What's your biggest handicap jump over a short period of time?

[JStang]

Passive brag here, but I've been playing some really good golf lately and just got down to my personal all time low index of 5.7. The guy I played with last night commented on how I was close to a 10 not too long ago so I pulled up my handicap history in the GHIN app and on 5/26/22 I was a 9.2 index and as of today 8/11/22 I am sitting at a 5.7 which is a whopping 3.5 point improvement in just over 2 months. 

 

I honestly haven't changed much other than I practice full swings way less. I used to go to the range at least once a week and since it's so hot down here in Florida in the summers, I haven't gone in a couple of months. I do chip and putt in the evenings a few times a week but not any more than I used to. 

 

I would like to hear your success stories and what you think lead to the quick improvement.

Edited August 11, 2022 by JStang

[larrybud]

I can't recall the year, I think 2010 or 2011. Went to a new instructor for me. Went from a 6 to a 2 in 3 months. Got really hot for a while. 

Last year I went from 3 to 0.8 in about a month after rolling in some really good rounds. Everything was cooking for a bit. 

 

Now I play boring golf.  I haven't looked recently, but I'd estimate most of my scores are between 75-79.

[ChipNRun]

A couple of years back, I had a HDCP jump of ~19 to 23 in about four months. It had to do with the re-rating and refurbishing of the course.

 

The Silver tees, or Senior tees, were on new scorecard as slightly longer than their old distance, as the course eliminated a set of tees between the Black (backmost, 6900) and Blue (raised slightly to 6470).

 

But, our group often faced Silver tee blocks placed where the White tee blocks (or occasionally Blue) were supposed to go. So, we ended up playing a course in reality about 300 yards longer than the Silver card.

 

And, renovations were underway, with several disturbed areas not marked as Ground Under Repair.

 

This got straightened out the following season: Turf work had been completed or marked GUR, and tee-blocks straightened out, and course rating increased for Silver

tees.

Edited August 11, 2022 by ChipNRun

[596]

Age 54, started golf at whatever handicap that would be.  18 months later I was a 2 handicap with a few scores in the 60s.   Easily a reduction of 20 strokes in 18 months.  No lessons, no videos.  Only change I made was upgrading clubs from a Slazenger box starter set to Ping G10 irons and some used woods off eBay.

[Rosco1216]

I’ve gone from a 1.4 on 5/11/22 to a current +3.0.  Granted Ive traditionally fluctuated between a 1 and +1 for years. I joined my local private club in April so I play and practice multiple times a week now vs before at the public course when my practice was one quick range session a week after work and then one round a week or 2 at most. 

[ZacR88]

I went from a 1 to a +1 in the last 3 months. 

 

Well I ended my 2021 season in October, then trained all winter, started the season back up in May at a 1 HCP and hit a +1.1 HCP about a month ago. 

[Buzzkill]

I went from hack to single digit in just over a year when I first started playing.

[jwhite86]

Dropped from a 24 down to a 10 in a single season.

[golfwb]

One of the guys in the group that I play in plays 5 days a week. He went on a super cold streak and his handicap went up by at least 4 in a couple months. 

GHIN put a "soft handicap" on his account it was so bad

[rexwrx]

Getting married increased my handicap substantially

[MtlJeff]

In the span of a year my handicap went from 2.5 to +0.6 . I know this because that was my index at the cutoff for an amateur event i play in in back to back years

 

I'm not sure how much better i was, a little bit better for sure. But a lot of it was a new course that really suited me.

 

I'm a 0.6 now. and i would say i'm far better now than i was then, but my course is a 74.5/140+ with a ton of OB and stuff

[jvincent]

Last year I went from a 7.4 to a 4.6 in just over a week thanks to an even par round as 7.4 which kicked in an exceptional score reduction.

 

I then proceeded to stink it up for a month. When the low scores all rolled off I went from a 4.6 to an 8.2 in the space of two weeks.

[Ironzol24]

I was a 19-20 handicap about a month ago, finally fixed my super out-to-in move and am hitting a much more consistent fade without having to really fight the club face. Have since shot an 89 twice along with a 41 (+5) over 9 holes after work one day. One of my 89s was a 50-39 split so I really feel the good scores coming on just need to string it through 18 holes. But i feel like i went from my potential ceiling being low 90s to all of a sudden having the capacity to chase an upper 70s / low 80s round.   

[Roody]

4 hours ago, JStang said:

 on 5/26/22 I was a 9.2 index and as of today 9/11/22 I am sitting at a 5.7 which is a whopping 3.5 point improvement in just over 3 months. 

 

Marty McFly, is that you? (I know it was a typo, just busting your chops)

When I shot 72 at my home club in 2020, my cap dropped to a 4.9. And I think it was something like high 6's previously. I got the "Exceptional Round Score Deduction" or whatever it is that the USGA applies. 
 

[Pepperturbo]

Years back start golf, to 8 index inside 4yrs, then 8 to 5 index over 2yrs, then 5 to 2 index over 2 months.

[Fuscinator]

I started playing when I was 33. For the first two years, I couldn't break 100. The first time I broke 100, I shot an 87, thanks to a very conservative game plan that I actually stuck to. If I had any sense, I'd come up with a conservative plan suiting my current skills and go with that, but I don't have any sense.

[JStang]

It's me, Doc. 

[JStang]

I found it relatively easy to get to the high 80's when I first started the game, then from high 80's to low mid 80's took a bit more time. Getting to the 70's has always been tough for me and it's always a big achievement when I do it. I now have expectations that I should flirt with 70's every time out. 

 

Now, I know the game is very humbling and when you think you've got it figured out, you don't. Been there, done that. 

[b.mattay]

Went from an 8 handicap to a 0 handicap in a year.

[Kmagnuss]

Went from over a 20 to a 7.0 in one year.

Wrecked my back with too much practice... now I'm back to a 13.2.  Big thumbs down.

[Ferguson]

Thread title should have been, "are you a golf prodigy like me?" 

 

My best downward improvement was 80 BPS and that took an entire season.   

 

[GooseHook]

When I first joined a private club in 2014, my index opened in the low 9's. I took 2 lessons and was playing almost every night (single life was good)- there was almost an exact moment where the lesson clicked and I started playing really well. Two revisions later I was down to a 5.7 and made it all the way down to a 3.4 before the end of summer that year. I had a fluke upper back/neck strain in 2020 that jumped me in the opposite direction, 6.0 up to 10 in a matter of a few weeks. 

 

What is really weird to me now is that I feel like a better, more consistent golfer at 8.0. My new home club is a par 70 with a criminally underrated course/slope rating, and I don't get to play very often since my son was born. 

[JStang]

2 hours ago, Ferguson said:

Thread title should have been, "are you a golf prodigy like me?" 

 

My best downward improvement was 80 BPS and that took an entire season.   

 

 

You're right...changing the title now. 

[JStang]

28 minutes ago, GooseHook said:

When I first joined a private club in 2014, my index opened in the low 9's. I took 2 lessons and was playing almost every night (single life was good)- there was almost an exact moment where the lesson clicked and I started playing really well. Two revisions later I was down to a 5.7 and made it all the way down to a 3.4 before the end of summer that year. I had a fluke upper back/neck strain in 2020 that jumped me in the opposite direction, 6.0 up to 10 in a matter of a few weeks. 

 

What is really weird to me now is that I feel like a better, more consistent golfer at 8.0. My new home club is a par 70 with a criminally underrated course/slope rating, and I don't get to play very often since my son was born. 

 

I know exactly what you mean. The owner of our club has made quite a few changes recently including adding a couple of new tee boxes to lengthen the course and he hasn't had the USGA come out and re-rate it because he wants to be finished with all renovations so he only has to get them out there once. 

[GingerBubba]

23 hours ago, 596 said:

Age 54, started golf at whatever handicap that would be.  18 months later I was a 2 handicap with a few scores in the 60s.   Easily a reduction of 20 strokes in 18 months.  No lessons, no videos.  Only change I made was upgrading clubs from a Slazenger box starter set to Ping G10 irons and some used woods off eBay.

 

Oh wow, this is  amazing. Talk about gifted! Who knows where you'd have been had you started aged 5.4 instead of 54! Competing with Phil and Tiger perhaps! Were you good at all sports?

[Ferguson]

33 minutes ago, GingerBubba said:

 

Oh wow, this is  amazing. Talk about gifted! Who knows where you'd have been had you started aged 5.4 instead of 54! Competing with Phil and Tiger perhaps! Were you good at all sports?

 

Champions' Tour?  

 

 

 

[MattM97]

Last year I went from an 18.5 down to I think 14.5 or 15 but this year I went back up to a 17. I think it's cause I'm playing an "easy course" and it's jacking up my handicap. I wouldn't mind getting it back down to a 15 or lower by the end of this year.

 

So much for trying to go to single digits this year. 

[GooseHook]

1 hour ago, JStang said:

 

I know exactly what you mean. The owner of our club has made quite a few changes recently including adding a couple of new tee boxes to lengthen the course and he hasn't had the USGA come out and re-rate it because he wants to be finished with all renovations so he only has to get them out there once. 

 

Yep! Too much of the rating system is focused on yardage. We have big, fast greens with some extremely nasty pins and a couple of par 4's where 7 is a common score. When I first joined I had a few guests out that were all sub-5 handicap, they looked at the card and wanted to play tips due to the short yardage on paper. No one broke 80 that day, in perfect conditions with no wind. 

[596]

4 hours ago, GingerBubba said:

 

Oh wow, this is  amazing. Talk about gifted! Who knows where you'd have been had you started aged 5.4 instead of 54! Competing with Phil and Tiger perhaps! Were you good at all sports?

I played high school soccer and tennis, college tennis, then organized softball, hockey and  basketball. That was through 25 years of age.  Then got hit by a car directing traffic as a cop.  Hurt pretty bad.  Took up basketball again, along with water skiing and National Ski Patrol for 5 years. At 35 I started training everyday for triathlons.  I did that until age 57 when I retired from racing.  I took up golf at 54.  Now all I do is 4 days of golf and 3 days of cycling each week.

 

When I took up golf, my wife and I owned a 16 room inn. I had lots of time for golf and triathlons.  Other then winning some triathlons one of my funniest accomplishments was winning the police department racquetball tourney with a cast on my leg from the car hitting me! 😁  

Edited August 12, 2022 by 596

[david.c.w]

I wish the GHIN index went back more than just 1 year.  Maybe it does but I cant figure out how to do it.  I am pretty sure my index was on a steady decline for years.  I was 10+ 7 or 8 years ago, and now fluctuate between 4 and 5.   I graphed my index for what data I have.  Shot multiple 74's this summer.  And you can clearly see when I dropped some good scores.  
 

Looks like Monument Valley!