The difference between a 4hcp and +1???

[Robobum]

Yeah okay, 5 strokes!! :smirk

Played 4somes against a guy off +1 today, he also happens to be our county champ. We were both playing the evens so I got an up close look at the difference between a constant cat 1 player and a plus guy who plays in national am stuff.

Well, he drove it longer than me by a good 25yds. I hit a beauty straight into the wind on four and was pleased with 235yds until hid did me on the fly!
He was straighter than me, only missing one fairway. Straight AND long is a pretty good combo.
Irons weren't any better struck than me.
His chipping & pitching was awesome 3 close enough for gimmes and worst one was a tricky one that ran out to 12 ft. Made mine look like a hacker.
He was a decent putter, good pace-burnt a lot of edges.

The two parts that were far superior were his driving and his chipping, the gulf between his and mine was amazing. But then he does play golf full time.

The score?? Oh we did them 2&1, chalk one up for the tortoise not the hare!!

 

[USER1999]

Good golf then

One up the timgolfy style though.

Long does it again. Plus a bit of chipping.

 

[granters]

I had a similar experience last year. I played with a scratch player. Just me and him in a medal round.

Tee to green i matched him shot for shot, as i used to play off 5 before i chucked it i'm still pretty strong with the woods and irons.

I came in with an 82. He came in with 72. It was quite astonishing how many times he got up and down from anywhere within 100 yards. Putting was just as you described really, but it does show you the value of a good short game.

It actually made me sit up and realise that this is what i should be concentrating on.

 

[pokerjoke]

Thats interesting,however i think most people agree that a good short game is key to low scores.
Having played with you i know your driving is good,so this guys must have been really good.
So the difference between a 4 hp and a +1 is a better all round game.

 

[Macster]

I quite often play with our lowest player, off +1 too, and quite honestly, its a different game isnt it, but fantastic to watch up close.

Similarly, I'm 'not short' with either Woods or irons, but he's in a totally different stratosphere, Ive seen him hit our 529yd Par 5 with a Drive & 8Iron, and the last time we played, he took a 3 wood off our Par4 14th, 289yds, and put it to 8' !!

Irons are lazer like, and when he does miss rarely, he gets up & down with monotonous regularity.

Oh, and he takes massive care on his putting, - but when you're only taking 67/68 shots per round, he's got the time to !!

Having said all that, and although I'd like to be 1/2 shots lower, I simply wouldnt want to be as low as that, the pressure/intensity is huge, and by his own admission, he doesnt enjoy it sometimes.

Different game totally.

 

[PNWokingham]

I played with a younng lad yesterday in the medal - 18, quite tall but very thin and no muscle. He only took up golf 4 years ago and is now off 1 - opened with a 3-stab bogey (greens were at around 12) but ended up shooting 1 under and won the comp - just passed his playability the other day and will turn PGA pro in September. He was no longer than me (but nearly every shot down the middle) and reckoned that he was longer than a lot of low handicapers - which is proof that length is not where it is at - he is still a chunk shorter than most of our other low/ pro players - but he will undoubtedly gain more length and muscle over the next couple of years. When Jiminez came to our course a while back, Jack cadied for him and Jiminez told him that the difference between them and a cat1 player was all the last 100 yards - he said there was 10% difference off the tee and with irons, but more like 60% difference from 100 yards and closer.

 

[Mongoose]

Its an ocean of difference! Couple of years ago I played several rounds with a lad, friend of a friend, he now looks like he'll make this years Walker Cup team, which would be great. At the time he was +3 and I was 2. Not only was he better at every aspect of the game, he was a lot better at most of it, especially as PNWokingham has said about Jimenez, his game from 100yds in he made my game look very ordinary. One round he 3-putted the first, par'd the second, then birdied the next seven holes! 6 under after 9 with a 3-putt. Just amazing to watch.

Ive played with several + handicappers and they were all chalk and cheese better than myself and the Cat 1's I know.

The difference between your typical Cat 1 and someone 5 shots higher isnt huge. The Cat 1 is probably a bit more consistent, bit better at course management, and sharper with short game and putting. But overall there isnt that big a difference. But the difference between Cat 1 and + handicap is enormous.

 

[Robobum]

Great comments.

The point I'm trying to make is that each level you get to where you get better, means EVERYTHING gets better. A great long game doesn't make a goodgolfer and a great short game doesn't get it done in isolation either.

Anyone spending hours on the range trying to hit it300 yds, give up.... You're wrong. Similarly hitting 100 yds and in all day on the range is missing the point. If you wanna be good (verygood) it ALL has to be good!!!

 

[Simbo]

the biggest difference iv noticed with the + cappers that i play with is. driving, iron play, chipping putting,course management,ability to play in the wind/rain+ mentality!

EVERYTHING!!!
they see the game a whole different way. i regularly play with a guy of +1 and he is an absolute birdie machine, he hits its very close from anywhere inside 150 yards repeatedly