Playing Away

Just posted my weekend result on the handicap watch thread with the following statement

"Never cease to amaze myself that I can play to a standard that can get me a cut on tough courses in tough conditions away from home yet at home, where I should be ripping it up, I've had one home cut this year compared to 3 cuts in 4 attempts at Saunton...wtf is that all about??"

So...what is that all about? My own personal theory is that it's a mixture of complacency and baggage at home. Maybe my home course just doesn't suit my eye whereas I get a good feeling every time I stand on the first tee at Saunton East.

How do others fare away from home? Do you play away Opens? How does your away record compare to your home record? Even if you don't play away comps as such, how does your scoring compare when playing bounce rounds?

I'm in a strange situation as my club memberships give me access to 7 18 hole courses, so I've no real "home" course.

I do play a few Opens and I tend to do better for two reasons. 1. I probably concentrate more as it's more of an "event" than a more insignificant "home" medal and 2. CSS for "away" players is generally higher.

Generally though a bounce game results in far better scores, had quite a few gross scores well under par in bounce games this year, yet to do it in a medal this year though.

JAS, do you think it's anything to do with mental scars at your home course?
I don't have an away course so can't comment from that aspect but there are holes at my course that i've definitely got 'scars' on.
The 10th at our place is fairly simple par 4. Drive down to corner leaves usually a 6 or 7 iron into the green. I used bash a driver down there no problem and see what happens from there. Went through a phase of pulling my driver left into the trees (which is dead) and now when i get there i can't bring myself to hit it. Have to hit 3 wood which leaves hybrid into the green and makes the hole a lot harder! I'd take a 5 there these days every time.
I've been scarred!
I go to unfamiliar courses and don't have those problems

I used to have a problem like that MPB on the opening hole at one course, went out and played 1 &2 in repetition about 10 times with 3 or 4 balls just to get over it.

Did it work?

super_realist wrote:I used to have a problem like that MPB on the opening hole at one course, went out and played 1 &2 in repetition about 10 times with 3 or 4 balls just to get over it.

Surely you think the 1st at TOC is wide open, boring and easy?

I wasn't talking about TOC Mac,
But as you say, it is boring, wide open and easy, although saying that I've seen my dad go OB left then OB right after reloading. Perhaps a unique feat.

I think there is an element of mental scarring at home I suppose. So so many times stood on 13th tee around level par then parrrppp!! It all starts to come undone with a double or worse on 13. I have thought about taking a basket of balls up to the 13th tee one quiet Sunday evening. Easily the most head messing teeshot on the course but in saying that, not anything like as intimidating as some of the Saunton tee shots and I've had a few scars there as well. Trouble with my home course is most of the difficult holes are the last 6. So if you haven't put a good score together by 12 you're going to struggle to make buffer. If you have, you struggle to hold on to it. Yet hole by hole, after 13 there's nothing horrendously difficult. just a degree or 2 of difficulty more than the first 12.

The other thing this year is that I dropped the membership of my 2nd club and I thought that would allow better focus on my home club. Comparing the 2 the terrain is different and the greens are different so I had a theory that wasn't helping if I was alternating between the 2 on a weekend. It would appear not, I'm worse at home this year than last.

I'd have thought being Captain would make it harder to focus on your golf at home? Maybe give yourself a break this year and worry about it next?

I refuse to discuss my sexual exploits. What happens on a golf trip stays private.  

Living in Thailand I doubt we've got enough time to read them all anyway!  

I find I drive the ball much better on away courses, mainly I think as when at home i know exactly what constitutes a 'good' drive, and know I 'need' to hit it past a certain place in order to make the hole easy etc .. the lack of knowledge/pressure seems to allow me to swing easier and thus results in much better tee shots.

BlueCoverman wrote:Living in Thailand I doubt we've got enough time to read them all anyway!  

...and I'm sure our site would be closed down as well.

Amazing we have got this far into the thread without some serious playing away jokes.
Ok ill start.While I played golf on Saturdays my ex was 'playing away'Took me four years to find out but shes long gone now!Enjoyed the golf though