Are you happy at your playing standard

[Orikoru]

I wasn't until the last 3 or 4 weeks! Playing off 21 I always felt was too high for me, getting 2 shots on some holes didn't really sit right anymore, felt I was better than that. I just hadn't been able to hit that good score in a comp to get me lower. Then two weeks ago I did it, and got cut to 19, then two days ago I hit another good round so when the results are done that should see me down to 18. I'm happy with that now because 18 has been my goal for ages, 1 shot per hole feels more right for me really. I could probably stand to go another shot lower to 17 really, but I'm in no rush now having just lost 3 shots already.

 

[NWJocko]

Probably a two part question for me.....

Happy with the way I'm playing never played so consistently well tbh, not happy with my handicap. Unfortunately saved my poorest golf/biggest mistakes for comps the last couple of years.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Yep I’m happy - I’m not the best ball striker or hit the ball the furthest but I’m consistent and go round the course well , would be nice to go down to 3 as I think I score well enough

 

[garyinderry]

Cant complain in either department.

Currently on a great run this year. Played 30 comps this year. 6 0.1's of which 4 were a shot or two from buffer. Just two what I would class as poor rounds.

Play a safe fade with the driver these days. Rarely found on the wrong fairway unlike times of old.
Irons have been the biggest improvement. Went from hitting the majority fat to not making decent contact. Night and day there. Previously I could go months without hitting one even half decent. Constantly leaving myself in 3 putt country after being in prime position when I should have been looking at easy par and bird opportunity.

Enjoy every single game these days whereas my irons could suck quite a bit of enjoyment from them in the past. It's hard to shoot in the 70s when you fat absolutely every iron. It got to the stage i was clubbing FOR the fat. Haha dark days haha

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Probably a two part question for me.....

Happy with the way I'm playing never played so consistently well tbh, not happy with my handicap. Unfortunately saved my poorest golf/biggest mistakes for comps the last couple of years.

Same here - I have played really well in matchplay (shot 2 under at home, and level away from home), we shot level par in foresomes a few weeks back, and in team events I'm getting birdies for fun.
But call it a qualifying comp' I either buffer, or like this weekend implode - had no consistency at all that day, for 27 points!

 

[Coffey]

Not even slightly.

I guess I have done pretty well. Down to a 10 handicap in 4 years of playing golf but this season I have stalled.

Playing well for 14/15 holes and throwing in 3/4 doubles which is killing me.

I hit shots that scratch golfers would be proud of and then the next shot a 28 handicap would be embarrassed to hit!

It is getting there though and feel like the last two rounds have been my best this year, even though the scoring wasn't.

 

[Crow]

I think most of us would like to play better and from a lower handicap, it's the always striving to improve that's one of golf's attractions.

Having said that my standard of play and handicap have both been going in the wrong direction the last couple of years or so but happily I'm not so worried about it as I used to be.

Not only do I enjoy the challenge of the course but also adapting to the set of clubs I'll be playing that week. For instance I could play one day with some 1970s irons and a couple of woods from the 1970s and a putter from the 1950s, next time out might be with a half set from the 1960s.

Part of the fun in this is that things don't get stale, I don't come to a hole on my home course and automatically hit the same clubs I hit every week, it takes a little more thought reviewing what's in the bag today.

I'm a 13 handicap so by no means an accomplished golfer but I'm at a level where I can hit any of my clubs with a reasonable degree of consistency (or at least to satisfy my lowly ambitions) and so at the end of the day I'd have to say yes, I am happy with my playing standard as I can enjoy every round, even if some of them result in big numbers.

It's not all about the score!

 

[Grant85]

I am happy with my playing standard and feel I have improved a lot of with all aspects - especially Driving and putting after some good lessons and getting the right equipment. Obviously not resting on anything and can still spend shots off the tee and around the greens in particular.

I'm a 21 handicapper, but got in at 24 last year and have been cut 4 times out of 8 attempts this year (with the other 4 resulting in buffer). Unfortunately not been able to play as many medals as I'd like.

I struggle with consistency and putting a round together over 18 holes. Concentration a problem and my swing can get defensive at times. Played some really good KO matchplay recently and really got it going down the stretch making excellent pars and bogeys in the closing holes. So have to take that mentality to the strokeplay events.

There's definitely a round in the mid 80s there and getting chopped right into the teens, which I'm keen to try and do before the end of the season whether it is one good round or plugging away with multiple 0.4 and 0.8 cuts.

 

[Garush34]

Not happy with the way I'm playing at the moment. But just happy to get out when I can, my level of play is probably right for me at the moment. I'm not getting out as much as I'd like due to a new addition to the family, which is fine by me. I'm getting out of the game exactly what I put in, whihc is nonthing. Will just play a few more comps this year and hope that next year is better.

 

[Dan2501]

Nope. Too many dumb mistakes and inconsistency causing doubles, really want to get to <10 in the next 12-18 months, feel like I'm not that far away, just need to string a few rounds together.

 

[BubbaP]

I could live with the standard of play but not the unforced errors. Just so expensive to the score

I'll bite. When playing your own ball, what exactly in your view is an "unforced error", rather than an error ?

 

[Orikoru]

I'll bite. When playing your own ball, what exactly in your view is an "unforced error", rather than an error ?

I assumed he just meant rubbish shots from nice lies in the middle of the fairway. As opposed to having a poor lie, or having to shape it round a tree, or something.

 

[Slab]

I'll bite. When playing your own ball, what exactly in your view is an "unforced error", rather than an error ?

Yeah I suppose its really only an accurate phrase in matchplay and it is just an 'error', but wimblebums on and its in my head

 

[Siolag]

Not happy at all with it at the moment. I am though, enjoying my golf and have my first lesson this week. The frustrating thing is that I fluff shots, and that seems to set off a downward spiral on that hole. Saturday's medal seen me put 2 10s and an 11 on the card, and a 9 at a par 3.

I got 2 good pars at the weekend too though, a 4 and a 3, so there are signs of improvement. I am playing another competition on Saturday, and I have decided to treat it as a casual round, no pressure on myself.

 

[azazel]

I vary between content and frustrated! Week to week I’m fighting a destructive hook that costs me the odd double or triple per round, whereas the rest of my golf is generally in pretty good nick. Playing off 6, there isn’t a lot of room for manoeuvre so when these bad holes kick in they can either ruin a score completely or prevent a reasonable round becoming a really good one.

All that having been said, I never practise and probably don’t even average one round per week during the summer so keeping a handicap which hovers between five and six can’t be too bad.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

My wife said she was happy and does not want to improve anymore, as she doesn't get enough shots already. I almost choked on my water when she said that, as wasn't expecting that outlook, as thought most people would always be looking to improve.

For the last year it has been the most consistent I have played and have shot more rounds in the high 70s this year than ever before(social golf I mainly play). Always been a hot/cold scorer tho.

However I would gladly trade that consistently for shooting the odd under par round/very close to and lots of rounds in the high 80s/low 90s, like I used to before. Hoping to have turned the corner on my chipping/putting to enable that, as that has been the missing link on my good rounds and going low.

Its the low rounds that reduces my handicap, so hope to see that happen over the next year.

 

[robbeh32]

I'm happy gone from shooting 130 last year when I first started to now 88 / 89 in about a year. Not really bothered if I dont improve from now just enjoy getting out and playing.

 

[TheDiablo]

Not really, I'm wildly inconsistent even within rounds for no rhyme or reason which is very frustrating as there's a golfer in there somewhere.

Just looked and off 16 handicap I've made 18 pars on 15 separate holes in the last 3 rounds which is good going. That should have led to a cut somewhere, but I've also chucked in 16 scores of double or worse! Case in point yesterday I parred 6 of the front 9 with 5 tap ins, yet was +5 courtesy of 2 doubles.

The doubles also come from any part of the game - 3 off tee, missing greens with wedges, 3 putting etc so it's not that I've got a single thing I can work on.

Genuinely think there's a 12 HC in me, even as a once a week player with no interest in practice. Just got to put a couple of scores together by eliminating some doubles.

 

[Wolf]

Same here - I have played really well in matchplay (shot 2 under at home, and level away from home), we shot level par in foresomes a few weeks back, and in team events I'm getting birdies for fun.
But call it a qualifying comp' I either buffer, or like this weekend implode - had no consistency at all that day, for 27 points!

I vary between content and frustrated! Week to week I’m fighting a destructive hook that costs me the odd double or triple per round, whereas the rest of my golf is generally in pretty good nick. Playing off 6, there isn’t a lot of room for manoeuvre so when these bad holes kick in they can either ruin a score completely or prevent a reasonable round becoming a really good one.

All that having been said, I never practise and probably don’t even average one round per week during the summer so keeping a handicap which hovers between five and six can’t be too bad.

These 2 posts perfectly sum up my golf this year, matchplay game seems to hold up throughout with low scores.

Put a card in my hand and the fighting a hook becomes the thing which often leads to 14/15 good holes ruined by 3 or 4 big numbers because the hook rears on its head on the tee box at the worst of times which gives me a buffer of I scramble or a more likely 0.1 increase.

 

[azazel]

These 2 posts perfectly sum up my golf this year, matchplay game seems to hold up throughout with low scores.

Put a card in my hand and the fighting a hook becomes the thing which often leads to 14/15 good holes ruined by 3 or 4 big numbers because the hook rears on its head on the tee box at the worst of times which gives me a buffer of I scramble or a more likely 0.1 increase.

My scores this summer, all off either 5 or 6:

74
92
81
75
88
80
79

Spot the two rounds where the hook stayed away, and the two where is was back with a vengeance...
The 81, 80 and 79 were all 15/16 holes of very steady golf with 2/3 holes accounting for 90% of the dropped shots 🙈