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playing a course thats new to you

  • 03-10-2009 01:19PM
    #1
    conman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 183 ✭✭


    what would your score expectations be whilst playing a course tats new to you?

    I was playing a links course yesterday, and hit a score above my handicap.
    I was expecting to do that regardless as this year im trying to get back into the game after a decade away from it.. and also because i had no local knowledge. The course yesterday was Corballis, and i couldnt even see the greens on so many holes, and i have no idea yet how far i hit each club....

    however, achieving a score 5-10 shots above handicap on a new course is something that can be improved upon certainly, but i think 0-5 shots for the first attempt would realistically be a to an extent 'satisfactoy', depending ofcourse on the course itself and the conditions.

    playing a 2nd time on a new course id expect a vast improvement as id have a basic understanding of each hole and where to hit the ball, even what direction to point.

    what are your thoughts and experiences of playing a course thats totally alien to you?
    how did you fare in your score?
    and did you improve on your second attempt (if you played it again)?

    thanks :D


Comments

  • #2
    Trampas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,112 ✭✭✭Trampas


    I remember playing with a very low handicap one day and when he played a new course and he could see that the hole was a dog leg left or right and that you could cut the corner. He would take out and iron and play it down to the corner cause he could see where he was hitting the ball.

    He didn't believe in playing to somewhere he couldn't see.


  • #3
    heavyballs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,683 ✭✭✭heavyballs


    conman wrote: »
    what would your score expectations be whilst playing a course tats new to you?

    however, achieving a score 5-10 shots above handicap on a new course is something that can be improved upon certainly,


    what are your thoughts and experiences of playing a course thats totally alien to you?
    how did you fare in your score?
    and did you improve on your second attempt (if you played it again)?

    thanks :D

    anyone who's achieving a score of 5-10 above hcp is imo playing of the wrong hcp.
    sometimes i'm better the first time playing a new course because i'm more focused and sometimes not knowing the danger spots is a good thing.
    I played south county last week and scored 2 over,i reckon when i play it this week i'll probably do very well to beat that.I'll let you know how i do.


  • #4
    conman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 183 ✭✭conman


    heavyballs wrote: »
    anyone who's achieving a score of 5-10 above hcp is imo playing of the wrong hcp.
    sometimes i'm better the first time playing a new course because i'm more focused and sometimes not knowing the danger spots is a good thing.
    I played south county last week and scored 2 over,i reckon when i play it this week i'll probably do very well to beat that.I'll let you know how i do.

    like i said, im coming back after many years away, and 10 was my handicap, im trying to practice my way to that level again, takes a bit of time tho... im probably playing to about 12-13 when i play a relatively familiar course but its a work in progress..

    but its great to be able to play a new course and do well, i played south county before and did ok, certainly much better than corballis.. but it was very windy, and seeing the greens even for your second shot was not easy.. 50-70 yards walks were common place to see a target :D


  • #5
    X-Calibre
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 772 ✭✭✭X-Calibre


    Playing a new parkland course I would expect to play to my handicap, although I wouldn't be overly disappointed with 1 or 2 shots worse. Playing a links is a different story though with the amount of local knowledge you sometimes need. I would usually allow a couple of extra shots on a links.


  • #6
    conman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 183 ✭✭conman


    X-Calibre wrote: »
    Playing a new parkland course I would expect to play to my handicap, although I wouldn't be overly disappointed with 1 or 2 shots worse. Playing a links is a different story though with the amount of local knowledge you sometimes need. I would usually allow a couple of extra shots on a links.

    that is what i think too.. depends on the links however, like charlesland or woodbrook are uncomparable to corballis in terms of shot selection and knowledge required.


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  • #7
    G1032
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,250 ✭✭✭G1032


    I tend to struggle somewhat when I play a links for the first time but do shoot better scores when I play them again. You've really got to know where you're going on a links. There can be a lot of blind shots, hidden bunkers etc.
    Don't struggle so much on new parklands.
    But I think that shooting 10 worse than your handicap can't be all down to the new surroundings. Some of it must be down to poor golf aswell.


  • #8
    Daithio9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 494 ✭✭Daithio9


    ronaldochokes wrote: »
    I tend to struggle somewhat when I play a links for the first time but do shoot better scores when I play them again. You've really got to know where you're going on a links. There can be a lot of blind shots, hidden bunkers etc.
    Don't struggle so much on new parklands.
    But I think that shooting 10 worse than your handicap can't be all down to the new surroundings. Some of it must be down to poor golf aswell.
    Depends on your handicap.
    To the OP buy a stroke saver if available imo.


  • #9
    heavyballs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,683 ✭✭✭heavyballs


    conman wrote: »
    that is what i think too.. depends on the links however, like charlesland or woodbrook are uncomparable to corballis in terms of shot selection and knowledge required.


    charlesland is not a links surely,a pure poxy course imo.It's not sandy underfoot,there are no dunes,yes it's beside the sea but i still wouldn't class it as links.Am i alone in havig that view?Also,i wouldn't call Woodbrook a links either.


  • #10
    G1032
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,250 ✭✭✭G1032


    Daithio9 wrote: »
    Depends on your handicap.
    To the OP buy a stroke saver if available imo.

    So do you think that if you have a higher handicap that a bad score could all be down to being unfamiliar with the new course? Or is it the other way around??


  • #11
    charlieIRL
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,300 Mod ✭✭✭✭charlieIRL


    can i ask a silly question (remember i'm still learning!) - what is playing to your handicap?

    Is it for example you play off 10 and you score 82 on a par 72 course?

    My handicap is 22 and i can go around in less than 94 shots in my club (par is 72)


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  • #12
    Daithio9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 494 ✭✭Daithio9


    charlieIRL wrote: »
    can i ask a silly question (remember i'm still learning!) - what is playing to your handicap?

    Is it for example you play off 10 and you score 82 on a par 72 course?

    My handicap is 22 and i can go around in less than 94 shots in my club (par is 72)
    Your example above is spot on Charlie, that's playing exactly to your handicap.


  • #13
    G1032
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,250 ✭✭✭G1032


    charlieIRL wrote: »
    can i ask a silly question (remember i'm still learning!) - what is playing to your handicap?

    Is it for example you play off 10 and you score 82 on a par 72 course?

    My handicap is 22 and i can go around in less than 94 shots in my club (par is 72)

    Yes and no. Playing to your handicap means equaling standard scatch for the course. Most often that will be like the example you gave (shooting 82 etc....). But there will be instances where you could shoot 83 on a par 72 and play to your handicap of 10 - if the standard scratch is 73!

    So strictly speaking, playing to your handicap means equaling standard scratch for the course.


  • #14
    PhilipMarlowe
    Subscribers Posts: 4,419 ✭✭✭PhilipMarlowe


    Playing to your handicap is having a nett score equal to the standard (or competition) scratch or a score above this that is within your buffer zone.
    You are off 22 so a category 4 player.
    Assuming a competition scratch score (CSS) of 72 and a par of 72 then you can score a nett 72 to 76 and your handicap won't get adjusted so I'd consider this playing to your handicap. Any lower and you get cut, higher and you get 0.1 back.
    CSS changes depending on the conditions of the day and what tees you played from so you might have to score a nett 70 off the forward tees on a calm day to play exactly to your handicap and off the back tees on a tough day then 74 to 78 nett might be your buffer zone.

    Also, to further complicate things, the score used for handicapping purposes is your adjusted gross so any big numbers are reduced to a nett double bogey.. so you could go around in 94 which is a 72 nett but maybe you had an 8 on a par 4, index 8. You receive one shot on this hole so a nett double bogey is a 7 for you so the 8 is reduced to a 7 for handicapping purposes. Your 72 then becomes a 71 and a possible cut of 0.4
    Basically your strokeplay card is adjusted as if it were a stableford round which means you can have a disaster on a hole and even though you may be well out of the competition you can still get cut.


  • #15
    Daithio9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 494 ✭✭Daithio9


    I type slow.


  • #16
    Mister Sifter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,798 ✭✭✭Mister Sifter


    heavyballs wrote: »
    charlesland is not a links surely,a pure poxy course imo.It's not sandy underfoot,there are no dunes,yes it's beside the sea but i still wouldn't class it as links.Am i alone in havig that view?Also,i wouldn't call Woodbrook a links either.

    Neither of them are pure links course, but some (only a few, mind) holes do have elements on both. i don't think Charlesland is near a bad as people make out. It's pretty open and reasonably straightforward, but there are some good holes on it, particularly on the back nine. I've always found it to be in good condition and very welcoming.


  • #17
    G1032
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,250 ✭✭✭G1032


    Licksy wrote: »
    Playing to your handicap is having a nett score equal to the standard (or competition) scratch or a score above this that is within your buffer zone.

    Shooting a nett score that is above the standard scratch but in the buffer isn't playing to your handicap. You must equal or better standard scratch to play to your handicap. Being in the buffer just means your score wasn't bad enough to warrant adding 0.1 to you handicap.


  • #18
    PhilipMarlowe
    Subscribers Posts: 4,419 ✭✭✭PhilipMarlowe


    If you want to argue semantics, CONGU (the council of national golf unions) who administer the handicap system says "Every score returned by the player in competitions held under the strictly controlled conditions is then used to adjust the players handicap. When a player's score, after deduction of his handicap (the nett score), is below the SSS his handicap is reduced. The amount of reduction depends on how many shots under the SSS his nett score is and what his handicap is at the time. When a player's nett score is the same as the SSS or very slightly above it he has played to his handicap. This is known as playing within the “buffer zone” and no change is made to his handicap. When the nett score is over the buffer zone an increase of 0.1 is applied to the player's Exact Handicap"


  • #19
    G1032
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,250 ✭✭✭G1032


    Licksy wrote: »
    If you want to argue semantics, CONGU (the council of national golf unions) who administer the handicap system says "Every score returned by the player in competitions held under the strictly controlled conditions is then used to adjust the players handicap. When a player's score, after deduction of his handicap (the nett score), is below the SSS his handicap is reduced. The amount of reduction depends on how many shots under the SSS his nett score is and what his handicap is at the time. When a player's nett score is the same as the SSS or very slightly above it he has played to his handicap. This is known as playing within the “buffer zone” and no change is made to his handicap. When the nett score is over the buffer zone an increase of 0.1 is applied to the player's Exact Handicap"

    Fair enough. I stand corrected. Apologies from me Licksy.


  • #20
    PhilipMarlowe
    Subscribers Posts: 4,419 ✭✭✭PhilipMarlowe


    No need to apologise but I know that when I hit the buffer zone (which for me is only 1 over the CSS) you won't tell me that I didn't play to my handicap!


  • #21
    G1032
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,250 ✭✭✭G1032


    Licksy wrote: »
    No need to apologise but I know that when I hit the buffer zone (which for me is only 1 over the CSS) you won't tell me that I didn't play to my handicap!

    Sound. It's the same for me........ ......16 point ones this year and now out to 5.3!! Ouch!!!


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  • #22
    f22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭f22


    Worst golf I've ever played this year, .1 virtually every round I've played. Out to 5.8 now, my highest in years. The pathetic thing is my driving has been great all Summer, everything else has collapsed. Driving me mental.


  • #23
    G1032
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,250 ✭✭✭G1032


    f22 wrote: »
    Worst golf I've ever played this year, .1 virtually every round I've played. Out to 5.8 now, my highest in years. The pathetic thing is my driving has been great all Summer, everything else has collapsed. Driving me mental.

    are you playing much?? how many times a week?


  • #24
    f22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭f22


    ronaldochokes wrote: »
    are you playing much?? how many times a week?

    No, two little nippers so once a week and the odd midweek. Was never really one for practise but don't even have the time to recorrect the problems.

    Sad thing is I could go out and shoot under par at the weekend after a run of 6 .1s. No practise no consistency so my own fault.


  • #25
    G1032
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,250 ✭✭✭G1032


    f22 wrote: »
    No, two little nippers so once a week and the odd midweek. Was never really one for practise but don't even have the time to recorrect the problems.

    Sad thing is I could go out and shoot under par at the weekend after a run of 6 .1s. No practise no consistency so my own fault.

    Well I don't have the nippers yet so I have no excuses but still haven't hit a ball in over two weeks. Never practice either. Just play when I can and concentrate on the basics............When a good/great round comes along it's all the more enjoyable then. Sick to death of the point ones though!!!


  • #26
    heavyballs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,683 ✭✭✭heavyballs


    Mister Sifter wrote: »
    Neither of them are pure links course, but some (only a few, mind) holes do have elements on both. i don't think Charlesland is near a bad as people make out. It's pretty open and reasonably straightforward, but there are some good holes on it, particularly on the back nine. I've always found it to be in good condition and very welcoming.

    we'll agree to differ on charlesland,i'd like to know what other people think of it,i honestly can think of 1 or 2 alright holes,that's it,and that joke index 1 ,i think, with the sloppy fairway is a stupid hole,last time i played there i had two eagles in one round for the first time ever,the second one i had was a 7 iron on a downhill hole that should really be a par 4


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