The effect of the courses you play

[toughestsoldier]

I watch a lot of golf and I noticed that when the professionals hit a low runner or they crush that drive that it rolls out most of the time but when I hit one like that it stops on a dime. Then when I hit a high spinning approach shot mine hits leave a huge divot and then releases forward. But when a Pro makes a high approach shot with a lot of backspin there's will bite back. Now I play on a beaten up old racetrack looking course and I asked the question the courses that we play on some time to save money hurt us as much as it helps us.

 

[JB]

Odds are while the conditions are different, you are not hitting the same shot as them. The low runner will most likely have more spin on your end and the high approach will have less spin on your hend.

 

[DawgDaddy]

Odds are while the conditions are different, you are not hitting the same shot as them. The low runner will most likely have more spin on your end and the high approach will have less spin on your hend.

Exactly, I tell folks who question things like this that the pros are playing a different game than we are. That is true for 99+% of the golfers I have played with, for every person I have played with who's game approaches that of a pro I play with a ton of folks who play more like us internet golfers (much better in our minds and behind a keyboard than we actually are). :smile:

 

[Wake]

While I do think the maintenance on the courses allow more run out than average. I also think it's tougher to spin the ball back on their courses, they are just that good.

If you are creating a big divot and the ball is releasing, you are not putting much spin on it.

 

[jitzy]

Dawg hit it Exactily.

 

[JRod]

Exactly, I tell folks who question things like this that the pros are playing a different game than we are. That is true for 99+% of the golfers I have played with, for every person I have played with who's game approaches that of a pro I play with a ton of folks who play more like us internet golfers (much better in our minds and behind a keyboard than we actually are). :smile:

Hey I resemble this remark!

 

[moosejaa]

The course can definitely effect your game IMO. I've played six4three5 and maddog's home course, and those greens are tough to stick. They just do not hold. And how wet/dry the course is has the biggest effect on my drives.

 

[Brianbigoats]

The pros play course that are always in top shape most tend to be dried out and fast so they hit low runners for more distance

 

[emart2173]

Ivey different results at the course I normally play compared to others in the area I play and would say it's more due to course maintenance. I have played with some local guys that are scratch golfers and have played in local am tourneys and their game is far different from the normal golfer

 

[GenErr]

DawgDaddy hit it on the head. Most of us, me included, think when we hit a great approach with a wedge that we are putting tons of spin on the ball. The reality is that we probably aren't. I've been playing 50+ years and I've learned that the sound at contact, that "click" of ball-first contact is the most important factor of imparting spin to the ball. I rarely hear that "click" from most golfers I play with (the click on my 150 yard skulled wedges don't count - LOL). I always hear that click when a professional hits the shot.

 

[O'Carroll]

As Andy (moosejaa) alluded to, I think a better comparison is how your shots react at one course compared to another. Comparing anything the pros do to anything we amateurs do, will end up talking in circles. Where I play my league rounds, the fairways are always soft and wet, and the greens are always rock hard. So no runout on tee shots, and no holding of greens. When I play other courses, it's nice to see (and I'm quick to adjust) to fairways that provide some runout and balls that drop out of the sky and stick the green.

 

[amsmith61]

The course can definitely effect your game IMO. I've played six4three5 and maddog's home course, and those greens are tough to stick. They just do not hold. And how wet/dry the course is has the biggest effect on my drives.

As Andy (moosejaa) alluded to, I think a better comparison is how your shots react at one course compared to another. Comparing anything the pros do to anything we amateurs do, will end up talking in circles. Where I play my league rounds, the fairways are always soft and wet, and the greens are always rock hard. So no runout on tee shots, and no holding of greens. When I play other courses, it's nice to see (and I'm quick to adjust) to fairways that provide some runout and balls that drop out of the sky and stick the green.

I agree with both of you in that courses around me vary from each other and while some of that has to conditions - some of it I would imagine has to do with the style of course. I wouldn't expect to see a links style course play exact the same as a more traditional style course.

I did get to play Sedgefield Country Club last year where the Wyndham Championships are hosted. I got to play with a buddy of mine and a member of his sales team. I hit a drive on the hole that I thought was pretty good and got a small amount of roll out of it. As we were walking down the fairway, the sales person looked at me and said, "You know Patrick Reed hit a drive on this hole that landed right around where yours ended up and he got about 40 yards of roll." I just looked him and just reminded him that I am not Patrick Reed.

They do play a completely different game that I am not even going to bother to compare myself to.

 

[dizzyg12]

What would a pro do on your racetrack course? They can make their variety of shots anywhere. On the flip side most of us couldn't make those shots on our best day and the best conditions.

Course is a factor that matters to us, not so much to them, but by no means am I good enough to fault a course for my lack of ability to run out a shot 40 yards or impart a 20ft backspin to a front pin.

 

[ArmyGolf]

I can only spin the ball back when playing a wet course or hitting into a headwind no matter what I try. I'm thrilled if I get lucky and manage to hop'n'stop a couple.

That said, I have no problem getting low drives to run out but that's more of a swing flaw than anything else.

 

[tequila4kapp]

On the flip side most of us couldn't make those shots on our best day and the best conditions.

The greens last year at Vegas TPC - which supposedly approach tour conditions - for the Bridgestone Championship were an eye opener. That pro's spin the ball on greens like that (or harder) merely demonstrates Dawg's point that they play a different game from most of the rest of us.

 

[Maddog701]

I agree with both of you in that courses around me vary from each other and while some of that has to conditions - some of it I would imagine has to do with the style of course. I wouldn't expect to see a links style course play exact the same as a more traditional style course.

I did get to play Sedgefield Country Club last year where the Wyndham Championships are hosted. I got to play with a buddy of mine and a member of his sales team. I hit a drive on the hole that I thought was pretty good and got a small amount of roll out of it. As we were walking down the fairway, the sales person looked at me and said, "You know Patrick Reed hit a drive on this hole that landed right around where yours ended up and he got about 40 yards of roll." I just looked him and just reminded him that I am not Patrick Reed.

They do play a completely different game that I am not even going to bother to compare myself to.

"How do you measure yourself against other golfers"..........." by height, mostly"

 

[Tedfroop]

It has a lot to do with course setup. The pro courses are set up to allow big drives and the greens are hard enough you can suck the ball back at will.

Most munis can't afford the time and effort and equipment setups like that take and its not practical for them either with the amount of traffic they see.