How good can your golf realistically get?

[Dando]

Easily! Pull ya finger out!

going to join the local 9 hole course and try and play 2-3 times a week

 

[SimonC]

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.

Sounds similar to myself, I've found I'm much more consistent off the tee now & my iron play has also improved. So yes it is possible but you do have to dedicate a fair amount of time & money for the lessons to actually see an improvement. It just gets more & more difficult the closer you get to your physical & mental limit.

 

[Backache]

I've always believed the best I'd get to would be about 12 handicap. Based on the fact I don't practise (other than playing), and I'm not a big hitter either (230 ish average drive). But for the last couple of months my scores look to have turned a corner, I've broken 80 for the first time but then followed that by breaking 80 a couple more times, and even managed a 7 over par 76. I put this down to playing 2-3 times a week instead of once, since my wife took up the game we've been playing short courses on Sundays as well which has obviously helped my short game and so on.

So now I feel I should be able to reach my original goal of 12, but I'm also reassessing what might be possible in the long run. I think 10 might be achievable but single figures possibly a bridge too far.

You're driving distance should not of itself prevent you from going to single figures. I don't think 230 yds average is shortish. I dream of that average.
https://practical-golf.com/average-driving-distance-handicap-age/

 

[Trodski]

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.

That’s my way of thinking but then is it a minor swing flaw? For instance I shot 80, 81 with a quad and a triple respectively the last two rounds. I think if I just got rid of them I would get lower. Or you pull a short iron from 130 10 yards left into the trap. Is it that easy just to say I can do that better or is it your overall swing mechanics need to get better which is much more difficult to achieve.

 

[SimonC]

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

We had a very good golfer who decided to move from a nearby local course who was playing off +3, within a year or so he was up to +1, probably because of the reasons I mentioned in my original post. Our assistant pro has shot a PB of 63 (9 under) & he says there is pretty much zero chance he could do that around Cavendish.

 

[Orikoru]

You're driving distance should not of itself prevent you from going to single figures. I don't think 230 yds average is shortish. I dream of that average.
https://practical-golf.com/average-driving-distance-handicap-age/

I suppose you're right. But if I did hit it say, 270 yards with no worse dispersion than now, then I'd probably be several shots lower already since I'd be hitting shorter clubs into every green. At my length, once we get to winter I find it hard to reach the longer par 4s in two, so in order to maintain a low handicap my short game would have to be very very good. And I'd say it's currently mediocre. I'm just not really going to put the work in for that.

 

[Backache]

I suppose you're right. But if I did hit it say, 270 yards with no worse dispersion than now, then I'd probably be several shots lower already since I'd be hitting shorter clubs into every green. At my length, once we get to winter I find it hard to reach the longer par 4s in two, so in order to maintain a low handicap my short game would have to be very very good. And I'd say it's currently mediocre. I'm just not really going to put the work in for that.

Extra length with similar dispersion is naturally a benefit and there is of course a lot more goes into a handicap than distance ofthe tee. But I reckon if I could get it close to your distance I could knock on high single figures with my current game assuming the rest of my distances increases in proportion.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I suppose you're right. But if I did hit it say, 270 yards with no worse dispersion than now, then I'd probably be several shots lower already since I'd be hitting shorter clubs into every green. At my length, once we get to winter I find it hard to reach the longer par 4s in two, so in order to maintain a low handicap my short game would have to be very very good. And I'd say it's currently mediocre. I'm just not really going to put the work in for that.

Keeping dispersion the same with a longer shot is quite tricky, as 2 misses with the same angle offline can have the shorter one going in the first cut and the longer going into the trees.
But if you can keep it in play as a longer hitter it gives a big advantage.
As not only are you hitting less club in, due to being further down the fairway, but you go for even less club as each club goes further.

It's just controlling extra distance which is tricky at first.

 

[Orikoru]

Extra length with similar dispersion is naturally a benefit and there is of course a lot more goes into a handicap than distance ofthe tee. But I reckon if I could get it close to your distance I could knock on high single figures with my current game assuming the rest of my distances increases in proportion.

Well my drives aren't getting any longer, so I do want to get better at pitching, from the 40-90 yards sort of range. The amount of times I just dribble it onto the front edge or knock it through the back is scandalous.

At my lengths it's funny how much the season makes a difference on my course. 4th hole for example, it's probably 200 yards to the top of a ridge and then downhill to the green. In winter I reach the top of the ridge, fairway wood for the second shot and pitch/chip on with the third. In summer, just get over the ridge, catch the slope and it's only an 8 or 9 iron to the green. Another hole, the 12th - in summer with roll I can reach in two with a solid 7 wood maybe, in winter you can't really go for it as there is a ditch 30 yards short of the green so you have to lay-up 70-80 yards back from the green really. We even have a 210-yard par 3 which is uphill, in winter I can't reach it. In summer I can just about if I manage to hit a straight one and it bounds up the hill.

These are just some of the reasons I didn't enter any comps or put any cards in all winter.

 

[Orikoru]

Keeping dispersion the same with a longer shot is quite tricky, as 2 misses with the same angle offline can have the shorter one going in the first cut and the longer going into the trees.
But if you can keep it in play as a longer hitter it gives a big advantage.
As not only are you hitting less club in, due to being further down the fairway, but you go for even less club as each club goes further.

It's just controlling extra distance which is tricky at first.

True, and that's a good point. I just added the dispersion comment because I thought someone would come back at me with it otherwise - but I neglected to realise that perhaps the longer drive can be a hinderance when there's a lot of roll on the course.

 

[idiotdogbrain]

No HI as I'm not yet a member of a club, but with the limited amount I play I'm happy if I break into double figures. If I can get to being a consistent bogey golfer I'll be very happy, and I think that's doable. Any better? I don't think I have the patience for the practice required!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

True, and that's a good point. I just added the dispersion comment because I thought someone would come back at me with it otherwise - but I neglected to realise that perhaps the longer drive can be a hinderance when there's a lot of roll on the course.

Yes, back in 2018 when it was bone dry, I really struggled with driver, and so hit long irons a lot. Otherwise it was bouncing all over the shop and losing balls.

 

[Fabia999]

Medically, I will never be a long hitter. enough to get down the fairway but never to be a single figure handicapper. I think I could get down to about 12.

 

[Orikoru]

Yes, back in 2018 when it was bone dry, I really struggled with driver, and so hit long irons a lot. Otherwise it was bouncing all over the shop and losing balls.

This will be a nice tidbit to comfort myself with, the next time I'm being comfortably outdriven by someone. Thanks.

 

[RichA]

You're driving distance should not of itself prevent you from going to single figures. I don't think 230 yds average is shortish. I dream of that average.
https://practical-golf.com/average-driving-distance-handicap-age/

Depends where you play. Our course has a lowish slope rating (122) due to the lack of fairway hazards, but at 6600 yards with 4 x 170+ par 3s, 11 x par 4s averaging 400y and very punitive rough, there's not much margin for error on our par 71 course if you aren't hitting 250y tee shots into the fairway.
Even a decent average round needs you to pull off a few hero shots if you're a bogey golfer relying on a bit of good fortune.
I got down to 15 last year with a lucky streak. Currently banging on my cap with a pretty dreadful streak.

I played a couple of different courses recently that were harder but shorter and it was surprisingly stress free.

 

[Newtonuti]

Well I'm a 27 handicapper, but I never practice apart from when I go for my lesson. I'm trying to get down the range a lot more now, and reckon I could possibly get sub 20 fairly quickly if I can sort my driver out.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Depends where you play. Our course has a lowish slope rating (122) due to the lack of fairway hazards, but at 6600 yards with 4 x 170+ par 3s, 11 x par 4s averaging 400y and very punitive rough, there's not much margin for error on our par 71 course if you aren't hitting 250y tee shots into the fairway.
Even a decent average round needs you to pull off a few hero shots if you're a bogey golfer relying on a bit of good fortune.
I got down to 15 last year with a lucky streak. Currently banging on my cap with a pretty dreadful streak.

I played a couple of different courses recently that were harder but shorter and it was surprisingly stress free.

My course is similar, in that the par 4's average 402 off the white comp' tees, and 424 off the Blues.
As such you need to be long and in play to succeed on some courses.

 

[Golfnut1957]

That’s my way of thinking but then is it a minor swing flaw? For instance I shot 80, 81 with a quad and a triple respectively the last two rounds. I think if I just got rid of them I would get lower. Or you pull a short iron from 130 10 yards left into the trap. Is it that easy just to say I can do that better or is it your overall swing mechanics need to get better which is much more difficult to achieve.

In my case yes as it is always one of two or three things and I usually know enough to eventually work out what is causing the problem. In this case I initially thought I was hanging back on the right side, but I was breaking the left arm on the backswing. As for the pull, it was exactly as you described and came completely out of nowhere, so I wasn't really expecting my next iron shot, tee shot on a par 3, to be identical. That's my over the top move which means that I have to now focus on not coming over the top, which is in itself detrimental to my game.

The real problem with the on course issues is just that, it's not the range, and you don't have the luxury of multiple shots to work through it. If you are going to succeed you had better know your swing, or it's going to be a long day......again

 

[clubchamp98]

Played in cat 1 most of the time but wrist problems have hindered me last few years.
Currently 6.2
I can birdie every hole on the course but not to order.
Mainly shoot in the mid 70s
I find now that to win at my place is near impossible WHS has created so many stupid scores that I need to beat the course record to get in 3rd place.
So not to concerned if it goes up a bit this year.
But am quite happy at 6.

 

[srixon 1]

Currently at 2.9 but as I will be 60 in a month I think my best years are behind me already.