Second chance

[sawtooth]

How different would your score be if you had 2 goes at every single shot played in a round? And you take the best one.

The second tee shot after the first has gone OOB always tends to be a good one. Very annoying and I think most of us have at least one of those in a round.

And those costly thin and fat chip shots, 3 stabs, shanks etc that all too often ruin a perfectly good card will be few and far between.

I reckon I would be under par gross and will probably give it a go in Summer to test my theory. I don't know about you but I don't often hit two terrible shots straight after another.

Has anybody tried something like this for a bit of fun? Theory sounds great but reality might be quite different.

 

[chrisd]

I think you're right, I'd certainly be single figure

 

[dan2844]

If I'm playing a practice 9 I often play my normal shot in my mind, then play a safer shot too (obviously can't do this on every shot) I do it to try and see in my head which was the better option and hopefully hit the better shot next round as j really need to work on course management

 

[sawtooth]

I think you're right, I'd certainly be single figure

Chris that's only 2 shots!

Surely you would do a bit better than that?😀

 

[sawtooth]

Just did a quick look up for a calculation on 2 man Texas Scramble.

Not the same thing but would give some idea on score I suppose. Combine both handicaps and divide by 6.

That will be hcap 3 in my particular case, confident of playing to that with 2 goes at every shot.

 

[garyinderry]

Decent wee game to play for 9 holes in practice. Will definitely gives this a pop in summer.

 

[Capella]

Bogey golf, maybe. Just don't have the legs for more.

 

[chrisd]

Chris that's only 2 shots!

Surely you would do a bit better than that?😀

3 now Sean I went to 11.5 on an away comp last game of the season!

 

[NWJocko]

I'd be disappointed if I wasn't level or under par.

Especially having 2 goes at every chip/putt would make a huge difference IMO.

 

[sawtooth]

Interesting thought that mid or even high handicappers could compete with a club pro in scratch opens given 2 bites at the cherry.

We make too many mistakes.

How many goes would you need at every shot to compete on tour?

Fantasy stuff I know but going into the masters with 5 free goes at every shot , could you win it?

 

[NWJocko]

Interesting thought that mid or even high handicappers could compete with a club pro in scratch opens given 2 bites at the cherry.

We make too many mistakes.

How many goes would you need at every shot to compete on tour?

Fantasy stuff I know but going into the masters with 5 free goes at every shot , could you win it?

I was talking round my own course, tour courses are a quantum leap from that!

I wouldn't be able to hit it far enough for those courses and the greens are pretty severe (especially at a major venue) so could have as many goes as I like and struggle to play to my handicap I reckon.

 

[Capella]

Fantasy stuff I know but going into the masters with 5 free goes at every shot , could you win it?

Nope, I could not. Again a question of length. No matter how many tries I get at every shot, I cannot hit a drive further than 165 yards and a three wood further than 150. Meaning I'd have no chance to reach a GIR on most holes. Maybe could not even reach the green in four on the longer par 5s. (I doubt they would let me play from the ladie' tees ... not even sure if Augusta has ladies' tees) And holing out from 50 yards and further out is something that is highly unlikely even with 5 or more chances.

 

[UlyssesSky]

Interesting thought that mid or even high handicappers could compete with a club pro in scratch opens given 2 bites at the cherry.

Probably not. If you apply your formula (2 times handicap divided by 6) to a 18 HCP, he would be playing to a 6 HCP when having 2 attempts for every shot. Assuming the club pro is acutally playing off scratch, he probably still wouldn't have a chance.

Fantasy stuff I know but going into the masters with 5 free goes at every shot , could you win it?

No way. Unless I get extremely lucky, my best shots are still far away (literally and figuratively) from a tour pro's average shots. Even if I flush a drive down the middle, I'll still be a couple dozen yards behind the average tour guy. Even if we had the same approach distance, they would be closer to the pin almost every time.



But I find your idea really interesting, and will definitely try this once in the spring/summer. The opposite (one man worst ball scramble) could also be interesting...

Maybe we could start a forum project? Everybody plays one round always playing the better one of two balls and then one round always chosing the worse one.

Then post their 'normal' average score, plus the deviation from that score in the two rounds, e.g.

Average score: 90
Best ball: -10 (i.e. 80)
Worst Ball: +13 (i.e. 103)

 

[sawtooth]

I was talking round my own course, tour courses are a quantum leap from that!

I wouldn't be able to hit it far enough for those courses and the greens are pretty severe (especially at a major venue) so could have as many goes as I like and struggle to play to my handicap I reckon.

Off 4.7 and you could have as many goes as you like and still only go around 5 over par?

No way jose. You are doing yourself a disservice. They play on the same courses a yes the back tees are further back but even so I think you would be well under par.

 

[sawtooth]

Probably not. If you apply your formula (2 times handicap divided by 6) to a 18 HCP, he would be playing to a 6 HCP when having 2 attempts for every shot. Assuming the club pro is acutally playing off scratch, he probably still wouldn't have a chance.




No way. Unless I get extremely lucky, my best shots are still far away (literally and figuratively) from a tour pro's average shots. Even if I flush a drive down the middle, I'll still be a couple dozen yards behind the average tour guy. Even if we had the same approach distance, they would be closer to the pin almost every time.



But I find your idea really interesting, and will definitely try this once in the spring/summer. The opposite (one man worst ball scramble) could also be interesting...

Maybe we could start a forum project? Everybody plays one round always playing the better one of two balls and then one round always chosing the worse one.

Then post their 'normal' average score, plus the deviation from that score in the two rounds, e.g.

Average score: 90
Best ball: -10 (i.e. 80)
Worst Ball: +13 (i.e. 103)

Deffo. Its definitely one for those late Summer evenings when you might possibly have the course for yourself but its something I will try.

I agree, the pro would lose in most cases, depending on the opponents playing level of course.

 

[Region3]

Round my own course I (like to) think I'd be under par most of the time with 2 goes at every shot.

Round Augusta (Masters tees) with 5 tries every shot I reckon I could break 80.

 

[HickoryShaft]

Interesting thought that mid or even high handicappers could compete with a club pro in scratch opens given 2 bites at the cherry.

We make too many mistakes.

How many goes would you need at every shot to compete on tour?

Fantasy stuff I know but going into the masters with 5 free goes at every shot , could you win it?

Maybe if I got to go round in 5 times as many shots (Par 350 ) overall but 5 goes at each shot and take my best - no way would I be competing with those guys. Its a different game.

 

[sawtooth]

Round my own course I (like to) think I'd be under par most of the time with 2 goes at every shot.

Round Augusta (Masters tees) with 5 tries every shot I reckon I could break 80.

Blimey , and you play off 5?

Are you saying that you wouldn't find greens in regulation? I suppose if there are some holes that you are not long enough to find the green in regulation even with 2 of your sweetest strikes, then you need to get up and down to save par. But you still have 5 chances to chip close, and then 5 chances to save par on your putt.

I think 80 is being a bit hard on yourself. Think of the birdie or 2 that you would pick up on the shorter, reachable holes.

Unless putts in regulation would be the issue on the fast greens?

 

[sawtooth]

Maybe if I got to go round in 5 times as many shots (Par 350 ) overall but 5 goes at each shot and take my best - no way would I be competing with those guys. Its a different game.

Perhaps, I guess it depends how far you can hit the ball but of course you don't need to match a tour pro blow for blow. If he takes Driver and PW to get home, you can take Driver , 5I for example. It doesn't matter how you get the job done. And when you get the pace of the greens you can match and exceed the best players in the world if you have 5 goes to his 1.

Unless I am deluded.

 

[Region3]

Blimey , and you play off 5?

Are you saying that you wouldn't find greens in regulation? I suppose if there are some holes that you are not long enough to find the green in regulation even with 2 of your sweetest strikes, then you need to get up and down to save par. But you still have 5 chances to chip close, and then 5 chances to save par on your putt.

I think 80 is being a bit hard on yourself. Think of the birdie or 2 that you would pick up on the shorter, reachable holes.

Unless putts in regulation would be the issue on the fast greens?

I was trying not to underestimate just how hard courses are set up for pro's. Pretty sure they haven't got any par 4's I couldn't reach, but how undulating + fast + firm the greens are I imagine they're not that easy (compared to what I'm used to) to hold a green.

Add to that that every chip/pitch is off a tight lie and that we see professionals struggle chipping and putting every year (apart from last year) due to the speed and slope of the greens and it all adds up to a world of pain.

Maybe I am being too cautious, we'll never know......