Don't beat yourself up too bad on the sanded greens.  It turns a perfect roll into plinko more often than not  All you can do is work on pace

Did a 3 hole playing lesson today.

Great instructor.  Much better than the first guy I tried about a month ago.  A little information overload, but will break it down and work on each thing individually at the range.

Scoring a little closer to ability today.

Lost two in the same tree line on 4 and 5......if I find the fucking squirrel that stole'em

Straighten those drives, quiet losing balls and tighten up those 3 putts and I'll break 90 tomorrow.

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What happened on 15?

Hit a great tee shot, center fairway, but then fatted the first PW into the creek (so I thought).  Dropped 3 and pushed 4 on the right side of the green.  3 putted for crowd pleasing 7.

Should have walked up, because that first PW was sitting right on the edge of the creek.  I could have easy skulled that one across the green.


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I saw you hit your mark with the drive... but stuff happens We have all been there too

Told ya I'd break 90 next round.

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1 - I need a lob wedge.  The Callaway set SW is for shit and the GW pulled off some great saves that would have been much easier with more loft.  Either a 58 or maybe just replace the SW with a better 54.

2 - My wood shots are also for shit.  Next couple range days will be dedicated to hitting them off the deck now that grass is open.  I duff them straight, but 70 yard 3 wood shots cost me strokes and more importantly, break up my mental game.  

3 - Had two 3 putts (14 was a 3), both just missed the cup and went long, then I hurried the second shot because it was so close.  Stupid mistake not to give it the time it deserves.

4 - I need more birdies.  

Don't worry about #3, even Scheffler 3 putts now and then

Yeah, but that guy is still 3 putting for par

I did have a couple sweet bogey save one putts......

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I drained a 40+ foot downhill putt for a double bogey in league once.  It was like getting to 2nd base at prom.

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I'm like fucking Tommy Fleetwood off the tee!  Just 100 yards shorter......

Started a little rough, it's hard recovering from a good drive.  Bladed a GW across the green into the drink for a penalty on 7.  And then there was the four 50 yard shots down the fairway on 15.......

Did pull off a hero 105 yard SW over a close tree to save bogey on 11, you'll see that one on the highlight real.

I would try working on your lag putting.  set a goal of 35 or fewer putts per round.

also, looking at your scorecards, you are hitting 1W off the tee the majority of the time. I only saw one recorded hole where you hit 3W on a 382yd par 4. there looks like a lot of holes played that are shorter than that distance.  Try leaving the 1W at home for a round, and tee it up a little lower and use the 3W. you need to get the ball in the air.

Driver is my best club though.  

I don't hit it long, 230 average and the courses I've been playing don't have many holes where laying up is necessary.  Cedarcrest has no doglegs that require a shorter tee shot, unless you bomb 300+.  Snohomish has two, Battle Creek three.  3W practice would be good though.

Totally agree on the putting, what makes it worse and that you can't see on the cards is the 2 putts that should have ended in one.

3 putts today - 6 strokes.

After a bucket I practice putting.  First is 3 balls to within 10% of distance at random, so 20 footers within 2', 30' within 3', etc.  Don't stop until I get all three inside that and then sink the 3 shortees.  Then I do 3', 6', 9' all on the same line, one after the other until I make all three.  Some days it takes hour+, other days, goes quick.

Big weakness today, again, not on the cards, was within 50 yards of the green.  Had 5 duffs, one costing me a dumb penalty.  A couple were hit fat, couple thin.  Thing that gets me is the lie when I'm in taller stuff.  Just need more experience playing off weird lies and commiting to the shot.

Short game today - 6 strokes.

Correct those two aspects of play and I would have shot an 84.  

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Did two hours this morning putting and chipping at the range, then decided to do a quick round at the par 3.

Had nice up and downs on 2 and 9.  Great punch out of the trees on 6 to hug the edge of the green for a look at par and at least no 3 putts today.  

Time for another lesson.  

You and me both!

Gonna be a long summer at this rate boys.

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4 under net (which only adds up using common core?), but I can do a lot better.  

Fell apart on 8, hooked (WTF?, exactly) the drive into a tree 50 yards out, luckily bounced straight back.  PW back into play, then skulled the next PW into the drink I was trying to lay up to.  

13 was another shit show, it's tough recovering from a good drive.  Topped a 5W into the creek, dropped 3 and shanked 4 into the woods.  Punched out with a 8, but overshot the green.  

18 is a motherfucker.  410 left par 4.  It's straight to 300, then cuts left, across a ravine/water to a swallow but wide green.  Unless you're a bomber, you have to lay up to cross the water.  After that, anything right or short, you're fucked, it slopes hard back to the water.  I did both, and then 3 putted.  

Did you make it over the boulder?

Yes!  Kinda.  I pulled it left and shorted it just below the sand trap!

Truth be told, I played that hole with a shit ball I found over on 8, just in case.  

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What kind of fresh hell is that?  

Technically, a glacial erratic.    They're all over, biggest in the state is just over by me, called the "Lake Stevens Monster."

This course is heaven for ball hunters.  If you're willing to bush whack, brave the blackberries or have some climbing gear, there's Pro V1's everywhere.

I'm in very much the same league as you OP, some of the things I'm working on might be the things that will help you and vice versa as some of the things your discussing are relevant to my journey. I've been updating my equipment as most items in my bag were 25-30 years old, I know equipment is not going to be the cure all but I may as well use today's modern equipment.

Consistent ball striking with my irons and wedges are an ongoing concern, I want consistency from my 7-PW when approaching greens, long irons forget about it not going to happen and a new 5 and 7 wood may be in my future to handle longer approach shots. Wedge play has to improve as I often hit short wedges fat or thin and create a big number from a very short yardage situation. The game I want to play is hit it on or close to the green in regulation and take my chances with the wedges and putter to make bogie at the worst. I'm looking at adding a 54 deg to the bag as trying to take some off of a 50 deg often leads to a bad strike, also working on how big of a back swing to take when looking at a short pitch shot, trying to measure back swing to yardage. I've always pitched around the green with a 58 deg and tried to control spin and roll out, this is not working and I'm going to learn how to chip around the green with an eight iron or similar club so I can get the ball rolling earlier.

Putting: I just changed my grip to a low hold with locked elbows to control pin direction, it has been successful so far as I'm actually scaring the hole consistently, now just need speed control. I'm much more confident in sinking three footers as my direction control is much better with this new grip and have saved me strokes by not missing short putts. When I often mis-read a putt I walk up and mark the mis-read putt and realize I did not see the break, I now walk around the putt from all angles and its amazing how many times my first read is wrong.

Driving: I'm not a long hitter; 210-225 on a good day, I'm 66 years old and have taken heart that I'm a senior and hit from the senior tees. I do need to work on shaping my drives, I typically hit a draw and am working on hitting a fade when needed. Tempo is the main thing I have to think about when setting up for a driver, smooth swing will put me in play.

Eliminate the big numbers as much as possible and take my medicine when necessary knowing that a hero shot is not in the bag.

I'm enjoying the challenge and we all know golf has as much challenges as one needs in life!!!

With where I'm at now, of course every aspect of play needs work, but some areas more than others.

I try to hit at the range twice a week, but this has developed some weaknesses.

1 - hitting off weird lies.  Off a mat, I'm 7/10 with nearly any club.  But put that ball on a up/down or low/high in tall grass, I drop to maybe 3/10, distance, dispersion, all out the window.    

2 - total distance.  We have the Trackman at the range and nearly all the games are "carry AT a flag," types.  Sure, I can carry a chip to drop at a 50 yard flag pretty consistently, but I never paid attention to the rollout.  This puts me in long putt positions all the time.  

3 - putting.  Reading the slope, speed, I just suck at it.  Need another lesson and more dedicated practice time.  

Wish I could get on a slow course to play two balls and redo or practice approaches and putting, but most the time, especially nice days, it's packed and you have to keep pace.

WTF??? 😂

Putting gets a whole lot easier inside 6 feet.
My biggest gains were when I was getting my irons and approach shots closer.

Haha nice. I’ve always liked Battle Creek.

Swing felt like an unfolding lawn chair today.

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Driver was total garbage, the fairways I did hit were because of a lucky bounce or just embarrassingly short.  Wedges were also crap.  Every par on the card was a iron getting me close.

And then there was 15.  It's a great hole......that I just can't play.  Shit drive left, but the lie was up and flat, so I took a shot at the green, irons were doing good, why not?  Kerplunk.  Then laid up with a wedge, like I should have to begin with, but decided the best play was a bladed SW across the green.  The chip on that side of the green just didn't look right, so, I chipped it to the other side.  

   

Both of you, learn The Rule of 12 as applied to the shortgame.  It's not perfect, but it's a starting point for estimating carry vs roll on a chip.

Me, I have a shag bag, and a pipeline right of way covered with bermuda (and dog shit).  Practice taking your green side clubs, with a variety of techniques (putt-like chipping, partial-shots with wrist break, flops) and figure out what you can do 8/10 times and what you can't.  Also figure out where does the ball have to be in your stance to hit it effectively for those shots.  Monkey around with:
Choking down on the shaft, swing length, type of swing, face at address (square, hair open/closed, 1/4---really open/closed), club you use, etc...  All of that is going to switch stuff up.  Being somewhat athletic everyone should be able to start spotting trends with given types of actions.  And have fun.  Feel like a curious beginner with learning this stuff.  Don't get hung up on screwing up.

The problem I have with pipeline land is it's great for carry and terrible for roll.  But over time, it's helping me get very consistent (+/- 3° landing, and 2-3 yds carry) with those 9iron, set PW (44°), then a 52° and finally a marked 56° that's acting like a 58°.  When I (finally) get the 48 and 56 rebuilt with graphite, it'll be more consistent still.  Planning on well, not quite sure, but thinking of set 44-ish PW, 52?? and 56.  Also need to get off my ass and have these all measured for loft and lie.  Stuff changes.  

40/44/48/52/56 works but then I need to lose one at the other end of the bag that I like.  1st-World problems.

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Today's goal was conservative, bogey golf.  Keep the tee shots controlled.  Do what you need to do, to try for full shots into the hole, bump and run if you have to, putt for survival.  Attack the scoring holes, 6, 8, 11, 17 and the par 3's.  Play smart on 1, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 18.  And for fuck's sake just bogey 9, 13, 14 and 15, my worst holes.  

Failed.    

But hey, played golf so I consider that a win.

OP,,There's a ton you can do to lower your scores that cost NOTHING.

Get a small bucket and practice chipping balls in it from different short distances. 3-6-10 feet for example. It will VASTLY improve those short shots around the green that your missing the cup by 30 ft.

WHEN you are making long putts,,say 40 ft. Consider the hole a 3 or 5 ft. radius. Get the ball INSIDE that circle as opposed to trying to put it IN the hole.

Slow your swing down. I'll take a 200 yard drive in the fairway over a massive 300 yard slap in the woods EVERY TIME.

Practice putts 3 ft. and under EVERY DAY.

Do NOT be afraid to PUTT from off the green.

Learn your 7 iron and use it on every hole if possible. You aren't ready for a full set of clubs yet. Hole is 370? 200 yd drive. 150 YD 7 IRON. TWENTY YARD CHIP. Two putt. You are now shooting bogey golf. Bogey golf is 90. Welcome to the world of an 18 handicap.

Remember,,,only 1% of ALL golfers EVER legitimately break 100. No gimmes, no foot wedgies, no improving your lie.

Never try to recover from a bad shot, with a great shot.  Do the conservative shot and don't let one bad lead to 3 more strokes.  Stop the blow ups.

Where's my 1%er patch!?!

If you play to play, then just play, don't bother with a scorecard or handicap.  But I'm analytical and like to track everything.  So, no breakfast balls, hand wedges or mulligans.  I will move the ball back off a lie that would damage a club but not improve position.    

The weakness is putting.  Look at my cards (yeah, everything needs work, but putting is costing me that 15 handicap).

I can't read a green for shit, judge pace or roll the ball.  Gave up 7 strokes to 3 putts today and 2 more that should have dropped in one, even more if I had short game.  

I need to stop going to the range for awhile and just loiter the local courses and practice putting and chipping until they kick me out.  And a lesson would probably help too.

Now, one note.  I'm typically solo, unless I fold in with a group or another solo.  You guys that go out in pairs, threesomes or especially 4's are fucking cheating on the green.  You get to see peoples lines, their pace, everything.  You get a read before you even put your marker down.  First putt for me is fucking blind.  It's been raining for a week up here, those shaded greens roll slow, evening kicking up rooster tails.  Then the next hole is dry, runs faster than my carpet!        
 



Usually for me it's tough to recover from a good drive......or approach.    

It’s going to sound dumb, but… I really feel like playing video game golf has helped my putting. The games will overlay a grid over the green and you can see the breaks, how steep it is, etc. When actually playing on a green that breaks, I’ll mentally overlay that grid on the green, pick a corresponding point of aim, and hit the ball.

This!

Avoiding hero shots has got my handicap to brink of single digits.

Apply a tourniquet, survive the hole, and live to fight on the next hole instead of ruining your card on a blowup.

Yes... pick a spot and commit, perfect!

30mph winds at league are not helping me

I lived the pain of a blown round a couple days ago.  Played a course I haven't played before.  It has loads of elevation changes and relatively few flat lies even in the fairway.  Started off with a smooth 8 on #1 (par 5) then went +1 over the next 4 holes.  Made the turn at 43 then decided I needed another 8 on the scorecard, for symmetry purposes, ya know?  

Finished with a 95.  Hit 6 fairways, 8 greens and had seven 3-putts.  What is funny is the round felt really good for the most part.  It took only a few bad holes to really bring that score up. I'm just taking the positives from this one and moving on.  

I'm also struggling in the handicap department.  It's been going the wrong direction; up.  Went from a 16.2 early in the year to a 19.2 now.  I'm aiming to have that number back down to near a 12 by the end of July and hopefuly closer to 10 by the end of the season.   It's a struggle but we can both do it.  Just keep at it.  You're doing pretty good so far.