How Was Your Golfing Summer? Targets Acheived? Gives us a Review.

[Scazza]

Golf is a game where we all want to be better and be the best we can, so I am sure everyone here who plays the game had some sort of target they set themselves at the start of the golfing season.

As the last qualifier passed at the weekend for most, I thought it would be good to have a thread where people can sum up their summer of golf and let everyone know how they got on and whether they did reach those goals.

At the start of the year I was off 10, I set myself a target of being off 8 by the end of the summer. Bottom line, I acheived that and I am off 8.2.

My golfing summer has been the best yet, the golf I have been playing is my best. My scores have been consistant and I the enjoyment this game brings me has reached new levels. I started using the GolfShot app on my iPhone to record my statistics and see where I am going wrong, this has helped me greatly on working on those areas where I leak shots.

I have had a successful year at my club, I had a Monthly Medal win and many other top 3 places and several 2's so my account in the Pro Shop has been topped up nicely!

Unfortunately, we now have the downward spiral in to the winter months, I will be spending this time on keeping the swing and keep playing to my handicap.

I look forward to 2012, my targets for next year?! Well, I'd like to maybe lose a shot or two and have a successful attempt in my first ever Tribly Tour event.

 

[One Planer]

My original goal for the season was to break 20, whilst playing off 24 (23.9) at the start.

Made some swing changes, played as many comps as I could and ended up reaching my goal earlier than expected.

Reset my goal to gettin to 18. Again, did that earlier than expected.

So again, my goals changed to breaking 18. Didn't quite manage that one I'm affraid. Played the last camp last Saturday (Medal) and shot 3 over my handicap. May be within buffer, but I'll probably get another 0.1 back.

All-in-all very happy with my first, full season.

 

[Hobbit]

I started the summer season off 5.2, and played pretty much every comp I could, and finished the summer on 5.2. I've had, probably, my most consistent year ever but there's not been many contributions into my account in the pro shop.

I changed my irons early July, which is something I never do in the summer, i.e. I usually change in the autumn which gives the winter to get used to them. The change has meant I now have a set where I can consistently hit the longer irons.

Arthritis makes completing a round painful, and things like the 36 hole club championship are just a wishful dream now but I'm happy to still be playing and over the moon that I have retained Cat 1 for the 6th summer following a serious accident.

 

[azazel]

I started the summer playing off 11(11.4 to be precise) and the goal was single figures. Didn't quite make it unfortunately, pretty much due to terrible putting, but did get to 9.9 at one stage. Now at 10.3 so the single figures will need to wait until next year but hopefully another go at the winter league will set me up for that.

I did manage to pick up a few prizes during the summer so that's some nice consolation for not quite hitting the handicap target.

 

[Richie13]

being new to the game my goals where to join a club which ive done get a handicap (28) which ive also done and to break 100 which ive done once and posted a score of 95

my plan is to try and reduce my handicap over the winter in the winter league as a sub i'd be happy to get to 24 before the start of next summer

 

[bladeplayer]

Promising start that faltered to decieve , aim was to get down to 8 .. payed a visit up to 10 but am back down again , so failed there . went unbeaten in club representitive matches & played away all year so happy days there , was leading GOY in the club up to the last round & blew it , have played well in society & am down to scratch in that , was leading GOY in that up to 2nd last outing last sunday , overtaken by one of my best mates so dont mind that , he a good golfer & a great guy so last outing will be fun , im going for 3 in a row GOY in that, won in ballyliffin to qualify for forrest of arden so that will be an experience , just hope to play well & not make a show of myself ha. played alot of golf & only played realy rubbish twice so i supose i cant realy complain , couple of short game lessons & set the aim for 8 again next year ..

 

[bobmac]

I won the longest drive at Thetford

 

[idTommo]

wanted to break 90 consistently - achieved
win a competition or 2 - achieved
handicap down to 18 - not yet (21.2)

2 out of 3 aint bad

 

[Scazza]

Nice to see some of the stories! People having a mixed Summer!

I forgot to add in my 'story' that I came Runner-Up in the Nett Club Championship this year, 1 of only 3 players to shoot under their handicap! Shot an AM round of 76 (Nett 67 as I was off 9 at the time), however in the PM round I shot a very poor 81 (Nett 72). My front 9 was shocking, I was 9 over through 9, some how I managed a very respectable +2 on the back. Everything that could go wrong on the front 9 did go wrong!

 

[chrisd]

Funny year really. This time last year I was off 11.4 going into the last comp of the year that will be handicap qualifying. Bizzarely, I am in exactly the same position this year, sitting and wondering whether to play on Sunday and risk having to play the winter league off 11 as I am now or 12 iff I play poorly on Sunday

I am peeved that I am now hitting the ball the best that I have ever done but due to the stupid rules relating to handicap adjustments (Par CSS SSS etc) and the need for a second hip replacement, my target of single figure handicap hasn't been achieved

Oh well! there's always next year


Chris

 

[gripitripit]

I played my very first round in October last year so just playing for a year. My goal for that year was to get down to 24 H/C so I could (if I wanted to) play courses like the Belfry etc that have a restriction on H/C. I am not a member of club but use an online H/C tracker. I got my H/C down to 24.3 this last year and played Royston yesterday and shot an adjusted round of 95 (par 70) so played to my H/C. My goal for the next 12 months is to play more golf. I can only play maybe twice a month at the moment due to work commitments and get H/C under 20. I have sorted my driving out so that is once less thing to worry about. Working on the second shot next.

 

[CallawayKid]

Started the year at 19.2, with a target of getting down to 13. Have managed to get to 15.2 so far but as always, we want more! One more chance I guess this coming weekend in the medal. Hope I pack the right swing for that!

Oh, and nice drive Bob

CK

 

[DaveM]

Only started back early summer. Main goal was to get a repeatable swing. This I think I have done(touch wood). Damn hard work though. Next goal next season join a club(have been playing local muni). Get a handicap(last H/c has lapsed was 15. But shooting lower now). Start entering comps again. Must add enjoying every bit of it. This is the most pleasing part.

 

[Happy_G]

After 20 odd years of playing 2 or 3 social rounds of golf, I took the plunge and joined a club so this has been my first year of proper golf. I started on 18 handicap and I'm finishing on 17.8 so not much change. The good points have been the scores I've shot in friendly matches where I've been down in the middle 80's but the frustration is not being able to repeat this in the 14 qualifying comps I've entered. I still get too fixated on the score rather than relaxing and concentrating on the next shot. The high point of the year was playing the Dukes at Woburn and parring the first 3 holes as well as 9,10,and 11. I've been very lucky in getting the chance to meet loads of golfers who have been helpful and a great laugh which is a major plus for joining a club. My aim for next year is to try and get the handicap down to 14 or 15 and to sort out the 170 - 190yd shots which can give me a problem. I still have the ongoing battle with chipping and putting and there may be a piece of training kit that would help in this regard! I'm also planning to have my first game of golf abroad and will try and get along to a GM event if I can.

 

[chris661]

Started the year off 11 and looking to get to single figures. But after a whole summer of swing changes and general improvents it kinda came together ytesterday with a 9 over round with three doubles on the front!! As nearly every round at my place is counting I still might sneak to single figures this year but won't be upset if I don't. Next year rodney

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
This was my worst golfing year ever and the first year i have not improved my handicap since i join our club 5 years ago, started the year on 8 and have worked my way up to 10. Had the yips chipping early on in the year but sorted that out but still can't put 18 holes together. 36 points twice with 3 scratches each time were the only hilights singles wise.
Did ok in team stuff as the odd blow up doesn't really matter won a 4 ball quailifer in our club and then won the county final so that has to be the hilight of my year.
0 goals acheived.
Mike

 

[Junior]

15.5 to 12.6, and finished on 12.8. If i'd have been offered that at the start i'd have taken it, but after the first 3 comps I was flying. In the end, i'm disspointed that the really low medal round didnt come. I think I have a 4/5 over in me and in the winter shot that a few times off a shorter course (winter tees).

Hopefully with a better shortgame, I can get down to 10 next year.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

My goal was to drive it straight and break 90.

I've had a best round of 87 but I'm still driving it sideways

Edit: - I also said that if I could drive straight and break 90 my handicap would look after itself. I've gone up 0.2, so read into that what you will.

I also hurt my back at the end of August, which wasn't on the cards

 

[StuartD]

Goals were

1. to start enjoying it again even with a card in my hand - done

2. Get handicap down from 13 to Cat 2 again - done

3. break 80 at my course for the first time in years - done

Key to it all was getting no 1 done and the other 2 followed pretty easily

 

[SGC001]

I see a lot of peoples goals were to bring their handicap down, can I ask how you went about it or expected to achieve it?

Did you treat that as a long term goal and set a series of shorter goals, did you set performance goals for each part of your game (if you keep stats), did you set practice time goals e.g. I will spend 5 mins putting a day or 30 mins on my short game every week. Did you set psychological goals, such as I will stay calm, I will always complete my routine...

For me through injury I've had 2 years of basically not walking, which saw 15-20 mph loss of clubhead speed, a reduction in flexibility and a 3 stone weight gain. This was followed been unable to clear my left side and hands compensating, followed by been able to clear my left side (but my hands still compensating as if I couldn't) and then whiplash. I've now got it to the stage where I feel I can benefit from lessons again and hopefully will be able to go back and see my coach who is now semi-retired.