PhilTheFragger
Provider of Entertainment for the Golfing Gods 🙄
You need to put in as many cards as you can, put in a general play card every time you go out.
Pro lessons
- Thread starter G1z1
- Start date
Parsaregood
Head Pro
With all due respect in the winter it plays 1000 yards shorter , even in the summer a 4 handicap is having a shocker if he shoots 80 round Lochgreen. Bonnyton isn’t that challenging in all honesty it’s a course even off the back tees I feel I should be shooting in the 60’s without stretching it. One of the par 5’s is a drive and an 8 iron for goodness sake. I think you need a large dose of reality when it comes to your own ability. What tees do you play off when you record scores ? Best in mind medals etc are always played off the back tees. Do not use winter tees as a barometer for what you should be shooting
G1z1
Active member
Lochgreen doesn’t play any shorter in winter it’s the same exact tees all year and no your right I’ll never get to scratch I’ll quit golf now thanks for putting me straight. I seriously hope you don’t have kids and tell them they won’t reach goals unless there an instant success.
Im guessing by your thinking every scratch golfer just started playing search level right away and never shot 100 ever. I actually played golf most of the winter with A +2 golfer but he had a very different outlook to golf than you. He would say scratch golf isn’t anything special it’s just 18 pars in a row all I’ve got to do is get consistent.
Parsaregood
Head Pro
Really ? I’ve played at the municipals for over 15 years won club championships there multiple times and also the Troon links ? the last few years they have played forward tees in winter, years ago they didn’t but that has changed recently. Even in winter ‘medals’ the tees are still forward by a good bit resulting in lower scores
G1z1
Active member
I was down last week and the tees were in exactly the same position as they were all winter. You will know the +2 I play with then he’s also won everything down there.
Parsaregood
Head Pro
Also a scratch golfer will very rarely have 18 pars more likely, 4 birdies a couple of bogeys maybe even a double thrown in somewhere. We make mistakes like every other golfer though have the ability to birdie pretty much every hole on the course, might even birdie 3 or 4 on the trot at times. Being scratch isn’t anything special by today’s standards but it is better than 99% who play the game so it’s still pretty decent
Parsaregood
Head Pro
I very likely do know him and he will very likely know me
G1z1
Active member
That was just the saying he liked to say. His point was I can par and even birdie most holes so just get consistent.
Parsaregood
Head Pro
Any bogey golfer can par most holes occasionally birdie them but they are a million miles from scratch. There is usually a serious swing flaw or other ailment that prevents consistency. See a pro and see them regularly just be realistic with expectations otherwise you will drive yourself crazy. If your a 24 handicap, then I’d say target consistent single figure within 18 months to 2 years with tuition is a realistic target
chellie
Tour Winner
How can you really know how well you are playing if you don't enter handicap qualifying competitions or put in properly done general play cards.
D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
You are a 24 handicapper who doesnt appear to play in any comps or put actual scorecards in - how can you judge anything with your game if it’s under no pressure at all
Let’s be blunt - we have seen multiple accounts of “down to scratch within x number of years” and not one single person on here has come back to say they have made it
I have been playing for about 10-12 years and have got to 1 for a year and it’s bloody tough to get further , and it’s not just about getting 18 pars in a round - I have done that plenty of times. It’s shooting level or below 8 times out of 10/15 rounds consistently and that never happens within 12 months , and even with weekly lessons - unless you are the one in a million talent
Jason.H
Well-known member
Ive found it a useful record of where I’m at. All my cards have been in comps and I enjoy the challenge of preparing and playing knowing a card is going in at the end of the round.
Agreed. I think most will say that, unless their course is an absolute bog in winter, the scoring is generally easier - rough dies back, greens are generally more receptive, and in forty years I’m yet to play anywhere where the back tees are in use out of season.
I’ve followed this thread but largely not commented, primarily because the OP seems to have significant difficulty conversing with anyone who disagrees with him. But having looked at the slope and course ratings at both Lochgreen and Bonnyton, it would certainly appear that neither are rated as especially difficult.
Jensen
Tour Rookie
I wish you well in your quest for scratch, but you also need some natural ability.
Other sports you can make up the lack of ability with application and practice, but sadly not golf.
Golf is the hardest sport I have ever played
Other sports you can make up the lack of ability with application and practice, but sadly not golf.
Golf is the hardest sport I have ever played
3offTheTee
Tour Rookie
This is my take for what it is worth in summary:
1. You play some classes courses in Scotland and show your cards which are around 8 under par.
2. Members join on the tee, their tee time, and you are unhappy.
3. You did not like East Ren. Very good course and moved elsewhere to Bonnyton
4. You admit you are unsociable, like to play on your own and play 18 holes in under 2 hours.
5. You have changed Pro’s on a regular basis because they are not good enough but now you have found one.
6. You have been successful in whatever you did but spelling is not your strong point and is irrelevant
7 You do not want to play in Competitions which is a real test of ability.
8. When scratch golfers, e.g par is good, express an opinion you know better but he IS Scratch which is your goal. He has played Bonnyton and Lochgreen with excellent results.
9. You find it difficult to accept guidance/ advice so I have to ask why are you posting if you cannot take help that is being offered?
10. Almost every thread end up as a slanging match.
Please take on board these comments as there are some very experienced members on here, who can be extremely helpful, but an observation.
Hopefully you will say at some stage I have achieved my goal but goals need to be realistic.
All the best
1. You play some classes courses in Scotland and show your cards which are around 8 under par.
2. Members join on the tee, their tee time, and you are unhappy.
3. You did not like East Ren. Very good course and moved elsewhere to Bonnyton
4. You admit you are unsociable, like to play on your own and play 18 holes in under 2 hours.
5. You have changed Pro’s on a regular basis because they are not good enough but now you have found one.
6. You have been successful in whatever you did but spelling is not your strong point and is irrelevant
7 You do not want to play in Competitions which is a real test of ability.
8. When scratch golfers, e.g par is good, express an opinion you know better but he IS Scratch which is your goal. He has played Bonnyton and Lochgreen with excellent results.
9. You find it difficult to accept guidance/ advice so I have to ask why are you posting if you cannot take help that is being offered?
10. Almost every thread end up as a slanging match.
Please take on board these comments as there are some very experienced members on here, who can be extremely helpful, but an observation.
Hopefully you will say at some stage I have achieved my goal but goals need to be realistic.
All the best
G1z1
Active member
Thank you for your reply going to answer each point.
1. cards for the top 100 course are probably slightly inaccurate as I have only been paying on the top courses when I’m playing well, that’s why I’ve not played any in a while my phone has me now at 11.9 handicap.
2. I don’t understand this one is it about people starting at the 10th ? I do find this slight annoying cause it’s a blind hole and I almost hit someone last week. His head appeared just as I hit my 2nd shot low rocket hybrid flew just over his head I screamed 4 but he didn’t hear me and I didn’t know he was there.
3. I think east ren is a great course in the summer but was disappointed in the condition that past winter, bonnyton might not be any better in winter who knows.
4. I don’t see myself as unsociable pretty much played all winter in a 3/4 ball and do play with another guy when’s he’s on back shift at bonnyton but I do like playing on my own as I feel I really focus more.
5. yes I’m guilty of this but what can I do if I think there bad. I honestly believe a lot of these pros are stealing a living. Possibly or maybe probably wrong but it’s what I honestly believe .
6. correct I can’t spell and my daughter even makes fun of me because of it ?
7. This is a funny one I like competition, would play regularly for money over winter but I don’t like the slow pace of play in a comp and might just of been unlucky with the one comp I played. Guys I was paired with seemed desperate to win and very serious and guy who I played with actually got my score pulled because I won. He was head of handicap committee at east ren and basically called me a bandit on the 17th tee.
8. I am sorry I didn’t agree with him even if he is scratch , feel as if bonnyton is a hard course to score well and I’ve feel as if I’ve played enough courses to have an opinion now.
9. This might very well be true but also feel as if there can be a lot of negativity on here. Some reason people get there back up at the mention of wanting to get to scratch. I am just a very positive person if someone new joined and said they had a goal to do something hard I wouldn’t dream of saying you have no chance of doing it. I would say good on you let me know how you get on but that’s just me.
10. Yes I agree, and if I’ve ever offended anyone on this forum I would like to apologise now as I enjoy reading the golf related threads and have had some good advice from members.
Final part. This is the longest post I’ve made and to be honest I’m too lazy to spell check it. So please don’t be offended with any spelling mistakes.
A bit of advice. It’s up to you whether you take it on board or not, but if you do it may make your continued journey in this game more enjoyable. You need to start putting cards in.
If your club handicap is 24, and the tracking app on your phone suggests it’s actually 12 shots better, then be prepared to hear the word “bandit” used on a regular basis if you continue to enter only occasional competitions.
If you genuinely continue to improve without submitting cards, then your club’s membership will not thank you for entering infrequent competitions, winning by a street, and then disappearing into the shadows again. You may even hear the word “cheat”.
Do you actually want an official scratch handicap? Or merely the ability to play to that level? There is a significant difference between the two.
evemccc
Well-known member
Nothing wrong at all with preferring to play golf alone
Nothing wrong with disliking the slow pace of play in comps
Nothing wrong with disagreeing with people…advice is often well-intentioned, but it’s a free world and people obviously don’t think the same
Nothing wrong with changing pros until you find someone you click with, and definitely nothing wrong with changing membership to join a new or joining multiple courses
steadyon
Hacker
this is exactly where I am. I put 4 cards in when I first started and got 19.6. Now I often play to 12-14! Think I might put a couple of cards in before a comp.
At ours there is a local rule specifying you cannot win a comp unless you have entered three qualifying cards during the previous calendar year. You can enter, but can’t win.
If memory serves the WHS did away with the need to maintain an active handicap meaning, in theory, a player’s handicap could remain static for a considerable period of time and as such not be a true reflection of ability. The local rule, which many clubs have adopted, allows competitions to retain a degree of integrity.
