dove694

Where did you end up playing?

I have played two of them and had two very different experiences. Old Works in Anaconda, MT was a joy to play. I played it several years ago so I don't remember too many specifics, but I do recall really enjoying the layout of the course and my playing partners also raved. The Idaho Club in Sandpoint, ID, however was nothing short of goofy. It was a decent small-town public course called Hidden Lakes at one point, until Nicklaus was brought in by a wealthy developer to redesign it. The result was a course that was virtually unplayable because of how difficult it was. The greens were absolutely ridiculous (4-putt city). I believe it has been closed down in recent years, and I understand why. You'd be hard pressed to find many golfers that enjoy inflicting that type of punishment on themselves. I have played a few Arnold Palmer tracks as well, and his seem to be a lot more player-friendly than Nicklaus' courses.

I just spent the last few months working in the Miami area and was excited to bring my clubs for a little winter golfing. I had the chance to play a lot of great courses (Doral, Biltmore, Miami Beach to name a few), but the one that kept me coming back was a 9-hole gem called Granada in Coral Gables. It was a Par 36, ~3000 yards with small elevated greens and a couple of fantastic Par 5's. Such a fun course to play! I enjoyed it every time!

I broke par three times this past year, with the lowest being a 69 (-3). 4 birdies 1 bogey. 6304 yards, 69.6/124. I had a bit of a strange 2016. I shot in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. I had a stretch where I couldn't break 80 to save my life. I also had a lengthy stretch where I was never higher than 75. My index ranged from 8.4 in the spring to 3.6 in the late summer.

i posted earlier that i felt as if my game was much improved, but my handicap hadn't dropped significantly. well after my round today, my index dropped to an all-time low of 3.9. i started the year as a 7.2 index, so I guess the results are starting to come!

played two rounds today at my home course. one off the blue tees and one off the white tees (6600 and 6300 yards) and shot 75-73. my handicap dropped to 3.9 - the first time i have ever been a 4 handicap!

I agree with the first reply. Take some time away and give yourself an opportunity to recharge. We all have our slumps - even the tour pros. Remember, it's just a way to get some fresh air and exercise!

I had a stretch like that about a month ago. For a few solid weeks (playing nearly every day), I couldn't break 80 for the life of me. I kept shooting 83, 86, 84... that sort of thing. And I think I was just trying too hard to fix everything all at once. I started to overthink about mechanics and my confidence was low and I was tense over every shot and every putt and it all just compounded into poor scores and frustration. But then I decided to take a few days off and then followed it up with a few good sessions on the driving range where I focused on swinging smoothly and swinging within myself. The issues I was dealing with seemed to fix themselves. I didn't change anything about my swing, I just focused on approaching the game with "ease". And at the moment I am playing some of the best golf in my life! Everybody goes through their slumps. Maybe just take some time away and when you return remind yourself to slow down and play within yourself. I bet that will help a lot!

Remember, to shoot in the 70's you do not need to play perfect golf. On the average course, breaking 80 means shooting between +7 and +9. That means you can still make your share of misses and still achieve your goal. For the most part, if my score is in the 70's I am happy with my round, and if I creep into the 80's I am disappointed. On the days where I am over 80, it's often because I didn't hit the fairway often enough from the tee. Golf is an incredibly difficult game when you are playing out of the muck, be it out of the trees or heavy rough or (even worse) the hazards. If you are able to consistently keep the ball in play with your driver, your chances of a good score increase tenfold. Also, if you are hoping to break 80 you will need to have good touch around the greens. Doesn't mean you need to get the ball up and down every time, or make every 6 footer that you look at. You just need to be able to 2 putt consistently and find ways to scrounge out some pars if you do miss the green with your approach. I think the toughest part about breaking 80 is the mental barrier associated with the number itself. Every low handicapper has their own personal story about how they were well on their way to breaking 80 for the first time and found a way to screw it up (ie. "I doubled the last hole and shot 81"). If you are putting yourself in that position, you definitely have the skills to break 80 but it can be a tough hurdle in a golfer's development. And when you finally do break 80, it's a huge feather in your cap!

for me, it's having no double bogeys. when i play, i break 80 about 70% of the time but i usually find a way to make a double out there.

My ball striking has definitely improved. I have lost a substantial amount of weight in the last several months, and in turn my swing speed has increased and I'm hitting it much farther. I average 250-260 off the tee now (275 if i really connect) as opposed to about 235 last year and all my irons are a club and a half longer. That has made all the difference in the world! My short game has always been good, so lately I have been surprising myself with some pretty respectable scores. My handicap hasn't dropped all that much (maybe a shot or 2) but I feel like a completely different player. More"solid".

I have broken par three times in 2016, and each time I followed it up with a round in the 80s the next time out. I played the last two days I shot 69 (-3) one day and 82 (+10) the next. And on two separate occasions I have shot 80 after being 71 in my previous round. Do any of you deal with this? What do you think causes it? Any insight on how to fix it? I should add that all my rounds were played on courses of similar difficulty (~6300 yards, Par 72). It's not like I played a really easy course one day and Bethpage Black the next. I just played much worse in the second round!

I played three rounds in the last three days and shot 83-69-82. Golf is a funny game!

I love Beef. One time he was interviewed after a round that included a rain delay and asked how he stayed sharp during the delay. He responded that he had a burger and a beer. Haha! Golf needs more characters like that. The guy's got some serious game too! Although, the XL shirt was looking a little tight at Oakmont, time to move up to the 2X, Andy boy!