How good can your golf realistically get?

[Deleted member 1147]

Technically I have the ability to get down to scratch or better.
But, I don't practice, I don't care enough, I don't have the time or inclination to improve significantly.

I'm currently off 2.8, which I'm pretty happy with. If I get lower, great, if not then so be it!

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Perhaps you should set up a blog

I'm going to but not until I get to single figures first ?

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I'm going to but not until I get to single figures first ?

You could do a blog about your never ending quest for a hole in one: call it "One off the Tee"

 

[Blue in Munich]

How good could it become? A lot better. I can hit the shots needed to get round my club under par, and sometimes I hit one or more of those shots in a round, but I never manage to hit them all.

I have been playing for 40 years, and currently have a HI of 7.5. I played off 8 or 9 for years under CONGU, which I think was marginally better playing.

I played on Saturday and was out in 1 over par, could have been better, but threw away shots like confetti on the back, could have been 7 or 8 less. Ended up with 35 points, should have been at least 40.

So, I can certainly still get better with more consistency and fewer stupid mistakes.

Once I reach the point I don't think I can get better, I will give up. Watch the For Sale section for further details!

I very much resemble this remark, with the exception of giving up.

 

[need_my_wedge]

You could do a blog about your never ending quest for a hole in one: call it "One off the Tee"

Thought about that, my first blog entry:

"I did it"

best ask the mods to change my forum name..

 

[Depreston]

Well, not necessarily, my course is playing at a par 68 at the moment as one of the par 4s has had to be shortened to a par 3. So probably only if I get to the point of consistently breaking 80 with a few 75-76s thrown in. Even the 78 I got recently went down as a score differential of 12.1 (it was off the yellows though).

Ah right I get it

 

[evemccc]

I would like to think could get to plus figures, my index is currently 0.4 down from 2.6 earlier this year with the help of half a dozen lessons & plenty of range practice. If I spent more time on my short game I think +1 or maybe +2 could be achievable but we don't have the best short game practice area & I generally just play golf rather than practice. Also my course is not the easiest to get a low handicap on with only 1 par 5 & very undulating greens.

I think ‘course-fit’ is a pertinent point re: the question of how low are you / can you go

I do think that a handicap ‘that travels’ is the mark of a ‘good’ golfer - but perhaps some would say it’s the mark of someone with an artificially inflated handicap!

To me, a good golfer is someone who can play pretty close to his / her handicap on any course - albeit accepted that a handicap is the best 8 etc and a home course provides green knowledge

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Currently off 18. If I did not work, played more, and more importantly, actually practiced, then I think I could get to 15-16. I don't see any lower than that. A dodgy back, limiting distance, and limited golfing talent combine for that.

 

[SHiiBBZ]

Currently down to 20 after a couple years away. I was playing off 15 a few years ago.

Cut out the inconsistency, stop going for hero shots, use better course management and I can get down to about 5/6 I reckon.

 

[Kennysarmy]

Currently 5.7, got down to 4.0 (lowest) last season.

Could I get down there again? Probably. Could I get down to the 3's, yea I think I could but not sure the game would be any more enjoyable so I've no desire to "try" - if it happens it happens

 

[Depreston]

I think I’m probably at the ceiling of my potential

A widely inconsistent 7.7

When I’m on it I’m 5 handicap level when I’m off it I’m 19 handicap level

The joys of having an overswing and being a shaky putter

I’ll try and stop the overswing but i just don’t have the time to get the trust ingrained

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I’m hovering around 1.0 at the moment - half my counting round are either level or one under , if I can get rid of the 74/5’s then I think it can hit scratch

 

[Carlwm]

I'm not a member of a club so I don't have a handicap and I don't often have time to play a full eighteen holes but having become a bit more dedicated since Lockdown and playing more regularly on local shorter courses (a nine hole & a twelve hole), having a few lessons and trying to get to the range a bit more, I have noticed a marked improvement when I have managed to play full sized venues.

I've broken 100 three times (99, 98, and 91) having struggled to get under 110 previously and scored 74 for fourteen holes when four were out of commission at another club. Have I peaked? Well, I hope not. There are still plenty of duff shots and close-but-not-quite putts to try and eradicate, but regardless, even at this meagre standard, I'm enjoying it and the great thing is, I no longer feel like an imposter when I'm out there.

 

[Backsticks]

11-13 pretty much for 30 years...so I think I have to accept that I am at my limit, even though one or two shots better always feels within touching distance....I never make it stick.

 

[Mark1751]

Having not played much my handicap has crept up to 19, I reckon if I practiced and played more I could get done to 14 as that’s where I was couple years ago when I played 2/3 times a month.

 

[Bobthesock]

Could probably get to about 5 but that seems to low so I like to maintain a handicap of around 8 or 9.

 

[Ethan]

I would like to think could get to plus figures, my index is currently 0.4 down from 2.6 earlier this year with the help of half a dozen lessons & plenty of range practice. If I spent more time on my short game I think +1 or maybe +2 could be achievable but we don't have the best short game practice area & I generally just play golf rather than practice. Also my course is not the easiest to get a low handicap on with only 1 par 5 & very undulating greens.

A few years ago, a work colleague playing off 1 (CONGU), lovely golfer, complained his driving was not good enough, with a 2-way miss, so told me he needed some lessons. I thought he was mad. Before the start of the season, had a few lessons, did some practice, within a month after the season started, was off +2. That is a big step at that level.

 

[Oddsocks]

Currently off 16 but if I can sort out my short game then I could easily drop 5 or 6 shots a round.

If Playing regularly then I’d hope to get to mid single figures

Easily! Pull ya finger out!

 

[Golfnut1957]

In golf clubs up and down the country there are stories of coulda, woulda, shoulda. I could be scratch, single figures, better than you but …..

Just interested to get some realism about what you think your glass ceiling actually is, given time commitments, kids, not being able to practice, can’t afford to have 10 lessons a year etc. ?

I’ll start; HI 8.3, generally in the 80-85 range. Have I got a 77 in me, yes. Can I do this consistently, no. I practice in the winter but unlikely too in the summer as I play twice a week.
I think I could maybe get down to 6 without some major swing changes but I don’t hold any illusions about heading towards the promised land.

What’s your realistic best handicap index you could achieve?

I'm in the same boat as you, 8.2 but can shoot mid 70's at any time, just not to order.

I really fancied getting down to 5 ish this summer, I just need to shoot a few 77's, and while there is no aspect of my game that needs overhauling it's not happening. During my last qualifying round my first 3 shots with the driver were awful and cost me, by the 6th I had sorted it out but then pulled two iron shots which hurt my score. I sorted that out, but by then I needed a miracle to rescue the round.

And that is the way it has been going. I don't need to change anything, I just need to eliminate those minor swing errors and who knows, I might get there.

 

[Imurg]

Having just shot 6 over with a triple and a double I know I can get down at least a couple more shots. Currently 5.8 going to 5.4 after today.
2.5 - 3.5 should be achievable if I put my mind to it and stop wasting shots...