Stories of Golf Unhappiness (aka golf grumble)

[GBOGEY]

So I've been in a terrible slump. Last June through mid-September I went on a fabulous run which ended with three of my best rounds ever in a 15 day period. My handicap reached an all-time low, although I realized that it was artificial.

I promptly went into my all time biggest slump. At times it's been ball striking, at times it's driving, but my swing has been WAY off. I have a few good excuses: the weather was terrible all Spring, stress of moving, learning new courses, playing harder courses, etc., but regardless I haven't played well. The biggest issue is too many FUBARS. Last Sunday was a classic example: +11 overall, +8 on four holes where I had a FUBAR, +3 on the other 14 holes. It's been like this for 10 months.

Now for the real grumble - my handicap has been steadily rising. Last week I reached levels I hadn't seen in 6 years. The one solace was this: I knew at some point I would top out at an 8 or 9, but then I would be a really good 8 or 9, and eventually that would help me in some of the local competitions. Not happy about it but I was prepared. Except I noticed an asterisk by my handicap this week: apparently if your handicap rises too quickly, the USGA has "special cap rules", which I had no idea that such rules existed (I'm sure BK knows all this stuff). So now I'm playing like an 8 or 9 but I have a handicap 2.5 strokes lower. I'm avoiding competitions for now.

[MattF]

An asterisk next to your handicap usually means it's been revised due to an exceptional score. Usually it's a low score but I assume it can use an unusually one too.

I went from a 12.2 to a 15.2 in 6 weeks and GHIN hit the brakes. I've been playing so bad right now it's depressing.

[GBOGEY]

Well I called it an asterisk but it’s more of an exclamation mark. Regardless, I’ve hit the GHIN breaks I didn’t know existed.

[bkuehn1952.2]

Now for the real grumble - my handicap has been steadily rising. Last week I reached levels I hadn't seen in 6 years. The one solace was this: I knew at some point I would top out at an 8 or 9, but then I would be a really good 8 or 9, and eventually that would help me in some of the local competitions. Not happy about it but I was prepared. Except I noticed an asterisk by my handicap this week: apparently if your handicap rises too quickly, the USGA has "special cap rules", which I had no idea that such rules existed (I'm sure BK knows all this stuff). So now I'm playing like an 8 or 9 but I have a handicap 2.5 strokes lower. I'm avoiding competitions for now.

Yes, there is a soft-cap that slows the ascent and a hard-cap that stops any upward movement. Both are based on your 12 month low. If your 12 month low was 4.0, for example, one would never go higher than 9.0 (5.0 hard-cap). The soft-cap formula is a bit more complex and it is also based on your 12 month low. If your index increases 3.0 or more compared to you 12 month low, the formula slows down the rate of increase.

[GBOGEY]

So during this slump my ball striking has stunk. My irons have been very inconsistent but my driver is overly inconsistent. It hasn’t been unusual to have 7-8 outstanding drives and 3-4 fubars in the same round. Lots of huge pulls left and huge slices right. It’s gotten so bad I benched my driver after the sixth hole and used 3w the rest of the way. Ended up with a decent score that day.

Last Saturday had another rough day- couldn’t hit an iron at all. Was +7 after 6. But between the back 9 and a range session I thought I found something. Sunday was going great- lots of 3w fairways and was +2 after 12. Out of nowhere came a huge pull OB - with the 3w. A few holes later a hybrid went huge slice into a hazard. Finished with a decent +7 / 79, but I’m a mess. Decided to take my clubs on a business trip this week to have a lesson with my old instructor in NJ. First lesson in 5-6 years. I’m desperate.

[bkuehn1952.2]

Our club was scheduled to play a tournament at my "home course," Leslie Park GC. I was Tournament Director. The forecast on Monday, for the next day, was steady to hard rain from midnight until 5:00pm Tuesday. I stopped at the course Monday and spoke to the Director of Golf. I asked him if there was a possibility they would not allow carts on Tuesday. The course has paths only near the tees and greens so "cart path only" is not possible. He told me the course was dry and could handle a significant amount of rain. Nonetheless, I put out a blast email to the tournament roster to watch their email and I would send out an assessment on Tuesday at 6:30am.

During the night it rained a lot. Not like down south but a lot for the Mitten. Tuesday morning, I drove to the course at 6:00am (I live 5 minutes away). I walked around a bit of the course with a flashlight. It was very wet but no flooding and no ponding on the greens that I saw. The lights came on in the clubhouse at 6:15am. I walked in and asked if they were going to allow carts. "The superintendent says no carts this morning." They were in the process of checking with the Director of Golf to confirm the "no carts" order. Tick tock, tick tock. >insert the "c'mon" smilie< Finally, I decided to cancel the tournament. I sent out a blast email at 6:38am announcing the tournament was cancelled.

I think some of the Board members believe I cancelled the Tournament because I did not want to play in wet and rainy conditions. The fact is, ultimately, no carts were allowed (the Director of Golf accepted the Super's recommendation). We could not have had 100 seniors walk the hilly course. I also did not want 100 guys to drive to the course only to find out the tournament was cancelled.

The problem is the additional rain forecast for 8:00am to 5:00pm never materialized. In fact, I walked 18 at Leslie later that morning with no rain gear. From the Board's perspective, they saw a day with -0- rain result in a cancellation. I also think some on the Board think I should have consulted with them before I announced the cancellation. Most are too timid to confront me about all this. We will see what occurs at the next Board meeting. I doubt any other members of the Board want to assume my duties as Handicap Chairman or as one of the Tournament Directors.

[MattF]

Our club was scheduled to play a tournament at my "home course," Leslie Park GC. I was Tournament Director. The forecast on Monday, for the next day, was steady to hard rain from midnight until 5:00pm Tuesday. I stopped at the course Monday and spoke to the Director of Golf. I asked him if there was a possibility they would not allow carts on Tuesday. The course has paths only near the tees and greens so "cart path only" is not possible. He told me the course was dry and could handle a significant amount of rain. Nonetheless, I put out a blast email to the tournament roster to watch their email and I would send out an assessment on Tuesday at 6:30am.

During the night it rained a lot. Not like down south but a lot for the Mitten. Tuesday morning, I drove to the course at 6:00am (I live 5 minutes away). I walked around a bit of the course with a flashlight. It was very wet but no flooding and no ponding on the greens that I saw. The lights came on in the clubhouse at 6:15am. I walked in and asked if they were going to allow carts. "The superintendent says no carts this morning." They were in the process of checking with the Director of Golf to confirm the "no carts" order. Tick tock, tick tock. >insert the "c'mon" smilie< Finally, I decided to cancel the tournament. I sent out a blast email at 6:38am announcing the tournament was cancelled.

I think some of the Board members believe I cancelled the Tournament because I did not want to play in wet and rainy conditions. The fact is, ultimately, no carts were allowed (the Director of Golf accepted the Super's recommendation). We could not have had 100 seniors walk the hilly course. I also did not want 100 guys to drive to the course only to find out the tournament was cancelled.

The problem is the additional rain forecast for 8:00am to 5:00pm never materialized. In fact, I walked 18 at Leslie later that morning with no rain gear. From the Board's perspective, they saw a day with -0- rain result in a cancellation. I also think some on the Board think I should have consulted with them before I announced the cancellation. Most are too timid to confront me about all this. We will see what occurs at the next Board meeting. I doubt any other members of the Board want to assume my duties as Handicap Chairman or as one of the Tournament Directors.

If they start questioning you, recommend that they take over those responsibilities.

[legitimatebeef]

I have gotten chummy with one of the cart barn guys. He is friendly, and took a shine to me in particular because I don't ever aim at the range picker. But the problem for me now is, he has started to hate his job. So when I see him and go, Hey man, what's going on, I then have to hear about a whole bunch of work gripes. But if management are dicks, that would explain a lot about the mediocre vibe I get at this course. I am starting to understand the world and why people start private golf clubs. Public golf sucks hard.

[GBOGEY]

So the biggest problem I've had in this slump is BIG dead pulls left. I mean left of Bernie. Yesterday I had a good round, a 77, but had a few soft holes dow n the stretch where I made three bogeys - none of which were particularly bad but I shouldn't have bogeyed all three and two were partly set up by a big pull left.

Today I was really on through 9 - even par with 7 GIRs. #10 is a tough hole - with a good drive its an short iron in to a huge green, but with a bad drive it becomes a lay up due to a water hazard. Despite playing great up to that point, out of nowhere came the big pull. Fortunately it stayed in the rough short, so it just meant a layup to bogey. On 11, fear not, big straight drive on a par 5. Decided I was confident to go for it so I pulled out my 3W which has been really good lately - another huge pull left - OB. Next two drives were again quite good, but on 15 another big pull. Fortunately that one bounced off a tree to stay in bounds, but I ended up with a strong 77 / +5, with four of the five due to big pulls out of nowhere. Really need to figure this one out.