When did you actually become "good" at golf?

[MichMan123]

For the better players here (sub 5 maybe?) when did you actually become good / confident at golf?

 

I'm early 40s. Started golf at 30 about 12 years ago. Spent a lot of money on equipment for no reason. Had no idea what I was doing on the course.

Started figuring it out last year and this year I can finally say I know my swing, I play smart, I know my game and I'm down to a pretty low cap.

I can't really pin point what changed. It just happeneding seemingly overnight. I still can't putt but I'm working hard to figure it out.

 

[BrianMcG]

When I was 16. I broke 80 for the first time at 13. By 16 I was a low single hdcp. It’s amazing how good you get when all you do all day is play golf.

[Edaw68]

I started playing at around 10 with my day, and was never more than a high school team golfer. Breaking 90 was a good day for me up until late 20's. Then I got a steady job, and started getting a season pass at a course in my town, and playing 60 or 70 rounds a year. Not having to plan golf and just going whenever. Playing all the time got me down to a single digit.

[ezpz]

When I figured out that scoring is more about having a shot pattern regardless of your swing and missing in the correct spots than actually wanting to swing the club like Justin Rose.

[MelloYello]

I'm not there yet. I'm an 8 right now but I _am_ playing a ton of golf right now and feel like I've evolved a lot in my perspective this year. Like the others, I had some initial luck with the game. I think I broke 80 within 3 years of starting out when I was in my early 20s. But that didn't mean I knew anything. I just played a lot and tried to manage the slice I had enough to keep it in play.

 

There are a slew of things I've grown to understand about playing well:

 

Learn to use the bounce on a wedge and the short game becomes 10x easier.

Don't ignore putting just because the long game is fun.

Try and ignore the urge to "work" the ball on every shot.

Learn the golf course and where you can miss off the tee.

Play with a rhythm and pace that works for you.

Learn how to distract yourself and have fun on the course.

[FootWedge16]

I broke 80 for the first time when I was 14 by shooting 76, but I don't think I was "good" at golf at that point. I think I became "good" when I learned how to think about the game. How to position myself on holes to be able to approach a green with confidence.

 

The only thing that keeps me "good" these days is knowing how to work my way around a golf course, and knowing how to make a consistent swing where I won't lose a ball left.

 

Now I'm in my mid 30's, I only play once a month at most these days, and I haven't practiced in years, but I played so much as a junior that I can still go out and shoot in the 75-80 range on a consistent basis. I think that's pretty good.

 

[Bensdad]

I got good at golf when I figured out how to score. My aha moment was getting beat severely by a guy I could outdrive and hit better irons. He chipped and putted me to death, so much so the final outcome wasn't even close. I maintain my ability to drive the ball and hit crisp irons but my practice became more intensely focused on the short game. With that I was able to turn bogeys into pars and converted many more birdie opportunities. In the matter of a year I went from a pretty good 5 handicap to near scratch. Only a lot of hard work made that possible but the short game is a skill that I am able to maintain today. So even at 67, over 25 years later, I can still play to a very low index.

[JShaw]

I broke 80 for the first time when I was 17 but didn't start regularly breaking 80 until my mid 20s with the occasional round in the 60s. There's a funny thing about "good". The better I got the more I understood how far away from "good" I really was. Now in my late 30s I don't play as much or score as well.

[Pepperturbo]

I was 40 years old when I bought a set of Pings off the shelve and finished my first round with a 93 or 94 from white tees. Didn't play much for months, just practiced. Fortunately, my position allowed a great deal of flexibility. Soon I was hitting over 1200 balls a week and playing 1 or 2 times. Not one to do anything halfway or quit. Consequently, I reached a high-single-digit inside of five years, 2-3 index a few years later. Contrary to what some say, scratch golf is reachable if you have heart, tenacity, athletic ability, time, and a plan.

[PappyVanWinkle53]

After realizing I didn't "have" to hit driver on every par 4/5 or go after every pin. Keep it in play off the tee, and as a general rule, favor the center of the green. It's amazing how much "boring" golf will lower your scores.

[Joelsim]

I played for about 5 years in my late teens and early twenties and a low eighties was as good as it got, one 79 actually. Then didn’t play for 20 years, and have just renewed my membership for a third year after starting again two years ago. I’m now regularly hitting in the 70s at my two home courses, my best being a 71. If I can keep my driver in play then I’m beginning to start scoring well, don’t have an official handicap but typically I’m shooting 10-12 over, often less, and getting more and more comfortable with most shots. Playing two or three times per week does help of course. Still a long way to go, but I feel I’m getting hold of the basics now and if I get into trouble then I can often recover and minimise the damage.

[Joelsim]

I’m inclined to think that birdies per round is indicative of how good you are, even 6 months ago I was pleased to get a birdie in a round, it didn’t happen that often, maybe every three or four rounds. Now I’m getting about 2.5 I would say on average. Hopefully in a year’s time it’ll have improved.

[jonnymc44]

I had a nett 59 off 10 handicap at 15 (3 under gross on my course). I came down to 5.5 and have been single figure handicap since (18 yrs). I wouldn't necessarily say I'm good, just average at my course. There are about 40+ guys with handicaps better than mine (I'm 6.2 at the moment), but there are 400+ that have higher handicaps. If you constitute that as good then I guess I am.

[596]

I started golf at age 54. I was a 2 handicap 2 years later. I scored twice in the 60s before I was 57.

 

It helped that I was always athletic. I played college tennis, raced triathlons for 20 years before I started golf, I was on the national ski patrol for 5 years, I water skied, played softball, racketball, handball, basketball, and some I've forgotten. It really helped me a lot to be active and in excellent condition when I started golf. I was very "body aware" when I started.

[Socrates]

I've had a few quantum leaps in my quality of golf. Early 20's when I started working at a golf course and had to either get better or get the crap beat out of me by my fellow employees. Quickly saw a single digit hcp. I was better than average but kinda stuck at one level for quite a while.

 

At 50, for some reason (equipment change) I went from a 6-7 to a solid 4 in one season. I think I found another level when I stopped playing at the same place all the time. My "single" digit hcp became something I could travel with. Still had fluctuations in scoring though. Toss in another back problem (sciatica). Things turned bad a few years and finally went to a Pro and rebuilt my swing. 2+ years later, I all of sudden found my swing much better and consistent. Even with a balky putter, I found that I was easily shooting rounds in the low 70's. Like it was nothing special. That was not happening 10 years ago when I thought I was "good."

 

So to answer the question, I think I've become "good" at age 58. I think I'm a better ball striker, but I also think my way around a course much better. Take fewer stupid risks and for the most part, I let the bad go and just move on.

[kobe123]

Started playing when I was 7 years old, currently 26. I've been less than a 5 since a junior in high-school. It just magically kicked in that year. I grew taller and began to hit the ball further and practice a lot more.

[RSinSG]

I got better after I retired. I was finally able to play and more importantly practice as much as I wanted. I got as low as 3.9 but lately maintain between 6 - 8. I’ve played since I was 18 but all of my milestones and bucket list goals happened post retirement.

 

I’m healthy without any physical limitations and I hope to keep at it for many more years.

[Justsomeguy]

Trick question. No one is good at golf. And the pros are trick photography.

[Socrates]

> @Socrates said:

> I've had a few quantum leaps in my quality of golf. Early 20's when I started working at a golf course and had to either get better or get the crap beat out of me by my fellow employees. Quickly saw a single digit hcp. I was better than average but kinda stuck at one level for quite a while.

>

> At 50, for some reason (equipment change) I went from a 6-7 to a solid 4 in one season. I think I found another level when I stopped playing at the same place all the time. My "single" digit hcp became something I could travel with. Still had fluctuations in scoring though. Toss in another back problem (sciatica). Things turned bad a few years and finally went to a Pro and rebuilt my swing. 2+ years later, I all of sudden found my swing much better and consistent. Even with a balky putter, I found that I was easily shooting rounds in the low 70's. Like it was nothing special. That was not happening 10 years ago when I thought I was "good."

>

> So to answer the question, I think I've become "good" at age 58. I think I'm a better ball striker, but I also think my way around a course much better. Take fewer stupid risks and for the most part, I let the bad go and just move on.

 

Update: Clearly I was delusional. Today's round brought me back to reality and I have not yet reached "good" level. Just a schmo with a club in his hands. Sadly, back to the practice tee to work on my deficiencies. Maybe next week I'll be good.

[DaveLeeNC]

What the heck kind of question is this? Does somebody out there think that I am a fortune teller :-)

 

dave

[MichMan123]

shot 85 last night I still suck.

 

 

[23golfnut]

I'm a 9-10 handicap with short to average distance and never really considered myself "good" yet. But I'd say my personal best is always the late stage of the last season.

 

I'm new to the forum and I'm really impressed with the quality of golfers here based on what I've read so far. Started playing in my late 20's and it's been 17 years since playing on/off and had skipped a few years in total due to injuries. Never had a swing lesson in my life and suffered a hernia 10 years ago and those two were my big issues and up to this today. I end up changing my swing every time I hit the range and I don't/can't play as much due to back pain (so I rarely play back-to-back days or 36 holes even when on golf vacations). On average I play about 15 rounds a year, 20 tops maybe. I understand that I can't get much better if I don't/can't practice and play enough.

[max1]

It will be hard to be satisfied with my own play, no matter what level I play.

[Hilltopper413]

I started the game at 6. I progressed and was what most would consider a “good” player by the time I hit high school. I was a 4-5 handicap back then, but my game personally took off for me in my early to mid 20s. You may laugh, but playing in money games with what I thought were “great” players while in college changed my game/confidence. One, I had to play well or I would lose money. But most important, I had always thought I was just good, not great. Playing with what I thought were superior players opened my eyes to the reality that I was that good. Confidence was holding me back. Since that time I’ve fluctuated between a +1 to 2 handicap. I was probably at my best around age 29-30. I’m 33 now, but adulthood has kept me from being as sharp as I would like to be.

[jaysno24]

25 now and just starting to figure out my swing (at least on my irons) consistently. Learning how my shots are and started get smarter as far as choosing the club I want for different shots rather than based off distance for each club. Eventually I hope to have this game down! I threw an oversize grip on my putter and that seems to have helped me out a lot.

[KAndyMan]

As soon as i stopped whining about hitting a bad shot. It severely helped save the big number blow up holes. I was really good at being even par till the 13-14th tee then **** would really hit the fan and i could finish struggling to break 80. So you could say once i actually grew up a bit. According to the wife i still have some growing up to do though bc i still like to b**** about nonsense here and there. Guess there is even more hope for my game going forward! So i got that going for me.

[MadGolfer76]

In graduate school. Scheduled all my courses in the afternoon and evening at FSU, and played golf all morning. Could buy a pass back then for under 100 bucks for half the year as a student. Would come back home in the summer and work part time and play golf the rest of the time. It was never a question of whether I could be a good player, but whether I had enough time to play to get there. I live in Maine, and the season is only about 5 months long. I can't practice, so I basically come off the bench cold and can still shoot 70-something. Wish I had that same amount of time to practice and be good, but I got a taste for a proper income and it was all over for me at that point.

[Ballgofarboy]

Define good. What is good to some may not even crack the top ten for others. I have been playing for nearly 47 years and have shot sub par rounds a number of times. Currently I am 60, and have reverted to playing in a Friday mens league but it is very disheartening when you have a 19 capper shooting 3 over on the back nine and wiping up the rest of the group. These days I play for the fun of it. When you are playing with mid to high cappers a guy shooting 3 or 4 over for 18 is a good golfer. So to me it is all relative.

[jpking17]

Most of us are just chasing a ball around a field.

[platgof]

I think if you are consistently shooting in the 80's, you are a good golfer, and great golfers shoot in the 70's.