Jekyll and Hyde fairly represents my game this season. Last three rounds for me: 76, 78, 82.

Playing tomorrow in what will be my only round this week. Low-80's is the new measuring bar for me. And, for the time being anyway, I'm fairly content with that.

A great putting round notwithstanding, I will probably encounter a mixed bag of shots that leave a player of my abilities just shy of the "sub-80" standard tomorrow that used to define my level of play.

For now, it is the reality I've accepted.

Perhaps I'll relocate some focus between now and next season to become a more consistent player. For now - it's just not high on my list of priorities. I can only be as proficient as I am willing to devote the time and effort, and currently it's quite obvious that I lack the desire to be consistently good at the game.

It does, nevertheless, provide an enjoyable, if not occasionally frustrating, distraction for me.

65 years old. 11 handicap. Scores typically fall into the 78 to 85 range from 5800 yard tees. Don't hit many par 4s in reg. Par 3s and par 5s are usually my best holes. When the chipping and putting is on A game, I have more fun. My drives are usually 190 to 210, but I hit 90% of fairways and misses are almost always playable, even in the "narrows" of Florida. My hoing and rotating clubs is probably terrible for my consistency, but it hones my adaptability skills, 😎

Good, more consistent...have been better off the tee, fewer big misses, the misses are now playable....not as long but that is due to playing a more reasonable length driver....finally feel like I have some control off the tee. 3w has been money as a second option off the box. Both hybrids are behaving nicely, finally gave up on graphite/light steel in the hybrids....just does not work, standard/ish weight steel and standard/ish length to the iron it replaces and boom. Irons have been good,. Been a battle between the 560MC's and the Maltby TE's like splitting hairs the difference, with the TE's being slightly softer and higher flight....both nice. I have been slowly getting my "punch" game back, ie being able to keep it low and okay out of trouble, handy on my course as it is tree lined and there is occasion when you are just off the fwy and might have a hanging limb. The last thing I'd like to add is accepting that I don't like hitting flops and going high when close to the green, it's not a shot I feel comfortable with and much prefer the bump and run, even if that means landing it short of the green, bumping it into the fringe, rough, or hill to deaden it some. I like the creativity of those type shots and pulling them off is fun. Gotta get up and down to keep the round going.

I don't keep a hdcp, can't imagine ever doing so, but I shoot mid to high 70's on my home course, playing the men's tees, 6450/123. Have shot par or better a handful of times with best rd. being a 69.

One thing I really like about my home course is you end on a 460ish yd par 5, if I'm +2 or better, I feel like there is an opportunity to eagle and shoot level or better for the Rd.

    ode and much prefer the bump and run, even if that means landing it short of the green, bumping it into the fringe, rough, or hill to deaden it some. I like the creativity of those type shots and pulling them off is fun. Gotta get up and down to keep the round going.

    This part of my game is HUGE on par 4s. A lot of up and down attempts since I don't hit many GIR on 4 pars.

        Very up and down for me. My driver is the main issue right now. I can tee off on hole one and hit a great one, but that will be the only good one all day. If I keep hitting it, even with only 100-130 yard tee shots (as long as no hazard from tee box to fairway), I can normally make up the distance since I hit my irons so long. I guess that's the good part, but I am probably de-lofting every club in the bag (why the driver is so bad as well).

        sdandrea1 you got it, reality is I know there will be rds where I'm off a little and GIR will suffer, gotta play the shots that will work and.give best up and down chance!

        PS how'd u quote?

            State of my game, It exists….. Just call me Chip-n-Putt….

            At 69 I am still managing to post an 80 plus or minus 4 routinely on course of 6000 or less. Best news is that my game travels, actually travels better than my at home game, go figure.

            10 months into reworking my golf swing, it is still a work in progress; but I am gaining some distance and quite a bit of consistency. Best of all the new swing is Body Friendly; hip, leg and back are not a problem unless I do something stupid. I did make a change to the grips I have on my clubs, went to the Winn Master Wrap. These grips are responsible for much of my increase in distance and consistency. Not that a grip is magic, but these grips often described as a bit spongey have made me reduce tension and smooth out my rhythm/tempo. Plus is help with the arthritis in my fingers to have a good pain free grip.

            My goal for the year, starting last October was to have a consistent repeatable and predictable golf swing, one with maybe some distance of past years. Not sure I am going to make it, but I have a better game today than of yesterdays.

            Weirfan

            The Hobbit's going to be jealous. Now he'll be the only one with the rifle speed swing. 😊

              Much better than I deserve. I am enjoying my age 53 golf, although I have shot higher than 80 twice this year, that was a bad week. 😬

              ode PS how'd u quote?

              New feature! Select the text you want to quote and a quote feature "button" automagically appears. Then click on that button and a Reply window opens. Type your reply and submit!

                Hitting it stupidly good....Simplified a lot of thoughts and got it down to a couple swing keys. I came up with a preshot putting alignment thing last year, worked on it all winter, and what's funny is this year I notice all the tour pro's doing it. This year I'm lights out. Since July 2016 my worst round is even par. Last week I had 2 rounds of 62 and a 57 on a par 70 course. Can't explain it...just nice to simplify and have it work.

                My rounds year to date are down over more than a 1/3 from my normal spring/summer. I'm healthy and really enjoy the game when I'm out on the course, I just have lost the lust of getting out there for whatever reason(s). Even so, my handicap index has dropped and trending down from 14.5 to near 13 and I have been pleased with straight tee balls and keeping the ball in play.

                I have a couple of tournaments coming up and on shorter courses (6000 or less) playing a shamble format I should be in the to mid-70's. The competitive 'juice' is starting to flow - I can feel it 👊

                Pretty good right now. Driver is consistently finding shorter grass, although not as far out as I'd like. Moving to Sr. tees has been a boon to the scoring though. 77-83 is the norm on any given course, so far, and I try to play a lot of different ones in the area. Trying to eliminate 'the crutches' in the bag(hybrids) by throwing in irons I haven't tried to hit for a few years....and it's starting to work. May throw the 4i in the bag this weekend to see if I can hit it. Never could before, but, delusions of grandeur has set in.🤓 Took the possessed 3 wd. out; it had a tendency to hit itself from the heel with a wicked left to right trail; which was fine from the right side of the fw. From the left side of the fw I was having to bill the course for treetopping services! The 5 wd. is doing well with it's behavior, but not as long as it should be/could be. Putter seldom sees the number 3, and often only number 1, due in part to a nicely behaving wedge.

                The best part is the hitting of irons again. I(seriously) was using a 25* hybrid from as close as 100 yds. due to not being able to hit even an 8i that far. Even though I got good at it, I still hated not being able to use irons as they should be used. Basically was only using a wedge, hybrids and woods. I scored, but the taste was wrong. It just got to the point that I did not know how to hit the irons at all. Shanks or slices was the result. Just decided that I am better than that. Time will tell.....ongoing process for this season.

                  Thanks to help of advice from friends here, a new playing partner, more suitable equipment , weekly outings, I believe I have met my goal for the year of improving scores from mid to upper 90s down to to bumping into upper 80s. Took up golf too late in my life and with too little time to devote to hope to become really adept, which wasn't my goal. I only planned exercise & recreation. I
                  discovered it provides more satisfaction with improved play however and that improvement is my motivation now.
                  At 72, age , injuries take their toll , but I intend to fight to continue to hold on to or improve on it , so I can enjoy this stupid game as long as I can.
                  Fairways & Greens y'all

                  Par4QC I scored, but the taste was wrong. It just got to the point that I did not know how to hit the irons at all

                  I feel your pain. I use up to a 6h on occasion but am too stubborn to admit that I can no longer hit a 4, 5 or 6 iron and I keep trying. As I stated earlier, on par 4s, I go driver, some club (FW or hybrid) to get me near the green and then chip and putt for par or bogey. I miss the days of hitting a 5 iron onto a green from 170 yards out, but they are gone.

                      sdandrea1 I could never hit a 5i. And I mean ANY 5, from any set, any shaft. Never! Could hit a 4 or 6 easily, but the 5 would always be a slice, for whatever reason. Got to the point I just left it out of the bag. Last 2-3 yrs. I've been unable to hit any iron above PW decently, so I just kind of gave it up with them and used that 25* hybrid, choked down. Got damn good at it, but just want to hit irons again. It's coming along OK, but do get scared when the score is low and afraid of a mishit. Had a few proud moments last weekend with the 9 that built a bit of confidence. Nothing like looking at a pitch out, saying 'screw it', then shooting over a 80'+ tree while standing 40' from it, while going for the green......and nailing it😉

                          State of my game is so bad I took a month off hoping that will help it. I can't remember when I took a month off from golf. It has to be over 20 years or so. I went out and played with my wife a couple of weeks ago and we played a two person scramble. I think I helped her 2 or three shots and we ended up shooting 75 and the following time we shot 72 and I was once again little help. I am really happy that she is playing this well, but it shows me how bad my game right now. I am playing army golf with my driver, most of the time taking two extra clubs on fairway shots and coming up short. My hybrids which are my best feature are also less than stellar. So I feel this month it is a good time to just stop playing. Another reason is the first two weeks of August the temps here in Oregon where I live range from 101 to 114 every day over 100* F. At my age there is no way I can go out and play 18 holes while walking. I refuse to take a cart.

                          I'm in my typical spot of having 2 parts of the game working and one not. Off the tee I'm crushing the ball, irons are a hot mess and short game is solid if not really good. My last round I played 7 holes with the family and the only holes I didn't par were two that I played the wrong club off the tee and found water.. didn't think I could reach the water, I was proved wrong. For me that's a solid outing. Knowing the holes I skipped, I usually play them at level par with a bogey on the dog leg right ( though sometimes I cut the damn corner right) and then a par/ birdy on the dog leg left par 4, driver usually puts me a chip and a putt a way. so had all thing left come to the norm, I should have shot 40 for the 9, had I been smarter, down in the 38 range.

                          One thing I have learned, I need to quit thinking about it and buy the single length irons. I built the 5 iron, still yet to really pure it on course, but when I actually get down on it at the range ( I keep standing up a little through the irons), it's red great. The nice part is I haven't hit it well and all the results have been really acceptable, some even really good considering the contact. The Pinhawks are going to be in my bag soon, I just need to make the time to get them there.