Your Best Round of the Year?

[Mel Smooth]

What, when, where and why....

So this came up on Twitter a couple of Saturdays back, thought it was quite an interesting topic and then later that day, without prompting the youth asked me the same question - what was your best round of the year?

Doesn't have to be your best score - it can be the round you enjoyed the most, the one you shared with some great people, or maybe played a bucket list course. Was it strokeplay, matchplay, or just a casual knock with mates that ticked lots of boxes?

I'll post mine below - and Jamies - as we had the discussion.

Got to have mine as the Stabelford Trophy back on August 11th - it's a major comp, drawn so you are out with random pp's - I was fortunate enough to be drawn with a guy I know pretty well and get on with, as well as another lad who I may have played with once many moons back - both great company.


Doubled the first and the 3rd and blobbed the ninth but made some good scores on the front nine. Back nine has been my nemesis all year but I kept the score ticking over nicely - a double on the 13th not really doing me any favours but I parred 14 - onto the last 4 holes which are perhaps the easiest stretch on the course - after a par on 15, I found a bunker on 16 - got a horrible firm lie - even though my feet were in soft sand and skulled it over the green, into another bunker. Back on the green - 3 putts - blob.
Parred the 17th, the pushed a tee shot into the water on 18 after opting for the driver - it's not a long hole but an accurate tee shot is needed to set up an easy par and the fairway is at it's widest where the driver reaches - ended up with nil points - but a total of 41.

Some great banter in the bar afterwards that I won't bore you with , but it turned out to be enough for a win and my name on a board comp.




On to Jamie's

His was a toss up between his best score of the year - a 4 over 75 at his then home club (Dewsbury), a 78 at Moortown, or a 7&6 win away at Kirbymoorside in a Yorkshire Inter District fixture - against a lad who was 3 shots lower in the indexes - they play off scratch - foursomes in the morning and singles in the afternoon - handicap order.


In the end, he went for the 78 at Moortown - a course he'd never even had a glimpse of prior to the day (Junior Open) - it's obviously a great course with good pedigree in it's own right - a nice place to be playing golf.
Steady away all day apart from a double down the last - not enough to win anything but 8th overall gross and 6th nett was respectable given his age and quality of junior golfers in attendance - but above all that, he loved the day out

.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Gross 75

 

[Slab]

Shot gross 80 three times in last three months (never broken 80 yet) all at home course
The third time, just 2 weeks ago, was easily the most satisfying. Even facing (& missing) a 12ft birdie putt on 18 for 79 is a nice memory rather than a source of frustration. Doing it for a third time it all felt so much more under control than the first two

I previously shot 39/41 splits and this time it was the other way round after I bogeyed a couple of holes on the front nine I’d half expect to par (3rd & 7th) so I know the 79 is in there

Was playing with my wife in a social GP round on a sunny Sunday afternoon

 

[howbow88]

I had 2.

I played Addington Palace one afternoon/evening which was just great fun, although I didn't play particularly well.

I also played a course local to me, which was great fun with 2 friends who are members there. I didn't score overly well but I did make 4 birdies! After a beer and a couple of weeks thought on it, I ended up joining

 

[Orikoru]

Looking through my scores to answer this has made me sad, as I realise I haven't actually broken 80 this year. I did several times in 2023 and 2022 but my best gross score this year was 80 on the nose - and that was at a very short away course off the yellows (Oakland Park, around 4900 yards). Best gross at my home course this year was 81 (whereas in previous years I have shot as low as 77 and 78 there). My best round vs par though was at Mill Green, when I shot 83 on a par 72 for 11 over.

Two honourable mentions for best round with circumstances taken into account. I've talked about both before of course, but you asked.
1. On our yearly golf trip, which is two rounds and the winner gets a small trophy - just a bit of fun but we still want to win - we were at Belton Woods. After the horrendous first day (30+ mph winds on the tougher of the two courses, knee-high rough) I was 5 shots off the lead having only mustered 25 points. Day two was chalk and cheese though - much nicer weather and despite tripling the first hole (took the pressure off), I shot a nice trouble-free 85 with eight pars and a birdie for 37 points and took the trophy.
2. Has to be H4H at West Surrey. The most appalling rain I've ever played in, last three holes literally in a thunderstorm, people were walking in all around us, but I was striking the ball really well somehow. I figured the conditions meant I wasn't overthinking it too much. I stuck it out and shot an 88 with two birdies for 35 points, and won the day by 3 shots. I'll always remember that day and be proud to win such a prestigious event.

Lastly - the round I enjoyed the most. Difficult one as I've played several lovely courses with some great people this year - so I need to go with two options again.
1. I was lucky enough, thanks to DeanoMK, to be able to play the Woburn Marquess course with him and BDill93. I played well on the back nine after a pretty poor front nine, just the 31 points in the end, but had a great crack with the boys on an absolutely world class course. Loved it.
2. A few weeks ago I went to my uncle's club, Aylesbury Vale, and played a round with him, my dad and my cousin who has also joined there now. All four of us played well, getting in the 30s for individual points, and me and the old man took the match 3 & 2 in the end on a lovely, bright early-October day. Not much really beats a good day on the golf course with family.

 

[nicolasjsmith]

A year of inconsistent golf after swing changes brought on by lessons in Feburary culminated in my best round of the year while on holiday on the Isle of Wight in August at Freshwater Bay. Shot a solid 82 on an absolutely stunning course, in bright sunshine and with no-one behind or in front of us. Nothing better than walking down a fairway after a close approach, looking round and being able to see the sea and all 4 corners of the island. A real pinch-me moment.

 

[Imurg]

I think it's my round from late July...
Starting on the 10th I was 8 over after 7 holes (9 points) and then played the next 11 holes in 4 under.....for another 30 points....75 (4 over total)
Something just clicked and everything became easy....
Shot a 74 11 days ago but that was steadier....

 

[Billysboots]

Mine aren’t score related, or indeed linked in any way to how I played. My best rounds all stem from location, playing partners or, in most cases, both.

I particularly enjoyed a stunning round at a personal favourite, Beau Desert, back in the spring. Stunning course, great company.

And during a recent trip to Northumberland I had the privilege of trying, and failing, to plot my way around Goswick. Beautiful golf course, wonderful company, and I’m sure I managed a couple of decent strikes whilst I was there.

So those are mine. If I do happen to actually put 18 holes of good golf together between now and December 31st, I’ll be sure to add another comment. But don’t hold your breath!

 

[Springveldt]

It's got to be the only time I've shot under par in my life from a couple of months ago.

 

[Golfloveruk]

It's got to be the only time I've shot under par in my life from a couple of months ago.

View attachment 55399

That is a nice looking card.

Was the birdie on the last an accident? Did you consider missing a putt on purpose to record 18 straight pars?

A couple of years ago I three putted the last from 20 ft for bogey after 17 pars. I still have nightmares about it

 

[Springveldt]

That is a nice looking card.

Was the birdie on the last an accident? Did you consider missing a putt on purpose to record 18 straight pars?

A couple of years ago I three putted the last from 20 ft for bogey after 17 pars. I still have nightmares about it

I've never even shot level par before so you can imagine what I was like on the last tee. The feeling of relief when I hit my approach to about 10 foot on the last was noticeable and I knocked it about 2 foot inside a playing partner so I got a perfect read for the putt.

All the way through the back 9 I just kept thinking to myself "wish I could hole a birdie putt as the bad swing is coming" but luckily it never came.

 

[fat80b]

Great question. For me, it's not so much about scores but about what I remember from the rounds which means that the home course rounds have to work pretty hard to stay memorable.

My best scoring round at my home course this year was an 84 but that was a midweek round off the yellows and I don't have any particular memories of it. It was steady all the way.

My most memorable comp round was a 92 on the first comp of the year which included a 9 on the par 4 S.I. 1. Would not normally be memorable score wise, but this somehow was good enough for me to win the first board comp of the year (the cup winners cup) and got my name on a board for the second time!

But my most enjoyable rounds were the 7 I played in Belek this year - There's something great about holiday golf. Particular moments include birdies on par 3's at the Faldo on successive days. Playing with a club pro at the first of those rounds and playing with 3 French blokes in matching outfits at the National. Favourite course was probably Carya, but I also enjoyed the Aspendos and Olympos at the Cullinan. Can't wait to go back.

Still have a fair bit of golf left this year though - with a rescheduled day at JCB, 3 rounds in Portugal in November, and one more comp to go at home.

 

[Rlburnside]

My best was a few weeks ago shot 86 for a net 66 winning the handicap prize by 4 shots in one of our big opens.
This was on my 70th birthday and playing very poor for the last 2 months so very unexpected.

I had a run of 5 pars and a birdie with 8 pars in total.

 

[IanM]

37 points at Castle Stuart in April in tough weather. Second day of a 36 hole comp pushed me up to 4th out of 180 or so.

 

[Bratty]

Work society day at St. George's Hill in September. I shot a 5 under handicap 74, and won both the overall stableford and also the scratch comps. Really, really happy.
However, I also have to put two rounds at Pebble Beach and an 84, 1 over handicap, at Spyglass Hill as just the most special rounds in terms of once in a lifetime.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

2 weeks ago.
I didn't lose a ball

 

[Dingy]

Shot a 76 which included a level par back nine of 34. Wish I could remember how I did it.

 

[Pathetic Shark]

That is a nice looking card.

Was the birdie on the last an accident? Did you consider missing a putt on purpose to record 18 straight pars?

A couple of years ago I three putted the last from 20 ft for bogey after 17 pars. I still have nightmares about it

I did 18 straight pars once and had to lag a seven foot birdie putt on the last to get it. Got some stick from my mates over it - one of them then had 16 straight pars in a comp the following Saturday and then three-jacked the 17th. He spent the rest of the day looking for a cat to kick.

 

[Hank]

After an injury enforced sabbatical from golf i have barely played 6 rounds this year but i played a few weeks ago with 3 good mates who i haven't played with for a while. Scored 33 points with some bad shots thrown in for good measure but it was enough to take the moolah. A few beers afterwards chewing the fat and then finished the day off with a curry.

By far my best round of the year. There's much more to golf than scoring more than 36pts or playing under handicap.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I did 18 straight pars once and had to lag a seven foot birdie putt on the last to get it. Got some stick from my mates over it - one of them then had 16 straight pars in a comp the following Saturday and then three-jacked the 17th. He spent the rest of the day looking for a cat to kick.

Did you have a Pringle jumper on like Faldo