I hate golf

[LeftDaddy]

I played today for the 1st time in a couple of weeks, but have been playing quite a bit this year. I started well, but ended up with a horrible round. I thought back and realized that I just frittered away 14 strokes...not because of golf "talent" per se, but just because of silly mistakes or easy shots that I missed (and I didn't make ANYTHING with the putter even though I was hitting my lines and speeds but just burned edges).

 

Anyway, I thought about my journey in golf, and I honestly can't think of any activity I've spent any time with in my lifetime that I've invested so much time, energy and money into yet got so little back in return. I spend a fortune on golf (clubs, clothes, memberships, greens fees, etc.), and I also spend a lot of time away from my family and job for golf (which probably also costs me). I have improved a lot over the last 5 years, but I seem to be backtracking right now.

 

I've got a good swing. And at different times, I can be a really good putter and can be really sharp with short game and can drive it well and can hit irons where I want...but I can never put it all together, and I can practice/ practice/ practice something and it will get better sometimes but will also blow up whenever it is really inconvenient.

 

I've "quit" golf twice before, and I'm very close to doing it again. It is just insane how much I put into it to get so little out of it.

[Petunia Sprinkle]

Golf is a great lesson in reality. No matter how well reasoned your approach, no matter how dedicated your work, no matter how much you deserve to play well, if your scores aren't good (relatively), you need to make a change(s).

[JohnKHawk]

I think we all have a love/hate relationship with golf sometimes. I get mad when I under perform but never really thought of quitting. My bro in law recently quit golfing instead to go fishing. He used to love golf. We were pretty equal a few years back but he hasn't beaten me in about 2 years. Finally this year he just quit altogether. He told me that he goes fishing now & sends me pics of the big fish he catches. I just laugh & wonder how long he keeps fishing when the fish stop biting. Will he quit that too because it all the sudden got difficult. Golf is hard. You may never be as good as you want to be. None of us ever are. I find my game improved the most by finding a regular Sunday foursome with who I have a great time golfing with. I least once a week I am laughing so hard at something one of us say or does I am almost brought to tears. Good times with good friends for sure! Good luck to you-stick with it!

[BrianL99]

 

 

I've got a good swing. And at different times, I can be a really good putter and can be really sharp with short game and can drive it well and can hit irons where I want...but I can never put it all together, and I can practice/ practice/ practice something and it will get better sometimes but will also blow up whenever it is really inconvenient.

 

 

Maybe you have unrealistic expectations. The above isn't consistent with being a 13 handicap.

[Soloman1]

OK, what can someone "take" if they want to learn how to do something?

 

They can take L_____S!

 

Guitar L_____S.

 

Tennis L_____S.

 

Golf L_____S.

 

:)

[natedd]

OK, what can someone "take" if they want to learn how to do something?

 

They can take L_____S!

 

Guitar L_____S.

 

Tennis L_____S.

 

Golf L_____S.

 

:)

 

LozengeS?

[LeftDaddy]

Well, all of you will "throw up" on this response, but I do take lessons and my pro told me the last time I was there that there are people making money on tour with worse swings than mine. Last time I mentioned this on WRX nobody believed me but whatever, I know what he said.

 

I think the answer might be that I need to see a different pro (although I like this guy), but my biggest issue (I think) is that I don't have a way to dial my swing down / play very "smoothly".

 

I had gotten to an 11 handicap but have moved to a 12.4 in the last month. I guess I'm just in a rut right now, I'm a lefty and have a right miss, no matter how far left I aim (it's like my mind knows that I'm aimed left and thus my body pulls around). I've worked REALLY hard the past month or so to fix it, and I kinda sorta have, but now my contact is suffering some.

 

Anyway, I came home and watched the LPGA tournament and now I want to play again. I hate golf and I love golf at the same time.

[JohnKHawk]

Well, all of you will "throw up" on this response, but I do take lessons and my pro told me the last time I was there that there are people making money on tour with worse swings than mine. Last time I mentioned this on WRX nobody believed me but whatever, I know what he said.

 

I think the answer might be that I need to see a different pro (although I like this guy), but my biggest issue (I think) is that I don't have a way to dial my swing down / play very "smoothly".

 

I had gotten to an 11 handicap but have moved to a 12.4 in the last month. I guess I'm just in a rut right now, I'm a lefty and have a right miss, no matter how far left I aim (it's like my mind knows that I'm aimed left and thus my body pulls around). I've worked REALLY hard the past month or so to fix it, and I kinda sorta have, but now my contact is suffering some.

 

Anyway, I came home and watched the LPGA tournament and now I want to play again. I hate golf and I love golf at the same time.

I'm a lefty too. I can't play a round without someone commenting that I'm standing on the wrong side of the ball. So funny the 1000th time I've heard that. Very clever.

[Carl Spackler3]

We still playing Thursday??

[HighSpeedScene]

Reminds me of the joke - have you quit beating your wife?

 

Golfers, like wife beaters, never quit - they just take breaks

[Motley]

Sounds like me. I actually didn't even play at all last year, took an entire season off. Because I just completely lost my swing and it was horrible.

 

Now this year my swing is back, and I just bought some new irons. Everything has been refreshed so to speak.

[LeftDaddy]

My swing is mostly fine. Even today, I had a lot of chances for it to be a really good round. But my short game failed me.

 

Maybe like the poster said earlier, my expectations are too high. But I ought to be able to chip and putt for pars at least 2/3 of the time...I was something like 1/10 today. And they weren't hard chips. And I'm normally a good chipper. In fairness, I haven't practiced it much lately. I guess I need to reallocate my practice time. It's like Whack-a-mole though...one thing improves and then another thing goes to pot.

 

Today was a microcosm of my overall complaint with golf...my score just wasn't indicative of my skill level..I could have easily cut 14 strokes off my score today by making a few putts..not running chips out an extra 4 feet, not blocking a damn tee shot with my hybrid, etc. I know many of you will say that your score is always indicative of your game, and conceptually I get that, but it's just frustrating when you know you are capable of better (and you've proven it often before).

 

Golf...ahhh...

[mukster]

No you don't :)

[Ranchobob]

I haven't hated golf since the last time I played.

 

Yesterday, actually.

[Soloman1]

You didn't say anything about taking lessons, so I just had to bring it up... ;)

 

Hey, not trying to bust your chops, but score is indicative of skill level. You haven't learned the skills to get better. Try improving your short game first by buying Monte's and iteach's short game videos. The cost is small, but the value is great. Do that and practice what they teach, then come back after a few months and tell us how you're doing.

[SixtySomePing]

.. wow, you'd think golf was important or something... ;)

[Petunia Sprinkle]

But I ought to be able to chip and putt for pars at least 2/3 of the time...

 

For some reason, this comment stuck out to me. Why do you think you ought to chip and putt for par 2/3 of the time? Do you usually bogey the rest, birdie them, or a mix? Are you stronger at chipping, or putting, or equally skilled at both?

 

I could be totally wrong about this, but it seems to me that you have invested most of your efforts towards what I call a 'rigid adherence to orthodoxy'. I think people follow orthodox methodologies mostly because they are looking for a guarantee of success. It's not an insane thing to do, but in most cases, I think it leaves the quirks of the individual out. I think, if left unaccounted for, if those quirks are strong enough, they will eventually disrupt the rest rather than be left dormant. To account for them in a positive manner, one must step out of the orthodox and come up with a customized method. I could go on about this forever, but if this doesn't apply, I'll just leave it at that.

 

Anyway, you don't hate golf. You're just mad at it.

[rebdog30]

You need to hit balls 2-3 times a week to get the good consistent ball striking down pat. Everything won't be perfect every time you go out but you still have to grind get pars!

[scomac2002]

Based on what has been said, I'm going to suggest that the problem is mostly between the ears. I'm not trying to be cute or nasty with that comment, but it sounds to me that the OP is focusing too much on score to his detriment. Focus on the process and let the score be what it will be.

 

As an example, I had a very good round (for me) a week or so ago. I was one under through 5. It was at that point that I started to think about what might be. That's when the mishits started. I finished the side at plus three which was still a low for me, but I wondered afterward what might have been possible if I could have resisted the urge to think ahead.

 

Perhaps what you need is a reset. Resist the tendency to focus on outcome. Like life, golf is about the journey, not so much the destination. That is how you derive pleasure from it. Practice less or more; play less or more. Find a way that you can enjoy your time on the course no matter what the outcome is. Trying harder doesn't always work. The worst thing you can do is feel hard done by the game because then you truly are defeated.

[The Pearl]

Much of the problem with these types of threads stems from the same rational that takes on the general theme of " I should be much better than I am, my swing is pretty good, and if I could just put it all together", etc.

 

 

As a wise man once said, "your score doesn't lie." We think that our score is not representative of how good we are. Of course, over the length of a golfing season we will go "low" or have a "horrible" round, but for the most part, we will shoot what we deserve.

 

You don't want to quit because you think you can play better, you want to quit because you haven't accepted what level of player you are now. Big difference. Once you accept that, you can begin to progress to the next level.

[The Pearl]

I've got a good swing. And at different times, I can be a really good putter and can be really sharp with short game and can drive it well and can hit irons where I want...but I can never put it all together, and I can practice/ practice/ practice something and it will get better sometimes but will also blow up whenever it is really inconvenient.

 

 

Maybe you have unrealistic expectations. The above isn't consistent with being a 13 handicap.

 

No doubt the crux of the problem. In my journey, the mid-teen handicap area was the toughest to bust out of. It is the area where there is just enough promise of consistently shooting high 70's that is intoxicating, but it is a big step. Consistency off the tee, no penalties, hit a few greens, and get up and down with a bit of reason.

[hammy83]

I hope you figure it out. Out of a group of 12 of us, there are two who at least 3 times a year claim they are quitting golf and at some point they have for a bit. Please don't be that guy. I no longer play with them... its one thing to complain but its like having a wife who threatens you with divorce all the time. At some point those around you think... just do it already.

[nbg352]

Shot 49 yesterday on the front nine. I HATE golf!!!!

Shot 37 on the back. I LOVE golf!!!!!!!

 

And so it goes......

[duffer987]

Based on what has been said, I'm going to suggest that the problem is mostly between the ears. I'm not trying to be cute or nasty with that comment, but it sounds to me that the OP is focusing too much on score to his detriment. Focus on the process and let the score be what it will be.

 

As an example, I had a very good round (for me) a week or so ago. I was one under through 5. It was at that point that I started to think about what might be. That's when the mishits started. I finished the side at plus three which was still a low for me, but I wondered afterward what might have been possible if I could have resisted the urge to think ahead.

 

 

5 holes in?

Do you leave a hockey game after the first period when a team is up 1-0, because the game is over already ;)

 

OP, not to pile on, but as others have stated an expectation/realistic understanding of the state of your game, reset seems to be required.

A 13 index doesn't really have a good swing all thing considered, otherwise that swing would mitigate the litany of other things you mention and still produce lower scores.

 

If you feel stuck at a certain level and you are not happy at that level, then seek out a good golfing friend or an instructor that can give you an honest assessment of you game. If what needs to happen to push beyond that sounds like too much or unfun, then you either need to accept your current level or yes indeed, quit. But if it sounds like taking another journey may be worth it or be fun, then have it! :)

 

Either way, life is too short to spend leisure time doing something we don't enjoy.

[Argonne69]

But I ought to be able to chip and putt for pars at least 2/3 of the time...

 

For some reason, this comment stuck out to me. Why do you think you ought to chip and putt for par 2/3 of the time? Do you usually bogey the rest, birdie them, or a mix? Are you stronger at chipping, or putting, or equally skilled at both?

 

I could be totally wrong about this, but it seems to me that you have invested most of your efforts towards what I call a 'rigid adherence to orthodoxy'. I think people follow orthodox methodologies mostly because they are looking for a guarantee of success. It's not an insane thing to do, but in most cases, I think it leaves the quirks of the individual out. I think, if left unaccounted for, if those quirks are strong enough, they will eventually disrupt the rest rather than be left dormant. To account for them in a positive manner, one must step out of the orthodox and come up with a customized method. I could go on about this forever, but if this doesn't apply, I'll just leave it at that.

 

Anyway, you don't hate golf. You're just mad at it.

 

Unrealistic expectations. The best PGA pro scrambles at 67%. The median is 58%. Most amateurs are in the 10% range. I'm happy when I can average 35% for an extended period.

 

The tour pros only make 50% of their 8 foot putts. What percentage of your putts are inside 8 feet? I'm guessing not many.

 

As noted above, dialing back the swing will serve you well. Watch the LPGA players, and you'll see that the vast majority of them are swing at 85% tops. Swing your driver like you swing your sand wedge. Judy Rankin made a comment a few years back that really stuck with me, "You know, short and straight is highly underrated". Strive to keep it in play. Forget the pin and fire for the middle of the green. If you're a decent lag putter, an easy 2 putt for par makes for a great score. Rule one of scrambling: get the ball on the green. Saving par is wonderful, but so is avoiding a double or worse. Accept that you'll bogie some holes to avoid the big numbers.

[RecreationalHacker]

I guess it comes down to why each of play the game. Although we all probably always want to play our "best", is constant improvement or a target handicap the only reason to play or is it even realistic for most of us?

 

I can play once per week. Work and family schedules are demanding during the week and only occasionally allow a trip to the range or to the course to play a few holes of mid-week golf. Lessons?.....that would be nice. How much extra money is left after more than $50K per year for my kids' college expenses? Not much and certainly not the $50-$100 per hour for lessons...sorry PGA.

 

I focus on, and get enjoyment from, other aspects of the game. I might not be able to lower my overall scores, but I can focus on the few great shots that I hit and look forward to the opportunity to hit a few more great ones the next round.

[larrybud]

Well, all of you will "throw up" on this response, but I do take lessons and my pro told me the last time I was there that there are people making money on tour with worse swings than mine.

 

Strokin' your ego, that's all. Find a new pro.

 

Otherwise, I have dibs on your clubs.

[scomac2002]

Based on what has been said, I'm going to suggest that the problem is mostly between the ears. I'm not trying to be cute or nasty with that comment, but it sounds to me that the OP is focusing too much on score to his detriment. Focus on the process and let the score be what it will be.

 

As an example, I had a very good round (for me) a week or so ago. I was one under through 5. It was at that point that I started to think about what might be. That's when the mishits started. I finished the side at plus three which was still a low for me, but I wondered afterward what might have been possible if I could have resisted the urge to think ahead.

 

 

5 holes in?

Do you leave a hockey game after the first period when a team is up 1-0, because the game is over already ;)

 

 

I'm not sure why I even bother...

 

However, FYI, I generally play nine hole rounds walking. I follow a different path; it suits me. What you do is your business and I'm not judging. ;)

[larrybud]

My swing is mostly fine. Even today, I had a lot of chances for it to be a really good round. But my short game failed me.

 

To me, there are 5 skills within golf:

 

1) strategy/course management

2) driving

3) approach shots

4) short game/specialty shots

5) putting

 

While it's possible your swing is "fine", I'm going to submit to you it's not. As a 13, you're shooting mostly high 80s to 100+ depending on the difficulty of the courses you're playing. Unless you're completely clueless inside 50 yards, you cannot have a "fine" swing and shoot those kinds of numbers, and out of the hundreds (thousands?) of people I've played with, I've never seen anybody who is that good off the tee and on approach shots, but that bad inside 50 yards.

 

So let's hear some stats: What's your

 

1) FW %

2) gir %

3) penalties/ground

4) putts/gir

5) 3 putt %

 

 

 

 

Your score is indicative of the *consistency* of your "good" shots, and not indicative of the time or two a round you hit your best shots.

[duffer987]

Based on what has been said, I'm going to suggest that the problem is mostly between the ears. I'm not trying to be cute or nasty with that comment, but it sounds to me that the OP is focusing too much on score to his detriment. Focus on the process and let the score be what it will be.

 

As an example, I had a very good round (for me) a week or so ago. I was one under through 5. It was at that point that I started to think about what might be. That's when the mishits started. I finished the side at plus three which was still a low for me, but I wondered afterward what might have been possible if I could have resisted the urge to think ahead.

 

 

5 holes in?

Do you leave a hockey game after the first period when a team is up 1-0, because the game is over already ;)

 

 

I'm not sure why I even bother...

 

However, FYI, I generally play nine hole rounds walking. I follow a different path; it suits me. What you do is your business and I'm not judging. ;)

 

Unless you're playing the course backwards and walking on your hands, you're taking the same path the rest of us do :)

 

I should have simply agreed with you - instead of trying to get jokey with it - that getting ahead of yourself or generally focusing on your score at all, is rarely ever a help to recreational golfers like ourselves.