Would you rather be..............

[PPE]

A good driver of the ball or a good putter?

I was debating this at the weekend, as I used to be fantastic at putting but lousy at driving the ball, now its the other way round.

So would you rather hit 14/14 fairways and go round with 39 putts or 4/14 Fairways and 29 putts?

I suppose everyone will say "it depends on which gives me the better score", but I'm just thinking from a satisfaction point of view. Me, I'm far happier now I'm hitting it miles and on the fairway, it used to do my nut going OOB and behind trees!!

Learning to putt is far easier than learning to drive I said yesterday!

 

[jp5]

At my level, I'd rather drive the ball well. A few 3 putts are frustrating, but not as much as trudging around the trees every other hole trying to find your tee shot.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Definitely Putter. Nothing better than seeing a long putt drop.

 

[Birchy]

Both. You cant be a decent player without being good at both imo.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I enjoy hitting good, long drives more than holing putts.

I also believe that you can throw away a good score more easily by poor driving than poor putting.

However, I've managed to turn too many good opportunities for scores into poor results by 3 putting.

 

[patricks148]

Putter every time.

Played the first round of the club champs on Sat and had so many Birdie chances and had at least 5, 3 putts 80 gross for 73 net and buffer, i i could put id have had a decent score. I don't think i missed a fairway or many greens;(

 

[PPE]

Both. You cant be a decent player without being good at both imo.

Completely agree, but that's why I put 'Or', choose one.

 

[louise_a]

On our par 3 191 yd 12th yesterday I nailed a drive, it ran just off the back but my partner put it to 18 inches, I missed the putt! annoyed that I didn't get the putt but it was the drive that got me into that position, 3 holes later I holed a 30 footer.

I think as a good drive sets you up, I would take the occasional missed tiddler, if you hook one into the trees you are still going to have a bad hole regardless of how good a putter you are.

 

[PPE]

A good example of this is on Saturday on a Par 5 I hit my drive 312yrds, a 4iron 201yrds pin high 15ft to the right and three putted! Loved the two shots before it though!!

 

[Birchy]

Completely agree, but that's why I put 'Or', choose one.

Well either way you look at it they will probably cost golfers a similar amount of shots either way. Better drives = more greens but thats offset by bad putts. Bad driving = less greens but offset by nailing the putts when you get on.

Tit for tat if you ask me.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

The answer people will give will depend on what they see as their weakness out of the two I think.

My driving is weaker than my putting (not that my putting is great, but it costs me less shots than driving). So on that basis, I'd rather nail every drive - at my course, driver is used on between 13 and 15 holes per round depending on the time of year, and for the shorter hitters it will be used on 16 holes - and in addition with loads of doglegs position is crucial to leave a second shot.

 

[cookelad]

Putter every time for me - I'm not a bad driver but my putter is easily the best club in the bag!

 

[Jay Gee]

If I hit a putt short, it doesn't go in the water.
If I hook my putt, I don't have to shout fore.
If I slice a putt, I don't have to do the walk of shame across the adjoining fairway.
If I hit a wayward putt, I don't have to spend 5 minutes looking for the ball.
I rarely lose a ball when putting.
My putter doesn't give away my ability (or lack of) with sky marks.
My putter doesn't add 1000 yards to the course (my driver will often take the scenic route).
The average putter costs less than £300 and doesn't come with the promise of 17 extra yards.

I'll take driving please. People who choose putting will already be a much better driver of the ball than me

 

[Tongo]

Good putter for me. If you hit the green in two and three putt, you feel well frustrated but if you hack about for four shots and one putt for a five you feel well chuffed.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

...but if you hack about for four shots and one putt for a five you feel well chuffed.

Oh no I don't, I'm annoyed at hacking about for 4 shots!

 

[Piece]

Both. You cant be a decent player without being good at both imo.

Some golfer called Tiger Woods has made a decent career out of being a poor driver...

 

[Rooter]

its a little chicken and egg for me, hit one OOB or into the trees etc, you are never going to score well as you will have 0% GIR, even if you putt like a pro draining everything, you will still be playing bogey golf at best. On the flip side, drive, iron and wedge like a pro and then 3 stab, is just as bad! i hit a par 4 green off the tee yesterday and 3 stabbed the putt for par (from only about 15ft too, should have been an eagle!), also hit a horrible tee shot, and ok iron then wedge to be on for 3 and drained a 15ft putt for par! i would rather be mediocre at both than excel at just one and be rubbish at the other.

 

[mcbroon]

Putter.

I don't understand those who are saying that missing fairways is as costly as missing putts. You can still hit greens from the rough, or even from the trees (sometimes). You can't recover a missed putt. It stays missed.

 

[devonboy]

I'd rather be a good driver ..................

I love the feeling of knocking a straight one (or one with a draw) with a great flight on it.

Makes me feel all caveman like

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Good putter every time. If you can get it in the hole regularly to save par or make a birdie it makes up for the odd bad drive