Nothing worse than a bogey...

[Joelsim]

Today. 10 over, which was 10 bogeys and 8 pars. I can’t ever remember not getting anything worse than a bogey before.

 

It was very, very windy today too in London.

 

My scrambling was pretty damn good,

[FourTops]

I don't think you're going to get too many responses unless you get into the Brexit fiasco.

[dciccoritti]

Today. 10 over, which was 10 bogeys and 8 pars. I can't ever remember not getting anything worse than a bogey before.

 

It was very, very windy today too in London.

 

My scrambling was pretty damn good,

 

Love that! When you can play a round without any doubles or higher it's a great round IMO.

[Joelsim]

I don't think you're going to get too many responses unless you get into the Brexit fiasco.

 

Yes, the Brexit fiasco. What an utter nightmare.

[Conrad1953]

Today. 10 over, which was 10 bogeys and 8 pars. I can't ever remember not getting anything worse than a bogey before.

 

It was very, very windy today too in London.

 

My scrambling was pretty damn good,

 

Love that! When you can play a round without any doubles or higher it's a great round IMO.

 

Totally agree. One of the hardest things about golf is to be consistent over 18 holes.

[south_side_lefty]

Today. 10 over, which was 10 bogeys and 8 pars. I can't ever remember not getting anything worse than a bogey before.

 

It was very, very windy today too in London.

 

My scrambling was pretty damn good,

 

Love that! When you can play a round without any doubles or higher it's a great round IMO.

 

Totally agree. One of the hardest things about golf is to be consistent over 18 holes.

 

Great stuff. I've only done this one time and I'm 66yo.

[LeftDaddy]

That is usually the story of my better rounds...I minimized the doubles and above. I find I can play a pretty decent round of golf if I can keep the "bad" holes to +1. Although ironically, in my two 79s, I had a triple in one and two doubles in the other.

 

I've often wondered what would happen if I played the harder holes as bogey holes and just teed off with a 4 iron or hybrid or something, and with any approach shot > than about 180 yards just "lay up" to a good number inside of 100. Then for the easier holes I would play them "normally" (driver, short iron, etc.). I've never tried it, mainly because the handful of times I've decided to lay up or play an iron off the tee, etc., the outcome wasn't much better. And with my luck, maybe I reach all of the harder holes in 3, but then 3 putt a couple of them. And it also seems that when my swing is off, all of it is off, and when it is on, well I may as well just bomb and gouge.

 

The main reason I say all of this is that I often hear the advice to "limit the damage", and believe me I buy it. Except it is always hard to know in the moment whether the damage is about to occur or not. Right? How many times have you wished that you had just teed off with a 5 iron when your driver misses the planet wide right and now you have to re-tee? But how could you have known in the moment that this was the hole you were going to miss by a mile? Or hitting that approach over water and you chunk it...would it have always been smart to lay up? From 135 yards? Of course not. The only thing I have really come up with is this "hard holes" vs "easy holes" strategy.

 

Interesting experiment I might consider someday...

[Fulioped]

Not too long ago I hit a shank off the tee, then another shank on my dropped shot. Worst feeling ever.

[LeftDaddy]

Played today. Shot 84 with a triple and two doubles despite somewhat attempting to be more conservative on the harder holes. The triple bogey was nasty, as I tried a cut off the tee and I just really struggle hitting a cut, doublecrossed myself and never saw that ball again. One of the doubles occurred because I’m a moron and can’t hit out of green side bunkers. And the other occurred because my course has a hole that is a hell of a lot harder than the 17th at Sawgrass (170+ yard carry over water to an islandish green with OB just behind and to the right of it). It’s a ridiculous hole, and is probably the only reason I don’t play our back tees more often because then it would be 190 yard carry.

 

Again, back to the point of limiting the big numbers...OK, throw the bad shot from the bunker out. Just a bad shot. Nothing more. The triple might have been poor strategy, but I was really good with my driver all day, and I’ve played that hole 200 times and have concluded that a driver with a little cut is the best approach (and believe me, I’ve tried everything). In retrospect, I wish I had hit a hybrid or something (or a PW for that matter). But I played the shot that I’ve found to be the right shot...I just didn’t execute it.

 

And the par 3. I mean, I’ve debated hitting a 70 yard wedge (tee box is about 100 yards long but super narrow), and then a 100 yard wedge. That doesn’t eliminate double or worse because the 70 yarder is no gimme, nor is the 100 yard wedge with all carry. There is nowhere to lay up. There is no “miss” on this hole that doesn’t end up in disaster.

 

I could have had a decent round eliminating the big numbers. So what is a brother to do? At the end of the day, it eventually comes down to executing shots I guess.

[Bob Cat]

"Birdies are better than bogies are bad... but doubles are a killer"

[rxk9fan]

It is tough to go low with a double or worse on the card and very few golfers on the planet recover from more than one double or worse on the card. When you watch the big boys, they all hit some crap shots. But the guys on the leader board are finding ways to hit one bad shot and then recover with bogey instead of having one bad shot turn into a double or triple.

I know for me, during this first full year back after quitting for 9 years, my biggest problem has been between my ears resulting in 2 or 3 holes a round that I can't recover from. I have seen myself too many times hit that bad shot and then attempt a recovery that has only a 10% to 20% chance of being pulled off with my abilities.

Congratulations for that round! Excellent!

I finally shot even for the first time this year a couple of weeks ago, and that would not have happened with a double on the card. Friday, I was able to avoid the dreaded double or worse, but a few too many bogeys to get really low. Still, the 74 was my second best round of the year and once again due to no doubles or worse.

[CDLgolf]

Today. 10 over, which was 10 bogeys and 8 pars. I can't ever remember not getting anything worse than a bogey before.

 

It was very, very windy today too in London.

 

My scrambling was pretty damn good,

 

 

Good job. I never have a score in mind when I start a round. My goal is no doubles and no 3 putts. When I can accomplish this I will usually have a good round.

[captain obvious]

Those doubles and occasional others are what kill me keep me around a 10. I will be cruising along half and half bogies and pars, and then out of nowhere chunk or skank or hook. Follow that with a poor recovery and that's a double. Then unless I'm heading for a garbage round, it's usually back to normal and I'm like, 'what the hell was that?'.

[Moxley]

That is usually the story of my better rounds...I minimized the doubles and above. I find I can play a pretty decent round of golf if I can keep the "bad" holes to +1. Although ironically, in my two 79s, I had a triple in one and two doubles in the other.

 

I've often wondered what would happen if I played the harder holes as bogey holes and just teed off with a 4 iron or hybrid or something, and with any approach shot > than about 180 yards just "lay up" to a good number inside of 100. Then for the easier holes I would play them "normally" (driver, short iron, etc.). I've never tried it, mainly because the handful of times I've decided to lay up or play an iron off the tee, etc., the outcome wasn't much better. And with my luck, maybe I reach all of the harder holes in 3, but then 3 putt a couple of them. And it also seems that when my swing is off, all of it is off, and when it is on, well I may as well just bomb and gouge.

 

The main reason I say all of this is that I often hear the advice to "limit the damage", and believe me I buy it. Except it is always hard to know in the moment whether the damage is about to occur or not. Right? How many times have you wished that you had just teed off with a 5 iron when your driver misses the planet wide right and now you have to re-tee? But how could you have known in the moment that this was the hole you were going to miss by a mile? Or hitting that approach over water and you chunk it...would it have always been smart to lay up? From 135 yards? Of course not. The only thing I have really come up with is this "hard holes" vs "easy holes" strategy.

 

Interesting experiment I might consider someday...

 

I play the hard holes as bogey and generally it works. I'm a 14 so that's a net par anyway. The one thing I have learned is not to give up too much distance on the first two shots, because green in 3 will mean occasional doubles unless proximity to the hole is improved

[GolfChannel]

When you blow up, what does it typically look like? Is your pattern of mistake consistent (off the tee, long iron, putter, poor scrambling, etc.).

 

I very rarely double or worse (as I write this I had a triple for the first time this year on Saturday), but when I do it's usually a poor tee ball (i.e. duck hook).

[Roody]

Earlier this year I got to play at a friend's private course where previous rounds I've played there I've generally struggled. I shot 81 (+9). It my best round ever there. The maddening part was that 6 of those 9-over strokes came from two triple bogeys. One on a bad drive that was only about a foot into OB land, and the other on a tee shot I hit thin with my 2-iron that embedded under the lip of a fairway bunker.

 

If I bogey those two holes, I'm in the 70's. I had a lot of pars that day though.

[Lancj1]

That is usually the story of my better rounds...I minimized the doubles and above. I find I can play a pretty decent round of golf if I can keep the "bad" holes to +1. Although ironically, in my two 79s, I had a triple in one and two doubles in the other.

 

I've often wondered what would happen ......

 

Interesting experiment I might consider someday...

 

My best rounds have all been without using driver, teeing off with 3 wood or hybrids. If you play all holes as bogey holes you will get many pars. And playing bogey golf you don't need a driver. You can hit any par five with 4 7 irons. Trouble is, eventually it stops feeling like golf..... ?

[LeoLeo99]

Today. 10 over, which was 10 bogeys and 8 pars. I can't ever remember not getting anything worse than a bogey before.

 

It was very, very windy today too in London.

 

My scrambling was pretty damn good,

 

Love that! When you can play a round without any doubles or higher it's a great round IMO.

 

Totally agree. One of the hardest things about golf is to be consistent over 18 holes.

 

I have a friend. He's about a 3 handicap. Ask him how he played. Tells me he shot 78 with 4 birdies. But he's most happy with his round because he was consistent. Guess his definition of consistent is different than mine.

[SixtySomePing]

Today. 10 over, which was 10 bogeys and 8 pars. I can't ever remember not getting anything worse than a bogey before.

 

It was very, very windy today too in London.

 

My scrambling was pretty damn good,

Fine round indeed, looks like double bogeys in your avatar however...

[SBH9458]

I would love to play 18 with nothing worse than a bogey. Congrats!!!!

[Rohlio]

Congratulations. Elimination of the blow up is a big step!

 

Learning to add in the other side of the equation is a whole different bit!

 

Enjoy the journey.

[bigcountry1219]

What's funny is that it wasn't too long ago that I was very pleased about a round with no triples. Then I transitioned into being happy about a round with no doubles. I doubt I'll ever play that round without any bogeys.... but time will tell. That's like chasing a unicorn.

[captain obvious]

That is usually the story of my better rounds...I minimized the doubles and above. I find I can play a pretty decent round of golf if I can keep the "bad" holes to +1. Although ironically, in my two 79s, I had a triple in one and two doubles in the other.

 

I've often wondered what would happen ......

 

Interesting experiment I might consider someday...

 

My best rounds have all been without using driver, teeing off with 3 wood or hybrids. If you play all holes as bogey holes you will get many pars. And playing bogey golf you don't need a driver. You can hit any par five with 4 7 irons. Trouble is, eventually it stops feeling like golf..... ?

 

Yeah but one of those 7 irons are going to be short right or hooked way left or chunked/skanked 50 yds. Now what when you're lying 4 30 yds from the green? You're looking at a potential double.

[Moxley]

That is usually the story of my better rounds...I minimized the doubles and above. I find I can play a pretty decent round of golf if I can keep the "bad" holes to +1. Although ironically, in my two 79s, I had a triple in one and two doubles in the other.

 

I've often wondered what would happen ......

 

Interesting experiment I might consider someday...

 

My best rounds have all been without using driver, teeing off with 3 wood or hybrids. If you play all holes as bogey holes you will get many pars. And playing bogey golf you don't need a driver. You can hit any par five with 4 7 irons. Trouble is, eventually it stops feeling like golf..... ?

 

Yeah but one of those 7 irons are going to be short right or hooked way left or chunked/skanked 50 yds. Now what when you're lying 4 30 yds from the green? You're looking at a potential double.

 

I agree, though as somebody who does subscribe to the idea of playing holes as bogey, I'd not divide up a hole equally in that way. There are shades of grey between bomb & gouge and taking a mid-iron off the tee.

[Lancj1]

Precisely this, it’s about being pragmatic

[brooky333]

well done mate

 

this was one of my season goals!

 

But alas I didn't manage it

 

brooky333

[sdandrea]

Nice work! My personal goal is the title of this thread. When I play conservative enough to have zero doubles or worse, I usually score low 80s or under.