The Golf Thread - 2016!
Discussion
But Jim is still right.
What if you only hit 200 yards off the tee (non par 3 holes).
For my course (off the blues at 6340 yards and with 5 par 3's and an overall par of 70) that would mean 13 tee shots @ 200 = 2600 yards.
6340 - 2600 = 3740 yards left.
I'm going to allow myself 2 putts per hole.
That means I have 21 shots left to cover 18 approach shots at a total of 3740 yards = 178.0 yards per shot (albeit with 3 shots spare).
Take the putts into account and it isn't as easy as it sounds!
What if you only hit 200 yards off the tee (non par 3 holes).
For my course (off the blues at 6340 yards and with 5 par 3's and an overall par of 70) that would mean 13 tee shots @ 200 = 2600 yards.
6340 - 2600 = 3740 yards left.
I'm going to allow myself 2 putts per hole.
That means I have 21 shots left to cover 18 approach shots at a total of 3740 yards = 178.0 yards per shot (albeit with 3 shots spare).
Take the putts into account and it isn't as easy as it sounds!
Rosscow said:
DuncanM said:
Rosscow said:
Jim, you're a good golfer. Not many higher handicap players are going to hit fourteen straight 250 yard 5 woods!! 
Did he get the math wrong? 250 yard = longer than most people drive the ball!~180-200 for a 5 wood imo.
Points taken, lads. New more reasonable ambition - play to 10. A handicapper in the 20s would be over the moon with this. I'll revise my figures thus:
14 steady 5-woods @ 200 each = 2,800 yards
3,700 yards of golf course left
Add 10 steady 7 irons @ 150 yards each.
That's 4,300 yards gone.
So, there are 24 shots gone and 2,200 yards left. You have 58 shots remaining.
We'll go for 36 putts.
Final task: the most important, and most difficult one - the scoring zone. We've got 22 shots left over 18 holes to cover the average of 122 yards onto each green.
Manage that: we've played to 10. Easy game.
14 steady 5-woods @ 200 each = 2,800 yards
3,700 yards of golf course left
Add 10 steady 7 irons @ 150 yards each.
That's 4,300 yards gone.
So, there are 24 shots gone and 2,200 yards left. You have 58 shots remaining.
We'll go for 36 putts.
Final task: the most important, and most difficult one - the scoring zone. We've got 22 shots left over 18 holes to cover the average of 122 yards onto each green.
Manage that: we've played to 10. Easy game.
SpeckledJim said:
Now lets try the same task using the other strategy. I'll be generous to the player using driver, and give them a 300 yard drive.
14 drives. 6 are successful and so take 1,800 yards out of the course.
4 are ok. Call it 200 yards. Another 800 yards gone.
4 are disasters. 2 cost a shot chipping out sideways, and 2 are lost. 2 shots lost each.
So we are 3,800 yards down the road, at a cost of 20 shots.
52 shots left, to play to 10, over 2,700 yards.
36 putts gone s
So 16 shots remain, to reach 18 greens, at an average of 150 yards each.
Not gonna work, is it. And that was just 4 bad drives, for a very long hitter!
I like it! It's a great way of looking at the game.14 drives. 6 are successful and so take 1,800 yards out of the course.
4 are ok. Call it 200 yards. Another 800 yards gone.
4 are disasters. 2 cost a shot chipping out sideways, and 2 are lost. 2 shots lost each.
So we are 3,800 yards down the road, at a cost of 20 shots.
52 shots left, to play to 10, over 2,700 yards.
36 putts gone s
So 16 shots remain, to reach 18 greens, at an average of 150 yards each.
Not gonna work, is it. And that was just 4 bad drives, for a very long hitter!
Especially if you actually make it more like 260 yards, not 300......
Rosscow said:
I like it! It's a great way of looking at the game.
Especially if you actually make it more like 260 yards, not 300......
I love it, however I think the only people who will be willing to try it, will already be pretty good players (but with driving issues).Especially if you actually make it more like 260 yards, not 300......
Rosscow, what's your HC these days? Fancy trying it?
DuncanM said:
Rosscow said:
I like it! It's a great way of looking at the game.
Especially if you actually make it more like 260 yards, not 300......
I love it, however I think the only people who will be willing to try it, will already be pretty good players (but with driving issues).Especially if you actually make it more like 260 yards, not 300......
Rosscow, what's your HC these days? Fancy trying it?
However, I think you're right - people like me (pretty good but with driving issues
) would be willing to try it.And I will! I haven't really used the driver at all this year, so have been relying on my 3 wood. Which is pretty good. But definite room for improvement.
Trying again without the bad maths and with a bit more thought... 
Now lets try the same task using the other strategy. I'll be generous to the player using driver, and give them a 260 yard drive.
14 drives. 4 are successful and so take 1,040 yards out of the course.
4 are ok. Call it 200 yards. Another 800 yards gone.
6 are disasters. 2 are 40 yard scuffs. 2 are 260 but cost a shot chipping out sideways, and 2 are 260 but lost. 2 shots gone each.
So we are 2960 yards down the road, at a cost of 20 shots.
62 shots left, to play to 10, over 3540 yards.
10 tidy 7 irons at 150 each = 1,500
36 putts gone
So 16 shots remain, to reach 18 greens, at an average of 113 yards each.
Not gonna work, is it. And that was 6 bad drives, for a good hitter!
Now lets try the same task using the other strategy. I'll be generous to the player using driver, and give them a 260 yard drive.
14 drives. 4 are successful and so take 1,040 yards out of the course.
4 are ok. Call it 200 yards. Another 800 yards gone.
6 are disasters. 2 are 40 yard scuffs. 2 are 260 but cost a shot chipping out sideways, and 2 are 260 but lost. 2 shots gone each.
So we are 2960 yards down the road, at a cost of 20 shots.
62 shots left, to play to 10, over 3540 yards.
10 tidy 7 irons at 150 each = 1,500
36 putts gone
So 16 shots remain, to reach 18 greens, at an average of 113 yards each.
Not gonna work, is it. And that was 6 bad drives, for a good hitter!
If the rest of the round is muddying things, lets just look at those first 20 shots of the round.
To be a bit fairer I will tweak the 14 steady 5-woods to include one chip out sideways and one 40 yard scuff.
So 16 shots gets you to 2,840 yards, and we'll top that up with 4 steady 7 irons.
3,440 yards covered.
In the other example, of the big-hitting but erratic driver-user those first 20 shots took us 2960 yards.
So by playing conservatively, we have gained 480 yards in 20 shots, and so shortened each hole (excluding par 3s) by an average of 35 yards.
The equivalent of 14 hypothetical scoring zone 7 irons becoming 14 wedges. And so some 3 putts become 2 putts, and a few 2 putts become birdies.
Nice.
To be a bit fairer I will tweak the 14 steady 5-woods to include one chip out sideways and one 40 yard scuff.
So 16 shots gets you to 2,840 yards, and we'll top that up with 4 steady 7 irons.
3,440 yards covered.
In the other example, of the big-hitting but erratic driver-user those first 20 shots took us 2960 yards.
So by playing conservatively, we have gained 480 yards in 20 shots, and so shortened each hole (excluding par 3s) by an average of 35 yards.
The equivalent of 14 hypothetical scoring zone 7 irons becoming 14 wedges. And so some 3 putts become 2 putts, and a few 2 putts become birdies.
Nice.
Rosscow said:
Jim, you're a good golfer. Not many higher handicap players are going to hit fourteen straight 250 yard 5 woods!!
Absolutely. The paradox is that a high handicapper is going to have a number of duffs off the tee regardless of what club is taken, and even if he/she manages say 200 yards on a par 4 which is high 300s, that leaves a long iron to the green. I agree that generally a non driver is likely to get you into less trouble off the tee, but it's not a nil sum game. The downside is a) having to keep anything off the tee safe, and b) having longer shots into the green which can also cause a lot of lost shots. Alpinestars said:
Rosscow said:
Jim, you're a good golfer. Not many higher handicap players are going to hit fourteen straight 250 yard 5 woods!!
Absolutely. The paradox is that a high handicapper is going to have a number of duffs off the tee regardless of what club is taken, and even if he/she manages say 200 yards on a par 4 which is high 300s, that leaves a long iron to the green. I agree that generally a non driver is likely to get you into less trouble off the tee, but it's not a nil sum game. The downside is a) having to keep anything off the tee safe, and b) having longer shots into the green which can also cause a lot of lost shots. They shouldn't be going for a 200 yard shot into the green - hit a 6 iron! If you're lucky you'll chip it close and get a par anyway.
They should be playing bogie golf.
Rosscow said:
You mustn't forget that higher handicap players are going to have anything from 2 to 10 holes where they've got 2 shots.
They shouldn't be going for a 200 yard shot into the green - hit a 6 iron! If you're lucky you'll chip it close and get a par anyway.
They should be playing bogie golf.
Chipping and putting is probably where most high handicappers lose most shots. So to take 1 or 2 shots more to get onto the green means an even higher score. I keep saying it's not about being prescriptive, but about knowing your game and being sensible. They shouldn't be going for a 200 yard shot into the green - hit a 6 iron! If you're lucky you'll chip it close and get a par anyway.
They should be playing bogie golf.
What do you guys play off out of interest?
Alpinestars said:
Chipping and putting is probably where most high handicappers lose most shots. So to take 1 or 2 shots more to get onto the green means an even higher score. I keep saying it's not about being prescriptive, but about knowing your game and being sensible.
What do you guys play off out of interest?
It's much easier to chip and putt better than it is to hit driver or 3 wood better, though.What do you guys play off out of interest?
As above, I play off 15 (it's a tough course - I'd like to think I'd be off 13 or 14 at a more standard parkland course).
Most of my costly shots are from the tee though.
Rosscow said:
It's much easier to chip and putt better than it is to hit driver or 3 wood better, though.
As above, I play off 15 (it's a tough course - I'd like to think I'd be off 13 or 14 at a more standard parkland course).
Most of my costly shots are from the tee though.
You're not practicing what you preach As above, I play off 15 (it's a tough course - I'd like to think I'd be off 13 or 14 at a more standard parkland course).
Most of my costly shots are from the tee though.
. Take a long iron off the tee and you'll be down in no time. Alpinestars said:
Rosscow said:
It's much easier to chip and putt better than it is to hit driver or 3 wood better, though.
As above, I play off 15 (it's a tough course - I'd like to think I'd be off 13 or 14 at a more standard parkland course).
Most of my costly shots are from the tee though.
You're not practicing what you preach As above, I play off 15 (it's a tough course - I'd like to think I'd be off 13 or 14 at a more standard parkland course).
Most of my costly shots are from the tee though.
. Take a long iron off the tee and you'll be down in no time. But you're right, I should do!
Alpinestars said:
Rosscow said:
Jim, you're a good golfer. Not many higher handicap players are going to hit fourteen straight 250 yard 5 woods!!
Absolutely. The paradox is that a high handicapper is going to have a number of duffs off the tee regardless of what club is taken, and even if he/she manages say 200 yards on a par 4 which is high 300s, that leaves a long iron to the green. I agree that generally a non driver is likely to get you into less trouble off the tee, but it's not a nil sum game. The downside is a) having to keep anything off the tee safe, and b) having longer shots into the green which can also cause a lot of lost shots. Jim is picturing himself (a good golfer) in this scenario, and it skews reality somewhat.
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