The Best Players at Your Golf Club

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Tony D'Antonio

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The 'started when they were young' sort of misses the key point for me...which is, they played and practiced a lot at some point in their golfing lives. Most people as they get older just don't have the time to play and practice as much as it takes to get good. As a kid I was at the course all the time. I didn't practice as much as I should have (my home course when I was young didn't have a range) but I did play a bunch. I see people who play a few rounds a week or who give golf a concerted effort by practicing and playing quite a bit but many times it is not nearly enough to get them to par golf. You have to have talent, you have to be put on the right track by an instructor or by studying yourself (not ideal) but you absolutely, at some point in your golfing life, have to play and practice hour after hour after hour. Once you have the time in and you've reached a certain level of proficiency it is pretty easy to stay good or to get it 'back' if you go a while without playing. The other stuff on these lists vary. I see guys who are good who are technicians and guys who have crumby looking swings. I see guys who hit a bunch of greens but don't have good short games and guys who scrape it around but make everything. I see guys who practice a lot and those who don't. But to me, the main common denominator is that they all played and practiced a lot at some point and got good at that time.
 
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Tball88

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Tony, I completely agree that at some point they practiced a lot. We have several guys that played mini-tours and college golf, but now they almost never practice. It's kind of funny, you'll see them pop their head up about a week before the club championship and get a little practice in, but that's about it.

I'm the opposite, never picked up a club until age 30(now 42). Index is now a 3.1 and I have to work my ass off to get to that point and I don't know that I'll ever be as good as those who figured it out when they were young. I can occasionally beat them, but over the long haul it seems like that guy who started young has a big advantage.
 
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joep

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To me its how long they played (starting young also). But how about the guy that has a terrible swing hits off his right ofot off bance and hits it long and always hits the green and shoots in the 70`s most of the time at 75yrs old , How does do that?
 
mgranato

mgranato

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SPmoser87 said:
4. They put themselves in situations where they are uncomfortable; too much money out on the bets or playing in a state or USGA event.
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This is big IMO. When I first joined the local club, I knew there were lots of scratch and better players there. Problem was, I just didn't know who they were exactly. Right off the bat I got invited to play in an impromptu 9 holer before it got dark. No worries. I was on the range with these guys before getting the invite, and I didn't see anyone who looked like a player.

Fast forward to the 9th green... I'm lining up a 10 foot putt for birdie. A tying putt for birdie. If I make the putt, I shoot 3 under for the 9 with a ball in the water. Respectable enough. The unfortunate part was that if I make the putt I only lose a decent amount of money (especially for 9 holes). If I miss the putt, I get hammered. Then my BFF's give me a warm welcome by doubling the bet before I hit the putt.

I had 3 options:

1. Decline the double, pick-up my ball, lose the hole, pay what I lost, drive home, and drop my new membership. :eek:
2. Accept the double, miss the putt, lose the hole BADLY, drive to the ATM, pay what I lost, drive home, kick the dog, and drop my new membership. :mad:
3. Accept the double, make the putt, tie the hole, pay what I lost, drive home feeling good about only losing that much, keep my membership with the sole mission of exacting revenge. :cool:

In this 90 minute/9 hole game, I got about 5 good universal lasting "golf lessons". When I think of it like this, it makes my per lesson price seem like a value.


6. They prefer to play with the other better players.
Click to expand...

Another good one. If you play good and can still lose, you are playing with the right people. How many times do you learn something good on the course from players worse than you?
 
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SPmoser87

SPmoser87

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Mgran,

I won't ever forget the first time I played for more money than what I should've, being a young college student and working for some tiny wages. I had just started playing again after a two-year layoff while I was away at my first college. Well, I got in with this crew who, for my rustiness, I had absolutely no business throwing the cash on the table. Needless to say we played a carry-over skins game w/ validations (played from the basic men's tee, and if you make a skin you must move back to the tips and either tie or win the next hole)and a captain's game w/in the group I played in.

Ends up that all of the skins carry over onto the 18th hole, captain's was fairly even, and all six of us had striped it down the middle of the fairway. Two of the guys were +1's, one was a 0, two 2's, and me, playing to about an 8. All of us hit the green, and I was the third to putt and knocked the birdie in, and the other three missed. So, I thought I had won all of the skins until one of my new golfing buddies reminded me that I had to validate the 18 skins from the 5 of them on the next hole... Well, it was getting dark, really hard to see the ball, and we all hit and were in play. I hit it up on the green about six feet past the hole and had a little downhill slider. At this point my buddy, who had hit it about 25 feet past the hole runs in the putt for a birdie, in the dark mind you. Now I had to make that little six footer to tie and win the skin pot, and I remember it being the first time I was ever, ever nervous about a putt. I missed it and learned more than I would've if I'd have made it.

Anyhow, I think the more times you put yourself, as a competitor, in positions where you are uncomfortable, the more you learn how to control yourself when the heat is on. Once you start making those little six foot testers to win, they kind of start to go in more frequently.
 
J

Jared Willerson

Super Moderator
Kevin Shields said:
What would your 66 look like? I'll bet easier than it feels to you.
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It would be magnificent.

A chip in, maybe a snake or two, and we just can't have a round without me hitting a gigantic curve around some trees, only this time it lands to a couple of feet.

I have shot 66 once, I played well but I was also fortunate ;)
 
mgranato

mgranato

New
SPmoser87 said:
Mgran,

I won't ever forget the first time I played for more money than what I should've, being a young college student and working for some tiny wages. I had just started playing again after a two-year layoff while I was away at my first college. Well, I got in with this crew who, for my rustiness, I had absolutely no business throwing the cash on the table. Needless to say we played a carry-over skins game w/ validations (played from the basic men's tee, and if you make a skin you must move back to the tips and either tie or win the next hole)and a captain's game w/in the group I played in.

Ends up that all of the skins carry over onto the 18th hole, captain's was fairly even, and all six of us had striped it down the middle of the fairway. Two of the guys were +1's, one was a 0, two 2's, and me, playing to about an 8. All of us hit the green, and I was the third to putt and knocked the birdie in, and the other three missed. So, I thought I had won all of the skins until one of my new golfing buddies reminded me that I had to validate the 18 skins from the 5 of them on the next hole... Well, it was getting dark, really hard to see the ball, and we all hit and were in play. I hit it up on the green about six feet past the hole and had a little downhill slider. At this point my buddy, who had hit it about 25 feet past the hole runs in the putt for a birdie, in the dark mind you. Now I had to make that little six footer to tie and win the skin pot, and I remember it being the first time I was ever, ever nervous about a putt. I missed it and learned more than I would've if I'd have made it.

Anyhow, I think the more times you put yourself, as a competitor, in positions where you are uncomfortable, the more you learn how to control yourself when the heat is on. Once you start making those little six foot testers to win, they kind of start to go in more frequently.
Click to expand...


Love it. If you're not living on the edge you're taking up too much space. :)
 
K

Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
Young players in my experience are not playing enough and absolutely do not play for enough money. It's a crucial part of development.
 
K

Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
mgranato said:
This is big IMO. When I first joined the local club, I knew there were lots of scratch and better players there. Problem was, I just didn't know who they were exactly. Right off the bat I got invited to play in an impromptu 9 holer before it got dark. No worries. I was on the range with these guys before getting the invite, and I didn't see anyone who looked like a player.

Fast forward to the 9th green... I'm lining up a 10 foot putt for birdie. A tying putt for birdie. If I make the putt, I shoot 3 under for the 9 with a ball in the water. Respectable enough. The unfortunate part was that if I make the putt I only lose a decent amount of money (especially for 9 holes). If I miss the putt, I get hammered. Then my BFF's give me a warm welcome by doubling the bet before I hit the putt.

I had 3 options:

1. Decline the double, pick-up my ball, lose the hole, pay what I lost, drive home, and drop my new membership. :eek:
2. Accept the double, miss the putt, lose the hole BADLY, drive to the ATM, pay what I lost, drive home, kick the dog, and drop my new membership. :mad:
3. Accept the double, make the putt, tie the hole, pay what I lost, drive home feeling good about only losing that much, keep my membership with the sole mission of exacting revenge. :cool:

In this 90 minute/9 hole game, I got about 5 good universal lasting "golf lessons". When I think of it like this, it makes my per lesson price seem like a value.




Another good one. If you play good and can still lose, you are playing with the right people. How many times do you learn something good on the course from players worse than you?
Click to expand...

I learned this year exactly just how far off the green in the rough you can still putt it.
 
J

Jim Kobylinski

Super Moderator
I never played a lot of golf for money but i did play a lot of pool for money and found that it has helped when i do play for money; i think if you develop those "nerves" it doesn't matter in what sport it was. Could be basketball pickup games.
 
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