and my ADD/OCD/schizophrenic golf game is already in full swing...

I played the weekend before Easter and fired a nice 79 after not having played since mid-October last year. Not a "great" round by my standards but after a long lay-off and being the first round of the season without practing any at all, I'll take it...a very consistent 9-par, 9-bogey round...4 3-putts.

Well, yesterday was my second round of the season...still haven't practiced any due to the weather...and it was like I was in "mid-season" form. Fired a 72, 36-36, +2 on the day...5 birdies, 6 pars, 7 bogeys...once again, 4 of the bogeys were 3-putts...

Down here (ATL) our season has been going for a while. I often find that the second or third round after a layoff is a good one: I'm not trying to do too much. There's a lesson in that, but I never seem to get it.

The winter layoff hasn't really affected my ball striking any...hitting very solid. The short game is where I'm off a bit, especially putting. But as I've mentioned in the past, I'm not that good of a putter anyway, by far the weakest part of my game. The birdies I made yesterday were not long putts...three "kick-ins", an eight-footer, and a 12-footer. I had a putt for eagle on the last hole from about 12 feet but just left it on the right edge of the hole for a kick-in birdie.

ShortFatHokie, these are some outstanding scores. What's your handicap index??
Mine is 28. I'm still a sucker at golf.

quote:

Originally posted by LuckyBreak:
ShortFatHokie, these are some outstanding scores. What's your handicap index??
Mine is 28. I'm still a sucker at golf.

My current index is 3.8 which is a 4 handicap on my home course.

Thats just awesome!
Wish I could play a 10 handicap one day. How long have you been playing? Did you take lessons or self-taught??

quote:

Originally posted by LuckyBreak:
Thats just awesome!
Wish I could play a 10 handicap one day. How long have you been playing? Did you take lessons or self-taught??

I've been playing since I was about 12 years old...almost 30 years.

I only "dabbled" in golf until I went to college...started working in the bag room at the local Country Club as a part-time job and ended up working in the golf industry for 20 years.

What I learned when I was a kid was "self-taught" from watching others and using my natural ability (I played baseball from age 7 through high school).

Once I started working at the Country Club, I received lessons from the Pro and he helped break a ton of bad habits and refine my game. I went from about a 15-18 handicap to mid-single digit handicap in about a year. I've been a mid to low single digit handicapper ever since. There was a lot of practice (ie. hitting range balls and doing drills) involved during the effort to go from 15 to single digits but no so much over the last several years. If I ever hit range balls now it may be only a few before I play just to loosen up some.

As for my game, I've never been a long hitter but I've always hit it pretty straight and keep it in play. My short game, other than my putting, is pretty decent...I can usually get the ball close enough to the hole when pitching, chipping, or playing out of a bunker. Now, my putting, on the other hand, that's a different story...by far the worst part of my game...if I could only learn how to putt, I'd be a scratch golfer.

That's pretty awesome.
You work in the golf industry?? That's very good, I bet it's a very interesting job specially if you like what you are doing. I know I would like a job in the golf industry that's for sure.

Care to explain further what is your job exactly?

I've been playing since I was 6-7, so 40 years. I've had my index as low as 10.2, never gotten it down to single digits. Some years it's been nearly 18, but typically it's 15.5 - 16.

My short game isn't great, but doesn't cost me a lot of strokes. I tend to lose most of my strokes in big bunches, unlike a low handicapper who makes a few bogeys. I rarely leave the course without a triple or two on my card. Typically created by a stray tee-shot that has me taking a stroke and distance penalty, lying three in the fairway. Miss the green on my approach...a chip, two putts and I've taken a smooth 7 on a par 4. Since the pros hit it so far, people think the game is about power and distance, but it's about control and consistency. I just wish I had some of that. :-)

Lucky,

I used to work in the golf industry...changed careers two years ago. I can now enjoy weekends, holidays, and get to take summer vacations. The golf business isn't all its cracked up to be...long hours, few days off during the golf season, rarely get to play golf, and the pay isn't the greatest. You really have to love the golf business (and have an understanding wife/family) to stay with it for that long. I'd probably still be doing it but I had a great opportunity to do something else and jumped at the chance...someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Now, I'm just a "weekend hack"...LOL...