Tell us about your game today...

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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.

beninho wrote:I played golf! Last played in August. Went to the range once.  Shot 91. 34 points off 19. Hit some really nice shots, hit some stinkers.  But was lovely to play again!

It's a funny old game...I Shot 90 yesterday. . Hit some really nice shots, hit some stinkers.  Wanted to chuck it when I came in, windy, rainy, quagmire, no enjoyment at all as any semblance of a score evaporated. finished double, double, bogey, double, double, double.

Hey ho mental reset button hit and waiting for Phil's book on how to manage your golfing headspace for over 50s :-)

I started 7,4,7 on pars 4,3,5. And tge heavens opened on hole 3. But only one more proper shower. Getting the bad holes out the way, and expecting them was OK though.

But my mate I play with, is moving back near Glasgow from NW London! Which is a stinker.

Here’s another one of these would you/won’t you options. Our 12th is 550 yards. Boomed one away last night on our Tuesday night stableford. Got far enough down to bring it into “should I shouldn’t I go for it in 2” territory.

So maybe 1 Club of wind behind, 248 yards to the pin, 205 to clear a ditch running across the fairway. Trees on the left by the ditch, high hedge on the right, on the other side of the hedge right is a patch of knee high rough, also bunker front left.

What did I do?
What was the result?
What would you have done and why?

You went for it. Ended up in the ditch.
In the first place I wouldn't be 248 yards to the pin. More like 300 yards. But in your position I would have laid up before the ditch, because 205 is about as far as I can hit a 3 wood off the deck.

I'm never wrong wrote:You went for it. Ended up in the ditch.
In the first place I wouldn't be 248 yards to the pin. More like 300 yards. But in your position I would have laid up before the ditch, because 205 is about as far as I can hit a 3 wood off the deck.

So I had the 3w out, thought about it, thought about the %ages, put it back (amid banterous references to Cat, where’s your lipstick etc) and took a 9iron, then gap wedge (bit of a scabby one) to 13 feet and holed the birdie putt. After which I bantered back with birdie for the Cat, decision justified. “Yeah but it should have been an eagle” I didn’t retort but my response would have been...”Yep and that’s why I’m 5 and you’re 12”

My "oldest" two scores out of twenty are ones that are part of my eight "good" scores that count for my handicap. So as the next three Senior Competitions are qualifiers, I thought I would be a bit sneaky and put a card in today as just a 0.1 rise would give me an extra stroke off the back tees. Got to the 9th hole and it started to rain. I am a fair weather golfer, so I don't care for the rain. But I persevered, deliberately taking a bit more time. Ended up with net 1 under par, 37 points. So I don't know if that will be a reduction or what. But my devious plan has come to nought by having a good game. 1 birdie, 5 pars, 7 bogeys, 5 doubles.

You'll know in the morning! That's what is great about the MyEG App, we know where we are handicap wise the very next day. Well played by the way in that awful rain.

We use the Intelligent Golf (IG) App to record our scores at my club.
So about 8pm last night, my score appeared on the England Golf (EG) app but it wasn't shown as one of my best 8. The 21st was still showing. It wasn't until the early hours of this morning when the IG app "registered" my score that the EG app updated itself. No change to handicap. I don't play at weekends, so that's the handicap I will play with on Monday. Devious mission failed, but good game of golf achieved along with a good score. Can't complain.

What I THINK happens is that when you enter your score obviously the app then knows about it, however it will not be until your Secretary (or other club official) closes off the comp and stuff like the PCC gets verified that your score becomes official. I could be wrong but that’s my guess.

I’m in a kind of similar position insofar as I’ve been waiting for my handicap to increase so that I can play my “joker” in our playing group order of merit (nominate your joker pre round means you double your points - we give 12 for a win, 10 for 2nd, 9 for 3rd etc) but I’m having decent rounds and maintaining where I am. Decent 74 on Saturday even allowing for a Tommy Tank and lost ball on the 5th. I can just feel a sub par round coming but then again I’ve been saying that for over 3 years.

I think that's what has happened JAS. Anyway, played today. Only 30 stableford points. So we'll see if my handicap changes for tomorrow. But I got a "2" (gross birdie on a par 3) so that will get me some money back.

1st round (of 2) of the Seniors Championship today. I think I played in the hottest part of the day. Also not clever to play with irons you only bought Sunday and only hit on the range before going out. Not too disastrous - 7 over handicap, so I expect to be in top half of the draw next Monday. Course in superb condition following on from the Pro-Am that was on Friday. Played with another member who claimed a 9 on one hole and me and my other playing partner corrected him to 13.

Been a wee while since I updated, June has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde, after the decent 74 in early June things started to go downhill, 3 rounds in a row containing an isolated shank (why do they only ever happen where there's bundai right??), anyways they seem to have stopped now. Low point of the month was last week where I utterly car crashed the Seniors Championship and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse I went down to Saunton to play in an England golf past Captains event. I'm used to playing Saunton off the Blue tees in what is usually at least a 3 club wind. Last Thursday however the event was a stableford, only off the whites and it was a rather pleasant 1-2 club wind so I was thinking I'll have some of this, I can score well here!! "Oh really" said the golfing gods. Blob, blob blob start and my strategy/head/game was in tatters. Ended up with 6 blobs and a whole 18 points (yes for the whole 18 not the front 9). Was going to play a bounce round on the Friday for fun but such was the kicking Thursday I had ZERO enthusiasm. In fact it was Weds before I reluctantly picked up a club, just wedges for a bit of chipping practice.

So Saturday was Club champs, 1st 36 holer of the year (I've normally played 3-4 36 holers by end of June. Confidence at rock bottom, only went and shot 77, 75 with nothing worse than a bogey on the cards, ended up 12th on the gross 4th in net, not a clue what I'd done to turn things around, also pleased to better 1st round with the 2nd, that doesn't happen too often. So for June I've gone from 4.2 to 5.2 back to 4.7. Oft said but it IS a funny old game.

I love reading about Jas's game. Always sounds like a tour pro talking about how they are getting on.

McLaren wrote:I love reading about Jas's game. Always sounds like a tour pro talking about how they are getting on.

I sound like a tour Pro?? Get outta here, admitting to shanks for a start is something no Pro would openly volunteer. Seriously what tour pros do you watch??

Do you think I should do TikTok vids of post round analysis and earn myself a few extra bucks??

I'd watch it.

One of my best rounds of golf since I returned to golf a few years ago. Round in 83 shots today including two sevens on the card. All putted out, no gimmies as it was a team game. (So downside is no card submitted.) 4 BBB and it resulted in my card comprising 85% of the team score. On a couple of holes I took the flagstick out and that helped. As I post this, me and my partner are the clubhouse leaders.

McLaren wrote:I love reading about Jas's game. Always sounds like a tour pro talking about how they are getting on.

Prepare for a feast after this weekend then :-p

Captains Day Saturday, got a reasonably early tee time but will then reluctantly leave the party early to travel down to Saunton for the 36 holer off the Blue Tees. I have a few demons to exorcise down there after last months debacle!!

Not quite the weekend I was expecting. Our Club Captain mulled over the projected weather forecast for the weekend, Poopie his pants and postponed Captains day. As it turned out they never got that much rain or thunderstorms.

Anyway that meant I could head off to Devon earlier than expected, not that I arrived much earlier, Chippenham to Saunton should be just over 2 hours…on Saturday it was 4 and a half as the M5 vied for the title of worlds biggest car park.

I never seem to putt as well at Saunton as I do elsewhere so I decided to have an extra long session on the practice putting green.
On the Sunday as it was a fairly benign day (1maybe 2 club wind) they’d clearly a decision to roll out the “awkward” pins. Both courses were lovely but with bone hard fairways yet lush deep thick rough…not a great combo. To be honest pretty much car crashed it as I couldn’t keep the driver straight, I did sacrifice it on a few holes (in retrospect not enough)  as there was such a premium on staying on the fairway. Putting stats weren’t brilliant in the morning but only 1 x 3 putt. Much better in the afternoon with 29 putts, however the damage was all being done by the driver.  2 reloads in each round meant at least 4 shouts gone on each round. I was lucky enough to play with the winner, 2 handicap local member who shot 76,71 and he won it by 5 clear shots. Quite amazing really that on a relatively benign day with a full field containing a fairly high proportion of scratch or better golfers that 10 over gross was good enough for a runners up spot. So basically it was a tough day. Even though I got battered I took plenty positives from it, little bit of work required to find some consistency with the driver and there should be plenty to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Not really about my game today - but I played well - 38 stableford points - but there was a competition on today at my club. The "winner" came in with 47 stableford points, until he was disqualified for carrying on playing after the hooter for lightning went off. (As were three others)

Finally achieved one of my main golfing targets at the weekend, an under par round. The signs were good to be fair as in our little 13 hole Tuesday night tournament I started with 11 straight pars before folding bogey, double. Just couldn’t drop a putt Tues, but tee to green I felt I had the ball on a string. Didn’t have a great start Saturday, really poor approach on 1 and a wrong club selection on 3 both brought bogeys. The birdie rush started on 6 & 7, lipped out on 8 bot turned in level, more birds at 10 and 12 then on to the nemesis 13 stroke one, I’ve hit a decent drive  but way too tentative with the 5i approach, left in on the collar of the front right bunker, really awkward chip…only went and holed it to go 3 under. Steady golf from there, just missed an up and down from bunker on 15 but rattled in 6th birdie on 17, safe par on 18 and there it was, a 3 under par 68, lowest ever score, A win in the medal and a massive drop in my index to 2.8. Happy days!!

Well done JAS. Great shooting.

One of my best rounds of golf since I returned to playing regularly a few years ago. I shot 82. (Handicap 19) Par 70. Only didn't play well on two holes - a 6 on a par 4 when I tried for a hero shot instead of taking my medicine, and a 5 on a par 3 when I put my first tee shot out of bounds. Otherwise nice and steady on a lovely day for golf. Should really have put a card in.

I got to +1 at the weekend. This new handicap system is far too flattering. I like having the ability to hand a score in any time, but it really is too easy to get cut. It really depends on how hard your course is rated as I really question the validity of how they're measured.
TOC for example is rated 132, despite it being considerably easier than dozens of other local courses with far lower ratings.
Guys have gone from 4 to scratch in just a couple of months where they never threatened this before.
Seems the SGU is too scared to give TOC the lower rating it actually deserves. It should be 120 maximum with a 71 par rating instead of 72.7 or whatever it currently is.

I'm never wrong wrote:One of my best rounds of golf since I returned to playing regularly a few years ago. I shot 82. (Handicap 19) Par 70.

....and I beat it today...by one shot. 81. Blew it on one hole where I scored an 8 on a par 5. So close to breaking 80.

super_realist wrote:I got to +1 at the weekend. This new handicap system is far too flattering. I like having the ability to hand a score in any time, but it really is too easy to get cut. It really depends on how hard your course is rated as I really question the validity of how they're measured.
TOC for example is rated 132, despite it being considerably easier than dozens of other local courses with far lower ratings.
Guys have gone from 4 to scratch in just a couple of months where they never threatened this before.
Seems the SGU is too scared to give TOC the lower rating it actually deserves. It should be 120 maximum with a 71 par rating instead of 72.7 or whatever it currently is.

Or maybe you’re better than you think??

To be fair, I think the new system is slightly flattering AND for the majority a LOT more volatile. Happy to ride it though. Where I think it might cause some consternation though is scratch comps that ballot out fairly low. The cut off happens then afterwards there’s reserves on much lower than accepted entries. Frustrating for some but that’s just the way it is.

I personally don’t think I’m a 3…at all. I’ve shot 1 round under that and a couple on it, as soon as the exceptional round of a couple of weeks ago becomes over 20 rounds old I’m probably back up to 5-6.
Having said that I think my scoring has gone completely volatile too, 2 rounds at the weekend, a 74 (which included a Quad) and a 90, yes a Joe effin ninety and quite frankly embarrassing. I just can’t work out how my game is so Jeckyll and Hyde from round to round.

Back to a bit of normality today. A round of 87. Two under my handicap. 38 stableford points. But the difference is, I put a card in today. I expect to be cut 0.7 which will only make a difference of 1 shot off the forward tees. Got lucky on two holes: one where I clipped some trees and ball stopped 12 inches short of the water; and two on a a par three lost my first ball but got down in five overall. But going in the right direction.

Had my best round of the year yesterday. 83 at home. Just stayed away from doubles (only one and it was on a very hard hole).

September scheduled: Merion, Pine Valley, Congressional and Saucon Valley. Better have my game in order!

Some selection of courses there SR. Lucky boy.

Thanks Super. Saucon the lesser known, but really looking forward to that since we are staying on the property for two rounds (they have three courses).

Shotrock

That is a pretty good line up.

What happened with the Congressional/PGA of America tie up. Did they carry out the restorations?

Good question Mac. I'll find out when I'm on campus ... middle of September.

Round number 4 of the year and broke 90! Had a birdie, and mainly kept the 7s and 8s off the card. 1 x 7.

Round number 3 was back in July, with I'm never Wrong, really nice course and a really good time, I brought my erratic game but it was good fun!

One of the guys I play with is going back to Scotland, now he can do some home working and only needs to travel down once a week or so. That's annoying, as the other guy I play with is thinking of going to Ireland! So leave my options pretty limited. Though, does mean I can make more visits to Scotland and play Troon and surrounding courses a few times a year.

beninho wrote:
Round number 3 was back in July, with I'm never Wrong, really nice course and a really good time, I brought my erratic game but it was good fun!

Did you play at INW's home course? I used to be a member there too if so. Really great course

Davie wrote:

beninho wrote:
Round number 3 was back in July, with I'm never Wrong, really nice course and a really good time, I brought my erratic game but it was good fun!

Did you play at INW's home course? I used to be a member there too if so. Really great course

Yes it was Davie. We had a good day. Trying not to sound condescending, but Ben played well for the amount of times he plays.

Davie wrote:

beninho wrote:
Round number 3 was back in July, with I'm never Wrong, really nice course and a really good time, I brought my erratic game but it was good fun!

Did you play at INW's home course? I used to be a member there too if so. Really great course

Was a really nice course. Quite distinct look on both 9s. And INW was a very good host!

I'm never wrong wrote:

Davie wrote:

beninho wrote:
Round number 3 was back in July, with I'm never Wrong, really nice course and a really good time, I brought my erratic game but it was good fun!

Did you play at INW's home course? I used to be a member there too if so. Really great course

Yes it was Davie. We had a good day. Trying not to sound condescending, but Ben played well for the amount of times he plays.

I've got a player somewhere within me, just can't get it going for 18 holes! I'll take the compliment, thanks!!

On Friday, I played Merion GC. Greens were not too quick and fairways were a tad thin. Just a really hard course to par, especially when I'm playing such defensive golf to keep a big number off the card. It was in a LAMS cup event (Lancaster, Aronimink, Merion, Saucon), and I was a fill in. Recent widower Gary Player was also on the property.

Less than 12 hours later, I drove to NJ to play Pine Valley. There, we had breakfast, played the short course and then had a 12:30 tee time, right behind a Mr. Gary Player. I did not play particularly well, but the highlight was I had a hole in one on the 9th hole of the short course. 127 yard, wedge ... one hop and in. Until that happened I had never seen (nor obviously had) a hole in one.

Gary sat next to us at lunch and he told me he's had 32 holes in one ... including two in one day.

Today, Gary and I parted ways since I was doing some post Ida tree clean up at home.

Great story shotrock, and some decent courses to fill out your weekend. Regardless of what people think of him, GP doesn't come across as boring.

Shotrock wrote:On Friday, I played Merion GC. Greens were not too quick and fairways were a tad thin. Just a really hard course to par, especially when I'm playing such defensive golf to keep a big number off the card. It was in a LAMS cup event (Lancaster, Aronimink, Merion, Saucon), and I was a fill in. Recent widower Gary Player was also on the property.

Less than 12 hours later, I drove to NJ to play Pine Valley. There, we had breakfast, played the short course and then had a 12:30 tee time, right behind a Mr. Gary Player. I did not play particularly well, but the highlight was I had a hole in one on the 9th hole of the short course. 127 yard, wedge ... one hop and in. Until that happened I had never seen (nor obviously had) a hole in one.

Gary sat next to us at lunch and he told me he's had 32 holes in one ... including two in one day.

Today, Gary and I parted ways since I was doing some post Ida tree clean up at home.

Did he take the piece of bacon out of his wallet?

Mac - I played Congressional yesterday. It was my first time ever on the property.

I was told they took out 3,000 trees! The course is very difficult and, IMO at least, a bit over-bunkered. Super interesting greens and it was in fantastic shape.

Massive clubhouse complex and I saw they were even selling merchandise for the 2037 Ryder Cup!

It's pretty much always good to see tree removal.

From photos, it looks like pine valley could benefit from some heavy chainsaw use.

Pine Valley did take out a lot of trees ... most notably on holes 9 and 12. It's pretty perfect (IMO of course) at the moment. Perhaps you were looking at some old photos?

Tree removal is all the rage here in the US. I do think some places have gone a bit overboard (my club, Oakmont to name two.)

My September to remember ends this week with two days of (projected wet) golf at Saucon Valley. Really looking forward to it.

Two rounds turned into one. Saucon Valley does not seem to get the accolades of other nearby courses, but if you ever get the chance to play here, do it. They have three courses and we played the Weyhill course in great early fall weather. Started out slow but finished strong to win our match against another club. Back to reality!

I got cut to +2 yesterday. Its really not as satisfying as it should be were it the old system.
No wonder when you play with an American tourist and they say they are a particular handicap that it raises a few eyebrows.
I dont think its as representative as Congu was.

super_realist wrote:I got cut to +2 yesterday. Its really not as satisfying as it should be were it the old system.
No wonder when you play with an American tourist and they say  they are a particular handicap that it raises a few eyebrows.
I dont think its as representative as Congu was.

Well done Supes, a + handicap is still a great achievement regardless of system. You're right though, I think the new system is MUCH more volatile than the old. I reckon my level is about 6 in reality and under the old system, past 6 years I'd oscillate between 5 and 7 (I touched 4 once and came within 1 bad round of 8). This year I've been as low as 2.8 and as high as 5.2, I'm in danger of going to about 8 if I don't shoot a low 70s in the next 3 rounds. So it is definitely more reactive and more volatile to current form. Just not convinced if that's a good thing or not. My biggest potential bugbear is that it could be a bit of a nightmare applying for comps that ballot out at a low number, you plan a few Opens where you can play some of the better courses, you apply as say a 3, the cut off is maybe 4 but by the cut off date you may be a 5...annoying!!

The big issue is slope/course rating.

I could choose to play all my golf at The Old Course which has a slope rating of 132. One of my other courses is significantly tougher but is only 125 so I need to shoot a far better score to get cut on a harder course. Makes no sense.

TOC should really have a course rating about 120 but they would not dare rate it that low. We have guys in the club off +8 and others who have gone from 4 to +1. Suspicious at the very least.

So apart from the Eden Trophy in August (which doesn’t use TOC anyway) are there any open comps/Snr open comps at St Andrews?

I dont think so JAS, none that you'd be interested in.
You might fancy the Montrose golf week. That course is an absolute dream.

I wouldnt mind some comps down south at one of the heathland courses like Wokdhall Spa, Woburn, Sunningdale etc. Will need to research.

I dont think so JAS, none that you'd be interested in.
You might fancy the Montrose golf week. That course is an absolute dream.

I wouldnt mind some comps down south at one of the heathland courses like Woodhall Spa, Woburn, Sunningdale etc. Will need to research.

Ah ok, yes Woodhall have a couple that I’ve done, don’t think I’ll ever be low enough for the Sunningdale or Berkshire ones. Hampshire Hog is another for low Ams at North Hants, Justin Roses old Club. Nearest Heathland track to me is Frilford Heath (just West of Abingdon in Oxfordshire) they have a couple of good ones to to be fair