Apparently there is a game in me somewhere.

[palindromicbob]

Went out for 18 at 8:30 this morning after managing a nett -2 over a quick 5 holes before going work last night. Squeezed on to the course just before the ladies started going out for their presidents day comp and decided to play white tees. Had a mare the first 3 holes because I was paranoid I was going to slowly and the ladies behind me felt like they were right up my rear. Rushed everything, felt tired, dug massive holes in the course and basically thought I was going to be walking off before nine.

Managed to put a good gap between myself and them on the fourth and felt better when I saw they were only chipping onto the green while I hit my second on the par 5 4th which I proceed to get par on. Started to get into my groove after the S.I: 1, 5th with a bogey and had a run of pars on the 6th-8th. hiccup on the 9th and 10th was soon forgotten after a birdie on the 11th. Followed with par, par, double after a lipped out putt (S.I:2), triple after taking 3 off the tee, then par (lipped out chip) bogey, par to finish.

Broke 90 for the first time with a gross 88 nett 66. If not for some very stupid choices I could have been breathing down the back of breaking 80!

Now if I can manage that with a card in hand I'll be very very happy.

 

[drutz]

Sounds great to me and progress made. I feel the slow play myself as a newbie my swing is best described as methodical so sometimes feel I hold play up but if I rush it my swing ends up going to pot. My coach says I have the makings of a mid-low handicapper when my swing comes together but will keep plugging away to make this happen. My club is a short but tight course, only a par 65, so have been round in 91 and 95 recently and hoping to get it sub 90's in the next few months.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Went out for 18 at 8:30 this morning after managing a nett -2 over a quick 5 holes before going work last night. Squeezed on to the course just before the ladies started going out for their presidents day comp and decided to play white tees. Had a mare the first 3 holes because I was paranoid I was going to slowly and the ladies behind me felt like they were right up my rear. Rushed everything, felt tired, dug massive holes in the course and basically thought I was going to be walking off before nine.

Managed to put a good gap between myself and them on the fourth and felt better when I saw they were only chipping onto the green while I hit my second on the par 5 4th which I proceed to get par on. Started to get into my groove after the S.I: 1, 5th with a bogey and had a run of pars on the 6th-8th. hiccup on the 9th and 10th was soon forgotten after a birdie on the 11th. Followed with par, par, double after a lipped out putt (S.I:2), triple after taking 3 off the tee, then par (lipped out chip) bogey, par to finish.

Broke 90 for the first time with a gross 88 nett 66. If not for some very stupid choices I could have been breathing down the back of breaking 80!

Now if I can manage that with a card in hand I'll be very very happy.

Brilliant - but don't dwell too much on the shots you 'threw away'. Have a good think about the times you were in a poor position and salvaged something. How did you do it? On each hole you came off thinking 'done well there' was there one decision that you made that in retrospect was the very correct decision - that in the end gave you the opportunity that you took. The stuff that 'got away' will have been balanced by the stuff you 'got away with'. I'd guess your cracking 66 was as much down to your decision making and taking advantage of those decisions as it was to brilliant shots.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Brilliant - but don't dwell too much on the shots you 'threw away'. Have a good think about the times you were in a poor position and salvaged something. How did you do it? On each hole you came off thinking 'done well there' was there one decision that you made that in retrospect was the very correct decision - that in the end gave you the opportunity that you took. The stuff that 'got away' will have been balanced by the stuff you 'got away with'. I'd guess your cracking 66 was as much down to your decision making and taking advantage of those decisions as it was to brilliant shots.

Meant to add...be chuffed with your 66 - but don't let your imagination get carried away about 'what might have been' - important thing is to learn from how you 'did it' - especially identify and learn from where you made a decision that really worked out for you and don't dwell on those that didn't. You can't change the past - but your future is in your hands, heart and mind.

 

[palindromicbob]

Thanks. I get what you are saying. Suppose is indicative of the mind set that exists today. Looking at what we could have and forgetting what we are holding. Just look at the amount of new gear threads we get here.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I hope I didn't come across as a 'kill-joy'. I too had a nett 66 a few weeks ago and was chuffed. And I thought of all the putts I hadn't holed or had just missed etc. (and there were a few). But then I thought of the escapes I'd had - the fours that on another day would have been 6s or 7s. But on that day I made some correct decisions and made them count.

Little example from that day if I may to explain. Shortish, fairly straightforward par four. I pull 4 wood tee shot into first cut but heavy rough - on a downslope and hanging lie. All uphill approach to green with nightmare bunkers front left and right and very steep drop-off to left of green. Good 7 iron was club to heart of the green but I decided it was too risky from my lie - I didn't want to get into either of the front bunkers or pull it and go away down the slope. So I took an 8-iron and deliberately played short of the green (to avoid reaching bunkers) and to the right (to mitigate if I pulled it out the rough). I hit it perfectly to about 20yds short of rh bunker. Pitched over bunker onto green to 18" and tapped in for a par.

Now the one 'good' shot was the pitch. The tee shot wasn't great, the second shot was deliberately safe - so I was happy hitting it - and hit it where I wanted to. And having an 18" putt for a par? Well that was nice. But what made the hole and averted a mess was my decision to play short and right of the green. A great learning point for me - only 150yds but I didn't take it on. The hole was our tenth. I'll often come off 9 with a goodish front nine feeling +ve and with good momentum - and immediately screw up 10 and all that good stuff feels like a waste of time - it's not - it just feels it. If I walk off 10 with a 5 after a good front 9 I'm happy. A 4 is a bonus. So that hole on that day - it's not what I did, but how I did it that I take a lesson from.

Good golfing.

 

[chris661]

Bob after playing with you a few times now I feel I can comment. You are capable of truely smashing golf shots but like me capable of some very poor ones. All I feel you need to do is settle down and play a shot that you know wont kill your card. You just need some confidence I think.

Oh by the way nice shooting ;-) was just a matter of time now on to sub 80.

 

[brendy]

Eventually 80 break, you will. BTW Did you use the pink tees? : D
A wee bit of management and percentages makes a fair difference to the end score.

 

[palindromicbob]

Nope saving them. Used the pencils though.