Age at which you initially broke par and/or 80?

[Lihu]

3 hours ago, tdiii said:

Maybe.  Maybe not.  There is a psychological theory that there are critical learning periods for various skills.  I suspect there is almost no one who takes up the sport after, say, 25 who breaks par -- whatever the time commitments (it being the internet, I'm sure someone will point to an exception). 

Statistically speaking, it's possible, but not common common for late starters to break par. Most of the people who could do it would probably not have time to be blogging, and more likely to be playing on the course instead.

However, a similar topic came up on another golf blog site, and there were numerous people citing they started after 40 and broke 80 and a couple even broke par. Did not confirm the claims, but I actually know a couple people who post on that site and they didn't doubt those claims.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Lihu

[tdiii]

13 minutes ago, klineka said:

Larry Nelson, K.J. Choi, Calvin Peete, YE Yang, Robert Landers, those were all guys that picked up the game in their lives that then competed professionally and shot under par. 

I strongly disagree that there is almost no one who takes up the sport after 25 breaks par. I gave you five examples right there of guys who took the game up in their 20s and made it to the PGA tour. Which means they regularly shoot around or under par. Are they the exception of guys who take up the game late and make it to the PGA tour? Yes.

But I'm sure theres a decent number of amateur golfers who pick it up after the age of 25 and can break par on courses < 7,000 yards and easier course/slope ratings than PGA courses. If you picked up the game at 25 and played for 15 years, you'd be 40. Thats more than enough time to break par assuming you practice the right way, work with an instructor, etc etc.

I would agree with you if you had said something like "Most people who take up the sport after 25 dont break par" but to claim that there is "almost no one" is incorrect in my opinion, especially since I was able to find (with little effort) 5 golfers who not only broke par, but played professional golf as well

Plus "almost no one" is very ambiguous. To me, almost no one means less than 1%. To someone else, almost no one might mean less than 5%.  

Larry Nelson took up golf at 21.

Yang started at age 19.

Choi turned professional at 24.  He started playing at 16.

Calvin Peete was 23. 

Yes as to Landers.

Edited January 22, 2018 by tdiii

[kpaulhus]

I broke 80 when I was 22-23 after playing for 4 years or so. I shot under par Summer 2015 when I was 28. Haven't done it since, but I have the resolution to do it 3X this year. 

[Lihu]

Just now, tdiii said:

Larry Nelson took up golf at 21.

Yang started at age 19.

Choi turned professional at 24.  He started playing at 16.

Calving Peete was 23. 

Yes as to Landers.

These are professionals, and there's a huge gap between someone capable of breaking par on a standard golf course versus a pro.

[tdiii]

2 minutes ago, Lihu said:

These are professionals, and there's a huge gap between someone capable of breaking par on a standard golf course versus a pro.

Often, the exception proves the rule.  Statistically -- in the universe of golfers who took up the game after 25 -- almost no one gets there. 

[klineka]

 

12 minutes ago, tdiii said:

Larry Nelson took up golf at 21.

Yang started at age 19.

Choi turned professional at 24.  He started playing at 16.

Calvin Peete was 23. 

Yes as to Landers.

You are correct that most of those players I reference earlier were not 25, but my point was intended to be more around the fact that if I was able to find 5 examples of guys that picked the game up when they were no longer kids and still able to make it to the PGA tour, there will be numerous numerous amounts of amateur golfers that are capable of breaking par on a 6,200 yd 68.5/120 rated golf course (or even shorter/easier course). 

 

8 minutes ago, tdiii said:

Often, the exception proves the rule.  Statistically -- in the universe of golfers who took up the game after 25 -- almost no one gets there. 

Please define what percentage you mean when you say "almost no one." Like I said earlier, that could be <1% to one person, and <5% to another person. There isnt really any point in discussing your claim further until you define that. 

What percentage of golfers who took up the game after 25 break par? Please tell me the actual number and the source where you got your data from.

If you are going to make a claim and use the word statistically, please provide actual statistics to back up your claim. Otherwise its just your opinion. 

Edited January 22, 2018 by klineka

[Lihu]

18 minutes ago, tdiii said:

Often, the exception proves the rule.  Statistically -- in the universe of golfers who took up the game after 25 -- almost no one gets there. 

I guess it kind of depends upon your definition of "almost". I'd guess even if it's still in the 0.005% (or less than 0.5% of scratch golfers) of golfers in the world it would still be around 3000.

The distance to age chart below seems to show that if someone can maximize their swing before they turn 40, they only lose 6 yards over if they were less than 30.

 

 

 

Similar topic:

 

Edited January 22, 2018 by Lihu

[MacDutch]

Started playing golf at 52, broke 80 for the first time at 57. Never broke par on a 18 holes par 72.

So can’t vote.

[Binh Nguyen]

Shot my best 81 last month so I hope I can break 80 this year.

Break par is still a looong way but Im sure I will enjoy the journey.

[p1n9183]

Started playing at 7.
Started playing with handicap at 11.
Broke 80 at 12.
Broke Par at 14.

[iacas]

@Fourputt, @MacDutch, and others… I added an "I haven't" option to both parts, so you can go back and choose "Show Vote Options" and re-vote appropriately (or vote to begin with, @MacDutch).

[NM Golf]

23 hours ago, tdiii said:

Maybe.  Maybe not.  There is a psychological theory that there are critical learning periods for various skills.  I suspect there is almost no one who takes up the sport after, say, 25 who breaks par -- whatever the time commitments (it being the internet, I'm sure someone will point to an exception). 

This critical learning period concept seems to exist in many skills/sports.  Tennis and throwing are two examples that are obvious to me.  Those who pick these skills/sports up after their teens never seem to develop the same skills as those who picked them up early in life.  I've never seen someone who picked up tennis after age 18 or so with strong, natural ground strokes.  Similarly, I've never seen someone who didn't learn to throw as a child who doesn't look awkward when throwing as an adult. 

You do make a good point about lack of time.  I suspect both are at play -- lack of time and critical learning period.

I played my first 18 hole round of golf at age 22. Did not really get big into it until 24. Broke 80 about age 25, shot my first even par round in my early 30s and broke par for the first time around 34-35. My best scores have been in my 40s including a 64 just last year.

No lessons, just a lot of practice, a little help from my father, and some natural ability. Both my maternal grandfather and my father both carried scratch handicaps at one time in their lives so I have good genes. My father has shot his age over 100 times.

FWIW my father didn't pick up a club until he graduated from college at 24. He was a scratch player by the time he was 35.

Edited January 23, 2018 by NM Golf

[hamishmacduff]

On ‎2018‎-‎01‎-‎22 at 1:14 PM, tdiii said:

Maybe.  Maybe not.  There is a psychological theory that there are critical learning periods for various skills.  I suspect there is almost no one who takes up the sport after, say, 25 who breaks par -- whatever the time commitments (it being the internet, I'm sure someone will point to an exception). 

This critical learning period concept seems to exist in many skills/sports.  Tennis and throwing are two examples that are obvious to me.  Those who pick these skills/sports up after their teens never seem to develop the same skills as those who picked them up early in life.  I've never seen someone who picked up tennis after age 18 or so with strong, natural ground strokes.  Similarly, I've never seen someone who didn't learn to throw as a child who doesn't look awkward when throwing as an adult. 

You do make a good point about lack of time.  I suspect both are at play -- lack of time and critical learning period.

I wasted my youth throwing things when I could have been hitting them off the ground with a stick. Now I still have a decent arm with nowhere to use it, and a tragic inability to hit golf shots that don't slice into the woods.

[NJpatbee]

I started at age 40 and have never done either.  About 15 years ago I had an 84 but 86 is about my lowest score these days.  I am 66 and if I ever get to retire I may have a chance at 80 but I have no delusions of ever shooting under par.  But I still have a great time!

[Groucho Valentine]

I didn't take up golf seriously until i was in my 20's, though i was always a decent player. I don't exactly remember the first time i broke 80, but i think i was maybe 17 or 18. I broke par for the first time someplace in the 24-25 range, then in my late 20's- early 30's went on a tear in that department and got down into +3's. Still the best golf I've ever played. 

[Hoganman1]

I started playing when I was 15, but didn't take it seriously until I was in my mid 20s. I was 27 when I first broke 80 and until recently about 20% of my rounds were in the 70s. I've never broken par or even shot par. I'll bet I've been one over probably over thirty times. Although I'm 68, I keep hoping I'll get it done before I'm on the other side of the grass. I've moved up to tees that are 6250 (from 6600) and will probably go to 6000 before long. If I can keep my short game in tact, I still think I can do it. 

[Erik Tedfelt]

Started playing golf when I was 7.

Broke my first 80 when I was 11. 

First time I broke par I was 14. Not only did I manage to break par, I broke 70 (68) at one of the hardest courses from the back tee, 6600 meters (7300 yards). One of the craziest rounds I have played, I made two chip-ins and I only had 21 putts. 

[Jack Watson]

Seems most high ceiling talents in golf succeed very soon.

I broke 80 after studying five lessons solely for quite a time.  I was maybe 35...Never broke par...