don't have that problem anymore. "Up and Down" is actually not a foreign concept to me these days.



So, that's what I've succeeded in to whatever extent, although I've got more than my share of new problems.

One that's been killing me all summer is hitting things off the toe, which no matter what I do or drill or work on, I can't seem to shake. It's killing me when I take a mighty swing and the ball only goes 60 yards and the club twists in my hand.

Also, the mental game is really, a train wreck for me. If I get three triple bogeys to start off, odds are I won't recover. Period. I have a hard time not thinking about the bad shot I just made, especially when I'm waist high in cabbage and/or under the trees. It gets three times worse if play is slow and I just have more time to brood on it. (I hate waiting for putting and won't hesitate to play out of turn if someone's taking their sweet time - the longer I wait the more likely I am to miss).

And lastly, I need more consistency off the tee. I can usually drive it long and straight, but when I miss, I miss bad. Usually it's in the wrong area code. Lost balls are still a thorn in my side here, penalty strokes add up quickly.

Edit: Also, consistency from day to day. I have the game to shoot in the mid 70's but I can't hold it together for 18 holes. On a really bad day I get really big numbers. My anti-handicap is probably 30.

(So, yeah, sorry for the long post. But I had to get off my mind.)

[iacas]

I haven't looked at my goals, but I fixed some fairly major flaws in my swing this year and have started to get a bit of that "real good player" type ball flight that I really like. Irons that just keep rising, a good controllable driver with good distance too, etc. My putting has improved, too, and my short game a little bit as well.

I spent some time as a 2.6 this year and as a 2.9. I met my goals in the mid-am over the summer, too. It's gone well so far. Still plenty of time left, I hope, too.

[mjones]

good. at this point i am happily frustrated. i've been working on my game and it shows. now it's getting into the finer adjustments, which just takes time.

[Logie]

In all honesty is been great, my first year off proper Golf (Starting playing May 06). In 06 i hardly played, and made 2007 to be the year to get a 10-15 HDCP and 08 is to get to 5HDCP.

My ball striking is excellant, and im often asked if im a scratch or low handicap (Untill they see my savaged hook with the driver!) and distance is better then most.

Driver is still a big problem for me and its hindering my scores as instead of hitting a nice long driver, im having to settle for 220-240 3wood or 3i.

Consistancy is good with the irons, all the odd time a shot goes a bit right or left, but the hooks and slices are pretty much out of my iron play.

I can now see to really improve, i have to spend 3 times more practice on putting and the short game, shots inside 120/150. Its all very well me hitting a 230 yard 3 wood, 200 yard 5i and then pitching onto the green and it rolls off, or i leave myself with a 35ft putt.

Need to narrow that down and try and get at worst 15ft from the pin

[FIJIGolf23]

I can't ask for much more except a couple more putts to start falling for me. I have been playing great. Ball striking is much more consistent. Distance control is becoming incredible. Chipping is leaving me with less than 3-4 ft every time. Putting is the only place that really needs to improve, but I am getting close. I am making more putts than I usually do. My handicap is now down to a 0.7 so I'm almost at my goal of becoming a scratch golfer this summer.

[Norm66]

My first year of golf ended a couple weeks ago and it's gone pretty well by my standards. I started at a company scramble last August, and was scoring 120-130 on 18-hole courses even with a few mulligans. Nowadays I'm playing as completely by the rules as I can (no mulligans, proper penalty strokes etc.) and am consistently scoring between 90 and 95 with my best score 87 and multiple scores below 90. My current handicap is in the neighborhood of 21.

The big thing I wanted to improve this year was the wasted shots. You know, the fat ones you dribble 20', the thin ones that bounce over the greens, the 2' chips when it was supposed to be 10', the sliced drives into the next fairway etc. I still get those shots, but they're a lot less numerous. Next year the focus will be on the short game. My handicap goal for next year is 14.

[GoingfortheGreen]

In all honesty - not that good.

I ended last year at 21.6 with a goal of ending 2007 under 20. I started the year well - low 90s, even a 89. But, with zero practice my scores steadily climbed starting in April. I now sit at 21.3. With kid #2 on the way early next month, I may not be able to play until the official season ends (10/31).

Here are my scores --

9/8/2007: 96
8/25/2007: 98
8/5/2007: 102
7/28/2007: 97
7/14/2007: 98
7/7/2007: 88
7/4/2007: 97
7/1/2007: 92
6/30/2007: 96
6/20/2007: 99
6/17/2007: 92
6/15/2007: 103
6/3/2007: 107
5/28/2007: 97
5/23/2007: 109
5/20/2007: 96
5/4/2007: 105
4/29/2007: 109
4/28/2007: 105
4/22/2007: 94
4/21/2007: 99
4/7/2007: 89
4/1/2007: 93


So, it's disappointing, but I really didn't do anything to improve (other than buy a new driver - which completely flopped).

Here's to 2008....and maybe a lesson or two

[Jeepthrills]

Overall I have played more than in the past couple years. Thats a good thing. I lowered my scoring average by 1.5 shots in my league. Also a good thing. 10 of my 14 rounds have been in the 30's. Last year only 9 of 16 were sub 40. However, after going 14-2 in the league last year in my head-to-head match ups, this year I'm 9-4-1 and playing much better. I have played some really good rounds, only to lose by way of giving so many shots to everyone for handicap. We have the make up round Sunday for the rainout of our final night. My wife and I can stll win it, but we need the two teams ahead of us to split and for us to win our match outright.

I have also lowered my handicap by about 1 shot, but still have a ways to go. I am hitting the ball as good or better than ever. I love my new driver and irons. I have also been more consistent this year. I am making more birdies and pars and fewer doubles and others. I shot my best 9 ever at +1 which included 3 straight birdies. I had never made two in a row or more than 2 in 9 holes.