Staying inspired?

[JustOne]

Got a few days to myself but don't feel like dumping myself on the practice ground or indeed playing. If I spend a lot of hours out there again working on my game and eventually get my h/cap to drop by a shot or two, so what?

Does it REALLY matter if I play off 6 or 5 or 4?

How do you keep yourself motivated? What drives you?

 

[Robobum]

I like playing in open events on good courses which are all off scratch, invariably they all ballot out at 4.3 and lower so use that as my motivation to be as low as I can.

 

[USER1999]

I hate playing like a knob.

That said, I often do.

 

[Fyldewhite]

Does it REALLY matter if I play off 6 or 5 or 4?

Short answer, in the grand scheme of things has to be... No.

However it will depend things such as your age, your motivation for playing golf in the first place, the amount of time you can realistically devote to improving etc etc. Personally I regard myself as 5/6/7 handicap and although I want to get to 4 I recognise that there is a massive difference once you get to Cat1 and I don't think I have the time (or inclination) to bother too much. Anyone off single figures can basically play the game and I don't think the enjoyment is that much more being off 2/3 or 5/6 and that's what it's all about for me.

 

[Aztecs27]

Having only just re-started after a 3 year stint away from the game, Golf is all I think about at the minute. I have abotu 6 episodes of Golfing World to watch on my Sky+ Planner, I'm trying to plan my weekend around watching the US Open and thinking about when I can squeeze in my next 9 holes without completely deserting the Mrs. (I'm sure I'm pushing my luck already!).

It's all the motivation I need. I'm sure the novelty will wear off again and I'll stop going on about it and thinking about it 24/7.

But as it stands I'm currently debating whether I want to give up playing American Football (to which I've devoted the last 3 years of my life and around £800) to enable me to have enough money to join a golf club as I can't afford the time or money to do both.

 

[Macster]

I made Single figures (9.2) for the first time last year, at 47yrs.
So , currently sitting at 9.7, and being in the buffer on last 3 comps, my motivation is to get back to 9.4 or less this year, and possibly 8.summat, I know its in there.

Having said that, battling an increasingly problematic and painful left knee is not the ideal route to achieve it

 

[HawkeyeMS]

The thing that drives me to play golf more than anything else is the desire to be better than I am and when I'm better than I am I want to be better than that. I guess the thing that keeps me coming back is the fact that golf is a game that's impossible to master and no matter how good I get, I can always get better and no matter how good I am there are no guarantees that I will play to my potential whenever I go out and play.

My aim this year is to get to single figures and when I get to single figures I want to get to Cat1. I also want to play a round of golf in level par or better and the beauty about that is once I've done that once, it will still be a massive challenge to do it again, and I know I'll want to do it again.

It sounds odd but I don't enjoy playing golf in the same way some folk can go out on the golf course and enjoy it no matter how well they play. I enjoy the banter and the social element but I can do that in the pub.

I'm playing in our club championship this weekend, I've got no chance of winning...this year
I could win the Salver which is the best Nett score over 2 days and if I'm honest, I'll be dissapointed if I don't.

I can't do any of that without practicing and having regular lessons. Sometimes it can be tough and frustrating (my lesson last night was very frustrating but not nearly as frustrating as my last 2 rounds which have been pretty dismal) but I know with plenty of practice sometime soon what I'm working on will make me a better golfer and help me achieve another one of my goals.

Not a lot of help to you if you were looking for any, it's a mindset I have, I don't suppose it will last forever

 

[Wheyayeman]

I'm fortunate to have a group of mates who have been together since School (We left 14yrs ago WOW) and whilst only 3 of us are members at clubs the rest of the lads try to play weekly over the summer. To keep things interesting we have a summer Stableford league between us which is won by the best 5 score average over the summer, this however is the support act to our main event which is a weekend every year we get together for a round on Fri at a random course, a BB on the Sat all day then the main event on the Sunday which is pairs Stableford, with a host of trophies, prizes and the "Red Jackets" for the winners, and is finished off by a meal and another piss up.

So for us there is never just a casual round, being the competitive bunch we are

 

[User 105]

I'm relatively new to the game so there's a lot to keep me motivated. But my overriding motivation, which applies to just about everything I do, is how good can I get at this.

It's easy to be motivated by golf now as I'm improving all the time. But I do put a lot of effort in. Lessons, practice and playing as much as I can.

I understand what you say though that when you start to get really low the effort you have to put in for a minor gain is not exactly motivating in itself.

 

[Imurg]

What drives me is the possibility of continuing to get better along with, and probably more important, enjoying the game.
I'm in what some might think is a strange situation. I want to get as good as I can, I want my handicap as low as possible. But I don't want to spend hundreds of pounds or hundreds of hours on the range getting there. I havn't got the time, money or patience to have loads of lessons and be a range monkey. I know that I can get better by elimination of the silly shots. I've got this far by this method and yes I probably could have been lower but it all comes back to time,money and patience.

I want to feel that I can get better and I want to enjoy playing - is there anything else?

 

[USER1999]

The thing that puts me off lessons, and to an extent practice is that after all the effort, and money, the one thing I am unable to change is me (I could see a head shrink, but that's even more time and money, and I might find out I don't like me).

I am a much better golfer when I play casual games than I am in a comp. As a result, swing improvements, short game improvements, etc, can all be maxed out, but the same idiot makes the same mistakes, gets the same nerves, hits the same shanks, and shoots the same scores.

At the end of it all, why bother? I am destined to be a 10 to 12 handicapper until I get old(er), when I can get back to 18.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I got bored of golf when I was in my late teens. At my old club the juniors couldn't aften play adults comp's and we only had junior comp's on a monthyl basis. Therefore I played alot without much chance of reducing my handicap.

Now I can play qualifiers almost every week. But I make sure I don't play too many as I don't want to get bored of it again.

So every few weeks I have a weekend off and kill mysef at the gym instead.

 

[GB72]

Motivation to me is simply the fact that I love playing so have a club in my hand as much as I can. Bit different at my level in that improvement and cuts are easier to come by and there is no better feeling than a big cut at the end of a weekend.

Having spent years getting progressively worse at my previous sport (rugby) as age started to catch up with me and the game changed from the one I knew, the pleasure of taking part in a sport where I am improving is massive.

At the moment my targets are obvious and, hopefully, achievable (18 being the next one) so that keeps me going.

 

[steviep]

My goal is to improve consistency by removing the occasional 8 or 9 which destroys my medal rounds and frustrates the hell out of me.
Hopefully this will then lead to the handicap coming down.

 

[EastPreston]

I just want to be better than my Dad.. Just to wind him up.

He hates it when I'm better than him.

 

[RGDave]

Does it REALLY matter if I play off 6 or 5 or 4?

How do you keep yourself motivated? What drives you?

NO. I couldn't care less if I play off 8 or 18.

I keep motivated because I know what is theoretically possible if I keep working. My good shots are good, my bad ones bad; if I can get round without any terrible ones, I can play to less than my h'cap.

I've been playing almost 3 years now (since starting again) and feel I'm close to where I was before I gave up in 1999.
It's not reflected in my h'cap (11.8 vs. 8.4 (lowest)) but I put that down to my course more than anything. The only way to stop my course biting me on the backside is to have a more reliable long game...whereas I survived in the old days on short game. I would often play to 7/8/9 with only bogeys and pars. Only bogeys is tough for me a.t.m. - that's where my problems lie.

 

[jammydodger]

Got a few days to myself but don't feel like dumping myself on the practice ground or indeed playing. If I spend a lot of hours out there again working on my game and eventually get my h/cap to drop by a shot or two, so what?

Does it REALLY matter if I play off 6 or 5 or 4?

How do you keep yourself motivated? What drives you?

Uncanny this , I was chatting to my missus last night about the exact same thing. I'm off 4.6 atm and tbh I just cant be bothered with it all. The hours and hours of short game practice that go out the window cos I drive it into the trees 3 times a round. I take a 3wood for safety on a par 5 and hit it OOB , whats that all about ??

I have been the most ultra competitive golfer ever since I started and have always strived to lower the handicap as that is what we are judged on. The frustration and anger that comes with bad shots turning into bad rounds has finally overwhelmed me and I've decided NO MORE.

I just dont think I can summon up the desire to get lower anymore. I'm going to go out from now on and accept all of the good and bad with equal indifference. I got up this morning and it was like a weight had been lifted off me.

Like you say James , it really doesnt matter if I play off 5/4/3 or scratch , its only a number and no-one else gives a stuff about it.

So for me from now on it's take whatever comes and enjoy the odd round that things still work well and the majority where it doesnt then so what. Thats a big change in attitude for me and it will probs take a little time to work into my pysche but thats my goal. If it doesnt work then thats fine and i'll just give it all up again...

 

[19th]

Having been around the golfing scene for a long time now, I notice that the many lower handicap players do not appear to enjoy their golf.

As stated above, one bad hole leaves them needing birdies to get back on track and this extra effort can then steal the enjoyment of the round.

I golfed with a three handicap player and he packed it in there and then as he realised he would not get any better as he got older and went and played bowls.

Another 3/4 handicapper just walked in and gave his clubs and gear away, enjoyment gone.

Having played to say, a Cat 1 golfing level, the loss of ability to now score must be hurtful for some.

I just enjoy the satisfaction that I have just played a shot/hole that even a pro would be proud of and that takes me back week after week. The knowledge that in me is the ability to score really well for a hole or two or three - then maybe I will be able to surprise myself and the club, by stringing a few more together in the same round!

It is like the lottery, possible - probable? Not really!

 

[USER1999]

One of the guys I play with used to be off 3. He is now off 11, and plays golf for fun. He boshes it round, doesn't give a monkeys what he scores, and just has a laugh. It is time off from work, and time away from the wife and kids. 'Me' time.

 

[RGDave]

Having been around the golfing scene for a long time now, I notice that the many lower handicap players do not appear to enjoy their golf.

Not that I was ever a low h'cap player, but I didn't enjoy my game, that's why I quit.

I felt I'd run into a hurdle that just couldn't be overcome.

If I come across that hurdle again....which is looking quite likely, I just hope I don't quit again.