My Life (Sub 80)

FixdePitchmark

IanPoulter wrote: »

Your life (sub 80) is over for another season. It's winter golf now so the tees are a bit forward and there's placing everywhere. My first sub 80 was 78 in winter but to me it didn't count. Have gone on to 9 or 10 sub 80's now. No harm in breaking 80 in the winter to get the monkey off and it will probably come easier in the summer if you achieve it in winter. To achieve your goal you'll have to be unaware of your score for most of the round although you'll be aware that you're playing well

Thanks Ian, My life is over

Was thinking that - it is on my mind.

Alrite Chief

Ah I dunno about that. There is a reason we play under winter rules. Less run on fairways, you get to clean the muck off that wouldn't normally be on the ball, the rough is plays more difficult so placing only gives you a small advantage, placing on fairways is the same, the greens are of a reduced quality, bunkers in bits and don't forget fighting the elements. Id take nothing away from a good winter round. Sure you only have to look at your club comps. Not like the standard scratch shoots up. People still having nightmares out there despite all these so called advantages.

The way i see it when you play well you never really get to avail of the only real advantage of placing in the rough. At your level you want to be shooting a sub 80. 7 over! Not like you'll be finding the rough to often to produce that score.

Keep it going pitchy-fixey im rooting for you!

IanPoulter

Alrite Chief wrote: »

Ah I dunno about that. There is a reason we play under winter rules. Less run on fairways, you get to clean the muck off that wouldn't normally be on the ball, the rough is plays more difficult so placing only gives you a small advantage, placing on fairways is the same, the greens are of a reduced quality, bunkers in bits and don't forget fighting the elements. Id take nothing away from a good winter round. Sure you only have to look at your club comps. Not like the standard scratch shoots up. People still having nightmares out there despite all these so called advantages.

The way i see it when you play well you never really get to avail of the only real advantage of placing in the rough. At your level you want to be shooting a sub 80. 7 over! Not like you'll be finding the rough to often to produce that score.

Keep it going pitchy-fixey im rooting for you!

31/32 points for 12 hole Comps in winter regularly wher I play I'm afraid - forward tees and bandits

Alrite Chief

That is a lot! I won a comp with 36 under winter rules then lost on a count back with 43 another day same course.

FixdePitchmark

Links V Parkland.

Would a links stay near the same ? - I was playing links, and at this stage there was not much in the way of forwards tees. Example- Par 3s were 5 Iron, 6 Iron, 7 Iron. I've lost a club on those holes due to temperature and stronger wind most days.

No picking up and cleaning - you could argue there should have been , I don't think it will be as wet as that for most of the winter. I honestly would be very happy under 80 on any links in winter - very forward tees would annoy.

It is an interesting consideration.

Alrite Chief

Conditions make a massive difference imo. If your hands are frozen, grips wet, softer ground not as good for balance, greens wetter making them less responsive and generally bumpier. Lots of factors make winter golf hard. Id take nothing away from a sub 80 from now until April.

FixdePitchmark

Alrite Chief wrote: »

Conditions make a massive difference imo. If your hands are frozen, grips wet, softer ground not as good for balance, greens wetter making them less responsive and generally bumpier. Lots of factors make winter golf hard. Id take nothing away from a sub 80 from now until April.

I'm thinking that way - the greens are more receptive but - that make hitting irons into some links greens much easier IMO.

Alrite Chief

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I'm thinking that way - the greens are more receptive but - that make hitting irons into some links greens much easier IMO.

Yeah easier to hold a green alright i was referring to the way you might see a break and the condition of the green leads to misreads. Never feels right drilling a putt.

FixdePitchmark

Alrite Chief wrote: »

Yeah easier to hold a green alright i was referring to the way you might see a break and the condition of the green leads to misreads. Never feels right drilling a putt.

I'm sure plenty will have a view here - I'd be happy , I guess if I can do it this time of year it would only be a formality to do it again in summer. Mr Poulter has a point - who am I to question Ian.

FixdePitchmark

Can't miss a putt this evening on the cheap putting mat.

Funny things, you just sort of bang the ball and it goes in. It is nice to have a putter that is the right length - just feels so righ in the hands - the old new putter placebo effect.

Milkers

I'm rooting for our hero to break 80 but also rooting for this thread to go on forever. The contradictions of golf prevail.

FixdePitchmark

I’ve been having a little think about everything – the other day I was level par after 3 holes (Par,Birdie, Bog). All holes in regulation, how can someone who was level par after 3 holes not do this, on the 4th tee, I hit a fade of a drive into a bunker, tried too hard getting out and ended a mid to easy hole with a double, on the next (5th) the new golfer I am, took a 5 Iron off the tee ( a new type of choice for me - the safe option) ,slight pull and ended up in bunker near lip, got out - ended the hole with a double. It was sort of all over , not all over - but a mountain to climb. I bounced back with a great par on the Index 1, but again a pulled Driver off tee.

If I’m being honest - that is not the golf of somebody trying to break 80 – it is mid handicap golf. This pull is looking like a problem that needs to be pushed out of my game.

• I’ve still a bit of a problems with driver.
• Lower irons – now afraid of a 4 iron. Ok with with 5 but pulling some irons.
• Wedges from 100 in not great – ok but not great.
• Putting has been poor for a few months.

Do I need to do something else ? do I need to go back to a coach ? At the same time - I feel very close to a low 80 soon. I guess I’m looking at my options now. This project has just passed the year mark, it can’t go on for ever. There is not much left to say at this stage, there is only things to be done.

At the same time, when I think back to a few rounds in the summer where I played golf I never imagined was possible – I still did not break 80, due to an awful hole or last hole blimp.

I sometimes have a little panic, what if you can’t do this. I have rarely, if ever, given up on anything, I have a dog headed stupid perseverance. Could I give up? I don’t think I could.

I think if I don’t have a low 80 very soon (80, 81) , I’ll be at some sort of tipping point or cliff or crisis. I even laugh at the idea of it, it is only a bloody game of golf. I have a great life outside of golf. It is not going to change my world!

Perhaps it is time for a new story; stories should have a beginning middle and an end. I’m finding it increasing difficult to get out and play golf, this is mainly due to the short days and work and family commitments.

I need to find an end.

People have been so kind and inspiring and helpful on here, it is the momentum of the project. But all movement and inertia eventually comes to a stop, in this physical world we live in.

If something doesn’t happen dramatic in the next month, I’m going to have to do something drastic – wedge tuition, short game class, more lessons.

That is all a bit panicky, but everything needs an ending. I won’t even consider giving up, but a new direction or chage of tide is sometimes needed to overcome stagnation.

Never give up, is a great virtue – but its utterance is a paradox.

ForeRight

Personally I think there is a big difference between any score in winter to summer. The fact that you can lift and place in the rough is the major difference. Any time you are in the rough you are not being penalised with the ball sitting down. THATS A MASSIVE ADVANTAGE.

But first thing is first....get a sub 80 in winter and then carry that confidence into the summer and do it again.

IanPoulter

If you don't get the putter sorted - breaking 80 is not on the cards. Most times I've broken 80 I would have had around 4/5 up and downs from around the green. Even allowing for a couple of 3 putts in the round that would end up being 33/34 putts. If you're at 37-40 putts per round then that's seriously handicapping your chances. Also the short game from 30/40 yards is key. That's where the shots are saved. Don't worry about pulled iron and drives - they happen regularly. Pulled shots make par difficult to achieve but they should result in doubles. Keep the doubles off the card and reduce the number of putts and you'll get there.

Alrite Chief

ForeRight wrote: »

Personally I think there is a big difference between any score in winter to summer. The fact that you can lift and place in the rough is the major difference. Any time you are in the rough you are not being penalised with the ball sitting down. THATS A MASSIVE ADVANTAGE.

But first thing is first....get a sub 80 in winter and then carry that confidence into the summer and do it again.

But surely a sub 80 round you will be playing a round where you are rarely in the rough at all. Iv had rounds iv taken more of an advantage of winter rules than others and walked away with the same score but none of them would have been sub 80 material or even close to it.

ForeRight

Alrite Chief wrote: »

But surely a sub 80 round you will be playing a round where you are rarely in the rough at all. Iv had rounds iv taken more of an advantage of winter rules than others and walked away with the same score but none of them would have been sub 80 material or even close to it.

I don't think so. Unless you are a scratch golfer we all spend plenty of time in thd rough. It's how we recover that determines our score.

A wayward drive into the rough in the summer means hitting it as it lies sitting down which could end up being pot luck.
In the winter you can pick it up and knock it up no problems. Not too different to a fairway shot and its even easier to hit a wood or rescue from a sitting up lie placed in the rough compared to a fairway.

Even the pros don't hit more than 70% FIR regular I don't think.

The difference between placing and play as it lies is absolutely massive IMO.

Alrite Chief

Listen im just trying to give Fixy some interest in his sub 80 during the winter do you mind????

ForeRight

Sorry!!!

Go team fixy and his groupies

Alrite Chief

When fixy does this im gonna open a nice bottle to celebrate. Winter or Summer!

ForeRight

Alrite Chief wrote: »

When fixy does this im gonna open a nice bottle to celebrate. Winter or Summer!

You and the missus sitting down with a bottle of red toasting a fella of boards

FixdePitchmark

ForeRight wrote: »

Sorry!!!

Go team fixy and his groupies

lol - :eek::D

FixdePitchmark

Alrite Chief wrote: »

When fixy does this im gonna open a nice bottle to celebrate. Winter or Summer!

On me, a nice Brunello di Montalcino.

FixdePitchmark

ForeRight wrote: »

I don't think so. Unless you are a scratch golfer we all spend plenty of time in thd rough. It's how we recover that determines our score.

A wayward drive into the rough in the summer means hitting it as it lies sitting down which could end up being pot luck.
In the winter you can pick it up and knock it up no problems. Not too different to a fairway shot and its even easier to hit a wood or rescue from a sitting up lie placed in the rough compared to a fairway.

Even the pros don't hit more than 70% FIR regular I don't think.

The difference between placing and play as it lies is absolutely massive IMO.

Foreright

Do some links course have no winter rules ?

What sort of points win winter comps at your place.

ForeRight

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Foreright

Do some links course have no winter rules ?

What sort of points win winter comps at your place.

As far as I know portmarnock links is "real" golf during the winter. Only placing on the fairways.

I had 27 points last week in a 14 hole comp. 33 won it I think.

FixdePitchmark

ForeRight wrote: »

As far as I know portmarnock links is "real" golf during the winter. Only placing on the fairways.

I had 27 points last week in a 14 hole comp. 33 won it I think.

That is high 33.

ForeRight

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

That is high 33.

That's the winter rules for you. Even you would shoot 80 in my place in winter...


It's 14 holes

FixdePitchmark

ForeRight wrote: »

That's the winter rules for you. Even you would shoot 80 in my place in winter...


It's 14 holes

Ha Ha.

Is it a links.

ForeRight

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Ha Ha.

Is it a links.

No mate its parkland.

FixdePitchmark

ForeRight wrote: »

No mate its parkland.

I think it would be a different story on a links. Harder IMO.

We will see what others think.

ForeRight

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I think it would be a different story on a links. Harder IMO.

We will see what others think.

I'd tend to agree. I'm heading to bed now and ill say a prayer for your sub 80 this winter.

Ill even get the missus to do it too.