Golfers who don't use a driver, what is your handicap and why?

[ChipNRun]

On 6/1/2021 at 3:19 PM, North Butte said:

One of my frequent playing partners uses a driver and I wish he wouldn't. He's not a low handicapper (usually plays to 11-12 hcp) but hits his 4-iron farther than I hit my driver.

 

Something similar from my group of seniors. The Guy is 79 years old, about 6-foot-4 and very fit, and looks like he's maybe mid-60s... about 10-HDCP.

 

He hits his 4i almost as far as I hit my driver. And he hits his driver a looong way... but every third one rockets into the trees.  Seems he just presses more with his driver than other clubs. 

 

He hits his 3W off the deck 230-240, so distance should not be a problem from middle tees. Don't know if shorter shaft or fitting would help on driver. Maybe wild drives is just his tragic flaw in life.

[T_leif]

I played down to a 6 without driver.

Now I have a driver and play off 10. Averaging 3-4 penalties a round zzzzzz

 

why so stubborn 🫤

[chipa]

I've had my 3deep for a few months now and hit it much better than any driver I've ever used and since it's almost as long I can't see myself going back to a driver. My overall driving average has to be significantly higher due to being in the fairway more often.

 

I feel like this club with my swing progressing will let me shoot in the mid to low 80's, which is all I could hope for.

[jaffabell]

On 6/2/2021 at 3:41 PM, North Butte said:

I don't know if it's evolved any in recent years but back when I used to travel to UK for golf vacations, the private clubs tended to have one set of tees for members to use. Didn't matter if they were a flat-belly driving it 280 or a 75-year-old double digit 'capper who couldn't carry it more than 170 with his driver. If it was a 6,600 yards Par 70 course then everyone competed weekly from 6,600 yards.

 

It was very discouraging to aging golfers. Especially on a course with lots of rough and elevation change, it just wasn't any fun for guys who played off 5 or 8 when they were 50 years old to find themselves at age 70 playing off a 16 hcp and unable to reach more than a handful of holes in regulation, ever. So at some point they just quit playing in comps (which for UK club golfers means missing out on the main reason for being a member of a club).

 

Even a decade or two ago here in USA at many private clubs it was looked down on to play forward tees unless you were 60 or 65 years old or whatever the club's stated "senior" age. If the "mens" tees were 6,500 yards and you a high handicap 50 year-old but who drove it 200 yards then you were supposed to just suck it up and shoot 95 or 100 or whatever it was. It would be "unfair" of such a golfer to move up to 6,000 yards and break 90 regularly. 

 

I really, really like the aspect of the latest USGA handicap system where your course handicap for each set of tees (more or less) accurately reflects the difference in scoring due to length. It took away the excuse at the club level of not wanting players to mix and match tees when playing low stakes games, daily dogfights and such. Of course plenty of clubs still don't go in for mixed tees but at least the handicap system encourages it now.

Late reply on this one but 99% of UK courses have set tees - Whites for competition (furthest back), yellow for general play (mens), Reds for women's and forward blue tee (often plonked somewhere on the fairway) for the juniors.

 

Its frowned upon to play from the whites unless in a comp, many courses actually have a rule to that effect. Red tees are only for women, sometimes when playing a casual 18 on my own i'll tee off on the odd red tee but I feel like i'm breaking the law when doing so... 

 

It blows my mind watching Youtube videos in the US where they have loads of tee's and they just play on whatever tee they feel like on the day (not in a comp of course). If you are a male here in the UK and not in a comp, you play from the yellow tee and that is it!

Edited November 28, 2022 by jaffabell
spelling

[North Butte]

12 minutes ago, jaffabell said:

If you are a male here in the UK and not in a comp, you play from the yellow tee and that is it!

Or at some point around your 65th birthday you say the heck with it and stay in the clubhouse drinking beer and eating crisps. 

[jaffabell]

58 minutes ago, North Butte said:

Or at some point around your 65th birthday you say the heck with it and stay in the clubhouse drinking beer and eating crisps. 

Good man for calling them crisps and not chips, but I digress 🙂

 

For the purpose of the OG question, I hit driver and love my driver (TSi3, BF60TX @44.5'')

 

Maybe more on here who struggle with driver should experiment with a shorter driver (unless you are really tall), many tour players are at 44.5 - 45 inch, whereas a lot of off the rack drivers these days are 45.5? I even went down to 44'' inch for a while and really enjoyed it, found the middle of the face  more often that way!

[North Butte]

1 minute ago, jaffabell said:

Good man for calling them crisps and not chips, but I digress 🙂

I miss my trips to England and Wales. It helps a little to mix in the occasional word or phrase as a pleasant reminder.

[ShortGolfer]

I learned to play golf last year teeing off a 22* 4 iron from the forward tees.  I played with just five clubs. 

Short game and putting.  Course management.  

 

This year I got fitted for driver and learned that I can hit either a draw or a fade.  Now up to 7 or 8 clubs.

I just bought a push cart so I can use a bigger bag and add a few more clubs to my bag.

 

It is the off season in Connecticut but I can still practice outside during the warmer days in my  back yard.

I've been working  on getting more distance with my irons hitting foam practice balls.

I figure the increased club head speed with my irons will translate to my driver distance.

I put together a new 22* iron. XXIO 12 head with a 45g LA GP shaft.  Just 36-1/8 inches and a SW of B9. 

Edited November 28, 2022 by ShortGolfer

[tdelam]

I am an 11.

 

I don't use a driver anymore these days.

 

I just played Pinehurst #2 on Friday, Tobacco Road (2 times) last week, Mid pines last week, Southern Pines last week, and Talamore without a driver. I didn't play tips, always plays the next up from tips. I use a Ping G crossover driving iron. I didn't need a driver on any of the courses I played. The only reason I am not using a driver is because I have some mental driving issues I need to resolve over the winter. I am lacking confidence with it.

[chipa]

1 hour ago, tdelam said:

I am an 11.

 

I don't use a driver anymore these days.

 

I just played Pinehurst #2 on Friday, Tobacco Road (2 times) last week, Mid pines last week, Southern Pines last week, and Talamore without a driver. I didn't play tips, always plays the next up from tips. I use a Ping G crossover driving iron. I didn't need a driver on any of the courses I played. The only reason I am not using a driver is because I have some mental driving issues I need to resolve over the winter. I am lacking confidence with it.

 

I've had a hard time finding a driver that I could count on. Then after reading the forums I read about the 3deep. It is every bit as long as they say and on average longer than my old drivers because I hit it so much straighter. It is a tall faced 3 wood a lot like the old drivers of the 90's but with a spring face. The face does sit open but that can be adjusted as I don't ground the club.

[tdelam]

9 hours ago, chipa said:

 

I've had a hard time finding a driver that I could count on. Then after reading the forums I read about the 3deep. It is every bit as long as they say and on average longer than my old drivers because I hit it so much straighter. It is a tall faced 3 wood a lot like the old drivers of the 90's but with a spring face. The face does sit open but that can be adjusted as I don't ground the club.

 

I have a Ping G425 and a old TaylorMade R7 Quad... I hit the R7 Quad much better! haha

[Jonathan3873]

It’s easier to be consistent with a 3w. I also think people forget you can tee it off 230-250 and then hit another 200-230 to the green with another 3w or hybrid as I have done myself!