How can a 2-5 handicap have never made an Eagle before?

[LimaSierra]

Over the last 2 years my handicap fluctuated between 2 and 5. Its gone up a little because I haven't played much due to becoming a parent, but I still play at a high level.

 

Just today I played 9 holes at a course with a buddy of mine. The Par 5s are pretty short at 489 and 503. On the 2nd hole, I hit a great drive and had 217 yards in. I smashed a 4 iron and it got up onto the fringe about 20 feet away. My putt finished just short and I tapped in for birdie. And on the 6th hole I hit my drive into the rough. It was a perfect flyer lie though, 231 yards in. I hit another 4 iron that chased up just short off the green, about 10 yards from the hole. My chip clanked off the pin and went a foot right. Another close call.

 

It got me thinking about the last time I made an eagle. I was looking through the scorecards on my app/paper ones from my years of golfing. I've yet to make a 3 on a par 5. I never have made a hole in one, and no 2 on a par 4. I'm eagleless. It just seems strange.

 

You would think it would come along eventually at my skill level. Is this that uncommon or are there other guys without an eagle?

Edited June 16, 2023 by LimaSierra

[Buzzkill]

Cookie, my response!

[goaliedad30]

Not sure it is that unusual. I'm bouncing between 3 and 4, playing 200 rounds a year, and probably make maybe 1 or 2 eagles a year. I've certainly gone for a year without having one.

[phizzy30]

Hole in one, eagle, albatross can be had by any golfer provided they are lucky and have some golf skill.  For my first hole in one, I hit a thin 8 iron that hit the middle of the green skipped twice and rolled right into the hole.  Wasn't pure so I consider it a lucky shot. 

[MtlJeff]

I don't have a hole-out longer than 90yds. I've been playing 17 years and over half of that as a 0-1 index and the rest of it as a 2-4 index

 

I have friends that do that at least once a year or more. I also seldom chip in despite having a pretty good short game. In 70 ~ rounds i will usually chip in 1-2 times in a season at most

 

I have remarkably bad luck when it comes to hole-outs.

 

So i think sometimes these things just happen. There's a great line in "lucky number slevin" (underrated movie BTW) about how the unlucky need to exist as a frame of reference for the lucky.

 

We're the unlucky

[caniac6]

My first eagle was on a par 4.

[Krt22]

25 minutes ago, caniac6 said:

My first eagle was on a par 4.

Mine was on a par 5, from 190 out after driving it under a tree and having to punch out lol

[nickilii]

ive been playing for maybe 10 years now and im currently a 8.9.  only one eagle for me.. hand full of looks here and there... they just have not dropped.

[LeftDaddy]

Not to pile on you, but I’ve been a mid-cap for about the last 10 years. I have a handful of eagles during that time. Probably ~ 1 per year. I play maybe 20-30 times a year. My eagles have mostly come from holing out on a par 5 approach (usually a chip or a sandy). I can only think of one par 5 that I reached and made the putt. But I have eagled from the fairway of par 4s, and had my first HIO this year. 
 

They are mostly dumb luck. I’m not the worst golfer or anything, and I generally believe that I’m a mid-cap who should be a lot better than I am but I haven’t truly learned to “play” yet. But I’m not good enough that I’m peppering pins all the time, or reaching a lot of the par 5s. I’m just darned lucky sometimes. Maybe you will be too. 

Edited June 10, 2021 by LeftDaddy

[MPAndreassi]

I don’t think it’s all that uncommon. Fact of the matter is that it’s hard to hit it close from 200+ yards regardless of your skill level. Add in any kind of nerves, excitement or otherwise, and a 20 footer feels like a 40 footer. 
 

The club I play at only has one par 5 that is a legitimate eagle chance every round for the long hitters. I’ve made two there this year, but both were from chipping in green side. The green is tough and it’s hard to hit it to make range even from 170-180. 
 

Another thing to account for is course design. Going back to the par 5s at my club. None of the three greens are really designed to accept longer clubs into them. They’re narrow in width or short front to back so you need to be very precise. As I mentioned above it’s significantly harder to be that precise at 200 yards vs 100 yards. If you make it too accessible at 200 yards there’s almost no difficulty hitting a third shot with a wedge into it.

Edited June 10, 2021 by MPAndreassi

[Mudguard]

1 hour ago, phizzy30 said:

Hole in one, eagle, albatross can be had by any golfer provided they are lucky and have some golf skill.  For my first hole in one, I hit a thin 8 iron that hit the middle of the green skipped twice and rolled right into the hole.  Wasn't pure so I consider it a lucky shot. 

 

I'd probably take the albatross out of that equation. Most golfers can't drive a par four and perhaps only 10-20% could knock it on a par five in two. 

 

As for how often eagles are made, I guess it depends on the course you play. On my current course I can reach two of the four par fives easily, and have a sniff on the other two. My previous course, only one of the four par fives I could reach in two. So far fewer eagles at the previous course. 

[Mcgeeno]

I was gonna say maybe its a distance issue but if you had 200 in on a par five that can't be it.

 

Maybe you press too hard knowing its an eagle look?

 

Eagles for me are mostly luck. I have some years I get 20 in a season and other years only a couple.

 

My home course has 2 reachable par fives and 3 reachable par fours (280-300 yards). The course and tees you play probably change your odds.

[Hellstorm]

I don't think its that rare.  A lot of the courses I play have semi-reachable Par 5s for longer than average hitters but I rarely see people on in two.  As mentioned earlier, its not easy to hit the green from even 200 out.  I also consider holing out to be a lucky shot....although having a higher skill level increases your chance of getting lucky.  

[abenjami]

Possible answers:

 

1.  Said 2-5 HC golfer is an older guy (or someone playing the wrong tees) whose scores are low due to being nails at chipping and putting.  But due to lack of distance off the tee, rarely does an eagle opportunity present itself and it's only going to happen if he randomly jars one from the fairway.

 

2.  Said golfer is solid off the tee and has good iron play but is an atrocious putter.

 

3.  Said golfer is not really a 2-5 HC.

 

[bpdhlbrg]

I am a 1.3 handicap and notched my first ever eagle last month holing out a 75 yard wedge into a par 5. I am not very long off the tee, and even less so through the bag. My home course has no reachable par 5s (for me) or par 4s (for anyone).

 

Playing at another course last week I did drive a par 4 onto the front fringe. I should have putted, but put an awful stroke on a chip that made contact with the ball at least 3 possibly 4 times, before finishing about four feet away from the hole. Thankful for the new rule I drilled the birdie putt.

[Titleist_PT23]

I've never made an eagle on a par 5 but have holed out twice on a par 4 from 150-200 yards.  No HIO though.

 

For me, I don't get many chances at eagle on a par 5.  I play mostly 6,300-6,500 yard courses so the par 5s are 480-550 range.  I hit a reasonably well struck tee shot 240-250 so really there isn't a high chance to be on in two unless the hole is severely downwind or you hit a cart path etc.

[phizzy30]

1 hour ago, Mudguard said:

 

I'd probably take the albatross out of that equation. Most golfers can't drive a par four and perhaps only 10-20% could knock it on a par five in two. 

 

As for how often eagles are made, I guess it depends on the course you play. On my current course I can reach two of the four par fives easily, and have a sniff on the other two. My previous course, only one of the four par fives I could reach in two. So far fewer eagles at the previous course. 

You're right.  That thought did cross my mind after I posted, lol.  As for par 5's, I can reach almost all of them in two unless they are 600 yards or there's a really strong head wind.  I've made one eagle and that was on a short par 5.  Driver, 8 iron, believe it or not to about 10 feet if memory serves me right and I knocked it in. 

[nikeblades00]

Im usually good for 3-6 eagles per year. Frankly not a ton of opportunities. I bet half of them are being chipped in. I played today and actually had a really good round and broke par but zero eagle looks.

 

I think it would be cool to see which PGA pro has the least amount of eagles per season. The thing is even the short hitters on tour get alot of eagle looks because their fairways run forever.

[bgeorge24]

23 minutes ago, nikeblades00 said:

Im usually good for 3-6 eagles per year. Frankly not a ton of opportunities. I bet half of them are being chipped in. I played today and actually had a really good round and broke par but zero eagle looks.

 

I think it would be cool to see which PGA pro has the least amount of eagles per season. The thing is even the short hitters on tour get alot of eagle looks because their fairways run forever.

 

Current eagles on tour '21

https://www.pgatour.com/content/pgatour/stats/stat.106.y2021.html

 

You can look at any year, and if you dont see a name guess they didnt make a eagle that year. 

[abenjami]

My HC consistently bounces between a 6-9.  I'm 245-250 off the tee.  I play blues most of the time, sometimes whites, and sometimes a blue/white combo.  I try to play 6,300 total yards whenever I can.

 

I average an eagle once every 12-18 months.  Only one HIO in my lifetime thus far.  I've also jarred from ~140 out a few times.  Realizing those are well struck balls with a great deal of luck behind them, my more "regular" eagles happen due to chip-ins on par 5's where I almost got there in two, or draining mid-range eagle putts on shorter par 5's when I got there in two.

 

Although I average an eagle about once every 12-18 months, I would say I have legitimate eagle opportunities 3-4 times a year.  I just played in a four day tournament this past week and had two legit chances.  I hit a par 5 in two but didn't make the 25 footer for eagle.  I also drove a really short par 4 with some wind at my back and missed a 12 foot eagle putt.  No eagles this week but the point is a good player will see some eagle opportunities and make a small percentage of them.

 

I've also watched guys with HC's between 10-18 make eagles several times.

 

Quite frankly, it's hard for me to believe a 2-5 HC player has never eagled before.

Edited June 10, 2021 by abenjami

[Rob G 89]

Play holes like this. I’ve played this hole 3x eagled once and missed putt for eagle one other time. I take an aggressive line off the tee then go 6-7 iron into the green. BTW I’m awful golfer, I shine on the range not the course.

[adamwittman]

The best In the world (the pga tour) have an eagle average of once every 192 holes I thought I remembered reading. I thought bryson was averaging once a tournament atm 1/72. So it’s not impossible to believe your circumstance. 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I think a lot of depends on the course or courses you most regularly play.

 

Growing up, I had a bunch of eagles because the course I played on had one VERY reachable par 5 if you cut the corner, and also 2 or 3 drivable par 4s, depending on conditions. 

 

On the par 5, you could have as little as a 9i second shot in summer. I got my first eagle there. The next hole was a 300 yard par four that was reachable in summer when the fairways were hard because the last 100 yards swept gently down to the green, and the ball would just run and run. It hard to get on the green because you had to thread your way through the fairway bunkers, but it was possible. I eagled that hole once or twice, and saw someone get an albatross there.

 

Then there was another par 4 about 320 yards, but downhill all the way after about 150 yards. In summer, very drivable, but you had to be accurate. Right side was dead. I eagled that once to the best of my memory. 

 

Now, in the last 10~11 years of playing I've had two eagles, one a hole out on a par 4, and would a chip-in on a par 5. 

I've missed a couple of 6ft putts for eagle, and had two "OB-eagles", when I've hit a shot OoB on a par 5 but still ended up making par.

 

But the courses I play now generally have harder par 5s, where going for the green is very risky, so I tend not to do it. 

[nosedive32]

It's probably fairly common for low handicaps to not make eagles.

 

When courses were rerated in the 90s or whatever it was it was based on a scratch golfer averaging 250 off the tee 

 

2-5 handicaps are by definition not as good as a scratch golfer. While equipment has changed distance over the years it's still reasonable to say 2-5 handicaps on average as a whole are in the 250 off the tee ball park. I mean tour average is around 290 

 

Most Par 5s at courses I play from even the white tees are 500+

 

If you hit a 250 yard drive you aren't reaching it in 2. If you aren't putting for eagle then making an eagle becomes luck.

 

As someone who's played between a 5 and 9 for the last 7 years and has hit it around 240-260 average off the tee I have to hit two perfect shots and make a putt on a shorter par 5 to make an eagle.

 

I can probably count on both hands the eagles I've made.

 

The only one I recall last year was at Kenny Perry's Country Creek in Franklin, Ky on a par 5 that was listed at 470 from the back tee that played nowhere close to that because it was an extremely severe open dogleg left. I think I had 195 in significantly downhill from there, hit a 5 or 6 iron to 30 feet and fluked a putt.

 

It took 3 perfect shots on what was very generously called a par 5.

[bladehunter]

I get my share of eagle looks. But making one isn’t common.  According to decade I make 0.18 eagles per round. But that’s only a sample size of 12 rounds I believe since I started using that app. And not yet on the monster summertime tournament courses. My home course has par 5s that are reachable with mid to long irons depending on the tee ball.      And I’m currently +.06 handicap.  
 

And I have never.  Not once had a hole in one. Not even many close calls.  I can think of 4-5 shots that have come within a foot of the hole either in the air or going by.  But I do have an albatross.   One hoped and in . Was in 2015.  

Edited June 10, 2021 by bladehunter

[jvincent]

Per my signature I hover around a 5 index most of the time.

 

My last eagle was a hole out from 100 yards on our 18th. It's the only eagle I've made at my club. We have a couple of reachable (for me) par 5s and I've had plenty of looks but haven't made any yet.

 

I've hit the flag and lipped out for HIO about 8 times though. This is my year!

[kmay__]

I've never made a 3 on a 5 par, lipped out a chip this spring that would have been my first... but have holed out twice on par 4s..... but I'm a 15 hahaha so probably more luck in my case.

 

Those circles were surrounded by squares on the card I can assure you, so I'd gladly trade them for a bunch of pars like the lower index guy would have. 

[pseudoswede]

I've been playing golf for 35-ish years. Never a hole-in-one, never an albatross, never holed out on a par 4, and only a handful of eagles on par 5's.

 

Over the past 20 years, I went from a 6 to 15 (stopped playing for a few years after my kids were born) and now back down to a 7. I've only had one eagle during the span. About 15 years ago in February. I drove the ball into some trees. My first punch shot hit a branch and knocked the ball straight down. My second punch shot attempt just missed another branch, bounced down the frozen fairway, and eventually rolled into the hole. Pure, dumb luck.

 

Since then, I've reached par 5s in two many times, but I have missed all eagle putts--some as close as 5 feet. I have lost all confidence in my long irons from the fairway, and I don't carry a fairway wood or hybrid, so most "go for it" situations means I'm just laying up and trusting my wedges to get me a birdie chance.

[rp4golf]

While I suppose it seems unreasonable that you've never had an eagle, it also seems entirely plausible.

Personally, I think we tend to watch the PGA Tour players on television, and we feel that eagles should be more of the norm - while forgetting that these guys are good, really good. And their eagles are more a result of their accuracy and frequency of hitting it near the pin, while forgetting that we're all mere mortals.

And myself and my 5-cap aside, having made my share of eagles and aces (my most recent was a 6i from the fairway of a par-4 last spring) - I'm going to use two fairly frequent golfing buddies as examples. One's a low-80s shooter and the other is a 90-100 player. The former doesn't take a lot of risks, and thus doesn't make a lot of big numbers. While the later refuses to layup on any par-5 and goes for everything regardless the circumstances. I asked the former when was the last time he made an eagle, and his response was, "Hell, I don't remember. It was probably a decade ago." - while the later said, "Yup, I made one last month, from the trees, but I shot 95 that day so there's that."
So my feeling on the subject is that it comes down to full round scoring, instead of individual hole scoring.
If you want to increase your opportunities to make eagle, go for more shots - but expect to make more doubles and triples and worse.
Otherwise, much like my feelings on holes-in-one - eagles are more about luck than skill.
And personally, most of my eagles have been with wedges into par-5s, and irons into par-4s, and but a couple with putter in my hands.

Edited June 10, 2021 by rp4golf

[riddyl]

I've played for about 4yrs, working my way down to 6hcp and I've never had an eagle - in fact, its one of my goals for this year. My home course, however, only has two Par 5s and one of them its very difficult to hit the green in 2 for a combination of reasons. I did manage to set up 4ft for eagle a couple of weeks ago, only to see my putt lip out. Heartbreaking. But if you/we keep putting the ball in the right areas it will come eventually.