How have you guys fared playing tournament golf? How do you prep for it? What do you do that differs from your casual round? I will share some of mine but the one thing I can never get over the is the first tee gitters.

Just remember that unless it’s match play. Everyone else is so worried about their own game, they’re barely even thinking about you.

Kind of a humble brag here...but just recollecting on some of my more memorable wins and/or times I played my best and there was a recocurring theme: I won state in High School, won 2 College tournaments (along with a school record in one of them), and a really big 2 man best ball event that has tons of d1 college players. All 4 of those events had something in common: The week leading up to the tourney, I spent an enormous amount of time on the short game. We had a short range at our course, and I hit 50-75 yard pitches until I couldn't anymore....followed by chipping around the green from all sorts of lies, different clubs, different trajectories. And then putting from 8 feet and in. When I happened to hit an errant tee shot and needed to punch out...or missed a green. I got up an down every single time. I hit a lot of wedge shots close and made a lot of birdies in those events. First tee jitters will always be there...but they go away when you start making birdies. 😅

Haven't competed in about a decade. Remembering my university tryouts, dry mouth, shaky hands, block two OB, nice 5 off the tee to get your inner competitiveness going. If i ever wanted to compete nowadays, take a small CBD oil dose and you will feel zero nerves lol. Helps with that first tee jitter.

Don’t let dphatt fool you, I’ve played in mid-am events with him and he pipes the first tee ball every damn time. I have a 3/4 bunt cut swing I use off the tee when the stakes are real. It’s low, it always cuts, doesn’t look sexy, but it’s a fairway winder every time. Another thing I’ve noticed is I hit the best approach shots when I’m down in a match. Just that extra level of determination to really focus on hit my landing spot, especially with my irons is what I enjoy the most. Again that’s a small pull fade that has extra spin on it to control my landing spot into greens. I apply that to every par 3 I play, which is the strength of my game.

Eddie stop telling people I am good. I need to be able to sandbag some people every once in a while

Eddie Another thing I’ve noticed is I hit the best approach shots when I’m down in a match. In the wise words of Big Randy from no laying up... "Bad news is...Tron's not really comfortable until he's down $200". lolol (3:25)

For people who have first tee jitters, I got a recommendation for you. Start an iG live video and hit balls in front of your IG friends, talk about stressful LOL. It was fun though, we will do it again soon.

I look forward to piping one down over the right corner at BPB every time I tee it up there. First tee jitters isn't my issue, it is the chipping yips I have had for some time. I'll shake it for a while, and then the thought creeps into my head and I proceed to blade it from one side of the green to the other. Then the next one I'll stick the club into the ground behind the ball and watch it pop up a few inches and advance a foot ahead of me and settle deep into the rough.

First round where having to keep score was necessary outside of match games. Wasn't nervous, but the one aspect I felt off was over shots that weren't perfectly even lies, having been a range rat for so long, forgot how to hit shots with the ball below my feet, I pulled every damn shot.

Tournament Golf Experiences

bogeysandbeers

dphatt To be completely honest I’m still so confused by some of the scores I saw. Granted the greens were fast, but the course is short and so few hazards actually in play. There was a 10 handicap that shot 39 on the front and ended up with a 61 on the back. The person Don mentioned had a 12 on the 10th hole, which is dead straight, about 330 yards, very few trees, no hazards. Don always says tournament golf is another level, but I do believe there’s some truth to handicap manipulation for some of these events, it’s just super shitty if someone like that costs a more deserving person a spot.

dbenick3

Some people say f it mid round and don't care what they shoot. I played 3 days after my baby was born 2 months ago and shot 86. I would say I am a plus if I kept an index. By the 3rd bad break I was over the day and was ready for a nap. Ha. If I didn't have a friend in the group, I most likely would have wd.

conorgolf22

Final tally, excluding the WDs. I was told the cutoff was a 1.6 index

PureStickGolf

conorgolf22 side bar. Isn’t the gimme golf club the weird like hangout place e golf in st. Charles that’s like a clubhouse for this non existent golf course.

conorgolf22

PureStickGolf That is 100% fact

gfranktw7

PureStickGolf lol what!? outrageous haha

dphatt

State Fourball at the newly designed Naval Golf Course

The putter was back today but the other clubs kinda disappeared. We shot -1 and finished 23rd. The greens need some more maturing as some were rock hard. The course is definitely better than the old muni design. I can’t wait to play it again in a few years when the greens get a little softer.

dbenick3

My circle t almost ended up in the 9th pond at the federal club today. Very disappointing 76 in the mapga section championship. If anyone has played there, missed 2.5 footer for par on 2, double from the middle of the fairway from 138 on 3, and hit one in the shit right over the flag off the tee (296 to pin, 320is to the shit). Might carry two putters tomorrow but won't be the same one I used today.

dphatt

dbenick3 I like that course. Were they playing the tees all the way back?

dbenick3

dphatt

dbenick3

6800 ish. They will prob be moved all around tomorrow too but same yardageish. Like 1 was one box up, 5 was playing hard (209 into the wind tucked back left pin), some of the par 5s were one box up, they got 4 inches of rain yesterday so the fairways were super soft.

mhales10

dbenick3 Fed Club is a good track! Love that place.

dbenick3

They run a good two man in the fall also. Two days, No handicap, flighted after the first day. Can't shoot more than 10 better the second day or you get moved up a flight.

dphatt

dbenick3 info please

dbenick3

When I see it I'll post it. Also spring creek has run one in the past too (pro-am or am-am). Same format but at fed club you can have a pro pro.

dbenick3

Made money today, solo 16th. Putting was brutal for the first 9 holes again. Had a real bad break on 10, and lost my @mljones99 swag coin on 14 haha.🤕. Thing lasted me 32 holes.

mljones99

dbenick3 Daaaaannnnggg that sucks

dbenick3

mljones99 it was cool while it lasted. Lol

mljones99

dbenick3 maybe a decent person picked it up and will turn it in.

Eddie

Just wanted to bitch for a second.

so club championship is played at a little behind the black tees, about 7200 yards.

but then why is qualifying off of the gold tees at 7700 yards?

ffs, had the bag setup for 7200, not for 7700.

had to vent somewhere.

Noyes26

Eddie what changes in a bag set up from 7200 to 7700 yards? An extra hybrid? One less wedge?

I’d never want to play in an amateur event at 7700 yards. That has 5.5 hour round written all over it.