A scratch golfer's average round

[OakLawnGolfPro]

I remember hearing a story from a former Web.com tour player who played a scratch player in his hometown of Dallas around 100 times who was scratch. And he never lost to him.

 

When I played Mini-Tours, the day I lost my drive for it (those who have tried I think all know what I'm talking about), I shot -5 for 2 rounds and missed the cut in an event and I was around a +3.5 at the time. They are just that good on tour.

[Ray Jackson]

I'm at my lowest index ever right now at a +1.6. On the longer courses I play well versus the rating most times within one or two shots of it at most. I'm a straight hitter but not overly long, driver carry 250 that rolls out on dry courses to 270. I can get up around the green on virtually all long par 4s, but probably don't have many birdie putts on those. I have a good short game and scramble well = playing to my handicap on these long courses.

 

Short courses I can go low, off our blue tees, one in from the tips at home course I've shot 66 multiple times and regularly break 70, its rated 70.6. Those rounds can be 6 birdie, 2-3 bogey days for 68/69s. I don't hit driver a lot on those tees, but I hit a lot of greens and make a lot of putts, proximity isn't great, wedge game needs some improvement, but putting is very good.

 

When I go back tees at say Olympic club I am shooting 76/77 ish like the OP says, mainly because not familiar with the greens, don't make many birdies and those 5 footers I normally make for par I sometimes miss at OC.

 

I also tend to play well the first time around a new longer course. Good golf brain, don't take many risks and find it easy to focus the first time around a course as everything is new.

[Ray Jackson]

Wait, are you saying that you have played some tournament golf and never shot anywhere near your index in a tournament round as a guy who plays between a +2 and a 2?

 

And are you saying that a standard tour course set-up is 5 to 10 strokes tougher than a "regular" set-up course?

 

I'm confused.....

 

What's confusing? My index is not a "tournament" index, it is my index from following the USGA rules of golf comprised from my last 20 rounds.

 

My lowest two tournament rounds in the past year are a 76 (par 72, CR 72.2, slope 133, differential 3.2) and a 76 (par 72, slope 72.5, slope 135, differential 2.9). Prior to last year I had some 75s (differentials of 3.3 and 2.4). And while both courses are tough, neither compared to playing Poppy Hills from the PGA tee boxes with their rough, green firmness and pin locations. My index during the last year averaged around 2.0.

 

So call me an underachiever, but correct, I have not shot under my index in tournament golf. Don't see why that is such a huge surprise. My tournament index would probably be around a 3.5-4.0 (for this past year).

 

As Bobby Jones said, there is golf and then there is tournament golf. My index is correct for a regular round of golf just about anywhere. There isn't a "tournament index" for golfers (unless they are looking for cheaters). I play worse in tournaments. I wish I didn't but I do. Many years ago I attributed to nerves, but I believe I have overcome that when I won my club championship a few years ago (when I was a +1.7) and my score for 2 rounds was EVEN par. So yes, even then I did not shoot under my index.

 

You must be an outstandingly consistent golfer, immune to any sort of pressure to think that one should shoot under their index in tournament conditions at least once in a while. I am not one of them. Sorry to disappoint you.

 

So sorry, I did not mean to disparage at all. I was just not understanding where you were coming from and wasn't sure if I was reading you correctly. Earlier you said something about "not breaking 80," but that was on a "Tour set-up," so I thought maybe this was a similar misunderstanding on my part.

 

It's interesting to me, though, that you have gotten your index down as low as +1.7, but have yet to shoot near your index in a tournament. Definitely something to start a thread on. :-)

 

The difference in my game in the last 12 months was being able to play tournament rounds at my index, it was better focus but also consistency of strike and utter discipline on when to attack a pin or not. Sometimes makes for 'unfriendly' golf in a tournament as I barely speak to the guys in my group. I am thinking as I get to the tee, thinking as I approach my ball in the fairway, approach the green etc etc you get it. I have a hard time with chit chat when I am in that mode.

[dg_1983]

It all depends on where you establish... I know guys that are + handicaps at a really easy club near me that can barely break 80 in the mid am.

 

I'm telling you folks, it all about not being used the tour setups and pressure. Why do people not realize that a scratch golfer doesn't shoot par on his local muni most of the time.... so why would you think he would be anywhere near par on a harder setup?

 

Just stop over inflating the mythical lore of a scratch golfer....

 

Proper scratch golfers do shoot par and break it regularly. Well UK ones do

 

We calculate different on this side of the pond.

 

I'd probably revise my earlier statement, a guy carrying a US index of 0. Probably is a few shots further behind. When someone says scratch to me I think of a player who plays par, without slope or rating or an index, just par. I do get why those things exist in the handicap system.

 

I played at the weekend against a young ex pro. Easiest -6 thru 14 holes I've ever had the pleasure of being whooped by. My -2 wasn't good enough to even hang.

 

He is light years away from making money out of the game

[carrera]

When I go back tees at say Olympic club I am shooting 76/77 ish like the OP says, mainly because not familiar with the greens, don't make many birdies and those 5 footers I normally make for par I sometimes miss at OC.

 

i was a golf member there for 30+ years and hosted a large number of very good players over the years (and of course played with quite a few very good members as well). It is just a darn hard course and is the place where even good players can't go low...no guest of mine ever did. You birdie the first hole and then it is hold on for dear life the rest of the way. Not exactly a fun place to play on a regular basis (one of the reasons I moved on).