I'll be so glad when it's all over...

[mashleyR7]

this season that is.

This year has been horrid. I've hated nearly all of it. After the highs of last year (winning holidays etc) I really hoped this year I would kick on and get more cuts. Instead, I've gone from 10.2, up as far as 11.2, back down to 9.8 and now after today's 36 hole Open i'll be back to 10.5 by the morning. I think we have 1 or 2 comps left, so probably be even higher by then end of these.

I'm seriously considering jacking in all competitive golf from today on and just concentrating on lessons through the winter to get ready for next summer.

:angry::angry::angry::angry::angry:

 

[chrisd]

this season that is.

This year has been horrid. I've hated nearly all of it. After the highs of last year (winning holidays etc) I really hoped this year I would kick on and get more cuts. Instead, I've gone from 10.2, up as far as 11.2, back down to 9.8 and now after today's 36 hole Open i'll be back to 10.5 by the morning. I think we have 1 or 2 comps left, so probably be even higher by then end of these.

I'm seriously considering jacking in all competitive golf from today on and just concentrating on lessons through the winter to get ready for next summer.

:angry::angry::angry::angry::angry:

A bit worrying as we've just entered the winter league together !!

It just golf Ash just as you think you've got it cracked it kicks you in the goolies. I went to 14 and felt awful, but a few serious looks at where I was losing shots and sort them out and things get better again! The worst thing is to get angry and upset as there isn't much that I've seen in your game that won't sort itself soon!

 

[Craigg]

Crikey....It's golf not cancer!

 

[Break90]

Had been having similar thoughts up to a few weeks ago, having s***ked my way around the course for a couple of months solid, going from 11.6 to 12.3 with 7 successive missed buffers, and one round at least not breaking 100. It was painful, truly painful.

Then, following a lesson and some very minor changes, something clicked, and over the last 4 weeks respectively I've won a board comp, come 3rd in a medal, shot a net +2 in a foursomes comp and won a 36 hole medal board comp yesterday with net +3 and net -1. Handicap now down to 10.5 and I know I can go lower

Glad I persevered now.

 

[rob_golf1]

I've not enjoyed my golf much either this year. Mainly down to not being able to really get into golf once I had finished University in June. I missed out on a lot of practice time at the range from January on wards where I was constantly doing work/studying. So I've had some bad round this year, I even did a thread on loosing 17 balls in three rounds a few weeks back. But having enjoyed my practice session at the range this morning, i'm really looking forward to putting some good range time in over the winter and coming back next year refreshed!

 

[Hobbit]

If someone took your clubs off you and told you you'd never play again you'd be gutted.

Every day is a nice day, but some are nicer than others.

 

[Crow]

I've given this year up as a bad joke handicap wise.

I've had a major crisis of confidence due to shanks and short game nightmares but hopefully I'm coming out of it now.

That said I've actually enjoyed playing for most of the year and have played some great courses with great people, some of them were even off here.


Chin up and press on, you know it will get better soon.

 

[Sweep]

I know it's all relative, but think yourself lucky. 10.5 is the stuff of dreams. After months of hardwork, dedication, determination and spending all aimed at getting my handicap lower, I have just gone up to 19. To make it worse all the board comps at our place are maximum 18 handicap, so even though I play every week and my handicap is as genuine as you will ever find, I in effect get a one shot penalty for being a poor golfer. The entry fee however, remains the same.
Methinks I won't bother with the remaining board comps until I can get my handicap back down ( if I ever do) and more or less call it a season and see how I feel next year. I am not even sure if I enjoy this anymore and I am tired of struggling with it all.

 

[Smiffy]

So you've gone from 10 to 11??????
That's terrible, and I can understand your anguish!!

 

[Oddsocks]

this season that is.

This year has been horrid. I've hated nearly all of it. After the highs of last year (winning holidays etc) I really hoped this year I would kick on and get more cuts. Instead, I've gone from 10.2, up as far as 11.2, back down to 9.8 and now after today's 36 hole Open i'll be back to 10.5 by the morning. I think we have 1 or 2 comps left, so probably be even higher by then end of these.

I'm seriously considering jacking in all competitive golf from today on and just concentrating on lessons through the winter to get ready for next summer.

:angry::angry::angry::angry::angry:

Can't echo this enough, 3 majors last year and barely outside the top 5 in nearly every comp I finished the year about 6th in the order of merit. This year I've shot buffer twice at most, with a net 90 something in yesterday's medal.

Can hit balls fine on the range but course action is ugly!

 

[mashleyR7]

Some interesting responses.

We still have time to ee if you can convince me otherwise!

I will persevere with it, I'm not talking of jacking it all in, just this year needs to end! I just think that this year no more comps would be a good idea. No pressure, just enjoyable golf with friends, to get me back to enjoying playing.

Spend the winter practicing on the range and maybe a round a week to put it into practice. A come back next year with a new approach.

Yeah going from playing off 10 to 11 doesn't sound much. It's the up down up that been frustrating. Esp being so close to single figures.

 

[Hobbit]

Some interesting responses.

We still have time to ee if you can convince me otherwise!

I will persevere with it, I'm not talking of jacking it all in, just this year needs to end! I just think that this year no more comps would be a good idea. No pressure, just enjoyable golf with friends, to get me back to enjoying playing.

Spend the winter practicing on the range and maybe a round a week to put it into practice. A come back next year with a new approach.

Yeah going from playing off 10 to 11 doesn't sound much. It's the up down up that been frustrating. Esp being so close to single figures.

Noooo! Play in everything, just don't worry about the scores you post if its a bad one. Enjoy it and play with freedom... you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[TheCaddie]

Some interesting responses.

We still have time to ee if you can convince me otherwise!

I will persevere with it, I'm not talking of jacking it all in, just this year needs to end! I just think that this year no more comps would be a good idea. No pressure, just enjoyable golf with friends, to get me back to enjoying playing.

Spend the winter practicing on the range and maybe a round a week to put it into practice. A come back next year with a new approach.

Yeah going from playing off 10 to 11 doesn't sound much. It's the up down up that been frustrating. Esp being so close to single figures.

Have a look through the handicap variation thread and that should put things into perspective for you! I think at your level, it is always going to be be tricky to really get down to single figures quickly, unless you invest heavily in lessons and practise time and really really take things seriously. That kick from low teens into singles is very difficult as I understand it.

Keep at it, and try to enjoy it, you are getting round the course at a good standard, and you must be pulling off some great shots. So appreciate them!

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Noooo! Play in everything, just don't worry about the scores you post if its a bad one. Enjoy it and play with freedom... you'll be pleasantly surprised.

This is the best attitude to have if you are someone that is able to have that attitude.

I find it a bit too difficult - I like to do my very best in everything I do so struggle to just relax and enjoy a competition round even when playing badly. I can do that in rounds that don't matter, but not when they do. I guess that's just my personality.

 

[Craigg]

This is the best attitude to have if you are someone that is able to have that attitude.

I find it a bit too difficult - I like to do my very best in everything I do so struggle to just relax and enjoy a competition round even when playing badly. I can do that in rounds that don't matter, but not when they do. I guess that's just my personality.

But do the competition rounds really matter?

 

[Canary_Yellow]

But do the competition rounds really matter?

In the grand scheme of things, golf doesn't really matter.

If I didn't attach any significance to playing in competitions then there wouldn't be any point in my entering them as it would be no different to any other round of golf that I played.

I enjoy the competitive element of the competitions and enjoy testing myself and trying to do as well as I possibly can. So when going through a bad phase of golf, which everyone does, there's no enjoyment associated with playing in a comp and would prefer to just play with my friends for fun and a pound or two.

 

[Svenska]

Can't echo this enough, 3 majors last year and barely outside the top 5 in nearly every comp I finished the year about 6th in the order of merit. This year I've shot buffer twice at most, with a net 90 something in yesterday's medal.

Can hit balls fine on the range but course action is ugly!

Out of interest, what on earth did the winner of the order of merit do if you only finished 6th with that impressive haul?

 

[Oddsocks]

Played a few more comps

 

[Khamelion]

Since getting my HC of 17.1 two years ago, it's been 0.1 after 0.1 left with the odd buffer met, I'm now off 21 exactly and I'm enjoying my golf now more than ever, as I've realised that without a shed load of practice for which I've not got the time, I'm reaching the natural level of my golfing ability and knowing that has taken the pressure off and I just enjoy the golf more.

 

[RollinThunder]

Can hit balls fine on the range but course action is ugly!

I know how you feel, it's horrible when you think you've cracked it on the range, and then slip back into silly habits on the course.

As a beginner to competitive golf, I've only played handful of comps this season, and I've decided not to worry about my handicap at the moment, and learn how to play a course. I'm hitting the ball at the range the best I ever have done, although I'm finding it difficult to transfer this to the course, and subsequently my handicap has risen slightly. I've been told by the pro that once my game "clicks", I will cut 10 shots off my handicap very quickly, so I want to play as much competitive and leisurely golf as possible. I'm going to get a solid regime of lessons going over the winter too, so onwards and upwards!

I have noticed that my game is much more consistent, and I am starting to remove those terrible scores, such as > double bogeys, but at the same time making silly mistakes that stop me from getting pars and birdies, hence my slight handicap rise, so I think I'm on the verge of making some serious handicap cuts, if I fine-tune my game, starting off by hitting more greens on approaches.

Lots to go on over the winter I suppose