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True Improvement ... With Verifiable Results
Obee ·


Who on the board who took up the game in the 20's (never played in high school or as a child) or later who got down to scratch or below and has been able to play tournaments at that level with verifiable results?
I'm doing a bit of a study on that type of golfer, specifically.
Answer here, or PM me, if interested in discussing your journey.
I'm doing a bit of a study on that type of golfer, specifically.
Answer here, or PM me, if interested in discussing your journey.
Posted:
PING G400 Max - Tour 65 S
Callaway Rogue 15* 3W
Titleist H1 19* Diamana S+ Blue 70hy
Titleist H1 23* Diamana S+ Blue 70hy
Adams Idea Tech V4 5H 25* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Adams Idea Tech V4 6H 28* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Adams Idea Tech V4 7H 32* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Titleist AP2 716 8i 37* KBS Tour S
Titleist AP2 716 9i 42* KBS Tour S
Don Wood Custom Grind 47* PW
Don Wood Custom Grind 51* GW
Titleist "Vokey Design" 56* K Grind
Mizuno S18 60/7 LW
Odyssey Works Versa Tank 1W (bent to 78.5*)
Callaway Rogue 15* 3W
Titleist H1 19* Diamana S+ Blue 70hy
Titleist H1 23* Diamana S+ Blue 70hy
Adams Idea Tech V4 5H 25* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Adams Idea Tech V4 6H 28* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Adams Idea Tech V4 7H 32* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Titleist AP2 716 8i 37* KBS Tour S
Titleist AP2 716 9i 42* KBS Tour S
Don Wood Custom Grind 47* PW
Don Wood Custom Grind 51* GW
Titleist "Vokey Design" 56* K Grind
Mizuno S18 60/7 LW
Odyssey Works Versa Tank 1W (bent to 78.5*)
Comments
480
5
Taylormade 15* RBZ Stage 2 Stock X Undersized grip
Taylormade 15 TP 2H 17*
Taylormade V-Steel 18*
Mizuno Mp-H5 1i bent to 14* 1/2" lengthened DG S300 shaft
Callaway X-Prototype Utility 18*
Mizuno MP-H4 3-PW
Playing Vokey SM6 K grind 52/10, Ping Glide 58 TS, and Callaway PM Grind 64
Odyssey White Hot Pro 1
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3840
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Those are exactly the kind of guys I'm looking to speak with: Guys who can shoot under the course rating, in tournament conditions, who took up the game as adults, not kids. And it sounds like this guy is significantly better than that, even.
Callaway Rogue 15* 3W
Titleist H1 19* Diamana S+ Blue 70hy
Titleist H1 23* Diamana S+ Blue 70hy
Adams Idea Tech V4 5H 25* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Adams Idea Tech V4 6H 28* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Adams Idea Tech V4 7H 32* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Titleist AP2 716 8i 37* KBS Tour S
Titleist AP2 716 9i 42* KBS Tour S
Don Wood Custom Grind 47* PW
Don Wood Custom Grind 51* GW
Titleist "Vokey Design" 56* K Grind
Mizuno S18 60/7 LW
Odyssey Works Versa Tank 1W (bent to 78.5*)
3840
5
Callaway Rogue 15* 3W
Titleist H1 19* Diamana S+ Blue 70hy
Titleist H1 23* Diamana S+ Blue 70hy
Adams Idea Tech V4 5H 25* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Adams Idea Tech V4 6H 28* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Adams Idea Tech V4 7H 32* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Titleist AP2 716 8i 37* KBS Tour S
Titleist AP2 716 9i 42* KBS Tour S
Don Wood Custom Grind 47* PW
Don Wood Custom Grind 51* GW
Titleist "Vokey Design" 56* K Grind
Mizuno S18 60/7 LW
Odyssey Works Versa Tank 1W (bent to 78.5*)
336
3
Guys picking up the game in their 20s and making a run at high level tournament golf are around but not many. I play golf with 2 that have come close or are there (US Open Qualifiers, State Ams, etc). One is a former semi-pro hockey player and the other is a retired Navy SEAL. Both these guys are athletic and insane. To do what you are asking the person has to be athletic, have some sort of compulsive disorder, massive ego and play 200 rounds of golf a year.
Also, these guys surround themselves with the highest caliber players in the area and they hate losing to them. Just thought I'd share info on two examples i've golfed with for years. Doesn't happen all the time.
TM M5 15* Evo Speeder 757 OG
TM UDI 17* UST Recoil
TM P790 2019 4-PW Ctapers
Titleist Vokey SM7 50/54/58
Evnroll ER5
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Sooo...life of the party type?
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Used to know Ryan howison pretty well. Awesome guy and player. Gave me the Happy Gillmor moniker.
I don’t remember exactly when he took golf up, but it was pretty late and I don’t think he got good until after after he injured himself playing college baseball.
Won a bunch of money on the web.com tour and played the big tour a few times.
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1087
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I think YE Yang started at 19. The people your looking for would need to play and practice all day instead of work and have to learn a subconscious action after the brain is done developing. Tough people to find.
28769
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You’re pretty spot on.
Ping G410 15.5* Graphite Design ADDI 8x
Ping G410 21* ADDI 105x
Ping Blueprint 3- PW Modus 130X
Ping Glide Forged 54 60 s400
Cameron GSS 1.5 009. Sound slot, tungsten weights.
3638
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1617
5
Titleist 917 F2 16.5
Callaway X2Hot Pro
Callaway X2Hot Pro
Ping i20 5i-UW - KBS Tour S - Yellow Dot
Ping Glide 54 SS - CFS Wedge S - Blue Dot
Ping Glide 58 ES - CFS Wedge S - Black Dot
Taylormade Spider Tour Red Half-Sightline - 35"
3833
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RH
https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/comment/19140253#Comment_19140253
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It was a very precise and interesting grid that broke out age groups and then percent chance of becoming scratch based on the age a golfer started to play the game.
Said something like (and this is a VERY generalized view): if you started to play when you were age 0-5, 10% chance, 5-10, 5% chance; and on and on.
What I MOST DEFINITELY recall is that starting when I did at age 33 or so, the grid indicated that my chances of becoming scratch was like a .000001 probability. But hey, I keep trying!!
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Best GHIN index: +1.4
Best 4 day tournament index: 0.8
I may not be exactly who you are looking for due to my relatively poor tournament results thus far. Definitely a goal of mine this coming year, to have only tournament rounds in my GHIN, all verifiable via online results.
Outside of tournament play, I have 6 rounds in the 60's with witnesses this year including my best score of 65 recently (Star Ranch Golf club Blue tees 70.1/117), and my best differential earlier this summer at 66 at Crystal Falls back tees 73.4/131.
3155
5
Titleist TS2 15*
Titleist TS3 19 hybrid
Titleist 718 AP2 4-pw
Vokey SM7 52/58 wedges
Scotty Cameron Futura 5.5m
179
2
1087
5
n/a
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467
4
1176
5
Ping G400 Max, 8-degrees, tour stiff
Mizuno JPX900 Forged irons
Ping G400 5-wood
Ping Anser G putter
Snell MTB-X
Knee Deep Breaking Bud IPA
29
0
167
1
1993
5
I've won a couple of state level senior women's events (one NM, one TX) and one 2nd (TX). I have a 2nd (NM), 5th (NM), and 20th (TX) in state level women's events (the kids are really tough). I have a couple of rounds under the course rating during those competitions. Looking to be a little more competitive with the kids this coming year as I am getting more accustomed to tournament golf.
3W: Callaway Rogue w/Project X Evenflow 5.5 Graphite R-flex
Hybrids: Callaway Apex 3h, 4h w/MR Kuro Kage 80HY S-flex
Irons: Maltby TS-1 5i-GW w/KBS Tour R-flex
Sand Wedge: Titleist Vokey SM7 54/08 M Grind w/KBS Tour R-Flex
Lob Wedge: Titleist Vokey SM6 58/04 L Grind w/TT Wedge Flex
Putter: Scotty Cameron Futura X w/Super Stroke Claw 1.0
Ball: Titleist AVX (wind) or ProV1X (tournaments) in yellow
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480
5
Taylormade 15* RBZ Stage 2 Stock X Undersized grip
Taylormade 15 TP 2H 17*
Taylormade V-Steel 18*
Mizuno Mp-H5 1i bent to 14* 1/2" lengthened DG S300 shaft
Callaway X-Prototype Utility 18*
Mizuno MP-H4 3-PW
Playing Vokey SM6 K grind 52/10, Ping Glide 58 TS, and Callaway PM Grind 64
Odyssey White Hot Pro 1
850
5
3908
5
Pretty sure every county has a amateur championship and an order of merit with several events, I would class those as tournaments? Not to mention regional and national tournaments?
3 Wood: Callaway Rogue Sub Zero 15* w/ Hzrdus Yellow 6.5 76g
3 iron: Srixon ZU85 20* w/ Nippon Modus 120x
4-PW: Callaway X Forged '13 w/ Project X Pxi 6.0
Wedges: Vokey SM7 50F, 54S & 60L - DG wedge flex
Putter: Odyssey Stroke Lab #7 34" w/ P2 Aware Tour
Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft
498
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Took a job as an assistant pro in spring of 65 (married with 2 young children) for $ 65 per week. Spent 5 years as an assistant, working the last 2 for a very good player (1st team AA along with Bobby Nichols and Don January in 1959). Learned a lot about how to play and was able to win a few Section PGA pro ams.
Head pro at a private club from 1970 thru 1979. Won numerous local pro ams, won a State Open, qualified for a US Open and played in 5 or 6 National Club Pro Championships.
Head pro at another private club from 1981 thru 1992. Won numerous section events including Section Championship, and another State Open. Played in another 8 or 9 NCPCs (played in a total or 14). Best highlight of the NCPC was finishing 3rd in 87 at Pinehurst (final round on #2 where I made 6 3s on the front nine for a score of 32 and a final score of 70).
Finished 7th at Sr Tour Q School in late 92 to earn full exemption for 93 - played 30 events with best finish a tie for 2nd. Not exempt in 94 thru 97 - played mini tours and tried Monday qualifying for Sr Tour events. Would get in 3 to 5 events a year. Finished 5th in Tampa in 95 after "4 spotting". 13th at Q school in late 97 which got me a partial exemption for 98. Played 17 events.
Did not qualify for 99 season and hung up my competitive spikes. Worked for Soft Spikes / Pride Sports for 10 years.
Play "casual" golf with friends about 3 times per week during the good weather in Northern VA. Just turned 76 last week. Have had some physical issues (right hip replacement in May 2016 and bad case of sciatica in late 2017 that laid me up for over 3 months. Can still get a few rounds in the upper 60's each year, but mostly stay between 70 and 77. Just got back from a 4 round trip to Pinehurst where I shot 75, 77, 78, 73. Probably no golf here for a while as it looks like a cold winter.
Hope to work on picking up some clubhead and ball speed over the winter.
Many thanks to the OP (Obee) for his putting threads this summer which has really helped my putting - now a "Claw Grip" convert for rest of my career along with counter weighted grip.
Bruce
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If anyone has a link to this study, I'd sure like to see it.
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8141
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+1. I started at age 29 so it would be nice to see what the statistics are for my age group
3638
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I read the same study that ST is referring to. While trying to track it down ( I cannot) came across this:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2650782/
It's rather wonky and my eyes glazed reading it but upshot is time and intensity of practice matter a great deal more than at what age one starts. They feel that if proper time and effort is put in most anyone can greatly improve and reach scratch.
My subjective feeling is that they're off on this a bit. In music, it's imperative to start young, 12 at the latest, the theory is connections between the right and left hemispheres grow stronger and faster in the elasticity of youth. Also as important is the pre-frontal cortex is lagging and not developed so reliance on that part of the brain is minimized, something which is important in musical & sports performance."Being in the zone" so to speak and freely allowing mind to run fast and not get bogged down with "logic".
But bright side in their study is if you dig in the dirt, brain will fortify connections and true development will occur. It does mean that real time and commitment has to be put in. In youth you have that along with a more malleable brain,in adulthood, you have less of both.
3840
5
Callaway Rogue 15* 3W
Titleist H1 19* Diamana S+ Blue 70hy
Titleist H1 23* Diamana S+ Blue 70hy
Adams Idea Tech V4 5H 25* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Adams Idea Tech V4 6H 28* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Adams Idea Tech V4 7H 32* ProLaunch Blue 75 HY
Titleist AP2 716 8i 37* KBS Tour S
Titleist AP2 716 9i 42* KBS Tour S
Don Wood Custom Grind 47* PW
Don Wood Custom Grind 51* GW
Titleist "Vokey Design" 56* K Grind
Mizuno S18 60/7 LW
Odyssey Works Versa Tank 1W (bent to 78.5*)
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951
5
Quote from the study: "To gain a reasonable handicap of 10–15, at least 5000–10000 practice hours are necessary."
Assuming you have other obligations once you're in your 20's or later (work, family, etc.): If you can practice 2 hours every weekday evening and 8 hours on each weekend day, it'd take between 3.7 and 7.4 years just to get your index down to the 10-15 range.
As a 54 yo current 20 index who really started playing seriously 4 years ago, I've got some work to do ...