So crappy tee to green but balanced that with 10 one putts and no three putts. Two greens in regulation for 4 pars and a birdie, 10 bogies, 2 doubles and a disastrous quad. 6th a par 5, great drive then bladed a 3i into a fairway bunker. Hit a tree and my ball ran down a bank to the fence. Only just got back to the fairway but really needed the far side to see the pin. Back into the trees. Could only chip back again to be able to see the pin, Came up short, chip and 2 putts. All because of the poor shot into the bunker. Started out by one putting the first 3 holes and my 2 putt par on the 4th was my 3rd par in a row before it all fall apart. Lots of good shots and some amazing chips. ( two holes I needed 2 chips before one putting) 17 over in really muddy conditions with the ball not going very far due to the cold heavy air.
So, prepare for a tale of woe and sadness.
This past weekend was the annual club championship. I won it two years ago, didnāt play last year as I was away and went it with fairly low expectations as I am not playing well this year. Its two rounds over two days played off the white tees which make little difference to most holes but had quite an impact on a couple.
Course is being set up differently with narrower fairways (of which only two are flat all the others are sloped in one or more directions. About a foot of first cut then straight into 4" of straw like upright grass. Pin positions were horrid, balanced on the top of slopes on very fast greens. Nice sunny weather but a bit of a gusty breeze.
Headline. Day one worst round for 5 years. Day Two, worse still. But why?
I made some bad shots for sure, few mishits and some sliced drives. That happens, I play off 21. The worst thing from me was the mental errors. For example, got lucky with a wayward drive and had a clear route back onto the fairway which would leave a reasonable chance of hitting Green in 3. All I needs was a PW across some thick rough. Hit an 8i. Nailed it all the way across into thick grass. STOOOOOPID. Twice left with chips over bunkers I was way two casual and, well you can guess.
I lipped out 5 putts first day and three on day two and had 6 putts of less that a foot after narrow misses.
5 lost balls after hitting the fairway and it rolling/bouncing into the rough and disappearing into aforementioned grass. (I have a real issue with this, but wont rant) and one blind shot that a playing partner said he would keep an eye on. Then told me he wasnāt watching and it was āright of the green, somewhere, I thinkāā¦another reload then.
To top it all I had 4 shots just roll and roll and finish under or behind a tree (one resting on the trunk) that I honestly thought werenāt in play.
The two days were soul destroying. I am pretty sure that my mood impacted my game (not angry, just a bit sad and disappointed) Maybe my luck wasnāt as bad as it seemed but I cannot remember one bit of good luck. I normally play close to my HCI, rarely shooting anything above a 6. Over the two days, 3 x 9, 2 x8 and 4 x7.
So I am just putting it down to āone of those thingsā will be on the range later and off to Spain on Friday for four days of golf. But it does really hurt to have done so badly and I know you guys will understand why I wanted to share. Its more for me than you but thanks for reading!
Thanks for sharingā¦mustāve been in the water this weekend. I shot 98, 98ā¦.when I typically shoot mid 80ās. I drove the ball well, but had 5 or 6 shanks dead left (Iām a lefty) straight off the hosel. I canāt remember the last time I did that once, let alone half a dozen timesā¦ā¦
Straight to the range after to channel my inner Adam Youngā¦ā¦hope itās fixed nowā¦.will see later this week.
Guess we keep our head up and keep pushing forward!
So having been to the range and hit the ball beautifully I think this is pretty much down to mental weakness on my part.
HONEST analysis, I didnāt stick to pre-shot routine. I let the bad shots build up in my mind. I didnāt block the negative thoughts. In short I fell apart!!
So having bought Jons book, I am sure he will cure meā¦right Jon?
I played twice this weekend and was horrible. Could not get off the tee to save my life. 92 and 91 and I had been mid 80ās and felt I wasnāt playing well then. It might be time to go back to the shorter heavier driver Iāve always used. Chipping out and taking drops all day is not fun. I could have hit fairway wood, but these were just casual rounds and I was determined (stubborn) to find a driver swing.
So front 9 today I kinda finally had that dream round.
3-3-3-3-3-4-4-4-4. = 31. Back 9 37 for 68. 3rd hole Driver 293 had 208 to middle. Hit 7w to 10ft and eagle. I have never made 5 threes in a row. (Iāve made 3ā3s in a row several times) Iād like to say Iām back. But Iām certain I will come back to earth real soon (like now). My previous 2 rounds were 81 and 83ā¦ nothing special to speak of. I only made 3 bogeys today. My goal every time I tee it up is a bogey free round. I never, ever thought about making five 3s in a row. My partners were dumbfounded. They never saw that live either. Enjoying my yuengling lager right now! Thereās nothing left to say after something like that happens to you.
I did a little bit better this weekend; shot 89 and 83. Still struggling to keep focus at times. I had a number of really bad breaks shooting the 83 and I need to find a way to stay in the hole and make bogey rather than double.
Iāve been struggling the last three or so weeks. From shooting low 80ās to now mid to high 90ās. Iām thinking I may experiment and make July a month of just playing and not keeping track of scoreā¦then see where I am come August.
Similar here. I felt like my so-so golf was letting me shoot mid to low 80ās, but then later I was worried I was going to break 100. I think some of it was due to the fact that I didnāt adjust my game (take my medicine) when the rough came in super heavy and the greens got back up to speed.
Last 2 rounds not worth posting imo. Carppy +5 vs. hdcp.
A lilā better this week with a net level par. (72) Not a course we frequent 67/119 slope/rating 5800 yds.
Par on the #2 hdcp hole. (net Eagle 
)
5 pars overall, 7 bogeys, 4 dbl. bog, 2 trips 
10 FWs hit, 6 GiR, 17 putts on F9, but 21 on back. 
Every club played had a glitch here or there, but no real blow up holes, 'cept for the 2 triples.
So went out on the 4th and matched my last round but instead of 3s I proceeded to go 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 3 5 = 42 then 39 back for a disappointing 81. I did not hit a squared up Driver until 18. Average tee ball only went 217. No control over approaches. Putting was reasonable. The only positive takeaway was I got up and down 2 outta 4 green side bunkers. Both on back 9. Back to earth and reality!
It is a bit easier to play this week after the course dried out apart from a few muddy places. I played this afternoon with my usual 2 balls. I shot 16 over and 13 over. I had 13 pars and a chip in birdie. Had 32 and 30 putts so my short game was working after hitting 8 greens between my 2 balls. Drove the ball well. Only 3 hooks and 1 slice. The rest were all draw, fade or straight. The hooks were all in play so no damage and the slice went down a bank but wasnāt a problem. It is a big difference playing in the warm afternoon vs the freezing cold mornings. You need to hit an extra club in the morning. Played Monday morning and shot 22 over my worst round of the month.
I didnāt play very well today. 5 doubles and a triple. Too many shanks. Positives were the 27 putts and all the good luck I had.On the 4th a 130m par 3 I shanked my 7 iron low 45 deg right across the adjacent hole. Hit a wedge over a lake and landed between the lake and the front of the green then chipped in for par. On the par 5 6th my drive was slicing out of bounds when it caught a branch and stayed in, Then I was hitting my 5th to a high up green after another shank. From 60m I semi bladed my wedge into the steep bank over the bunker. Lucky bounce and it shot right and up onto the green.I found it on the fringe and had another chip in. Shot 8 over on the front and 12 over on the back. 1 shank from a full shot and 2 from punch shots.
Scored ok on a few holes, Iām not centering the the ball on the club face. Started hitting pulls, just canāt find it on the course. Putter has improved immensely, and has been holding my scoring together. Iām just off with timing, I think a solid range session will help. 81, 83, 68, 81, 82. Not consistent with driver and approach irons. No reason to panic, all the more reason to hit the range again. I donāt want to rely on luck. BUT the saying goes. The more I practice, the luckier I get!
What a difference a day makes. 9 pars 6 bogies and 3 doubles. One a 3 putt and the other 2 from bad shots that I had to chip out from. One other 3 putt when I went to the top tier and had a mound to go down with no way of stopping by the hole. 12 over my best round of the month. 1 shank again on the par 3 4th. Recovered well hitting my next shot off a path to 2ft for a one putt par. 5 up and downs for 33 putts. 7 greens, the first 2 holes then 5 on the back nine. Best shot was my second at the par 5 18th. Into the wind I hit a 168m 3i leaving me 38m to the front.
87 gross, 66 net ties best score ever.
Scrambled decent entire round, except for 2 & 12. Most FWās missed werenāt horrid leaves. Putting was good to fair; for me. Put 15 - 1st putts inside 30". Left a few shorties out there.
Awesome well done. Its nice when it comes together.
Just had similar experiences, shooting net 62 on a par 70 course, second time Iāve played it and including back to back birdies for the first time ever (not sure I had back to back rounds containing a birdie before) and net 63 on my home course (par 68). Last time I played it, was my worst score ever on that track, three weeks later andā¦golf eh!
That looked like a score from a good round on the PGA.
driver over 290 and 10ā to the cup from 208ā¦ thatās really good. Not like a senior at all. I would frame that attested score card and put it up on the wall in the mancave.
Well back to earth again real quick, havenāt made a birdie in last 3 rounds and havenāt broken 80. Just horrible playing, the only part of the game thatās still consistent is my 60* wedge. Problem with that is that means no GIR. Iāll come back though.
It is normal, just keep it up to the higher level and it will stick.
it is not like getting there and your safe.
Such is the game, I had learned that if one does nor start when one has the time to spare, then everything will be rushed in a blur. Starting
we
hen one is younger definitely helps, but it is the question of whether one would achieve more than just golf if one applied the same effort.
levek and it will stick eventually