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re: Are you a scratch golfer?
Posted on 7/9/26 at 1:53 pm to Arthur Bach
Posted on 7/9/26 at 1:53 pm to Arthur Bach
Yes but I do not carry an official handicap anymore. I only play 8-10 rounds a year.
I played D1 college golf, minitour golf and was a club professional until my early 30s. As Ben Hogan said, “The secret to golf is in the dirt.” I hit thousands and thousands of balls over years and years to get where I got.
I played D1 college golf, minitour golf and was a club professional until my early 30s. As Ben Hogan said, “The secret to golf is in the dirt.” I hit thousands and thousands of balls over years and years to get where I got.
1
Posted on 7/9/26 at 10:59 pm to JohnnyKilroy
quote:
f even par is a "really bad" round for you, you should be way lower than a +2.3. You must be playing a very easy/short course for a 60 and a pair of 63s, while otherwise being consistently under par to only be a +2.3. What is typical your course rated?
The 60 was shot on my old home course back in NC… it’s very short. Only 6000ish from the tips and is a par 70.
I am a member at Canebrake, in North Alabama… it’s at 7400 from the tips.
Posted on 7/9/26 at 11:19 pm to Floyd Dawg
Scratch today? Not even close.
But I’m mid 40’s with a wife and two kids.
At my best, I was a D1 college golfer with a +1.9. Played junior golf, AJGA, then college. I got there by playing golf pretty much every day, hours on end, range, short game, lessons, you name it.
But I’m mid 40’s with a wife and two kids.
At my best, I was a D1 college golfer with a +1.9. Played junior golf, AJGA, then college. I got there by playing golf pretty much every day, hours on end, range, short game, lessons, you name it.
Posted on 7/10/26 at 7:08 am to HoLeInOnEr05
So those two 63s were at canebrake from the tips?
Posted on 7/10/26 at 9:33 am to HoLeInOnEr05
quote:
The 60 was shot on my old home course back in NC… it’s very short. Only 6000ish from the tips and is a par 70.
It’s still an impressive round.
I’ll play the way up tees sometimes.
People don’t birdie every single hole.
Bryson’s social media forward tee scramble usually does not break 50 bc of not making a 2 at every par 3- even ones at 80-120 yards.
Many coaches will tell players to play way up every now and then just to have a different perspective.
Posted on 7/10/26 at 3:00 pm to Arthur Bach
35 years ago I was a +4.
I hit a lot of balls to figure out what my yardages were, and I’d say that probably saved me more strokes than just about anything.
A bad round for me was 78-79. Occasionally nothing went right and my own stupidity trying to force a result cost me. They’re called sucker pins for a reason and I fell for a bunch of them.
When it went right, low 60s. Average day 5-6 birdies and a bogey or 3.
That’s really the difference IMO with talented amateurs and guys who make it on tour. The ability to play the smart shot 95% of the time instead of the perfect shot every time.
After back surgery and I lost so much distance I had to get smarter. Still a 3.2 in my 60s I wish I could send 30 year old me the patience to play smart and not try to be perfect so much I have now. Laying up on par 5s gets easier than trying to force a 3 wood these days.
I hit a lot of balls to figure out what my yardages were, and I’d say that probably saved me more strokes than just about anything.
A bad round for me was 78-79. Occasionally nothing went right and my own stupidity trying to force a result cost me. They’re called sucker pins for a reason and I fell for a bunch of them.
When it went right, low 60s. Average day 5-6 birdies and a bogey or 3.
That’s really the difference IMO with talented amateurs and guys who make it on tour. The ability to play the smart shot 95% of the time instead of the perfect shot every time.
After back surgery and I lost so much distance I had to get smarter. Still a 3.2 in my 60s I wish I could send 30 year old me the patience to play smart and not try to be perfect so much I have now. Laying up on par 5s gets easier than trying to force a 3 wood these days.
Posted on 7/10/26 at 3:29 pm to makersmark1
quote:
Many coaches will tell players to play way up every now and then just to have a different perspective.
It’s good practice, you’ll get looks from yardages that you typically wouldn’t from your normal tees.
Posted on 7/10/26 at 3:49 pm to SmoothBox
ETA - not scratch- one good round away from getting below 20 hcp for the first time.
Theres a municipal course we play (5,400 yards or so) that if I'm hitting the driver well, its basically driver-wedge-putter all day (other than the par 3's). Minimal mid-iron work at all doesn't help me get any better.
Theres a municipal course we play (5,400 yards or so) that if I'm hitting the driver well, its basically driver-wedge-putter all day (other than the par 3's). Minimal mid-iron work at all doesn't help me get any better.
This post was edited on 7/11/26 at 9:29 am
Posted on 7/10/26 at 9:30 pm to Arthur Bach
I’ve been a scratch golfer now for about 20 years. Probably the most underrated part of golf is the grip, when I play with someone for the first time, I can look at their grip and tell if they are a good golfer. Watch videos on how to grip the club, if your grip is bad, nothing else really matters
Posted on 7/11/26 at 6:49 am to SmoothBox
quote:
It’s good practice, you’ll get looks from yardages that you typically wouldn’t from your normal tees.
We play a format on Sunday (just 9 holes) where each hole is a random tee.
We require that the par 3s be different yardages. So we might play one at 200 and the other at 140.
We also at times will just put a tee in a closely mown area behind the back tee. At times this can make it a par 5 yardage( for me at least), but it’s fun to see the difference in playing a 400 yardage par 4 versus a 293 yard par 4.
Posted on 7/11/26 at 7:02 am to llfshoals
quote:
That’s really the difference IMO with talented amateurs and guys who make it on tour. The ability to play the smart shot 95% of the time instead of the perfect shot every time.
At any level, “a man has to know his limitations.”
Dispersion matters.
I sometimes fail to remember that the “lie” often is more important than the “number.”
All golf shots deserve attention to detail. What are the likely outcomes? Does dispersion include boundaries or penalty areas?
A 195 yard (245 for the big hitters)shot with a relatively flat lie with open field to the green is very different than a ball lying way above my feet with a forced carry over water.
For decades I’d try the number everytime, but now I look at the lie and then decide what to swing.
Posted on 7/11/26 at 8:46 pm to Arthur Bach
Professional advice, work from green to tee.
1. Learn to putt. Guarantee yourself you will make majority of 5’ putts.
2. Learn to chip (different shots). Low w/ roll, high w/ spin, etc.
3. Short approach shots 125 yards & closer)
4. Tee shots
1. Learn to putt. Guarantee yourself you will make majority of 5’ putts.
2. Learn to chip (different shots). Low w/ roll, high w/ spin, etc.
3. Short approach shots 125 yards & closer)
4. Tee shots
Posted on 7/11/26 at 8:53 pm to BigNastyTiger417
quote:
Professional advice, work from green to tee.
Lol
Posted on 7/11/26 at 9:18 pm to BigNastyTiger417
I think getting it in play off the tee is the most important. None of the other shite matters if you’re hitting three off the tee, or even five if you spray two drives into the water.
Posted on 7/11/26 at 9:29 pm to BigNastyTiger417
quote:
1. Learn to putt. Guarantee yourself you will make majority of 5’ putts. 2. Learn to chip (different shots). Low w/ roll, high w/ spin, etc. 3. Short approach shots 125 yards & closer) 4. Tee shots
So all of the golf game?
Got it!Posted on 7/11/26 at 9:50 pm to FieldEngineer
Most amateurs slice. Statistically, a slice is more forgiving than a hook.
Golf 101.
Golf 101.
Posted on 7/11/26 at 9:52 pm to Arthur Bach
Nope. Scoring happens from 100 yards in.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:08 am to Antiwoketiger
quote:
Probably the most underrated part of golf is the grip, when I play with someone for the first time, I can look at their grip and tell if they are a good golfer
This is great advice. I feel like my potential is pretty maximized because I have a 10 finger grip.
I’ve been a scratch before, and am currently a 0.9, but my consistency isn’t as good as it could be if I had a better grip.
For me, I have someone who is way better than me that I play with regularly who knows my golf swing and can tell when it gets off. Whether that’s a coach or a good friend who knows the game well, that’s a great thing to have if you do have access to that.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 5:14 pm to Arthur Bach
Short Game
No Penalty Strokes
Distance Control
6-8% Average Proximity to Hole
Its that easy.
No Penalty Strokes
Distance Control
6-8% Average Proximity to Hole
Its that easy.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 5:17 pm to Antiwoketiger
quote:
Probably the most underrated part of golf is the grip, when I play with someone for the first time, I can look at their grip and tell if they are a good golfer
Except Albert Crews who was on the big break. Dude walked into Howell and challenged me to a match after I just shot 60 there. Flip flops, top flite rentals, and a cross handed grip. He shot 28 on the back 9.
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