Your Proudest Achievements / Regrets

FixdePitchmark · 17-08-2020 9:28pm #1

I haven't done a daft thread in a while.

But Covid is a funny time for everything. It can have you internalizing about the past and the future.

But to keep the one thing in life that is positive at the moment - would you like to list some of your honest and open views on what you are proud of in golf and what regrets you have.

It is interesting what people will post - golf is a fantastic game in that your proudest moments can range from anything from breaking 100 to playing for Ireland. I met a man in his late 60s recently , and he is trying with everything he has to get to single figures.

Regrets can always be fixed - but sometimes they sadly can not.

I'll post after a while. A bit of a softer thread , more open than I think I need a tour shaft

Post what ever you like - two/three in each category if you like

DuckSlice · 18-08-2020 10:29am

Proud moments on the golf course:
Shooting my all time best of +3, that day I wanted to be any where but a golf course due to a crazy woman.
Winning Presidents Prize
Winning the doubles Matchplay after losing the final the previous year.

Regrets:
Teeing up the ball when I was a junior when I was out of site from the group, I only done it once but still annoys me to this day after 20ish years.
Being rude to people in a society I'm a member off, telling them to speed up, rather than asking them nicely.
Not taking it more seriously when I was younger.

Fionn1952 · 18-08-2020 10:33am

My biggest regret.....a four putt on a par 5 after hitting the green in two.

I'm at the sort of standard where greens-in-regulation are rare, the planets aligned, I managed to strike the ball absolutely beautifully twice.....and then totally choke under the self built pressure. After missing an eagle chance that day, I've still never birdied a par five!

KevH1984 · 18-08-2020 10:35am

Biggest regret - 3 putting the last green from 20 feet of the 9 hole play-off for the Captains in 2017 and losing by half a shot overall. Par would have got the job done. Still really bugs me to this day as it's the one everyone wants to win and also would have won me a nice few quid from the tote too. There's always this year though

.

Seve OB · 18-08-2020 11:16am

hitting bad shots or putts can hardly be considered a regret.

i regret not playing more golf when i was a kid and taking it seriously as i had a bit of potential back then

proudest moment ...... don't know
maybe playing for my club the first time (i was probably about 13 - under 18's comp) away from home with big crowds following as it happened to be their captains day. i was playing alongside one of our best players in foresomes and i was the one playing far superior golf. was a good buzz.

ozymandias10 · 18-08-2020 11:57am

Seve OB wrote: »

hitting bad shots or putts can hardly be considered a regret.

.

Regret is being disappointed over something you have done or failed to do
so not sinking a putt or not playing the shot right will deffo give you a feeling of regret if it plays on your mind afterwards

frink · 18-08-2020 12:43pm

Proudest moment -
Being on the winning team in Leinster Junior Cup. (Comfortably my number 1)
Winning doubles matchplay in the club getting the goal of having your name on the wall

Regrets
Losing form in advance of All Ireland finals and not being selected to play, only as a sub
Stopping playing for 5 years when I started to get into single figures

My biggest regret will be when I have to give up the game due to a long term shoulder injury sustained playing rugby in school. This summer has been the first time it has started to give me some trouble so hoping it is just some stiffness

callaway92 · 18-08-2020 12:46pm

Big regret was not doing more analysis on my game when I was younger.

Work in analytics/statistics now, so it's grand, but really think I missed a beat when growing up to not spot the actual gaps in my game.

Too easy for people to say 'my putting isn't great' etc..but is it because they're leaving themselves x distance for their first putts etc? Having the numbers in front of you and having a nack of being able to solve problems can be the difference of a couple of shots.

rickis tache · 18-08-2020 12:47pm

Proudest moment would be any win I had.
Biggest regret was after putting out in a comp on the first hole only to see I played a wrong ball from the rough and never said anything. There's a special place in hell for me.

Dbu · 18-08-2020 12:47pm

Regret, not starting when I was younger

Proudest, In a cup comp, parring the last 5 holes to win by 1.
Herself heard about that for a few days;):D

Ottoman_1000 · 18-08-2020 12:49pm

Seve OB wrote: »

hitting bad shots or putts can hardly be considered a regret.

i regret not playing more golf when i was a kid and taking it seriously as i had a bit of potential back then

proudest moment ...... don't know
maybe playing for my club the first time (i was probably about 13 - under 18's comp) away from home with big crowds following as it happened to be their captains day. i was playing alongside one of our best players in foresomes and i was the one playing far superior golf. was a good buzz.

This...I was lucky enough to go to a country secondary school that was right beside the golf course. From about 1st year to 4th year me and my mates would be on the course every evening after school. My mam was also hugely involved at the club so this helped too. We would sometimes getting 2 rounds of 18 in as we got closer to the summer months. 6 was the lowest I played too but some of the lads were scratch golfers in their teens and still top quality now. Once I turned 16/17 I started taking hurling way more seriously and probably for that reason I just gradually stopped bringing the clubs in and by the time I sat my leaving 2 years later I didn't play at all...

I took back up the game a few years ago after not picking up a club for nearly 15 years and I now love it probably more than I did as a 16 year old. But 3 major knee ops and back issue throughout my 20's have hindered me slightly!!!haha...Playing of 13 now and even though I am no where near the level where I was as a 16 year old I am still determined to get back there. It does however sometimes get me down after a particular bad round and I think to myself it wasn't this hard when I was a teenager.........

mighty magpie · 18-08-2020 12:52pm

Achievements:

Level par twice at my old club
36 hole Junior Scratch cup at Portstewart off Irish open tees. +12 second place finish with no double bogeys

Regrets:

being -2 through 16 and finishing bogey bogey

Ronney · 18-08-2020 12:53pm

Biggest Achievement/regret are the same round....

Finishing Double/Treble for a 78 to break 80 for the first time in competition!

...lost the comp on a count back too..... still haven't broken 75

blue note · 18-08-2020 12:59pm

Proudest moments
My first eagle. I'd had a lot of eagle putts to that point, but never holed one. Then a pitch ran into the hole from 70m out. My playing partner that day got his second later in the round. He holed out from beside the 100m marker.
The only comp I won as a junior was a proud one. I was about 15, playing off 24 that summer. And in practice rounds beating my handicap more often than not, but in the comps playing crap and coming in with low - mid 30s. I couldn't play well in a comp. So then in the matchplay I had too high a handicap in reality. I remember bits from a few of the games, but he moment I remember best is playing a lad off 6, so he was giving me 18 shots. On the index 2 long par 4 into the wind I hit driver 4 iron to the middle of the green. He just toss his hands up and said what am I supposed to do!?

Regrets - I don't worry too much about them.
I suppose 1 I rue was a comp where I had 35 points after 14, playing off 17 at the time. I was just getting back into the game after taking a few years off around college time and looking good for a win. I remember it vividly, I actually didn't play 15 too badly. A par 3, the only hole I didn't have shot on I just leaked into the bunker with my tee shot. I had a terrible lie but got out and ran through the green. I'd a tough chip on but left myself a very makeable putt. I lipped out for a point, no score. The danger here is letting the nil points go to your head. Par 5 next, I split the three fairway from the tee. Perfect layup middle of the fairway with my second. A relatively easy par to get back on track. Sadly, I chunked it into the lake. And that was me done. I dropped out and duffed another ball in. Head was gone, pulled my tee shot on the next into trees. Didn't get out on my first or second attempt. Sliced my tee shot on the next ob. Ended up with another scratch.

All in all it looked like I sandbagged my card. 2 points on the last 4 holes would have gotten me cut, instead I didn't even match my handicap.

But that said - regret? There's no decision I'd have made differently. I tried my best and came close. There's no shame in that.

Seve OB · 18-08-2020 1:07pm

ozymandias10 wrote: »

Regret is being disappointed over something you have done or failed to do

yes i agree with that, but it also must be something that you had full control over. golf is hard and unfortunately we can't always execute the shots exactly as we would like. not even the best players in the world can. so when you miss a putt or whatever, you cant have any regrets because you have at least made an attempt.

ozymandias10 wrote: »

so not sinking a putt or not playing the shot right will deffo give you a feeling of regret if it plays on your mind afterwards

so i have to disagree and would say that is a more like a feeling of "what could have been".

i'll say it again, golf is hard and if you are missing your shots or playing the wrong ones then maybe you are not good enough, either at a skill level or between the ears. maybe the regret should be that you didn't practice more.

if regret is simply a case of missing putts or playing bad or the wrong shots then we can all feel regret on pretty much most of the golf we've played all our lives when we failed to make putts and hit drives that went OB, shanked an iron or bladed an approach. etc.

Seve OB · 18-08-2020 1:16pm

blue note wrote: »

But that said - regret? There's no decision I'd have made differently. I tried my best and came close. There's no shame in that.

more, much more than this.

you did it your way

FixdePitchmark · 18-08-2020 1:21pm

Proudest Achievements / Regrets - are probably too strong a title , too emotional a context ? or perhaps not, for a small group who take this game to another level.

Someone put it well to me on here a while back , it is only golf, and again only lower level amateur golf we are (mostly at). So can it mean that much ? Maybe not. They are right.

But - golf is fascinating . I've seen incredibly successful people , great people, reduced to almost tears of frustration and joy by golf. It is hard to understand , there is almost a child like behavior in some people when it comes to golf. These are (Mostly) rounded individuals who have a successful life in all other walks. But golf has them in a spin , a confusion - ( it takes one to know one

:D)

Running (walking too slowly) around fields after a buffer and "a 0.1/.2" - it is all a bit daft in a way. And how seriously people take the most slight mishap in etiquette, sequence - other contrived faux pas. It is all a bit sad in a greater context.

Anyway - I think I could write a book on this topic. But on golf.

Proudest Achievements

Again in the context of it just being golf. I really enjoyed my later return to golf. I did it here on boards and enjoyed the golf side and seemed to need a forum for the writing / creative side. Got to meet great people, got great help - and got from a 12 Society handicap down to 4 GUI.

This was a crazy low handicap for me - and was only held due to pure idiotic determination and effort.

Next year I'm going to be a single figure golfer for nearly 10 years - I was never a great single figure player or one that could shoot the lights out. But I'm proud I did it with a fairly poorly structured self taught swing (as a starting point). It made that process very very hard - and it took 1000s upon 1000s of balls to get things going.

Regrets

Growing up I loved sport - was reasonably handy at some, but I never found one that I truly excelled to the highest level. I found golf and loved it , I had that ability to stick at repetition. But I couldn't get into a golf club. I never knew a member of a golf club till I was well into my late teens.

I know in my heart golf was the sport for me. But I never had the opportunity to find that out. I'll admit I haven't made up with structured golf as a result of this.

But - I'm happy to say, I took that regret on in later life, so the regret did create drive and ambition to get to my prouder moments in golf.

But after all that - it is only a game. It isn't more important than life or death.

hurleronditch · 18-08-2020 1:26pm

Proudest moment:
Getting from 19 handicap in 2009 to 9 in 2019
Shooting 80 around bethpage black in 100 degree heat 2 summers ago. Weirdly I have a couple of holes in 1 but they aren’t really pride more novelty as they were both quasi flukes.

Regrets:
Never have I won an individual event, even a Tuesday open singles. Have shat the bed countless times with a score going on the back 9.

Obvious case, I was off about 16 and 6 over through 13 in my home clubs captains day a good few years back. We were last group out by a long way as me and a mate had played a GAA match that morning and we tees off around half 3. Best score in the club house was about 5 under nett and I knew 1 par and bogeys all the way home would likely win it.
Biblical deluge starts as we are walking up 14, I’m on the green from about 30 feet, but by the time we get there surface water was pooling, so we hid under a tree and waited for it to pass (no one behind us) rain stopped after 10-15 mins, but the green was waterlogged. Captain and club manager came out in a buggy to see what we were at, as they wanted to kick off ceremonies in the next hour. Was told in no uncertain terms that if we didn’t start playing again we would be considered NRs, and I had to play as it lies. 4 putted for double through the puddles, and my head disintegrated, tired after a tough GAA match in the morning I fell apart and came home in the last 5 holes 8 over, and missed out by a shot or two, and didn’t even win my category on count back due to ****e back 9.

I regret not telling them to **** off, give me 5-10 mins for the greens to dry so I can putt and we would speed golf home ( they dried very quickly, but by the time I got to the next I was gone mentally). I also should have asked for a formal ruling on casual water etc, but I was inexperienced and just did what I was told. Aaaaaaaagh!!

Just writing that down has me frazzled.

FixdePitchmark · 18-08-2020 1:36pm

hurleronditch wrote: »

Proudest moment:
Getting from 19 handicap in 2009 to 9 in 2019
Shooting 80 around bethpage black in 100 degree heat 2 summers ago. Weirdly I have a couple of holes in 1 but they aren’t really pride more novelty as they were both quasi flukes.

Regrets:
Never have I won an individual event, even a Tuesday open singles. Have shat the bed countless times with a score going on the back 9.

Obvious case, I was off about 16 and 6 over through 13 in my home clubs captains day a good few years back. We were last group out by a long way as me and a mate had played a GAA match that morning and we tees off around half 3. Best score in the club house was about 5 under nett and I knew 1 par and bogeys all the way home would likely win it.
Biblical deluge starts as we are walking up 14, I’m on the green from about 30 feet, but by the time we get there surface water was pooling, so we hid under a tree and waited for it to pass (no one behind us) rain stopped after 10-15 mins, but the green was waterlogged. Captain and club manager came out in a buggy to see what we were at, as they wanted to kick off ceremonies in the next hour. Was told in no uncertain terms that if we didn’t start playing again we would be considered NRs, and I had to play as it lies. 4 putted for double through the puddles, and my head disintegrated, tired after a tough GAA match in the morning I fell apart and came home in the last 5 holes 8 over, and missed out by a shot or two, and didn’t even win my category on count back due to ****e back 9.

I regret not telling them to **** off, give me 5-10 mins for the greens to dry so I can putt and we would speed golf home ( they dried very quickly, but by the time I got to the next I was gone mentally). I also should have asked for a formal ruling on casual water etc, but I was inexperienced and just did what I was told. Aaaaaaaagh!!

Just writing that down has me frazzled.

Great post.

But Something I have learnt very late in my golfing life (this year) - are we not all responsible for our own preparation for a round of golf.

60 % of golfers are hung over and have not hit a ball in a week
20 % of golfers are running onto first tee
1 % have played a GAA game that morning

No doubt unlucky with rain - but taking this thinking to another level - the best golfers in most clubs play first / early (weather is typically better) and play is faster

I'm learning this year - your preparation for your round is your responsibility - golfers are terrible at preparation (in general)

Salvadoor · 18-08-2020 1:41pm

Regrets -
Double bogey on last hole of last GOTY competition of the year to lose out on 1st place.
Realising after submitting a score that I'd miscounted a 7 as a 6 in a comp and not reporting it because I wanted the cut.

Achievements -
Shooting level par, getting cut, then shooting one-under the next week on home course.

the lawman · 18-08-2020 1:43pm

Cool thread.

Proudest Moments:
Getting to single figures 4 years after taking up golf in 2014
Winning a Medal and a Scratch Cup in Rathcore in 2014
Winning a Scratch Cup in Castlewarden in 2020
Finishing top 4 in the Social Media Links Tournament in 2018 with my best mate on team. Walking up that 18th fairway in Enniscrone knowing we had a good score and a chance of the win was a brilliant memory.
Representing Castlewarden in the Jimmy Bruen in 2020 and holing a 5 foot slider on the 17th green for 2 up win with about 10 people following our group was very special.

Regrets:
Not taking up golf until I was 30.
Getting hit the mouth on the 3rd in Rathcore from a stray 5 wood heeler.
Tearing an intercostal muscle on the 10th tee last year at the SM Links and having to WD leaving my partner playing non-competitively for next 46 holes.

mike12 · 18-08-2020 1:49pm

Won 3 Captain's Prizes, the only one I'm really proud of is the last one playing off 9 the other 2 I was coming down in handicap.

Won the 4ball matchplay last year to tick that off the list, it was a goal for a long time to win a matchplay.
Have had a hole in one, eagle on a par 4 and Albatross on the par 5 16th in Enniscrone happy with all of those.
Regret losing the ball I had the Albatross with on the 18th.

No real regrets I don't think I have ever blown up when in contention on the back 9.

ryaner777 · 18-08-2020 1:55pm

Proudest Moment

Winning a society major (memorial tournament) that my father had won 20 years previous. To see both our names up on the club wall in gold lettering beside each other still fills me with joy.

We'll both be playing in the same tournament again this Saturday

Regrets,

None that I can think of. Golf for me was always something to be enjoyed with friends and never taken too seriously.

If I had one regret it was probably not joining a club that bit sooner.

PARlance · 18-08-2020 3:17pm

Proudest moment: Seeing my 6 year old lad's joy at getting his own set of clubs for his birthday.

Regrets: Getting him the set. He had me at the range last night and wants to go again today. Been up so much that I'm not even hitting balls myself up there anymore.

Russman · 18-08-2020 3:24pm

Proudest achievement:
There'd be 2, the day I got to 3 handicap many moons ago by hitting a 7 iron stone dead on the 18th, and a round back in 2004 when I shot 65 gross in competition.

As mentioned earlier the regrets would be more "what might have been" rather then life or death regrets per se, but in the 65 round above, I missed 3 putts from well inside 3 feet so I guess that's definitely a "what might have been".

Wichita Lineman · 18-08-2020 7:08pm

Proudest moments have to include being Club Captain in 2017 and also winning the Club Matchplay that year which means my name is on the trophy. Next up would be seeing my son develop into a tidy golfer, he's off 11 now after being off 21 a couple of years ago and he won our Intermediate Scratch Cup this year as well as getting selected on club teams for the first time. Other than that I'm just happy that I love my golf.

Only negatives for me are that I didnt play at all when I was a young lad and nowadays not forcing myself to practice enough!

Rippeditup · 18-08-2020 8:12pm

Proudest
Coming 2nd in the Philip Walton trophy in the island (second round of 70 ) when I was 17 or top 10 positions in Leinster and ulster boys in 1997 I think that was the year
Winning my home club junior open when 16 shooting my 1st under par round (Ashbourne)
Shooting 65 in St.Annes in a schools competition

Regrets
Giving up golf at 22 for 7 years, money and living in town and then having to give up again at 32 when I had kids (don’t regret them)
Lost to Royal Dublin in smurfit cup on 18 when I played a 3wd second shot and topped it into deep rough and we lost by 1 as a team..

FixdePitchmark · 18-08-2020 9:16pm

Some impressive posts here.

Golfhead65 · 18-08-2020 9:54pm

Proudest moment would undoubtably winning Captains Prize in 2018 after starting the final round 8 shots behind and in 16th position to shoot 66 nett on a windy day and win by 3 but I didn't do it on my own, that morning on the putting green my phone vibrated in my pocket and it was my father ringing me to tell me that my Godmother (whom I'd only been with a few days earlier) had passed away. Played with tears in my eyes for 1st few holes and I believe she helped me that day.. Biggest regret is not starting golf earlier as I stayed at Pitch & Putt too long

JCDUB · 18-08-2020 11:47pm

Great thread, I've really enjoyed reading. Congratulations to everyone on some amazing achievements, and forget the regrets, we all have them!

Proudest moments:
Winning a medal.
Winning golfer of the year in my club.
Winning club singles matchplay.
Winning club fourball matchplay.
My only hole in one, on the 11th in Enniscrone.

Biggest regrets:
Having qualified for the second day of the captain's prize with a level par 71 (nett) and being in top twenty for the second day, I decided in my youthful wisdom that a night out on the beer and back to a party would be perfect preparation for said second day. Was level par nett at the turn, then got tired and it all slipped away. One day I'll take it home.

Not playing more with my Dad before he died. We played a good bit, but could have played more. He wasn't much use, but I'd give anything to play with him now.
Don't be this person, play with your auld man if you're lucky enough to be able to. One day it'll count for a lot.

coillcam · 19-08-2020 5:03pm

This is a great read so far. I only took up the game in June so I don't have anything of substance to add.

Achievements:
A couple of weeks ago I had my first birdie on the local par 5 #18 on which was my fourth full round of golf - restricted to 9 holes previously due to covid. I hadn't even made a par on any par 5 at that stage.
Picking a new hobby that I really enjoy.

Regrets:
Not taking up the game sooner.
The amount of money I've put into gear etc after 2 months :pac:

I have my cards submitted for an official handicap as of last week. I was told to expect something in mid 20s by an experienced mate as I haven't scored better than 105 yet.

One other thing I'll add, while not an achievement it has brought a smile to my face. Socialising with some older members. I've played casual rounds with various people in their 60s+ and to see them enjoying their time on the course has been fantastic. Whether it's enjoying a decent shot, cursing under breath at a topped ball or taking the piss out of their mates. I can see how much it meant to them to be able to go out and relax for a couple of hours. Especially given the Covid pandemic.

Would be interesting to read back on this in a couple of years to see how or if I've progressed much.

Your Proudest Achievements / Regrets

Comments