2019 Golf Thread

TFP

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Heading to Pinehurst next weekend. Getting in Friday afternoon, leaving Sunday night. Probably going to do the Cradle on Friday, and at least 18 Saturday/Sunday. Maybe 36 on Saturday depending on weather and such. Hoping to play at least one of #2 and #4, if not both.
Bump for this. Weather looking iffy but improving. Friday might be a washout, Sat/Sun looks like 65-70 and overcast with scattered showers.

I'm heading down with my gf (who golfs better than me) and my brother (ditto). Visiting the gfs mom who lives on #5, and my gfs friend is coming up from Charlotte (also played college golf). Playing #5 on Saturday afternoon and #4 on Sunday morning. Weren't any good times for #2 and with the weather we didn't want to play it in potential rain. Really looking forward to #4. Would love to get the Cradle in if possible too. Looking forward to it.
Just circling back on this. Pinehurst is awesome - the courses were great, the Cradle is AMAZING, and then #4 was one of the most fun courses I've played in my life. The weather stunk, but other than that the trip was a blast. Highly recommended for anyone who loves golf.

Enjoy the foursome!
We did! My brother and I were consistently hitting first on our approach shots.
 

Comfortably Lomb

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Keeping the pin in every time is a small benefit overall. That doesn’t mean there won’t be some putts that strike the pin and fail to drop that otherwise would go in.

I’ve mostly been leaving it in for years when playing casually. Some balls clank. Whatever. Watching people get bent out of shape over this is... perplexing. Don’t overthink out there. Just roll the ball.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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Just circling back on this. Pinehurst is awesome - the courses were great, the Cradle is AMAZING, and then #4 was one of the most fun courses I've played in my life. The weather stunk, but other than that the trip was a blast. Highly recommended for anyone who loves golf.


We did! My brother and I were consistently hitting first on our approach shots.
LOL. I hope the inappropriate double entendre of my initial post was understood. Although I'm very happy you had a good time. It's a great place - did a trip a few years back. Played in order this IIRC over three days: 1,5,4,8 and then 2 on the last day. Had a fun experience with our caddy on #2.
 

TFP

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Haha of course, I got you.

I took a caddy on #4 and it was my first time ever doing so. Very enjoyable way to see the course, although it sucked when it rained for like 3 holes. But otherwise it was really nice to walk the whole course, not worry about carrying my bag, cleaning my clubs, etc. Not worth the money every time, but a nice treat every once in a while.

And I can't recommend The Cradle enough. In the summer I could see myself playing it barefoot with only a putter. Drinks in hand, music playing, short/fun holes (but not easy) - just the most fun you can have playing golf.
 

FL4WL3SS

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Leaving the flag in has, so far, in my experience been a horrible rule change. Since no one agrees on whether they want it in or out, in a competitive setting it's constantly being taken out, put back in, taken out, put back in. It's not only a pain in the ass to deal with on every green, it's going to cause people to get hit into on holes where the green is blind but you can see the flag and/or it's going to slow things down as people wait to make sure they don't hit into the group in front of them. I can't think of a single positive that's come from the change outside of possibly speeding up my group in mess around type rounds where no one in the group cares if the pin is in or out. Of course, that only works if the whole course is filled with people with that attitude. I think the impacts of the change weren't thought all the way through and I hope they rescind the rule ASAP.
In my experience, the guys that want the flag in are slowly just moving to whatever the group wants. While initially it was a problem, I don't see it a problem anymore and guys are just putting with the flag in it's current position (in or out). I've actually seen more of an issue from the guys that refuse to putt with it in than anything else. In 6 months it'll be a non-issue. I think it's only an issue now because it's new.

I like the rule because I can now tell someone to not bother taking the pin out instead of waiting for someone to make a move. It's definitely sped up play in my groups.
 
I like the rule because I can now tell someone to not bother taking the pin out instead of waiting for someone to make a move. It's definitely sped up play in my groups.
I think the rule should particularly speed up play in situations where nobody is particularly near to the hole but everyone is on the green - the player farthest from the hole can (should) putt first with the pin in, and then move into a position to tend it for anyone else who wants it tended. But I haven't played in a competition yet with other golfers who have developed strong opinions on whether the flag should or shouldn't be taken out; I do fear that might slow things down. And...
In 6 months it'll be a non-issue. I think it's only an issue now because it's new.
...while I hope this is right, I do wonder if the behavior being modeled on the PGA Tour might have the opposite effect. If Adam Scott keeps putting the flag back in the hole on his 10-footers, and other pros draw similar conclusions, some jerks are going to copy them, and things could actually get worse over time. We'll see.
 

jercra

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In my experience, the guys that want the flag in are slowly just moving to whatever the group wants. While initially it was a problem, I don't see it a problem anymore and guys are just putting with the flag in it's current position (in or out). I've actually seen more of an issue from the guys that refuse to putt with it in than anything else. In 6 months it'll be a non-issue. I think it's only an issue now because it's new.

I like the rule because I can now tell someone to not bother taking the pin out instead of waiting for someone to make a move. It's definitely sped up play in my groups.
I hope you're right. My men's club has learned to adopt a "stays as is unless explicitly asked" so you don't have to ask on every shot but it hasn't deterred those few guys who are particular about their way and don't care how it effects you. If you can win upwards of $25 in pro shop credits, you do whatever you have to!
 

Comfortably Lomb

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I hope you're right. My men's club has learned to adopt a "stays as is unless explicitly asked" so you don't have to ask on every shot but it hasn't deterred those few guys who are particular about their way and don't care how it effects you. If you can win upwards of $25 in pro shop credits, you do whatever you have to!
I’m curious to see how players at my club micro-manage the pin this year. I avoid the competitive events but I’m betting there will be some chirping about it one way or another.
 

Plantiers Wart

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Played yesterday on a whim. Hadn’t swung a club since I played Christmas Day. Shot a 79, breaking 80 for the first time.

No birdies, and the greens were so slow I rammed in 6 putts of over 6 feet for pars. Pin in every time.

Course was empty. Was only going to play 9 but shot a 39 on the front so kept going. Barely finished before dark. I’d be back out now if it wasn’t raining.
 

kenneycb

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That's awesome. Congrats. I also eagerly anticipate your next post talking about how you didn't break 100 next time out because golf is a cruel, cruel mistress.
 

FL4WL3SS

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My rounds of golf right now are a crazy roller coaster of awesome - in the last three rounds I've played I've had 1 quad, 1 triple, 9 doubles, 10 bogeys, 23 pars, and 10 birdies. I've scored 80, 79, and 82 respectively. It's been nuts.

The blow up holes are killing me, but I'm not even mad at them because I'm making a good swing on the ball. I'm right where I want to be this time of year and my putting has been lights out.

I'm breaking 70 this summer, I can feel it.
 

4 6 3 DP

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Ive played a whole bunch of southern golf this winter - etiquette on it really has been that everyone who wants to putt at the stick putts before those who don't. Unless obviously it's a 35 footer and then a 6 footer, but Im not sure that's happened.

Will be pretty much a non-issue as said above, though I doubt it speeds things up that much.

The biggest issue out there, bar none, is that people are absolutely not dropping correctly. The rule as written states you have to drop at knee height, it's not a choice. Folks aren't remembering, and the sticklers in tournaments are absolutely going to get guys who forget to lower the drop point. The rule is stupid, but that one is going to cause issues.
 

TFP

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The biggest issue out there, bar none, is that people are absolutely not dropping correctly. The rule as written states you have to drop at knee height, it's not a choice. Folks aren't remembering, and the sticklers in tournaments are absolutely going to get guys who forget to lower the drop point. The rule is stupid, but that one is going to cause issues.
Hell, even elite pros are forgetting in tournaments and costing themselves strokes.
 

Over Guapo Grande

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My rounds of golf right now are a crazy roller coaster of awesome - in the last three rounds I've played I've had 1 quad, 1 triple, 9 doubles, 10 bogeys, 23 pars, and 10 birdies. I've scored 80, 79, and 82 respectively. It's been nuts.

The blow up holes are killing me, but I'm not even mad at them because I'm making a good swing on the ball. I'm right where I want to be this time of year and my putting has been lights out.

I'm breaking 70 this summer, I can feel it.
I am breaking 70 all the time. I then drive in from the 14th green.
 

Over Guapo Grande

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Actually- was it JulE6 who wrote some disgraceful, horrible post about a tourney where everyone was allotted 72 strokes, and the one that was the furthest along on the course won ? Destroyed tee-markers not included.
 

FL4WL3SS

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My course does a tournament in that format. Lots of fun seeing flags on the first hole (ours is a par 5, haven't seen any on 2 yet). Would be a pretty awesome feeling finishing hole 18 knowing you have more strokes.
 
Played yesterday on a whim. Hadn’t swung a club since I played Christmas Day. Shot a 79, breaking 80 for the first time.

No birdies, and the greens were so slow I rammed in 6 putts of over 6 feet for pars. Pin in every time.

Course was empty. Was only going to play 9 but shot a 39 on the front so kept going. Barely finished before dark. I’d be back out now if it wasn’t raining.
I've been mulling this post over in my head the last few days. In addition to offering you congratulations on your achievement, I would ask everyone this question: when you achieve a scoring personal scoring milestone, do you factor the circumstances into how you feel about that milestone? For example, on my one trip to Bandon (18 years ago now), I'd played 36 holes one day and then went out late in the day on my own to play an extra nine, just thrilled to be there and basically thrilled to be alive...and as it happened I made four birdies in those nine holes. Which made the experience that much more special, but it wasn't as though I'd set out to post a score, or even that posting a score was my primary goal. Or the second time I ever broke par for 18 holes, it was on the Old Course in St. Andrews, but it was in the context of a serious matchplay match in which putts were conceded (including a five-footer for bogey at #7) and score was secondary: I was keeping a mental note of my "score" the whole way, and I knew full well that when I birded #12 I'd moved to one under for the round. I managed to make six pars coming home to both win the match 1 up and "break par", although when I think of that round I still put a mental asterisk next to the "71" in a way that I don't the "1 up" result, and in a way that I don't about my first time breaking par (in a round where from the outset I was intending to post a score for my handicap).

My point isn't to denigrate the achievement, by the way, but rather to marvel at the psychological aspect of milestone breaking. If you took 79 strokes to finish your round, then you broke 80, period. But I wonder if you'll feel better if the next time you break 80 - and it will be easier breaking 80 now that you've done it already - if you do so on a day where you set out to break 80, or to shoot the best score you possibly can over 18 holes, rather than on a day where you were only trying to sneak in a quick nine and then circumstances and your mindset changed. And I bet I would shoot lower scores in tournament play if I could start on the first tee with the mindset that I was just sneaking out for a few quick holes!
 

TFP

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Public courses are all opening up around here, my course officially opens Masters Friday, I'm playing outside this weekend...golf season is finally here.
 

jercra

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I've been mulling this post over in my head the last few days. In addition to offering you congratulations on your achievement, I would ask everyone this question: when you achieve a scoring personal scoring milestone, do you factor the circumstances into how you feel about that milestone? For example, on my one trip to Bandon (18 years ago now), I'd played 36 holes one day and then went out late in the day on my own to play an extra nine, just thrilled to be there and basically thrilled to be alive...and as it happened I made four birdies in those nine holes. Which made the experience that much more special, but it wasn't as though I'd set out to post a score, or even that posting a score was my primary goal. Or the second time I ever broke par for 18 holes, it was on the Old Course in St. Andrews, but it was in the context of a serious matchplay match in which putts were conceded (including a five-footer for bogey at #7) and score was secondary: I was keeping a mental note of my "score" the whole way, and I knew full well that when I birded #12 I'd moved to one under for the round. I managed to make six pars coming home to both win the match 1 up and "break par", although when I think of that round I still put a mental asterisk next to the "71" in a way that I don't the "1 up" result, and in a way that I don't about my first time breaking par (in a round where from the outset I was intending to post a score for my handicap).

My point isn't to denigrate the achievement, by the way, but rather to marvel at the psychological aspect of milestone breaking. If you took 79 strokes to finish your round, then you broke 80, period. But I wonder if you'll feel better if the next time you break 80 - and it will be easier breaking 80 now that you've done it already - if you do so on a day where you set out to break 80, or to shoot the best score you possibly can over 18 holes, rather than on a day where you were only trying to sneak in a quick nine and then circumstances and your mindset changed. And I bet I would shoot lower scores in tournament play if I could start on the first tee with the mindset that I was just sneaking out for a few quick holes!
This is one of the reasons I loved my old men's club. There was competition play available every day and it was all 100% by the book, putt it into the hole rules. I know that sounds like it should be the case everywhere, but it's absolutely not. I've never played in another men's club that does. Anyway, because of that, almost every round I played was under tournament conditions and I am total opposite when it comes to playing better when just sneaking out for a few holes. Nearly every one of my best scores is in a tourney. There's something about the competition that drives my focus and ability to grind that I just don't have when I'm just messing around with my buddies.
 
Nearly every one of my best scores is in a tourney. There's something about the competition that drives my focus and ability to grind that I just don't have when I'm just messing around with my buddies.
That's interesting - I don't think the average golfer would necessarily agree with this. Formal competition ought to increase your focus, but it also usually increases the pressure you feel as well. This seems like a good moment to remind anyone thinking about coming to Scotland to play golf, particularly if you belong to the average American golf club that has little or no culture of competitive golf, that I'd strongly recommend you scheduling your trip around entering an Open Competition at one of the many great golf courses that host them. 18 or 36 (or sometimes more) holes of proper by-the-rules golf on a great course can be such an incredible thrill, even if you're not playing great but especially if you are.

It's funny...I've had a couple of really good rounds already this season - shooting scores better than my handicap - where I played by myself and was listening to podcasts most of the way around between shots. I've been playing by the rules and going out with intent to score, but at the same time I've not been playing with other people and having to wait for their putts (and think more about my own) when I get to the green, see their bad shots (and get filled with bad thoughts of my own), and so on. Again, if I'm playing 100% by the rules, I think any score I might return is perfectly legitimate and ought to give me confidence for the next time I go out, but it's not a perfect replica of tournament conditions, and at least for me it doesn't mean quite as much as when I shoot the same number when someone else is marking my card and my handicap is liable to go up or down. But your mileage may vary...perhaps in playing under similar conditions, someone else might think that score was even more legitimate if he or she responds well to other people and struggles to focus when playing solo golf.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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My club opens fully Saturday. I'm in a fun situation of having my entire family wanting to play (wife and two kids). My daughter, senior in HS who has played golf sporadically in the past and has had her limited free time eaten up by competitive dancing the last 10 years or so, is playing on the high school golf team this spring. My first school athlete! What's notable to me is her approach/discipline to other activities has also taken to golf, to the point where she was disappointed at a recent practice whent the coach had them walk the home course, and then they at french fries in the clubhouse. Dream practice for many, but it kind of pissed her off because she'd have preferred to work on her game. This is in contrast to her younger brother, an eighth grader, who is also serious about the game, but takes a more laid back approach to it (as well as with most things). I had forgotten what it's like to have someone clearly driven/dedicated; that's not to say this is the best approach for everyone, or anyone, in this game.

The girl and I went out on Tuesday to the course, where we could play on temp greens, to work on some things. No one else out there but us, and I was able to help her with some shot woes. It was a fun experience, and a cool bonding thing. I find it easier to be patient/calm with her than with the boy. I've coached the boy in sports at some point each of the last 7 years, so there's history/baggage there. The girl hasn't tuned me out in the same way. Her college to be has a golf course on campus, so I hope she'll bring her clubs and keep playing. I'll certainly bring mine when I visit.
 

Plantiers Wart

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Nice Belli. Enjoy the time with your daughter. Your son will figure it out. Mine got much better and more focused by playing with his buds instead of me. As it should be.

CP, I like the distraction of listening to something while golfing. My brother in law will play all sorts of music on speakers if there is no one else around to annoy. I really doesn’t bother me. I also don’t mind when people talk on my backswing. I played sports where the crowd was always noisy growing up, so never hit the quiet please stuff
 

Doug Beerabelli

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Thanks, PW. The boy and I are in a pretty good place with things, as Im phasing out of coaching him. He's actually the best golfer in the house right now (yes, not exactly saying much). He's got a good relationship with the assistant pro at our club, who runs the junior program, as well at the PGA Jr league team (a great program to introduce kids to the game in a fun and comfortable manner). The pro has really inspired my son and helped him improve - and as you suggest, I just kinda stand back and watch. The kids took some private lessons from him over the winter. The boy will undo some of this with middle school and travel baseball over the next four months, but he'll keep playing. It's his favorite sport right now, and he intends on trying to play it in high school.

I'm at a point where I enjoy watching them play more than I enjoy playing the game itself. I'm very much ok with that.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Anyone done the RTJ trail in Alabama? I've got a potential week between employment coming up and was gonna try to go on a solo trip, either to Bandon (unlikely) or another destination that wouldn't break the bank quite as much.

Hitting the 6 northernmost courses on the RTJ trail seemed to make sense for a 7 night / 6 day trip. Fly into Atlanta, drive to Grand National the next morning to start it off, then a 36 at Ross Bridge / Oxmoor, Silver Lake, Hampton Cove, The Shoals, and finish by driving to Nashville for a night any flying back to BOS the next morning.
 

TFP

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If you can work in Sweeten's cove on your way to Nashville that's supposedly worth it too.
 

FL4WL3SS

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Anyone done the RTJ trail in Alabama? I've got a potential week between employment coming up and was gonna try to go on a solo trip, either to Bandon (unlikely) or another destination that wouldn't break the bank quite as much.

Hitting the 6 northernmost courses on the RTJ trail seemed to make sense for a 7 night / 6 day trip. Fly into Atlanta, drive to Grand National the next morning to start it off, then a 36 at Ross Bridge / Oxmoor, Silver Lake, Hampton Cove, The Shoals, and finish by driving to Nashville for a night any flying back to BOS the next morning.
I've had friends do it and they raved about it. It's on my bucket list for sure.
 

Duende Roomer

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Anyone done the RTJ trail in Alabama? I've got a potential week between employment coming up and was gonna try to go on a solo trip, either to Bandon (unlikely) or another destination that wouldn't break the bank quite as much.

Hitting the 6 northernmost courses on the RTJ trail seemed to make sense for a 7 night / 6 day trip. Fly into Atlanta, drive to Grand National the next morning to start it off, then a 36 at Ross Bridge / Oxmoor, Silver Lake, Hampton Cove, The Shoals, and finish by driving to Nashville for a night any flying back to BOS the next morning.
Grand National is worth two days. You can play Links one morning and Lake the other, playing the par 3 in the afternoons. I've heard good things about the Prattville courses (Judge, Senator, Legislator). You could do a round trip from Atlanta (Grand National, Prattville, Ross Bridge/Oxmoor, Silver Lakes, Atlanta) if it makes it easier flight-wise.

Filled with envy, I am.
 

Koufax

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I've done Grand National and Prattville in a single trip, with two days at each. Both are well worth the visit.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Thanks all - the ~$300 Atlanta roundtrip including the checked sticks, as well as the multiple courses at Grand National / near Birmingham, may make that the play
 

Saints Rest

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My club opens fully Saturday. I'm in a fun situation of having my entire family wanting to play (wife and two kids). My daughter, senior in HS who has played golf sporadically in the past and has had her limited free time eaten up by competitive dancing the last 10 years or so, is playing on the high school golf team this spring. My first school athlete! What's notable to me is her approach/discipline to other activities has also taken to golf, to the point where she was disappointed at a recent practice whent the coach had them walk the home course, and then they at french fries in the clubhouse. Dream practice for many, but it kind of pissed her off because she'd have preferred to work on her game. This is in contrast to her younger brother, an eighth grader, who is also serious about the game, but takes a more laid back approach to it (as well as with most things). I had forgotten what it's like to have someone clearly driven/dedicated; that's not to say this is the best approach for everyone, or anyone, in this game.

The girl and I went out on Tuesday to the course, where we could play on temp greens, to work on some things. No one else out there but us, and I was able to help her with some shot woes. It was a fun experience, and a cool bonding thing. I find it easier to be patient/calm with her than with the boy. I've coached the boy in sports at some point each of the last 7 years, so there's history/baggage there. The girl hasn't tuned me out in the same way. Her college to be has a golf course on campus, so I hope she'll bring her clubs and keep playing. I'll certainly bring mine when I visit.
Belli, a friend of mine told me a few years ago that something like 75% of women’s gold scholarships in college go infilled due to lack of interest. Some girl at his college (he works at SUNY-Albany) got a scholarship barely able to break 100.
 

Light-Tower-Power

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The one or two times I have done that made me want to snap my driver in half. But that's me.
I love it even if it goes into a bunker or even a hazard as long as it's straight. Crushing a drive is the greatest feeling in golf for me. Hopefully with the lessons making more pars and birdies will be the new greatest feeling in golf.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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Belli-don’t ruin her swing....[emoji23][emoji23]
Lol. The advice is severely limited. But it kinda worked!

Regarding scholarships, I s/w the golf coach, and he suggested women breaking 50 in HS were able to get scholarships on occasion. Seems crazy, but he gave some examples. Players have to dedicate themselves and improve on that, but it's possible.
 

southshoresoxfan

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Got 9 in after work yesterday. Duffed the first drive, missed a couple easy putts but overall hit it pretty well.

I love the pin in. Played w one other guy and it sped things up exponentially.
 

FL4WL3SS

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My daughter played 5 holes at practice yesterday. 7,8,2,7,8.

I preach consistency. I guess that's one version of it.
You shouldn't be focusing on score at this stage. Figure out where she is throwing away strokes and narrow in on that part of her game. I think being score focused will hinder development. Concentrate on making good shots.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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Lol. The advice is severely limited. But it kinda worked!

Regarding scholarships, I s/w the golf coach, and he suggested women breaking 50 in HS were able to get scholarships on occasion. Seems crazy, but he gave some examples. Players have to dedicate themselves and improve on that, but it's possible.
My sister and ex-BiL did a lot of research on this as my niece was growing up and women's golf is one of the least used scholarship avenues in the system. So they tried her on it, she picked it up, enjoyed it and she was breaking 45 by the time she was 14 and came in 2nd in the state four years in a row for her age bracket.
She's put the clubs down for periods - she's also taken up volleyball, which she loves but isn't as good at - but she enjoys it and gets it; so she picked the clubs back up this past summer and had a grand time texting me a picture of her scorecard one day when she went out in 39 and in in 43 (par 70). She's friggin 15 and she would probably beat me - her swing is textbook and I love playing with her and seeing it. She did First Tee for about four seasons and this summer plans to do private lessons, she did a handful last year but plans to do more this year and join the the school team is she can figure out how to do both that and volleyball (both are fall sports for her school).
You shouldn't be focusing on score at this stage. Figure out where she is throwing away strokes and narrow in on that part of her game. I think being score focused will hinder development. Concentrate on making good shots.
And concentrate on her having fun. If she doesn't love it or feels the weight of "you need to get better so you can get a scholarship" it's not going to help. My niece knows the opportunity there and what it means, but they've never put any pressure on her that it's some kind of necessity; it would just be a nice bonus.
 

barbed wire Bob

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You shouldn't be focusing on score at this stage. Figure out where she is throwing away strokes and narrow in on that part of her game. I think being score focused will hinder development. Concentrate on making good shots.
I’d also suggest that if you do keep score then use the Stableford scoring method. The method was originally designed to speed up play and give some incentive to high-handicap golfers and golfers who struggle on the first couple of holes. It’s a great teaching aid since a poor player isn’t punished if he/she has a bad hole. At the same time it rewards the player if they want to be aggressive.

In the score posted above, Doug Beerabelli’s daughter would have scored a three which sounds a hell of a lot better than 7,8,2,7,8.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stableford
 

Doug Beerabelli

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You shouldn't be focusing on score at this stage. Figure out where she is throwing away strokes and narrow in on that part of her game. I think being score focused will hinder development. Concentrate on making good shots.
Yeah, I wasn't there and my only comments to her was congratulating her about the birdie when she texted about it after the round. I'm not focusing on anything except helping her when asked and cheering her on. And not doing anything to make it less fun, as stated. No one is gunning for a scholarship (she's a senior, college picked, etc.)

No need to pile on or read anything more into my sharing that score sequence - perhaps I worded my post a little too serioisly. I'm a very experienced sports dad and have put no pressure on her. Been coaching my son in sports the last 7 years and have run the gamut on the stages of a youth sports parent/coach (and this with plenty of mistakes and learning along the way). I'm most happy she chose to give this a go.

I've done the 7-2-8 thing before too.
 
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TFP

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Dec 10, 2007
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On this topic, the women’s amateur tourney at Augusta is on golf channel right now. Pretty cool.

My gf played D1 college golf. She describes herself as “not that good” compared to her peers at the time and had multiple full ride scholarships to choose from (to not very good golf schools). There is a ton of opportunity out there for good women’s golfers on the college front.

The problem is that it took 5ish years after college to be able to play for fun again and still struggles adjusting to playing with us, drinking beers, listening to music, and giving people putts.
 
I played my first competitive round of the year today...and it did not go well. My unofficial scores this year so far were all between 73 and 78, but today I went OB on back-to-back holes on the front nine and duck-hooked another drive at #11 into the gorse that I never found. Nothing felt right; all the progress I felt I'd been making this year is pretty much out the window. I can go months without losing three golf balls at Dunbar, and today that happened in a six-hole span. (I have started a Couch-to-5K running program this past week, and I'm wondering if that has something to do with my inability to fire my lower body through my shots today; maybe my legs were more tired than I could handle?)

I did sign up after the round to possibly be part of my club's team in the County Cup at the end of June. The County Cup is the world's oldest foursomes (alternate shot) competition, and I've played in it a few times in the past, although I don't expect to be picked for the squad this year unless my competitive scores really start improving. It's a great format: all of the clubs in my county (East Lothian) send a pair of two-man teams, and clubs are paired against each other each round in a straight knockout competition, with two matchplay matches taking place simultaneously and the scores of the two matches combined to produce an overall match score (e.g., if my club's two teams finish 18 holes 3 up and 2 down, respectively, we win the overall match 1 up, and if the combined scores are level after 18, everyone goes to the 1st for dual sudden death). It all takes place over a Thursday-Friday-Saturday, normally with one match on the Thursday and potentially 36 holes each on each of the Friday and Saturday if you keep winning...and this year's match is at Muirfield, where it's only held every seven years or so. I think I played there the last time it was at Muirfield, and a 36-hole day of proper competition at Muirfield - with their famous lunch between rounds - is truly golfing heaven.