Are you getting better?

[arturo28mx]

After three years of attempting to play serious golf once a week I'm finally being able to hit down on the ball and take a small divot (I used to be a sweeper). The feeling off the face of the club is incredible and my consistency has improved considerably. I'm happy.

[CarlOwen]

no scoring improvement at all this year. I'm still stuck in the 82-90 area despite finally learning how to hit out of the sand and how not to 3 putt so often.

It seems like it's always something. Amazing stretches followed by breaking down completely, recovering, playing well, then falling apart once again.

Case in point

Hole 1 par 4 birdie  (260 yd drive, 100 PW into green 5 feet from pin)

Hole 2 par 4 par      (just a good solid par)

Hole 3 par 5 bogey  (it seemed to all start here,after a great drive took a bad bounce and required a recovery shot)

Hole 4 par 3 double (chunked an iron 80 yards, hit a recovery shot to the green and 3 putted)

Hole 5 par 4 bogey  (nothing exceptional here)

Hole 6par 4 double   (what I thought was a great drive left me with no clear shot to the pin. second shot mishit into deep rough, third shot near impossible, 4th shot on green two put)

Hole 7 par 5 bogey    (just a tough hole, 3 putt)

Hole 8 par 3 bogey    (nothing exceptional)

Hole 9 par 4 bogey    (nothing exceptional)

7 over for a 43

The holes are different but the script is the same.

[iacas]

  mcanadiens said:

What about the reverse of this question? Have you ever said that you are playing worse after your scores drop?

Yes. I have.

I dropped my handicap from 2.7 to 1.8 and promptly signed up for lessons… the first I'd ever taken lessons… because I was so aggravated with how I was striking the ball.

[Gary L]

  CarlOwen said:

no scoring improvement at all this year. I'm still stuck in the 82-90 area despite finally learning how to hit out of the sand and how not to 3 putt so often.

It seems like it's always something. Amazing stretches followed by breaking down completely, recovering, playing well, then falling apart once again.

Case in point

Hole 1 par 4 birdie  (260 yd drive, 100 PW into green 5 feet from pin)

Hole 2 par 4 par      (just a good solid par)

Hole 3 par 5 bogey  (it seemed to all start here,after a great drive took a bad bounce and required a recovery shot)

Hole 4 par 3 double (chunked an iron 80 yards, hit a recovery shot to the green and 3 putted)

Hole 5 par 4 bogey  (nothing exceptional here)

Hole 6par 4 double   (what I thought was a great drive left me with no clear shot to the pin. second shot mishit into deep rough, third shot near impossible, 4th shot on green two put)

Hole 7 par 5 bogey    (just a tough hole, 3 putt)

Hole 8 par 3 bogey    (nothing exceptional)

Hole 9 par 4 bogey    (nothing exceptional)

7 over for a 43

The holes are different but the script is the same.

What's missing from your recap is "nice up and down."   "Nothing exceptional" sounds like you missed the green in reg, hit a mediocre chip or pitch and 2-putted from 15-30 ft.  If you've been fighting 3-putts, I'm guessing you're leaking strokes on those off-the-green short-game shots as well.  How's your chipping and pitching?

[CarlOwen]

yes, that means I missed the green by whatever number of yards, hit a pitch shot and two putted. For example, my second shot into the par 4 9th was about 175 yards to the green, but it was knocked down by the wind and I found myself 15 yds from the green. My pitch shot was about 10 feet from the hole and I two putted.

The point is, it seems like it's always something that gets in the way of making improvement on the scorecard.

[deronsizemore]

Yes. I feel like this year is the best year I've had on the golf course and the funny thing is I've not practiced anywhere near as much as I used to (between work and kids). In prior years, I would go to the range three or four days per week and beat balls and also practice my short game on my lunch breaks for 40 minutes or so three or four days per week. This year, I have went to the range exactly two times (except for a few warm up balls before each round). I've also not been able to work on my short game like I have in previous years either. That tells me my swing is getting better and is more repeatable even without hitting hundreds of balls each week.

[joekelly]

Ten thousand historical data points indicate that i am stuck on 100.  Regardless of improvement in area 'drive', increased failure in area 'putt', so average never changes.

[davechen]

I'm playing better this year than last.  Last year I was shooting around 50 over 9 holes, and this year it's more like 45-46.

In my 9 hole league, last year my handicap was a 10 which is the max allowed.  My real 9 hole handicap was probably around 12 or so.  This year it got down to 7, although my scores have drifted up a bit this month.  Last month I shot scores 40, 42 and 43.  This month it's more like 46s.

The things that helped me improve have been trying to take to heart the comments on my My Swing thread .  Trying to keep a steady head has made my ball striking more consistent.  I still duff the ball occasionally, but less than I used to.  I've been taking lessons from some local pros too.  Also that Quickie Pitching video has made my short game more consistent.

[Zeph]

I was getting better at the time when I had time to practice and work on my swing. Got down to 10-12 in handicap. Then I started school again and didn't have much time for practice anymore. What time I could spend on golf, I dedicated to the course instead. I haven't been able to keep my handicap by just playing golf. I probably could at a higher handicap, but when I got close to single I needed the work to keep the handicap. So the last few years I've been going up and down.

[Judah Ben-Hur]

I know I'm getting worse.  It seems there is no consistency at all.  One day I can hit the fairways or just off then the last few times out is has been downright ugly.  Today was duck hook day and I think I could probably throw the ball farther than taking a swing at it.  The irons were like rolling the dice.  Top it and then hit it fat.  I'd take the tops because they go farther.  lol  I haven't been out to practice at a range since early summer and it shows.  I did take a 1 hour lesson a few weeks ago and my driving was spot on the two times I went out after that.  I also wasn't afraid to take the woods out of the bag after that session.  Then the back and shoulder problems had me throttling things down a few notches.  My how things change when sitting out for ailments.  I have even been taking a few extra strokes when things get backed up but that isn't much help.  The nearest driving ranges are 35 and 50 minutes away.  I have been trying to get to the course every day that I have off.  I can't golf when working dayshift because I'm gone from 4:30 am to 8:30 pm.  I pay the price when golfing before going to work on nights.  Shouldn't be on the roads or working around machinery when indulging in getting a round in before work.  The back troubles the past month have sidelined me for two weeks on the course and 1 week of work.  As much as I hate the work I do, I don't want to be calling off.  The last 4 times that I have gone out I have walked off on the 10th (back & shoulder), 11th (back & shoulder), 13th via the shorthcut to the 18th (major migraine brewing-time to check out before things get real nasty), and today I packed it in without putting out on the 12th.  Things were backing up and I was playing downright awful.  Time to get out of there because the longer I have to wait is more time for thinking.  That isn't a good thing.  I shouldn't have gone out because my head was still feeling like a bomb went off from yesterdays ordeal and the back feels like it could go at anytime.  .

I told myself today when I got to the 556 yard Par 5 tee box that if I didn't make par or better that I would be packing it in.  Damn if I didn't hit a 242 yard drive about 4 inches into the rough, the ball was sitting up so I got the 3 wood out and took a few practice swings in that crap, damn if I didn't hit it clean and right on target that left me 94 yards out.  I smoked a pitching wedge nice and high that hit the fringe and dribbled just on the green.  I then drained a 25 foot putt and did a little birdy fist jab.  God that felt good...... for an instant.

I think I'm going to go back on that bet I made and pack it in for the year.  I'm sick of taking pills and I'm sick of me playing golf at this time.

[No Mulligans]

I signed up for six lessons, one hour for my wife and me (1/2 hour each).  So far I've had three of these 1/2 hour lessons.  The video tapes of my swing along with having specific things to work on have really helped.  So far we have worked on: posture, alignment, holding my spine angel (my biggest problem), take away, follow thru practicing punch shots.  Haven't worked on the downswing really, he has so far just left it alone.

At the first lessons initial video I was falling forward on my back-swing, compensating by lifting my arms and shoulders at impact, and had an ugly chicken-wing follow through. What an ugly swing it was, couldn't stand looking at the video.

There are still many flaws, especially in my downswing and lag, but my swing is looking way better than a couple of months ago.

My scores haven't improved though.

[Lihu]

  Judah Ben-Hur said:

I know I'm getting worse.  It seems there is no consistency at all.  One day I can hit the fairways or just off then the last few times out is has been downright ugly.  Today was duck hook day and I think I could probably throw the ball farther than taking a swing at it.  The irons were like rolling the dice.  Top it and then hit it fat.  I'd take the tops because they go farther.  lol  I haven't been out to practice at a range since early summer and it shows.  I did take a 1 hour lesson a few weeks ago and my driving was spot on the two times I went out after that.  I also wasn't afraid to take the woods out of the bag after that session.  Then the back and shoulder problems had me throttling things down a few notches.  My how things change when sitting out for ailments.  I have even been taking a few extra strokes when things get backed up but that isn't much help.  The nearest driving ranges are 35 and 50 minutes away.  I have been trying to get to the course every day that I have off.  I can't golf when working dayshift because I'm gone from 4:30 am to 8:30 pm.  I pay the price when golfing before going to work on nights.  Shouldn't be on the roads or working around machinery when indulging in getting a round in before work.  The back troubles the past month have sidelined me for two weeks on the course and 1 week of work.  As much as I hate the work I do, I don't want to be calling off.  The last 4 times that I have gone out I have walked off on the 10th (back & shoulder), 11th (back & shoulder), 13th via the shorthcut to the 18th (major migraine brewing-time to check out before things get real nasty), and today I packed it in without putting out on the 12th.  Things were backing up and I was playing downright awful.  Time to get out of there because the longer I have to wait is more time for thinking.  That isn't a good thing.  I shouldn't have gone out because my head was still feeling like a bomb went off from yesterdays ordeal and the back feels like it could go at anytime.  .

I told myself today when I got to the 556 yard Par 5 tee box that if I didn't make par or better that I would be packing it in.  Damn if I didn't hit a 242 yard drive about 4 inches into the rough, the ball was sitting up so I got the 3 wood out and took a few practice swings in that crap, damn if I didn't hit it clean and right on target that left me 94 yards out.  I smoked a pitching wedge nice and high that hit the fringe and dribbled just on the green.  I then drained a 25 foot putt and did a little birdy fist jab.  God that felt good...... for an instant.

I think I'm going to go back on that bet I made and pack it in for the year.  I'm sick of taking pills and I'm sick of me playing golf at this time.

While I'm really glad you averted your personal ultimatum, you probably should not set such lofty goals. Parring (or bettering) a 556 yard par 5 is a pretty big deal. IDK, your handicap as it is not currently listed, but unless you're like a 2 HI I would not expect you to make par or better.

Hope to see more posts from you and you keep on golfing no matter how badly you feel you are playing.

[No Mulligans]

I can't edit post 83 above.  I wanted to add a video from my last lesson.  This is a big improvement.

[Judah Ben-Hur]

  Lihu said:

While I'm really glad you averted your personal ultimatum, you probably should not set such lofty goals. Parring (or bettering) a 556 yard par 5 is a pretty big deal. IDK, your handicap as it is not currently listed, but unless you're like a 2 HI I would not expect you to make par or better.

Hope to see more posts from you and you keep on golfing no matter how badly you feel you are playing.

It was one of the many things I was saying today.  The rest probably cannot be repeated on here without getting some time off from the site.

It was just something that blurted out as I was getting ready to tee off.

No, I don't expect to be out making birdies, pars, or even bogeys with reckless abandon.  I just find it funny how one moment everything is just peachy then the next is like the first time you ever tried to hit a ball.  Ebb and flow taken to the extremes.  I liken my game to Ping Pong Golf.  Those crazy spins zipping the ball side to side and making life difficult.  Well, maybe interesting might be a better fit.

A snapshot of this day:

Number 1)  Tee off on 268 yard Par 4 that goes uphill to a two tier'd green.  After waiting and warming up for what seemed like 25 minutes for 3 people to get on with it. Out comes the driver for a duck hook left into the rough.  Better hit another in case it is lost in that stuff.  Duck hook left half the distance.  Here we go!   Found the first one and I'm 136 yards out.  My head is racing because I don't wan't to be long because the chip/pitch back will run off the green and possibly back down the fairway for 10 to 20 yards.  Do I go under the trees for some kind of punch shot that is not in my bag and try to go through all that high grass all the way up to the sides of green.  How about hitting it sideways to get back onto the fairway and try and salvage something.  Or do I do the rookie thing and try for some heroics by whacking it through the branches a ways out.  Out comes the 8 iron and sure enough it hit some stuff while sailing up there somewhere.  Out comes a sand wedge and putter for a look at what lies in store for me.  Five foot putt heading back down to the hole.  Fix my pitch mark and proceed to scuff the putter and leave 3 ft. for par.  Here we go!  Ah, drained that sucker.

Number 2)  214 yard Par 3,  Hit a 5 wood dead solid (ting) but never once seen the ball.  Where in the hell do these shots go?  Hit another with the same sound and seen it hit just right of the fairway before a sand bunker.  Get down there and cannot find it.  Look for it and hope maybe the other one pops up too.  Seen someone just hitting their second shot on #1 so I better get a move on.  Throw a ball up and into the rough.  Sand wedge get caught up in the thick stuff and ball lands on the fringe.  Next comes two skull numbers back and forth across the green.  Here we go!  Putt the damn thing and move on.  Make that 3 putt the damn thing and move along.  There comes a point when I have no idea how to score when all these shenanigans are happening.

Number 3)  245 yard Par 4 dog leg left.  Cannot go over the trees, must stay right of pole or loss of distance.  Tee box is moved way back from normal and something low out of the gate might have the potential of hitting a tee box.  Out comes the driver and off comes a duck hook left over a run off.  Very high grass from the looks of it.  Better hit another because history tells me I won't find it.  Next swing duck hooks not so far left but proceeds to hit the front of the woman's tee box and rockets straight up and into some overgrowth area in the run off.  I looked from a distance but decided not to poke around because all I need to complete this fiasco is getting bit by a copperhead.  I find the other ball but decide to give it a chuck over into "my" fairway.  It didn't quite make it and it took me about 3 minutes to find it.  Ok, just hit something straight so I can face this elusive green.  I don't remember what club I used but I topped it and she scooted up to the turn.  Know I'm well below the ball and proceed to whiff my tried and trusty 8 iron.  Next up is a little ticker with my tried and trusty 8 iron.  Since I've got the club in my hand, might as well use it again.  Hit a beauty that was 2 foot from the hole.  At this point I'm on the verge of something but I don't know what.  Leave the flag in and tap that sucker in.  Fix that pitch mark!

Number 4)  153 yard Par 3 hitting from high up.  First time I ever played this hole I hit an 8 iron and it landed 3 inches from the hole.  Ever since then, a 7 iron is pushing it and usually end up in one of the two sand bunkers in front.  Hit it solid but left into the rough. Pitch out and then proceed to do a little 3 putt number.

Number 5)  336 yard uphill Par 4 with a very small green.  I usually get out of here with a 9 or 10.  Out comes the driver and off comes a big old 180 yard slice into some browned out rough.  Ball is sitting above me and I'm clueless on what to use at this point.  What is in my bag that I can hit on this day at this very moment?  I hit a really fat 5 iron about 100 yards.  Next up is a Gap Wedge up on the green (hopefully).  Nope, a little to hot and its sitting on a downward slope.  Next up is two fluff shots that total about 3 feet.  I'm on the green but for God's sake don't put it over the edge.  I baby putted it 3 times but I didn't go over the edge.

Number 6)  323 yard Par 4.  Hit a driver solid and looked up and seen nothing.  Kept watching but nothing.  Where in the hell do these shots go?  Hit another it skidded off into the rough on the left.  I'm 58 yards out and Gap Wedged it 20 foot past the hole.  Two putted out of there.  Did not see any pitch marks.

Number 7)  350 yard Par 4 dog leg right.  Out comes the highest, nastiest slice in the past few weeks.  I didn't hear any windows or cars screeching so it must be in the basin next to the highway.  I don't wan't to hit another from the tee because I'm leary of breaking something the way things are going.  I can't find the ball down there so just drop one and move along.  I should have given myself something better but proceeded to whack one all the way through some tree line into the sand bunker next to the green.  I took the sand wedge and proceeded to hit it about 5 inches behind the ball.  The next one was a beauty tho'.  Two putts and some ladies are fast approaching from behind.

Number 8)  330 yard Par 4 dog leg right, two tiered green with the flag at the bottom.  Trouble with a capital T for me.  Out comes the driver and off comes a ticker about 30 yards away.  I hit another and a big old slice puts it under a pine the size of a Christmas tree.  Get that out of there and take a nice swing in the rough with a 4 iron and proceed to top.  Next swing has the ball shooting off the club face at a 45 degree angle to my right in the next fairway.  Now I got some big trees to deal with to get back to where I'm supposed to be.  Get that 9 iron out and show me what it can do.  I don't know why I choked up on it a little but I hit it about 10 feet from the hole.  For God's sake don't put too much on the putt or it will run off the green.  Wouldn't you know it, it ran off about 3 feet.  I've got that 9 iron still with me and chip it to within 2 feet.  I still have that 9 iron with me and try to putt with it not once but twice before.  Don't do that!

Number 10)  318 yard Par 4 uphill dog leg left.  Out comes the driver and off comes two duck hooks.  God this is pitiful.  The 3rd off the tee was straight but way short and dribbled into the rough.  In my haste, my alignment was not where it was supposed to be.  Like it really matters at this point.  My GPS is showing 150 yards and I usually come up way short because I'm standing on a very steep side hill and there is this big tree trunk a long ways out that I hit square one day from about the same spot.  Would you believe that the ball came back and landed about 3 feet from its original launching area that day?  lol  I mess around with my alignment because it does matter because there are people up there just finishing up and they might be watching.  Don't hit the tree, don't hit the tree.  Don't go left, sand, don't go left sand & water.  Off comes a nice hit from a 5 iron that ticks some leaves.  I can only see half the flag so the jury is still out if I zing it long and on the dreaded downward slope off the green.  I get up there and I'm looking at about a 2 ft. downhill putt.  I thought I heard someone say "Nice Shot".  They don't know all the bullshit that went on down below.  I proceed to lip that putt out and stood there for 20 seconds before the tap in.  Man you suck!  Fix that pitch mark, you know something must have happened when you do that.

Number 11)  366 yard Par 4  Tee box is moved way down from usual spot so it takes the slight dog leg to the left out.  At least the trees/woods on the left won't be in play like usual.  I wait this one out because I'm much closer and wait for the green to be clear.  I proceed to drive two of them into the woods on the left.  The first was duck hook, the other was a hasty re-tee and it was a straight rocket.  She made quite a racket whizzing through.  Man I've lost a ton of balls today.  I dig in the bag and get out a yellow Wilson 50 Elite.  I have trouble with the whites in the rough, these things are even worse.  Don't hit it in the rough!  I hit a beautiful drive just as straight as can be but not too far.  Things are held up on the 12th tee so I throw down three other balls and actually hit them near the green.  Pitched and chipped then proceeded to putt some awful strokes.  Must be the balls.  lol

Number 12) 290 yard Par 4 dog leg right.  Big willow trees line the right along with water.  I took the driver out and took quite a few practice swings because things were getting backed up.  I think I waited 20 minutes before I seen the carts get out of the way.  All this time means trouble.  Boy it would be nice to hit a nice straight drive to take the trees out of the picture like I've done before.  That probably isn't in the cards for today's mess.  What would be really cool if I could hit long with a slight fade to get closer to the hole.  I messed around with setup and smacked the Wilson really high and she faded just a bit.  It was heading for the big willows at the end and I heard some leaves then out she dropped and kicked a little to the left.  Had a hell of a time finding that ball because there was a ton of yellow/green leaves all over.  The ball was sitting on a open patch of hard dirt in a see of blotchy grass and leaves.  I had 53 yards to go and I don't think the trees would be in play for my Gap Wedge.  Well, maybe they might if everything works like the norm.  Nope, I topped the ball and it was racing towards the flag like it was possessed.  It missed by a couple of inches and off the back of the green she went.  Let's try that again.  The next shot was fat city by about 5 inches and it went off to the right.  That's when I said it's time to go, I've had enough.  I found both balls along with a yellow Top Flite DT Solo sitting in the grass like it was glowing.

I don't know what it is with these people that can't find their balls.  Sheesh!

[Gary L]

Went through the same excruciating experience.  Here's a chapter in my book that documents it.

Ray Bolt, the forty-year-old head pro at Mountain Lakes, was behind the pro shop counter when Andy walked in. “What’s going on, Andy.”

“Not much. Just looking for a game. Anyone going out?”

“There’s a single at 2:10. You can hook up with him.”

Andy checked his watch and frowned. Only ten minutes to hit range balls. He looked over at the Megadriver resting on the rack. He could take it out and use it during the round, but that might not be giving it the proper attention it needed. “Nothing around 2:40?”

“Nope, just open times or foursomes until after 3:30.”

Andy didn’t want to wait that long to play, and didn’t want to play by himself. He decided to give his old driver one more round to make good. “I’ll join the single.”

After changing into shorts and a golf shirt, Andy rushed down to the range and started swatting range balls rapid-fire to warm up. Before he even had a chance to hit his driver, he spied a solitary golfer walking toward the first hole. He shouldered his bag and hustled to the tee. “Can I join you?” he asked the stranger.

“Sure. I have to warn you, though, I’m not very good.” The man walked over and held out his hand. “Ben Perkins.”

Ben was as tall as Andy but heavier, with a bigger gut hanging over his dark green shorts, stretching his white and yellow striped shirt. He wore a crisp new ball cap with the Mountain Lakes logo over the bill.

“Andy Harris. Nice to meet you.” He motioned to the tee box. “Go ahead and hit.”

The elevated tee, 30 feet above the fairway, offered an intimidating view of the 550-yard par-5, which angled to the right about 270 yards out. A large lake guarded the left side, which scared the hell out of Andy. He didn’t name it, though, because he only hit into it about once every ten rounds. The rest of the time he steered his ball way to the right.  Toward the Black Forest.

The Black Forest was a stretch of dense pine trees running all the way down the right side from tee to green. Andy came up with the name one day after he flung one deep into the trees and noticed it getting darker and darker as he approached his ball, until the sun was almost completely blotted out by the towering pines.

The only good thing about the Forest was that it was so forbidding, nothing grew under the trees so the ground was just a thick blanket of pine needles. It offered a good chance to find the ball, but didn’t help in getting it out. One time he got so far into the trees he had to take his putter and croquet his ball three times just to get it where he could punch out.

Ben stepped onto the tee and made three jerky, stiff-legged practice swings, his arms never getting higher than parallel to the ground. His real swing was just as jerky, clipping a weak floater toward the Forest.

Andy pulled out his driver and teed a ball while running through his mental checklist of swing mechanics. Aiming well left of the fairway, he checked his grip, waggled the club three times, strengthened his grip and waggled the club three more times, adjusted the clubface, shifted his feet, waggled the club two more times to keep his arms loose, then whipped the club around with Tiger ferocity. His Titleist shot toward the lake, lifted into a high slice and worked its way back to the fairway, 230 yards from the elevated tee.

“Nice shot,” Ben said.

Pretty crappy , Andy thought. “Thanks,” he replied.

They walked off together to find Ben’s ball. “You’re not a member?”  Andy asked.

“Not yet. I thought I’d learn how to play first.  How about you?”

“Joined about a year and a half ago.”

“How do you like the club?”

“Fine. Nice bunch of guys. Nice course.”

“Ever have any trouble getting a tee time?”

“Not yet. There isn’t a lot of public play and the membership is small so I usually just show up without a time.”

They found Ben’s ball nestled in the rough at the edge of the trees. Ben pulled an iron and made another stiff-legged chop, scooting his ball ten yards through the heavy grass. His next shot got up in the air, flying past Andy’s ball before curving back into the right rough. Ben seemed emotionally unaffected by the result, and Andy admired him for his composure.

Andy caught his second shot cleanly—a 5-wood fade that left him 125 yards to the green. A 9-iron got him to within 25 feet, and two putts gave him an easy par.

It took Ben three more shots to reach the green, and three putts to hole out. On the second tee he pulled a scorecard from his back pocket. “Do you want me to keep your score?”

Andy shook his head. “That’s okay. I’m just out to work on my swing.”

After a par on two, a bogey on three and another par on four, Andy was stoked. Although he wasn’t hitting his driver like he wanted, it was his best start in a month. Maybe his slump had finally run its course. On top of that, at his current scoring pace he’d be four over after 16 holes; he could bogey 17 and 18 and still break 80.

The fifth hole at Mountain Lakes, a par-4 measuring 385 yards, doglegged to the right around a massive bunker Andy called the Gobi Desert. The hole looked as if it should accommodate his left-to-right shot nicely, but he’d played out of the Gobi more times than he could count.

Determined to impress Ben with a mammoth drive, he lined up toward the mounds on the left, went through his latest preshot routine and made his most powerful swing. At impact the driver twisted in his hands, causing a massive slice that sent his ball soaring toward the Gobi. The shot suddenly got worse when his ball missed the Gobi, kicked sideways off the side of the bunker and rolled out of bounds. Andy froze in horror, summoning all of his will-power to resist hurling his driver down the fairway. A few seconds later he backed off the side of the tee box, grumbling, “Go ahead.”

After Ben hit a chopper up the middle, Andy teed another ball, skipped his preshot routine entirely and swung as hard as he could again, hammering a rainbow slice into the Gobi.

He found his first ball in the middle of a homeowner’s garden, 20 feet past the OB stakes. He wanted to play it anyway and started thinking of reasons why he was being unfairly penalized. The garden was too close to the course. The bunker was too close to the OB stakes. Although both justifications made perfect sense, he still had one more problem: to play the ball he would have to scythe a bunch of flowers on his follow-through. Sighing hard, he pocketed the Titleist and went to play his other shot.

With his second ball sitting up cleanly on the sand, he gauged the distance, grabbed a 3-iron and, following the advice in his golf books, choked down and dug in his feet for stability. It didn’t do any good. The bottom edge of his club skulled the ball’s equator, shooting a bullet into the lip of the bunker.

“Dammit!” He slammed the 3-iron back in his bag and yanked out his sand wedge. Once over his ball, he realized he had no shot over the lip. He was so mad he slashed at it anyway. The ball thumped off the lip and bounced back two feet. He wound up and chopped at it once more, splashing the ball and a small bucket of sand over the edge of the trap.

In a fit of seething fury he whipped his wedge end-over-end across the cartpath, bouncing it into a large rhododendron. He’d finally snapped.  Finally thrown a club.  The act instantly stirred a mix of emotions—a measure of embarrassment for losing control, and a considerable amount of pleasure.

That pleasure turned to remorse when he fished the club out of the bush and noticed that the perimeter-weighted clubhead was angled in a strangely unnatural direction. The shaft was badly crimped a foot from the head, rendering the club useless. He’d lost his trusty wedge, broken its neck.  Staring numbly at the club, he analyzed the numbers: One club thrown, one club broken. A 100% breakage rate.

It took him four more strokes to hole out. As he walked off the green he added up his score . A ten and a broken club. Can it get any worse? He suddenly stopped in his tracks, hit by a vague dread that somehow it was worse. What was it? Maybe something connected to crossing the afternoon off of his appointment book. He replayed the previous Sunday again, trying to remember everything Carla had said. Did it have something to do with Matt . . . ?

“Oh, shit! I’ve gotta go.”

Ben turned toward him in surprise. “You’re quitting?”

“I forgot something important I was supposed to do. Sorry, I wish I could stay.” Andy didn’t wait for Ben’s reply. He hooked both arms over the bag across his back and started trotting back up the cartpath. Halfway to the fifth tee he veered into the trees, bobbed and weaved around some low-hanging branches and cut through someone’s yard. When he reached the road leading back to the clubhouse he broke into a run, cursing his own stupidity as he bounced down the street in his Softspikes.

[flopster]

Because I'm making more birdies one would think I'm playing better but I'm just not able to avoid the blowup holes that kill a score, just a small sample I birdie the first then double the second which is the easiest hole on the course, then I birdie the third and follow with another double on the fourth, I had 4 three putts and 2 where on the doubles of course, I followed with a couple more birdies on 10 and 18 but still can score no better than 81 on my round, I feel as if I could any day have a low round but blowup holes are just keeping it from happening, the course I play is fairly difficult the easier tees are a 135 slope so a bad shot here definitely gets more penalized than other places but I'm still frustrated with this feast and fathom type of scoring I'm doing, it's really hard to tell if I'm improving a whole lot.

[Gary L]

  flopster said:

Because I'm making more birdies one would think I'm playing better but I'm just not able to avoid the blowup holes that kill a score, just a small sample I birdie the first then double the second which is the easiest hole on the course, then I birdie the third and follow with another double on the fourth, I had 4 three putts and 2 where on the doubles of course, I followed with a couple more birdies on 10 and 18 but still can score no better than 81 on my round, I feel as if I could any day have a low round but blowup holes are just keeping it from happening, the course I play is fairly difficult the easier tees are a 135 slope so a bad shot here definitely gets more penalized than other places but I'm still frustrated with this feast and fathom type of scoring I'm doing, it's really hard to tell if I'm improving a whole lot.

Sounds like you've done a good gob of elinating those pesky pars.

[Moppy]

  Gary L said:

Sounds like you've done a good gob of elinating those pesky pars.

Ha ha ha! You know, I have more than a few times bogied  a hole because I was going for birdie instead of par.