Professional Golf 2024 & 2025

Seems wrong to me.
When we hosted the Carris Trophy (EG under 18 championship) a couple of years ago we had 4 players off +7, the field was balloted out at +1.6.
I don’t think they were as good as the world No1.
 
The thing is, Scottie can repeat that form. We match our handicap.......how often?

Let's also remember, when these guys play tournaments the course is set up for elite golfers. If he is playing off the whites at a regular course, he will munch it.
 
I think most of the top pro's would be better than +7 at most golf clubs. Most par 5's would be medium length par 4's to them, and there could well be a stack of drivable par 4's for them (possibly anything inside 350 yards, or even just over wind dependent. Par 4's less than 400 yards, they are probably driving or leaving themselves a chip or nice short pitch shot
 
D-S said:
Seems wrong to me.
When we hosted the Carris Trophy (EG under 18 championship) a couple of years ago we had 4 players off +7, the field was balloted out at +1.6.
I don’t think they were as good as the world No1.
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We’ve got a lad at our place who’s off +3.7 - he’s nowhere near the levels of a tour pro, despite being a ridiculously good golfer.
Having said that, he’s still young - might be 18 or 19.
Would he take Scheffler on around his own course with 3 or 4 shots. I very much doubt it, unless he could repeat the course record 65 he shot back in July.
 
Mel Smooth said:
We’ve got a lad at our place who’s off +3.7 - he’s nowhere near the levels of a tour pro, despite being a ridiculously good golfer.
Having said that, he’s still young - might be 18 or 19.
Would he take Scheffler on around his own course with 3 or 4 shots. I very much doubt it, unless he could repeat the course record 65 he shot back in July.
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Yep, we played against a lad off +4 in a pairs matchplay knockout recently. I was surprised how wayward he was off the tee, his short game saved him on most holes. We beat them on the 18th btw 🤣
 
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Beezerk said:
Yep, we played against a lad off +4 in a pairs matchplay knockout recently. I was surprised how wayward he was off the tee, his short game saved him ok most holes. We beat them on the 18th btw 🤣
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Always think driving is a bit over-rated. Helps if you hit it miles, obviously (especially at pro level, just to get to greens in reg). And consistency will help you have a few more good days than bad.

But, you often don't need to be that accurate with drives. Just get it in play, or hope you get away with the odd bad one during the round. Then get all your scoring done by hitting good irons into greens, and being tidy chipping and putting. For a handicap golfer, just write off your bad driving days where you might get really bad scores as you are losing balls, taking penalties, etc. 60% of your rounds won't be in your top 8 anyway. But hope that for 40% of your rounds you get your drive in play, then capitalize by hitting your scoring shots to the greens.

Sounds great advice, yet when I go to range I focus on smashing my long irons and driver into a field, and do no target practice at all with short irons.
 
The thing is with marshals and spectators in most cases pros can afford to be wayward. Come to my course and if you spray it especially on several holes there is OOB or knee high grass and no chance of finding it. If you can drive it straight and average around 180-200 yards most handicappers can score on my course
 
Swango1980 said:
Always think driving is a bit over-rated. Helps if you hit it miles, obviously (especially at pro level, just to get to greens in reg). And consistency will help you have a few more good days than bad.

But, you often don't need to be that accurate with drives. Just get it in play, or hope you get away with the odd bad one during the round. Then get all your scoring done by hitting good irons into greens, and being tidy chipping and putting. For a handicap golfer, just write off your bad driving days where you might get really bad scores as you are losing balls, taking penalties, etc. 60% of your rounds won't be in your top 8 anyway. But hope that for 40% of your rounds you get your drive in play, then capitalize by hitting your scoring shots to the greens.

Sounds great advice, yet when I go to range I focus on smashing my long irons and driver into a field, and do no target practice at all with short irons.
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It is and it isn't. I'd say hitting fairways is overrated. If you hit it a long way and it's playable it's a massive advantage. It doesn't have to be on the fairway to be playable. If you're chipping out of trees or worse though, then it's not so good. Problem at my course is that the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 12th are all completely dead and likely three off the tee if you slice it.

One thing we maybe haven't considered on the subject of touring pros playing handicap is not having ball-spotters and trampled down rough to ensure they never lose a ball. If they missed on some of our courses they might actually lose a ball or two for once. On tour it's practically impossible to lose one.
 
Justin Rose played with Rick shiels recently and shot the easiest 5 under you could see.

Playing our bog standard members clubs week in week out they would post silly numbers.

Length plays a huge factor. When you have a wedge in on most holes you will go low.
 
If pro's played our courses as we play them, same tees, no spotters, they would largely not bother with driver if it was tight or the rough was up. They would hit 4 iron or rescue. Arrow straight, 250yds or so. If you ever play in a pro am, low level, the control these guys have is tremendous with shorter clubs. They wouldn't be trying to blaze the daylights out of driver, they wouldn't have to.
 
Orikoru said:
One thing we maybe haven't considered on the subject of touring pros playing handicap is not having ball-spotters and trampled down rough to ensure they never lose a ball. If they missed on some of our courses they might actually lose a ball or two for once. On tour it's practically impossible to lose one.
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I suspect Television may exaggerate this effect because the nature of TV is they show the groups with huge spectator appeal. A lot of groups in many events may get the odd marshal but very small galleries particularly in the landing area of the tee shots as most people want to see the action more around the greens.
 
Orikoru said:
It is and it isn't. I'd say hitting fairways is overrated. If you hit it a long way and it's playable it's a massive advantage. It doesn't have to be on the fairway to be playable. If you're chipping out of trees or worse though, then it's not so good. Problem at my course is that the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 12th are all completely dead and likely three off the tee if you slice it.

One thing we maybe haven't considered on the subject of touring pros playing handicap is not having ball-spotters and trampled down rough to ensure they never lose a ball. If they missed on some of our courses they might actually lose a ball or two for once. On tour it's practically impossible to lose one.
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Undoubtedly the pro's benefit from ball spotters. I think a lot of the courses they play are also a lot more open, probably so that there is room to have spectators get around the course, and fit in the grandstands, etc. Whereas the courses we play, it doesn't make much financial sense to chop away a lot of the areas off the beaten track.

My course is tight. That being said, it is 6249 yards. A tour pro has absolutely no reason to be lashing driver all over the place. The bigger hitters could probably just punch 4 and 5 irons at most, or all, non-Par 3 holes. If they were playing an exhibition, or played the course regularly, it would be interesting to see what they could do if they did play aggressively, on a day their driving was on point. But, if they were playing the course where there was some pressure to shoot a good score, then I'd imagine they'd just tap it around most holes to keep it in play, and still give themselves loads of birdie chances. There'd still be 2 or 3 holes they could smash a driver, and have enough bail out room. In fact, the distance they hit it, they may open up the hole by being able to clear the tight area completely.
 
Swango1980 said:
Undoubtedly the pro's benefit from ball spotters. I think a lot of the courses they play are also a lot more open, probably so that there is room to have spectators get around the course, and fit in the grandstands, etc. Whereas the courses we play, it doesn't make much financial sense to chop away a lot of the areas off the beaten track.

My course is tight. That being said, it is 6249 yards. A tour pro has absolutely no reason to be lashing driver all over the place. The bigger hitters could probably just punch 4 and 5 irons at most, or all, non-Par 3 holes. If they were playing an exhibition, or played the course regularly, it would be interesting to see what they could do if they did play aggressively, on a day their driving was on point. But, if they were playing the course where there was some pressure to shoot a good score, then I'd imagine they'd just tap it around most holes to keep it in play, and still give themselves loads of birdie chances. There'd still be 2 or 3 holes they could smash a driver, and have enough bail out room. In fact, the distance they hit it, they may open up the hole by being able to clear the tight area completely.
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We are very similar at 6,294. We had a qualifier for the Staysure Legends Senior PGA (https://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi24/event/pgagbi24570/contest/5/leaderboard.htm) and the winner was only -6 for 2 rounds. Now clearly these aren't the level of a top DP tour player but I expected it to be a little lower
 
HomerJSimpson said:
We are very similar at 6,294. We had a qualifier for the Staysure Legends Senior PGA (https://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi24/event/pgagbi24570/contest/5/leaderboard.htm) and the winner was only -6 for 2 rounds. Now clearly these aren't the level of a top DP tour player but I expected it to be a little lower
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Yeah, I guess the level of golf, and distance they can hit, is still very different. Also, I suppose it is about putting 2 good rounds together. Not sure if the winner was -3 on both days, or did a bit better on one day over another? Although I'm sure putting 2 good rounds together for one competitor in the entire field isn't a huge shock.

I once had lessons up at Woodhall Spa. I asked the head teaching pro there if there would ever be a chance to hold bigger professional events there. Obviously location is an issue, not easiest to get to for fans. But he said there would be no incentive to hold big pro events there, because the top pros would tear the course to pieces. They could carry most of the danger (Course is just over 7000 yards), and it is better to keep it as a venue for top amateur events. Obviously, his opinion, I'm not sure if he was sharing a wider opinion of those associated with the club.

I guess it all depends on the course layout, weather conditions of the day, etc. I believe Pebble Beach is a relatively short course for professionals. it probably doesn't play the easiest, although they can make it easier for the pro-Am event early in the year. Yet, they've also hosted the US Open there, and are able to make it much trickier.
 
Swango1980 said:
Always think driving is a bit over-rated. Helps if you hit it miles, obviously (especially at pro level, just to get to greens in reg). And consistency will help you have a few more good days than bad.

But, you often don't need to be that accurate with drives. Just get it in play, or hope you get away with the odd bad one during the round. Then get all your scoring done by hitting good irons into greens, and being tidy chipping and putting. For a handicap golfer, just write off your bad driving days where you might get really bad scores as you are losing balls, taking penalties, etc. 60% of your rounds won't be in your top 8 anyway. But hope that for 40% of your rounds you get your drive in play, then capitalize by hitting your scoring shots to the greens.

Sounds great advice, yet when I go to range I focus on smashing my long irons and driver into a field, and do no target practice at all with short irons.
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True but both me and my pp were shocked at how poor he was off the tee for a + handicap golfer. We both walked off thinking he was playing off a false handicap.
Then again I heard he won the club champs the other week so what do we know 🤣
 
Ah I’d want at least 10 round our place

He’d absolutely tear it up

Anything under 380 you’d expect him to get up and down

After his drive ha
 
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