So how did your Summer season go ?

[Junior]

Bit of a weird one for me as I started on 4.8 and finished on 4.7. I really fancied getting down to 3. something but after a bad run in the middle of the season I found myself at 5.8 (receiving 7 shots).

I was beating myself up but Something then clicked (mentally) and I hit form. I won 3 board competitions, including a 1 over gross in the 2nd round of the club champs (and I boged the last). So from a results perspective it's been my best season.

Whilst i didnt play as many new courses as i have in previous years i did manage a few trips awawy. We had our annual trip to Portugal in January (our team won the 3 day event). I enjoyed few rounds up at St Andrews with my brother and for the first time a few of us went to Conwy to play during their festival week played.

Whilst the handicap goal was not met, the most important thing i realised was that golf is my outlet from a fairly hectic professional and personal life. Realising this made me enjoy my time on the course more than ever.....whether I shoot 72 or 102 the main thing is to just enjoy the game and the time spent with my mates.

 

[Albo]

Mine was a bit up and a bit down. Handicap index went from 9.7 to 8.8 which is positive at one point was 8.3 if I recall.
I don’t tend to enter comps so my win rate this year is the same as ever other year being nil.
Hit my joint lowest ever round of 77 and had more rounds in the 70s than previously. That all seems positive.
Form was the issue, I had a patch where I was high 70s to low 80s for dozens of rounds in a row, but then out of the blue the form went and I was struggling to be on the right side of 90!
Played a lot of golf and a lot of very nice courses this year, next year is set to be the same.
I currently find myself a member of 3 different courses which I need to trim down to 2.
But like the OP the most important thing for me is what I get out of golf scoring aside, I love playing the game, I love practicing the game and it gets me away from it all. It’s not even that much of a time investment when I’m out alone, round yesterday late afternoon in 2h 6. Several sub 2 hour rounds too and a couple of my courses are within 10 mins of home so can leave the house, play and return home in under 2h 30.
I just love golf

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Mine was a bit up and a bit down. Handicap index went from 9.7 to 8.8 which is positive at one point was 8.3 if I recall.
I don’t tend to enter comps so my win rate this year is the same as ever other year being nil.
Hit my joint lowest ever round of 77 and had more rounds in the 70s than previously. That all seems positive.
Form was the issue, I had a patch where I was high 70s to low 80s for dozens of rounds in a row, but then out of the blue the form went and I was struggling to be on the right side of 90!
Played a lot of golf and a lot of very nice courses this year, next year is set to be the same.
I currently find myself a member of 3 different courses which I need to trim down to 2.
But like the OP the most important thing for me is what I get out of golf scoring aside, I love playing the game, I love practicing the game and it gets me away from it all. It’s not even that much of a time investment when I’m out alone, round yesterday late afternoon in 2h 6. Several sub 2 hour rounds too and a couple of my courses are within 10 mins of home so can leave the house, play and return home in under 2h 30.
I just love golf

Other than 3 courses this is me…and I’m currently sitting on 8.3 ?

 

[Albo]

Other than 3 courses this is me…and I’m currently sitting on 8.3 ?

What to get down to <5 next year. Off season practice to put me in shape to start well

 

[Oddsocks]

Started at 11.4 and finished at 10.8. Undefeated in club matches and got to the semis in both singles and doubles so I’m ok.

Not playing now for at least 3 potentially up to 6 months as the swing needs work if I’m going to get back to 7/8

 

[Springveldt]

I had a really good season in the end but like most amateurs it had its ups and downs. Started the season at 5.4 and was hoping to get down to 4.4 which would give me a playing handicap of 5 at my place. When I took the game up again 6 years ago getting to Cat 1 seemed like a pipe dream and if I'm honest with myself I wouldn't have got there under CONGU as it's the slope rating that's made my index as low as it is.

Season started OK but then the wheels came off. From the end of May to the end of June I had went up to 7.5 at one point as I couldn't keep my driver in play and I was shooting high 80's for rounds in a row. I felt like sticking my clubs on eBay it was getting that bad. Then from nowhere I shot my lowest gross round of the season of 73 for a 1.1 differential (par 70, CR 71.1, slope 139) and this set me off on a good run. I had a few 76's and 77's and also played my best round ever with a 74 that included a 10 which was adjusted down to 71 for a -0.1 differential. Ended the season at 3.7.

I had zero practice all season but did play twice per week nearly every week (Wed and Sat). My aim over the winter is to get the garage cleared out and buy a net (already have one but it's not suitable for a garage, probably looking at an archery net) and mat to allow me to hit some balls but that's been the plan for the last 2 seasons and I've not managed it yet. If I want to maintain this handicap I'll need to do it and I'll probably have to get my Superspeed sticks out. All my good scores came when the weather was good and I was getting an extra 20 yards roll, so I know I need more distance. Mid to long irons are the worst part of my game, if I can shorten my 2nd shots it will help.

New aim for next season is to shoot a level par round as I've still not managed that. I think that is the only achievable aim left really.

 

[RichA]

Badly. HI went from 15 to 19 with only 1 score all summer that actually knocked it down slightly.
Winter will be a rebuilding exercise. I obviously need new clubs.

 

[backwoodsman]

Darn good season for me. Played this game for many, many years (25 - 30?) and always had been hovering between h/c 19 & 21. My aim for the season was hopefully not to be the rabbit of our 3ball. Started this year at 21.3 in March. Steady improvements over the summer has me now dropped to 14.3. Pleased as punch.

Ps. Won one summer matchplay knockout, and made the semi-final in the other.

 

[AAC]

Two club KO Finals and lost both, h/c came down a bit so if the glass is half full not too bad a summer.

 

[Orikoru]

I started the year on 15.0 and having never broken 80 (but scored 80 on the nose several times).

I am now off 13.7, I think I play to better than that but maybe didn't put enough cards in at the right times or whatever. I reckon I could play to 12 now without it being an issue, but I've just not got there yet.

I broke 80 for the first time in March, shooting 78, and have subsequently done it several more times, including a best-ever round of 76 at Stanmore.

In July I won my first competition at my current club, shooting 79 for 40 points (not sure how only 40 won it but I got lucky I guess!). At the end of that month I won a fun team comp, the four-man cross-country scramble which was a fantastic evening.

Also did a first golf weekend away with mates, which was superb and I hope we continue to make that a yearly event.

So yeah, overall it's been very good.

 

[evemccc]

Had a good golfing year, in that I’ve enjoyed it a lot and come down a bit (but not as much as I’d have liked). I’ve got the proverbial mid-H/cap optimism that I think (hope?) I’m capable of being better than my handicap but I know deep down that the H/cap doesn’t lie…I still can and do have a blow-up at least once a round ?
Most importantly I played the Old Course and many other top-quality links courses - spent a lot but loved the experiences - and was lucky to do so in mostly great weather
Another year passes and I’m still obsessed with golf ?

 

[NeilV]

Season 3 after staring to play again just before the great Covid lockdowns of 2020.

Decided to to get an official handicap this year. My initial 3 cards gave me 24, which is now down to 19.4 with a low of 18.5. Broke 90 for the first time, then did it again 4 times in a row after a couple middling rounds after the first one. Won a society comp with 42 points just before that little purple patch at my home course started playing off about 21. I've also now birdied 15 of 18 holes at my home course.

Just gone off the boil a little bit in the last few weeks. Not been as good from 100yds and in as I had been.

On the flip side, I've hit 5 consecutive bunker shots from the same place (although technically about an inch lower each time), had a 6 lost ball round, 4 putted from 12 feet and had a 7 off the tee. Hey ho.

All in all, it's been a lot of fun, and for the first time I can see where a much lower score could come from. I'm capable of putting together a run of pars and bogies, I just need to extend the run to 18 holes. Simples!

 

[Crow]

It's been a good year as usual, I'm playing golf after all!

Handicap has drifted up from 11.3 to 12.8, mainly because I lost some good score diffs from my top 20 at a time when my play was pretty poor and so was replacing them with rubbish.

Competition results, I've mostly been an also ran but win did three (with small fields) - A seniors event at my home club for last year's winners, the nett winner in the Persimmon Revival Open at Morecambe and a hickory scramble at Liphook where we scored an amazing 4 under gross.

Collecting wise, I've picked up some more very nice clubs, but am having to admit that I have too many clubs now and need to think about selling a few.

I've also negotiated some more space in the house so will be able to bring a few more of the better clubs in from the garage.

But most of all, I've played lots of golf with lots of great people, what more can you ask for?

 

[timd77]

It’s been a decent year all round. Joined a new club and have settled in well, played in the handicap league a couple of times, nice to represent the club. I’ve won a couple of small comps (Wednesday stableford) and placed in a couple of proper comps (in my division).

Managed to play pretty much twice a week every week, so really feel like I’ve improved. Handicap has come down from 18.9 to 15.7, although I’ve felt that the last couple of rounds and have struggled a bit!

All in all a good year, but as always, it doesn’t end, winter golf here we come!

 

[patricks148]

New experience for me this year, started at 2.8, went up to 3.2 then back down to 2.5, then up to 3.5 by the end of the year. Didn't really pkay many comps, I'd be surprised if I played 10 comps at my home club and 2 opens, prob the least since I started playing by at least 20 comps. At times I've hit the ball well, which reflects on the fact I made the semi final in one of the knock out and the final in another both handicap and given lots of shots away in every game.

 

[jim8flog]

Started off well with my lowest score in years (3 over gross) and the trophy won then a summer of injuries so I am going to touch wood. I have just started to play very consistently with 3 second place finishes in club comps in the last 2 months

2nd place in our groups summer gross eclectic would have been joint 1st but I took two holes out of the counting as they were undergoing renovation and had nearly become pitch and putt holes and 3rd place in the stableford.

Handicap pretty level between 9.9 and 12.4 H.I

 

[pendodave]

Not bad.
Had a few decent rounds in the summer and managed a 79 in a medal which is always an annual target (normally missed).
HI from 8.9 to .....8.9 via 10.0 at its worst.
A few days in St Andrews in the early summer and a trip to South Wales were the away highlights

 

[Depreston]

Stinky really

7.1 to 9.4

Had a few sniffs of breaking my handicap but some bad course management messed me up

Did just become a parent for the first time near the start of the season so March April May and June were all a bit of a sleep deprived blur

July and August I played my best stuff

September the wheels came clean off I went through a spell of topping the driver regularly somehow my ball position with the driver was so far back it was nearly a 7 iron position

Looking forward to a break from competitive golf over the winter and can’t wait for the light nights to come back and the season to start

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

What to get down to <5 next year. Off season practice to put me in shape to start well

I’ll be aiming for a HI of about 6.0 - get to that I’ll be happy..lower would be a bonus.

 

[BiMGuy]

Due to injuries, work and the kids activities I haven’t played or practiced as much as I hoped I would. I’ve been playing once a week with the occasional mid week 9 thrown in.

As such my scoring hasn’t got to where I want it. I hoped to get somewhere near a 5 index or at least have a point in time where my 8 counting scores were in the 70s.

There are signs of improvement after a recent lesson, so I know what I need to work on with my swing to get to where I want to be.

HI started at 9.3. Low HI was 7.6. Currently sitting at 7.8.

I’ve had 3 birdies in a row

Played a 14 holes stretch two under. We’ll ignore the first and last two holes.

My best round had no doubles and no birdies.

I haven’t yet shot level par for the front it back 9. One over is the best so far.

I was hoping my HI would be closer to 5 than 10.

Most importantly I’ve enjoyed being out in the course whether the golf has been good, bad or ugly.