Starting a new adventure . . . Minimalist Golf

[Tommy56]

@9ClubberLang @tatertot 

 

🙋‍♂️  Yep, I also have spreadsheet including charts with my 7, 6, and 5 club set-ups.

As others have mentioned, I love reading this thread and seeing how others approach their minimalist sets.  

[9ClubberLang]

Great stuff @Tommy56, thank goodness it's not just me! Isn't it interesting how different people go about it. 2 Hybrids and mini-drivers and 3 irons and all sorts of clubs and set-up's I've never even used before.

 

Are your charts things like greens in reg and other stats?

[Tommy56]

They used to be when I was playing much more regularly. Now, I primarily track rounds, scores, handicap, and average club distances. 

[lil'mike]

44 minutes ago, Tommy56 said:

They used to be when I was playing much more regularly. Now, I primarily track rounds, scores, handicap, and average club distances. 

Do you have a formula for a spreadsheet that will figure out handicap?  I too keep my scores on a spreadsheet with notes/comments on what clubs I used for that round but only get totals, averages, etc.

Thx.

 

[9ClubberLang]

4 hours ago, Tommy56 said:

They used to be when I was playing much more regularly. Now, I primarily track rounds, scores, handicap, and average club distances. 

That sounds great. I started logging some stats for the first time this year and have found it really helpful.

[Tommy56]

19 hours ago, lil'mike said:

Do you have a formula for a spreadsheet that will figure out handicap?  I too keep my scores on a spreadsheet with notes/comments on what clubs I used for that round but only get totals, averages, etc.

Thx.

 

No, just tracked my GHIN over time.

[lil'mike]

Does anyone know a formula used for figuring out handicaps?

Thx.

 

[DocBrown3887]

1 hour ago, lil'mike said:

Does anyone know a formula used for figuring out handicaps?

Thx.

 

 

I really don't mean to be a jerk or anything but if you Google (or Bing or whatever search engine) "golf handicap formula" your answer will appear. USGA even has an article.

[WipeyFade]

1 hour ago, lil'mike said:

Does anyone know a formula used for figuring out handicaps?

Thx.

 

Not really an answer, but I use 18 Birdies to track my handicap. It’s free and pretty easy to use. 

[MrTmag]

I think minimalist golf makes a ton of sense for someone like me who only cares about the exercise/hitting golf balls aspect of the game. I love it and it makes club buying much cheaper which is always nice. 

[WipeyFade]

1 minute ago, MrTmag said:

I think minimalist golf makes a ton of sense for someone like me who only cares about the exercise/hitting golf balls aspect of the game. I love it and it makes club buying much cheaper which is always nice. 

Ya, that’s where I’m at. I do keep score most of the time, but I try not to dwell on it. My satisfaction comes from hitting a few pure shots per round. 

[54CW]

I think next year when my Arccos subscription ends I will not track my scores/handicap too closely. My golf attitude has drifted into minimalism as well. My family is growing, my time to play is shrinking. I will track my scores if I join a league but other than that it will just be about getting out there and finding the center of the face LOL. I'm definitely not as interested in optimizing all aspects of my game anymore. 

 

I tried Decade golf program a couple years ago and learned about "Tiger 5" to assess your game, mistakes, and lowering scores. It's been pretty ingrained in me and how I play a hole, I recommend it to anyone interested in tracking their scores and stats. 

[WipeyFade]

This is not necessarily on topic, but this is the main thread I post in and I figured this kind of falls under the minimalist umbrella. 

 

After playing a half set or less over the past 3 years I have ventured toward minimalism in other aspects of the game. I want to add a meaningful element to the rounds I play. My most memorable rounds this year so far have been rounds where I have either traveled to play or rounds that were part of an event like my Solstice Marathon. I am looking for quality over quantity. 

 

For the past couple of years I have had a membership at my local muni, and I decided to let it run out. It's not that I did not use it, I have actually been able to play a lot of golf because of it, but I have decided to use the money I was spending on the membership and put it toward an eventual trip to Scotland and to play 1-2 days per month during the school year (I'm a high school teacher). My plan is to play 36 holes when I go play, so the actual goif won't be much less I’ll just spend less time during the week playing. This will also free me up to play at different courses that I don't usually go to. I may get a monthly membership at my local goat track during the summer, but it will be a while before I go back to the yearly membership. 

 

I have daily access to a sim, so I feel like that will help scratch the itch and also keep the swing oiled a little. I feel like this is going to give me the opportunity to travel a bit as well. I’ve already planned out my next 3 months of play and I have included some day trips to two of the best course in the Southeast, The Fields and Sweetens. Both of these courses are great for the minimalist golfer. 

[student of the game]

OP here cannot believe that this is still going. Just took over an hour reading through responses and it is very cool to see how many people have come and gone and come back and people just generally still interested.

 

I have gone through alot of changes since the start of this going from school to working in the golf industry at the club level then leaving the industry and coming back to it one last time as an equipment rep (the dream at the time). I also have my first child coming and with that my golf habits have changed won't be able to do the 4 and 5 day golf bender trips for awhile but the last few rounds I have been soaking it in and getting back to just the basics of know your yardages and hit shots you know how to.

 

I am starting to plan a nice half set bag for next year when rounds will be few and far between something a bit more forgiving and built by me.

 

been talking alot to the guys that I golf with all the time about this and we have bounced a bunch of different ideas off one another, but I think that this is what I will be building up

 

Matbly KE4 FDI 19 degree bent to 18 w/ Project X HZRDUS Black G4 Hybrid X-stiff

 

Maltby TE forged v4 5/7/9 bent 2 degrees weak w/ kbs $-taper black X-Stiff 

 

Malbty Max Milled Wedges 50/58 w/ DG Tour Issue X100 in onyx

 

Malbty Pure Track PTM 4 w/ black stepless shaft

 

My hope is that this set up will hit a basic set of yardages for me on 100/125/150/175/200/250ish

 

Looking at a sunday Loma XL or posssibly a vice pencil bag

 

[WipeyFade]

I played an impromptu round yesterday afternoon at the goat track I mentioned earlier this week. I was by myself with an almost empty course so I figured I could get quite a few holes in before dark. I was able to play 27 holes in about 3.5 hours, and drop my 18 Birdies handicap in the process. I played few a couple of groups and as I was walking up to the tee box on one group I got asked the question, “How many clubs do you have?”

 

I told them, “Five today, well pretty much every day. I just dropped all the clubs that I don’t like to hit. Plus it’s a lot lighter this way.” I’m trying to spread the news that you don’t need a ton of clubs to play decent golf. I’ve already converted one of the guys I work with. He bought new irons last year and only bought evens and a pw. 
 

The owner of the goat track has also done a lot of work to the course. It’s still rough but they have built a couple of crazy greens (sort of Sweetensesque) since I played there last. I truly love the roughness of it. Plus, living in Alabama where the RTJ defines what good public golf looks like for most people (not me), the roughness keeps the crowds away  

Edited September 24, 2024 by WipeyFade

[9ClubberLang]

Great photo @WipeyFade. I especially love the lightweight bag leaning against the "No Carts" sign!

[54CW]

@student of the game

Welcome back, you have a lot to be excited about and it won’t have anything to do with golf…

 

This is my favorite forum topic, it’s my first and sometimes only topic I check on daily. 

 

I’m curious why you’re not playing a driver. Also with your experience as an equipment rep, what draws you to Maltby? 

[g_nw]

15 hours ago, WipeyFade said:

I played an impromptu round yesterday afternoon at the goat track I mentioned earlier this week. I was by myself with an almost empty course so I figured I could get quite a few holes in before dark. I was able to play 27 holes in about 3.5 hours, and drop my 18 Birdies handicap in the process. I played few a couple of groups and as I was walking up to the tee box on one group I got asked the question, “How many clubs do you have?”

 

I told them, “Five today, well pretty much every day. I just dropped all the clubs that I don’t like to hit. Plus it’s a lot lighter this way.” I’m trying to spread the news that you don’t need a ton of clubs to play decent golf. I’ve already converted one of the guys I work with. He bought new irons last year and only bought evens and a pw. 
 

The owner of the goat track has also done a lot of work to the course. It’s still rough but they have built a couple of crazy greens (sort of Sweetensesque) since I played there last. I truly love the roughness of it. Plus, living in Alabama where the RTJ defines what good public golf looks like for most people (not me), the roughness keeps the crowds away  

 

looking absolutely mint there 🍻

[WipeyFade]

@9ClubberLang, thanks. I’m an adamant walker. I only take a cart during scrambles with friends, even then I don’t drive so I can walk some between shots lol. My wife bought me a vintage “No Carts” metal sign last year for my birthday. It proudly sits next to my Masters gnomes, a jar full of half broken tees al a Golfer’s Journal, and other golf garb I’ve collected over the years. 

[tatertot]

Played with 7 clubs today for the first time this year ... shot a pair of 68s, the exact same score I had yesterday with 14.

[9ClubberLang]

12 hours ago, WipeyFade said:

@9ClubberLang, thanks. I’m an adamant walker. I only take a cart during scrambles with friends, even then I don’t drive so I can walk some between shots lol. My wife bought me a vintage “No Carts” metal sign last year for my birthday. It proudly sits next to my Masters gnomes, a jar full of half broken tees al a Golfer’s Journal, and other golf garb I’ve collected over the years. 

Yeah me too. I love walking. I've only ever used a cart/buggy when I was in Florida and it was mandatory, and when my Dad was too old to play but wanted to come out with me and watch. He drove and I mainly walked.

 

I either carry on my back with 7, 8 or 9 clubs or use a trolley with 12 clubs (three wheel device the bag goes on and I push, just in case UK/American terminology is different).

 

My understanding is some of the US course are very spread out and so carts/buggies may be mandatory. I think they are brilliant if they extend someone's golfing career or allow them to play this great game despite age/medical conditions. Other than that though, I almost think they should be banned. I see loads of able bodied people in their 20's/30's using them here on courses that are not spread out and the next tee is never that far away from the previous green, and I'm puzzled by what they are doing.

 

Part of the joy of golf for me is the exercise. In that walk between shots I've also made the mental journey from the last shot de-brief, to the next shot plan. On the few occasions I have used a cart/buggy I was stressed out at getting to the ball too quickly. What do I do? I've no idea, I haven't had my in-between shots walk and thinking time!

 

I'm not criticising anyone on here that uses carts/buggies. I appreciate we're all different, have different schedules, need to squeeze a round in a set period etc, but I always want to walk, no question. I think it really supports the minimalist approach too. Once the number of clubs falls to single figures the bag feels so much lighter than a full-set.

Edited September 24, 2024 by 9ClubberLang
Speling :-)

[WipeyFade]

Just as @54CW mentioned, this is often the only thread I look at on here. It’s easily the best. I tend think differently about the golf game than everyone I know that plays golf. Most people on this thread seem to play for the enjoyment of the game rather than the competition. Don’t get me wrong I like competing as much as the next guy, but I’m usually out there for a different reason. I had one of my buddies tell I play like I’m high 🤣.  Bad shots just don’t faze me. 
 

@9ClubberLang, When I first started playing golf, walking was a way for me to save money. But now, walking is as much a part of the game as swinging a club. It helps me to develop a rhythm that I can’t achieve while riding in a cart. A lot of people I talk to about golf are puzzled that I walk 95% of my rounds. 

 

 

 

 

[9ClubberLang]

That’s a really good point @WipeyFade, carts are really expensive. I guess climate is part of it too. Often here in the UK we walk to keep warm, even in summer!

 

The walking rhythm is key though. Even if carts were free I’d still walk.

[ArcticSound]

@lil'mike

 

No idea if attaching an Excel document works on GolfWRX, but here you go. This is what I used to calculate my handicap before I got an official one. I think I might have originally found this somewhere online, but there's also a chance I made it myself. I can't remember. I'm sure there's a more efficient way to run this spreadsheet, but this was my low-tech, low-Excel-skills version.

 

It's pretty self explanatory, but here's the process:

1. Plug in your adjusted gross score (i.e. net double bogey is your max), as well as the rating and slope for the tees you played. Don't forget to include the date you played in M/DD/YY format; this is important.
2. Once this info is populated, you should see the round differential populate in column F
3. When you have 8 rounds, you'll see your handicap populate in column I
4. Once you have more than 8 rounds, you'll need to sort column F so that the lowest 8 differentials are at the top, since column I is just averaging F2:F9. To do this, select column F, go to Data, then hit the Sort A->Z button, expand the selection, and hit sort. Your top 8 differentials should now occupy the top 8 spaces.
5. Once you have more than 20 rounds, you'll need to start removing your oldest rounds. To do this, Sort column A by reverse date (Sort Z->A, again expanding the selection) so that the oldest round is now in row 21. Delete the data for that round. Plug in the data for your latest round. Then, repeat Step 5 to re-sort by differential. Your handicap should now be updated.

All in all, it only took about 60 seconds post-round for me to open the spreadsheet and plug in each round. Of course, you could also just pay $50/year through your local USGA organization to get an official handicap and use the GHIN app, which is what I now do.

 

Hope this helps!

Basic Handicap Calculator.xlsx

[Tommy56]

@54CW@9ClubberLang@WipeyFade

I feel the same way… this is my favorite thread by far. Walking with a minimalist set is clearly my preferred way to play. I have no desire for anything close to a full set and have sold off any extra clubs. 

[9ClubberLang]

That’s a milestone step I haven’t reached yet @Tommy56, selling off my other clubs feels like a big step! I can definitely see it happening though.

[tatertot]

6 hours ago, Tommy56 said:

@54CW@9ClubberLang@WipeyFade

I feel the same way… this is my favorite thread by far. Walking with a minimalist set is clearly my preferred way to play. I have no desire for anything close to a full set and have sold off any extra clubs. 

Whoa there big fella ... let's not get crazy.

 

[lil'mike]

8 hours ago, ArcticSound said:

@lil'mike

 

No idea if attaching an Excel document works on GolfWRX, but here you go. This is what I used to calculate my handicap before I got an official one. I think I might have originally found this somewhere online, but there's also a chance I made it myself. I can't remember. I'm sure there's a more efficient way to run this spreadsheet, but this was my low-tech, low-Excel-skills version.

 

It's pretty self explanatory, but here's the process:

1. Plug in your adjusted gross score (i.e. net double bogey is your max), as well as the rating and slope for the tees you played. Don't forget to include the date you played in M/DD/YY format; this is important.
2. Once this info is populated, you should see the round differential populate in column F
3. When you have 8 rounds, you'll see your handicap populate in column I
4. Once you have more than 8 rounds, you'll need to sort column F so that the lowest 8 differentials are at the top, since column I is just averaging F2:F9. To do this, select column F, go to Data, then hit the Sort A->Z button, expand the selection, and hit sort. Your top 8 differentials should now occupy the top 8 spaces.
5. Once you have more than 20 rounds, you'll need to start removing your oldest rounds. To do this, Sort column A by reverse date (Sort Z->A, again expanding the selection) so that the oldest round is now in row 21. Delete the data for that round. Plug in the data for your latest round. Then, repeat Step 5 to re-sort by differential. Your handicap should now be updated.

All in all, it only took about 60 seconds post-round for me to open the spreadsheet and plug in each round. Of course, you could also just pay $50/year through your local USGA organization to get an official handicap and use the GHIN app, which is what I now do.

 

Hope this helps!

Basic Handicap Calculator.xlsx 10.1 kB · 4 downloads

@ArcticSound

 

Thanks,  I will check it out when I have more time. 

 

Eventually I will get a program/app that calculates it for me.  Not sure I want one that you have to enter every club choice/hit though!

 

[Tommy56]

1 hour ago, tatertot said:

8 hours ago, Tommy56 said:

I feel the same way… this is my favorite thread by far. Walking with a minimalist set is clearly my preferred way to play. I have no desire for anything close to a full set and have sold off any extra clubs. 

Whoa there big fella ... let's not get crazy.

Ha ha!  For me, there is a sense of peace about it; much the same way that minimalist golf frees up your mind with club selection on the course.  I must admit however, that I did keep an extra putter. 😀

 

[DocBrown3887]

Took off this afternoon and walked the local cow pasture course. I bagged 5W, 8i, A, 54, and a putter and played two tees up (2300 yards, par 35) shooting +2, 37. The yardages ended up working out somehow for almost all full shots. Was a fun little outing.