I set a personal goal this year to break 40 on a more regular basis, and with some breaks, I might finally break 80. I know to achieve that lofty goal meant a swing revamp and plenty of practice. I did both all year with satisfactory results, although I would have liked to have practiced a bit more if life demands did not get the better of me. And I have been patient (most of the time) as this was going to be a process, at least for this season, and probably for as long as I want to keep playing golf with a single-digit handicap in my sights.
It is September and I only broke 40 once this past season. And that was a 39 (+7) on a par 32, as difficult as that back-9 was, it still does not count in my book. And, oh, I shot more than two handfuls at 40 (some were +3 on a par-37), and coupled a few of those near misses with 41′s to make for really nice rounds of 81. But, with no legitimate rounds under 40 translates to probably another year gone by without breaking 80.
Today, I had a sound round of 86 on a par 71 at Norton Country Club. 46 on the front with another near-miss of 40 on the back. I had 9 pars, 5 bogeys, 2 double, and 2 triple. I made only 1 par save and 1 three-putt bogey (which occurred on the 10th hole, so if I had made good on the 2nd putt, it would have at least been that allusive 39); but it also means that I hit 9 greens in regulation. While a 50% GIR is an acceptable ratio, it places a premium on the chipping game for the other 9 holes, heh, which clearly needs a lot of work. And hitting 9 greens and making 0 birdies and chipping / short approaches for another 6 greens with only 1 par save means my putting did not help improve upon my score either. And then there are the “unforced” errors (two three-putts and two lost balls), which also translated to 4-strokes I could have done without, but that typically comes to any course you play only once a year.
I am a realist. Breaking 80 might never happen, but it is still good to have goals. And while a goal with a plan is not a dream, it does not necessarily mean it will translate to success either. I will continue my pursuit and I am certain I will have to continue to tweak the plan. Golf can be self-defeating, as it is a game that you can never win at. But you cannot achieve those personal bests without putting in the time to practice and play, so you must take each defeat as another step in the process.
