Mentally scarred

[BrianDamage]

Does anyone else have serious mental issues with certain holes every time they play them?

There are two holes on my local track which I just cannot conquer. It's got to the point where I'm a beaten man before I even get on the tee. They aren't even the hardest two holes on the course.

The bizarre thing is everytime I play them both it's the same score. Double bogey. I honestly cannot remember the last time I had anything different on either of them. It's not like it's a particular hazard or issue with these holes as I've conjured up these shockers in many different ways.

I approached them both yesterday with a steely determination not to be humiliated again. The first of my nemesis' saw me 3 putt from 20 feet for - you guessed it (a dbl bog), and the 2nd I had a six footer for bogey which I left teatering on the edge. Aaargh!!

 

[Spoff]

Know exactly what you mean.

There is a little nine hole course I play that has a 97 yard par 3 and I've never hit the green from the tee!!!

 

[Robobum]

It's (not) funny how this seems to happen. There is a shortish par 4 at my track which used to cause me no end of problems.

It's only 330 yds, 4iron into play and either 9i or PW in.

I see everything as either straight or slightly left to right but this was the only tee where I could stand there and hit a hook out of bounds at the drop of a hat.

Ended up having to peg the driver up really low and try to purposely hit a necky cut. Almost with a long pitching action just to bunt the thing about 200yds out into play.

 

[AndrewG]

Absolutely - long par 3 - 180ish yards - always hit the same shot, big hook into the forest on the left. You hit the nail when you said you're defeated before you get on the tee... How can we break the cycle though?

 

[viscount17]

Absolutely - long par 3 - 180ish yards - always hit the same shot, big hook into the forest on the left. You hit the nail when you said you're defeated before you get on the tee... How can we break the cycle though?

use a different club?
don't try to reach the green - bet you're stretching to make it

 

[Spinn77]

My advice, for what its worth, is to club up one, and concentrate on an nice smooth (but solid) stroke.

We've two consecutive par 3's, 190 and 170, OOB left and a strem running down the right - it's our make or break section of the course really - and i approach them as holes not to blast at.

 

[RGDave]

Does anyone else have serious mental issues with certain holes every time they play them?

There are two holes on my local track which I just cannot conquer. It's got to the point where I'm a beaten man before I even get on the tee. They aren't even the hardest two holes on the course.

I'm the same. I don't personally feel it's mental, just that the odds are stacked against my game....

I had it all planned yesterday on one of the holes (not actually my weekly track) and it still didn't pay off. Plan was - Safe 3 wood down the middle, lay-up to 80-90, wedge to the green, 2 putts for bogey-heaven.....
Didn't work....laid-up different than normal, 10 yards right of centre straight into a bunker (I've never even seen/noticed before), messed up the long bunker shot, pitched to 8 foot, lipped out, double......

ARGHHHH....

 

[drawboy]

Does anyone else have serious mental issues with certain holes every time they play them?

There are two holes on my local track which I just cannot conquer. It's got to the point where I'm a beaten man before I even get on the tee. They aren't even the hardest two holes on the course.

The bizarre thing is everytime I play them both it's the same score. Double bogey. I honestly cannot remember the last time I had anything different on either of them. It's not like it's a particular hazard or issue with these holes as I've conjured up these shockers in many different ways.

I approached them both yesterday with a steely determination not to be humiliated again. The first of my nemesis' saw me 3 putt from 20 feet for - you guessed it (a dbl bog), and the 2nd I had a six footer for bogey which I left teatering on the edge. Aaargh!!

This one is easy for doctor DB, take 3 to the green. Step on the tee and work out the distance, divide by 3 and hit one more club than the distance divides by. 420 divided by 3 is 140, that's a 8/7 iron take the 5 iron and hit it twice this cuts your last shot to a 9 /Pw. 2 putts later bingo a 5 or maybe less. Do this a few times till you conquer your mental block then go back to attacking it as usual. I was told this years ago by an elderly gent who played off 4.Works.

 

[Cookiesdaughtersdad]

Does anyone else have serious mental issues with certain holes every time they play them?

There are two holes on my local track which I just cannot conquer. It's got to the point where I'm a beaten man before I even get on the tee. They aren't even the hardest two holes on the course.

The bizarre thing is everytime I play them both it's the same score. Double bogey. I honestly cannot remember the last time I had anything different on either of them. It's not like it's a particular hazard or issue with these holes as I've conjured up these shockers in many different ways.

I approached them both yesterday with a steely determination not to be humiliated again. The first of my nemesis' saw me 3 putt from 20 feet for - you guessed it (a dbl bog), and the 2nd I had a six footer for bogey which I left teatering on the edge. Aaargh!!

This one is easy for doctor DB, take 3 to the green. Step on the tee and work out the distance, divide by 3 and hit one more club than the distance divides by. 420 divided by 3 is 140, that's a 8/7 iron take the 5 iron and hit it twice this cuts your last shot to a 9 /Pw. 2 putts later bingo a 5 or maybe less. Do this a few times till you conquer your mental block then go back to attacking it as usual. I was told this years ago by an elderly gent who played off 4.Works.

Just what I would say.

Cookie

 

[Parmo]

There are two holes on my local track which I just cannot conquer. It's got to the point where I'm a beaten man before I even get on the tee . They aren't even the hardest two holes on the course.

There is the problem...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It's (not) funny how this seems to happen. There is a shortish par 4 at my track which used to cause me no end of problems.

It's only 330 yds, 4iron into play and either 9i or PW in.

I see everything as either straight or slightly left to right but this was the only tee where I could stand there and hit a hook out of bounds at the drop of a hat.

Ended up having to peg the driver up really low and try to purposely hit a necky cut. Almost with a long pitching action just to bunt the thing about 200yds out into play.

You're not secretly playing the 4th at Ascot are you. I do the same thing. I usually hook it left and on the rare times I hit straight I contrive to miss the green with a wedge or guaranteed to 3 putt. Ithink out of the last 100 rounds I've managed about 5 birdies, maybe 30 pars and the rest are bogey up to a staggering 7 (another drive OB)

 

[sliceanddice]

if youre hitting dbl bogey every time then theres something wrong. especially if you have it in your head that you have a problem with that hole to begin with.

obviously we cant give a solution to it but why not start with the obvious (if you havent already) and change the way you play the hole? experiment with different types of shot so that the thought of making dbl bogey is the last thing youre thinking about.

i have had it myself in the past with walking on to the tee and being weary of the oob on the right, there used to be the inevitable fade/cut but a couple of corrections to the thought process and stance have sorted that.

now even if i did do a cut to the right the next time i would know its a stance issue and not a head issue. getting the head right is the most important aspect because if youre not at least 98% thinking about the shot then forget it.

the arms get too loose or rigid, knees dont flex like they should and the backswing on the way down is out by a degree and bosh, rough, oob, bunker, whatever you like but it aint fairway or green

 

[RGDave]

This one is easy for doctor DB, take 3 to the green. Step on the tee and work out the distance, divide by 3 and hit one more club than the distance divides by. 420 divided by 3 is 140, that's a 8/7 iron take the 5 iron and hit it twice this cuts your last shot to a 9 /Pw. 2 putts later bingo a 5 or maybe less. Do this a few times till you conquer your mental block then go back to attacking it as usual. I was told this years ago by an elderly gent who played off 4.Works.

Whilst I agree with you (of course) this strategy can be costly. I play the longest hole at mine 5 iron - rescue - wedge, but it doesn't always work. Each shot needs to be hit on it's merits....the reason I take a 5 iron followed by a rescue is because the 2nd shot is the easiest of the 3.

I say don't necessarily divide it by 3 and make a par 5....work out what the real problem is and club accordingly.

 

[Smiffy]

Does anyone else have serious mental issues with certain holes every time they play them?

17th at Chartham Park.
It's a course I love playing, my mates usually say I'm the "pick of the paddock" when we play there as they can almost guarantee I'm going to shoot a good score.
But the bloody 17th is a guaranteed nightmare for me and I am thinking about it as I tee off the first sometimes!!
Par 3, over a lake with a bloody great bunker between the water and the pin. It's only a short hole. Solid knock with an 8 iron, maybe even a 9 if the wind is with you. But I cock it up everytime.
I don't think I have ever parred it, I'll take bogey on the tee.
I've lost count of the number of times I've blobbed it.
I hate the poxy hole.
And as par 3's go, it's quite a nice design.
Why can't I play it?????

 

[Imurg]

It's (not) funny how this seems to happen. There is a shortish par 4 at my track which used to cause me no end of problems.

It's only 330 yds, 4iron into play and either 9i or PW in.

I see everything as either straight or slightly left to right but this was the only tee where I could stand there and hit a hook out of bounds at the drop of a hat.

Ended up having to peg the driver up really low and try to purposely hit a necky cut. Almost with a long pitching action just to bunt the thing about 200yds out into play.

You're not secretly playing the 4th at Ascot are you. I do the same thing. I usually hook it left and on the rare times I hit straight I contrive to miss the green with a wedge or guaranteed to 3 putt. Ithink out of the last 100 rounds I've managed about 5 birdies, maybe 30 pars and the rest are bogey up to a staggering 7 (another drive OB)

No - you're both playing the 6th at Aylesbury Park!

Had a horrendous time at this hole when I first joined - its much like Robo's - but I think I've got it licked now.

That's done it - I feel a triple coming on....

 

[AndrewG]

Absolutely - long par 3 - 180ish yards - always hit the same shot, big hook into the forest on the left. You hit the nail when you said you're defeated before you get on the tee... How can we break the cycle though?

use a different club?
don't try to reach the green - bet you're stretching to make it

Thats the annoying thing - at the moment, we're off a very bad mat, which actually take 10 or 15 yards off the hole (so in fact its playing 170 yds at the mo). I hit a 6 iron which nine times from ten I'd hit straight.

 

[Region3]

Does anyone else have serious mental issues with certain holes every time they play them?

There are two holes on my local track which I just cannot conquer. It's got to the point where I'm a beaten man before I even get on the tee. They aren't even the hardest two holes on the course.

The bizarre thing is everytime I play them both it's the same score. Double bogey. I honestly cannot remember the last time I had anything different on either of them. It's not like it's a particular hazard or issue with these holes as I've conjured up these shockers in many different ways.

I approached them both yesterday with a steely determination not to be humiliated again. The first of my nemesis' saw me 3 putt from 20 feet for - you guessed it (a dbl bog), and the 2nd I had a six footer for bogey which I left teatering on the edge. Aaargh!!

This one is easy for doctor DB, take 3 to the green. Step on the tee and work out the distance, divide by 3 and hit one more club than the distance divides by. 420 divided by 3 is 140, that's a 8/7 iron take the 5 iron and hit it twice this cuts your last shot to a 9 /Pw. 2 putts later bingo a 5 or maybe less. Do this a few times till you conquer your mental block then go back to attacking it as usual. I was told this years ago by an elderly gent who played off 4.Works.

It's a good idea in theory, but it relies on you hitting the green with a 9 iron otherwise if you don't get up and down it's a double.

To answer the original question, the 18th at mine is a dogleg left 400yd par 4 uphill for the first 230ish yards. There are a lot of very big trees on the right (which I can reach) where the hole doglegs, and my bad shot is a slice There are also big trees on the left from the tee to stop you cutting the corner.
According to SS2, in the 22 scores I've recorded on it, I've had 8 pars, 7 bogeys, 4 doubles and 3 triples!

I just can't bring myself to play it as a 3 shot hole.

 

[AndrewG]

Absolutely - long par 3 - 180ish yards - always hit the same shot, big hook into the forest on the left. You hit the nail when you said you're defeated before you get on the tee... How can we break the cycle though?

use a different club?
don't try to reach the green - bet you're stretching to make it

Thats the annoying thing - at the moment, we're off a very bad mat, which actually take 10 or 15 yards off the hole (so in fact its playing 170 yds at the mo). I hit a 6 iron which nine times from ten I'd hit straight.

Interstingly this weekend, I played the same shot as usual - except that my partner left his tee in for me. One of the best shots I've ever hit - didn't feel it come off the face. Touch of draw, plopped onto the front right, then down the slope to 3ft from the pin... Missed the damn putt by an inch then, but I couldn't have cared less

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