Tell us about your game today...

First topic message reminder :

McLaren wrote:Ben

I am not doubting jas and believe him that the guy handed in a score for 51 points. I am just astonished by 51 points, as I said this is a score that I have never seen before. This is more about acknowledging the rarity of this event.

We are talking rarer than a hole in one, this guy has shot a nett score that only a handful people will ever have shot.

It just seems like others on here are not as blown away by a 20 handicapper shooting +5 as I am.

As a junior in the early 80s, I shot a nett 56 (a +4 or 5 round I think) and a 58 in the same Summer. I didn't cheat, but I did get cut a lot that year.

incontinentia wrote:Played my 2nd round club championship match yesterday. I played garbage and was beaten handily. Opponent was off 5. I probably should have played more golf in the lead up, hadnt really played for the last 2-3 weeks.

Inco, you must have put some decent rounds together to even be in the club champs knockout. I thought you were a mid teens player?

McLaren wrote:

incontinentia wrote:Played my 2nd round club championship match yesterday. I played garbage and was beaten handily. Opponent was off 5. I probably should have played more golf in the lead up, hadnt really played for the last 2-3 weeks.

Inco, you must have put some decent rounds together to even be in the club champs knockout. I thought you were a mid teens player?

Mac, clubs usually have a Scratch and a Handicap Club Championship.

super_realist wrote:Splashed out on a new laser this week. Garmin Z82. A lot of cash, but looks to be the king of lasers with a GPS strokesaver for each hole built into the viewfinder and 40,000 courses available.
First chance to use it will be Last 16 in the Club Champs Knockout.

So did you recover from a bad first round qualifier or is this in another club?

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:

incontinentia wrote:Played my 2nd round club championship match yesterday. I played garbage and was beaten handily. Opponent was off 5. I probably should have played more golf in the lead up, hadnt really played for the last 2-3 weeks.

Inco, you must have put some decent rounds together to even be in the club champs knockout. I thought you were a mid teens player?

Mac, clubs usually have a Scratch and a Handicap Club Championship.

I have been a member of about 5 clubs and never come across a handicap club champs. They all had handicap singles and pairs handicap knockouts but not club champs.

I've been a member of about the same and they all did, so there you go.

McLaren wrote:

super_realist wrote:Splashed out on a new laser this week. Garmin Z82. A lot of cash, but looks to be the king of lasers with a GPS strokesaver for each hole built into the viewfinder and 40,000 courses available.
First chance to use it will be Last 16 in the Club Champs Knockout.

So did you recover from a bad first round qualifier or is this in another club?

Yes, I put in a jolly good round at the weekend to get in.

I wasn't doubting that some clubs had handicap club champs it just isn't a concept I have come across. I have seen cups for the lowest combined nett over the qualifying.

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:

super_realist wrote:Splashed out on a new laser this week. Garmin Z82. A lot of cash, but looks to be the king of lasers with a GPS strokesaver for each hole built into the viewfinder and 40,000 courses available.
First chance to use it will be Last 16 in the Club Champs Knockout.

So did you recover from a bad first round qualifier or is this in another club?

Yes, I put in a jolly good round at the weekend to get in.

What combined score gets you into your club champs?

McLaren wrote:

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:

super_realist wrote:Splashed out on a new laser this week. Garmin Z82. A lot of cash, but looks to be the king of lasers with a GPS strokesaver for each hole built into the viewfinder and 40,000 courses available.
First chance to use it will be Last 16 in the Club Champs Knockout.

So did you recover from a bad first round qualifier or is this in another club?

Yes, I put in a jolly good round at the weekend to get in.

What combined score gets you into your club champs?

This year it was really high. I think 162 got in, but it's usually about 156.
Conditions in first round were savage and the junior green keeper who was putting the pins in clearly doesn't play golf as they were more akin to crazy golf. Right on slopes, edge of greens, top of upturned saucer etc

That is 18 over par? Who said TOC was easy?

McLaren wrote:That is 18 over par? Who said TOC was easy?

It's not TOC Mac, this is a course much harder. I only made last 16 of that one. Came up against a +2 or 3 handicapper there. Had my chances but played poorly.
Also none of the St Andrews clubs qualify over TOC, they only play the matchplay over there.

super_realist wrote:Splashed out on a new laser this week. Garmin Z82. A lot of cash, but looks to be the king of lasers with a GPS strokesaver for each hole built into the viewfinder and 40,000 courses available.
First chance to use it will be Last 16 in the Club Champs Knockout.

Nice bit of kit that Super...what did you pay?

BlueCoverman wrote:

super_realist wrote:Splashed out on a new laser this week. Garmin Z82. A lot of cash, but looks to be the king of lasers with a GPS strokesaver for each hole built into the viewfinder and 40,000 courses available.
First chance to use it will be Last 16 in the Club Champs Knockout.

Nice bit of kit that Super...what did you pay?

Far too much.£550. I'm going down the marginal gains route. The amount of times I've not noted properly where the pin is on the green in relation to the front and back (despite having those measurements on my watch and just not bothering to look) is costing me shots. Having it in the viewfinder as well as it drawing a line on the green should help with that.

My old Nikon was also useless under certain atmospheric conditions and is about 6 years old so time it was replaced.

There are some features on it that I really like the look of. Will be interested to hear how you get on with it.

I can think of a good few occasions when it will come into its own.

I agree, the technology on it looks great.

BlueCoverman wrote:I agree, the technology on it looks great.

Biggest bonus for me will being able to see how much room I have to play with over a mound. A lot of holes look like you've got nothing but when you get up there you have a lot more. Distance to carry bunkers or lay up from the trouble will also be good.

Super

So are you still in your club champs at your Old course club?



I have to admit I have become totally reliant on GPS and rangefinders. I am not playing golf anymore.

McLaren wrote:Super

So are you still in your club champs at your Old course club?



I have to admit I have become totally reliant on GPS and rangefinders. I am not playing golf anymore.

No Mac, like I said I got knocked out early in the TOC one, but given the standard of golfers I did well to get in.
On yardages and rangefinders I really need a Trackman session to calibrate how far I think I'm hitting each club. It's been a couple of years since I've done it and my game has got better and longer so must get that sorted.

Super

So are still in any of your club champs?

McLaren wrote:Super

So are still in any of your club champs?

Yes. Your comprehension is worse than usual today. I said that my last 16 tie at the weekend would be the first opportunity to use my new super dooper laser.

Didn't know how old that post was. I haven't been on in a few days and the timestamps I see are all to whack.

How do you fancy your chances against your opponent? What handicap are they?

Not had the draw yet Mac, but I have to fancy my chances against any of them.

Yep, would have thought most people want to avoid a scratch player.  I have played scratch players in club matches and it can be rough. A scratch players ability to get up and down is a lot better than a normal cat 1 player.

Oddly I have never played a scratch player that has other worldly ball striking, they have all been very competent with the long game but not super long. Whereas I have come up against players off 1 or 2 that hit it a mile, like tour length yardages. And I have been able to get respectable results against these players but only once have I taken a scratch player to the 18th. Matches against scratch players for me usually end several holes before that.

I know this is just my experience but the ability to save shots has been so evident with the scratch players I have played.

That's something I realised a long time ago Mac.
I'm not long off the tee about 270 total according to my last driver fitting and realised the key to getting lower for me was to improve the short game. My all round game might be scratch but I'd place my chipping as a lot better than that. When you play someone who thinks they have the hole won you can see the disappointment on their face when I put it stone dead for a tap in.

Back on topic is this interesting look at the next National Open Venue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfx86KMkBy0

Shotrock wrote:Back on topic is this interesting look at the next National Open Venue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfx86KMkBy0

How is that on topic? This is a thread about our golf.

My mistake ... I put this in the wrong forum. Just posted where it should go.

super_realist wrote:That's something I realised a long time ago Mac.
I'm not long off the tee about 270 total  according to my last driver fitting and realised the key to getting lower for me was to improve the short game. My all round game might be scratch but I'd place my chipping as a lot better than that. When you play someone who thinks they have the hole won you can see the disappointment on their face when I put it stone dead for a tap in.

To be fair Super 270 off the tee ain’t exactly short, I’m similarish (about 230 -240 carry) and wouldn’t consider myself short, certainly for my age & size. Ok I’m not a 300+ bomber but what proportion of the golfing populous are. Agree 100% re short game though, nothing demoralises a big bomber more in match play than persistently stiffing it from anywhere with 100 yards.

JAS wrote:

super_realist wrote:That's something I realised a long time ago Mac.
I'm not long off the tee about 270 total  according to my last driver fitting and realised the key to getting lower for me was to improve the short game. My all round game might be scratch but I'd place my chipping as a lot better than that. When you play someone who thinks they have the hole won you can see the disappointment on their face when I put it stone dead for a tap in.

To be fair Super 270 off the tee ain’t exactly short, I’m similarish (about 230 -240 carry) and wouldn’t consider myself short, certainly for my age & size. Ok I’m not a 300+ bomber but what proportion of the golfing populous are. Agree 100% re short game though, nothing demoralises a big bomber more in match play than persistently stiffing it from anywhere with 100 yards.

I should have said its short amongst the people I generally compete against.

McLaren wrote:Yep, would have thought most people want to avoid a scratch player.  I have played scratch players in club matches and it can be rough. A scratch players ability to get up and down is a lot better than a normal cat 1 player.

Oddly I have never played a scratch player that has other worldly ball striking, they have all been very competent with the long game but not super long. Whereas I have come up against players off 1 or 2 that hit it a mile, like tour length yardages. And I have been able to get respectable results against these players but only once have I taken a scratch player to the 18th. Matches against scratch players for me usually end several holes before that.

I know this is just my experience but the ability to save shots has been so evident with the scratch players I have played.

I’m still in our hcp knockout and got a 1 in the last 16 on Fri afternoon. He went from scratch to 2 in last couple of years but heading back in the right direction this year so it should be tight.

JAS wrote:

McLaren wrote:Yep, would have thought most people want to avoid a scratch player.  I have played scratch players in club matches and it can be rough. A scratch players ability to get up and down is a lot better than a normal cat 1 player.

Oddly I have never played a scratch player that has other worldly ball striking, they have all been very competent with the long game but not super long. Whereas I have come up against players off 1 or 2 that hit it a mile, like tour length yardages. And I have been able to get respectable results against these players but only once have I taken a scratch player to the 18th. Matches against scratch players for me usually end several holes before that.

I know this is just my experience but the ability to save shots has been so evident with the scratch players I have played.

I’m still in our hcp knockout and got a 1 in the last 16 on Fri afternoon. He went from scratch to 2 in last couple of years but heading back in the right direction this year so it should be tight.

Knew it would be tight, edged it on 17, was 1 under handicap at the time. He was the defending champ as well so it was a good scalp. As is usually the way with guys around that level, he never really did much wrong...except over tug his tee shot on 17 (after winning 16 to get back to 1 down).
Onwards to the QF then, next up is a 4 handicapper who started off the 2019 season as a 16, he's come down from 8 to 4 this year

Now it’s getting interesting, made it through a tight quarter final this afternoon. Nothing spectacular but grinded out an on handicap performance and edged it again on 17.

So here’s a “What would you do?” cunundrum. I won the 16th yesterday to go dormie. Our 17th is a 508 yard par 5 with a ditch across the fairway at 200 yd’s and a pond about 20 yards before the green. I knew my opponent is a big hitter and the wind was behind.
I don’t normally go for it, on medal rounds I lay up before the ditch then lay up to preferred wedge distance. I have previously got on in 2 a handful of times. Do i go for the eagle/birdie? Or settle for birdie/par hoping that the opponent doesn’t better it. Would you do it different if you were dormie 2 down rather than up?

Play % Jas. What are the chances your opponent will get up in two, what's the tariff for missing the green, do you want to give them hope by gifting them the hole and possibly going up 19? That would give him momentum.

Personally I would hit something like Driver/3 wood and then a five iron to leave a short pitch.  The pressure is on him to make birdie, not you. If he doesn't, he's toast. If he does well, he's done the Keith Deller checkout and you still have a good chance to half the 18th.

Sadly I lost my final this year, so good luck in your CC Jas.

200 isn't a risky carry. Go for that and then decide whether to lay up on the second after you see where both the drives are. Also it's a bonus if you cream it and he hits to the green first because then you have even more info about what score he might get.

But if its you first I probably lay up and leave it to my wedge game. But leave options after the tee shot.

Unless you are a really short hitter a 200 yard carry off the tee doesn't seem like something to worry about.

No matter what the score is I would happily take on a 200 carry from the tee.

McLaren wrote:200 isn't a risky carry. Go for that and then decide whether to lay up on the second after you see where both the drives are. Also it's a bonus if you cream it and he hits to the green first because then you have even more info about what score he might get.



200 is off the tee Mac, it's the second shot which is important.
Unless you are a really short hitter a 200 yard carry off the tee doesn't seem like something to worry about.

No matter what the score is I would happily take on a 200 carry from the tee.

200 is the distance to clear the burn off the tee Mac, it's not really a consideration, he could do that with a hybrid. It's the second shot which is the one to think about.
Agree though if you can play second into the green being a great position to be in.

I get that, hence why I said just hit over the carry from the tee to give you all the options on the second shot.

Jas was considering laying up off the tee.

I didnt read that he laid up before the burn normally. I think that is terrible course management but then I don't know how far he hits it off the tee. 200 seems a very negative lay up.

what is a little odd about his question, assuming this is being played at his home course, is that he doesn't already know how things will play out in the conditions of the day.

You should really know your home course inside out and even if you haven't played with someone before you should have worked out how their game will apply to the course by that point in the round. i know what shots are possible for me and for a varying degree of other ability levels around my home course.

I think it puts a lot of pressure on the second shot. If he's hitting his first shot 180 to avoid the burn he needs another 200-210 ish to leave a full wedge.

I've got a similar par 5, and due to the risks involved I'll hit 3 wood about 260 ( it's downwind mostly) and then a six or seven to leave around 80-100 yards. That seems far less risky than still being 330 yards from the hole after your tee shot.

and to follow on from my point above, you need to think ahead in the match especially if a hole like described by Jas lies ahead. If you are a short hitter and know you are getting a 5 at best on a par 5 while your longer opponent is almost guaranteed a 5, you need to compensate for that.

Make sure you take advantage at other points earlier in the round so that less pressure is going to be heaped on you come the par 5 17th, if you feel you are going to lose that hole.

Interesting takes guys, I thought it would get a little debate going. One thing I should also have mentioned is that the ditch carry off the tee isn't the only factor. The ditch then diagonally runs away up the left hand side. The fairway is moderate, not narrow but not excessively wide either and the rough if you miss 10-12yard wide right is brutal/potentially unfindable. I went 6 iron, 4 iron then gap wedge from 105 (ok i missed the birdie putt from 10 ft but it was never going to be worse than par. He boomed his drive and had an 8 iron into the green, missed it right but chipped to 4 foot. So he had a 4 footer to keep the match alive which he duly missed.
In a calm or maybe a light wind against I normally take a 4 or 5iron then a hybrid to the 100yard ish area. Because it was a fairly stiff breeze i was tempted with the driver but I looked back through my round and had hit 3 out of 7 fairways with the big stick. Whereas my mid & long irons I'd been flushing. Feeding that into how many times I've actually made that green in 2 out of many times I've attempted it and I made the call I made. To be honest I was disappointed not to sink the birdie putt to close it out but hey ho.

JAS, sounds like you need a goto club that you are more confident with. You need a longer option considering that particular hole. I'd definitely be looking at practicing that shot of a 210 carry to safety to take out the potential terror of a four iron off the deck at such a point in your round.
Imagine it was you 2 down and two to play, do you really want to be facing getting down in three shots from 350 yards?

super_realist wrote:JAS, sounds like you need a goto club that you are more confident with. You need a longer option considering that particular hole. I'd definitely be looking at practicing that shot of a 210 carry to safety to take out the potential terror of a four iron off the deck at such a point in your round.
Imagine it was you 2 down and two to play, do you really want to be facing getting down in three shots from 350 yards?

I do think I got my thinking right regarding %ages (the 4 iron was probably my sweetest struck iron of the day) but I take the point about a confident goto club if the driver is playing up.

Re the 2nd bit, I did pose myself that question as well, what would I do if I NEEDED to win the hole to stay in the match. It was a close call, that was why I posed the question. The thing is, If I'd hit 6 or 7/7 fairways with big boomers up to that point then yes I'd have had the big stick out. I do think an important part of golf, matchplay in particular, is knowing what you have on the day and having the discipline to manage it.

Jas

if you were so confident that you did everything right then why ask the question? Two top class players are now telling you to rethink and you still won't listen.

McLaren wrote:Jas

if you were so confident that you did everything right then why ask the question? Two top class players are now telling you to rethink and you still won't listen.

Mac sometimes you are just comedy gold.

Oh and by the way, for the old 4 iron debate, the 4 iron went 225 or thereabouts, sorry I didn't have anyone at the right spot on the fairway to measure the carry distance for you.

JAS wrote:

super_realist wrote:JAS, sounds like you need a goto club that you are more confident with. You need a longer option considering that particular hole. I'd definitely be looking at practicing that shot of a 210 carry to safety to take out the potential terror of a four iron off the deck at such a point in your round.
Imagine it was you 2 down and two to play, do you really want to be facing getting down in three shots from 350 yards?

I do think I got my thinking right regarding %ages (the 4 iron was probably my sweetest struck iron of the day) but I take the point about a confident goto club if the driver is playing up.

Re the 2nd bit, I did pose myself that question as well, what would I do if I NEEDED to win the hole to stay in the match. It was a close call, that was why I posed the question. The thing is, If I'd hit 6 or 7/7 fairways with big boomers up to that point then yes I'd have had the big stick out. I do think an important part of golf, matchplay in particular, is knowing what you have on the day and having the discipline to manage it.

For me the biggest part of matchplay is to keep the ball in play, if you do that the pressure is always on your opponent to do so too. If you step up highly confident you're going to hit the fairway and a decent way up then you've got a massive gain on your opponent.
I've got a new three wood which is working a treat right now, long and straight and sounds exactly what you need for such a hole.

McLaren wrote:and to follow on from my point above, you need to think ahead in the match especially if a hole like described by Jas lies ahead. If you are a short hitter and know you are getting a 5 at best on a par 5 while your longer opponent is almost guaranteed a 5, you need to compensate for that.

Make sure you take advantage at other points earlier in the round so that less pressure is going to be heaped on you come the par 5 17th, if you feel you are going to lose that hole.

Short hitter...or shorter than your opponent? That matters how? How come Luke was world number one in a era of long hitters? How come Zac is a multiple major winner in the same era?

5 at best? It's a birdie opportunity played the right way

"Make sure you take advantage earlier in the round", I was dorm 2 up against a very steady player FFS, the pressure was more on him to make birdie.

You do pick up on odd things then MACify them

70% of shots are within 150 yards, says it all really and something I'm going to focus on more this winter.

Has anyone worked out what their new handicap will be under the new system?