Age and lowest score: What's the diff?

[Piz]

I'll be 61 in a few weeks time.  My lowest score, on a par 72, is 76.  So I'm 15 years shy of my lowest score.  How about y'all?

[Golfingdad]

5 minutes ago, Piz said:

I'll be 61 in a few weeks time.  My lowest score, on a par 72, is 76.  So I'm 15 years shy of my lowest score.  How about y'all?

Shouldn't the comparison be between the score and your age at the time you shot said score?  I shot a 73 last year sometime while I was 42, so I guess my differential is 31.

If we get to go by best score versus current age, regardless of when it was shot, I'll say 30.

[Piz]

I was just wondering, with a birthday coming up, how likely it was that I would ever shoot my age.  I honestly believe I can do better than a 76 before the end; but, realistically speaking, I would have to maintain my current level of competence for 15 years...and duplicate my lowest score.  That seems a little unlikely; but not completely delusional.  In other words: How close to your age, given the state of your game, can you reasonably expect to get?

[David in FL]

9 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Shouldn't the comparison be between the score and your age at the time you shot said score?  I shot a 73 last year sometime while I was 42, so I guess my differential is 31.

If we get to go by best score versus current age, regardless of when it was shot, I'll say 30.

Yeah.  

I shot 72 at 56, 73 at 57, and a couple of 74's this year at 58.  All differentials of 16.

I did shoot a 58 at my dad's par 60 executive course last year, but I can't, in good conscience count that.  Not for breaking par either.  One of these days though....  

[Fourputt]

3 years.  Best score on a par 72 is 73, and I'm 70.  However, that 73 happened in 1989, so I'm not holding my breath about shooting my age.  Maybe if I live to be 110. 

[David in FL]

3 minutes ago, Piz said:

I was just wondering, with a birthday coming up, how likely it was that I would ever shoot my age.  I honestly believe I can do better than a 76 before the end; but, realistically speaking, I would have to maintain my current level of competence for 15 years...and duplicate my lowest score.  That seems a little unlikely; but not completely delusional.  In other words: How close to your age, given the state of your game, can you reasonably expect to get?

Assuming I play tees appropriate to my age, I hope to shoot my age some day.  

[Hardspoon]

My differential is 53 (and my best score was this year, so that doesn't change the calculation).  I'm not young, I'm just bad at golf.

[Golfingdad]

6 minutes ago, Piz said:

In other words: How close to your age, given the state of your game, can you reasonably expect to get?

Well, I'm still improving (albeit slowly right now and with a couple of hiccups this year) and I have sort of an informal goal of breaking par one of these days.  I'd also really like to take the next step and break 70 too someday.  I don't think either of those is entirely out of the question in the next couple of years, so based on that I'll say my reasonable differential is 24 - which is to say I can hopefully shoot a 69 in another 16 months, after I turn 45.

8 minutes ago, David in FL said:

I did shoot a 58 at my dad's par 60 executive course last year, but I can't, in good conscience count that.  Not for breaking par either.

Yeah, I have a 70 last year on a par 71 course that is all of 5619 yards so I'm not counting that one towards either goal either.

[billchao]

If I'm patient enough I'll be able to shoot my age... over nine holes 

I know a guy who came close. He shot 78 when he was 76. I think that was the last time he broke 80. 

[bkuehn1952]

Today it was a 78 at age 64.  The closest so far was a 72 at age 63 (or 62, too lazy to check).  There may be a "shoot my age" in this carcass but I am not expecting it real soon. 

[Piz]

This could be an interesting side stat: Subtract each participants age from their total and see who comes out on top.  Ought to be worth, at least, a cold one.

[Golfingdad]

9 minutes ago, bkuehn1952 said:

There may be a "shoot my age" in this carcass but I am not expecting it real soon. 

It's such a clever milestone because there are so many ways to do it.  You can be an exceptional golfer and do it before you turn 70, or you can be a really mediocre golfer who is able to stay in phenomenal shape and do it as you get close to 90. ;)

Heck, even Bernhard Langer has a couple of years to go before he can realistically do it, I would think.  (He's 59 now)

 

[jamo]

My lowest score is 68 and I was 21 at the time for a differential of 47.

Does that mean I win or lose?

[Patch]

I am 67, and shot 76 a few weeks ago. (made a lot of putts) So is that a 9?

I suppose if I crunched the numbers, I could get it to 8.25...lol 

[Piz]

1 minute ago, Patch said:

I am 67, and shot 76 a few weeks ago. (made a lot of putts) So is that a 9?

I suppose if I crunched the numbers, I could get it to 8.25...lol 

For that matter; I'm actually 60.92

[dennyjones]

Really looking forward to 61? 

[DaveP043]

My lowest score was 69 (-2) about 7 years ago, so I was 54, differential of 15.  Two years ago I shot 70 (-1) at age 59, so a diff of 11.  I've been playing the best golf of my life over the past couple of years, so who knows what might happen.  

[jsgolfer]

 

Just now, DaveP043 said:

My lowest score was 69 (-2) about 7 years ago, so I was 54, differential of 15.  Two years ago I shot 70 (-1) at age 59, so a diff of 11.  I've been playing the best golf of my life over the past couple of years, so who knows what might happen.  

My lowest score was 67 (twice), but I was in my 30's.  Shot 69 this year at age 52 (17 years).  I'm thinking I'll get there someday, especially if i can keep a decent swing when I start to move up tees.  I'm not playing the best golf that I ever had (the best was in 1996 when I got down to a 0.9 Index), but I'm playing really well right now.