Breaking 80: What it means to you

[legitimatebeef]

I did it three times this year, all 79s. The first was in June and it broke a one and half year drought.

There was a time when I felt that breaking 80 as a thing, that I cared about, was about to pass into my rearview. It didn't happen. Didn't continue to break it with regularity nor did ever again seriously challenged even par for 18 holes. And eventually my handicap slid into the 'teens.

Still trying to put "break 80" behind me. But It is still a mental hurdle. During the most recent of my 79s, I played for a safe bogey on the final hole just so I could seal up the little moral victory (a strategy which incidentally nearly blew up in my face) rather than you know, shoot for a par, a birdie or even a miracle eagle--i.e. play golf as it was meant to be played

I felt a little poor about it sure, but I also felt nice about not shooting an eighty- or ninety-somethin. That put a nice memorable cap on a groundbreaking level of play that day. 80 or 81 on the other hand would have spoiled much of that impression.

So for the present I have to confess that this feat for me remains as the Mendoza-line. Between acceptability and like, suckage. When I am out on the course, It is in my head.

What do you think about breaking 80?

[DougE]

Certainly breaking 80 without it being a fluke is nice, but honestly, having done it often enough now over the past few years, I am happy just to get close to 80, as long as I played like I deserved it. The 79/80 line for me anyway, doesn't mean all that much anymore. Rather have an 81 or 82 and play great, than shoot a 78 and play crappy, but just get lucky....which has happened a few times. Don't get me wrong, I'll take some luck every now and then. God knows, I get plenty of unlucky bounces. It's only fair to get some luck too. And if that gets me under 80. Great. Just not as satisfying as doing it by playing excellent golf alone. But, that's just me, I guess.

[Duke of Hazards]

It's my goal for 2018. I shot 83 and 84 in 2nd half of 2017. Iron play is holding me back.

[sjduffers]

I was like you, Beef, a few years ago. I broke 80 once (I think it was with a 78) and never did it again for something like a year and a half. Then I broke it 3 or 4 times in a year and the following year (last year) it was 9 times. And get this: this year it was 30 times (out of around 120, even though my goal at the start of the year was to do it 15 times, "only"! So, yes, when I put the first peg in the ground, it's a goal for the day, but I am like Doug in that regard now.

[legitimatebeef]

80 is an arbitrary number. But when you talk about single digits over par, as in 9-over or better, that is much less arbitrary. It's a tipping point between bogey and par, in a sense.

[legitimatebeef]

It's my goal for 2018. I shot 83 and 84 in 2nd half of 2017. Iron play is holding me back.

Thanks for sharing and I hope you get there soon.

[legitimatebeef]

Maybe I will create a poll to help people understand what breaking 80 means (or doesn't mean) to them. Evidently it means jack squat to most people.

[DougE]

Maybe I will create a poll to help people understand what breaking 80 means (or doesn't mean) to them. Evidently it means jack squat to most people.

Only to those who have broken it regularly.

[jasonfish11]

So I'm kind of an odd ball.

I don't "regularly" break 80 but when I'm playing well and hitting the ball well, I tend to go balls to the walls and attempt to go as low as possible.

Example I had never broken par on any 9 and after a bad front side (42) earlier this year I stepped up to the 18th hole (actually 9th hole as I started on 10) -1 on the back side. It's a reachable par 5 but the 2nd shot is all over water and with a good drive it's about 220 yards to carry (I think one time I had 208 to carry). My thought on that tee box was that I needed to hit a good drive so I could reach in 2.

I think I pushed it forcing me to lay up and I made par.

But this is how my brain always works. I don't just attempt to beat some random threshold I always attempt to crush that threshold.

I'd rather go for glory and make bogey/double then lay up make par and shot 1 shot better than I have before. Kind of Tin Cup style.

Now will this be the case if I'm standing on that tee box knowing a par lets me shoot 72 (E) over 18 holes, or if I'm on that tee box knowing bogey or par lets me shoot my lowest round ever? I have no idea and I've never been in that situation. Maybe one time next year we can find out.

I guess I'm similar to Doug, except I'd rather shoot 81 because I was attempting to shoot 77/78 than shoot 79 because I was attempting to break 80.

edit: my example was from 12/10/16 not this year.

[legitimatebeef]

Maybe I will create a poll to help people understand what breaking 80 means (or doesn't mean) to them. Evidently it means jack squat to most people.

Only to those who have broken it regularly.

I was being facetious. I believe it means something to just about everyone who plays, even the best of the best.

[GBOGEY]

I will be the first to admit that I am totally bi-polar on this one. On the one hand, I don't really think about it. I no longer track how many times I've down it like I used to - probably around 90 times - I do still track the times I've shot 76 and below for different reasons. But I don't go crazy every time I do it.

On the other hand, based upon my handicap and the courses I play, I should consider anything 80 or below to be a very good round. I shoot, from what I can tell as I didn't keep good stats last year 80-82 about 40% of the time and below 80 about 40% of the time. Anytime I break 80 I'm in a good and anytime I just come close I'm in a more rotten mood (typically means missed chances). And I will take a risk on a late hole to break 80 rather than settle for 81.

So yes, I notice and focus on breaking 80.

[bkuehn1952]

If one is playing a game, there should be a measure of whether one is playing the game well or not. For me, the level of 80 represents an arbitrary "good/not good" dividing line. If I were a pro, possibly "par" would be the line. I need a measuring stick and for my feeble game, 80 works.

[legitimatebeef]

Just reading an article in the (failing) NYT about this Japanese figure skater, and it references what it describes as the Brazilian soccer ethos that says it's better to "perform aspiringly and attractively and lose than to perform conservatively and win". I think that distinction exists among us too in the way we view our rounds.

I can understand both sides of the breaking 80 concept at this point. I have shot 83 (thinking of more recent play) and felt way better about it than many of the 78/79s I have carded in the distant past. I recall many of those being full of lousy, marginal ballstriking. Pretty sure I have broken 80 more than once while hitting a weak toe hook for the entire round