Recent article on "boring" "not perfect" competition golf

[Jayjay]

Golf Magazine today sent out an email with this article in it.

The author is a HS golf coach, scratch-ish, and recently competed in a qualifier for the USGA Mid-Am, which is what the article is about. He took one of his HS players along as his caddie, mainly to show the very talented young man how to think your way around a course during a competition.

I thought the article reiterated a lot of the same things that @Jon 's written about in his book, and on his webpage. Basically, have a plan, execute it, don’t think too far ahead if that gets in the way of concentrating on the next shot, and good/great golf is often boring golf. Middle of fairway, middle of green, hit it where your misses won’t hurt you, etc…

Anyway, I liked it quite a bit, and thought you all might too.

[MJTortella]

TY excellent article. I also just read something from Lou Stagner about at what length could a low cap golfer shoot even par… his science came up with like 5600yds. Here’s what I’ll tell you. Tournament golf is tough and boring. Mr. Bishop (my teacher) told me once…Go play Buena (7K par 72 track…bunkerland track) from the tips 4 days in a row… no pressure… if you can score 68 or better all 4 days, you can consider it! LOL That’s how good you have to be and that’s how how hard it is…one errant shot, you cannot compound a mistake. I used to have a standing bet for any amateur, I will put you every GIR 25-30ft from every hole, CAVEAT…I get to place the ball… If you break par you win $100, if you shoot even par no blood, if you shoot over par you owe me $50… I made well over $2000 in my lifetime. That’s how hard it is to perform and think ones way around the course. I mean make % from 25-30ft is only like 5%… 3 putts abounded… people can’t even think str8 on greens! (no one EVER broke par!)

[Jayjay]

That’s a hilariously bad prop for the other guy. Gee, I have to two-putt 18x to break even from >25’, from the sh#&$iest spot imaginable. Over under for 1 putts/round under those conditions had to be something like 0.5. And 3-putts/rd very likely would be over 2.5.

Fantastic bit of target selection on your part, to find people who’d give you action on that.

[MJTortella]

Many low and mid cap golfers believe they are better than what and who they are. may I also add you just 100% of the possible GIR. So helluva ball striking round correct? Think about that? A mid to low capper hit every GIR and couldn’t break par. How good are the pros? How good are really good golfers? I can’t tell you how many times when I was at my peak, 2.1 cap, in the bar, someone would say almost word for word ”if you could putt like me, you’d be dangerous or ready to go to Q-School." I was lucky I learned differently than most. My thought process always starts with no bogies, then when a mistake happens, I switch to no double bogies. I honestly don’t aim at pins. I try to hit the green and take enough club to get there. That putting bet has brought many people back to earth. Especially guys that truly dont understand how hard this game is to play well and even “the simplest task” of putting a ball into a hole. Well, it’s not so simple.

[Jayjay]

A subtlety is that pros are usually going for Par 5s in 2. Which makes that 2-putt often a birdie. Also, being pros, they know where to miss. Give me 18 putts from >25", and—Who am I kidding, I’ll likely 3-putt one too—but I’ll have a better chance than if you’re constantly sticking me on the wrong tier, or having a gigantic sidehill to traverse, etc…

They usually miss in spots that don’t hurt that much. Still on the green. Or non-short sided with an easier lie, and lots of opportunities to chip to makeable 1-putt range.

Plus, they sometimes get on the good side of the random number gods, and start making everything they see from 20’ in. Not often, but you almost have to have one of those rounds to make it out of a qualifier like the article’s or a Monday-qualifier spot. Tough game.

[MJTortella]

I don’t have to go crazy… all you do is give someone 3 or 4 downhill putts in a row, then give them a 30ft uphill, Usually left 10ft short on first attempt. OR vice versa… throw in a couple of sidewinders with 2-3ft of break on the downhill side, if they miss low… they are looking at an 8 footer up hill…LOL Not that hard to show someone they aren’t all that! Tell you what, Pick any part of the game…for instance… I’ll put you 150 out on every hole except the par 3’s middle of the fairway… I’ll show you how bad you suck you won’t break par or better… Give someone sidehill lie…watch what happens with pressure on them! 3-5% make percentage from 25-30ft… I like my odds, but not against a real pro… They would be in my pocket in a minute!

[cksurfdude]

@Jayjay really good article, thx for the link!

As a higher handicapper I don’t play tournaments but I am trying to improve my scores, and from Jon’s book and articles like that some of the fundamentals of good course management are finally starting to sink in (a little ).

@MJTortella funny coincidence - I have an indoor putting simulator that has a challenge mode like your wager … over 9 holes you’re randomly placed on each green at various spots and at various distances … generally at least 18-20 feet away … with various breaks. Yes it’s really, really hard not to 3 putt at least once!!

[MJTortella]

For 99.6% of all amateurs, especially 5-14 handicaps… hitting 18 of 18 GIR would be an incredible ball striking round! 25-30ft from the hole is incredible… Still tough not to 3 jack on a flat surface, then for fun plug in str8 downhill putts or uphill putts, then a few with some break… I’m just trying to point out one thing… playing this game is alot of fun, hitting great shots is even more fun, trying to score at an elite level, even when basically playing pretty elite golf…is incredibly difficult! Managing YOUR game, is not that difficult, but it does take discipline. The goal should be get it on the green is the least amount of shots. Don’t be stupid. If you hit out of position into higher ruff, Don’t hit a 3 or 4 metal (odds are unless it’s an incredibly clean lie, unless one is incredibly strong, it’ll be a 20 yd advancement only), hit an iron into better position into the FW. Also try and develop 2 “GO-TO” Shots. One off of a tee, one with a lofted club. I have a GO-TO 3W stinger I can use, I also have a knock down 8iron shot I can use from 80-120 yds… It will get me on a green, not necessarily something I go pin hunting with. My greenside bunker is great for me, I can get up and down in 3 97.6% of the time. That’s my goal! Get it out and on and take my chances with a 2 putt…a one putt would be a bonus!.

[Jayjay]

Just realized that @Jon could give a lot more insight into this concept!

Congratulations for making Medalist at your Mid-Am Qualifier, Jon!

[MJTortella]

Mr. Sherman is already a very, very good golfer. Probably REALLY GOOD, when there is no heat on a shot. That said… the biggest things anyone has to try and control starts and ends with the 6 inches between the ears. The really good ones can control emotions, control their bodies. Purposely SLOW DOWN their pace, have go to thoughts, etc. The first time I ever broke par coming up 18 I was shaking like a chihuahua…and other than having to make no worse than a 5 to do so sounds easy…until I yanked my drive into the trees… fortunately, my playing partner was kind enough and wanted to see 69 on a scorecard… helped me calm the F–K down and think str8 and got me into position to do so. I mean I was in the trees, I had a window to hit a hero shot too and that day my partner said… Y? He knew where I stood. Hit a 7iron to the front of the green take bunkers and ruff outta play, hit a wedge onto the green into a 20ft circle… then 2 putt. I made 69, I never shook like that again, I go back to my mentors… THINK STR8 and you will do ok! But I took the BORING- NOT PERFECT route!

[DPgolfer]

Here’s my story and I’m sticking with it (LOL). I always strived to have an index to allow me an entry to qualify for a US Open. It was my guiding light and I attempted three times: twice in STL where the courses were tough (Bellerive, Old Warson, STL CC-tough courses with high course ratings (73.5-75) and where a pair of 75s would have you in the mix. In those days I could have that as a realistic goal and while I might have shot a pair of 76s, I was in play. At 2-3 strokes off the pace I felt like I belonged. I moved to Phoenix and two months later was the Open Qualifier at Phoenix CC. The competition was fierce and I never player before with 2 other players with such great cred: a tour pro who had won an event and a 1# player on a significant college program. I played ok (think I shot 147-148 but was so out performed by those two that it really showed me how good GOOD was. It took about 132-33 to make it to sectionals. It was a good lesson to learn. The gap was so great I knew as a business man golfer I’d never get that good. Heck, as a full time golfer I’d never get that good. Those two were very friendly but clearly knew and I knew they knew and they knew I knew, they were playing a different game. One that is pretty far beyond the comprehension of 99% of golfers. The day was valuable and while it completely changed my aspirations and goals, in a way it made golf more fun. Tournament golf is different. The air is “thicker”, the pulse a little higher, the throat a little drier. BTW, this was a long time ago (mid-70s) and now I play 5600 tees and struggle to hit a 400 y hole with two shots but I did shoot my age (74) a few months ago on a pretty easy track in Florida.
Sorry for the long winded response but thanks if you made it to the end.

[MJTortella]

I know this is a repeat post from me. When I lived in upstate NY our little group hung out up there for a few years after college graduation. I was a horrible player that played with guys who I thought were amazing. I got to play some nice courses including Oak Hill. Anyways one of the boys was friends with a young guy at the time who eventually won the PGA. Yea the major! The guys I played with were able to score in the low 70s very good golfers. Anyways, one Saturday afternoon before football we played a round at a very nice golf course, I thought was pretty difficult, with a guy who had just hit the tour. I couldn’t tell you you rating or slope, I shot my crappy like 88, they played their normal games low 70s the pro, and we were enjoying a few libations, yea he shot 58. FIFTY EIGHT! There’s your difference. No heat on a game and someone scores 58. That’s before I took lessons, before I really became super interested in the game, You think you are good? No you are not! I can tell you he outdrove all of us by a lot! He made 3 eagles, didn’t have a putt longer than like 15 ft. No bogeys. Something I’ll never forget. I have won a county amateur Matchplay. I won a club championship in 1999.and had a couple of runner ups. All good stuff personally,There’s really only like 50 players that have their name on single major trophies EVER. But I did understand very early the difference in ability and ABILITY.

[DPgolfer]

I had my Aha moment in this regard. I played in a Open Qualifier when I first moved to Phoenix. I was paired with the #1 player at a prominent college golf team and a 2 time Tour winner. That day, I realized the enormous gulf between me and “that” good and, I realized no matter how hard I worked, I wasn’t going improve beyond a from time to time club champ and being invited to play in many company functions becasue I could play and by their standards I was really good.

[MJTortella]

I was very fortunate to have an amazing instructor. He taught me how to play this game. I was a decent athlete, all the way through college. I graduated, I wanted to stay active, softball wasnt my thing, so I tried golf. I SUCKED! But, I found it fascinating! I signed up for lessons. I went from a -25 to a -8 in 8 months. I went from -8 to a -2 in 7 more years…LOL! I did work very hard on my game. I did shoot a couple of under par rounds, but the longest course I played at the time was maybe 6500 yds. I asked my instructor…(I was in my late 20s at this time) if he thought, if I really worked hard at it, if I had a chance to try my luck on the Senior Circuit. Here was his answer NOPE! He then said, here’s how I would want you to measure your game and ability. Go out to this course, the course at that time was considered long by those standards and it was almost 6900 yds. Play the tips, walk the course, play the rules just like you would normally. Go on 4 consecutive days. With no pressure on you, no cameras, no patrons, no heat…just you and the course… score at least 68 or lower on those days. If…and I mean if you can do that… then you would have a chance to qualify to play on the senior circuit when you are 50! Pretty fair self assessment test wouldn’t you say?