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Courses that are too difficult for your level

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sickyspider

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Any mid to high handicappers out there finding some courses a little too hard and thus impacting the enjoyment of the game?

I have found such a course which I get invited to play as a member's guest. It is often used for regional low ranking professional competitions.

I don't have an official handicap yet but I reckon I am in the region of 18-20 on an average day. My best round is an 84 (on a par 70) including being only +3 after 9 holes. However, on the above course I have a big fight on my hands to even break 100 (par being 72). Average penalty score is 2-3 per round and about 2-3 lost balls. My buddy who is a member and has an official 18 HCP obtained from the same course reckons I should persevere, saying that if I can play this course fairly well most others will be easier. There is some truth here as he occasionally plays elsewhere and frequently cards 5-6 shots better per round. He likes to play off the whites and I tried that once but never again!

Let me try to describe the course. It plays 6496 yards from the whites and 6110 yards from the yellows. Par is 72. There are 57 bunkers on the course including 40 greenside ones! Most of the bunkers are large shoe shapes which could easily be divided into 2 or even 3 fair sizes. There is one monster fairway bunker of over 50 yards long! One hole last week I hit 3 different bunkers on the same hole! Water is either a hazard or significant hazard in play on 11 holes. There is only one hole without any bunkers but it has water both sides of the fairway and an almost island green. Greens are quite large and heavily contoured and sloped (a 2 putt is a great result on every hole). The fairways vary from about 15-35 yards wide with plenty of semi rough either side and OOB soon thereafter. Most of the fairways dogleg. There are no really easy holes and personally I like a mix of straightforward and challenging to make the game enjoyable. Fighting to save par or bogey on every hole starts to wear after a while! :beat-up:
 
There are no really easy holes and personally I like a mix of straightforward and challenging to make the game enjoyable. Fighting to save par or bogey on every hole starts to wear after a while!
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Could you perhaps play the course differently? For example, on a par-5, rather than hitting driver, 3-wood (into trouble), wedge (miss green), could you hit 3-wood, 6-iron, 8-iron bump-and-run? In short, play it like a links course in Ireland, trying to keep all the trouble out of play with shorter, lower, controlled shots? Play for bogey and be happy if you get out with one.

Not having seen the course, no idea if that's practical, but if you adopt a different style for just that one course, maybe it will help.

Or, if you're already playing it that way, then just ignore me.
 
wadesworld said:


Could you perhaps play the course differently? For example, on a par-5, rather than hitting driver, 3-wood (into trouble), wedge (miss green), could you hit 3-wood, 6-iron, 8-iron bump-and-run? In short, play it like a links course in Ireland, trying to keep all the trouble out of play with shorter, lower, controlled shots? Play for bogey and be happy if you get out with one.

Not having seen the course, no idea if that's practical, but if you adopt a different style for just that one course, maybe it will help.

Or, if you're already playing it that way, then just ignore me.
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No that's a fair point - course management is probably the key to that course more than others I have played. Let's see if adopting that strategy gets me a score close to 90 (18-20 over would be a great score for me).

The bunkers and rough killed my round last time and I became a proper hacker!
 
sickyspider said:
No that's a fair point - course management is probably the key to that course more than others I have played. Let's see if adopting that strategy gets me a score close to 90 (18-20 over would be a great score for me).

The bunkers and rough killed my round last time and I became a proper hacker!
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Yeah play conservatively as you can, when I started lowering my scores, I was watching the US open and it intrigued me how many times pros hit a 3 iron off the tee on par 4s, so I started hitting my rescue off the tee and I was getting more playable shots.

Don't always be a hero if you miss the fairway, punch it back in instead of trying to save it. If you know you can't make a chip, putt it, and don't afraid to make the green in 3 on a par 5, some people can't make that second shot others can so know your limit.

Also dance with the girl you came with-if you play a fade, don't try to fix use it to your advantage. Spend a lot of time on your short game, it's more important when it comes down to making par-hitting a great shot with the driver is easier than you think, hitting a great second shot after a nice drive is trickier (for me at least) so saving it on the short game is important.
 
Question... Do I want to go out and play a round an enjoyable round of golf or do I want to play a "challenging" course with narrow fairways, (gotta shape your shots) heavy rough and fast greens.... Some courses absolutely take the enjoyment out of golf unless you are an "above average" golfer..

I guess it all depends why you golf. I think having fun s/b your first priority.. Though we all can use a little "humbling" once in a while, tough courses can take all the fun out of it..

JMHO:drinks:
 
I've gone through this quite a bit with a few different courses. Some days I like the challenge and other days I just get annoyed by it. There are a couple courses I've found that I go to when I absolutely want the 'easy' course experience and I just go to one of them.
 
I have never found this personally. If a course is too hard for me, I just try to hit very accurate shots and leave the driver in the bag as much as I can if that is the club that is causing me trouble. I try to find a way to get pars even if that means putting it short of the green on a par 4 if I don't feel comfortable with the distance into it. Hard courses makes golf take on more of a form of art rather than a sport and that is very fun for me. It helps me relax and just put a smooth swing on the ball.
 
People that play course that are "over their head" are one of main reasons for the dreaded "slow play"..
 
The toughest course that i played was Bethpage Black the day after the 2002 Open. PGA Set up. I met my mark by breaking a 100. Shot a cool 98. Under any other circumstance i would have been upset with 98 but that day i was just FINE with 98!!!!! I will leave those set ups for the PRO's from now on. Enjoyed the cocktails after a tough day. Slept like a baby that night. (smiling)

Augie
 
When I played Whistling Straits, I played from 7100 yards. I played two holes from a shorter tee but since it was fairly crowded I just played from the blue with the other two guys. Maybe I thought it was shorter than it was but I had never played anything that long before, I did well considering it was a tough course to begin with. I have played easier courses where I play worse. I think a lot of it is mental but I definitely try to play courses in a range that I can enjoy.
 
I learned the hard way too many times on tuf holes. Now I play what it gives me. If I am certain I can drive a hazard I will. But if its questionable or no room for error than i will lay up. Of course it sucks when ya play it smart and still screw up your shot. LOL that gets frustrating but what can ya do? it happens.

I feel great when I lay up and I'm sittin maybe (dependng on club) 190 to 220 yrds up the farway and out of all danger with a good look at the green vs tryin to be 270 and end up in the water, woods, swamp, bunker, whatever. Espec if the hole is not a real long hole. It can be quite rewarding to me when i played it smart and score well on it.

And I like it when a course offers a handful of these kinds of holes to mix things up. I wouldnt want every hole to be that way but on the other side of that, It can get quite boring when you are able to use your driver on every hole.

I still dont understand why I see and play with soooo many high cappers (like me) who insist on taking out the driver on every hole no matter what. For example = maybe lets say ya have a 350yrd dog leg. So many take out the driver n try to cut the corner, over the trees, across a hazrd, or whatever. Unless your that good, IMO its way too much risk. I'll take out my 4iron or 5wood or whatever n try to play it safe and leave me with a nice clear perhaps 130 to 150rd approach shot. I see no sense any more (for me) in playing the risky hero shot. I'll just use my driver on the next hole that calls for it. One day, if my game gets that good then maybe I'll change my view.

as far as a whole entire golf course causing constant lay ups and tuff decisions on erey whole, if I find it to be too rediculous than I would just have to find another place to play if its indeed that bad. To me, it wouldnt bother me if only I used my driver 9 or 10 of the 18 holes. Minus the usual 4 par3's that would leave 4 or 5 holes where you may use an iron or lower wood to tee off. That would be a nice mix if you ask me.
 
I don't get it. Every course presents different challenges and some courses are harder than others. If you're playing the correct tee boxes this really shouldn't matter. If i'm playing a new or difficult course i know the scoring won't be as low as an easy municipal. You have to adjust your game to the course. That might mean hitting 3-iron off the box rather than bombing driver. It might mean firing at the middle of the green rather than at pins.

Some courses will provide others advantages to some players. I love wide open courses. Length is an advantage for me. Put me on a tight course and i tend to struggle. Don't get frustrated. Look at it as an opportunity. You can work on a different type of game. Things you learn on that course will only benefit you in the future. Don't let this course get in your head.
 
There are several golf courses in SoCal that have 'ridge top' holes, that follow the spine of a ridge, and then fall off on either side into deep chapparal (scrub brush). I really do not enjoy playing them, as they are narrow and unforgiving. After playing a course like that, I can't wait to get back to the wide expanses of courses in Long Beach where a little miss is quickly forgiven.
 
Well then...it must suck for me if my course is Bethpage Black which is nearby.
 
squishyy said:
Well then...it must suck for me if my course is Bethpage Black which is nearby.
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Why's that? I'd love to play that course. Obviously, you wouldn't "own" the course but it presents so many challenges.
 
I played Crandon Park on a very hot very windy day and it killed me
 
I wouldn't say that it's an issue of playing a hard course a time or two. At least for me it's not. I've done that a bunch of times and haven't left annoyed. It's more an issue of continually playing a course that sets up bad for me that can leave me frustrated.

We have a course here that isn't really rated that hard, but it's really tight and plays long unless you can move the ball around off the tee. It just got old hitting from the trees or hitting from 180-200 yards out. It's set up to play directly against my weaknesses and I just figured somewhere else would make the game a little more enjoyable.
 
Honestly I've played 2 courses that I truly believe are just to tough for me.

http://www.plantationgolfcc.com/
http://www.forestglengcc.com/

Now to be fair I think I can do better at Forest Glen the second time around, it's very deceptive off the tee. Holes where it looks tight are actually considerable more open and vice versa. It doesn't help that it feature paspalum greens which are quite a change from Bermuda. The longer par 3's are killers, 7 woods off the tee are tough holes. The yardage I played from is right in my comfort range, 6400ish, but if I moved up it was sub 6000 yards.
 
Hawk said:
I wouldn't say that it's an issue of playing a hard course a time or two. At least for me it's not. I've done that a bunch of times and haven't left annoyed. It's more an issue of continually playing a course that sets up bad for me that can leave me frustrated.

We have a course here that isn't really rated that hard, but it's really tight and plays long unless you can move the ball around off the tee. It just got old hitting from the trees or hitting from 180-200 yards out. It's set up to play directly against my weaknesses and I just figured somewhere else would make the game a little more enjoyable.
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This is the way it was for me on my high school's 9 holes. I hated that 9, and I consistently score better at just about any other course than I did there. I played it so many times that I figured it would become easier, but it didn't.
 
I tried to force myself to like that course, but I haven't been there in over a year. Forget all that.
 
Hawk said:
I tried to force myself to like that course, but I haven't been there in over a year. Forget all that.
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Haha totally. No sense in beating up your confidence, go play somewhere you enjoy.
 
Hawk said:
I tried to force myself to like that course, but I haven't been there in over a year. Forget all that.
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I think i understand better. It can be frustrating playing the same course when it plays to your weaknesses. Do you have a lot of course options?
 
Yea, I have a number of different options in the area. I don't mind a challenge at all. Hell, my club challenges me every time I tee it up. It's just a matter of some courses suiting my eye better than others.
 
http://www.bellacollina.com/golf/

I have fits on this track every time I play except one time. For the most part it has my number and have yet to figure out the best way to attack it. I've been aggressive, passive and a mixture of both. The one low round was just one of those days that made every shot I looked at.

It shouldn't be that way. I have hit great shots and been penalized and hit bad shots and not gotten a good bounce. For the life of me I can't get a beed on the track.
 
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