Vegan702
New member
The other thread regarding the handicap being different from course to course, concerns about sandbagging, etc got me thinking. How many of you play to achieve the lowest total score and how many play to get the best score possible on each hole? This may sound the same, but look at it this way. Most of my rounds I play every year are part of a our mens club tournaments and weekly skins game. Outside of these rounds I might play 5-10 other rounds of golf a year as between these mens club tournaments there are 60+ rounds of golf I get in plus 3-5 days a week of practice on the range. During our regular 18 hole tournaments there will also be a skins game played. You can opt out of the skins if you want, but I think most participate. At the end of the year we have a payout as you get points for 1st-3rd every tournament, but its only in the $200-$600 range depending on finishing position.
So when I first joined I was a new golfer and was finishing toward the end of the pack every tournament as I was trying to get the lowest score I could as I focused on lowering my index, breaking, 100, 90, 80, etc. After awhile it dawned I got more excited when I won skins then when I broke a certain score, so I changed my game around and focused solely on getting the best score every hole and figured eventually the lower total scores would follow. To a degree they have, but not as expected. So now when I play I try and get on the green in 2 on every par 5, drive every short par 4, etc. and make birdie or eagle if possible. By doing this I am taking the most risk on every shot as it makes you basically hit perfect shots every time to succeed. I could just as easily layup on the par 5s and hit the green in 3 and 2 putt for par, but I know in my head I don't win skins with pars, I need birdies. I haven't gone out and played a round of golf in over a year with the intention on just a low score as every time I play there is something on the line, whether our mens tournaments or with friends and money is on the line. I wonder how much my index would change if I approached the game from a different standpoint? The only problem with changing is I am a adrenaline junky and fear that just trying for pars would be boring and not provide the same excitement as trying for the birdies and eagles.
So when I first joined I was a new golfer and was finishing toward the end of the pack every tournament as I was trying to get the lowest score I could as I focused on lowering my index, breaking, 100, 90, 80, etc. After awhile it dawned I got more excited when I won skins then when I broke a certain score, so I changed my game around and focused solely on getting the best score every hole and figured eventually the lower total scores would follow. To a degree they have, but not as expected. So now when I play I try and get on the green in 2 on every par 5, drive every short par 4, etc. and make birdie or eagle if possible. By doing this I am taking the most risk on every shot as it makes you basically hit perfect shots every time to succeed. I could just as easily layup on the par 5s and hit the green in 3 and 2 putt for par, but I know in my head I don't win skins with pars, I need birdies. I haven't gone out and played a round of golf in over a year with the intention on just a low score as every time I play there is something on the line, whether our mens tournaments or with friends and money is on the line. I wonder how much my index would change if I approached the game from a different standpoint? The only problem with changing is I am a adrenaline junky and fear that just trying for pars would be boring and not provide the same excitement as trying for the birdies and eagles.