How good can your golf realistically get?

[Oddsocks]

Currently 11.3 although how I’m holding that I’ll never know. Was a low as 7 back in 2014 but have neglected the game for various reasons. I’ll hack through this year then knuckle down over the winter. 6-7 is about my max as I slap an average length ball so would never make it into cat1

If I can enjoy it weekly I don’t care about the HI

 

[Springveldt]

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’ve broken 80 a few times now, you will ge to single figures at some point.

 

[jim8flog]

I went to 5 very briefly and realised I was never going to get any lower happily hovered between 5.5 and 6.4 for a number of years.

I shot several sub par rounds in competitions but was never that consistent to do it regularly.

These days the only way is up as far as I can see it going.

 

[Springveldt]

Currently index is 5.6 and I was hoping I could get it down to 4.4 at some point this season. If I can do that then that would give me a course handicap of 5 at my place and that’s something I never thought I’d get to. Just never saw myself being an old Cat 1 player.

Current form would suggest I need to think about keeping it in single figures though. ?

 

[Orikoru]

You’ve broken 80 a few times now, you will ge to single figures at some point.

As mentioned on a later post, shot a 78 at my place which has gone down as a score diff of 12 so would still have to get considerably better to reach single figures.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Id say about 10/12 probably

Need to eradicate a lot of bad shots for that to be achieved but its possible.

You could get lower than that with more time to play and practice. You’ve only been playing 2 years!

 

[TigerTime]

I've made a par/birdie on every hole at the course at somepoint just never all together and I'll probably never be able to. My inconsistency kills my scoring. Capable of shooting 81/82 just as much as I am 93/4. I'd like to think I have the ability/ potential ability to get to single figures and that is my long term goal, and maintain it when I get there and I'll be pretty happy.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Currently at an index of 5.1, which I believe is very much my natural ability peak reached. If I want to go lower there are 2 main things I need to sort out. My putting, but probably even more important, my temperament. One bad swing can literally ruin a whole round for me. Until I can get past that I don’t think there’s much hope for me.

 

[Dando]

Currently 11.3 although how I’m holding that I’ll never know. Was a low as 7 back in 2014 but have neglected the game for various reasons. I’ll hack through this year then knuckle down over the winter. 6-7 is about my max as I slap an average length ball so would never make it into cat1

If I can enjoy it weekly I don’t care about the HI

To be fair mate I can’t believe you’re as high as 11.3

 

[Golfnut1957]

Currently at an index of 5.1, which I believe is very much my natural ability peak reached. If I want to go lower there are 2 main things I need to sort out. My putting, but probably even more important, my temperament. One bad swing can literally ruin a whole round for me. Until I can get past that I don’t think there’s much hope for me.

Club thrower?

Not one myself but I do like to watch a good club thrower in action.

 

[Deleted member 25575]

Great question. HCI at the moment 9.9 has been 9.6. Have shot a 77 more than once, so realistically 5, 6, 7 maybe?
All that said I have gone out in -1 and come back in even so far this year (not in the same round), which leads me to believe my tour card should be in the post!!!!

 

[Deleted member 23344]

At 71 years old, I have definitely gone as far as I can … and that’s not far. ? My only ambition now is to break 90.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Club thrower?

Not one myself but I do like to watch a good club thrower in action.

I’d lie if I said there haven’t been a few helicopter throws throughout the years. Not something I’m proud of. Quite the opposite tbh as you feel like a real knob afterwards, and you also risk spoiling the day for others behaving like a petulant child. Lately I’ve tried to go from helicopter throws to the more casual flick the club up in the air whilst the blood is boiling in my vains instead.

 

[Jason.H]

Anything with a + in front is the dream. Currently 6.2, 51 years old but improving all the time. Not a long hitter but pretty straight and ball striking is getting there. Current 8 counting scores all in the 70,s the best a 72

 

[Golfnut1957]

I’d lie if I said there haven’t been a few helicopter throws throughout the years. Not something I’m proud of. Quite the opposite tbh as you feel like a real knob afterwards, and you also risk spoiling the day for others behaving like a petulant child. Lately I’ve tried to go from helicopter throws to the more casual flick the club up in the air whilst the blood is boiling in my vains instead.

Helicopter's excellent, definitely my favourite and much better than the club burier. I played with a lad once who buried a club 6 inches into what was obviously very soft ground, oh how we laughed. He only played a few times before giving the game up. A fairly mild-mannered cyclist and runner, golf just made him volcanic.

 

[Golfnut1957]

Anything with a + in front is the dream. Currently 6.2, 51 years old but improving all the time. Not a long hitter but pretty straight and ball striking is getting there. Current 8 counting scores all in the 70,s the best a 72

Impressive. Good luck.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Helicopter's excellent, definitely my favourite and much better than the club burier. I played with a lad once who buried a club 6 inches into what was obviously very soft ground, oh how we laughed. He only played a few times before giving the game up. A fairly mild-mannered cyclist and runner, golf just made him volcanic.

My personal favourite comes from an older gentleman at my golf club. His persona outside the golf club is a fairly quiet, soft spoken and generally calm man. He takes this onto the course as well, but we know, boy do we know that it’s just a matter of time before the Hulk in him wakes up. It’s quite entertaining to see it all unfold, as it always does. And once he gets it out of his system, he’s back to his normal self. Funny what a little white ball can do with one’s emotions.

 

[Jason.H]

Impressive. Good luck.

Thanks, I do 2 comps a week and 3 or 4 practice rounds so have plenty of time on my hands.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

I’d lie if I said there haven’t been a few helicopter throws throughout the years. Not something I’m proud of. Quite the opposite tbh as you feel like a real knob afterwards, and you also risk spoiling the day for others behaving like a petulant child. Lately I’ve tried to go from helicopter throws to the more casual flick the club up in the air whilst the blood is boiling in my vains instead.

Sign up for Decade foundations. Speaking from experience. I think it could help with your temperament.

 

[Lump]

Currently sitting at 0.9. Had a low of +1.1 last year.

Whole new bag this year, irons are a club longer, fairway club is much more consistent. If I can keep hitting fairways and making putts (I’m selling all my putters bar 2, to remove the temptation to fiddle).
With a real plan for practice I think +2 would be possible.
To all the people that have said plus numbers. It’s a whole different ball game once you start giving shots back to the course. Par2 holes are a mental nightmare.