Your Golf Game - The Uplifting Topic

[Patch]

Some time back I joined the local seniors mens golf club. Due to a trip up north, and a shoulder, nerve problem I was never able to play in any 2018 tournaments. 

There was some discussion about my 15 handicap, since I had no actual proof. The cure was to play nine holes with one of the club officers to establish an initial handicap. 

Well, today we finally were able to play that 9 holes. I shot a 2 over par 38. Best 9 hole round I have shot in many, many moons. (Years?)  Even had a par 3 Birdy. Made some really nice putts. 

So basically I shot myself in the foot as far as a handicap goes. The odds of me shooting below 40 consistently are slim and none. Luckily at a later date my handicap will self adjust as I report more scores.  I will get a call later, and he will tell me what number they came up with. 

Turns out the guy I golfed with was the course instructor. At one point he told he was not going to make any money off of me for lessons. I laughed it off, while trying to sound legit, while saying I was just having a great day with the sticks.

Needless to say I felt pretty good personally with the low score, just a little embsrassed is all. 

On another note, per my last post in this thread, my Granddaughter recieved her first lesson from me today. I gave her a copy of the USGA rules book. She is to read it and get a playing understanding of the game. Her reply was a classic after she saw it. "Why so many rules for such a simple game?" I was hard pressed for an answer........

 

[scarlethorn]

Let me know if she figures that book out. I sometimes have to play with a guy that knows every rule and loves to quote them during a round. I told him that we all throw in $5. It's not the Master's. 

[iacas]

7 hours ago, Patch said:

On another note, per my last post in this thread, my Granddaughter recieved her first lesson from me today. I gave her a copy of the USGA rules book. She is to read it and get a playing understanding of the game. Her reply was a classic after she saw it. "Why so many rules for such a simple game?" I was hard pressed for an answer........

The Rules for every game are about as long. The NHL, NFL, and MLB rules books are pretty thick, and they're played on uniform fields with one form of play.

[Shorty]

7 hours ago, Patch said:

On another note, per my last post in this thread, my Granddaughter recieved her first lesson from me today. I gave her a copy of the USGA rules book. She is to read it and get a playing understanding of the game. Her reply was a classic after she saw it. "Why so many rules for such a simple game?" I was hard pressed for an answer........

 

There aren't that many rules she REALLY needs to know at this stage. And it's not THAT simple a game.

I can't ever remember wondering why there are so many rules. You can learn the important ones in your first round - don't ground your club in a hazard, tee up behind the marker, every swing counts etc. - but as a child I was never given a rule book and told directed to read it. What a terrible thing to do! Seriously. Why haven't you simply given her some basics to start with. Basics that, in the golfing world are equivalent to "i before e except after c" as in "received". Sorry. couldn't help myself

 

 

Edited June 5, 2018 by Shorty

[Patch]

3 hours ago, Shorty said:

There aren't that many rules she REALLY needs to know at this stage. And it's not THAT simple a game.

I can't ever remember wondering why there are so many rules. You can learn the important ones in your first round - don't ground your club in a hazard, tee up behind the marker, every swing counts etc. - but as a child I was never given a rule book and told directed to read it. What a terrible thing to do! Seriously. Why haven't you simply given her some basics to start with. Basics that, in the golfing world are equivalent to "i before e except after c" as in "received". Sorry. couldn't help myself

 

 

Yeah, I see your point, but it's not like she needs to know the whole book. That's not what I asked her do.

She's a 19 year old young adult, just getting home from college. She has other things to do this week, that doesn't allow any time for actual practice. She wanted something to do that was related to golf, hence the rule book. 

[Myke S]

I started 2 1/2 months ago, and have gone from 130s to 80s(last two rounds were 87 and 82)I am aware how unusual progress like this is, Im surprised myself. That being said I have a huge hole in my game, i have no consistency between 25-90 yards, i have full confidence in my distances with all of my clubs, but that 25-90 zone costs me at least 5 strokes everytime and its infuriating, ive picked up everything else pretty easily, i can drive the ball 300 yards straight down the fairway, but i cant get a ball to travel 60 yards with any consistency.   Its pretty discouraging. Rant over.

[Shorty]

25 minutes ago, Myke S said:

I started 2 1/2 months ago, and have gone from 130s to 80s(last two rounds were 87 and 82)I am aware how unusual progress like this is, Im surprised myself. That being said I have a huge hole in my game, i have no consistency between 25-90 yards, i have full confidence in my distances with all of my clubs, but that 25-90 zone costs me at least 5 strokes everytime and its infuriating, ive picked up everything else pretty easily, i can drive the ball 300 yards straight down the fairway, but i cant get a ball to travel 60 yards with any consistency.   Its pretty discouraging. Rant over.

Here we go again. Playing for 10 weeks. What course are you playing? 300 yards straight down the middle - finding the game easy - full confidence in your distances  with all your clubs. Tip number one. Be honest with yourself. Go and practice your shots from 50 yards. They are much easier than shots from 10 yards for a beginner - especially if you hit the ball as you say you do. 

If you find it "discouraging" given your experience, you're playing the wrong game.

Edited June 16, 2018 by Shorty

[Myke S]

2 minutes ago, Shorty said:

Here we go again. Playing for 10 weeks. What course are you playing? 300 yards straight down the middle - finding the game easy - full confidence in your distances  with all your clubs. Tip number one. Be honest with yourself.

Haha dont be mad man. Sorry if its upsetting to you, you arent the first one to get mad. I dont play alone bud, i have plenty of witnesses. So, be salty all you want, just know, deep down, that its jealousy fueling your confrontational attitude. God bless.

[Shorty]

30 minutes ago, Myke S said:

Haha dont be mad man. Sorry if its upsetting to you, you arent the first one to get mad. I dont play alone bud, i have plenty of witnesses. So, be salty all you want, just know, deep down, that its jealousy fueling your confrontational attitude. God bless.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. See you at the Open in a few weeks.

Edited June 16, 2018 by Shorty

[MarvChamp]

3 hours ago, Shorty said:

3 hours ago, Myke S said:

Haha dont be mad man. Sorry if its upsetting to you, you arent the first one to get mad. I dont play alone bud, i have plenty of witnesses. So, be salty all you want, just know, deep down, that its jealousy fueling your confrontational attitude. God bless.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. See you at the Open in a few weeks.

Edited 3 hours ago by Shorty

Now, now... @iacas created this to be an "UPLIFTING" topic, things that are great, beautiful in golf, your game, and your golf.experiences. I'm sorry to interfere but I'd like to read about that sort of thing, please? Best, -Marv

[Myke S]

5 hours ago, Shorty said:

Here we go again. Playing for 10 weeks. What course are you playing? 300 yards straight down the middle - finding the game easy - full confidence in your distances  with all your clubs. Tip number one. Be honest with yourself. Go and practice your shots from 50 yards. They are much easier than shots from 10 yards for a beginner - especially if you hit the ball as you say you do. 

If you find it "discouraging" given your experience, you're playing the wrong game.

See its not the easiest for me..I realize you assume Im lying but i can get a 10 foot chip within 3 feet consistently, i cant get a 50 yard shot on the green consistently, yes i have confidence in my distances with my clubs. I should have mentioned i put in about 20 hours a week at the range and get to go practice or play just about whenever i want. My father is an ex instructor and instilled the basics of a swing in me when i was little,i just wasnt interested in golf until recently. I apologize for my original response, I knew better and took the bait anyways. This game isnt about chopping others down and i shouldnt have engaged. So, I apologize for what i said. Best of luck going forward. See you around the trap 👍

[scarlethorn]

Anything other than a full shot require practice. If there are no hazzards in front of you, practice hump and run shots from different distances with different clubs. If you have to go over things or you want the ball to stop quickly on the green, practice pitches with wedges from different distances. Those are mostly feel shots for some but technical shots for others.

I practice those shots more than any others but I like to be 50 yards from a green if I can't get there in regulation. I can bump and run or pitch it close enough to have a shot at par from that distance. Which method I use depends on whether or not the front of the green is flat or raised.

 

[MGN]

Been working on my short game.  Had a nice quick round starting at 4:45pm this evening; drove the ball well, missed some GIRs when I was in the fairway, but shot an 83.  Need to work on not missing the green when I'm at 150-165 yds from the green.  Had a lot of wind here in Texas today (we are famous for it); did not adjust well to the headwind as much as adjusted to the tail wind better. Anyways, happy that I shot a score that will maintain my HI.

[scarlethorn]

so where do you play in Texas?

[MGN]

4 hours ago, scarlethorn said:

so where do you play in Texas?

Greater Houston area.   

[Shindig]

Here's something uplifting I was thinking about.  Yesterday I tried a shot that, after the round, I realized I shouldn't have.  I was left fairway on a par-5 for my third shot.  I had a full gap wedge left to pin distance.  Pin was right side of green.  I aimed at the pin and shot, but I missed by a yard or so, but this was a Pete Dye course, so it rolled back.  I did not get up and down for par and made a six that I really didn't need to have made.

Okay, one stroke yesterday probably could have been saved if I had hit the green in the middle and two-putted.  I didn't three putt at all yesterday (despite it being a Pete Dye course).  And this is a good reminder for the #DeadCenter rule from LSW (and a thread on this site).

Also, I felt my ballstriking was pretty good yesterday and I looked it up.  1 GIR, but I remember that, and 11 (eleven!!!) near GIR.  The other six holes were a quad (approach behind a tree, poor second chip too), a triple (bad tee shot, good punch out, heard a ball land and duffed my pitch, and then some), a double (long par-4, good second shot leaving me a comfortable half wedge that I proceeded to blade), two bogeys (got on and two-putted) and a par (long par-4 into the wind;  driver 4-wood came up 80 yards short.  Hit a gap wedge to a foot and made the putt).

The bad news is that another course in that complex that I really want to play, that has hosted many a major, is private as in private, as opposed to many in the area that are private except in summer, where they often allow the public to play.  So much for playing a course this summer that has hosted a major.

[millsan1]

I am new to playing golf seriously.

1- So far this year I have gone from a 120s golfer to a low 100s golfer in 3 months.  I should be and plan to be a mid to high 90s golfer this year. (I know where I am losing strokes and actively working on the shortcomings)

2- I played with a friend who golfs regularly.  At the turn, he was up 3 strokes and was riding me a bit north of friendly, which awoke my competitive side.  He suggested we end it there, since he was whooping me.  I told him we were playing all 18.  I turned it up and beat him by 5, picking up 8 strokes.

3- I am playing in a Wed night league.  I am in last place.(expected)  But I am near the top of the money in skins.  I seem to win $ every week on the last hole.

 

Edited June 20, 2018 by millsan1

[Patch]

I am starting my own version of a "golf renaissance" of some sort. I have decided to play my old gamers for the rest of the summer. 

These are the irons I used back when I was at my lowest handicap. 

Just out of the blue, I took my Tour Edge Ironwood PW for a few practice hits. Initially I was pleasently surprised I could still hit decent ball flights with it. Not as accurate as my current gamers, but still decent. I have not hit this club in several years.

A day or so later I took the 8I for some chipping practice. Again I was surprised how well it worked for me. A some what dim light went on in my brain, and I brought the whole set (2-LW) to the range. Again, although the 2&3 Ironwoods we're a bit "iffy", I had a good time with them. 

I did notice, that when compared to my current gamers, I seemed to be getting a little better distance with the older clubs. Not sure why, but maybe because the heads are a little heavier? IDK.

So, last night, I decide to change my bag make up to include these older irons. Dropped my driver, and added the 4 ironwood. I will be going with my 3,5,&7 metalwoods, and 4-LW Ironwoods for the rest of the summer. 

I am not expecting any stroke saving miricles with this new make up, but I will have fun adjusting to these "old" irons. 

On another plus, while switching clubs from one bag to another, I found 5 sleeves of unused PV-1s balls. These balls although still in their sleeves, are still better than a decade old. I figured why not, and replaced my current gamer e7s with these, old, unused high priced premium balls. 

 

Edited June 30, 2018 by Patch