Give yourself some credit...what are you proud of this year?

[Justsomeguy]

Through instruction and practice, I've successfully changed my grip which has changed everything. I'm now closing the face consistently and making consistent contact. Duffs and tops are gone as of now, and the weak right spinny ball is gone. I discovered from a wear pattern that I was sliding the club in and under and adding loft instead of coming down with the leading edge and closing the face.

The game is fun now because I can just hit the ball and worry about right left and distance and not whether I'm going to have a spinny little wasted shot or worse.

Living below 90 feels amazing.

[Leska]

Im proud i didnt let golf win. I had actully quit my membership last year, because i was fighting a Hook and pretty much gave up on my goal of getting under handicap 5. Currently handicap 7.4 and lowest Ive gotten is 6.2 i think and startet playing when i was 30 and now 35 years old

 

I can move The Ball pretty good. Swing speed 113-116 with driver, and im a good driver of The Ball. Best part of my game. I pretty much never Hook driver. Play driver with a small fade, if anything 

 

But Irons... Im not sure ill ever get rid og my Hook. I can get good rounds going, but there are always 1-3 Holes where my Irons get me into trouble and last year the frustration got the Better of med and i quit. I started again in april this year 

 

The Hook is getting a bit less, so hopefully next year ill break 5, even though my handicap hasnt moved at alle this year, so had been a crappy season 

 

But yes, most proud of not letting golf win

 

[ChrisLC40]

At the start of the year my main goal was to improve my mental approach - when bad shots happen don't let them ruin everything afterwards, and to play smarter shots. I think I've only had 1 maybe 2 rounds where I got 113% frustrated. 

 

That mental improvement has also helped with my secondary goal - get to a 10 hcap by the end of the season. I started this year in May at 14.9 and steadily dropped to my current 10.8. Also helping with that drop were a few of Monte's videos, and a few club changes.

[me05501]

Prior to this season I had never broken 80. As of this morning I've shot in the upper 70's four or five times. 

 

I'm excited that I've been able to control my excitement through these rounds and adjust to the feeling that I deserve to score +6 or +7 over 18 holes. Still, I limped in today with three bogeys in a row, so I still have some mental game work to do. 

 

The biggest change I made this year from prior seasons is that I never really stopped playing through the winter. Me and a couple buddies decided that we needed the time out of the house even when the courses were dormant and the weather was raw. As such I was able to keep making progress with all aspects of my game and not lose ground like I have most winters. 

[YouDaHamHider]

Nice idea for a thread. My better half literally couldn't give a s*** nor an ounce of recognition for my golfing achievements so the opportunity to share here is welcome! My handicap has come down from 13 to 6 in last 12 months. I've managed to post 40 odd counting rounds in this period which itself is an achievement because I have a 3 year old boy. I've also broken my PB round 4 times with a 4 over being the best round yet. I also won our club's Gross and Net centenary year eclectic competition (6 rounds with best scores counting from each hole played). Par 70 course: my Gross score 60, my Net score 50. My swing has improved too I think. Swings below are from a year ago (trousers) and this week (shorts). 

[Three_Jack]

As a 6 handicap, I've broken par this year for the first time, and shot 1-over par(and a 2 over par a few times).

 

Hitting 54% GIR, but too many 3 putts and only getting up and down 27% of the time.

[ZacR88]

I will add to this again. 

 

Broke Par for the first time in my life yesterday. Shot a 70 ( Par 71). 

 

Although its a good feeling to finally do it. Been close so many times. I feel let down ad I was 5 under going into 14 and my playing partner starts mentioning how I am bogey free so far and I let it get to me. Started playing defensively and made a double and two bogeys to finish the round....

 

I know I can finish low at my course. A 65 is on the table is if it comes together. One day...

[iutodd]

I'm proud of how much better I think my way around the course when I play and how much more I enjoy the game while playing because of it.  

 

I have a much better idea of how I want to play and what each round needs to look like for me to score well.  I owe a lot to just browsing online stat kind of stuff - I like Mike Bury on IG - he has a lot of stuff about how to break par/80/90 and what that takes.  Probably the biggest tip has been the idea that to break 80 you need 8 GIRs (and no doubles and 32 putts) and you should be thinking about 10 or 11 good opportunities each round to hit the green on your approach.  That boils down to something different for everyone but for me it's: how do I give myself 10 good approach shots from inside 150 yards?  

 

Also helps with strategy on harder holes like longer par 3s and par 4s.  "Just play for the middle of the green" is a lot easier to tell yourself if you know you've got other chances coming up.  Same with deciding whether or not to go for it on par 5s.  

[Orange Hog]

This has been a really good, fulfilling year of golf for me in a different way than in the past.  I used to play about 8-10 amateur tournaments a year but this year I haven't played in any.  Been focused on getting more consistent with my game, improving my putting, and trying to get my scores/handicap down.  Pleased to say that I'm checking those boxes.  I've had 2 rounds in the 70's so far this year and many right at 80.  My handicap is down in the single digits (lowest it's ever been).  And I've gotten significantly more consistent with the driver and the putter than ever before.  More importantly, though, I've been able to spend a lot more time playing golf with my kiddos and they're really getting into the game.  I love seeing them practice, learn new things, shoot lower scores and just blossom through it all.  Gonna get my daughter into some tournaments in the coming months so I might be putting on the caddy bib more and more soon.

[Max21]

Struggled a lot with the swing at some points but I stuck with the lessons and practice and have made huge changes. Dropped down to a 12 handicap and broke 40 for the first time ever this year and it was just an amazing experience and showed the hard work paid off

[bluedot]

I'm proud of enduring thru a long and difficult process. 

 

I'm 69 and a lifelong athlete, still trying to play as much tournament golf as I can.  Back in June of 2018, I suffered a partially detached retina in my right eye, and that led to a cascade of issues and surgeries and procedures in that eye.  Things got worse and worse, and in August of 2019, I worked with a top-shelf instructor to completely rebuild my golf swing because of what I thought was the "new reality" of my vision.  Following that, in December of 2019, I started working with a golf fitness trainer, replacing my own workouts with stuff that they tailored especially for not only golf, but based on their assessment of my strengths and weaknesses.

 

Then in the middle of 2020, my eye went completely haywire, resulting in a vitrectomy, followed by cataract surgery, followed by a procedure for a secondary cataract, all within 5 months.  All of that was accompanied by a daily regimen of 5 different eyedrops; some taken once a day, some twice a day, and some three times a day.  By late 2020, my depth perception was so bad that golf became REALLY difficult, especially around the green.  I couldn't chip AT ALL, and reading slopes on greens was nearly impossible.

 

Gradually, though, the eye stabilized; the vision is not good, correctable only to 20-40ish in that eye, but at least it stabilized, and that in turn gave my brain time to "catch up" over a period of about three months, and the depth perception issues went away, helped by getting off of all of the drops.

 

I've won three times this year, either in individual tournaments or four balls, and I have a couple of seconds as well, and I'm really proud of that.  I shot 74 yesterday and won my flight by five shots, and was low net in the tournament by 3 shots.  I dearly love winning, but that's not why I'm proud; I'm proud that I got thru this and came out the other side, more or less in one piece.

 

One other thing, and this is the most important:  I have realized the fragility and temporariness of all of this.  I'm one bad incident with my "good eye" from not being able to drive a car, much less a golf ball, and I appreciate things a LOT more now.  The guys I play with, the trees I just hit my ball into, the color green, cold beer and giving somebody a few dollars that I lost.  That stuff is what really matters.

 

[Marty86]

Broke 90 for the first time this year multiple times. Steadily improving slowly now which makes the game more fun.

[TLUBulldogGolf]

It's been a struggle most of the year, working through some setup and swing changes and battling some resulting inconsistency. First test in a tournament situation did not go well but I recently qualified for the Texas Mid-Am. Looking forward to further putting things to the test in a fairly big event. 

[Precis1on]

Sticking to my routine, each and every shot. Mentally allowing myself to make mistakes and not let the results get to me. 

[Curmudg3on]

I went to one of Monte's clinics.   For me, it was well worth the $$.   

[TLUBulldogGolf]

On 8/24/2021 at 11:03 AM, DennyJones said:

I went to one of Monte's clinics.   For me, it was well worth the $$.   

 

I really wanted to attend the clinic in Houston, just a bit too steep right now. I need to do a refresher lesson but I have been progressing decently with what he gave me to work on ~6 months ago.

Edited August 29, 2021 by TLUBulldogGolf

[Augster]

Having my worst year ever. If I’m proud of one thing, it’s that I haven’t broken a club. 

[Robert L.]

One thing I'm proud of is how well I've adapted to playing with vintage clubs. I'm having a lot of fun hitting persimmon woods, old forged blade irons, and a putter with a hickory shaft, hitting Wilson Duo Soft balls which feel like balata balls of old. I'm also working on a single-plane swing as taught by Kirk Junge called the Setup4Impact swing. It's coming along fine, but I'm still searching for a degree of consistency with my game. I've hit some fine shots this summer, but I've also hit some stinkers as well.

[naval2006]

Early this year I played some decent golf for a couple of months so I played a lot of tournaments.  My best came in February when I won my handicap category on a 36 hole strokeplay at a neighbouring tough course.  I won by a shot from behind with two very steady rounds,  sharp ballstriking and a decent short game to save pars.  And a lot of focus and patience, which is becoming quite a challenge now that I'm approaching my senior status.

[Caddykev]

Even though I totally choked on 18 after hitting a great drive, I almost qualified for the Met Open this year. With two young kids, my practice and playing time are virtually non existent, and I barely got back into competitive golf which you all know is a different animal a couple years ago so this was a big step for me confidence wise going into next season. I was keeping score for my group on golf genius, so I peeked at the leaderboard on 16 tee and saw -1 was in, so I got myself into the cut line and felt in a zone which I hadn’t felt in a while. After my drive on 18 though, I got a little out of my routine and starting thinking of qualifying and not the easy wedge and blew it by putting it into a bunker, and an impossible up and down. Always next year though. 

[Obee]

On 7/9/2021 at 6:43 AM, RichieHunt said:

Made some pretty big swing changes in about 4 months time.  And not only did I make the swing changes, but I am quite good about troubleshooting the issues when they come up.  And yes, my scores have improved, so I'm not just playing golf swing, I'm also playing golf.

 

 

 

 

RH

YES, Richie. 
 

truly learning to score (for one's own ability) is the greatest feeling in golf. 

[Obee]

I am proud I am playing again. From November of last year through April or May of this year, I couldn't get through more than five or six holes without experiencing excruciating pain in my lower back. I went from a +1.9 to a 2.4 and should've been higher but for the new limiting.

 

in 2020, I shot 5 rounds in the 80's in 151 rounds.
 

In early 2021 14 of my first 26 rounds were in the 80's. I kept trying to play because golf is my respite. I need it in my life. My back had never been so bad, and I thought I might never play solid, pain-free golf again. 
 

Well the warm weather and a renewed commitment to stretching have combined to allow me to play decently again. And for that, I am very grateful. Not looking forward to the colder, drier months ahead, But will enjoy the next couple months the best I can.
 

 

Edited August 28, 2021 by Obee

[GoTime]

Proud that I didn't buy any new drivers or irons

Edited August 28, 2021 by GoTime

[DavePelz4]

Hasn't been the best year, health wise or golf wise...maybe the two are related. In the second to last round of our comp on Saturday, on enough Naproxen to drop a horse and after a multi hour massage, I somehow managed to put up my best round of the year and move into second place only 2 shots off first. Will get to play in the final group with the leader and hopefully that combination pf meds and massage will work it's magic a second time.

 

And in the spirit of humor, in the middle of that round, I cold topped a 5h on a 200 yard par 3, leaving 96 to the pin.  Wouldn't you just know I hit a 56 degree wedge that one hopped into the cup for a 2.  Whew.

[Hawkeye77]

6 minutes ago, DavePelz4 said:

Hasn't been the best year, health wise or golf wise...maybe the two are related. In the second to last round of our comp on Saturday, on enough Naproxen to drop a horse and after a multi hour massage, I somehow managed to put up my best round of the year and move into second place only 2 shots off first. Will get to play in the final group with the leader and hopefully that combination pf meds and massage will work it's magic a second time.

 

And in the spirit of humor, in the middle of that round, I cold topped a 5h on a 200 yard par 3, leaving 96 to the pin.  Wouldn't you just know I hit a 56 degree wedge that one hopped into the cup for a 2.  Whew.

Go get 'em! 

 

You win and they'll be making everyone pee in cups before the events next year!

[sevenfourate]

This year i’ve managed to get below Scratch handicap again. Mainly through tenacity and an ability to score  - not my usual solid ballstriking. Which in general has been poor…..

 

Strung a few good rounds together also.  But by far my favourite memory is beating my personal best on the Par 3 course at my club. A quality 9 holes: ranging from 80 odd yards to the longest two holes at around 160 yards each.

 

I’ve played a lot here. I use it for short game practice and am usually on it more than once a week. When I was an Assistant Pro I shot 25(-2) + 22(-5) to be -7 for 18 holes. That was maybe 25 years ago if not more  (?). This Summer I shot -9 for 18 holes. And happened to be with my Son. Who was amazed the old man could still golf his ball…..
 

 

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by sevenfourate

[CasualLie]

Two years ago a mental mess on the course, finished DFL in a multi-day tournament two years ago, which then had me quit tournament golf for the rest of that year.  Last year's pandemic ended up cancelling my club's tournament series.  So plenty of time to get it together.

 

This past weekend, won my 4th tournament of the year.  And along with a 2 second place finishes have clinched enough points to win the season.  I still make too many mental mistakes, but nowhere near what I used to and able to stay in the present much better and keep grinding.  This past weekend, I made back to back doubles early, holes 5 and 6, and hole 5 is an easy par 5!  With three tough holes coming up to close out the front 9, told myself to buckle down, and rattled off 6 pars in a row before again making bogey on my nemesis hole!  Didn't let that rattle me, made par on the next tough hole patiently waiting for the last par 5 to get it back, made birdies, then cruised to the end.  Two years ago I would have checked out early and just f around making anything from birdie to double not caring.

 

I am half way to my goal for the year which is win the season title and then win the club championship.  Winning both in the same year has not been done in the last 30 years.  Haha!  No pressure!!!

[shellback]

Shooting my age a couple of times

 

[sevenfourate]

8 minutes ago, shellback said:

Shooting my age a couple of times

 

Incredible. Congrats and Kudos.

 

***I saw Bernard Langer joined you by shooting 64 on the Champions Tour this week….

 

You’re in a unique club !

[Barfolomew]

coming back slowly after Achilles surgery this year:

 

1. Lost fear of long irons that I used to have and that many have.... extended irons 1" and went to Jumbomax ultralite grips.  Made a huge difference cause they were waaaaay too light for years cause had jumbo 80 gram grips on at standard length so had no weight in the heads and now I can sit back at the top of the backswing load up and hit that sucka with power instead of swinging too fast with no feel

 

2. Also Putting targeting system on putts 15' and in way improved and making more