Do you believe you can get to scratch?

I still love the game and enjoy it regardless

If I have a poor start I take it as a challenge to try and find birdies to get myself back

Or just use the round to practise etc

Never walk off the course but I have seen it


After 3 holes in the club champs I was 5 over 😂
I played Burnham and Berrow recently and still can’t believe you had 5 birdies on the front 9
 
That’s an interesting question

And yeah I have had the mentality that it’s replacing a score that didn’t count so it’s not to much of an issue but if it’s replacing a counting score then the feeling is a bit different
Yes but the buffer zone was every comp .
Where you only have to worry about one of your best eight out of twenty so we get 12 free hits.

Imo it’s a mental attitude and players do give up if it’s a bad score dropping off.
 
Last edited:
Yes but the buffer zone was every comp .
Where you only have to worry about one of your best eight out of twenty so we get 12 free hits.

Imo it’s a mental attitude and players do give up if it’s a bad score dropping off.
But they still go on your record, so may well end up counting and pushing you up more than you thought. It's just a different mind set.
 
But they still go on your record, so may well end up counting and pushing you up more than you thought. It's just a different mind set.
Not really .
My worst of 8 is replicated about five times they will go on before any bad scores.
I think most players would be similar.
I might be wrong though.
 
That’s probably because they are not winning anymore,I suspect they were enjoying it whilst winning and reducing their handicap.
Walking off after 2 holes is just imo babyish.
Imagine if everyone just walked off when playing badly.

If you knew our course lay out, the second is still very close to the carpark. If he wasn’t going to enjoy it he was better walking in rather than bring the group down.

I get it..
 
No.

Currently 7.2 with a low index of 5.8. I’m regularly mid 70’s at home on a par 70 but the thought of breaking 70 feels impossible. Once in a blue moon I’ll have a low 70’s but I’ll have had a laughable amount of luck on those occasions!
 
2024 was my first season of competitive handicap golf since 1997 when I was 21 years old and a 9.3 handicap. I'm now 48 with a handicap of 12.4, the goal for 2025 is too get back to single figures.
I had a lesson in September as I was really struggling with my driver, and since then I've been playing well throughout autumn and winter, I shot my lowest score since 1994 (73 +5) in November and I'm now scoring in the mid/late 70's most rounds, although they're currently non qualifying.
Roll on spring....
 
There is absolutely no way on earth that I will ever get down to scratch.

It’s not going to happen, so I have accepted that and I don’t intend to lose any sleep over it.

I got down to 18 for 1 week about 12 years ago, my index is now about 25

I’m 63 , I have certain medical issues that affect my golfing prowess, but I’m going down to 3 days a week in May , so will increase how much I play , which should mean I can still improve

Upward & onward 👍
 
Think for most it’s just time and priorities in life. My handicaps now actually lapsed with not playing competitions, probably only managing a few hours either on the course or range per week. Which is nowhere near enough to get down to any sort of good level like scratch etc.

But if time was there to practice and play I reckon it’d be a different story.
(Was 6 around 10 years ago)
 
Id imagine i would have if id really put my mind to it. i got down to 1.2 when WHS first came in without too much effort , but had a bit of a scare as i just didn't think i am consistent enough to maintain it. not now though i just don't have the time or inclination . especially since I've not so much as touched a club in over 5 months. its fare easier now under WHS, with the old system i struggled to get below 4 as you only got cut 0.1 per shot and you could go up just as easily.
 
Currently: 11.3 - I am almost certainly at a plateau right now. I don't see me getting any better without improving the swing and being a more consistent ball striker, that is a work in progress (isn't it always). There are some low hanging fruit there too, whilst I am a good putter (Arccos has me gaining strokes on a 5 index for example) - I'm sure there's adjustments that could be made. My bunker shots need work, and my short approaches and chipping is poor and needs a bit of work - I'm sure all these things could save me another two or three strokes a round. Distance is another thing - whilst I agree with some that it's not everything in golf, I'm not sure averaging 210-220 carry with little roll out is good for me especially when most of the time I play with guys who are 30 yards plus past me and when I play society comps or other comps we are off the back tees. Me gaining distance will be a combination of better ball striking ability/swing technique and fitness/strength. The other thing that holds me back is my physical fitness and limitations. I need to be more athletic (again a work in progress).

It's alot of work and in my mid 30's I can only put so much time into it all. I am seeing a coach once a month and we have been working on the swing and technique mostly with irons and approach shots. We will transition to short game stuff come March time. I am in the gym and working on my physical fitness as well as 3 practice sessions a week a the range. I doubt scratch will be possible for me. I think 3-5 range is possible but as you can see quite a bit of work to do to get there.

The plan to get better is basially:

- Better ball striking/swing technique for better approach shots to hit more greens in regulation
- Continue at gym to work on physical fitness, including mobility and flexibility work alongside strength, power etc
- Transition to short game/putting work in March to sharpen those areas up ahead of the 'season' kicking off

I am hoping for a good year - I worked really hard last year and dropped 5 shots, and I've already put a ton of work in through the winter so hopefully start to see the fruits of that come March/April time. It has been a challenge mentally to tell the truth.
 
Top