Best player you’ve played with

[PhilTheFragger]

You might have your dates mixed up, Lee Westwood was in the European Team at Medinah that weekend.

Good call, it was a while ago
Defo played with Lee at Ping HQ at Gainsborough on 9 July 2012 , which of course doesn’t match the Ryder cup dates.

We went back up later in the year with GM on the Ryder Cup weekend for the grand final and major piss up

Apologies for the confusion

 

[PaulMdj]

Good call, it was a while ago
Defo played with Lee at Ping HQ at Gainsborough on 9 July 2012 , which of course doesn’t match the Ryder cup dates.

We went back up later in the year with GM on the Ryder Cup weekend for the grand final and major piss up

Apologies for the confusion

No apologies needed, the only reason I knew was that I was at Medinah for The Ryder Cup.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

No apologies needed, the only reason I knew was that I was at Medinah for The Ryder Cup.

Place name dropper

 

[GG26]

In our Sunday morning roll up I have played a couple of times with a lad who plays off +4. He was part of of the team that made our club England Golf champion club of 2023 and this year he was part of the Leicestershire team that won the England Golf county championship for the first time. Great to have the opportunity to play alongside such a good golfer.

 

[sunshine]

Let’s be honest, when we play with a very good golfer, it’s the big hitting and shot making which is impressive.

I recently played with a lad off +4. On a 400 yard par 4, I hit my tee shot 250 yards (driver), so did he (4 iron). I then found the green with an 8 iron, he followed me with a wedge and we both 2 putted for par. The difference of course is that I can’t do that consistently for 18 holes, I make mistakes, whereas he was playing within himself and cruised around in level par. When I asked him why he didn’t hit driver he said there was no need. He’s right of course, but it was a bit boring.

I’ve played alongside challenge tour pros a few times (once in a pro am, other times casual practice rounds). Those were more entertaining because they were taking on shots. The pro am format incentivised birdies.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Let’s be honest, when we play with a very good golfer, it’s the big hitting and shot making which is impressive.

I recently played with a lad off +4. On a 400 yard par 4, I hit my tee shot 250 yards (driver), so did he (4 iron). I then found the green with an 8 iron, he followed me with a wedge and we both 2 putted for par. The difference of course is that I can’t do that consistently for 18 holes, I make mistakes, whereas he was playing within himself and cruised around in level par. When I asked him why he didn’t hit driver he said there was no need. He’s right of course, but it was a bit boring.

I’ve played alongside challenge tour pros a few times (once in a pro am, other times casual practice rounds). Those were more entertaining because they were taking on shots. The pro am format incentivised birdies.

When I’ve played with players that low I don’t think it is the distance or shot shaping that is the difference. It’s the pure consistency of strike and playing shots from the right spots on every hole to minimise mistakes rather than tearing the course apart. They seem to play with far more patience and let it evolve rather than trying to score.

 

[irip]

When I’ve played with players that low I don’t think it is the distance or shot shaping that is the difference. It’s the out consistency of strike and playing shots from the right spots on every hole to minimise mistakes rather than tearing the course apart. They seem to play with far more patience and let it evolve rather than trying to score.

I would pretty much agree with this.
The low guys at club level I find hit the same good shots as I do but my bad shots are much more costly than theirs.
They always seem to make bogey at worst where I will manage to chuck in an 8 from nowhere.

They also seem to be able to just plod along and you think they are not doing anything fantastic then you count up the score and they have shot level par.

 

[cookelad]

When I’ve played with players that low I don’t think it is the distance or shot shaping that is the difference. It’s the out consistency of strike and playing shots from the right spots on every hole to minimise mistakes rather than tearing the course apart. They seem to play with far more patience and let it evolve rather than trying to score.

I agree, there's a Scottish fella over here plays off +4/5 and I reckon the only real difference is his short game, I match him club for club, drive it the same if not longer.

I obviously don't have his stats but it seems like he's getting down in 2 more often than not from inside 100yards and when it's not 2 it's a comfortable 3 and taking 4 is beyond rare!

Whereas I'm taking the odd 2, a lot of 3s, far more often than I'd like 4 and probably even 5 on a bad day!

 

[Rlburnside]

Moe Norman, in a pro-Am at my home club. Loads of fun and stories.

Love to know more about your game with Moe Norman that must have been a very interesting day.

 

[kp17]

Let’s be honest, when we play with a very good golfer, it’s the big hitting and shot making which is impressive.

Definitely the case with a lot.
But also know plenty of top players, in and around scratch or plus that I could knock it past off the tee comfortably. Or even stripe an iron better than that come the 18th green their scorecard be a good bit less than mine.

Marathon runner is always a good comparison.

 

[rulie]

Love to know more about your game with Moe Norman that must have been a very interesting day.

It was an interesting day for sure. He was very relaxed and engaging. We were playing with a 19 year old club member who was also a very good player, nicknamed Gabe. On the short par 3 14th, Gabe pulled a 9 iron into the front left bunker. Moe was exasperated and quickly said, "You can't do that. You can't do that." (Moe said everything twice, everything twice.) Moe got up to the tee and hit his ball about 2 feet from Gabe's ball in the bunker. "See, you can't do that, you can't do that." Then showed Gabe the mistake he had made and how to correct it. There were other times when I saw Moe and he was a lot less engaging. Watched him in a CPGA championship - he would hit his tee shot, then walk outside the gallery and into the trees beside the fairway. He would return to the fairway to play his next shot, and then retreat to the trees again. Odd, but that was him. He would often say, "See Moe go! See Moe go!"

 

[Mel Smooth]

Best player at our club is a young lad called Habib Khan, he's off +4.3, but he also has the ability to win so has picked up quite a few decent trophies already - he won the Yorkshire am this year and got through to round 2 of the DPWT Q School.

Back in April we went up to Ganton to watch him play in a matchplay event organised by Chris Hanson, load of local am's versus a bunch of pros - Penge, Brown, Armitage, Gavins, Parry etc. Habib was out in a fourball with George Ash and Sam Bairstow, as well as his Yorkshire mate George Hanson. There wasn't a massive difference between them but Sam Bairstow was the standout player - he probably knocked every drive 10 yards passed Habibs (which to be fair, could be rectified with a bit of gym and swing work) and comfortably holed putts from maybe 4 ft beyond the distance that the decent am's were making. Not huge difference but the margins are so fine when you get to that level that a fractional improvement in your game can make a huge difference to your scorecard.

In reality, the tour pros are playing at a level that is unimaginable to most of us. The capability gap between tour levels and scratch is probably about as wide as someone off low single figures and a 28 handicapper at club level.

 

[sunshine]

The capability gap between tour levels and scratch is probably about as wide as someone off low single figures and a 28 handicapper at club level.

Er no.

A low single figure player, say 2 handicap, is giving a 28 handicapper 26 shots. The tour pro has no chance giving 26 shots to a 2 hc.

 

[sunshine]

When I’ve played with players that low I don’t think it is the distance or shot shaping that is the difference. It’s the pure consistency of strike and playing shots from the right spots on every hole to minimise mistakes rather than tearing the course apart. They seem to play with far more patience and let it evolve rather than trying to score.

I agree. Watching one of my mates not making any mistakes is impressive. But Watching a tour pro plod his way round not making any mistakes is not entertaining.

I want to see them play shots I can’t play.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Er no.

A low single figure player, say 2 handicap, is giving a 28 handicapper 26 shots. The tour pro has no chance giving 26 shots to a 2 hc.

That's why I said capability. Comparing by handicap isn't an accurate assessment of the capabilities that tour pro's have versus club scratch golfers.

 

[Rlburnside]

It was an interesting day for sure. He was very relaxed and engaging. We were playing with a 19 year old club member who was also a very good player, nicknamed Gabe. On the short par 3 14th, Gabe pulled a 9 iron into the front left bunker. Moe was exasperated and quickly said, "You can't do that. You can't do that." (Moe said everything twice, everything twice.) Moe got up to the tee and hit his ball about 2 feet from Gabe's ball in the bunker. "See, you can't do that, you can't do that." Then showed Gabe the mistake he had made and how to correct it. There were other times when I saw Moe and he was a lot less engaging. Watched him in a CPGA championship - he would hit his tee shot, then walk outside the gallery and into the trees beside the fairway. He would return to the fairway to play his next shot, and then retreat to the trees again. Odd, but that was him. He would often say, "See Moe go! See Moe go!"

Thanks, I would have loved to see Moe play I’ve watched most of his content online.
He certainly was a character shame he was so poorly treated in America, at least some of the best players in the game acknowledged how good he was.

 

[Wilson]

No apologies needed, the only reason I knew was that I was at Medinah for The Ryder Cup.

So was I!

 

[sunshine]

That's why I said capability. Comparing by handicap isn't an accurate assessment of the capabilities that tour pro's have versus club scratch golfers.

Still complete rubbish