New member in NC going for scratch

[wkndhckr]

Hi all,

I'm new to the site and the game of golf (to some degree). I played one or two rounds per year with work friends happily scoring in the 120s.

In September I saw potential in my game so the next month I began playing 9 holes at least once a week and I'm getting my first lesson next month. I aim to be a single digit handicapper by September of next year and improve on that in the following months. I am ambitious and driven so I am confident that I will achieve this goal. I thought of vlogging this journey on YouTube but I've progressed much faster than anticipated and there no turning back now. I'll try to update you guys every few months on progress.

Hope to soak up a lot from you guys (particularly on rules and etiquette). Hit em straight!!!

[doctormizuno]

Welcome to the forum. You will find out a boatload of info regarding any subject you choose to explore.

Alot of very knowledgeable people here, so if you have a question, don’t be afraid to ask.

[BB28403]

One of Andrew Rice’s students was just posted on Instagram. When he started working with Andrew he was a 14 hcpand after 2 years , yes 2 whole years, he is down to a 6.7 hcp.

best to check your aspirations at the door and focus on small attainable goals. Unless you have the kurgan’s mentality “Better to burn out than to fade away!”

haha

[wkndhckr]

It's ambitious but I'll be fine. Unsure who those people are but I wish them the best also.

[Broke100]

Best of luck and enjoy the journey regardless of where you wind up. Happy to see you update this thread with monthly results!

PS It took me 25 years to break 100, but I did take off 20 years of playing.

[Jeff_M]

Welcome from a fellow North Carolinian! I'm new here myself, but not new to golf. My best advise is just be patient, try not to get too frustrated if things don't continue to progress as quickly as you'd like, and most importantly have fun! I'm still competitive, but now I am able to laugh off the bad shots and just have a good time regardless of how I'm playing.

[wkndhckr]

I'm now in the low 90s consistently. I still have have penalty shots and bad drives that I am working to eliminate. Also my distances are all jacked up because I hit further than I did last year and have never hit at a quality range so I have no idea of my distances and that has added significant strokes. I expect to plateau at some point.

I agree with laughing off the bad shots. Funny story that you really had to see firsthand was last week I had a hillside shot with the ball at waist height. I swung like a baseball bat at hitting a tree and knocking the ball 15 yards closer to the tee. Absolute rookie mistake but we all died laughing at the negative yardage.

[Reilly]

Where in NC? I’m in Charlotte if you want to play. Last year was hitting in the 120s when I started golfing more seriously, now hitting in the high 90s the last 5 rounds. Putting practice is now the difference to low 90s...I’m averaging 44 putts per round and 3 penalty strokes.

things that helped me

lessons (tried multiple people)playing 2-3 times a week range once a week buying the orange whip and using all their videos friends who helped with club/shot selection and mental thought during rounds getting past horrible range or course experiences tracking swing/club stats and targeting practice club purchase35 year old male btw

[wkndhckr]

Raleigh. Same age and I've benefitted from all those things. I do have one coach and now play 2 rounds of 9 holes per week but practice in some form everyday.

[wkndhckr]

Update: almost a year has gone by and this has been an awesome journey. In short, I still haven't made it down to a single digit handicap. I'm hovering in the 15s at this point and plan to play tournaments when they resume next year in NC. The pandemic cut my time on the course significantly but I've tried to compensate by doing other things. The course is open but working from home I'm not near a reasonably priced place and i have kids that are now in school online so its a big deal to leave and go play. I still get in at least a 9 hole round a week.

 

The biggest takeaways so far are 1. Short game is everything. If you told me a year ago you can miss almost every fairway and shoot 83, i wouldnt have believed you. 2. Get used to all of the pieces of the

game not coming together at the same time. Once you zero in on putting, your driving may not show up and when you are nailing drives, your chipping and putting may be awful. It's rare they all come together for 18 consecutive holes.

 

I've been able to get down to a low of 80 and I have numerous rounds in the 80s. However I have equally as many rounds ranging from 90 to 93 where I completely fell apart on the back 9. On one occasion I made it to 1 over par at the turn and then things went wild on the back so I know the potential is buried in me somewhere.

 

A year ago I would have expected that shooting 90 would have been a frustration every time, but it is possible to be halfway content when you hit every green in reg because it shows you that there's a possibility. Same goes with putting, chipping, iron striking, etc. Every round is a progressive step. 

 

I'm still proud and very excited at the progress that I've made and the game is far more fun and cheaper (since less balls are lost).  I'm still aiming for a single digit handicap but Ive adjusted the target to next summer which is about 8 months behind my original target. 

 

I didn't want to let this post hang out here unanswered but I will keep you all updated if I get to 9.9 before July 1st. Be safe.

 

Edited November 26, 2020 by wkndhckr