Breaking 90

First Published July 26, 2016

I’m pleased to say that I continue to make progress, generally hitting in the low nineties. Last Friday I had my best round ever when I went round in 42/42 for 84. That’s 6 under my current 19 handicap. On Sunday I played a 4BBB Stapleford open with my mate Gez and we turned in a respectable score of 42, five points off the winning score.

So on a good day I can hit 84, and on a bad day I can hit 104. That’s about my range.

So how have I made these improvements?

I play 3-4 times a week and practice at the range most days. I know that’s unrealistic for many people, but I’m a self employed digital marketing services freelancer, so I can always work when it’s dark.

My kit is continually improving. I’ve recently added a modern putter (review to follow). My old putter was loaned to me by one of my friends when I first began to play. It’s probably 30 years old and very basic – named the Bronte Rustler. Also added a Cobra 3-4w which I’m now using off the tee. I find that I can get almost as much distance as my driver, with greater accuracy. Next is a Cobra 2-3 Hybrid. I’m still struggling with this one. Finally a 50 degree gap wedge from Cobra for 40 – 60 yard chip shots and around 100 yard pitches.

My yardage with the short irons and pitching wedge has increased. I used to hit my wedge 100 yards, now it’s around 120 yards with 10 yard gaps up to 6 iron.
I play my club course a lot, so I know where the smart plays are and where the bail outs are.

I’ve grown more confident in my ability so can start to express that in my shot selection.

Update: Today I hit 83, that’s 39 out and 44 back

It’s a funny game. Don’t know about you but when I’m playing well, it seems easy and when I’m not it’s more difficult than difficult things. Hitting 107 in last Saturday’s medal brought that home to me. Still, it’s just a game. It’s just hiting a ball around a field for a few hours …

Comments

Scott Cole says
October 29, 2016 at 3:23 am

You should post more often, so folks like me can give you a better idea on how to keep making improvement. Keep this thought in mind…try to play more golf away from home to give yourself a better idea of how much improvement you are really making with your game. It is definitely much easier to lower your scores on your home course. Step out of your comfort zone a bit more often, and the improvement will come more quickly.

admin says
November 22, 2016 at 3:25 pm

I played in Northumberland recently and I’ll be playing in Portugal next April.