How quickly things can turn around (or fall apart)

[dgarland]

I just recently had one of the worst ball striking streaks of my life on the course.  To be fair, it's the winter and I like in Pennsylvania so I'm not playing much but.. over the course of winter I played 27 holes without hitting a green in regulation.  Several were on the fringe but technically none were ON the green.  Then I played 9 and finally hit two greens in regulation.  This last time out I missed 1,2, & 3 then during a practice swing I happened upon a swing thought and hit the next 6 greens in a row.  

 

Now for the other end of the spectrum... at a local dog track (Conocodell if you're familiar with courses in the Chambersburg, PA area) I once hit 14 greens in a row then totally lost everything and ended up shooting 80 on a par 70 course.  

 

Let's hear some other stories of things taking a big swing one way or another.

[Hawkeye77]

I haven’t related the tale for a long time and won’t relate the details, haha, and I may be off a stroke or two, but a few years ago visiting my folks in Palm Desert went 110- 79 on the same course on consecutive days. No terracotta roofs were damaged with the OBs that were a small part of the debacle because those balls were flying the houses lining the course (didn’t hear any windshields break), lol. 

[naval2006]

I had two rounds of 36-46 at my home course last year. Terrible melting. There isn’t enough quickly in golf. 

[ECgolf]

Yesterday I was 6 over par through 4 holes. I then proceeded to shoot one over for the remaining 14 holes for a 79. I was about to give up hope on scoring after those first 4 then it all turned around. I’m a 10 handicap right now, so it was a great score for me. 

[bostonmurph]

shot 94 in my buddy's guest day last year in perfect sunny and 75* conditions and 77 the next day in the pissing rain and wind. he'll never let me hear the end of it for sure

[Roody]

Near the end of last season, playing a 2v2 match for probably one of our bigger $$ bets for the whole season. Front/back/overall, auto-presses, and $ for birdies. I shot 3 birdies, one bogey on the front for a 2-under 34. On hole 10 shot par, but from there on out 5 bogeys, one double, a birdie, and a par for a 42. Luckily my partner in our match picked his game up on the back 9, so we ended up taking home some nice $$ that day. But sheesh, drives me nuts that on the front 9 the swing was as smooth as butter, and then it seemed like I forgot how to swing on the back 9. 

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

I'm still in the phase of "Good for a short bit and then long patches of B.S." since getting back at it last year. My hopes are my recent resurgence out of the B.S. takes hold and I have a longer patch of good times. 😄 

[caniac6]

I was playing in an interclub match, and missed a 4 foot putt for a 32 on the front. Shot 46, with no penalty strokes on the back. My partner played well on the back, so we won, and I broke 80.

[GG43]

Played at a friend's club for the first time.  Shot 40-52.  So embarrassing.  

[Sean124]

I once started a round 6 over after 5 holes. Then starting on #8, I made 6 birdies in a row, which is still my record. 

Bogeying #18 to shoot 1 over really chapped my a** 😂

[sheepdawg]

The 38-44 I shot Monday was disgusting except for driver to 8 feet on the 187 yard par 3 up the hill into a gale #3. I kinda liked that 'cept I missed the bird.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Early last year, I was striking the ball really well, then from about May I got busy with work and other stuff happened, and I began playing a lot less (think I got about 6 full rounds in from May to the end of December). 

 

During that time, I completely lost my swing, and I'm still getting it back. It's like I've forgotten how to swing a golf club. Even on good strikes, I've lost over 10 yards on my irons and about 30 on my woods and driver compared to early last year. Driver and the fairway woods are the worst; I was barely able to hit the ball off the tee on some days, and I am still struggling with these clubs.

[Pepperturbo]

Used to pride myself on hitting a small bucket before teeing off so my swing was readily available on the first tee.  Since Covid, there hasn't been too many buckets, I just show up on the tee.  My closest sense of falling apart happens more often than I like.

 

Playing more difficult rating/sloped courses over the first 4–8 holes, bogies can show up, as joints loosen, and I find my swing for the day.  Chasing my swing, I am not mentally in the game.  Over the front it appears, I am going to shoot something from the 80s, which can work nicely if a money game exists; my opponent bets according to what he sees. 

 

However, once I find my "swing for the day" and I always do, I card one over, even, or one under on the back, bringing my score to the low-mid-70s. 

 

Fall-apart or turn it around all depends on whether a person believes in himself, and can find the WILL to make things happen.

[jholz]

I opened up my last round with two solidly played par fours leaving me ~5ft birdie putts. 

 

Missed both. 

 

Spent the rest of the round holding on by my fingertips and managed a wonderfully disappointing 78.

This was two weeks ago. 

[Kai Slater]

I have an extreme case study on this that actually led to me quitting golf for many, many years.....

 

I was an avid golfer back in the mid 1990s to about 2008, playing, on average 2-3 times per week and hitting balls nearly every day.  I reached the point  where I could and would shoot mostly in the 78-84 range on any given round.  I even had a few rounds of 76, including one in Myrtle Beach, where we would frequently gather the family/friends and go for week-long golf trips.  Same with Florida.  I was in my 20s and early 30s, strong, flexible, former track/field state champ, baseball player, etc....golf was "easy" for me, until it all came crashing down one summer in Myrtle Beach.

 

Summer of 2008, I'm at my usual Myrtle Beach area courses on a golf trip, when suddenly I lost my swing, my touch, and my entire attitude/enjoyment for golf.  It was Lions Paw golf course, when it all fell apart.  I could hit it a mile, but in all the wrong directions.  How about a 285 yard hook into the next fairway?  Or hit a nice drive, then totally air-mail the approach to the green by 30 yards, then chunk two chips trying to get on the green where I 3 putt?  Or, hit a 280 yard power slice into the forest OB?  Add in about 11 of the greens 3-putting and I end the round with a score of 101.  I did this same thing for an entire week and had a miserable trip. I couldn't figure out why and I was too prideful and maybe "cheap" to seek help.  I'll figure this out on my own.....and I never did.

 

I came home and it continued.  One day, after a four-man, best-ball tournament, playing like a total beginner hack, I put the clubs away; gave them to my wife's club-pro relative, and gave it up.  I told him that it's just not fun anymore and, at the time, with two young toddlers and a very stressful job, I wanted a break from golf.  

 

 

[stephenmatt]

Shot a +1 for a 37 on the front yesterday and then had too many beers and shot a +8 for a 44 on the back... It was fun though!

[Sterling_247]

All it takes is a tweak here or there. Been struggling for almost 4 years after catching the shanks. Had a buddy take a look at the swing and got a video. 15 minutes later we're back in business and striping the ball. Crazy game. 

[PersimmonEra]

2 under after 3 and 2 over after 5

[Roejye]

Generally I don't have very many extended periods of good play, followed by a blow up. It's usually just fairly consistent meh to poor play. However, I remember one round where I'm playing quite well, I'm 1 over through 6, although thinking back I had started to struggle on 5 but had some good luck. I play the last 3 holes 5 over to end up carding a 40 on my par 34 home course. 

[bigred90gt]

My biggest "things turning around, and not for the better" round that I can recall I shot a 35 (1 under) on the front, made the turn and threw up all over myself (figuratively) on the way to a 53 on the back. A legit 18 stroke swing over 9 holes. I have never wanted to break every club in my bag like I did that day. 

[RoyalMustang]

I'm going through a weird phase. I've worked hard on improving my footwork and balance; getting rid of EE and creating space. As a result, my driving distance average is over 300 for the first time ever (last 36 holes) and I'm hitting over 60% of fairways now. 

 

Yet, my cap has risen over the past 3 weeks. Just yesterday, I had 3 shots in 9 holes where my newfound distance was my enemy, costing me 4 strokes by flying the target. I had an uphill 105 to the pin that I choked down on, hit an easy 54 wedge, and somehow still flew it 115. I had 128 to the pin, again uphill and choked down PW, and flew it 143. I'll tell you what: it sucks to step up with a slight tailwind and winter fairways (hard), stripe a drive 358, leave yourself 80 to the pin on a long par 4, take an easy swing and fly it 20 yards past the green into the hazard for a 6. 

 

Now, the problem is that my standard deviation of distance on my irons has seemingly gotten wider. The average is not different than it was before: 54-115; 50-128; 46-143 but I seem to be striping clubs more often, even when choked down. Better contract and lower trajectory is normally a good thing, but I'm getting these "wow" fliers that are killing my score.

 

I know; 1st world problems. I was a 3.1 cap but now I'm up to 4.4 in the past 3 weeks. But damn frustrating when I've really improved my ballstriking. I probably need some TM time to re-calibrate my distance expectations; the range isn't good for that with the beat up balls and elevated hitting area. 

[RoyalMustang]

17 hours ago, PersimmonEra said:

2 under after 3 and 2 over after 5

 

I think I've been -2 after 3 and +2 after 4! 

[Barnacle]

Shot 43 on the front at our big tournament of the year 2 years ago. Was a skins gross/net tourney with a few hundred on the line. Thought I was out so grabbed a couple cold ones at the turn. Proceded to shoot 36 on the back with 1 double and two birdies. Turns out no one was able to win any skins on the front so with my play on the back 9 I won every gross skin and about half the net. I was an 8 handicap at the time. My dad was pissed because he had low round of the day but didn’t win a single skin. Good times 

[bortass]

Had a 55/41 a few weeks ago. Gotta love going from can't hit the ball to playing decent, lol.

[jordan2240]

Was 1 under through 5 holes yesterday, hitting every GIR.  I knew it wouldn't last, especially when my 'buddy' pointed out what a fine round I was having.  Hit my drive on 6 OB, and hit one GIR the rest of the round.  This is why I don't keep score.

[Golfbit2X]

On 2/29/2024 at 1:11 PM, Pepperturbo said:

Used to pride myself on hitting a small bucket before teeing off so my swing was readily available on the first tee.  Since Covid, there hasn't been too many buckets, I just show up on the tee.  My closest sense of falling apart happens more often than I like.

 

Playing more difficult rating/sloped courses over the first 4–8 holes, bogies can show up, as joints loosen, and I find my swing for the day.  Chasing my swing, I am not mentally in the game.  Over the front it appears, I am going to shoot something from the 80s, which can work nicely if a money game exists; my opponent bets according to what he sees. 

 

However, once I find my "swing for the day" and I always do, I card one over, even, or one under on the back, bringing my score to the low-mid-70s. 

 

Fall-apart or turn it around all depends on whether a person believes in himself, and can find the WILL to make things happen.

Agree with you 110%, Pepperturbo.

 

Never give-up as redemption is just another stroke away. 

 

I also call it my Jekyll and Hyde round and I've had more than a few of those these past 3 years since coming back from a 30+ hiatus. 

 

My most memorable Jekyll and Hyde round was at Bethpage Black where I shot +15 on the front and +5 coming home in a non-tournament round. 

 

Also had a really close HIO on hole # 17, missing it by 6 inches so this was a round I will never forget. 

[Pepperturbo]

On 3/4/2024 at 9:25 AM, Kai Slater said:

I have an extreme case study on this that actually led to me quitting golf for many, many years.....

 

I was an avid golfer back in the mid 1990s to about 2008, playing, on average 2-3 times per week and hitting balls nearly every day.  I reached the point  where I could and would shoot mostly in the 78-84 range on any given round.  I even had a few rounds of 76, including one in Myrtle Beach, where we would frequently gather the family/friends and go for week-long golf trips.  Same with Florida.  I was in my 20s and early 30s, strong, flexible, former track/field state champ, baseball player, etc....golf was "easy" for me, until it all came crashing down one summer in Myrtle Beach.

 

Summer of 2008, I'm at my usual Myrtle Beach area courses on a golf trip, when suddenly I lost my swing, my touch, and my entire attitude/enjoyment for golf.  It was Lions Paw golf course, when it all fell apart.  I could hit it a mile, but in all the wrong directions.  How about a 285 yard hook into the next fairway?  Or hit a nice drive, then totally air-mail the approach to the green by 30 yards, then chunk two chips trying to get on the green where I 3 putt?  Or, hit a 280 yard power slice into the forest OB?  Add in about 11 of the greens 3-putting and I end the round with a score of 101.  I did this same thing for an entire week and had a miserable trip. I couldn't figure out why and I was too prideful and maybe "cheap" to seek help.  I'll figure this out on my own.....and I never did.

 

I came home and it continued.  One day, after a four-man, best-ball tournament, playing like a total beginner hack, I put the clubs away; gave them to my wife's club-pro relative, and gave it up.  I told him that it's just not fun anymore and, at the time, with two young toddlers and a very stressful job, I wanted a break from golf.  

 

 

Regrettable, but not surprising.  I saw similar with a friend, like you, he quit. That or something similar happens to plenty of people.  Amazing how a wife, toddlers and a job dictates dedication to a sport.  

[vandyfan]

Short version is that I started at +6 through 4 holes at Pinehurst No. 2 and ended up shooting 73. An all time turnaround for me. 

 

Longer version is that I had built this round up my head and I was FEELING THE PRESSURE on the first tee. Hit a decent tee shot that got completely swallowed by wire grass. I found it but it was completely jammed. Unplayable. End up making a 7 on the rather benign opening hole. Then go bogey-bogey-bogey on the next 3 holes including hitting my tee shot 40 yds left off the tee on #4. I felt LOST with my driver and was starting to wonder if I would hit a decent drive all day. Went to a feel I hadn't used in a few months on hole 5 (par 5) and laced on down the middle. Okay, that could have been random. Hit the green in 2, two putted for birdie. Went on to make 6 more birdies in the round, 5 birdies on the back and a few sloppy bogeys mixed in. Even birdied #18 in front of the "gallery" at the Deuce. I resisted the urge to do the Payne Stewart pose. All that is to say that normally I would have folded like a tent in this situation and, who knows, if that feel hadn't worked on hole 5 maybe I would have. But I plan to draw on this experience going forward when things start going against me. Shooting 41/32 at Pinehurst No.2 is a truly psycho scorecard but it also reminds me that as my driver goes so does my score. It all comes down to sequencing and I just lose it every now and then. Was kind of a lifetime achievement thing and to be able to watch the US Open and say (to myself and obviously from different tees and with slower greens, etc, etc) that I birdied #5, #10, #11, #13, #14, #16 and #18 will be very cool. Didn't manage to make a "2 on No. 2" so no coin for me but this is a nice consolation. 

 

 

[Kai Slater]

21 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

Regrettable, but not surprising.  I saw similar with a friend, like you, he quit. That or something similar happens to plenty of people.  Amazing how a wife, toddlers and a job dictates dedication to a sport.  

 

Exactly right and my "break" carried on for 15 years before I even thought about touching a golf club again.

[Pepperturbo]

11 minutes ago, Kai Slater said:

 

Exactly right and my "break" carried on for 15 years before I even thought about touching a golf club again.

IMO You made the right decision.  Many years back, I postponed expansion of the company for my then six-year-old son.

Edited March 8 by Pepperturbo