2020 Golf Thread

FL4WL3SS

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
14,913
Andy Brickley's potty mouth
#rounds: 68
High: 91
Low: 73
Avg: 79.7

I was perplexed by the 91 because I didn't remember shooting a 90s score this year. I see now that it was the round at Pacific Dunes in March in 30mph winds. Fun times.
 

TFP

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2007
20,380
#rounds: 68
High: 91
Low: 73
Avg: 79.7

I was perplexed by the 91 because I didn't remember shooting a 90s score this year. I see now that it was the round at Pacific Dunes in March in 30mph winds. Fun times.
Haha when I read 91 I immediately knew that was the round. 24 guys, many low single digits to scratch, no one broke 80.

Here are mine:

Total Rounds: 71
Low: 81
High: 105 (also that Pac Dunes round)
Avg: 90
 

Lupe Whalewatch

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
3,164
Worlds End
This is a fun game:

# of Scores: 115
High: 88
Low: 68
Avg.: 77.1

Somehow, I average +5 but my handicap is 1.6 and that's the highest it's been since August (1.7). I know, it's supposed to reflect potential, but all I see is the potential for losing money to 10-15 handicaps all winter.
Same with me. I'm a 5.9 and I play a lot of 10-15 handicaps and lose money basically every time.
 

TFP

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2007
20,380
Same with me. I'm a 5.9 and I play a lot of 10-15 handicaps and lose money basically every time.
I’m an 11 and it’s the perfect spot to be to win money. I can play well and go shoot 84 and dominate or scrape it around at 92 and make a ton of net pars.

Or shoot 98 and chalk it up to a bad day.
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
I’m an 11 and it’s the perfect spot to be to win money. I can play well and go shoot 84 and dominate or scrape it around at 92 and make a ton of net pars.

Or shoot 98 and chalk it up to a bad day.
When I shot 68 earlier this year I was playing skins with my group. I won 0 skins. 11, 12, and 18 handicaps. 6 birdies that day. 0 skins. It's why I so prefer flighted tourneys to handicapped tourneys.
 

TFP

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2007
20,380
Well skins is even tougher because there’s a much bigger element of luck involved (for everyone). It’s very much about when you have your good holes on top of how many you have.

My brother is a 7 index and despises making our skins game net. Then I went out and shot 83 and won zero skins and didn’t stop letting him have it. Usually we end up meeting in the middle somewhere in negotiations.
 

inJacobyWeTrust

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 12, 2007
1,245
Watertown
I always do the same thing every year, getting my handicap low enough at the end of the season that I get absolutely robbed blind in matches for the first month or so of the next season. 2020 stats:

Rounds: 34
High: 87
Low: 71
Avg: 77.1
Index: 1.5 (low 1.1 for the year)
 

steveluck7

Member
SoSH Member
May 10, 2007
3,994
Burrillville, RI
I always do the same thing every year, getting my handicap low enough at the end of the season that I get absolutely robbed blind in matches for the first month or so of the next season. 2020 stats:

Rounds: 34
High: 87
Low: 71
Avg: 77.1
Index: 1.5 (low 1.1 for the year)
So... do you want to play soon? I’m free in March, if that works for you
 

Over Guapo Grande

panty merchant
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2005
4,461
Worcester
I've gotten back down to an 11.6 thanks to a lot of golf this year. Does having a "home course" discount that any? So I know most of the breaks in the greens now.. That probably saves me a few shots a round... I know I need to hit this chip out way right, so rather than a two putt, I am left with a tap in. But if I go to a new course, that knowledge doesn't really translate. Also the home course is shorter/more of a shot making course which plays into my game better than a bombers one.

All in all, I am happy with where my game is. At my age (Tigeresque) I think I had my best year overall. Two sub 80 rounds. I think I had previously only had two in my life coming into the year. Thank you @FL4WL3SS for the thought of starting steep and ending shallow (may not have been those words, but that was the idea), and everyone else in this thread for the constant fistbumps and encouragement... whether we were scratch or a 30 handicapper.
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
I've gotten back down to an 11.6 thanks to a lot of golf this year. Does having a "home course" discount that any? So I know most of the breaks in the greens now.. That probably saves me a few shots a round... I know I need to hit this chip out way right, so rather than a two putt, I am left with a tap in. But if I go to a new course, that knowledge doesn't really translate. Also the home course is shorter/more of a shot making course which plays into my game better than a bombers one.

All in all, I am happy with where my game is. At my age (Tigeresque) I think I had my best year overall. Two sub 80 rounds. I think I had previously only had two in my life coming into the year. Thank you @FL4WL3SS for the thought of starting steep and ending shallow (may not have been those words, but that was the idea), and everyone else in this thread for the constant fistbumps and encouragement... whether we were scratch or a 30 handicapper.
Yeah, you private club golfers are at a disadvantage when you leave your well known confines. That's how guys like @FL4WL3SS shoot a 91 at Pacific Dunes ;)
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
SoSH Member
Feb 22, 2004
12,959
The Paris of the 80s
Are you guys getting total rounds on the ghin app? I only see my most recent 20
I was keeping count through most of the summer but eventually lost track along the way. Up somewhere in the 60-70 round range at this point. I played something like 20 in the first month after MA allowed courses to open and everything else was closed, then 2-3 a week through October. Nothing else to do on weekends or days off!
 

TFP

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2007
20,380
Are you guys getting total rounds on the ghin app? I only see my most recent 20
Where the drop down says “recent and revision scores” at the top, change it to “2020 scores”
 

FL4WL3SS

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
14,913
Andy Brickley's potty mouth
I finished the year at 4.4 with a season low of 3.4. I shot a 75 on the last day of posting season to go from a 4.7 to a 4.4 which cost me one stroke over the winter. Playing as a course 6 instead of a course 5 would have been huge for my winter match play competition.
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
I finished the year at 4.4 with a season low of 3.4. I shot a 75 on the last day of posting season to go from a 4.7 to a 4.4 which cost me one stroke over the winter. Playing as a course 6 instead of a course 5 would have been huge for my winter match play competition.
Maybe, but a 4.4 who can shoot 75 at your course is likely still going to get paid pretty regularly, especially in the winter in the PNW where length is a big advantage.
 

ezemerson

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 19, 2013
1,541
I've gotten back down to an 11.6 thanks to a lot of golf this year. Does having a "home course" discount that any? So I know most of the breaks in the greens now.. That probably saves me a few shots a round... I know I need to hit this chip out way right, so rather than a two putt, I am left with a tap in. But if I go to a new course, that knowledge doesn't really translate. Also the home course is shorter/more of a shot making course which plays into my game better than a bombers one.

All in all, I am happy with where my game is. At my age (Tigeresque) I think I had my best year overall. Two sub 80 rounds. I think I had previously only had two in my life coming into the year. Thank you @FL4WL3SS for the thought of starting steep and ending shallow (may not have been those words, but that was the idea), and everyone else in this thread for the constant fistbumps and encouragement... whether we were scratch or a 30 handicapper.
I usually like to spread out my play and not get a membership at one course, but when i did a few years ago i achieved my lowest handicap of my career.....after not re-upping the following year the handicap slowly went back up
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
11 rounds

Low: 75
High: 107
Avg: 87

That's, uh, quite a range between high and low. I'm the definition of inconsistent.
 

Gunca

New Member
Mar 5, 2020
44
Rounds Played: 36
High Round: 83
Low Round: 72
Average Round: 76.5
Handicap: 1.7

I had a good year this season, but there’s a few parts of my game that need some attention in the off season. My putter is hot and cold, so that’ll be my main focus during the winter months. I’ve been looking into some lessons with Marcus Potter. For those that don’t know, he runs the Potter’s Putting Instagram and works with some tour pros. The lessons are online and I think it’ll be a cool experience if I decide to pull the trigger. I also want to try and do some over speed training and see how that goes. My goal next season is to break par after knocking on the door a few rounds last season.
 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2002
28,534
right here
rounds: 1. sigh. Maybe next year... Probably not though. Why would it be different.
score: dunno, it was a best ball with my dad. We "shot" a 73 though. He's a great best ball partner for me because he plays perfect old man golf. I know he'll be in the fairway so I can just hit the ball hard and hope.
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
I don't have a GHIN, but I use the free 18 Birdies app to track scores (side note- is a subscription worth it?). They say I'm a 14.1. I play a weekly 9 with my FIL so I'll split it up into 9 and 18 of the rounds I tracked. There's probably 3-5 more I didn't track on the app. I think it's kind of a pain to use a phone as a scorecard.

9 9-hole rounds
High: 52
Low: 39
Average: 44

4 18 hole rounds
High: 100
Low: 90
Average: 94

Small sample size, but I can't break through the 90 barrier. I need to play 18 more, I think. I had a health issue pop up in September that kept me off the course. I eventually got back out there 2 times, once in late October and snuck a final round in with the nice weather last week, but didn't bother with the scorecard, I was just happy to be playing. I was probably well into the 100's on both,.

I've said this before, but part of my scoring problem is I go in trying not to care or think about my score. If I make a triple, who cares, that sort of thing. That leads to some complacency and I'm just kind of stuck in the 90-100 range. I think I need to play more competitively.
 

Over Guapo Grande

panty merchant
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2005
4,461
Worcester
@cshea I use the 18 birdies subscription. I probably didn't need to splurge for it, but the swing analysis is a nice feature. I like how it also tracks my stats against the course averages (e.g. a round of 31 putts ranks in the 70th%)
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
Well, I'd also like to improve and get better. I can still have fun shooting 100 but I'd imagine shooting an 80 is also a lot of fun.
Well some of these guys here shoot from like 68-75 routinely, and I imagine it's gotta be pretty boring hitting drives down the middle, hitting the green, and putting for birdie (with tap-ins for par), hole after hole after hole. I mean, where's the variety? They don't even get to see most of the golf course. And from a stroke per dollar standpoint, they're getting ripped off.
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
Well some of these guys here shoot from like 68-75 routinely, and I imagine it's gotta be pretty boring hitting drives down the middle, hitting the green, and putting for birdie (with tap-ins for par), hole after hole after hole. I mean, where's the variety? They don't even get to see most of the golf course. And from a stroke per dollar standpoint, they're getting ripped off.
I think you'd be surprised to see what a 75 really looks like on a regular basis. I, for one, hit the ball all over the damn place. Lower caps generally are just better at recovering and not making matters worse by turning bogeys into doubles. 9 pars, 6 bogeys, and 3 birdies is a 75. Make a couple of those pars into bogies and a couple of those bogeys into doubles and your right there in the 80s.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
Yeah and I was joking anyway. I’d LOVE to be putting up 70-75 regularly. Clearly it wouldn’t be boring.
 

patinorange

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 27, 2006
30,661
6 miles from Angel Stadium
50 rounds
High 95
Low 78
Average 86.8
Current index is 15.4

I’m retired now so I have been playing twice a week (with a 2 month break when COVID shut down the courses )

my new curse is every third fairway wood or utility club is being topped or hit 100 yards 6” off the ground. Can’t figure it out but now it’s in my head. Golf is stupid.
 

Dan Murfman

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 21, 2001
4,186
Pawcatuck
One of my favorite memories of high school was playing on the golf team. We used to get half days on match days . I was not that good but it was a lot of fun playing nice courses all over the Connecticut. But the absolute highlight was the 2 times we played at Fishers Island . And it was actually the first course I broke 90. The only problem is it was 35 years ago so I don’t really remember the course and I didn’t appreciate where I was playing. So now my fingers are crossed as my wife just took a job with Fishers Island District and her new boss might be able to get me on next spring.
 

Zincman

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
433
New London
Don't miss Fisher's Island. I've played it many times and it is always a treat. Every hole has a view of the water, there are a couple of blind shots, and it is always very windy. The conditioning is "natural" rather than manicured but everything is how it should be. Just quirky enough to be controversial and traditional enough to be the subject of design analysis. Very difficult to get on as you know so if you get the opportunity, jump at it.
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
Golf season still going strong here in Seattle. Have had a run of phenomenal weather.
Mostly true here in Denver too. We have 6" of snow on the ground at my house but 30 minutes north it's completely clear. Played yesterday and today.
 

voidfunkt

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 14, 2006
1,461
/dev/null
Golf season still going strong here in Seattle. Have had a run of phenomenal weather.
As someone considering a move to the PNW eventually, especially the Seattle-proper area does golf season ever really end? I've been out there a bunch in the winters and it always seems like it sits in the 40's for most of the winter (which is arguably shorter than New Englands). Also snow is pretty rare too.
 

FL4WL3SS

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
14,913
Andy Brickley's potty mouth
Golf season is pretty much year round, but sporadic Dec - Feb. It all depends on how much you willing to deal with, honestly.

I live at the edge of the mountains, so we get snow and colder weather, but still manageable.
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
As someone considering a move to the PNW eventually, especially the Seattle-proper area does golf season ever really end? I've been out there a bunch in the winters and it always seems like it sits in the 40's for most of the winter (which is arguably shorter than New Englands). Also snow is pretty rare too.
The idea that "winter" is shorter in the PNW than in NE is incorrect. It's apparently gotten somewhat better since I moved away from Portland in 2013, but winter is late October to June-ish (we referred to it as June-uary). The conventional wisdom was that you can count on good weather starting on the 4th of July. There can be some nice days mixed in here and there, but expect rain of some sort on just about every day in that range. That being said, I absolutely played year-round. You'll need a bunch of rain gear and it's hard to describe the slop you'll play in, but you can definitely still play and you just get used to it. Get really good shoes and tie them tight. The mud will try to take them right off your feet.
 

SoxJox

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2003
7,082
Rock > SoxJox < Hard Place
Persimmon woods. Man, I haven't thought about them for a while but it reminded me of an experience.

My dad, soon after getting out of the Army in 1952, went to a public golf range to hit some balls. They had an old trash can that had a bunch of old clubs that patrons could borrow. My dad noticed there was a matching set of 1, 2, and 3 Spalding Kro-Flite Robert T. Jones 133 persimmon woods. He asked and the proprietor agreed to sell them to my dad for $5.

My research says they were likely made sometime before 1942, the last year Spalding manufactured persimmon woods (afterward they progressed to laminate woods).

He had them completely refinished, lacquered, and gripped. They're beautiful. Not rare, but probably worth somewhere around $500.
 

Over Guapo Grande

panty merchant
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2005
4,461
Worcester
Persimmon woods. Man, I haven't thought about them for a while but it reminded me of an experience.

My dad, soon after getting out of the Army in 1952, went to a public golf range to hit some balls. They had an old trash can that had a bunch of old clubs that patrons could borrow. My dad noticed there was a matching set of 1, 2, and 3 Spalding Kro-Flite Robert T. Jones 133 persimmon woods. He asked and the proprietor agreed to sell them to my dad for $5.

My research says they were likely made sometime before 1942, the last year Spalding manufactured persimmon woods (afterward they progressed to laminate woods).

He had them completely refinished, lacquered, and gripped. They're beautiful. Not rare, but probably worth somewhere around $500.
My grandfather used to caddy back in the 20's/30's (1920's/30's). He had a whole bunch of hickory shafted wooden head drivers, razor thin irons in his basement. I'm hanging onto them.