Breaking 100/90/80/70

[Nave]

1) How long (years or rounds) did it take you to break the magic numbers and 2) what did make it possible for you?

100: 1 year, in my sixth round. I practiced several times per week at the range and played in the simulator. I decided to hit the driver less far to be more accurate.
  90: 2 years, after I broke 100 (did not play often). Recorded videos of my swing. Took 10 lessons with a myTPI instructor. Developed a practice routine and studied the courses layouts. My improved short game rescued me.
  80: N/A
  70: N/A

Copy & paste for your reply:

100: Text
  90: Text
  80: N/A
  70: N/A

[Patch]

I broke 100 almost immediately.  I should have left well enough alone, as I started tinkering around with my swing, my numbers went up. I shot more rounds in the 100s , after breaking 100 I think.

 I was very athletic which made breaking 100 easier. 

Breaking 90 took some doing. I was stuck in the low 90s for a while. 

I found a good instructor, who was also a club fitter/maker. He helped me get in the mid/low 80s pretty  quickly. He taught the game backwards from green to tee. Shorter shots made the longer shots easier to learn was his method. 

Breaking 80 took a few months, I guess, but also involved a lot of personalised instruction. I stayed with the same instructor for several years. 

Although I never broke 70, I carded quite a few 70 stroke rounds. All on on the  few par 70 courses I played, from the back tees. Again, this was due to my instructor's swing, and club fitting knowlege. He built, and tweaked each of my clubs to my swing.  

My only regret in my golf journey was I never broke par. Shot par quite a few times. Just couldn't save that extra stroke when needed. 

[DrMJG]

100: Almost 1 year to the day I returned to golf after two decades off and a fairly substantial injury to my foot.  Felt good for many reasons
  90: By a strike of luck, it came three weeks or so after I broke 100.  Same course, but no penalties and a 3h that was over performing combined with a few Lucy putts.
  80:Close but no cigar
  70:LOL

[Nave]

1 hour ago, Patch said:

Breaking 80 took a few months, I guess, but also involved a lot of personalised instruction. I stayed with the same instructor for several years. 

That is impressive. Yeah, I also felt that professional instruction made a big difference for me. Especially sticking to the same instructor if he/she is a good.

37 minutes ago, DrMJG said:

90: By a strike of luck, it came three weeks or so after I broke 100

Well done; that is amazing. 

[gjunkie57]

100: At least 10 years. I got serious last year and with the help of instruction got rid of my slice.  
  90: A few months later.  Got a short game lesson, moved up to the senior tees and chipped and putted like a man possessed. Lowest round so far is 87.
  80: N/A
  70: N/A

[gbogey]

100: About 10 months although several of those were over a winter where playing wasn't an option but practicing at the range was.
  90: About a year after 100.  Shot 90 7 times including one incredible choke.  Finally broke through with an +13 over par 84 after starting triple bogey and double bogey first two holes.
  80: 3 months after the 84 which broke 90 the first time I shot a second 84, then shot a 76 the next day. I had an unofficial 16 handicap at the time so it was a net 60.  Obviously still my best net score.
  70: Still waiting.  Shot even par twice.

[Casualgolfer]

Broke 100 very quickly. And actually broke 90 within a few months of actually taking things seriously. Took a solid year after breaking 90 to break 80 but I have only done that twice. This is all with basically my natural swing. Probably could go for breaking 70 but that seems like alot of work.

[NJpatbee]

100: It took 1 1/2 seasons (about 35 rounds)
  90: About 2 years after breaking 100 (about 50 additional rounds)
  80: N/A
  70: N/A

[HJJ003]

100: Didn't break 100 until after my first year in college (2008). Just didn't play more than once or twice a year before that. I shot 95 at Presidio Golf Club in San Fran. 

90: Broke this barrier for the first time in Oct. 2012 at my favorite track (so far) in the Houston area: Memorial Park. Shot an 88 with a nice par on 18. 

80: Still not there officially. I shot 77 on a tough par 65 course lol. 85 is my best on a regulation course (Legendary Oaks in Hempstead, Texas) 

70: One day....maybe. 

[lastings]

100 & 90 - not sure.   I started golf pretty early.   I'm sure I shot in the 80's some time around 14 years old.   

80: I shot 80 on the nose more than a handful of times between 1999 and 2018.   but never could get below, till I shot a 78 last summer.   which was baller.  

70:  yeah, we'll see about that.  

[Benit0]

100: Took me about 3-4 years at 4-5 round a year to break 100, was not playing a lot back then. I shoot a 96.
  90: About two year after breaking 100 (20 rounds), shoot a 86 and a 89 two rounds after that. Just managing blow-ups better help me a lot, did not have a single birdie in those 2 rounds but no triple either. Better control of my driving helped a lot (less slices).
  80: Not yet. Hoping this year 😊 My lowest round last year was 83 and now i'm waiting for the snow to melt!!
  70: N/A

[shanksalot]

100: first year. 

90: third year

80: 20 years. I stopped playing for about 15 years due to starting my own business

70: 20 years. Shot 69  at age 66 ten years ago. It has been downhill ever since. 

 

[Nave]

2 hours ago, shanksalot said:

100: first year. 

90: third year

80: 20 years. I stopped playing for about 15 years due to starting my own business

70: 20 years. Shot 69  at age 66 ten years ago. It has been downhill ever since. 

 

Well, you broke 70 at 66; that is fantastic! Congratulations!

[Osnola]

Took me about 6 years to break 100...

From there, it took me about 25 years to break 90...

Probably will never break 80...I do believe you play by the rules of golf, and if you really want to know what you really shoot, you just play what you hit...no do overs, no mulligans, no move the ball to improve your lie, etc...

I am 70 years old and figure I will need to be playing for another 16 years to be able to shoot my age...

Edited March 19, 2019 by Osnola

[criley4way]

Wow

100: 1st year
  90: 1st year
  80: Year 15 (after a 10+ year layoff)
  70: 2015 in competition

[Groucho Valentine]

100: I broke 100 the first time i ever played. Shot 93. Still have the card. But i dont think i broke 100 again the next handful of times i played. 
  90: I was breaking 90 regularly in my first year. 
  80: Breaking 80 regularly in my second year. 
  70: I didn't play golf much at all in college. I had a baseball scholarhsip. So In real years i would say it was 10 years or so years after i first picked up the game. But in golf years it was years 5 or 6. I was in my late twenties i think. I had a year of doing it a handful of times, but then over the next few years i had the best run of golf ive ever played. Broke 70 at least half the times i played and qualified to play in three USGA events, Crump Crumps and barley missed an alternate slot for the US open. These days i only break 70 a couple times a year. 

[Nail]

100: Within three or four rounds, had played pitch and putt a bit as a kid so had some idea how to swing
  90: I broke 90 with an 86 after about 20 rounds. I still mostly shoot in the low 90’s high 80’s in my 2nd year playing. I hope to break 80 this year. I shot a personal best 83 towards the end of last year so not a million miles away. Inconsistency is my problem. I played yesterday morning and shot 89. 3 birdies 3 pars and 9 double bogey or worse 😢
  80: N/A
  70: N/A

 

[Nave]

19 hours ago, criley4way said:

after a 10+ year layoff

Interesting, seems that many of us had a multi-year layoff from golf. I also just returned to golf after almost three years.