Regardless of your abilities, I think every golfer has a target score they want to achieve. They might not want to opening express their goal, but even in the back of their mind it is there. This year, I am taking a stand to break 70. This will be two under par at Osprey Links, but I think I have the game to do it. I think it is important to set goals it is time to get back into the swing of doing just that!
The past two years was atypical for my golf game. As you know I was fighting a nasty disease and have come out at the other end, again. So, I left my routine of making specific golf goals and was satisfied just to be playing. It worked out well and I am grateful to my medical team for making that a reality. But now, it is time to get back into the routine of goal setting.
Apparently, I am not the only one with milestones to pass:
My first goal is to break 70 in 2020. Yup, I have laid down the gauntlet to myself and will develop a plan to make this happen. I have already started with the indoor driving range and it is time to expand on the first stage.
My next step, while waiting for the golf courses to open, is to create an outdoor chipping area. I have the space and I plan to make that a reality very soon, so stay tuned. Also, I think I have an area to make a private outdoor range to hit up too 7 irons. Still working on that idea.
Next, there is a full driving range and practice green at a local golf course, Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort, only a few minutes drive from my house. I plan to play there a bit and use those facilities. There I can work on my short and long game. It is going to be great fun.
As you can see, my plan to break 70 entails practice and honing my skills. It is something that I enjoy doing anyway and I have the time. By setting goals, it helps drive my efforts to achieving something. It helps me focus on areas I need to improve. Goals help me mentally prepare to perform as needed. Finally, there is a sense of accomplishment when I am successful.
I am returning to a process that is proven successful and I look forward to updating you on my process and successes. Do you have any golf goals for 2020?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
Hi Jim,
This is awesome. I’m going to stand with you and make the same goal of breaking 70 this season. My home course is a par 70 and my personal best is 70 on that course, so I think this is achievable to better that! Thanks for the inspiration.
Cheers
Josh
LikeLike
Josh
Play well and enjoy the journey! You can do it!
Cheers Jim
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Posting Golf Scores For Your Handicap Index | The Grateful Golfer
Jim, excited to hear you have the opportunity to build out your own practice facility and that you have a ready made one close by. If we ever get back to regular golf, breaking 70 is a worthy goal.
I’ve made that a goal of mine as well for 2020. Coming back from my February Myrtle trip, I was playing well in all facets. In my March 1st round, I was on my 18th tee needing a par for a 69. I choked a bit on the approach shot and left myself with a long chip and run over a bunker, and came up about 20 feet short. I charged that 20 footer for 69 and blew it past about eight feet and ended up making a double. I wanted that 69 bad and didn’t care what the final number was – LOL!
Assuming we get back out there, I will not be posting scores with foam filled cups, but just playing for fun. If I’m going to break 70 it will be by the rules of golf 🙂
Thanks,
Brian
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brian
I agree about recording a 69 with an asterisk. We will be golfing this year for sure and the ball has to go on the hole to count. Good luck on your goal, it is going to be fun reading about your successes.
Cheers Jim
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you can make a judgement call on whether your score is deserving of posting and act accordingly. When playing on courses where foam has been used, I’ve found that option to best emulate standard play. The foam is cut to allow the ball to fall in just about ball height. The top of the ball doesn’t stick out higher than the cut sides of the hole so it fell to get in there. There are a few possibilities when you might call your score into question in your own mind and decide not to post, like if you holed out from 100 yards and wonder if had the foam not been there, would the ball have stayed in but as long as you don’t run into any questions like that, recording your score should be fine. The same can be said of when they put the cup in upside down. There may be a few judgement calls you have to make, but I would think that during most rounds those situation won’t be a worry and you will have earned the right to record your score.
And in fact, I would argue that again, barring any of the judgement call situations, your score will be earned not only fairly, but maybe even under tougher than normal conditions. Remember, there aren’t any rakes. The bunkers have to be cleaned up after each shot with your foot. During the best of times people unfortunately aren’t religiously raking the bunker after themselves and right now, it’s worse.
Just like we clean up others divots on the green, we also rake up other peoples messes on our way out of bunkers under normal circumstances but without the rake that’s not going to make you any friends because of how long it takes just to clean up the mess you made. And it’s compounded by having to try and clean up your own steps on the way out without a rake. So, the bunkers I’ve found myself in so far have been in pretty sad shape. Somehow, the last few times I’ve landed in a bunker I seem to have put my ball into trouble without others lax cleaning being an issue for me (I keep landing in the wall), but that’s beside the point. (lol) But I do have a point with that. Everywhere I looked in those bunkers was a mess and having to hit from a buried lie in the wall seemed just as easy as anything else I might have been left with. In fact, it was probably easier than if I’d been lying in the center of the bunker because I would likely have had to hit through a mound of sand just to get too the ball then. There wasn’t a flat spot in there except for the wall. So in some ways we really deserve to record those scores even more if we’re getting unfairly punished that way.
Now playing with raised holes is another story. I wouldn’t log those scores. Putting is far too easy when all you have to do is make the ball touch the cup. That said, I still suggest trying it if you can when the courses open up for you up there. It’s hilariously easy to “sink” putts from crazy distances because you only have to worry about direction. The only speed issue is hitting hard enough to take out the break. even a 30 foot snake becomes a whole lot easier then. I’ve hit some 10 to 20 footers that bounced ten feet off the cup. It’s in. lol It’s fun, though of course not really worthy of recording for your handicap.
You’ll be out there soon. You can make your decision then. I just figured I’d add in my thoughts on the subject after having actually played under the conditions. Like you and Brian, I want my handicap to be honest. And I thought I’d assure you that should you reach that 69 under those conditions, you very well might be justified in recording it. In fact, I would also argue that not recording it, again when those judgement calls aren’t in play, would also essentially be sandbagging.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kevin,
Well you covered a lot of ground there. Our super is placing a 1 foot ring around the pin. If it is in there it sounds a made. That is very generous and I would not record that round as official, but will record all starts but putting. There is still some value to focusing on how well I played off the green.
Cheers Jim
LikeLike