I know I should be happy, but.....

[ColchesterFC]

Went out yesterday for a round with three good mates having not played for 5 weeks on a course I haven't played for around 20 years and that is considerably longer than my home course. Really good weather, bright sunshine, a slight breeze and good company. Par 73 course and went round in gross 87 off an 18 handicap. I know I should be happy about playing better than I normally do, but.....

sat down after the round and looked back through my card. For the 4 Par 3's I was 7 (seven) over gross. One treble, one double and two bogeys.

I know I should be happy that I managed to play the other 14 holes in 7 over over gross but just can't get over that frustration that those 4 holes cost me 7 shots. Even if I could have played each of those four holes one shot better I would only have been 10 over gross and it would've been my best ever round.

I feel that there may actually be a golfer inside me trying to get out and if I had more time to practise then I could get to a level where I would be considered a golfer rather than a hacker. So what advice would you give me to get me to the next level? Bearing in mind that due to work/family commitments I can't play and practise as much as I'd like what else can I do to improve?

 

[DaveyG]

Its tough mate... I had a similar round where I shot 38pts with 4 blobs yesterday... Had I have just picked up 1point on each of those holes I would have been looked at a big big cut!

I guess we will always leave some out there... A pal I played with said surely you feel chuffed getting a cut knowing you left loads out there not just on the blobbed holes and although I understand what he is saying you just cant help but feel hard done by.

As far as advice goes I would say try and think of what you did differently, do you have a good pre-shot routine you just didn't follow... did you suffer on those holes purely because you hit a bad tee shot? If so look at working on putting the bad shot behind you and making sure you don't take that into the next shot.

I downloaded the New Golf Thinking book the other day and although it may sound obvious when you read it, it clearly isn't. I made a massive effort to stay in the shot on Saturday and block out everything until I had hit the ball... I can honestly look back and say on 4 holes that broke down... sometimes it only took 2 shots but that was it... the holes were gone and I hadn't done what I said I would mentally.


Anyway good luck with it, I guess instead of trebles and double ruining the card we will one day notice those lipped out putts for par we moan about ;-) hopefully anyway

 

[Smiffy]

I played last week and the par 5's cost me dearly. Just not thinking straight.
2nd Blob
7th 1 point
10th 1 point
14th 1 points

A combination of 2 bad tee shots, (one of them didn't even reach the ladies tee!!), 4 scabby 2nds and a putting stroke like an elephant.
I get a shot on all 4 of them so that's at least 5 points thrown away, most probably more.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Go out to make your bad shots better, you could easily have picked up a couple of shots on the holes you shot just 7 over on!

You can take apart pretty much any hole, birdie could have been eagle, par could have been birdie etc.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Our par 3's are the biggest defence on our course and so anything close to six pars and chances are (real horrors not withstanding) you'll put together a reasonably good score. However, in your case I can see how you'd be disappointed but you know you can do it so learn where you went wrong and go low next time