When is bad too bad?

by McLaren Wed 29 Apr 2015, 3:55 pm

It seemed like this warranted its own discussion.

super_realist wrote:I know people play for different reasons, but if I was a 26 handicap standard at anything for 10 years, I'd give it up.

At what point of terribleness would you give up the game?

Super would give up if he got stuck at a 26 handicap. But at what point would you pack in the game?

For those stuck at high handicaps what keeps you playing the game?

by McLaren Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:02 pm

I can't decide, my scores are much worse than they used to be these days but my ball striking is still pretty good. I can still play different shapes of shot and that means I can still enjoy the more interesting courses. It is the fine detail of my short game that has lost its tuning due to lack of practice that means my scores have gone up.

It is hard to imagine enjoying the game as a hacker (which thankfully I have never been) but clearly all standards of player still enjoy the game. As I mentioned above I find pulling of tough or interesting shots to be a vital part of my enjoyment, and it would just no be possible as a hacker.

So when would I give up? I might have to read a few responses before deciding what to give as an answer to this question.

by LadyPutt Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:16 pm

I'd give up when I stopped enjoying myself whatever standard I was playing.

by McLaren Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:19 pm

LadyPutt wrote:I'd give up when I stopped enjoying myself whatever standard I was playing.

I doubt there is a better measure of when to give up the game.

I guess I am still intrigued by what makes the game enjoyable when you have poor ability to hit the shots you want.

by LadyPutt Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:22 pm

McLaren wrote:
LadyPutt wrote:I'd give up when I stopped enjoying myself whatever standard I was playing.

I doubt there is a better measure of when to give up the game.

I guess I am still intrigued by what makes the game enjoyable when you have poor ability to hit the shots you want.

You'd be surprised - but then again probably not laughing

As a "hacker" as you so delightfully describe it, I enjoy the fresh air, good company and the occasional brilliant shot, chip or putt which comes out of nowhere thumbsup

by kwinigolfer Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:24 pm

I play golf, on the few occasions I still do, for the exercise, the company and the sport; but certainly not because I ever expect or realistically hope to be any good again.
Already no point in playing some courses and am glad to play forward tees to avoid penal long carries.

Mac,
If I wasn't in the US I would hope only just to have given up playing cricket. But I never batted like Barry Richards, bowled like Peter Sainsbury or fielded like Andy Murtagh.

by super_realist Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:36 pm

more of a Chris Tavare eh Kwini?

by **navyblueshorts** Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:40 pm

Ah Mac. You're like Christ; his was an immaculate birth, period; you were obviously born an immaculate golfer. You obviously never went through any stage of learning about playing golf. Just born, fully fledged, as an excellent player.

To answer the initial post, it depends on what I would want out of the game. If I'm still playing in my 70s and hold a handicap in the upper 20s instead of where it is now, I think I'll still be happy playing the game. As long as my actual abilities match my expectations, more or less, I don't think I'd give up due to 'hacking'.
Time available to play and cost though....

by kwinigolfer Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:43 pm

super_,
My batting was the very antithesis of Tavare's. But a bit like my golf, wholehearted but seldom successful. Certainly not good enough to play with Mac, anmd forget those first impressions!

by McLaren Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:46 pm

Navy

Of course I have had a 20's handicap. I think I had a 22 handicap when I started junior golf aged 11/12. But that was good among my peers in the club, so I didn't feel like a hacker. I progressed to a single figure handicap by 16. So yes, I probably was a hacker, but being one of the better junior golfers at my club shielded me from feeling like a hacker. And really that is what the question is all about, do you feel like you play well enough. My perception was always that I was ok to average player, and not a hacker.

by McLaren Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:50 pm

Kwini

I have played cricket once and broke a finger. Got roped into a school match and in the warm up decided pads and gloves were superfluous. I don't think I need to finish this tale for you.

I have no issue in playing golf with any standard of player, don't confuse what I would consider as fun with what level I think others should achieve. I would much rather play with an interesting partner than one of great golfing ability alone.

by super_realist Wed 29 Apr 2015, 4:52 pm

We're all hackers in the grand scheme of things.

I think the issue is not really whether you are a hacker, as anything can be fun, but not making progress on ability is the issue for me.

Not making progress at something in 10 years would be an issue for me and stop me from continuing to flog the horse.

by golfermartin Wed 29 Apr 2015, 5:08 pm

It was once said that high handicappers enjoy golf more than low handicappers. High handicappers come off the course remembering the one great shot they hit, low handicappers come off remembering the one awful shot that ruined the round!

by Plunky Wed 29 Apr 2015, 6:08 pm

golfermartin wrote:It was once said that high handicappers enjoy golf more than low handicappers. High handicappers come off the course remembering the one great shot they hit, low handicappers come off remembering the one awful shot that ruined the round!

Completely agree ! I'm a high handicapper and just absolutely love golf, rain or shine, doesn't matter. And somehow however poorly I may be playing on a particular day there's always a great putt or a longer than usual drive or an up and down -- something to feel good about. Husband is a 12 or 15 handicap or thereabouts and dwells on his poor shots. I work on my game, I go to golf school every year for a few days of nothing but golf, and I do improve but it's gradual and it's easy to slip back into old habits. Doesn't bother me -- I'll keep playing unless health/age intervenes.

by Davie Wed 29 Apr 2015, 8:22 pm

I think super underestimates the age thing. Once you reach a certain age you are never going to get better no matter how you try or how much you spend on lessons and equipment

I played a couple of years as a junior and then never played again until my late 30s. At that age I could hope to improve a little - and I did, but nothing spectacular. That's the beauty of the handicap system - now at mid 50s I can still justify my handicap (not always matching it but occasionally beating it - that's what handicaps should be, right?) - but the important thing is enjoying it. I still think I should be 3-4 shots lower but can't quite get there on a regular basis - but while my health allows I'll sure keep trying

If I'd played 10 years from the age of 18 and didn't improve, then maybe I'd see the point, but even at that age I'd like to think if I was still enjoying it I'd carry on - but approaching seniors age I have no aspirations to get down to even low teens - 18 is still my target but with the advance of years it's looking less likely and even if I made it, it would be short lived I'm sure

by pedro Wed 29 Apr 2015, 8:33 pm

super, you've been trying to pull women for ages but don't seem to have improved. Have you given it up?

by super_realist Thu 30 Apr 2015, 7:00 am

pedro wrote:super, you've been trying to pull women for ages but don't seem to have improved. Have you given it up?

I was waiting for that tap in from someone. I've certainly given up on that particular hobby.

Further to the actual debate though, being rubbish at something can be fun, if it wasn't we wouldn't play at all when we were beginners. We'd give up after no time. I've certainly got some good memories from my early days of playing golf.

I was a bit like Davie, played early in my life, 9-14 then gave up and only picked it up again in my late 20's. I played golf to the point where I didn't enjoy it, intense practice and competition really killed my love of the game, now I think I play better now I don't care about it so much, and I enjoy it more, but if I regressed to a poor standard, I'm not sure I could enjoy it so much even though there are non golf elements in a game which are good.

by beninho Thu 30 Apr 2015, 8:36 am

For the best part of 10 years I've been ho wring round the early 20s hc without it being official. But also in that time I've brought a house got married changed jobs a few times and had a kid. In the whole scheme of things my golf hc I'd pretty low priority. I play on average every 6/8 weeks and very rarely practice. But I enjoy it. I can birdie a hole hit a cracking drive or a tap in after a good bunker shot but I can also 3 putt from nowhere , top it off the tee and take 3 in a bunker. I accept my limitations but if I was to play with anyone I'd make sure I enjoy it no matter what.

by McLaren Thu 30 Apr 2015, 10:22 am

Super

Given that you haven't had sex in about 5 years I assume you use a fair bit of p*rn. Just wondering if you have any slightly more obscure recommendations as the obvious sites are a little dull these days?

Davie

When you are asked about your handicap at dinner parties what do you say it is?

by **navyblueshorts** Thu 30 Apr 2015, 10:23 am

pedro wrote:super, you've been trying to pull women for ages but don't seem to have improved. Have you given it up?

by raycastleunited Thu 30 Apr 2015, 10:39 am

McLaren wrote: I think I had a 22 handicap when I started junior golf aged 11/12. But that was good among my peers in the club, so I didn't feel like a hacker.

We've not had a statement like this for years. So you picked up a golf club at the age of 11 as a complete beginner and were able to shoot low 90s. Clearly a divine gift. Did you draw your putter out of a stone to gasps of astonishment?

Or are you Maverick's daughter in disguise?

by McLaren Thu 30 Apr 2015, 10:46 am

I didn't enter a comp until I had been playing for about a year or so (so I might even have been 13). My dad wouldn't let me enter until I could realistically aim for level 5's (from junior tees). And remember a junior handicap is from the junior tee's.

At my club once you got to an 18 handicap from the kids tee's you were allowed to enter cards to get a handicap from the proper tees. I can't remember what that was but I think it was somewhere in the 18 to 20 range.

I don't think that is a particularly fast start to golfing life, playing in opens as a young teen you regularly came up against under 15's with low single figure handicaps.

by Davie Thu 30 Apr 2015, 10:51 am

McLaren wrote:Davie

When you are asked about your handicap at dinner parties what do you say it is?

I tend not to frequent dinner parties, Mac, but if I did I'd give the same answer as if I was asked anywhere else? Where are you heading with this?

by McLaren Thu 30 Apr 2015, 10:56 am

Davie wrote:I tend not to frequent dinner parties, Mac, but if I did I'd give the same answer as if I was asked anywhere else? Where are you heading with this?

Not sure where to head with this. We could go down the you "don't frequent dinner parties" route or investigate your admirable honesty concerning a slightly sensitive area, what would you prefer? Whistle

by **navyblueshorts** Thu 30 Apr 2015, 10:59 am

raycastleunited wrote:...Did you draw your putter out of a stone to gasps of astonishment?...

by SmithersJones Thu 30 Apr 2015, 11:10 am

I played a match against an 18 year old who was off 4 a couple of years ago. I asked how long he'd been playing, and he replied '2 years'. I said that was a really impressive rate of progress and, he replied 'I was off 3 last year'.

by McLaren Thu 30 Apr 2015, 11:13 am

SmithersJones wrote:I played a match against an 18 year old who was off 4 a couple of years ago. I asked how long he'd been playing, and he replied '2 years'. I said that was a really impressive rate of progress and, he replied 'I was off 3 last year'.

That often seems to be the way in golf. If you are ever going to be very good it seems you are really good within a short space of time from picking up a club for the 1st time. You would imagine that to think about making a living from the game you would have to be playing off scratch by the time you are 15/16.

by **navyblueshorts** Thu 30 Apr 2015, 11:28 am

Think it might have been Woosnam who said something like needing to maintain a +6 handicap at your home course if you ever expect to make money from the game. Approx. scratch at 15/16 y/o would seem to be pretty much minimum assuming improvement continues.

by raycastleunited Thu 30 Apr 2015, 12:41 pm

Teenagers have loads of free time and can improve really quickly, especially during school holidays. Sadly I was never into golf as a kid. Even a little older at university I had huge amounts of free time. I didn't play a single round of golf in 4 years at uni, I wasted most of my spare time having sex with beautiful young women when I could have been on the course getting down to a single figure handicap.

by McLaren Thu 30 Apr 2015, 12:43 pm

ray

Could you not have fitted some golf in around the sex? It's not like it takes more than a few minutes, especially when you are young and horny.

by raycastleunited Thu 30 Apr 2015, 12:55 pm

Mac - I very quickly got down to a low handicap standard at sex through lots of practice, so it was definitely not just a few minutes.

Much like my golf, all that bedroom practice is irrelevent now I have young children. I rarely get to pursue either pastime!

by raycastleunited Thu 30 Apr 2015, 12:58 pm

I remember a while ago playing (golf) with a little 15 year old kid off about 24. I played with him again a year later and he had grown about a foot, could smash the ball miles and was down to 1. During the holidays his mum dropped him off at the course in the morning, then picked him up at the end of the day.

Having said that, I know he didn't pick up a golf club aged 11 and could play to 22.

by George1507 Thu 30 Apr 2015, 2:17 pm

I think Ladyputt and Plunky have the right idea. I'm not sure there will ever be a point when it gets so bad that I'd quit, although I know the enjoyment does diminish a bit as you realise you can't hit the shots you once could.

But it's exercise, can be fun, gets you out of the house, meeting people and - every once in a while - you do recreate past glories and return a good score.

So I'll just carry on I guess, and see where I am in another ten or twenty years.

I think I'm less inclined to play through the winter these days. I haven't enjoyed this last winter much - in spite of the weather being fairly good - but just as there's a bit of growth, the greens have been tined and dressed and it's pinball out there. I might stick the clubs in the garage on Nov 1 and look for them again on May 1 next year.

by McLaren Thu 30 Apr 2015, 3:22 pm

If you read my posts at no point did I say I picked up a club and could instantly play to 22. In my first post I quite clearly said "I think I had a 22 handicap when I started junior golf aged 11/12".

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