Golfing Appraisal 2024/25

[Orikoru]

Did you achieve your goals for 2024? What are your goals for next year?

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2024 Review
I actually can't find the 'goals' thread from a year ago if there was one*, but it's safe to say I did not achieve my goals for 2024. Having gone up in handicap in 2023 I of course wanted to get back down, but that didn't happen, in fact I went up further. Had a lesson in January (as everyone probably knows by now ) but that made me play even worse for the first four or five months as I tried to get to grips with it. Eventually ended up in a place where my irons and woods were actually getting somewhere but driving was completely hopeless. I didn't break 80 even once, compared to doing it a couple of times in 2023 and 6 or 7 times in 2022. Sad times. On the plus side, my putting definitely improved after I found a putter and grip combo that I love.

2025 Goals
Could be false hope as it usually is, but in my last two rounds I've managed to avoid hitting any horrendous slices with driver - if I can keep it on the planet this year I might be able to achieve my goal of getting back into the 13's handicap-wise. My lowest ever was 13.5 but I'd take anything under 14.0 at this stage. Under 14.5 would be a 'silver medal' goal I suppose, with under 14.0 being the gold. Hole19 told me my fairways hit went from around 52-53% average down to 41% last year. My greens in reg went from 27-28% to 21% as well, but hopefully this would improve as a biproduct of hitting more fairways. So my goals are to get those two numbers back up, which should hopefully result in the lower handicap.


*if anyone can find this, feel free to link to it so people can remember what their goals were. Cheers.

 

[sunshine]

Didn’t you have a baby last year? Generally difficult to improve your golf and also be a parent to little children.

 

[Orikoru]

Didn’t you have a baby last year? Generally difficult to improve your golf and also be a parent to little children.

She's two this month, but yes. I don't like to use it as an excuse though, because my wife is decent enough to let me play every weekend and I tended to go to the driving range once a week or once a fortnight as well. I've played a bit less but I can't claim I've played loads less.

 

[sunshine]

Personally, I don’t think I had any goals in 2024.

For 2025 a realistic goal is single figures, but I’d be happy with just good ball striking and having fun. HI is currently 10.9 and my game is fairly solid. All my best scores are at away courses so a few trips would be the quickest way.

More relevant is that my children are a little older and I should be able to play around once a week this year. I can’t keep my swing together when I play less frequently.

 

[Imurg]

2024 - played lots, enjoyed it, won a couple of times, handicap stable bar a wobble mid-year

2025 - as above without the wobble

 

[chico]

Hope to improve this year. Going to keep going for lessons and try to groove a simple repeatable swing. Would like to ditch the wife (as a playing partner) and try and play more competitive golf. Never played a single round for h/c last year.

 

[RichA]

Not sure I had any specific goals in 2024 beyond having a nice time and avoiding humiliation.

HI started on 15.1 and for a while I thought it was likely to spiral. Then in December I introduced a couple of DIY swing changes, it's back down to 15.0 and I feel like I'm starting 2025 playing about my best golf ever.
If I have a goal for 2025 it's to try enjoying sensible golf and maintaining a bit of discipline rather than looking for the hero shot buzz at every opportunity.
Turns out there's a bit of a buzz from striping a drive down the middle, sticking an approach onto the green and 2-putting to a chorus of "Boring!" from your pals. Who knew?

 

[SteveW86]

I'd just like to get rid of the shanks tbh

 

[Imurg]

I'd just like to get rid of the shanks tbh

First rule of Shanks Club is...........

 

[Tashyboy]

Last year was my worst ever, rammel scores due to my driving being well rammel. Made a conscious decision that I am playing comps off the yellow tees. I have never been the longest off the tee and any fade puts it into trouble off the whites.
White tees and 62 years of age aint a good combination for me.

 

[Burnsey]

The white tees killed my handicap during 2024.

Playing in the winter comp from yellows and back to carding half decent scores again.

 

[Crazyface]

2024 Got two off my H/C wanted more but hey ho.

2025. I am going to have putting lesson(s). I'm confident this will drop me at least two more. Also I will be playing a lot more and will be adding in some individual opens even if I have to enter them on my own.

 

[SteveW86]

First rule of Shanks Club is...........

I’m comfortable enough to talk about them

 

[Lord Tyrion]

In playing terms, never got going this year. Never got any rhythm going, far too inconsistent, didn't feel much control. Went up 1 shot but I've got 3 good scores leaving next up so I need to hit the new season running or In reality, I'll be going up as my course plays long until June or so.

Played my best golf since the season ended so at least I have hope

Target for the coming year. Stabilise my swing, be more consistent. I'm not expecting massive h/c drops but being steadier would be a big plus.

The above is all actual golf stuff. The priority, as always, is enjoyment. I had a good year last year, hopeful of the same again this year.

 

[Junior]

Finished 2024 on 3.5….started on 1.8, however I was done a shot in a review at the end of 2023, so without the general play reduction I’d have been 2.8. The general play reduction i got is for another thread !

Joining and learning a new, much harder course, with fast sloping greens, I said if my handicap started with a 3 at the end of the season I’d be happy!!!! Next year I hope to :-

1. Just enjoy my golf
2. Win a competion
3. Get my handicap index below 2.5.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Started 2024 with 4.3 went up to 5.5 and back to 4.3. Then last comp of the year, score A dropped off and went to 4.6.

Score A was a seniors comp win and score B was lowest gross prize on Captain's Day.

For 2025, I have first 8 scores where the only way is down. I would like to match 2023 low point of 3.8.
I think this is doable, but I don't like to set goals. This avoids the anguish of not achieving them.

I put in fewer cards in 2024 for very many years. Only 24 when around 35 to 40 is more usual. Poor weather and course condition through April into May was to blame.
Hope 2025 is better.

 

[Mandofred]

Swing is completely gone the last few months....no feeling at all. When things are going well I can feel everything in the swing and it is repeatable.....which means when I step up to hit the ball I actually expect the ball to go where I want it to. Now........offering prayers to any god that will listen and can be bribed.

My number on goal is always the same.....it isn't to win, or hit the ball 300yds etc etc.....I want a dependable repeatable shortish swing. Without that I get grumpy and can be a real pain to play with.

 

[Billysboots]

View attachment 56504

Started 2024 with 4.3 went up to 5.5 and back to 4.3. Then last comp of the year, score A dropped off and went to 4.6.

Score A was a seniors comp win and score B was lowest gross prize on Captain's Day.

For 2025, I have first 8 scores where the only way is down. I would like to match 2023 low point of 3.8.
I think this is doable, but I don't like to set goals. This avoids the anguish of not achieving them.

I put in fewer cards in 2024 for very many years. Only 24 when around 35 to 40 is more usual. Poor weather and course condition through April into May was to blame.
Hope 2025 is better.

On the plus side, your heart looks reasonably healthy.

 

[Teebs]

Started at 4.9 index and finished 4.0, so successful in the handicap stakes

Played 6, won 4 Scratch team matches

1/4 final of the Scratch club match play and threw the game away on the 16th

Under gross front and back 9s, but sadly not in the same round.

Not bad.

 

[Mel Smooth]

I think my targets for 2024 were to get down to a handicap index in the 13's - I missed that although I did manage a slight reduction from a starting point of 16.7 I went up as high as 17.6, and ended the year on 15.2 - so not all bad. Honestly not sure I've got the time to play and practice to get much lower so now we're into 2025 I think I'll just focus on enjoying playing and ferrying Jamie around to some of his comps which often take us to some decent courses.

For him 2024 was a good year, think he started on 13.5, got as low as 6.0 and starts 2025 on 6.7. Notable rounds were a 75 at Dewsbury and a 78 at Moortown in the Junior Open - with a frustrating double bogey up the 18th - not good enough to win a prize as he's sat in the zone where he isn't big and strong enough to win the gross prizes but his handicap takes him out of contention for nett prizes.
He played loads of team golf both for his club which was Dewsbury, it'll be Huddersfield next year, and also got picked to play for the Halifax and Huddersfield Union team in the Yorkshire Inter District league. They play off scratch in a Foursomes in the morning, Singles in the afternoon matchplay format - and despite having some good close matches with his regular partner Ed Fearnley in the Foursomes, he struggled against some quality older lads in the singles for the first few events - infact, it's fair to say he got his arse kicked on one or two occasions - but it was a learning curve for the lad. A 7&6 victory at Kirbymoorside against York, and a 6&5 win against a lad from Bradford at Willow Valley were a good end to the season. The team is comparatively young - Jamie's partner Ed is 11 years old - so it's a tough ask for them to play off scratch against opponents that are at the back end of their junior golfing days at 18 years old, and nearing the end of their physical growing stages.

For 2025 his target is to get down to 4.2 to 5 - realistic depending on how much he grows as he's just not got the power yet to give himself the birdie and eagle opportunities he needs to push into low single figures - but from what I've seen of him - he'll get there - he can often card rounds with less than 30 putts and rarely has a 3 putt, so as long as he maintains his short game, it will fall into place for him.

As long as we all enjoy it though, nothing else really matters.