Hi,
I’m Kean, and I am absolutely convinced that golf is an essential skill to network your way to the top of a company, which, of course, is my objective. I’m not completely wet behind the ears. I’m 51 and actually do a little golfing on the weekend with my buddies and some business associates. Finally, my boss has started inviting me to play, and he is really good. So, that’s why I’m here. I want to dry behind my ears, so to speak. I am interested in improving my golf game. Hence, I welcome any improvement tips, instructions, or advice.
Hmm. Playing golf with the boss always is a tricky thing.
Here are some thoughts: Become very familiar with all the rules, and etiquette of the game. Good golfers get annoyed at rules violations and etiquette faux pas.
Remember to play quickly. What annoys most good players is slow players. I tell the kids that I coach that there are two sins in golf: being a slow player, and being a bad player. Good players will forgive one or the other. The key is to not commit both sins at the same time.
Be ready to hit immediately. Don’t take any more than one practice swing. Play conservatively to avoid getting your ball in hopeless (and time consuming) situations. Hit layups to good locations; when you lay up, people think you’re playing good strategic golf, not wimping out because you don’t have the distance to hit a green.
Hit three or five woods off the tee to get onto the fairway. If you’re hitting fairways—at any distance—that’s much less annoying to a good player than one who hits a monster drive that slices into the woods.
Repeat: do whatever you can to stay in the fairway. No one will remember your score. They will remember that you never got off the fairway.
(I once played with a much better player who—rather than being underwhelmed by my lack of distance—at the end of a round asked me incredulously: “Do you EVER miss a fairway.” I just grinned. He never realized that my drives probably averaged just 220 or so and that I was constantly laying up).
As for improving your game, it’s been said before, but concentrate on improving your short game. Learn to pitch and chip with every club in your bag. Learn to putt with a wood from forty yards out in the fairway. Practice your putting. (Forget the flop. It’s too embarassing when you miss.) Learn to recognize the different kinds of lies—tight, fluffy, embedded—and know which club to use for each to minimize the chance of a skulled or fat shot. After a round what people remember is the great putt and the great chip, not the great drive. With business golf, what matters is the lasting impression, not the actual score.
Finally, remember that good players are concentrating on THEIR game, not yours. As long as you aren’t getting in their way,things will be ok.
Hmm. Playing golf with the boss always is a tricky thing.
Here are some thoughts: Become very familiar with all the rules, and etiquette of the game. Good golfers get annoyed at rules violations and etiquette faux pas.
Remember to play quickly. What annoys most good players is slow players. I tell the kids that I coach that there are two sins in golf: being a slow player, and being a bad player. Good players will forgive one or the other. The key is to not commit both sins at the same time.
Be ready to hit immediately. Don’t take any more than one practice swing. Play conservatively to avoid getting your ball in hopeless (and time consuming) situations. Hit layups to good locations; when you lay up, people think you’re playing good strategic golf, not wimping out because you don’t have the distance to hit a green.
Hit three or five woods off the tee to get onto the fairway. If you’re hitting fairways—at any distance—that’s much less annoying to a good player than one who hits a monster drive that slices into the woods.
Repeat: do whatever you can to stay in the fairway. No one will remember your score. They will remember that you never got off the fairway.
(I once played with a much better player who—rather than being underwhelmed by my lack of distance—at the end of a round asked me incredulously: “Do you EVER miss a fairway.” I just grinned. He never realized that my drives probably averaged just 220 or so and that I was constantly laying up).
As for improving your game, it’s been said before, but concentrate on improving your short game. Learn to pitch and chip with every club in your bag. Learn to putt with a wood from forty yards out in the fairway. Practice your putting. (Forget the flop. It’s too embarrassing when you miss.) Learn to recognize the different kinds of lies—tight, fluffy, embedded—and know which club to use for each to minimize the chance of a skulled or fat shot. After a round what people remember is the great putt and the great chip, not the great drive. With business golf, what matters is the lasting impression, not the actual score.
Finally, remember that good players are concentrating on THEIR game, not yours. As long as you aren’t getting in their way,things will be ok.
I really appreciate you responding to my post. Not to mention, at least now I have an option that helps me look not so bad in front of the boss. So, if I am ever backed against the wall before my game get’s up to ‘par’, I’ve now got a plan.
Who would have ever thought that keeping the ball on the fairway is more of an attention grabber that putting the ball in the hole. You certainly gave me a boost of confidence with your post.
Who would have ever thought that keeping the ball on the fairway is more of an attention grabber that putting the ball in the hole. You certainly gave me a boost of confidence with your post.
Well, if you never get it in the hole, that surely will be memorable. But keeping it in the fairway will get you a decent score, at any rate. DO you remember the last time you played with a senior? Do you remember his score? Or do you remember how he infuriatingly kept hitting fairways, a hundred and fifty yards at a time.
Who would have ever thought that keeping the ball on the fairway is more of an attention grabber that putting the ball in the hole. You certainly gave me a boost of confidence with your post.
Well, if you never get it in the hole, that surely will be memorable. But keeping it in the fairway will get you a decent score, at any rate. DO you remember the last time you played with a senior? Do you remember his score? Or do you remember how he infuriatingly kept hitting fairways, a hundred and fifty yards at a time.
In that case, I think I would be the senior; however, your point is very clear!:>
One more question, what do you consider a decent score/game?
According to the USGA, the average score for a golfer is around 100. The average handicap index for men is 16.
Remember that a handicap index is based on the best 10 out of the last 20 rounds. So this means that on their best days, the average score is going to be an 88 for men.
Half the time, though, it’s going to be much higher.
So if you’re shooting low 90s - upper 80s, you’re at, or above average.
Hmm. Playing golf with the boss always is a tricky thing.
Here are some thoughts: Become very familiar with all the rules, and etiquette of the game. Good golfers get annoyed at rules violations and etiquette faux pas.
Remember to play quickly. What annoys most good players is slow players. I tell the kids that I coach that there are two sins in golf: being a slow player, and being a bad player. Good players will forgive one or the other. The key is to not commit both sins at the same time.
Be ready to hit immediately. Don’t take any more than one practice swing. Play conservatively to avoid getting your ball in hopeless (and time consuming) situations. Hit layups to good locations; when you lay up, people think you’re playing good strategic golf, not wimping out because you don’t have the distance to hit a green.
Hit three or five woods off the tee to get onto the fairway. If you’re hitting fairways—at any distance—that’s much less annoying to a good player than one who hits a monster drive that slices into the woods.
Repeat: do whatever you can to stay in the fairway. No one will remember your score. They will remember that you never got off the fairway.
(I once played with a much better player who—rather than being underwhelmed by my lack of distance—at the end of a round asked me incredulously: “Do you EVER miss a fairway.” I just grinned. He never realized that my drives probably averaged just 220 or so and that I was constantly laying up).
As for improving your game, it’s been said before, but concentrate on improving your short game. Learn to pitch and chip with every club in your bag. Learn to putt with a wood from forty yards out in the fairway. Practice your putting. (Forget the flop. It’s too embarassing when you miss.) Learn to recognize the different kinds of lies—tight, fluffy, embedded—and know which club to use for each to minimize the chance of a skulled or fat shot. After a round what people remember is the great putt and the great chip, not the great drive. With business golf, what matters is the lasting impression, not the actual score.
Finally, remember that good players are concentrating on THEIR game, not yours. As long as you aren’t getting in their way,things will be ok.
These are some great tips. I’ve made a note of them myself. This is an interesting thread here.
Remember that a handicap index is based on the best 10 out of the last 20 rounds. So this means that on their best days, the average score is going to be an 88 for men. Half the time, though, it’s going to be much higher.
But keeping it in the fairway will get you a decent score, at any rate. DO you remember the last time you played with a senior? Do you remember his score? Or do you remember how he infuriatingly kept hitting fairways, a hundred and fifty yards at a time.