I finally broke 80!

[jamesgott]

I play a weekend dogfight every saturday at the same course. I struggle sometimes with just being deliberate, in the moment, and being focused. On Saturday we were supposed to have a monthly tournament but it was cancelled due to weather. 15 or so guys still showed up anyway and we carried on with our normal weekend format. 

 

I walked, like I usually do, with my pushcart. Something just felt different. I felt focused, much more than normal. I also opened with 4 pars which is pretty out of the ordinary for me - but they weren't standard pars. I was fighting - completely scrambling from odd places just to get up and down for a look at it and putts were dropping. 

 

I doubled 9 but ended up with a 39 on the front which I've never done. No birdies. 

 

I had a bunch of pars on the back but bogeyed 16, 17, and 18. I had no idea that I was close to a sub-80 round. My playing partners were very aware though. I sank the putt on 18 for a 79 and it was a great feeling because my friend yelled and congratulated me. What a great feeling. 39 - 40. No birdies. I know which strokes I left out there and I hope I can go lower next time!

 

 

[Twism86]

Congrats!!! Still looking to accomplish that feat myself. 

[MelloYello]

Love it!

 

Congrats on that awesome accomplishment! It seems that every time someone forgets about the scorecard and just keeps their mind on what's in front of them they always end up surprisingly themselves. 

 

Keep up the good work! 

[ZacR88]

you noted that you seemed more focused and scrambled. 

 

This is something I see many many higher caps forget about. They are pumped to hit a tee shot, then put minimal effort into figure out the approach and if they miss the green they give up and make a chip and putt for par seem impossible. 

 

When you get to into single digits, even more so when you are scratch, its a lot of scrambling to salvage pars on the days you are not dialed in. Which is not as many as people think. 

 

Nice job OP, keep it going.

[jamesgott]

Hell yeah fellas. Thanks for the responses. I am playing a best ball tournament with an older guy on Saturday and he's a great stick. Hoping to continue the season with another low(er) round!

[Kmagnuss]

Congrats!  That's awesome man.

[Springsteennut]

Congrats. I did it the first last fall. I had kind of a normal front nine but got very hot on the back 9. I tried not to jinx myself but I looked at my phone and saw I just needed a 2 putt from 12 ft. I was about as nervous as I’ve ever been standing over a putt. 

[Hawkeye77]

Whoo!! 

[iutodd]

Congratulations!  It's a good feeling.

[Ty-Webb]

[ingster1]

Congratulations.  Great barrier to break through.  

[karstens_ghost]

It took a long time for me to break 80. Then I did it, and within 6 months I had a 70.

 

It can be done. Keep up the work, and build a repeatable, dependable option - and don't get down on yourself if you go back up a little. It happens. Trend is what matters.

 

Congrats!

[RainShadow]

Congratulations!

Big milestone in the life of a golfer.

Whoot!

 

[PJE]

Congratulations!

[midweston]

Congrats! I am still on my way to sub 80! Thanks for sharing!!

[bobfoster]

Still remember the first time I did it (so many years ago, but still remember the day).

 

My friend, welcome to the elite. Here's the stats - 45% of golfers will ever break 100. Only 26% can break 90 with any consistency (a lot kind of do - with foot wedges, and mulligans, and all manner of stuff like that - but genuinely shooting 90, or 80, playing by the strict RoG is some serious game).

 

Breaking 80 is the Holy Grail of amateur golf. About 2% can hit that level. Bask in the warm glow of achievement. You've earned it.

Edited April 21, 2022 by bobfoster

[Shushwap]

22 hours ago, MelloYello said:

Love it!

 

Congrats on that awesome accomplishment! It seems that every time someone forgets about the scorecard and just keeps their mind on what's in front of them they always end up surprisingly themselves. 

 

Keep up the good work! 

That is me to a tee.. as soon as I know my score the wheels fall off the bus 

[RoyalMustang]

On 4/20/2022 at 9:33 AM, jamesgott said:

I play a weekend dogfight every saturday at the same course. I struggle sometimes with just being deliberate, in the moment, and being focused. On Saturday we were supposed to have a monthly tournament but it was cancelled due to weather. 15 or so guys still showed up anyway and we carried on with our normal weekend format. 

 

I walked, like I usually do, with my pushcart. Something just felt different. I felt focused, much more than normal. I also opened with 4 pars which is pretty out of the ordinary for me - but they weren't standard pars. I was fighting - completely scrambling from odd places just to get up and down for a look at it and putts were dropping. 

 

I doubled 9 but ended up with a 39 on the front which I've never done. No birdies. 

 

I had a bunch of pars on the back but bogeyed 16, 17, and 18. I had no idea that I was close to a sub-80 round. My playing partners were very aware though. I sank the putt on 18 for a 79 and it was a great feeling because my friend yelled and congratulated me. What a great feeling. 39 - 40. No birdies. I know which strokes I left out there and I hope I can go lower next time!

 

 

 

Dude, that is awesome!  I am trying to get there myself again.  Granted, I play a tough course (80 from my tees would be a 4.1 HC score) but I am so close and know the feeling

[RoyalMustang]

22 hours ago, ZacR88 said:

you noted that you seemed more focused and scrambled. 

 

This is something I see many many higher caps forget about. They are pumped to hit a tee shot, then put minimal effort into figure out the approach and if they miss the green they give up and make a chip and putt for par seem impossible. 

 

When you get to into single digits, even more so when you are scratch, its a lot of scrambling to salvage pars on the days you are not dialed in. Which is not as many as people think. 

 

Nice job OP, keep it going.

 

This is where I am at right now.  Minimize bad mistakes. Case in point yesterday: super windy but on 2 holes, I hit a perfect drive, both around 310-320 out and right where I want the ball. On both holes, I hit a bad approach (thin 5-iron from 210 puts me into a bad bunker on a par 5) and the second hole was a skulled 40-yard 1/2 wedge, putting me more than 40 yards past the hole, way up high.  I go from what should have at least par/par and probably at birdie/par or par/birdie to bogey/bogey.  

 

Bad holes happen, but there was no reason to play that dumb.  I hit some great wedges yesterday to save pars: where did the skull come from? Lack of focus after hitting such a perfect drive into that 30mph side wind and seeing the wind work it back into the fairway after playing it to the right. Where did the bad 5-iron come from?  I don't know: I should have hit 6 iron, laid up, and pitched from 15 yards short.  Stupid play.  That green is surrounded by deep bunkers and is small, and I should only be hitting onto the green with 7-iron or less, which doesn't happen from the back tees w/o a tailwind.  Too greedy and it cost me; I can still make birdie if I am chipping on my 3rd shot from 15 yards and get close.  

 

But I am learning! 

[m_w]

Congrats! 

[ericschlukebir]

Congrats!

[Nels55]

Nice!  Hopefully you can continue with the same attitude for your next round!

[Ghostwedge]

On 4/20/2022 at 9:33 AM, jamesgott said:

I play a weekend dogfight every saturday at the same course. I struggle sometimes with just being deliberate, in the moment, and being focused. On Saturday we were supposed to have a monthly tournament but it was cancelled due to weather. 15 or so guys still showed up anyway and we carried on with our normal weekend format. 

 

I walked, like I usually do, with my pushcart. Something just felt different. I felt focused, much more than normal. I also opened with 4 pars which is pretty out of the ordinary for me - but they weren't standard pars. I was fighting - completely scrambling from odd places just to get up and down for a look at it and putts were dropping. 

 

I doubled 9 but ended up with a 39 on the front which I've never done. No birdies. 

 

I had a bunch of pars on the back but bogeyed 16, 17, and 18. I had no idea that I was close to a sub-80 round. My playing partners were very aware though. I sank the putt on 18 for a 79 and it was a great feeling because my friend yelled and congratulated me. What a great feeling. 39 - 40. No birdies. I know which strokes I left out there and I hope I can go lower next time!

 

 

Welcome to the "70" club. And love the scorecard, X's and check marks and other numbers. Just like me you only get 2 rds on a card.....👍

[cbrwn425]

Congrats! I shot 80 for the second time in January and like you I remember being much more focused that day. I went out and my only goal was no big numbers, my only double was the one hole I lost focus. My goal for the year is to break that and play more rounds focused like that.

[naval2006]

Great job. In weekend warrior fashion. Congrats 

[djmohab2]

Way to go, brother! Keep it up!

[djmohab2]

On 4/20/2022 at 9:17 AM, MelloYello said:

Love it!

 

Congrats on that awesome accomplishment! It seems that every time someone forgets about the scorecard and just keeps their mind on what's in front of them they always end up surprisingly themselves. 

 

Keep up the good work! 

See, I keep hearing this, but I don't understand it. Unless you're incapable of counting to nine, you're going to know where you stand in relation to par at all times, aren't you?

Edited April 29, 2022 by djmohab2

[mcconnon12]

Congrats! Great accomplishment.

[bobfoster]

Maybe just me, but dig. I love shooting a great round. But I also get a lot of joy from playing with someone shooting one of the rounds of their life ... be that 100, 90, 80, or 70. Don't get me wrong, I love to win. But also get great pleasure from losing to someone that took their game to the next level. Will totally buy them drinks and dinner on the 19th, and lavish them with well-deserved praise. 

[m d g]

I remember the first time I did this.

 

I quit after 15.