Drive for Dough???

[birdyhunter]

The average club golfer under clubs on a mammoth scale.

I played a semi final against a bandit 20 [ish] handicapper. I was playing off 4 or 5 at the time.
Shortest hole on the course, unusually playing into a stiffish wind, normally a 8 or 9 iron for me but I hit a 6 iron off the white tees.
He watches me play and hit the green then selects a 9 iron, hits it well and it pitches 30 yards short of the green and into the water hazzard.
He goes mad, saying he can't understand it as he always hits this green with a 9 iron.
I calmly point our that it is into the wind and off the back tee and watch the penny slowly drop.
If I had been clubbing him I would have given him a 5 iron.

I've never met a golfer who can't see they are playing into a 4 club wind... bizarre
.

 

[sunshine]

Many holes on an 'average' golf course are banked at the back.

So you'd rather be playing a short-sided downhill chip shot from a tough banked lie in the rough, than an uphill chip from the manicured apron at the front of the green? Interesting choice!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

So you'd rather be playing a short-sided downhill chip shot from a tough banked lie in the rough, than an uphill chip from the manicured apron at the front of the green? Interesting choice!

Or.........watch my ball bounce/roll back on to the green
Or.........it may be a gentle slope.
Or ........it may be a simple little uphill chip from a not so tough downhill lie in the short rough.
Or..........it may be a simple 10 yard chip against a difficult 40 yard chip.

You chose the negatives.

 

[Bassfisher]

Interesting to read this on the other thread I thought it may be interesting to expand on this?
I recently joined my first golf club , started off going around in about 108 shots average, now I’m consistently nearer 95 and dropping.
I found that my driver was so inconsistent it was getting me into trouble, costing me shots. So I dropped the driver and adopted the three wood, this worked for awhile and now I use my 5 wood off the Tee. This gets me about 210 off the tee and into less trouble, But I will often need at least another 5 wood to reach the greens.
Reading some of the other comments I guess that to start scoring sub 90 then a driver is going to become essential?

Since I wrote the first post above my ability to hit te driver has almost changed overnight, with the help of our pro, one minor change and now I love it! Guess what ? I’m now nearer 90 and would have gone under 90 on my last round if we had time to get the last two holes in ! It doesn’t prove anything I know , but I guess it’s relevant?

 

[sunshine]

Or.........watch my ball bounce/roll back on to the green
Or.........it may be a gentle slope.
Or ........it may be a simple little uphill chip from a not so tough downhill lie in the short rough.
Or..........it may be a simple 10 yard chip against a difficult 40 yard chip.

You chose the negatives.

I guess you play very different courses from me!

 

[Junior]

Exactly the same at my course (also an Alister MacKenzie design - Cavendish in Buxton) the last place you want to be on almost every hole is long it's either thick rough or you are completely short sided. However, most amateurs do not take enough club, I'm constantly telling my dad to hit 1 extra club and pick the yardage to the back of the green as he regularly comes up well short.

Played Cavendish quite a bit this Summer. Did a couple of opens and a maxi tours event there. I also donated to their crowd funding in 2019, but only used 1 of the green fees. I still can't figure out the greens, but you're are 100% right. You can't be long on any of the holes.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Played Cavendish quite a bit this Summer. Did a couple of opens and a maxi tours event there. I also donated to their crowd funding in 2019, but only used 1 of the green fees. I still can't figure out the greens, but you're are 100% right. You can't be long on any of the holes.

I played an open there this year as well.
I had forgotten how dangerous being above the hole was as well. Particularly hole 3 iirc.

 

[Foxholer]

Interesting to read this on the other thread I thought it may be interesting to expand on this?
I recently joined my first golf club , started off going around in about 108 shots average, now I’m consistently nearer 95 and dropping.
I found that my driver was so inconsistent it was getting me into trouble, costing me shots. So I dropped the driver and adopted the three wood, this worked for awhile and now I use my 5 wood off the Tee. This gets me about 210 off the tee and into less trouble, But I will often need at least another 5 wood to reach the greens.
Reading some of the other comments I guess that to start scoring sub 90 then a driver is going to become essential?

To continue the resurrection of an old thread....
More important, imo, is for the 2nd shot to be playable! Cutting out Double/Treble bogies is much easier from short grass than trees or thick rough.
Keep practicing with the Driver though - just not the 100% (or more!) swing.

 

[SimonC]

Played Cavendish quite a bit this Summer. Did a couple of opens and a maxi tours event there. I also donated to their crowd funding in 2019, but only used 1 of the green fees. I still can't figure out the greens, but you're are 100% right. You can't be long on any of the holes.

Yes they certainly take some getting used to, when we have matches against teams who have never played it before they really struggle on the greens.

I played an open there this year as well.
I had forgotten how dangerous being above the hole was as well. Particularly hole 3 iirc.

Yes it's only a short par 4 but if you are on the right hand side of the hole in summer it can be difficult to keep the ball on the green at all.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Yes it's only a short par 4 but if you are on the right hand side of the hole in summer it can be difficult to keep the ball on the green at all.

Yes, I put a 2 iron pin high on the right, with the pin front right

 

[SimonC]

Yes, I put a 2 iron pin high on the right, with the pin front right

That is some pain right there!

 

[Junior]

Yes they certainly take some getting used to, when we have matches against teams who have never played it before they really struggle on the greens.



Yes it's only a short par 4 but if you are on the right hand side of the hole in summer it can be difficult to keep the ball on the green at all.

I was tempted to join but getting over the cat and fiddle in winter would be a challenge. Nice club and fun course to play.

 

[SimonC]

I was tempted to join but getting over the cat and fiddle in winter would be a challenge. Nice club and fun course to play.

Yes that road is a nightmare, it closes regularly with the snow.

The weather in Buxton is always worse than Macclesfield it's the only problem with living here.