Groundhog Day

Does anyone else get the feeling I sometimes get when I roll up at my local course that I've been here before and that 90% of the time I'll be repeating the same old shots that I make every round?
Take my course. I know the 1st will be drive and wedge, 2nd drive, 5-wood, wedge, 3rd, 8 iron and so on and so on. It's starting to get monotonous.
Recently I've been leaving the driver in the car and using 5 wood, long iron off the tee just to play a different shot to the green. On par 3's I've taken a couple of clubs too much just to try and manipulate a shot. I'm getting more satisfaction parring a hole playing it an unconventional way as opposed to the traditional way. Scoring the lowest possible gross score is no longer the be all and end all.

I don't find it boring, maybe I don't play enough. Also the wind seems to affect the courses I play to the extent that it's seldom the same club for the second shot as the previous time. What I do find is, that week after week, I'm more likely to bogey certain holes, par others, and birdie a few.

The difference between good rounds and bad rounds is down to a very few holes on the course - if I par them, it'll be a good score, if I take bogey or worse it'll be a bad score.

I'm trying a new strategy of only practising the second shots I need for the hard holes. Sadly, as yet, I haven't mastered the 3 wood that goes 260 uphill, into the wind and dead straight!

Let me know when you do George. I'd pay good money to see that.

As members of a pay and play course, the group I play with does not feel obligated to always play the same course week in week out. This means we do not have a chance of becoming stale, but I can see how it might be a problem 4putt.

I'm just starting my 3rd year at current club and my game is still so inconsistent that I never feel like I play the same game twice. The previous course I played was much more straightforward and "easy" and I played there for about 10 years yet never really got bored of it though I like the challenge of a tougher course

having 2 links courses to play on, i'm spoiled and although i know each hole almost inside out, they rarely play the same. i still have "bogey holes" but when you can take a wedge one week and a 3 wood the next to the same hole, it's always interesting.

set yourself new targets. take a 3 wood, rescue or an iron off the tee if it's a short-ish hole. you'll still have a relatively short iron into the hole but perhaps with an iron you prefer and it'll improve your game, as suggested.

there are several holes, particularly on our balcomie course, that you can play any number of ways. i'm still looking for the best way on each of them ;-)