Happy New Golfing Year

[Deleted member 15344]

Hope all your golfing wishes for the new year are realised

What’s going to be new

The mess with Tour golf sorted

The rollback of the ball clarified

Or the handicap system tightened

 

[SteveW86]

I think my golf will be limited this year, with baby number 2 arriving in March.

Will make the most of what I can

 

[Voyager EMH]

"Or the handicap system tightened"

That's the one I'm looking forward to in April.

HI is 4.3

White tees par 70. Yardage 6257. Handicap 6.
36 points gives Score Differential of 4.5

Yellow tees par 70. Yardage 5954. Handicap 4.
36 points gives Score Differential of 4.4

Red tees par 68. Yardage 5386. Handicap 3 (2.51). With two par-4s of 446 yards flat and an uphill 439 yards. But par 3s become dinky. See below.
36 points gives Score Differential of 4.0
35 points gives a Score Differential of 4.9

We play some seniors comps off the yellows. I find it harder to play to handicap. Course is a bit shorter, but not two shots "easier" to my style of play.
Have always preferred playing from whites.

Looking forward to playing from the reds now that they have been rated. We get a choice of tees in the weekly weekday comps. Board comps are whites only.
(Whisper: Going to clean up in the 2s sweeps - if they still run them - 102, 124, 132, 133 and 168 yards. White tees are 129, 146, 166, 182 and 202 yards.)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

"Or the handicap system tightened"

That's the one I'm looking forward to in April.

…

We play some seniors comps off the yellows. I find it harder to play to handicap. Course is a bit shorter, but not two shots "easier" to my style of play.
Have always preferred playing from whites.

Looking forward to playing from the reds now that they have been rated. We get a choice of tees in the weekly weekday comps. Board comps are whites only.
(Whisper: Going to clean up in the 2s sweeps - if they still run them - 102, 124, 132, 133 and 168 yards)

This precisely for me, Par 72. Whites CR 71.6; Yellow CR 70.0. Off PH of 8 the shorter course is not 2 shots easier for me, though it will be for many members (especially the higher boys). I struggle to get the ball round in 6 for handicap purposes.

On OP question…I’m not actually that bothered about what might or might not happen this coming year, either as it might affect me or especially at professional level. Just want to keep enjoying playing the game and improving…working towards a Home CH of 6.

 

[IanM]

I'm booked to complete the Open Rota this year. Got a trip up to Inverness and Aberdeen scheduled too.

Going to work harder on short game! (Again )

 

[Bratty]

I would really like to stay a single figure handicapper for the whole year.

 

[Billysboots]

I’ll be happy playing some new courses, and maintaining and improving my HI. I’ve remained at single figures for the whole of 2023, and really want to nudge the figure down if I can.

On the subject of rollback, I played recently with a fella who works as a ball fitter with one of the major manufacturers. He was telling me the distances that some PGA Tour players are losing in testing - in some cases it’s quite staggering. One well known player, a Major winner (from a decade ago, it must be said), will reportedly lose about 50 yards off the tee. That’s a huge impact.

 

[nickjdavis]

I just want to play more golf than in 2023....just 19 qualifying scores and probably a similar number of casual rounds.

Gonna try to focus a bit more on golf rather than brewing and see if I can drop a couple of stone in the first six months of the year and see if I can get back into mid single figures again.

 

[Trojan615]

I’m doing a masters at Cambridge University (in my late 40`s) and have decided to try and get onto the university golf team! I want to try and play against Oxford in the varsity matches…

up the light blues!

 

[AmandaJR]

I’m doing a masters at Cambridge University (in my late 40`s) and have decided to try and get onto the university golf team! I want to try and play against Oxford in the varsity matches…

up the light blues!

Is Paul Ashwell still the university coach? When I played I had regular lessons with him.

 

[Slab]

After stagnating for more than a decade I shot three PBs in 23'

I'd love to get one or two more this year

Handicap is very much secondary, low gross is the lottery, handicap is just the bonus ball

 

[fenwayrich]

I’m doing a masters at Cambridge University (in my late 40`s) and have decided to try and get onto the university golf team! I want to try and play against Oxford in the varsity matches…

up the light blues!

I wish you luck in your quest for a Blue, although not in your choice of colour. I played for the Oxford University Divots many many moons ago, although never against the Stymies (Cambridge 2nd team). I did play a few matches for the 1st team, but 36 holes Saturday and Sunday throughout the winter was hard work. Not to mention, off 5 handicap, I was about 4 shots shy of being good enough!

For myself, I am still suffering from serious spinal issues, but I am aiming to play some social golf, even if it's 9 holes off the reds in a buggy. Got to start somewhere.

 

[full_throttle]

I would really like to stay a single figure handicapper for the whole year.

Simon, put the clubs away until this time next year

 

[Mel Smooth]

Single figure target for the youth, if I could get down to 13 I'd be happy. I definitely want to play and practice more, and thinking of getting a launch monitor to look at speed, cos I don't really hit the ball as far as I would like.

Looking forwards to a visit to Troon for The Open, and LIV of course at the JCB - and seeing how it all pans out as the pro golf world shakes down.

 

[Imurg]

Not massively fussed what happens in the Pro game to be honest....
The ball rollback and handicap changes will be what they'll be.
None of it will affect my yearly goal of playing as much as I can and enjoying every second of it.
There will be good scores, bad scores and some in-between, the Index will go up, come down and go up again and Fragger will do Fragger things..
If I'm still chasing a white ball around a field this time next year...I'll be happy.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I don’t care what happens in Pro golf so long as I can watch it on my TV.

Handicaps are unimportant, you just try to score lower than before. Play off whatever they give you.

For myself, I hope to play more comps.

 

[Oddsocks]

Pro golf, roll backs, who plays for what tour etc have no influence on my game. The only goal for me is to try and improve my motivation and enjoyment as the jury is out at present.

Hack well fellow keyboard warriors

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Is Paul Ashwell still the university coach? When I played I had regular lessons with him.

I think he is. They practice at my club.