Tell us about your game today...

First topic message reminder :

.. or yesterday or whenever your last game happened.

I played this morning - just a bounce game with one of my regular partners.

There had been a big competition yesterday at the club so the course was a bit quieter today than one might expect for a Sunday. 11:20 tee off as a two-ball and lots of other two balls out there with a couple of quick 4-balls so pace of play was brisk.

Those who have read my posts recently will know that I've been suffering with a nasty foot/ankle injury for a few months and it's just great to be out there at all at the moment. Thankfully the foot came through with flying colours though I think I've been favouring it for the last couple of weeks still and after the game today my knee was playing up but with luck that will just be a temporary setback.

A glorious day though in the Thames Valley with above average temperatures and the course was in remarkable nick for mid March.

The match itself was close for a long way. I felt I was playing reasonably well after not playing much of the winter and after losing the 2nd I levelled it on the 3rd and was one up after nine. Though I felt I was playing better than my opponent I couldn't shake him and he hung in there until I went 2 up on 15. Closed it out on 16 but was made to work for it.

Although it was matchplay I kept an estimated Stableford score and came in with 32 (estimated) points which I wasn't too disappointed with given lack of recent regular play. One NR and a couple of holes where a 3 pointer was well withing my grasp and ended with 1 point (short game was actually pretty good apart from those two nightmares)

Now looking forward to next weekend and a Stableford competition where I've been drawn with last year's captain and next year's!

Mav it's only silly amounts of shots because you're that good

I figure if I were to be playing you in a 4BBB you'd be giving me 17 shots - and I'd need every one of them!

Davie wrote:Aren't 4BBB games meant to be off 3/4 difference? 16 is a massive amount of shots to give away although having said that a scratch golfer would be giving me 17 shots even at 3/4 difference.

They were both off 28 and they got 3/4 handicap......

Imaging the score if they had got full handicap

Another unusually mild November day, great for playing golf. Winter knockout (4bbb) today. Decided not to do an eclectic card because it was matchplay. Typical, yesterday I opened up Par, double, double. Today it was birdie, par bogey. I could have taken 8 shots off my eclectic score today....DOH!!

Proper ding dong match, we were 3 up after 6 I then hit a sticky patch, culminating in my lifting my marker on 9 (opponents were in for 5 net 4 - I had a 2 footer for my 4. My partner stiffed his first putt and I mistakenly assumed he'd got his 4. Completely forgot that he'd had to chip out the trees a few minutes earlier. All square and livid with myself at the turn, I then followed up with a temper influenced drive on the 10th which was the last I ever saw that ball. 7 straight pars later we were coming up 18 with us one up (after exchanging a 1 shot lead twice each).

They birdied the last so it was back to the first. Both of us sank 8 footers to half in par on the 1st. We had to give a shot to one of them on the 2nd (luckily the one that parked his drive up against a tree). Nutted a driver, 24 degree rescue to the middle of the green and safely 2 putted for the win, a very satisfying win, I would have been absolutely gutted if we'd lost by one given what happened on the 9th.

Ref #9: Sounds more like Peter Jacobsen and Brad Faxon in the Ryder Cup than JAS and Mr.X . . . . .

Surely a pro hasn't been as stupid as I was Kwini??

Jas
Well done. take it it was Broome, Is the 10th drive in the Country Park?
You seem to have a problem with marking your ball, remember Carnoustie.
I suggest a lesson needed.

JAS,
Jacobsen and Faxon did exactly that, pretty much anyway, at Oak Hill (perhaps on the 7th?) in their four-ball match against Seve and David Gilford. Seve all over it as you can imagine. Think it was Peter boring commentator Jacobsen who picked up after Fax had hacked it around in a hazard and some trees.

GWR-Golfer wrote:They were both off 28 and they got 3/4 handicap......

Imaging the score if they had got full handicap

Come on, how is 16 shots too many??
I assume you're off 7, GWR? So you had to play 2 shots better than you're handicap to be net level whilst he (they) would then have to play 7 shots better than his to half the match?

It does amuse me when low handicappers moan about this. Sorry

Losing is never fun but fair play to them

MPB - as a higher handicapper myself I can see both sides of this argument

In my experience, the biggest difference (apart from the obvious skill levels) is the ability of a single figure handicapper to be more consistent

The two guys in GWR's story were both 28 handicappers. It would be interesting to know if they were (for example) 27.6 which means they have either been better in the past or at least hve had small cuts to get from the 28 max - or if they were 28 exact which potentially means they would be even higher if it wasn't for the 28 max limit.

For a player off (say) 27.6 it isn't that hard to believe that on a good day they can shave 7 off their handicap. A true 28 handicapper will probably chuck or duff 10 or 12 shots a round, so cut half of those out on a good day and you get an immediate improvement.

A 7 handicapper (should) rarely play complete duff shots and so to shave two shots off their handicap means they are sinking a couple of longer, unexpected putts or playing two shots in the round which are (comparatively) exceptional

I do have sympathy with good golfers having to give away a bucketful of shots when on a good day, the 24-28 handicappers can suddenly pull out a round 6 or 7 shots better than they should.

On the other hand, that is exactly what the handicap system (tries to) allow for

It does annoy me also when good players moan excessively about higher handicappers (sometimes with reason, sometimes not). I wouldn't want to see the system change and if a higher handicapper pulls of a round of the season for him, then they should be congratulated - most low handicap players accept this - it's the few who don't that get my goat.

Just remember that those 28 handicappers who can pull a 6 or 7 under round are also capable of shooting +20 over their par

I think your last sentence says all I was about to type Davie

A 28 handicapper gets cut 0.3 for every shot he cards under his handicap so he must shoot over his handicap more than under or he wouldn't be 28. So to shoot 7 under for parity, although possible, isn't likely by any stretch of the imagination.

I'm not saying giving away shots isn't frustrating. It is for me and I'm off 17 let alone single figures. But then it must be frustrating for sides in La Liga when they can't get the ball off Barcelona. Doesn't mean it's unfair

MustPuttBetter wrote:

GWR-Golfer wrote:They were both off 28 and they got 3/4 handicap......

Imaging the score if they had got full handicap

Come on, how is 16 shots too many??
I assume you're off 7, GWR? So you had to play 2 shots better than you're handicap to be net level whilst he (they) would then have to play 7 shots better than his to half the match?

It does amuse me when low handicappers moan about this. Sorry

Losing is never fun but fair play to them

MPB - you are missing the point. we lost 4&2 with giving them 3/4 handicap (and we were about our handicaps of 7 & 11). Had they had full handicap (as in summer comps--which would have been 21 shots) then the game would have been over at the 12th... I worked it out that they would have been net 7 under par ie. birdied over 50% of the holes played..... sorry but that is ridiculous. As it was they were 4 under their handicap at the 16th playing off 3/4.....

PS. I have never minded being beaten (only if i play badly, and then it's myself I am upset with). What i don't like is being taken for a ride. I wonder what would have been said if I had played of 10 instead of 7 - that I'm sure would have been ok then according to you.

GWR

So is the point you think their handicaps were false? That's what you're implying by the comment re you playing off 10?
Because if that's not the point then yes i am missing it.

If you do believe their handicaps are false do you have anything else to base that one other than that one round? Or do you not accept that a 28 handicapper can occassionally play to 21? Because it seems to me that's all that happened and you were unlucky enough to be on the other end of it.

The fact that they will likely play to 35 for the next 4 rounds is presumably irrelevant?

It seems, as is often the case, that everyone is happy to accept that a 28 handicapper is inconsistent and can play 10 shots better than that but will regularly play worse.
And that's all well and good.......... until that day where they do play better .......

personally i think the 28 handicap limit is ridiculously high. i've played with many 19-28 handicapper adult golfers and have only ever played with one person who i don't think is capable of shooting sub +18 for a round (and that is purely down to idiotic shot selection, where he dives for his 3-wood at every given opportunity rather than thinking about percentage lay-ups etc). in our group alone there are a few 15-17 handicappers who are worse golfers than a couple of the 20-21 handicappers, but the mental issue of getting sub 20 (just like the mental issue for some of getting sub 10, or cat 1 only the difference in these cases is only 1 or 2 strokes rather than 4, 5 or more) is holding their golf back. in reality though, these guys are easily capable of shooting 15 or 16 over in a match, but getting 4-5 shots more than the 15-17 handicappers mentioned.
i think these guys would actually be much better golfers (by that i mean better gross scores) if the bar was raised and the handicap limit was reduced to 18.

Sat morning my 13 handicap 60 yr old opponent had possibly the best 9 holes of his life.27 points for the nine.Four birdies(2 tap ins)one bogey ,four solid pars.Pleasure to watch and he is no bandit just one of those days(I lost)

as far as i'm aware, the handicap allowance for summer 4bbb matchplay is always 3/4 difference. our group plays 9/16ths when playing to winter greens. this is simply the equivalent of everyone playing off 3/4 hcp and then receiving 3/4 allowance of that difference.

MustPuttBetter wrote:GWR

So is the point you think their handicaps were false? That's what you're implying by the comment re you playing off 10?
Because if that's not the point then yes i am missing it.

If you do believe their handicaps are false do you have anything else to base that one other than that one round? Or do you not accept that a 28 handicapper can occassionally play to 21? Because it seems to me that's all that happened and you were unlucky enough to be on the other end of it.

The fact that they will likely play to 35 for the next 4 rounds is presumably irrelevant?

It seems, as is often the case, that everyone is happy to accept that a 28 handicapper is inconsistent and can play 10 shots better than that but will regularly play worse.
And that's all well and good.......... until that day where they do play better .......

MPB - Your right in that it's my comment about their handicaps - they are way too high... they should be off a max of 20 the way they struck the ball it was obvious... Incidentally my partner is Head of Competitions, so watch this space

I re-iterate - they were not just having a good day.... they were -7 for 12 holes, and the way they played: no blow-ups only pars, and bogies with one Double. I would also add that they also played well below their handicap in the previous match they had the week earlier.

ban_bam wrote:personally i think the 28 handicap limit is ridiculously high. i've played with many 19-28 handicapper adult golfers and have only ever played with one person who i don't think is capable of shooting sub +18 for a round (and that is purely down to idiotic shot selection, where he dives for his 3-wood at every given opportunity rather than thinking about percentage lay-ups etc). in our group alone there are a few 15-17 handicappers who are worse golfers than a couple of the 20-21 handicappers, but the mental issue of getting sub 20 (just like the mental issue for some of getting sub 10, or cat 1 only the difference in these cases is only 1 or 2 strokes rather than 4, 5 or more) is holding their golf back. in reality though, these guys are easily capable of shooting 15 or 16 over in a match, but getting 4-5 shots more than the 15-17 handicappers mentioned.
i think these guys would actually be much better golfers (by that i mean better gross scores) if the bar was raised and the handicap limit was reduced to 18.

You've clearly never played with me.

GWR-Golfer wrote:
I re-iterate - they were not just having a good day.... they were -7 for 12 holes, and the way they played: no blow-ups only pars, and bogies with one Double. I would also add that they also played well below their handicap in the previous match they had the week earlier.

Jus to clarify - this was 4BBB right? If so, were they both -7 after 12 holes or was it their better ball score that was -7?

Seems a fine point but the thing with 28 handicappers is that they are all capable of good runs as well as shockers.

If they were both recording these scores then I understand what you are saying - if they just happened to dovetail where one was getting a 4 and the other picking up still 100 yards out after taking 6 shots already then it sounds more like they just got lucky with the dovetailing on the day. That's the way 4BBB works and it may seem unfair but the law of averages says that will happen from time to time - another day and they would both be recording snowmen on the same hole

Davie wrote:

GWR-Golfer wrote:
I re-iterate - they were not just having a good day.... they were -7 for 12 holes, and the way they played: no blow-ups only pars, and bogies with one Double. I would also add that they also played well below their handicap in the previous match they had the week earlier.

Jus to clarify - this was 4BBB right? If so, were they both -7 after 12 holes or was it their better ball score that was -7?

Seems a fine point but the thing with 28 handicappers is that they are all capable of good runs as well as shockers.

If they were both recording these scores then I understand what you are saying - if they just happened to dovetail where one was getting a 4 and the other picking up still 100 yards out after taking 6 shots already then it sounds more like they just got lucky with the dovetailing on the day. That's the way 4BBB works and it may seem unfair but the law of averages says that will happen from time to time - another day and they would both be recording snowmen on the same hole

This was my thought - I know when I'm playing 4bbb with my regular partner, I consider +3 or +4 to be an average performance, and if we play really well then level par is well within our capabilities. We're both off 11. For two 28 handicappers, who know they're getting a shot virtually every hole, then if they've got half an idea and aren't intimidated, they'll find the format easier than individual strokeplay simply because the pressure is so much less.

That is the flaw in 4BBB
You and your partner both score level 4's for the first six holes
Your opponents score alternate 4's and 7's and you are level.
It's just not fair.

The second B stands for "better" - perfectly fair, it does exactly what it says on the tin

It was 4BB but they were both in most holes & both putting for scores or one of them putted for a half to allow the other to putt for the win.

Thinking about it - they played with their heads as well which is again unusual for 28 handicaps. It was also just as well that they were mediocre pitchers of the ball otherwise it would have been over before we got started

It turns out one of them used to be a very handy golfer many years ago and came back to playing early this year and got a 28 handicap

As i have said - I don't object to losing (after all I have played for 51 years, so have lost my fair share of matches). But it is not right to get well beaten off 3/4 handicap & if it had been full handicap we would just have made it past the clubhouse "when my partner & I were playing well". If we had played badly then I could accept that.

Davie wrote:The second B stands for "better" - perfectly fair, it does exactly what it says on the tin

I agree with you. That's the format - and it's a good format

managed a sneaky 18 holes this morning. bit of a last minute descision, so too late to include in the eclectic - but pleased to have built on the form shown on saturday's first round. virtually identical stats 13/14 f'ways, 15 GIR, and 35 putts, but one stroke more for a +2, 74.
started on the 4th hole, and bogeyed 3 of the first 4, but then settled down nicely and parred 8-16, couple of birdies either side of 18. an irritating 3 putt bogey on the 2nd, and finished with a straightforward par on the 3rd. very happy with the performance, though frustrated to only hole 2 of my 10 birdie chances from inside 12 feet - too many left short of the hole. need to spend a little time on the practice green as they've really begun to slow down over the last couple of weeks.

what a round of golf from an 11 year old girl- i remeber being 12 when i first broke 100. guys a prat obviously.

you still on page one mysti?!

Davie wrote:The second B stands for "better" - perfectly fair, it does exactly what it says on the tin

Ah that explains it...I always thought it stood for 4 ball biggest bandit!

oh lol- yeah

Had a really frustrating round on Sat, it was perfect conditions, flat calm and receptive greens. It was monthly medal so the 1st tee was a lot more crowded than usual. Had to wait nearly an hour to start, hence made a pigs ear of the 1st - blob. Followed that with 4 pars, then another stupid mistake/loss of concentration led to another blob. Bounced back from that with birdie, par, bogey to finish the front 9 with 20pts. Hit a nice drive on the 14th, then made a pigs ear of the hole from the fairway with only 90 yards to the green. Limped home with 6 points from the last 5 holes. Finished with 35 and went up .1, the best score was 45pts and the CSS was 3 shots below par!!
What makes it worse is I'm on the verge of going up a stroke when I've been playing reasonably well lately. Just can't seem to do it in competitions, think I'm putting too much pressure on myself. Definitely need to sharpen up my wedge shot's, I'm frittering shots away from good positions.

My first game since mid august today, after a bit of poor form made me take a break and then a football injury preventing play.

It was a pretty warm day here in Edinburgh so I figured it was a good chance to make a return. Things went quite well and I was hitting the ball well and made about 12 pars and a birdie. The first 5 holes were all bogies but you sort of expect that after a spell out. There was also sadly hole I did not finish properly but no to bothered as all I wanted to know was that I could still hit the ball, and I can.

quite a nice day mac, where did you play?

i was down in musselburgh this morning and drove past the club without my clubs - wish i'd brought them.

ominous dark grey clouds over the pentlands just now...

Mac,

That's pretty good going after 3 months out. After opening with 5 bogeys, to go from holes 6 - 18 with 12 pars and a birdie is phenomenal stuff.

Ok something has obviously gone wrong with my maths and I hope your comment was made as a sarcastic one, as I deserved it. Ok I will try and add this up properly.

Holes 1-5, were definitely bogies.
Holes 6,7,8,10,11,12,13,15,16,18 were pars.
14- pick up after two visits to the ball bag.
9 + 17 bogies.

Still not that bothered as i was really just making sure I could still hit the ball.

ban bam

Played the braids, while looking down the coast from the higher holes Gullane seemed might tempting, might try and get down soon.

Hows the braids looking Mac

The braids was very soft and the greens look to have taken a hammering with people not repairing pitch marks. Having said that it was a pleasant enough round and I have definitively rediscovered the desire to play. A pretty much pain free round helped a lot.

With no run it would have been a real slog but the yellow tees are pretty short so it was not a problem.

Decent knock in reasonable conditions for me today, finished with a 73 which was 4 over due to a par 5 being shortened to a 4 because of some maintenance work. 5 bogies, 1 birdie and 12 pars and only 3 5's on my card everything else was 3's and 4's

A good improvement on my first eclectic card as I turned a bogey into a birdie and quite a few bogies into pars.

Yes,you did read that right. Due to quite a long story I have finally managed to play the first 18 holes of our summer scratch knockout comp today !! Having to play final 18 on Sunday if weathers ok as presentation evening is next Friday so we were getting heat to get it finished. Playing nicely at the moment and currently 5 up at the half way stage. Hoping to keep it going for Sunday and hopefully win my 1st club 'major' after taking up golf 10 years ago once I hung up my footy boots. Nice thing is I am playing on of my best buddies in the final also.

Played in the preliminary round of our clubs handicap 4BBB winter knockout. My first appearance in a handicap matchplay comp for about 4 years usually stick to the scratch knockouts. But have stepped into old man Mav's shoes as he has forthcoming hip replacement and wanted his regular partner to still be able to play.

There were so many entrants there was six matches today that meant the winners qualified for the official 1st round in December.

Working on 3/4 difference I gave away 15 and 10 shots respectively. Also 10 shots to my partner.

I made six birdies today in regulation play all for a half! We were 1 down playing the last where my playing partner chipped on for a birdie and the win so back down the 1st, then the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and finally on the 5th extra hole we managed to win more through virtue of one of the guys losing his ball and taking a 7nett 6 and the other making a 6nett 5. Which meant my 4 was good enough to finally walk in.

Not sure if we'll go beyond the official 1st round but felt like a hard fought win today! Now for the scratch singles knockout tomorrow!

Beautiful morning in Essex today...played the back nine in shirt sleeves, that must be a first for November!

got dumped out of the doubles today.

we were giving away 5 shots to both opponents......after a steady start they gave us a doing.

from the 5th they went (nett) eagle birdie birdie birdie bogey birdie birdie.
both opponents were 8 hcap and dovetailed well and if they continue that form they are in with a shout this year....dont mind getting knocked out by the winners

After yesterdays handicap 4bbb preliminary round today was first round of Winter Scratch Singles knockout.

Had to wait for the fog to begin lifting a little, thought we still set off in not ideal visibility so both of us were tentative for the first 6 holes, we actually halved the first 7holes, then I chipped in for birdie at the 8th to go one up and remained that way until the 10th.

Opponent birdied 10 to go all square, I then dropped silly shots at 11 and 12 and found myself 2down only to go 3down when my opponent birdied the 14th.....

Managed to hit my approach to 15th stiff and was consceded, then hole a 15footer for birdie at 16th. Then a solid par at 17 was good enough to win the hole when my opponent stuck his 2nd in a bunker and failed to get out of his plugged lie. So a/s on the 18th tee and hit my tee shot to 6feet. He missed back left but chipped up close enough to not make me see his putt. I rolled in the birdie putt fot a 1up win having won 4 holes on the bounce.

Was a superb game to be involved and felt highly satisfying after initially handing him a couple of holes

I always find a par 3 to be an unsatisfying end to a round Mav. Good victory though.
Short sleeve weather up here and not a breath of wind. Fantastic.

Course closed because the fog did not lift sufficiently...no golf today!

Played final 18 holes of the scratch summer knockout after the 1st 18 on Friday. My mate came out all guns blazing with nothing to lose after being 5 down from Friday. Great game with us throwing birdies at each other!! Nearly had a hole in one on a driveable 290 par 4 and left it at 4" for a tap in eagle. Finally won on 13 winning the comp 7n6. 2 both of us around 1 over for the round when we shook hands. Finally get my hands on a club 'major' after taking up game 10 years ago!! Happy end to the season!

super_realist wrote:I always find a par 3 to be an unsatisfying end to a round Mav. Good victory though.
Short sleeve weather up here and not a breath of wind. Fantastic.

SR I used to think that way to, but in all honesty there is nothing unsatisfying about our last, IMO best par 3 on the course, no prizes for being anywhere but on the green, OOB all left side and long too, Bunkers guarding front left and right, anything right of the green drops into a gully where up and down has to be hard fought if you manage it at all. It's only 172yard to centre of the green (which slopes back to front with the right side shaved so you can still go into the gully if your not spot on) small green to aim for generally with a cross wind. So despite its length it challenges your accuracy and control greatly and if thats off it's more than a challenge for your short game.

As to the weather, bizarre! played the first 9 in a Galvin Green cold weather top with woolly hat to boot. Tee'd off the 10th wearing a cap to block out the sun and wearing shirt sleeves from being so damn warm!

First of all well done Matelot!! Always good to bag a biggie

I concur with Mav on the bizarre weather Sat, going down 1st had the overmits on and handwarmer in pocket, by the 10th I had also stripped down to shirtsleeves. That range of temperature wreaks havoc with trying to judge club distances especially when the breeze switches at least 90 degs too. Rights that's my excuses out of the way. I played the Captains Invitational and last supper at my home club. Haven't played a medal for a good wee while and all my practice work had been going well...So being 4 over (3 points) after 3 holes did not please me greatly. A meagre 14 points at the turn was not in the script. Came back with 16 after once again messing up the 13th, I really need to sort my head out on that tee, it shouldn't be a hard hole but I certainly make it one.
On the plus side I never 3 putted (thats back up to 48 holes without). On the minus side I was still 36 putts, never dropped a thing, from 3 foot to 40 foot put them all stone dead, I literally had 18 tap ins. (so take my advice on the putting threads with a pinch of salt!!)

Jaz
13th Broome.
3wood into L/H fairway [ok maybe a rescue ror you], 5 iron to centre of green.
Easy peasy
Not a Driver hole

Yeah it's the left half of the fairway I have a problem with Doon. Driver if I risk it usually finds the right hedge, ditch or pond (or "somebody's" garden). When i try to play it conservatively with rescue off the tee I have a very unhappy knack of pulling it into the left ditch/hedge. The provisional was a beauty though

Thought I had cracked it today.
Started by chipping in on the 1st. 3 putted the 8th from nowhere to end up the front 9 with 37 (21points).
On the back 9 the wheels fell off. 1 lost ball off the tee. 1 no score on a par 3 after thinning a bunker shot across the green. Ended up with 34 points.
Was working on swinging a little bit flatter. Early days, but worth persevering with I think.