Something dawned on me this weekend...

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Canary_Yellow

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I shot a new PB yesterday, 81 for 44 stableford points. I was absolutely chuffed!

I got off to a great start, birdie, par, par, par, to give me 13 points after 4 holes and then it became a real mental battle to keep grinding out the points and not think about how good the round could be. In the end I managed to hold it together for 22 points on the way out and then 15 points on the first 7 holes of the back 9 before finishing birdie, birdie for another 7 points at the end. Once i got passed 36 points I relaxed and was able to enjoy it!

I should be in for a pretty hefty cut, 2.4 (subject to CSS) plus possibly an ESR too as I racked up 45 stableford points in a comp in May, so fingers crossed....

But onto the main reason I posted. It dawned on me yesterday that I'm forever going to find golf a struggle and a challenge. Yesterday I played well but it was a real grind to keep going and racking up points. When I was playing off 21 I thought once you got down to being able to shoot in the low 80's that meant you were good at golf and it would become a bit easier - I think I'm completely wrong. It never gets easier, does it? All that happens is expectations change.
 
Well played.

Yes it is a bit of a paradox, a good round can be harder work and more draining mentally than a bad one. That's part of the challenge, especially when you know how easy it is to throw away a good score.
 
Well done on the cut, great shooting. I guess that you're always trying to play to your handicap regardless of what it is and it's always going to be a challenge. But it'd be boring if it was too easy.
 
Great shooting :clap:

You are quite right though it's a struggle to achieve the majority of the time there are only a few occasions if any that most of us will find it easy free flowing and score well. When those rate occasions do arise you have to enjoy them To the full.
 
Canary_Yellow said:
I shot a new PB yesterday, 81 for 44 stableford points. I was absolutely chuffed!
.....
But onto the main reason I posted. It dawned on me yesterday that I'm forever going to find golf a struggle and a challenge. Yesterday I played well but it was a real grind to keep going and racking up points. When I was playing off 21 I thought once you got down to being able to shoot in the low 80's that meant you were good at golf and it would become a bit easier - I think I'm completely wrong. It never gets easier, does it? All that happens is expectations change.
Click to expand...

Well played...

And welcome to the realisation of (one of) the unique frustrations/joys of this great game! You are now recognised as a better golfer than you were a year or so ago. But, because of the unique nature of the handicap system, your 'ability to compete' has been reduced too - and it may seem (but isn't) too much at first too. I believe it's how you react to that apparent dichotomy that determines whether you are a 'proper golfer' or not!

As to the grind...not being a 'birdie-grabber' though 5 in the last round (for little benefit!) equaled my best, I struggle to get the 3-pointers to match the occasional glitch that causes 1 (or zero!) that creeps in - it's much easier to relate to Stableford points, but there's an equivalent in Gross/Nett. I found that determination to improve my score on the holes I no longer got shots at was the best way to keep the grind from becoming a real one!

Good Luck! Remember, you've almost certainly already actually played to a score lower than you new handicap, so just keep repeating, or improving on, that level!
 
Canary_Yellow said:
I shot a new PB yesterday, 81 for 44 stableford points. I was absolutely chuffed!

I got off to a great start, birdie, par, par, par, to give me 13 points after 4 holes and then it became a real mental battle to keep grinding out the points and not think about how good the round could be. In the end I managed to hold it together for 22 points on the way out and then 15 points on the first 7 holes of the back 9 before finishing birdie, birdie for another 7 points at the end. Once i got passed 36 points I relaxed and was able to enjoy it!

I should be in for a pretty hefty cut, 2.4 (subject to CSS) plus possibly an ESR too as I racked up 45 stableford points in a comp in May, so fingers crossed....

But onto the main reason I posted. It dawned on me yesterday that I'm forever going to find golf a struggle and a challenge. Yesterday I played well but it was a real grind to keep going and racking up points. When I was playing off 21 I thought once you got down to being able to shoot in the low 80's that meant you were good at golf and it would become a bit easier - I think I'm completely wrong. It never gets easier, does it? All that happens is expectations change.
Click to expand...

Well played and no, it never gets easier, in fact, the lower you get, the harder it becomes.
 
Foxholer said:
Well played...

And welcome to the realisation of (one of) the unique frustrations/joys of this great game! You are now recognised as a better golfer than you were a year or so ago. But, because of the unique nature of the handicap system, your 'ability to compete' has been reduced too - and it may seem (but isn't) too much at first too. I believe it's how you react to that apparent dichotomy that determines whether you are a 'proper golfer' or not!

As to the grind...not being a 'birdie-grabber' though 5 in the last round (for little benefit!) equaled my best, I struggle to get the 3-pointers to match the occasional glitch that causes 1 (or zero!) that creeps in - it's much easier to relate to Stableford points, but there's an equivalent in Gross/Nett. I found that determination to improve my score on the holes I no longer got shots at was the best way to keep the grind from becoming a real one!

Good Luck! Remember, you've almost certainly already actually played to a score lower than you new handicap, so just keep repeating, or improving on, that level!
Click to expand...

Good post sir. I totally agree. Well played to the OP as well. Fantastic score and a deserved cut and of course the realisation that you have to now play to a higher level (in terms of less shots available) more often. It's funny that the better you do, the harder the game is made but that's also its beauty. Keep going and you know now you can do it. Don't try and force scores off the lower handicap figure but just play the steady golf that got you all those points and the score will take care of itself
 
The game is all about adapting, once you get lower you have to move your goals. a month or so ago i could shoot 80 gross and make buffer, now i have to shot 79 gross to make it, esp as i now only get one buffer shot.
 
Excellent score!!

Does it get harder, the lower your handicap? You have less shots to play with but, equally, your ability is better.

Personally, I don't find it harder or easier. I hate shooting a rank bad score, playing cwappy golf, but I just enjoy playing golf. I think the focus on enjoyment, as opposed to score, actually helps me play better and with a sense of freedom.
 
Thanks everyone.

I think Foxholer and patricks148 have nailed it - it's a strange feeling to have achieved the goals I set out with at the start of the season. I need to set some new ones to keep the challenge going and continue to give me some focus to my practice.

Not quite sure what would be a realistic target right now, I'll give it some thought over the next few days.
 
Hobbit said:
Excellent score!!

Does it get harder, the lower your handicap? You have less shots to play with but, equally, your ability is better.

Personally, I don't find it harder or easier. I hate shooting a rank bad score, playing cwappy golf, but I just enjoy playing golf. I think the focus on enjoyment, as opposed to score, actually helps me play better and with a sense of freedom.
Click to expand...

I think you're absolutely right - so is Homer above, it's a case of just ignoring the change in handicap and keeping on doing what I've been doing to get the good scores. Sounds easy in theory.....

:D
 
Canary_Yellow said:
I shot a new PB yesterday, 81 for 44 stableford points. I was absolutely chuffed!

I got off to a great start, birdie, par, par, par, to give me 13 points after 4 holes and then it became a real mental battle to keep grinding out the points and not think about how good the round could be. In the end I managed to hold it together for 22 points on the way out and then 15 points on the first 7 holes of the back 9 before finishing birdie, birdie for another 7 points at the end. Once i got passed 36 points I relaxed and was able to enjoy it!

I should be in for a pretty hefty cut, 2.4 (subject to CSS) plus possibly an ESR too as I racked up 45 stableford points in a comp in May, so fingers crossed....

But onto the main reason I posted. It dawned on me yesterday that I'm forever going to find golf a struggle and a challenge. Yesterday I played well but it was a real grind to keep going and racking up points. When I was playing off 21 I thought once you got down to being able to shoot in the low 80's that meant you were good at golf and it would become a bit easier - I think I'm completely wrong. It never gets easier, does it? All that happens is expectations change.
Click to expand...
correct:thup:


Anyone who's not a pro or a gifted elite amateur and says they find it easy is off a 20+ h/cap and shouldn't be:rolleyes:
 
CMAC said:
correct:thup:


Anyone who's not a pro or a gifted elite amateur and says they find it easy is off a 20+ h/cap and shouldn't be:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Yes - you're spot on. I have found it easier to rack up a lot of stableford points of late, but that's because my handicap has been too high relative to the improvements I've made to my game, that's the only reason.
 
williamalex1 said:
Lucky for some :ears:
Click to expand...

A couple of years ago I went back to my very first club.
I remember it being a long old haul for a newbie 36 hcp player, so now that I can hit a decent ball, I expected to score a bit better.

But no, what I had forgotten was how easy it was to score 3 points on the par 3 holes when i had two extra shots to play with.
Going back and trying to sccore a measly 2 points playing off 15 with no extra shots on a few of them...
 
One of the great things about golf is that it always presents a challenge. You can be playing the easiest hole on the course but you still have the birdie it or par it (depending on your handicap).
Great scoring! keep it up! Some of the advice on here about concentrating on the golf that got you here rather than forcing things sounds good.
 
Well done for your PB. You should celebrate these milestones because this game is so difficult!!

Does it any get any easier? Yes and No.

Yes, shooting 81 will become easier but of course as you get better and your handicap lowers you will have new targets so you are forever needing to improve to reach those. So in that sense, no it doesn't get any easier.
 
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