My Very First Game Of Golf

[Duffer Seamus]

I did have some good shots. Not a Single. Damn. Drive, though

Lessee... there was a 20+ ft. putt I sank perfectly. A few other putts that, while not as challenging, went well. A couple decent rolls, too. Several nice chips--most of which put me in 1- or 2-putt range. Nailed the green for a 1-putt on the 18th with my 7i from about ±50 yards, under trees. (Was surprised I pulled that one off.) Another time drove it just over the green hidden by a rise, about ten feet into the rough on the far side, from about 100 yards out. (I'm thinking 8i on that one, but I don't recall, for sure. Might've been my 7i again.) Friend commented "Nice shot. Maybe too nice!" Luckily, it was only a bit >< too nice

So my short game had its moments.

@markom74, I don't think trying harder was the problem, but it could well have been. It's not like I haven't been there before.

 

[Jmk202]

Its been said 1000x and its way easier said than done, but remember to enjoy. Try not to get caught in the trap of tying your enjoyment to your performance. There is always someone better and its very much an up and down game.

 

[Duffer Seamus]

Its been said 1000x and its way easier said than done, but remember to enjoy. Try not to get caught in the trap of tying your enjoyment to your performance.

Yeah... there's only so far you can stretch that. I gotta be honest: By the time we looped-around to replay, I think it was 12 and 13 (we'd unwisely let a couple women play through we had thought were faster than us and turned out to be way slower), all I was thinking was "Dear God, please let this be over." But I kept that to myself and kept doing the best I could do, so as not to ruin it for those who were with me. (The sad part, here? By then the skies had cleared, the sun was out, it had warmed up a bit, and had turned into a beautiful day. I truly wish I could have enjoyed it .)

If it'd been just me, alone, I certainly would've ended it.

My main hobby, the one with which I've stuck the longest, is target shooting. In some ways it's not unlike golf in that shooting well requires getting several things right with every shot. I learned long ago that, when you're having a bad day, there comes a point where throwing more ammo down-range is just throwing good time and ammo after bad. As The Gambler said: "Ya gotta know when to fold"

If there's one good thing to have come out of yesterday's experience, perhaps it's this: Golf is teaching me something with which I've been poor my entire life: Patience. Many years ago I was involved in a form of handgun shooting competition. I'd been doing well. Then, one day, at a major match, I had a terrible day. Kind of like yesterday. As I drove away, angry, I decided to quit that competition, and I did. I came to regret that hasty decision, on-and-off, for years.

I've had no such impulse with golf. So I had a bad day ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ♫Some days are diamonds. Some days are stones.♫

 

[markom74]

Yeah... there's only so far you can stretch that. I gotta be honest: By the time we looped-around to replay, I think it was 12 and 13 (we'd unwisely let a couple women play through we had thought were faster than us and turned out to be way slower), all I was thinking was "Dear God, please let this be over." But I kept that to myself and kept doing the best I could do, so as not to ruin it for those who were with me. (The sad part, here? By then the skies had cleared, the sun was out, it had warmed up a bit, and had turned into a beautiful day. I truly wish I could have enjoyed it .)

If it'd been just me, alone, I certainly would've ended it.

My main hobby, the one with which I've stuck the longest, is target shooting. In some ways it's not unlike golf in that shooting well requires getting several things right with every shot. I learned long ago that, when you're having a bad day, there comes a point where throwing more ammo down-range is just throwing good time and ammo after bad. As The Gambler said: "Ya gotta know when to fold"

If there's one good thing to have come out of yesterday's experience, perhaps it's this: Golf is teaching me something with which I've been poor my entire life: Patience. Many years ago I was involved in a form of handgun shooting competition. I'd been doing well. Then, one day, at a major match, I had a terrible day. Kind of like yesterday. As I drove away, angry, I decided to quit that competition, and I did. I came to regret that hasty decision, on-and-off, for years.

I've had no such impulse with golf. So I had a bad day ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ♫Some days are diamonds. Some days are stones.♫

Some days you’re the statue, others you’re the pigeon.

 

[Duffer Seamus]

Some days you’re the statue, others you’re the pigeon.

Yesterday I swapped back-and-forth.

Started out well, then, somewhere around the 10th or 11th hole things started falling apart again. Only this time I remembered how I let frustration and disappointment get the better of me, last time, threw it out of my mind, and got down to the business of slowing things down, backing off the effort, and returning to the basics. I wasn't driving any bombs or getting 150 yds out of my 7i, that way, but neither was I pitching drives into the woods and skulling balls right-and-left. Yeah, a few things still went wrong, here-and-there, but it was only beginning-golfer-level suck, not epic, Guinness Book of World Records suck

And I had plenty of things that went right. E.g.: My 7i was working really well for me, twice putting balls on the green w/in 1-2 putt range from ±70 yards out (would've had less roll-out with my PW, or even my 9i, but I'm much more confident with my 7i, with which I've spent much more time) and a couple other times getting myself into chip-and-a-putt range from about the same. Had some really nice chips with all three of my wedges--one of which, if I'd hit it just a bit more softly or gotten more height out of it, might've gone in--rather than bouncing off the pin.

Still haven't parred (came oh-so-close twice), but had a number of single- and double-bogies. I think the vast majority of the rest were no worse than triple-bogies. I think putting practice in the basement has helped me, but I really need to spend more time on practice putting greens, and that's all there is to it. I had a couple nice putts and a couple nice rolls, nonetheless. (The greens were kind of confusing, btw. The damp ones, earlier in the day, faster than expected and the dry ones, later on, slower. Wasn't just me, either. I don't get that.)

By about hole 12 or 13 I came to the inescapable conclusion that woods and me were simply not going to get along that day, so they stayed in the bag for the remainder. Same for the 4i.

All-in-all an enjoyable day, aided by a fun, not-too-challenging course and truly great weather--perhaps the last really nice day of the season, here in S.E. Michigan. I'm glad I was able to take advantage of it.

 

[5150]

Thanks for all the responses and encouragement, everybody!

Unfortunately, today did not go quite so well. Even my chipping and putting were crap Not certain why, but I suspect the pressure of having players behind us may have played a role. Yesterday we had the place almost to ourselves. Going to have to learn to deal with that. Yay! New challenge

But there was something else going on, too. Somewhere along the line my swing's gone to hell. Not certain just what's going on and, given the weather forecast for the next several days, I guess I won't be figuring it out for a bit. Probably a few days enforced time away from it will be a good thing.

The good news is I know I can do it--just need to keep working at it.

Welcome to our great game!

The ups and downs from day to day come with the territory. Learn to embrace it and play the game you brought with you to the course today, not the one you had with you yesterday or want to have tomorrow

Golf, to me, is best when we accept what it gives us: the course, the weather, the lie we find ourselves in, the swing we have today, the good bounce, the bad bounce, everything.

Cheers!

 

[5150]

Yeah... there's only so far you can stretch that. I gotta be honest: By the time we looped-around to replay, I think it was 12 and 13 (we'd unwisely let a couple women play through we had thought were faster than us and turned out to be way slower), all I was thinking was "Dear God, please let this be over." But I kept that to myself and kept doing the best I could do, so as not to ruin it for those who were with me. (The sad part, here? By then the skies had cleared, the sun was out, it had warmed up a bit, and had turned into a beautiful day. I truly wish I could have enjoyed it .)

If it'd been just me, alone, I certainly would've ended it.

My main hobby, the one with which I've stuck the longest, is target shooting. In some ways it's not unlike golf in that shooting well requires getting several things right with every shot. I learned long ago that, when you're having a bad day, there comes a point where throwing more ammo down-range is just throwing good time and ammo after bad. As The Gambler said: "Ya gotta know when to fold"

If there's one good thing to have come out of yesterday's experience, perhaps it's this: Golf is teaching me something with which I've been poor my entire life: Patience. Many years ago I was involved in a form of handgun shooting competition. I'd been doing well. Then, one day, at a major match, I had a terrible day. Kind of like yesterday. As I drove away, angry, I decided to quit that competition, and I did. I came to regret that hasty decision, on-and-off, for years.

I've had no such impulse with golf. So I had a bad day ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ♫Some days are diamonds. Some days are stones.♫

You are on your way, my friend. Patience is the thing, like you said.

Golf is the ONLY sport I am halfway decent at playing. I’m 44 and have never been athletic. Got cut from every team in school, etc.

My other hobby is guitar. I played professionally for about 5 years and learned what it took to excel: lots and lots of hard work, and after that, some more hard work, followed by hard work, haha. But after all that effort, when I got onstage, it just flowed and was a blast.

Same with golf. It takes lots of time and energy and cannot be mastered overnight or in a single YouTube tip or whatever.

And even the masters hit bad shots

 

[markom74]

Wish I’d played yesterday. 140 yard par 3, 9 iron from an elevated tee.

That’s golf!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Maric]

Congratulations on your first round. I remember that feeling, anxiety plus anticipation. Remember the good shots, forget the bad ones and enjoy the game.