YOUR par

[NickStarchuk]

Have you ever heard of the game where you create your own par and try to break it?

It's actually quite satisfying which can help grow the belief in your ability.

Let's say your handicap or index is around 17 where a satisfying round is 88. This is close to a bogey on each hole so look at the score card and pick the 2 holes where you think you are SURE to make a par, just as a benchmark. From here, YOUR new par is 88 and your goal is to shoot under par. You begin the round with 16 extra shots that you feel comfortable using where ever you want. It's like your Bogey Debit Card.

Dr. Bill Meyer is a performance coach who uses a tool where the golfers play numerous rounds from the front tee box shooting lower scores compared to the standard where the goal was to create a new self image of yourself as a golfer where you start to see yourself doing something new or different that went against something that you previously found "hard" or "impossible". One of his players is Kyle Stanley.

Both of these examples are ways to create a cool and calm expectation over the beginning of your round

[Fredk]

Re: YOUR par

I've never tried to formalize it, but this is the way I played this year. For instance, the first hole at my club is always a bogie for me. The few times I hit par, I was as thrilled as if I had birdied it.

I like the idea of picking your par holes.

[Bentley01]

Re: YOUR par

Have you ever heard of the game where you create your own par and try to break it?

It's actually quite satisfying which can help grow the belief in your ability.

Let's say your handicap or index is around 17 where a satisfying round is 88. This is close to a bogey on each hole so look at the score card and pick the 2 holes where you think you are SURE to make a par, just as a benchmark. From here, YOUR new par is 88 and your goal is to shoot under par. You begin the round with 16 extra shots that you feel comfortable using where ever you want. It's like your Bogey Debit Card.

If I gave that card to my wife, she'd go over the limit for sure.

[Golftime]

Re: YOUR par

When I played a lot at IBM we had a group of about 10 to 12 players who teed off in two or three groups. The favorite game was a variation on the Stableforth system. The aim was to accumulate points. 8 for an eagle, 4 for birdie, 2 for par, 1 for a bogey, 0 for double and -1 for triples and worse. Everyone started off with their handicap value as the starting point and went from there. So the high handicappers always started with a big lead but by the end it would even out. This game really made you conscious of avoiding disasters because it was embarrassing to lose points.
Par was theoretically 36, 18 normal pars times 2 but it usually took 38 or more points to win. In essence an 18 handicap's par on each hole was the par value on the scorecard plus one, very much like your example. This just added some immediate results for risk and reward attempts.

[NickStarchuk]

Re: YOUR par

If I gave that card to my wife, she'd go over the limit for sure.

When I played a lot at IBM we had a group of about 10 to 12 players who teed off in two or three groups. The favorite game was a variation on the Stableforth system. The aim was to accumulate points. 8 for an eagle, 4 for birdie, 2 for par, 1 for a bogey, 0 for double and -1 for triples and worse. Everyone started off with their handicap value as the starting point and went from there. So the high handicappers always started with a big lead but by the end it would even out. This game really made you conscious of avoiding disasters because it was embarrassing to lose points.
Par was theoretically 36, 18 normal pars times 2 but it usually took 38 or more points to win. In essence an 18 handicap's par on each hole was the par value on the scorecard plus one, very much like your example. This just added some immediate results for risk and reward attempts.

That's different! it takes some of the pressure away that comes with carrying the biggest handicap

[swingpure]

Re: YOUR par

Have you ever heard of the game where you create your own par and try to break it?

It's actually quite satisfying which can help grow the belief in your ability.

Let's say your handicap or index is around 17 where a satisfying round is 88. This is close to a bogey on each hole so look at the score card and pick the 2 holes where you think you are SURE to make a par, just as a benchmark. From here, YOUR new par is 88 and your goal is to shoot under par. You begin the round with 16 extra shots that you feel comfortable using where ever you want. It's like your Bogey Debit Card.

Dr. Bill Meyer is a performance coach who uses a tool where the golfers play numerous rounds from the front tee box shooting lower scores compared to the standard where the goal was to create a new self image of yourself as a golfer where you start to see yourself doing something new or different that went against something that you previously found "hard" or "impossible". One of his players is Kyle Stanley.

Both of these examples are ways to create a cool and calm expectation over the beginning of your round

It's amazing how the mind perceives things. I am always trying to break 80. If I shoot an 80 you almost feel like you failed, where as if you shoot 79 (one stroke lower) you feel like you have a major success. Also if you shoot an 84, you do not feel as bad as shooting the 80 because you were not close to breaking into th the 70's.

My wife always tries to play bogey golf, where pars are a bonus. My buddy who is a good golfer will sometimes play from the reds. His goal is two fold, one to see how low he could go and two to practice some different shots.

[rhh7]

Re: YOUR par

This is a wonderful idea! Let's see if I follow you?

My home course (Maple Ridge) is 6204 yards, 68.8/115 from the blues, nominal par of 72. So to shoot bogey golf, I need 3 pars, and 15 bogeys. So I will plan to par #8, #15, and #3. On the rest of the holes, I will allow myself 2 strokes to hit a par three, 3 strokes to hit a par 4, and 4 strokes to hit a par 5. I will adjust my club selection accordingly. I plan to hit 13 of 13 fairways, even if I have to tee off with an iron.

[Bentley01]

Re: YOUR par

This is a wonderful idea! Let's see if I follow you?

My home course (Maple Ridge) is 6204 yards, 68.8/115 from the blues, nominal par of 72. So to shoot bogey golf, I need 3 pars, and 15 bogeys. So I will plan to par #8, #15, and #3. On the rest of the holes, I will allow myself 2 strokes to hit a par three, 3 strokes to hit a par 4, and 4 strokes to hit a par 5. I will adjust my club selection accordingly. I plan to hit 13 of 13 fairways, even if I have to tee off with an iron.

Now see if you can have fun doing that.

[rhh7]

Re: YOUR par

I enjoy accomplishing a goal just as much as hitting a 250 yard drive...I may very well play a round of golf using a 5-iron to tee off on every par 4 and par 5. Just once in my life, I want to say I hit every fairway!

[Shadow]

Re: YOUR par

I enjoy accomplishing a goal just as much as hitting a 250 yard drive...I may very well play a round of golf using a 5-iron to tee off on every par 4 and par 5.

This is a great idea and you may be surprised at how well you score just by keeping the ball in play on every hole.

About 25 years ago I did this, but used a 1 iron, not a 5, and had the best round of my life, a shocking 8 under 63. Of course, eight 1 putts for birdies and 4/4 saves, helped a bit.

[NickStarchuk]

Re: YOUR par

This is a great idea and you may be surprised at how well you score just by keeping the ball in play on every hole.

About 25 years ago I did this, but used a 1 iron, not a 5, and had the best round of my life, a shocking 8 under 63. Of course, eight 1 putts for birdies and 4/4 saves, helped a bit.

Were you at Thunderbird in Carp?

A 25 year old 1 iron is just a shaft and a hosel but I have done the same with a Callaway 1 iron. It was like a hockey stick.

[Shadow]

Re: YOUR par

Were you at Thunderbird in Carp?

A 25 year old 1 iron is just a shaft and a hosel but I have done the same with a Callaway 1 iron. It was like a hockey stick.

Ha! Ha! Ha! It was the Carleton G & Y C. And some young punk broke that course record with a 62. Jerk!

BTW: The Thunderbird had a $2.1 fire last week.