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Does everyone suck at golf?


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I was watching the Michael Strahan episode of Feherty the other night and something he said resonated with me. At one point he admitted he was scared to start playing golf because he thought everyone was really good, but he soon realized “everyone sucks.” At first I laughed, but I thought about it a minute I realized in all my years of playing golf (19 to be exact) I have never played with someone where I thought “wow, he is really good.” I’m a mid-handicapper, and am by no means great at the game. But I have played with guys that say oh yeah I’m a 6 or 8 handicap and so forth, and by the end of the round we shot dang near the same score. Sure some guys can bomb their drive and others putt lights out, but overall they have been just as average as I am. So, is Michael right, are most golfers lying about their handicap/scores? Or do I somehow make other golfers around me worse?

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I can't speak for anyone else, but I know I do (suck at golf, that is).

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Played 9 hole yesterday with 2 teaching pros. They are not super super long, but really consistent. They make everything look easy and simple. One guy shot 2 under and the other shot even. Definitely not suck.

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As a mid-handicapper myself, I've only had the pleasure of regularly playing with two golfers who are significantly better than me (scratch and low single digit handicap). Both of them have had shots, holes, and stretches of holes where they looked like total hackers.

 

I think there's a real fear of looking like an idiot when you're an average. We're playing with the knowledge that at any moment we'll top the ball 5 feet, or duff a chip, or shank one into the woods. When that inevitably happens, it's an embarrassing thing.

 

However, it really DOES happen to everybody. Maybe not as often, and maybe they're able to recover better, but we all suck to some degree.

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You have not been playing at the right golf course at the right time if you have not played with anyone that impressed you , in all 19 years.........

There are, a lot of low index holders out there.

Maybe you have not played with anyone on their better days. Even the scratch players will shoot in the 80's in an off day.

Momst of these low index holder will have moments of brilliance on the golf course, they just couldn't put it together everyday. They alll have the distance off the tee, and a fine game around the green.

I have to be honest, I had not seen in person, someone I played with in the last 4 decades had a score lower than 68. Had seen plenty of sub-30 for the 9 but never seen anyone go lower than 68.

Mayb e there was not enough motivation for them to go lower ? I'm pretty certain if there is a price for winning then, many of them could potentially go close to 4-5 strokes under par easy, given the right moment.

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I ranger at two courses and see probably 5,000 swings a year (it's probably more than that). I can tell you with great honesty, the vast majority of people that play are not good. That said, there are about a half dozen guys at one of the two courses that play to scratch/+2. It's fun to play with them and see excellence.

People spend thousands on equipment that they cannot possibly use correctly (guys with 85 MPH swing speeds with Hzrdus Black stiff shafts and so, so many 90 players with Mizuno blades). The number one fault I see, over and over and over, is people hitting with their arms. A huge percentage of players don't seem to understand how the shoulders drive the arms into the swing.

At one of the courses we have a trap on the first hole at 225-240 carry (depending on the tees). 1 out of 20 carries that trap on the aggressive line and yet they still try and try.

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> @wkuo3 said:

> Maybe there was not enough motivation for them to go lower ? I'm pretty certain if there is a price for winning then, many of them could potentially go close to 4-5 strokes under par easy, given the right moment.

 

Totally agree with this. I've met some golfers who don't really show their stuff unless there is some cold hard cash on the line. Unfortunately, it's usually after they shoot a horrible score on the front nine, we all decide to make it interesting, and I'm their mark.

 

PS, Strahan better be careful. With that attitude, he could be an easy mark too.

 

 

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> @MaineMariner said:

> I think there's a real fear of looking like an idiot when you're an average. We're playing with the knowledge that at any moment we'll top the ball 5 feet, or duff a chip, or shank one into the woods. When that inevitably happens, it's an embarrassing thing.

>

I think you hit the nail on the head there. It’s almost a Catch 22. I never see anyone great play, but I honestly avoid playing with people out of fear of embarrassing myself.

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No matter how good you are, you at some point believe you suck at golf. Sometimes, more that once in a day. From another point of view, someone watching you play will think you are really good compared to themselves. I will guarantee you that Jack, Arnie and Tiger at their best, still thought they sucked at times.

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> @JohnnyCashForever said:

> > @wkuo3 said:

> > Maybe there was not enough motivation for them to go lower ? I'm pretty certain if there is a price for winning then, many of them could potentially go close to 4-5 strokes under par easy, given the right moment.

>

> Totally agree with this. I've met some golfers who don't really show their stuff unless there is some cold hard cash on the line. Unfortunately, it's usually after they shoot a horrible score on the front nine, we all decide to make it interesting, and I'm their mark.

>

> PS, Strahan better be careful. With that attitude, he could be an easy mark too.

>

>

 

True story.

Some of the guys I know thecked out their bucket list items and one is to play Pebble and the two other adjacent courses.

A few guys were taking the PM rounds off on the second day after finishing the morning round, so on the Spanish Bay the pro sent out a single to join them. Those guys like to gamble a little on the golf course, nothing huge but enough to buy several rounds of libation at the 19th. So when this single walked on the tee box ( with a limp ) , the guys asked if he want to join the betting for fun...... He obliged .

At the end of the round, the new guy clean up everyone. So the guys asked if he would join them at the 19th , everyone was curious about this old guy whom walked with an obvious limp. Especially he gave eveyone 3 strokes on the back nine and still beat all of them.

He went with the guys and volunteered to buy everyone drinks ( with the winning ).

After the first drink, he made an announcement for apology. He disclosed that he used to be a playing professional until he got in a bad accident and could not play "good" golf any longer, that he probably took advantage of the jolly frindly guys on their vacation.

Story is, don't judge a book by it's cover and someone can still clean your clocks with their worst round of golf.

Never, ever bet outside of your comfort zone. On the golf course or off.

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When I was first starting, I played with a friend who was a D1 golfer. I was amazed at what he could do. He could shape shots like no other golfer I have ever seen, even 20 years later. I have played with many players over the past 20 years; some had good to great individual parts of their games but my friend was the only golfer who really amazed me. He was the only scratch golfer that I have ever played with in 20 years although I’ve played with a few who have said they are. In my opinion, a lot of players say they are scratch golfers, but most are not.

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Like others have said- it all depends on what day you are watching. I’ve had scores that were 20 strokes different within a two week period. Watch me the first round and you’d think I was scratch. Watch me the second day and you would have been sure I was a 20+ Hdcp. We all hope we have more of the good days but we all suck at one time or another.

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Short answer is yes.

 

Long answer is that the golfers that are really, truly good don't need to brag about it, or talk about it much at all. When someone's relentlessly bragging about how good they are, they're trying to compensate for their shortcomings...when someone talks about how bad they are, they're trying to level with themselves (even if just a little), and be respectable and humble.

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> @HappyGilmoresBoots said:

> Short answer is yes.

>

> Long answer is that the golfers that are really, truly good don't need to brag about it, or talk about it much at all. When someone's relentlessly bragging about how good they are, they're trying to compensate for their shortcomings...when someone talks about how bad they are, they're trying to level with themselves (even if just a little), and be respectable and humble.

 

 

Well then, I have nothing to say.

 

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If you play at a private club you'll find plenty of good players in my experience. We've had 50 guys with handicaps under 5 in some years. It is less than that now but still probably 35 or so

 

At public courses I have never been paired with someone under a 5 index in 10+ years. Definitely have never been paired with a better player than me . They are out there but it's really long odds at least around here

 

 

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I think people generally gravitate to groups that are close to their skill level. Better players tend to seek out better players, whether it be for betting or just for enjoyment. It's not a great experience to play with someone who shoots 20 strokes higher than you. If the better player is hitting the green in regulation and waiting while his playing partners climb through the forest every other hole, eventually he's going to look elsewhere (unless he has some non-golf reason to play with those people).

 

So I wouldn't say that everyone sucks... but you have to get pretty good before the pretty good players will invite you to play on a regular basis.

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Well, I know I suck ; )

 

But, even for people who have played really good golf can have trouble breaking 90 if they stop playing very regularly. I know a girl who played on her HS team and could shoot in the 70s but years later, she plays just here and there and usually shoots 80s and sometimes shoots 100!

 

For us guys who didn't play growing up and can't play and practice all the time, it's just a world of sucking. But, at least youre outside ; )

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