The Golf Thread - 2018!
Discussion
TVR Moneypit said:
garyhun said:
I would turn up expecting the worst round ever. It should relax you and help your swing.
Last time I had a long lay-off, I had a fabulous round. Two days later I had a mare!
When I booked the round at this place; http://www.doreandtotleygolfclub.co.uk/course-gall... I asked them how long they'd expect a round to take. "About 3 1/2 hours sir" was the answer. When I mentioned that it would be two very, very, very poor players playing they upped their estimation to "5 hours, maybe a bit longer" Last time I had a long lay-off, I had a fabulous round. Two days later I had a mare!
Hopefully it’s a quiet day 
I got my golf file out again looking through past competitions and days out that I used to organise. We used to take 36 people so 12 three balls and single medal in the morning, and 9 four ball better balls in the sfternoon and where possible I only chose clubs with two courses. We played Wentworth, the west course in medal and the east in four ball; the green fee was £8, we had a soup and sandwich lunch, and all-in including the coach it was £15 per head. A youngster we took with us, 15 yrs old, won the single medal (we were allowed to use the back tees) with a gross 75. We played The Berkshires, Sunningdale, Woodhall Spa, Moor Allerton Hollinwell and countless others before golf became all money and no trousers. Oh, and here's a couple old photo of yours truly. Ah, those were the days!
TVR Moneypit said:
SpeckledJim said:
TVR Moneypit said:
SpeckledJim said:
Play for bogey. Be conservative. Concentrate on always being in contention in the hole and let his mistakes be the deciding factor.
You don't have to actively win it if he's busy losing it.
I'd be overjoyed if I could get a bogey on every hole!You don't have to actively win it if he's busy losing it.
Key is to make sure that every time he has a disaster you win the hole, even if you win it 7 against 8. If you're matching him disaster for disaster, then it's a lottery. You could score 10 shots lower than him and still lose.
If it's his honour and he puts it in the trees, then your hole has changed completely. Put your wood back in the bag and reach for a 6 iron.
fourcandles said:
I was on here a while back, having taken up golf at the age of 52, and being somewhat astounded that I was not completely hopeless (at least some of the time).
This is the start of my 3rd season golfing. I was amazed to finish last year at 12 handicap (from 17 at the start of the year). And at the weekend I got cut to 11 after a 0.4 reduction.
I'm assuming it is now going to get really hard to go lower. I have been regularly scoring in the 70s in bounce games, but it's a bit tougher to do that in competitions. And at only -0.2 reductions now, it could take quite a few good rounds to get to 10.4 from 11.3 (assuming I'll have the inevitable bad ones in the mix). Target for now is simply to not go straight back up to 12 again after my next two rounds. Ultimately, if I can chip away at 11, and get down a stroke or two over the next couple of years while still enjoying playing, I'll be extremely pleased. It is a challenge to see how low this former couch potato can go before decrepitude takes over.
I'd be interested to know some other folks' handicap histories. How fast to get down from 18+ to 10 or less? How long maintaining the same handicap? Biggest cut in a year? Biggest cut in one round? Any other amazing stats?
Also, do people think the new system from next year is going to make it easier or harder to maintain or reduce handicaps?
What's the new system?
This is the start of my 3rd season golfing. I was amazed to finish last year at 12 handicap (from 17 at the start of the year). And at the weekend I got cut to 11 after a 0.4 reduction.
I'm assuming it is now going to get really hard to go lower. I have been regularly scoring in the 70s in bounce games, but it's a bit tougher to do that in competitions. And at only -0.2 reductions now, it could take quite a few good rounds to get to 10.4 from 11.3 (assuming I'll have the inevitable bad ones in the mix). Target for now is simply to not go straight back up to 12 again after my next two rounds. Ultimately, if I can chip away at 11, and get down a stroke or two over the next couple of years while still enjoying playing, I'll be extremely pleased. It is a challenge to see how low this former couch potato can go before decrepitude takes over.
I'd be interested to know some other folks' handicap histories. How fast to get down from 18+ to 10 or less? How long maintaining the same handicap? Biggest cut in a year? Biggest cut in one round? Any other amazing stats?
Also, do people think the new system from next year is going to make it easier or harder to maintain or reduce handicaps?
What's the new system?
thebraketester said:
I am interested to see what you guys do in this situation.
Par 5. You’ve teed off and you are 250yards out.
What shots do you hit next?, for arguments sake it’s a straight hole.
Too many variables. Par 5. You’ve teed off and you are 250yards out.
What shots do you hit next?, for arguments sake it’s a straight hole.
If the green is wide open, and depending on conditions, I might go for it with a 5 wood and hopefully get an outside chance at birdie, and hopefully a likely par.
If it's tight or awkward I might play for say 220 yards, trying to give myself the right angle for a low-risk bump and run and a chancey one-putt, hopefully worst case a bogey.
If there's something making that too difficult or risky I might take a low-risk 150 yards to the right spot (ish!), and a wedge in. That's likely to be two putts and a bogey. If the wedge is any good then I might get a one-putt. (and if the wedge is awful I might be staring at a three putt)
This is assuming strokeplay. Matchplay could force a more aggressive or more conservative different approach depending on the state of the match, the point in the round, and what the opponent is up to.
Treat 250 yards in like a tough par three, and play it with a realistic appraisal of your abilities. Four from there should be frequently achievable if you can play a reasonable iron shot, and can smother your ego sufficient to make the right decisions.
Play the rest of the round the same way and hey presto, you're off 18 and welcome in just about any four-ball in the land.
SpeckledJim said:
Treat 250 yards in like a tough par three, and play it with a realistic appraisal of your abilities. Four from there should be frequently achievable if you can play a reasonable iron shot, and can smother your ego sufficient to make the right decisions.
I like this a lot 
One other thing worth mentioning is that what the next man does is of limited use to you.
JamesnotJim is a very good golfer and picks his shots according to what he's likely to be able to achieve. His 80% safe shot is a lot more ambitious than yours or mine.
If you (as an impressively quickly improving golfer) follow his lead you'll likely come unstuck and score a lot more than if you'd just played your shots instead of his.
Just as you or I can drive a car down the straight as quickly as anyone can, if we pitch it into the corner at the same entry speed as Lewis Hamilton, we're going to have a large crash that wouldn't have happened if we'd driven our own plan.
What would be very useful is to go out with a good golfer who knows your game, and simply surrender all decision-making to him. He picks your clubs and tells you the plan. He reads the course a lot better than you (or me) and watches you (and me) make silly choices all the time, so let him determine what you should be doing instead. Don't copy him, let him lead.
That's a great way to learn, IMO.
90% of average and poor golfers think they're better than they are, and choose shots based on those they see on the PGA Tour.
The most impressive golfer for me is the old boy who knows exactly what he's capable of, loses a ball approximately once a calendar season, and shoots round after round after round with only a few shots variance. Whether he's off 5, 10, 15 or 20, he's in control of his own head, and that's the game.
JamesnotJim is a very good golfer and picks his shots according to what he's likely to be able to achieve. His 80% safe shot is a lot more ambitious than yours or mine.
If you (as an impressively quickly improving golfer) follow his lead you'll likely come unstuck and score a lot more than if you'd just played your shots instead of his.
Just as you or I can drive a car down the straight as quickly as anyone can, if we pitch it into the corner at the same entry speed as Lewis Hamilton, we're going to have a large crash that wouldn't have happened if we'd driven our own plan.
What would be very useful is to go out with a good golfer who knows your game, and simply surrender all decision-making to him. He picks your clubs and tells you the plan. He reads the course a lot better than you (or me) and watches you (and me) make silly choices all the time, so let him determine what you should be doing instead. Don't copy him, let him lead.
That's a great way to learn, IMO.
90% of average and poor golfers think they're better than they are, and choose shots based on those they see on the PGA Tour.
The most impressive golfer for me is the old boy who knows exactly what he's capable of, loses a ball approximately once a calendar season, and shoots round after round after round with only a few shots variance. Whether he's off 5, 10, 15 or 20, he's in control of his own head, and that's the game.
Edited by SpeckledJim on Friday 27th April 09:22
Blaster72 said:
SpeckledJim said:
Treat 250 yards in like a tough par three, and play it with a realistic appraisal of your abilities. Four from there should be frequently achievable if you can play a reasonable iron shot, and can smother your ego sufficient to make the right decisions.
I like this a lot Play the course, but remember you're you.
Failure to remember that I am merely myself is the main reason half of golfers can't play to 18. They've generally got the shots to play to 18, they just haven't got the control to abandon scratch in the car park, instead of 118 shots later, on the 15th tee.
Thanks for the responces so far. My question was to try and find out what people’s damage limitation (course managment?) process was, if that makes sense. SpeckledJim’s response was pretty much what I was after. Thanks.
Of course the answer is to whack it on the green and one put.
Of course the answer is to whack it on the green and one put.
Edited by thebraketester on Friday 27th April 09:30
Edited by thebraketester on Friday 27th April 09:32
That's my cousin, he first picked up a club aged two and is 70 later this year. In his teens he was an assistant pro for a while but that didn't work out, however he's played off single figures all his life and is off 9 now, he doesn't hit the ball anywhere near as far as he used to but every shot is down the middle and planned for maximum effect.
We play every week and the other day he was putting well, (that's always been the weakest part of his game), and he shot a 74 which is three over par for Seaford Head. Unfortunately for him I was also playing well off my 25.5 handicap and managed to just beat him on Stableford.
Oh, I forgot to mention that he has Parkinsons, it's mild and seems to be well controlled by drugs but his golf is so good that we completely forget about it until his phone pings while we're playing and it's pill time.
The most impressive golfer for me is the old boy who knows exactly what he's capable of, loses a ball approximately once a calendar season, and shoots round after round after round with only a few shots variance. Whether he's off 5, 10, 15 or 20, he's in control of his own head, and that's the game.
[/quote]
We play every week and the other day he was putting well, (that's always been the weakest part of his game), and he shot a 74 which is three over par for Seaford Head. Unfortunately for him I was also playing well off my 25.5 handicap and managed to just beat him on Stableford.
Oh, I forgot to mention that he has Parkinsons, it's mild and seems to be well controlled by drugs but his golf is so good that we completely forget about it until his phone pings while we're playing and it's pill time.
The most impressive golfer for me is the old boy who knows exactly what he's capable of, loses a ball approximately once a calendar season, and shoots round after round after round with only a few shots variance. Whether he's off 5, 10, 15 or 20, he's in control of his own head, and that's the game.
Edited by SpeckledJim on Friday 27th April 09:22
[/quote]
I'm shocked no one has suggested the Driver off the deck play - where's your spirit of adventure?
Seriously though I rarely go for a Par 5 in 2 unless I've left myself an iron for my 2nd shot - I can elevate my 3 wood off the deck with no issues, but some of my wilder swings will end up in a lost ball, so I usually just take a long iron to around 50 yards, then wedge in.
Unless there is a lot of space up by the green, in which case the 3 wood will come out and I'll have a go. I'm one of those freaks however, who would rather take a long iron than a fairway wood, so I'd be more tempted to chase up a 1-iron, assuming decent lie and no trouble in front of the green.
Seriously though I rarely go for a Par 5 in 2 unless I've left myself an iron for my 2nd shot - I can elevate my 3 wood off the deck with no issues, but some of my wilder swings will end up in a lost ball, so I usually just take a long iron to around 50 yards, then wedge in.
Unless there is a lot of space up by the green, in which case the 3 wood will come out and I'll have a go. I'm one of those freaks however, who would rather take a long iron than a fairway wood, so I'd be more tempted to chase up a 1-iron, assuming decent lie and no trouble in front of the green.
The muni courses near me are great. That 100pa you are mentioning, I imagine thats just the club membership and not inclusive of green fees?
We just joined up for a season ticket (so not proper membership, thats an extra 100 quid) and it was just over 400 for a 5 day pass. Haste Hill
I played my local muni course on Tuesday and scored 85. Crap driving, rescued by decent recovery and not losing my head by trying to rip a hybrids from 250yds out (which prompted my previous post).
I heard faldo say on a video. "play the shot you know you can play" which seems good advice.
We just joined up for a season ticket (so not proper membership, thats an extra 100 quid) and it was just over 400 for a 5 day pass. Haste Hill
I played my local muni course on Tuesday and scored 85. Crap driving, rescued by decent recovery and not losing my head by trying to rip a hybrids from 250yds out (which prompted my previous post).
I heard faldo say on a video. "play the shot you know you can play" which seems good advice.
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