Beginner Golfers Diary

irish_bhoy82

I have decided to do a thread following my progression in the Golfing World.I am 28 and I have played Golf on and off since I was 19...I would normally play with friends on a local Links course in the summer months getting out 6 or more times a year just. I have never had a handicap, I have never hit a birdie in my life although I have had shots for them. And I have only every entered a competition once, which was a local society competiton.

I gave up Gaelic Football this year and decided to take the Golf a little bit more serious as I do enjoy it. I started playing this year in March, which was probably the earliest in the year I have ever played, my average round would be 120, which i know is disasterous. However by May I had played more Rounds in one year than I had ever played before in a full year.

In June I decided to become a member of the local Links course and made a target of getting a handicap sorted and to play in a hand ful of competitions this year. In my last 2 outings I hit 112, and 101, which I must admit is a long way from 120 back in march.

I have started going to the range to get a better technique and routine over the ball and I have decided to go for lessons in mid August, I hope to book 2 over the space of 2 weeks.

My Game:
My Driving is Unpredictable but I tend to improve as the round goes on, my second shot I believe is my weakest point..short game is middling and my putting can be excellent sometimes. I was at the range on Tuesday and I was hitting them very straight and happy enough with the distance, my drive was going over 200m my 5 iron and 7 were both hitting 150m.

I have not yet got my handicap but I have just one more card to submit, I have the local golf society Competiton this Friday where I expect to be playing of at least 24, going by my last outing 2 years ago..

I will just be hoping for a steady round on Friday, steady shots, and enjoy it... I will update you on how I got on next week!

mike12

Hi,
Best of luck keep plugging away we all had to start some where and there is no better feeling when you break the mile stones of 100 90 80 75.
Mike

LittleLiam

Make it a blog. Not enough good golf blogs around.

alxmorgan

One piece of advice I'd give as I have a similar story to yours is to smile
If you start taking it too seriously it can wreck your head.
You'll have good days and bad days but don't let the good ones make you think you're better than you are or the bad ones get you down.
Remember you're out there by choice so enjoy it.

I know it sounds obvious but I'm speaking from experience here.
Come pretty close to packing the whole thing in recently as I wasn't get the improvements I felt I should have been.
But went out last week determined to smile and enjoy regardless and made a huge difference - lost three balls off the tee on hole 3 :eek:
but smiled and moved on and ended up with 32 points despite not playing great at all.

irish_bhoy82

Thanks fo all the Good advice Guys, I went to the range last Tuesday And Thursday and hit 40 balls each time, starting off with low clubs moving on up to the driver....decent enough ball striking in both occasions. Played on Friday then in the Local Golf Society Competition, played with 4 guys I never played with before and started off poorly shooting two 7's on the first two par 4's I then hit 3 bogeys in a row....in all I didnt do Great No Pars...but I was impressed with my Rescue club, for once I was hitting it well! I scored just 21 points....Poor but still have the hunger, hope to get out this Saturday again and maybe even the range again on Thursday for another 40 balls....although I think I need a spell on the Pitch and Putt to improve my short game....will keep you updated...

irish_bhoy82

WELL ITS BEEN A WHILE...HA HA
whats happened in the past 2 years...well I never got my handicap that time, I completed my 3 cards but then lost interest and just stopped going...
However in May I joined a new Golf Club closer to where I work, I know a good few people from the area and work that play there so it was the most logical thing to do...
I went a step further this time and completed my cards and got my handicap of 24..Its a very good Golf Course and isnt easy so not surprised my scores are as good as 2 years ago when I was playing on a Links.
Ive been playing quiet a bit 2 or 3 times a week. I entered my first competiton 3 weeks ago scoring 24 points stableford. 2 weeks ago I played my second competition and it was stroke play hit 116.My handicap went out to 24.2.....I played in the presidents prize this weekend in awful conditions I shot 113, which was a improvement on the week before and ended up winning the beginners section which was nice...YES A COMPETITION WIN anyway still alot of work to do, I believe I have my Driving has improved just make mistakes here and there and they kind of ruin my round, so hope to keep improving..I hope to play another comp this weekend prob be stableford so if I score more that 24 it will be a improvement...Back up and running Ill TRRRRRY and keep yee updated.

dines08

irish_bhoy82 wrote: »

WELL ITS BEEN A WHILE...HA HA
whats happened in the past 2 years...well I never got my handicap that time, I completed my 3 cards but then lost interest and just stopped going...
However in May I joined a new Golf Club closer to where I work, I know a good few people from the area and work that play there so it was the most logical thing to do...
I went a step further this time and completed my cards and got my handicap of 24..Its a very good Golf Course and isnt easy so not surprised my scores are as good as 2 years ago when I was playing on a Links.
Ive been playing quiet a bit 2 or 3 times a week. I entered my first competiton 3 weeks ago scoring 24 points stableford. 2 weeks ago I played my second competition and it was stroke play hit 116.My handicap went out to 24.2.....I played in the presidents prize this weekend in awful conditions I shot 113, which was a improvement on the week before and ended up winning the beginners section which was nice...YES A COMPETITION WIN anyway still alot of work to do, I believe I have my Driving has improved just make mistakes here and there and they kind of ruin my round, so hope to keep improving..I hope to play another comp this weekend prob be stableford so if I score more that 24 it will be a improvement...Back up and running Ill TRRRRRY and keep yee updated.

Apart from lessons the only bit of advice I'd offer you is to play with players who are better than your level. When I started I was put off playing with the good golfers I knew because I thought I'd slow them down and annoy them. Once I bit the bullet and played more regularly with a mate of mine off 9 I improved dramatically. Playing two years since February and owe every improvement I've made to the time, patience and advice I've received off golfers who are at a better level than me.

irish_bhoy82

cheers dines, yeah I play with a pool of players mostly with a friend that plays off 15, but I also play with a lad I work with that plays off 6 and also a very good lifelong friend that plays off 3. And I also play with a lad who has not got a handicap yet but will prob be playing off 24 once he gets his handicap sorted out pretty soon. I was at the range tonight and just brought, my 5,6,7 irons with me and just concentrated on hitting them as sweet as possible. Now it was not always sweet but I do think its improved my swing which I hope will improve my iron game and help knock a few more shots off my next outing instead of gambling with my hybrid all the time...
I hope to get out for 9 friday evening and then I am still not sure If I will get out to compete this Sunday or not but hopefully I will. My hadicap didnt change anyway this week after going out by .1 for the past 2 weeks. I have steadied the ship.