Damn you Golf

[webb1522]

Played my 4th round of golf today and have still yet to Birdie a hole. It's a small goal of mine that has eluded me as of yet. I reached and or hit the green 2 times today to have the opportunity. Missed both times, both putts were tough putts. Just started playing this summer.

[Strandly]

I think I made 1 birdie my first year playing so I wouldn't worry too much about it.  Stringing together a few pars is just as exciting imo, and that might happen first.

[PJCdude]

I find that the few birdie putts I've sunk, I was thinking "just hit it nice and easy. No pressure. Worst thing that happens is a tap in par." The ones where I think "I REALLY want this birdie." lip out. I would say for someone who has only played 4 rounds, focus on eliminating double bogey and the birdies will come. I've only been playing a year and I just checked on my app (SwingbySwing). I did actually get a birdie on my 5th round, but didn't get my 2nd birdie until round 27.

[webb1522]

  PJCdude said:

I would say for someone who has only played 4 rounds, focus on eliminating double bogey and the birdies will come.

Thanks for this, more of a logical goal. Now that summer is passing I won't be able to play as often as I like(work in education)but I'm going to try to hit the range as often as possible.

[PJCdude]

  webb1522 said:

Thanks for this, more of a logical goal. Now that summer is passing I won't be able to play as often as I like(work in education)but I'm going to try to hit the range as often as possible.

I feel you're pain man. I'm a teacher. However, we tend to get out earlier than other jobs and can sometimes hit the course around 330-4 PM and squeeze 18 in during twilight!

[webb1522]

  PJCdude said:

I feel you're pain man. I'm a teacher. However, we tend to get out earlier than other jobs and can sometimes hit the course around 330-4 PM and squeeze 18 in during twilight!

I'm an Instructional assistant on the path to becoming a teacher, and I coach the JV basketball team. Weekdays are packed. Goal is to play at least 3 Saturdays a month when we don't have tourneys for bball, and hit when I can at one of the local ranges. But you're right, can't beat the schedule of someone who teaches.

[fozgolf]

I've just started playing regularly this summer and have 2 birdies in over a dozen rounds and the first one was the first time I went out on the last hole I played in the rain before lightning scared me off course. The key for high handicappers? Luck. I'dbe happy with more than a couple pars per round at this point.

[vangator]

I remember I had a par on the 11th hole I played. That was a while ago.

[Grndslmhttr3]

It took me like a year to make my first birdie. They're not easy to get. Like others have said, since you're new to golf, making birdies isn't what you should be focusing on. Doing so just puts unnecessary pressure on yourself. If you stick to your game and focus on reducing bad shots and blow-up holes then you will start making them once in a while. I've only made a handful this season. Good luck!

[David in FL]

As others have said, you're going to get very frustrated very quickly. Birdies are hard to come by, even for very experienced, relatively skilled players. A lot of golfers may not get any in an entire year, and it could take a year or more before you do too. Of course, it could also happen tomorrow.... Start easy.....no triple bogies and no more than 2 3-putts, or some such thing wold be great. This is a HARD game, and if you don't recognize and accept that early on, you're not going to enjoy it......well, either that or we'll be watching you on TV one of these days. One or the other! ;-) Welcome to the site, and the madness of thus silly game! :beer:

[FooFader]

  David in FL said:

As others have said, you're going to get very frustrated very quickly. Birdies are hard to come by, even for very experienced, relatively skilled players. A lot of golfers may not get any in an entire year, and it could take a year or more before you do too. Of course, it could also happen tomorrow....

Start easy.....no triple bogies and no more than 2 3-putts, or some such thing wold be great. This is a HARD game, and if you don't recognize and accept that early on, you're not going to enjoy it......well, either that or we'll be watching you on TV one of these days. One or the other!

Welcome to the site, and the madness of thus silly game!

I recommend you heed this advice @webb1522 . This game is hard but it is a lot of fun! I would say as someone new to the game forget about birdies! Play with the mindset of bogey is good, par is a bonus but try to keep anything more than double bogeys off the card.

One of my favourite sayings I've heard is simply, "Par is good, just make pars"... I think it came from Mark Crossfield actually

[Patch]

My game has always lived, or died on making a lot of pars during a round. Although I do sink putts for birdies, they are not as frequent as I would like. Even back when I was breaking 80 on a decent basis, it was the pars that were most responsible for the lower scores. Par is a pretty important aspect in golf.

[mtthwdrn]

I've been playing since April and I have two birdies. One was on a par 3, I left myself a three foot putt for birdie. The last one was a chip in from the fringe on a par 5. I celebrated those suckers like I had won the Open. The last one was luck the first one I didn't worry about until it rolled in. Right now bogey is my goal. Bogey every hole and you score 90. Like everyone has said, worry about taking the doubles and worse off your scorecard and the birdies will follow.

[fozgolf]

Any tips on how to make bogeys feel good for those of us shooting over 100? Even knowing if I bogeyed all holes I'd shoot my lowest round ever I still feel let down not making par. Which makes no sense because I am lucky to make 2 or 3 pars a round currently. Last time I played I tried thinking that par on every hole was +1 (so pars 4, 5, 6) but gave up after a few holes. I might try taking a sharpie to black out the par line on the score card and writing in the new par on a blank line and see if that helps.

[JP golf]

Great job on your 100!  My suggestion is to not worry about birdies yet, they will come.  A good goal would be to go "bogey - double bogey - bogey - double bogey - bogey" etc...  if you alternate bogey and double bogey every hole you will shoot 99 on a par 72 course and break 100....  after that, start eliminating those bogeys and try to get down to bogey golf..  Good luck, and avoid hazards and penalties and you will see your scores drop quick!

[JP golf]

  fozgolf said:

Any tips on how to make bogeys feel good for those of us shooting over 100? Even knowing if I bogeyed all holes I'd shoot my lowest round ever I still feel let down not making par. Which makes no sense because I am lucky to make 2 or 3 pars a round currently. Last time I played I tried thinking that par on every hole was +1 (so pars 4, 5, 6) but gave up after a few holes. I might try taking a sharpie to black out the par line on the score card and writing in the new par on a blank line and see if that helps.

You can throw par out the window...    Play Quota Golf... and there are a couple ways to approach this based on trying to keep you around 100...

Mental Strategy number 1: Score Quotas

(regardless of par)

You have a quota for 5's......  you need to score 5 on 10 holes or more

You have a quota for 6's......  you need to score 6 on 8 holes.....

Reach your quota and you shoot 98....

Mental Strategy number 2: Points Quota

5 points  -  Birdie

3 points  -  Par

2 points  -  Bogie

1 point    -  Double Bogey

Try to score 25-27 points to stay somewhere near 100..

[AmazingWhacker]

Other than a few lucky shots on short par 3's, I didn't birdie any holes my first couple years of playing.  I do make some birdies now on par 4's and especially par 5's . .but, I know it sounds strange probably, birdies aren't really something I think about or try for . . .when it happens, I'm always amazed.  First of all, I don't really consider myself as having a real "birdie chance" unless I'm within 10 feet .. and that just doesn't happen that often.  And when it does, there's this "birdie jinx" thing that happens where, if you realize a putt is for birdie then it's instantly twice as hard of a putt.

At my particular place in the progression of my game, I would much rather make 9 pars and no double bogies than a couple triples, 2 birdies, etc, etc.  Making birdies, for me, involves luck but making par is something I can do if I'm playing well.

[NJpatbee]

As others have said, you certainly have high ambitions for someone just starting.  I have played 20 rounds this year and have 2 birdies, and as around an 18 handicap If I get 6 pars on a round I am on target to reach my goal of shooting in the 80's if I avoid any triples and limit my doubles.  Birdies are a bonus and you will get a kick out of your first one. but you sound like you are making good progress for you first season - have fun and it will happen.