Breaking 80

[dankiz]

I don't have an official handicap but have been playing ten years off and on. No lessons, just a round with mates every 6 weeks or so. Would love it to be more but family commitments and budgets etc dictate otherwise.
Really enjoyed this summer playing mostly in Hampshire, but also at The Oxfordshire on a Callaway day and East Sussex East and West. I have sot 80, 81, 82 and 84. I missed a 20 footer when I shot 80 and only realised afterwards how close I came to bnreaking 80 for the first time ever!

Those four rounds however, I really nailed my drives and irons giving myself chances on greens. A lot of stuff fell into place but I still came up short! On other days my driving fails or second shots are poor, it is so difficult to get close!

Anyone else similar standard close to breaking 80? Love to hear your stories

 

[IanM]

Several reasons for my scores hovering around 80 and sometimes not breaking 90..... I need to bite the bullet more and use the 3 wood to find more fairways.... and then chip it closer more often.

Mind you , playing more would help!

 

[Orikoru]

Not near that yet personally. Back in July I broke 90 for the first time with an 88, followed that with another 88 a few weeks later, and about 3 or 4 weeks ago I got a new best with an 85. But given how well I had to play just to get 85, breaking 80 feels like a distant pipe dream!

 

[dankiz]

I have similar problems especially finding fairway! Lost 7 balls last time out driving into trees! Blob city. Golf can be the most frustrating and the most wonderful game at the same time

 

[garyinderry]

As long as you dont knock a load of shots out of bounds the difference between shooting low 80 s and into the 70s is purely down to chipping. Getting up and down is the key.

 

[dankiz]

As long as you dont knock a load of shots out of bounds the difference between shooting low 80 s and into the 70s is purely down to chipping. Getting up and down is the key.

Think you have hit the nail on the head! Funnily enough my 80 included two 8's which made it even more annoying, rest of round was amazing

 

[shortgame]

80, 81, 82 and 84. I missed a 20 footer when I shot 80 and only realised afterwards how close I came to bnreaking 80 for the first time ever!

That's good scoring considering you don't play that often :thup: :thup:

As long as you dont knock a load of shots out of bounds the difference between shooting low 80 s and into the 70s is purely down to chipping. Getting up and down is the key.

Yep, chipping & putting

 

[dankiz]

That's good scoring considering you don't play that often :thup: :thup:


Yep, chipping & putting

I can add 4 no scores and a couple of late 90's as well lol!! Def need to work on both chipping and putting def

 

[Dasit]

I have broke 80 3 times this year.

None of those rounds I played my best golf, but they were the rounds I just consistently got pars, hit fairways, hit greens, and put putts in.

 

[dankiz]

I have broke 80 3 times this year.

None of those rounds I played my best golf, but they were the rounds I just consistently got pars, hit fairways, hit greens, and put putts in.

What do you play off normally? Great effort though!! I def def need to hole more ten footers

 

[davemc1]

I'm in a similar camp scoring wise. Best off yellows is 81 twice. Whites is 83. I'm not chasing the magic 79, but I'm very aware I haven't got there yet!

I'm a slow but progressive learner, every year my handicap has come down. If the trend continues I should do it in the next year or 2. I just hope I don't know on 18th tee that I'm on 75, I'd probably end up with another 83...

 

[Imurg]

It depends a lot on the Par/SSS as to whether breaking 80 is good, bad or indifferent - depending on handicap.
If you're off 10 and you shoot 79 on a Par/SSS 65 then that's not too good.
Shooting 79 on a Par/SSS 73 means you've done well.
Whilst breaking 100, 90, 80 etc are milestones, unless you relate them to Par/SSS they have less meaning.

 

[patricks148]

It depends a lot on the Par/SSS as to whether breaking 80 is good, bad or indifferent - depending on handicap.
If you're off 10 and you shoot 79 on a Par/SSS 65 then that's not too good.
Shooting 79 on a Par/SSS 73 means you've done well.
Whilst breaking 100, 90, 80 etc are milestones, unless you relate them to Par/SSS they have less meaning.

not really i need to shoot lower that than that for buffer and we are SSS73

 

[dankiz]

It depends a lot on the Par/SSS as to whether breaking 80 is good, bad or indifferent - depending on handicap.
If you're off 10 and you shoot 79 on a Par/SSS 65 then that's not too good.
Shooting 79 on a Par/SSS 73 means you've done well.
Whilst breaking 100, 90, 80 etc are milestones, unless you relate them to Par/SSS they have less meaning.

Good point! I guess the problem I have is that I don't have an official handicap. In general, I play off 16 as i worked out from three cards (using max 2 over for any hole max rule). I shot 80 on SSS69 but slightly shorter course at 5700 yards.

 

[HankMarvin]

It depends a lot on the Par/SSS as to whether breaking 80 is good, bad or indifferent - depending on handicap.
If you're off 10 and you shoot 79 on a Par/SSS 65 then that's not too good.
Shooting 79 on a Par/SSS 73 means you've done well.
Whilst breaking 100, 90, 80 etc are milestones, unless you relate them to Par/SSS they have less meaning.

Breaking 80 is a big thing for at lot of people regardless off CSS or SSS so let them have their time.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

As long as you dont knock a load of shots out of bounds the difference between shooting low 80 s and into the 70s is purely down to chipping. Getting up and down is the key.

+1

My handicap coming down by two shots 10 (gross 82)-8 (gross 80) this last three months has been down to:

1) keeping the ball in play of the tee (and I haven't lost a ball in a qualifying round)
2) chipping close and holing just about everything under 3ft and more 3-6 footers.

And as a result the doubles are reducing - with none last time out - and no surprise I'm starting to knock it round in <80 when I haven't for 20yrs (other than the occasional freakie)

My irons are still a bit ropey (I'm 8 h/cap after all) - but my chipping is compensating.

 

[chip barm]

Been playing 18 months. Similar story to the OP. No official handicap. No lessons. Not playing regularly. When I started I wanted to break 100. My best round was 85 last winter. I don’t really count that because the course was a lot shorter so my legitimate best is 87. 15 over. My target now is a sub eighty. I’d need to reduce the amount of stupid mistakes and tighten up my decision making if I were to do it but I reckon I could get close. Having said that, I haven’t been on a course for 3 months so it’s not looking good.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

In his classic book "Modern fundamentals" Ben Hogan states:

'Within six months - as soon as that - an average golfer who has applied himself intelligently should be coming close to breaking 80, or actually break 80'

Now I've wondered about this a lot in the past given my long progression towards breaking 80 - and I'm thinking that maybe what Hogan is saying is that were the untutored - though maybe not new - golfer to pick up his book and follow what he writes of in his method and approach - then they'll be breaking 80...

I think it may a bit pushing it a bit for the complete newbie to be close to or breaking 80 within 6months - but maybe Hogan meant that - he was most probably not short of self-assurance.

 

[tomshanks]

As long as you dont knock a load of shots out of bounds the difference between shooting low 80 s and into the 70s is purely down to chipping. Getting up and down is the key.

^^ This guy knows the score ^^

I usually hit my driver pretty well but have always struggled with finesse around greens. I've worked an awful lot on my chipping the last few months which led to me shooting a few golden rounds in mid to high 70's.

Whilst this chipping practice has worked wonders I've noticed I'm beginning to struggle with the driver now! Damn game.

 

[Foxholer]

It depends a lot on the Par/SSS as to whether breaking 80 is good, bad or indifferent - depending on handicap.
If you're off 10 and you shoot 79 on a Par/SSS 65 then that's not too good.
Shooting 79 on a Par/SSS 73 means you've done well.
Whilst breaking 100, 90, 80 etc are milestones, unless you relate them to Par/SSS they have less meaning.

not really i need to shoot lower that than that for buffer and we are SSS73

H'mm... Ego the size of a planet, but can't seem to read properly!