What are Your 2019 Golf Goals?

[LeftyWhiff]

1. Develop more consistent method/routine for chipping; 2. keep the bag setup as is, and play/practice with 3 hybrids I'm using now for long yardage (forget woods and long irons); 3. work on strategizing/playing the course better during rounds.

 

 

[billchao]

I've been putting this topic off for a while because I don't really have any desire to set goals for next year. I've kind of lost the fire for working on my game as hard as I used to and that's largely my own fault because I overdo and over-analyze things often. Anyway it doesn't matter. Goals:

• Play at least 20 rounds. Should be able to achieve this one.
• Play with some fellow Sand Trappers. I always enjoy doing this so I want to make sure I make the effort to continue next year.
• Play more golf with people I know. I'm getting tired of pairing up with random strangers. A couple of guys I know from work are interested in the game so I'm going to spend some time going to the range and playing with them next year, see if I can make some golfers out of them.

That's it. No skill or handicap based goals for 2019. I have never hit those goals so either I set unrealistic goals or I'm not motivated by goals enough to make them happen. It's not like I won't be working on my game, but I just think it's kind of pointless for me to set specific goals since I just do whatever it is I do anyway.

[Lihu]

Play much more, and get my handicap down again. Keep fit and walk the course.

Hope to get my swing videos posted and rounds posted in GG again.

Work on my swing in earnest...

[FrivolouslyWasted]

I worked on my irons a lot in 2018 and finally got some results late in the year. In 2019 I need to work on my driver and wedges.

 

I would like to add 20-25 yards with the driver while keeping my fairways hit at or above their current average.

 

I don’t have a lot of confidence with my driver, so on the course I rarely swing it very hard. Basically where I’m at right now I can either have distance or fairways, but I can rarely have both. I want both. Plan to put in more time on the range, and hope to get a net at some point.

 

I also need to work with the wedges. When I was younger my wedge play was my strength, in part because I practiced a lot in the yard. Now that I’m no longer in an apartment I have a yard of my own again, so I need to use it. The course nearest my current work has a pretty nice chipping and bunker practice area. I’d like to utilize it some too. 

 

If I can accomplish the goals above, I think I’ll have no problem accomplishing my scoring goals of breaking both 90 and 85. I’m right on the cusp of breaking 90, so 85 I think is within reason for the year. I lose so many strokes off the tee and inside of maybe 75 yards. I would like to be able to set single digits as a goal for 2020.

 

I may be on track to make a career change (and hopefully a little more money) in early 2019. If so I may get my first membership somewhere. Having more money and more control over my schedule certainly wouldn’t hurt my golf game.

 

There are other goals, either more minor or more nebulous in their description, but those are the big, concrete ones.

[David L Yskes]

1 - shoot under 40 for 9 holes..... came close a couple times in 2018 ( low 40s ) always had a couple bad holes...  

2- continues to cut out 3 putts.... this was a big goal for me in 2018, since it was always a score killer in the past, and this past summer i worked on cutting out 3 putts... which goes to another goal lol

3- improve chipping and wedge play into and around the green...  this also was something i needed to improve, and i felt like i did improve in this area, which was nice to be within 10ft of the pin vs 20 to 50 ft away... and this helped out in #2  above  

4- Improve my driving off the tee accuracy...   I did figure something out with my swing this past summer a big ( ahh ha ) moment, and felt it really helped me cut out the slicing problems i've had... And I found new confidence with my 3 wood, which helped in distance and accuracy off the tee ( since i can hit my 3wood farther or almost as far as my driver when i am hitting my driver good ) ....  and this helped out with a few of the issues mentioned above!!!!!  

[Bo the Golfer]

!. Practice smarter. I need to stop mindlessly beating balls at the range.

2. Work on core strength and flexibility.

3. Start a my swing thread and get some help working through the 5 keys.

[cutchemist42]

2019 Goals

1. Get my official Hi down to 14; right now my official HI is 19.9 as I haven't played 18 holes with anyone since August. My GG HI is 17.4, with an unofficial tracker at 17.6.
   1. I plan to get there by hopefully continuing my play at the end of the season. My last 5 rounds of the year from GG are below. I really figured out my back pain at the end, and figured it out it was from bad back extension from trying to maintain a centered head. So a lot of my winter practise will focus on the upper body movement as I rotate.
   2. Working on my putting should really help get me there easier. I know Im bad at starting on a straight line in a pressure putt and will figure out a way to work on that.
2. I played 46 rounds last year with many weekends lost to stuff out of my control. I dont have as many weddings/ other social events this Summer so I think cracking 55 is a do-able goal.
3. Got a gym membership this Winter to improve my overall fitness. I want to lose a bit of weight while gaining muscle. I hope my lack of flexibility is improved over the winter.

 

****Not a goal, but Saskatchewan had a late start to the golf year.....HI season starts April 15th but I dont think I golf until 16 days after that from bad weather. I really hope its a more normal year at the start.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2018 by cutchemist42

[upndown21]

1. Put a club in my hands 2x per week.

2. Get down to a 5.xx index. 

3. Win a tournament at my home club. 

My game has gotten exponentially better over the last 2 years (cutting my index from a 15.2 to an 8. I believe in 2 years I should have the ability to play in a mid-am qualifier. I need to reduce my shot dispersion for 5i and longer this year to reach my goals. 

[Moose68]

2019 Goals:

1.  Improve putting, avoid 3 putts at a higher rate.....2018 Avg is 2.1 p/round

2.  Reduce penalty strokes....2018 Avg is 4.2 p/round.

3.  Accomplish those 2 things and I'll naturally shave strokes off of my Index, which is always the goal.

4.  Play more golf in 2019 than I did in 2018.....to date this year, I'm at 32 rounds, with 5 scheduled before the end of the year.

[jmorrispsu]

All I want to do is practice.  I am tired of being a mid 90s player. I want to be back in the 80s. Range and short game. 

Ok, so I lie. I also want to play rounds, but I need to find time to practice in between. I want to get under 90 consistently. Need to get back to the 15hcp I was in 2010. 

[imsys0042]

Cut my handicap in half.

Add several more shots to my arsenal.   I'd like to focus on being able to hit shots of different height and add some wedge shots to my game.

[fever]

My only realistic goal for 2019 is to break 80. I started golfing again this past spring and only 12 times all season ( it was a great beach weather in Atlantic Canada this past summer) My first round was a disaster 124, I just dusted off the clubs and hit the course. Started changing  out clubs and hitting the range twice a week and the scores started to drop. 4th round broke 100 (99). fast forward to  11th round at a fairly easy course 86 no lost balls. my last round was at tougher course I shot another 86 and again no lost balls..... I have never played a round without losing 1 or more balls let alone 2 in a row. So how do I plan to break 80, practice, practice, practice my putting. My wife got me a 3"X11" putting green thing for my Birthday and I put it to use 20 min/day, 5 days/wk. I think this will help a lot with the 3-4 putts and that will get me under 80. (I hope)

[Buckeyebowman]

I'll have my work cut out for me next year. Not long ago I posted my last few scores for this year on GHIN, and in the most recent update my HI has ballooned to 14.2! I don't like that! 

With the local "Golf Dome" not being rebuilt after it's collapse last Winter, there is no place to hit balls until Spring. So, my plan is to work on general conditioning until then. I can use the YMCA for free, so I can work on gaining some strength, muscle toning, and flexibility. I'm 5'9" and used to weigh 185, which was a bit too heavy. I resolved to get down to 170. My program may have worked too well, since I am now about 158-160. I usually only eat twice a day, but can get desperately hungry before my evening meal. I think my body is trying to tell me something. 

I particularly need to build strength in my legs. I have an ACL operative right knee, and have lost a lot of muscle mass in my right quadriceps. Plus, while I usually ride in a cart, walking the occasional hole here and there, I've found that my legs can get really tired toward the end of 18. You lose your legs, you lose your swing! 

Just realized I never said what my golf goals were! If you look below my avatar, you will see my Index at 13. I thought about changing it in my profile since I'm over a stroke north of that now, but I decided to leave it alone as a goal. I want to get my HI back to that and better if possible. I also want to sign up for the Greatest Golfer in the Valley tournament again next year and make the cut! 

Edited December 4, 2018 by Buckeyebowman
additional info

[dbuck]

1. Get Ghin index below 11.

This is an unachieved goal from 2018. I started last year at 14.9 have been as low as 12.7 finished at 13.

Secondary goals/strategies to reach goal 1:

2. Increase distance. I would like to add 10 yards to my drives and maybe a half club to my irons. Currently I am around 230-235 with the driver; my 150 iron is a 6. I would say these are 75% reliable. I am a 13, so I will have a few misses. I got a new driver in September, and our relationship is progressing nicely. It was initially a little shorter than the best shots with my previous club, but much more reliable, and the distance is coming back. It is better suited with a little more standard loft. My iron gaps are ok, really, but by improving strike which is my real goal, I think I will pick up a little more distance, and I so want to add a smidge of speed as well. I am a 60 year old 13 index, so I don't expect 300 yard drives and 180 yard 7 irons, but I think the above is realistic.

3. Lose 15 pounds and increase strength and flexibility. I have a modest home weight machine, and I just need to get back on it. I also need to do some flexibility exercises, and improve my diet. I think these efforts will give me a little more speed and distance.

4. Play and practice more. I currently play once a week fairly religiously. With work and family, twice a week is not really achievable, but maybe 5 times a month. Also, the driving range near me was closed down this season for upgrades, so maybe at least once a week to the range. I have made it to the putting green once a week most of the season, and will continue that as well.

5. Practice more during off -season. While I will have a few decent days between now and March-April, I will not likely play 18 holes more than 2-3 times. I want to make it to the range in the interim at least twice per month, so I can have a quicker start in the spring.

 

Edited December 4, 2018 by dbuck

[MD5225]

1) Short game improvement - 90 yards and in.  Determining distance with varying degrees (48,52,56) of wedges on the "clock" with proper technique. Improve proximity to flag on shorter chips/pitches/flops to make-able distances. Increase putting accuracy from 3 feet in to 90+%.  Improve lengthier/lag putt feel to mitigate 3 putts.

2) More structured practice sessions in terms of frequency and areas of focus.  Heavier emphasis on short game, see 1.

3) Better course management... bagging driver when able, playing to my money distances, hitting away from trouble, "taking medicine" more often, and hitting shots within my ability instead of what I see pros do.

4) Fitness... Flexibility and endurance.

5) Better mental focus and emotional management. Believe and commit to shots. Forget bad shots within 10 seconds - smile and move on. Have fun and stay loose.

6) Maintain strides gained in full swing irons/hybrid/driver in 2018 and continue to build consistency to increase Fairways hit% and GIR

[Puttin4Dough]

Be comfortable with 3 iron approach shots.

[SteveH]

Continue practicing regularly.

Eliminate my nasty overswing on the backswing

Tighten up my ball position and alignment

Focus more time on short game and putting

Get my index in the 12's

Get a few scores in the 70's (Shot 80 once this year and lots in the 80's)

That should be enough to keep me busy 

[gbogey]

1. Maintain handicap under 7 - usually goes up to 7.5 at some point during season
2. Achieve average differential of 8.4 - .5 strokes better than last 3 years
3. Play at least one bucket list course - have several potential trips in discussion that could make this happen

How do I achieve 1 and 2 - I don't care. I feel that I've been improving in all aspects of the game but just haven't put it all together, but the point is to score lower regardless if it is through driving or putting.

Secondary goal is to lose +5 pounds which will help my ability to play consistently.