Bogey Golfers Only (Index 16-22) / Breaking 90 Topic

[bostonboy9416]

I haven't exactly started late as I am 15 currently but I'm trying to make the jump from bogey golf/a few shots worse to just a few strokes above par, if not under. My swing has been for the last two years incredibly inconsistent, putting, chipping, irons, driver, everything works some days and doesn't the others. It is incredibly frustrating, however I think the changes I've been implementing the last few months are really starting to pay off. Keep grinding for everyone out there including myself who are trying to beat bogey golf and becoming par players or better.

[divot dave]

On 4/24/2016 at 2:12 AM, Jeremie Boop said:

Threw away a sub 90 game today, shot 91 with a 9 on a par 4 on the first hole after the turn... Had a rare no lost ball/no penalty shot round though, even though I struggled with the driver today. The course is one with 3 separate 9 hole courses, but the 2 9's we played had rating on the card of 69.8/119 so it wasn't exactly a tough course. Even so, it's the best round I've ever had there and the best round I've ever had this early in the season by far.

sounds like the 10th hole was a common theme this weekend. 

I was out playing a 27 hole tournament with my brother in law on Saturday... format was 9 holes better ball, 9 holes alternate shot, 9 holes captain's choice. We played really well the first 9 holes, netted a 3 under par (not sure what gross was exactly). Then came the 10th and the alternate shot format... decent drive, followed by a shank THRU the wooded area onto the adjacent fairway, then a failed attempt to get back onto our fairway putting the ball back in the wooded area... two strokes punching out of the wooded area, and carded a snowman. We actually carded two snowmen on the back 9, with a gross/net of 51/42. Needless to say, we did not win. lol

But the alternate shot format was actually the funnest of the 3, we had a good laugh at each others mistakes, something about being completely dependent on your teammate every other shot that made the whole experience rather humorous. 

anyway, all that to say, i feel your pain. 

[Jeremie Boop]

Followed up Saturday's pretty decent round with some decent golf Sunday as well. Unfortunately I did lose a few balls, but none of them were OB shots, there was just some overly long rough that swallowed up the errant shots. They weren't even all that bad, comparatively speaking. 17th hole I just picked up after 2 tee shots went in the same area and disappeared. Even so, if I just take esc on that hole it was a 16 over 88 with 8 pars. Unfortunately, since I played alone, the score is not postable. Just wish I could get my driver sorted out. Regardless, this year is starting out much better than I expected.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Jeremie Boop

[divot dave]

2 hours ago, Jeremie Boop said:

Followed up Saturday's pretty decent round with some decent golf Sunday as well. Unfortunately I did lose a few balls, but none of them were OB shots, there was just some overly long rough that swallowed up the errant shots. They weren't even all that bad, comparatively speaking. 17th hole I just picked up after 2 tee shots went in the same area and disappeared. Even so, if I just take esc on that hole it was a 16 over 88 with 8 pars. Unfortunately, since I played alone, the score is not postable. Just wish I could get my driver sorted out. Regardless, this year is starting out much better than I expected.

that's a rule!?

[Al B Tross]

12 minutes ago, divot dave said:

that's a rule!?

It is effective this year: http://www.usga.org/articles/2015/11/2016-handicap-changes--playing-alone.html 

[divot dave]

32 minutes ago, Al B Tross said:

It is effective this year: http://www.usga.org/articles/2015/11/2016-handicap-changes--playing-alone.html 

wow, thanks for posting that... 

[Lihu]

14 hours ago, bostonboy9416 said:

I haven't exactly started late as I am 15 currently but I'm trying to make the jump from bogey golf/a few shots worse to just a few strokes above par, if not under. My swing has been for the last two years incredibly inconsistent, putting, chipping, irons, driver, everything works some days and doesn't the others. It is incredibly frustrating, however I think the changes I've been implementing the last few months are really starting to pay off. Keep grinding for everyone out there including myself who are trying to beat bogey golf and becoming par players or better.

Just out of curiosity, how is 9HC in your profile a bogey golfer? I'd put you into the mid-capper category.

[bostonboy9416]

5 hours ago, Lihu said:

Just out of curiosity, how is 9HC in your profile a bogey golfer? I'd put you into the mid-capper category.

Have no idea how the handicap system works...if I'm a bogey golfer should it be closer to 18? If that's the case I'm used to playing 9 all the time, pretty new to the game

[Lihu]

10 minutes ago, bostonboy9416 said:

Have no idea how the handicap system works...if I'm a bogey golfer should it be closer to 18? If that's the case I'm used to playing 9 all the time, pretty new to the game

Yes, 9 over on 9 is closer to 18 handicap but maybe somewhere between 15 and 18 depending upon the course rating.

[Avalanche]

I shot a 42 in nine holes played over two days.  I ran out of daylight, so I went back and finished up.  (It wasn't going to be a round I could post since I played solo.)  Anyway, I'm just making this post to brag a little bit (since I seldom have anything to brag about):  I started out with birdies on #1 and #2!  First time I've ever had back to back birds.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I had two birdies in nine holes.  Both birdies were the result of *very* lucky approach shots that left me with fairly short putts.  On hole #2 I hit a 3-wood 186 yards up a slight hill to within 3 feet.  I could hit a bucket of 3W shots from that distance and not get within 10 feet.  lol

[Lihu]

7 minutes ago, Avalanche said:

I shot a 42 in nine holes played over two days.  I ran out of daylight, so I went back and finished up.  (It wasn't going to be a round I could post since I played solo.)  Anyway, I'm just making this post to brag a little bit (since I seldom have anything to brag about):  I started out with birdies on #1 and #2!  First time I've ever had back to back birds.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I had two birdies in nine holes.  Both birdies were the result of *very* lucky approach shots that left me with fairly short putts.  On hole #2 I hit a 3-wood 186 yards up a slight hill to within 3 feet.  I could hit a bucket of 3W shots from that distance and not get within 10 feet.  lol

Nice round, I guess you just didn't end the round and kept GG in hold mode or something overnight? You're definitely on your way to better golf!

[Avalanche]

2 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Nice round, I guess you just didn't end the round and kept GG in hold mode or something overnight? You're definitely on your way to better golf!

Actually, the GG unit started a new round the second day.  (If there's a way to stitch together two partial rounds, I don't know how to do it.)  So, to make it one nine instead of two part rounds, I added in the holes I didn't have recorded to go along with the other day's holes.  I generally do that when I forget to tag a club on a hole.  Since I scope the distance on most shots I know the yardages.  

[Lihu]

4 minutes ago, Avalanche said:

Actually, the GG unit started a new round the second day.  (If there's a way to stitch together two partial rounds, I don't know how to do it.)  So, to make it one nine instead of two part rounds, I added in the holes I didn't have recorded to go along with the other day's holes.  I generally do that when I forget to tag a club on a hole.  Since I scope the distance on most shots I know the yardages.  

Yeah, I noticed that as well. Thought you had a workaround. I sometimes even like to switch between my two courses as well, then I end a 2 hole round and play the other round. Kind of expected though.

In any case, you have that nice 9 hole round in your rounds list. Nice round!

[RandallT]

So I'm back in the "trying to break 90" mode now, I'd say it's official. I played once down in South Carolina to start the year. So ugly, a score wouldn't even do it justice. So I went to the range, focused hard, reviewed my previous video lessons, etc.

Then had an outing here in VA with some fellow SandTrap folks- I think I was mid-90s both rounds over that weekend. No problem, I thought I was just rusty. So I've hit the range, re-reviewed my lessons. I was ready to go inaugurate with a good round at my regular muni that is much easier than any of the three courses I'd played so far this year.

95 today. Flubs. Shanks. 43/52, so I started pretty well. At the turn, I thought mid-80s would be pretty achievable given how I felt over the ball. Then the wheels came off, and it felt like I'd be lucky to even break 100. 

So, it's not a great feeling that I need to admit to myself that I've backtracked quite a bit, but the numbers are the numbers. I'm a 90s player right now, and I need to get way more consistent if I expect to see 80s golf again. Damn, golf is hard. 

[Lihu]

10 minutes ago, RandallT said:

So I'm back in the "trying to break 90" mode now, I'd say it's official. I played once down in South Carolina to start the year. So ugly, a score wouldn't even do it justice. So I went to the range, focused hard, reviewed my previous video lessons, etc.

Then had an outing here in VA with some fellow SandTrap folks- I think I was mid-90s both rounds over that weekend. No problem, I thought I was just rusty. So I've hit the range, re-reviewed my lessons. I was ready to go inaugurate with a good round at my regular muni that is much easier than any of the three courses I'd played so far this year.

95 today. Flubs. Shanks. 43/52, so I started pretty well. At the turn, I thought mid-80s would be pretty achievable given how I felt over the ball. Then the wheels came off, and it felt like I'd be lucky to even break 100. 

So, it's not a great feeling that I need to admit to myself that I've backtracked quite a bit, but the numbers are the numbers. I'm a 90s player right now, and I need to get way more consistent if I expect to see 80s golf again. Damn, golf is hard. 

What's going on? I remember you were listed as a 10 at one point. Is it trouble off the tee? New clubs? Something?

[divot dave]

7 minutes ago, RandallT said:

So I'm back in the "trying to break 90" mode now, I'd say it's official. I played once down in South Carolina to start the year. So ugly, a score wouldn't even do it justice. So I went to the range, focused hard, reviewed my previous video lessons, etc.

Then had an outing here in VA with some fellow SandTrap folks- I think I was mid-90s both rounds over that weekend. No problem, I thought I was just rusty. So I've hit the range, re-reviewed my lessons. I was ready to go inaugurate with a good round at my regular muni that is much easier than any of the three courses I'd played so far this year.

95 today. Flubs. Shanks. 43/52, so I started pretty well. At the turn, I thought mid-80s would be pretty achievable given how I felt over the ball. Then the wheels came off, and it felt like I'd be lucky to even break 100. 

So, it's not a great feeling that I need to admit to myself that I've backtracked quite a bit, but the numbers are the numbers. I'm a 90s player right now, and I need to get way more consistent if I expect to see 80s golf again. Damn, golf is hard. 

[begin rant]

I so feel your frustration... sometimes leaves me wondering if this sport is for me. How is it I can put so much effort into something, so much time, and have very little to show in proportion? Seriously, nothing I have undertaken in recent memory has required so much from me and yielded so little... 

I feel like I may be a bogey golfer for another 5 or more years... at my current rate anyway. 

[end rant]

Hope you can rediscover your rhythm. The golf drift is a very un-enjoyable reality. 

[RandallT]

6 minutes ago, Lihu said:

What's going on? I remember you were listed as a 10 at one point. Is it trouble off the tee? New clubs? Something?

I think I got as low as a 12 index once, near when I started on TST and I was recording scores for handicap. At some point, I stopped cold-turkey with the golf apps and just went out to enjoy myself, and started to take lessons for the first time in my life to learn how to really swing the club. I learned how horribly steep I was, how OTT I was, and I haven't worried about score since. My focus has been to learn a decent swing. I'm pretty patient, and I've been hoping that a better swing would be more reliable, but that would come in time. 

So during the swing change, I didn't really track my score (no biggie to me, since I don't compete), but generally my median round was a bit better than bogey golf. Last season, I was typically 2 or 3 under bogey golf, some better, some worse. So I put down a 14 for my index. Not as good as when I started lessons, but I was playing a lot less than when I kept an index.

I've kinda thought this season would be a couple bad rounds, and then I'd zoom into the 80s with ease. My swing is FAR better than i started (I think). But apparently, I was overconfident in that.

Anyway, to answer your question, it's too many lost balls on tee shots, and inconsistency from the fairway. I think my short game is ballpark where it needs to be. No three putts today, and I sank a couple mid-range putts. My group said my putting was on-fire when we shook hands. I should've chipped closer a couple times, but I haven't practiced that, and I think I'll improve that by playing more rounds.

One example from today, I was 225 out on a shortish par 5 for my 2nd shot after a nice drive. I chose a nice easy 5-iron to safe area to avoid trouble near the green and give myself a nice pitch to get on in regulation. Nope- shanked it right into a creek, and punched out my 4th to struggle to just make double-bogey. Stuff like that. I felt great over the ball, and I felt like I made a nice swings mostly. I had a few of those today, and they were all on the back 9, so maybe I was just tiring. My good shots were pretty good, but too many loose iron approaches that made bogey my normal score, rather than a two-putt par. My irons had decent trajectory, but right/left/long- not often good enough to get on the green. Throw in some blow up holes, and there's the 95.

 

1 minute ago, divot dave said:

Hope you can rediscover your rhythm. The golf drift is a very un-enjoyable reality. 

Yah, let's hang in there. I think I'm out of golf shape a bit. I typically walk 18s, and today I was really struggling on the back 9 trudging up and down the hills. Hitting crappy shots into the woods isn't too enjoyable, but I finished my round today with a regulation par on an uphill 390yd par 4, which was pretty satisfying after the performance on the previous 3 holes! There's always hope.

[divot dave]

1 minute ago, RandallT said:

Yah, let's hang in there. I think I'm out of golf shape a bit. I typically walk 18s, and today I was really struggling on the back 9 trudging up and down the hills. Hitting crappy shots into the woods isn't too enjoyable, but I finished my round today with a regulation par on an uphill 390yd par 4, which was pretty satisfying after the performance on the previous 3 holes! There's always hope.

Its always that one hole or one shot that keeps us coming back... damn golf gods... they know how to keep us hooked