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Is score the most important thing to you? If so, you might want to rethink this game.


Lihu
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Scoring  

45 members have voted

  1. 1. Is Score the Most Important Thing to You?



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In the end no matter what the score is, one should enjoy the fact when they improve.
Getting to the next level and maintaining that level of play doesn't happen with a few good or bad scores.
Also, it's important to "Look Good" like @DaveP043 while your playing ... :-)

 

Johnny Rocket - Let's Rock and Roll and play some golf !!!

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9 minutes ago, ScouseJohnny said:

It's curious - to place the quote in context, Shivas Irons is fastidious about the proper recording of the score (Murphy's "waggle" that knocks the ball off the tee with his driver costs him a shot) - even though they are only playing a practice round, but he acknowledges that the score is not the important thing.

A few years back I was having the round (for me) of my life. -1 for the round as I hit my tee shot on the 12th hole, whereupon I promptly took a 14. Recording the 14 for that hole felt a lot better than "pick up and take the snowman" (which my buddies encouraged).

Played OK on the remaining holes, finished the right side of my handicap for the round. A beautiful spring day, hit some great shots...that's what's golf is all about, isn't it?

14 strokes on one hole is very painful. You played an otherwise amazing round though. . .

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When it comes to score, I prefer the round that I hit good shots and but couldn't finish versus the round I score better because putts were dropping from places I wouldn't normally drop it.  Eg.  my two best rounds I had a 64 and 65.  The 64 came from sinking putts from 20-30ft all day.  I hit a lot of greens, sure but I wasn't in places that I'm thinking this putt has to go in.  The 65 came because I stuck my approach shots close a lot and had tap ins for birdie.  It felt better.

In practice, I prefer a round that if I'm hitting my shots like I want to as in within 5-10ft of where I want to end up, I'm happy no matter what the score is.  Yes the score is what counts, but it's just a score.  What counts is what I have to work on next.  That 64 and 65 was great, but I still missed shots.  I'm super stoked to have those scores, but I also want to make them better because not all my shots that day were good.

In competition, the score absolutely is what counts.  If you hit a good shot, good, make the next one good also.  If you hit a bad shot, too bad, move on and make the next one good.  And finish as strong as you can.  

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Philip Kohnken, PGA
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22 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

what really sticks out in my memory is those specific shots that went exactly as visualized

Glad I read through and saw this so I didn't get too redundant, but this is what I felt throughout the read.

I'd venture to say that most of us love competing to, at least, some degree.  When I'm out on the course, sure, that specific day's score matters most in the heat of the moment.  However, I would not be able to recall or tell the story of an entire round weeks/months later as to how I arrived at a good or bad score...or what the score actually was.  What I can recall (along with those perfectly flushed shots) are some awesomely bad moments that make the best stories and laughs.  That feeling of perfect contact is such a high to chase. 

"Dude...remember when you flew the green and hit the roof of the clubhouse?"

"Yup - perfect 6-iron right over the flag...just forgot about wind" 

 

As someone who pays to play vs. getting paid to play...I'd be in for a long ride if score was the only thing worth remembering.

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- Bill

 

 

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One of my best rounds in my young career came in my first year, but I dont look back on it fondly as I remember how fluky it was.

The round I look back on most fondly had a 4 putt and I think 3 3-putts simply because of my tee and approach shot quality.

I keep score but it doesnt hurt me as much as bad strokes-gained values on tee and approach shots.

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I'm coming from this from a perspective where I typically score okay. And when I try to score well I can do a pretty good job of doing that.

The other things - being outside, enjoying the company, exercise - you get those things whether you're playing for a score or playing to hit the ball well. So I don't think those are really part of the equation - they can always be there.

I think, for me, most of my rounds I'm looking to hit good shots. If I do that, the score usually takes care of itself. I'd rather hit a great shot to 20 feet and two-putt than thin one up to a kick-in range.

I'd rather hit good shots. Score is not the most important thing to me. Most of the time.

But it's okay if that's just me.

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I just like to play the game.

Of course I like to shoot low, and perform well considering how much time I spend trying to improve my game.

Though it's certainly important, score is only one measurement of performance.

 

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3 hours ago, Lihu said:

Yeah, but do you feel like these rounds were good? The score says so, but doesn't it feel like there was more luck involved?

 

I've accepted since I was 14 hitting drives into the woods that shot making was the difference between 80 and 90. It's the ability to get it to the next target from where it lies that is the game for me. Only the next shot matters. My goal is to par but a bird is nice. The score is the result of success and failure. I keep it as simple as possible. I enjoy every round I play. What to work on is revealed in the GIR"s, etc.

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In the end, to me, score does matter the most to me when I'm playing.  I'm with @iacas on this one though in that when I look back at a round I often find myself critiquing my shots on whether or not I struck them the way I intended.  My most memorable rounds are ones where I struck the ball really, really well.  Those happen to be some of my best scoring rounds as well.

Louis Pasteur once said, "Fortune favors the prepared."  Maybe, but I want low scores to come through great play rather than great luck.

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Fairways and Greens.

Dave
 

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I can kind of relate to where you are coming from.  Last Saturday I played phenomenal for the beginning of Feburary.  Was hitting fairways, greens, and putts.  Posted a 39 on the front (which is good for me even when the course isn't in wet winter conditions) and then played a slightly bumpy but effective back (birdies off setting some bogies).  Get to 18 thinking I have either a 77 (birdie) - 79 (bogey) locked up.  Proceed to double bogey the hole for an 80 (bad chip, and 3 putts).  I'm still annoyed at myself for that one hole, because it reads 80 instead of 79.  I really should be happier considering what time of year it is and how well I was striking the ball, unfortunately the me who demands I break 80 constantly (currently he is slightly delusional...hoping to change that) looks at that 80 as a failure.

That aside, I've had days where I've feel like I played awful and scored reasonably well (I shot an 36 on the front last year with 4 drives that didn't travel 150 yards....I was a scrambling king), but typically if I feel I'm playing well, I tend to score pretty well.  Normally the worst good day I could have would be an 83 and then it's simply a day where everything clicks except I burn edges all day long on the greens.

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1 hour ago, iacas said:

I'd rather hit a great shot to 20 feet and two-putt than thin one up to a kick-in range.

I'd rather hit good shots. Score is not the most important thing to me. Most of the time.

But it's okay if that's just me.

Not just you.

This describes my feelings about this topic exactly.

 

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1 hour ago, iacas said:

I think, for me, most of my rounds I'm looking to hit good shots. If I do that, the score usually takes care of itself. I'd rather hit a great shot to 20 feet and two-putt than thin one up to a kick-in range.

I'd rather hit good shots. Score is not the most important thing to me. Most of the time.

+1

From the land of perpetual cloudiness.   I'm Denny

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At this point in my life the score takes priority.  I'm doing what I can to win a tournament again in the amateur tour in which I play.  My competitive years have become  very few.  When those years end then I'll out on the course taking pleasure in the occasional strike on the sweet spot.  And I'll be happy with that...... then, not now.

Another masochist ensnared by golf

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The answer would mainly depend on who I'm playing with; certainly if I'm playing with family then score isn't the most important thing, trying to teach my son the game, or enjoying a few beers with a couple of my uncles and cousins is often enough to make it a great round (a good score never hurts).
I can still remember the last round that I played with 2 of my uncles and one of my aunts...and I couldn't tell you anything about what I shot those days.

Players play, tough players win!

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Depends I guess. Some of the time score is most important because I'm playing in a group for a couple bucks, in a member-guest, etc. Other times like when I play nine by myself, business golf or get together like I did with @DaveP043, @tristanhilton85 and @Golfingdad my goal is more just to "play well" and hit good shots. 

Overall I enjoy hitting solid shots over grinding out a good score so I voted "No". Not saying I don't like shooting a good score but I want to feel somewhat confident in my game. I could never "handle" playing golf like Phil Mickelson, I want to be like Zach Johnson. Hit the same shot over and over again and be boring as hell.

I think many of us have experienced this but when we focus more on just hitting quality shots, doing the best we can with the shot in front of us, good scores tend to happen.

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Mike McLoughlin

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Look, I want to get better at golf, and I do work on it (excepting the sometimes months on end where I don't)... but some of my favorite rounds I've played had high scores.  I've also had poor experiences with lower ones.  

My desire to get better and shoot lower scores is there, but that isn't why I play.

-- Michael | My swing! 

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34 minutes ago, mvmac said:

I could never "handle" playing golf like Phil Mickelson, I want to be like Zach Johnson. Hit the same shot over and over again and be boring as hell.

+1

Chris.:roll:

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