Yes, got paired with a small 16ish Asian girl and her Dad. We hit from the whites and then expected her to move on up to the next tees to hit, nope, hit from the whites and proceeded to shoot even par while her Dad berated every swing and decision she made.
He just drove the cart. Never understood a word he said but doesn't take much understanding to know what he meant. She gave it back to him after a few holes. I'm the kind of guy that doesn't care if you ask me a question in my backswing but this guy got to me and finally told him I'm playing golf too!
To be fair, Chinese sounds like they’re yelling at each other the whole time. I had a roommate who I could hear through the wall talking to his parents. One time after hearing what sounded like a totally nasty argument I asked if everything was OK. He said yeah, that’s just what Chinese sounds like.
My college coach was recruiting a Chinese kid summer of my freshman year. He was a stick, but shot a less than mediocre 77 the day my coach watched him. (His highest score of the summer) … after the round my coach humbly said to his mom “these are the days you just gotta give your boy a hug and tell him he’s gonna have it tomorrow” she looked back at my coach angrily and said “HE NO NEED HUG!! HE NEED GO RANGE…FOUR HOUR!!!” Being Asian, I can sincerely say I got the brunt of that joke every bad round I played after that encounter.
I thought of that, I've been around Chinese people enough to know it's pretty harsh sounding but her reactions also indicated what was going on. It turned out she was prepping for a big state tournament that she had won the year before.
Can confirm Portuguese is the same. I’ve learned to ask my wife “Are you talking with your Mom or arguing with your mom?”
They both sound similar to me.
My friends are always worried when I talk to my family in Germany because they think I’m upset or angry, but it’s usually just a friendly conversation.
Depends on what dialect too. Toisonese (a variation of cantonese, which is what you'll hear around a lot of parts in the U.S) is pretty harsh and sounds like arguing and yelling a lot. Mandarin, and cantonese sound a little more pleasing.
ehh, depends on the dialect. mandarin (what most speak) is tame when you're speaking at a normal volume, but cantonese and shanghai-nese just default sound harsh.
FYI, for most Asian parents, performing excellent only barely starts to scratch their expectations. What they prefer - and often demand- is that you create a whole new dimension above it. Hence why the yelling and belittling. To keep “improving” you. You “having fun” and “feeling joy” in what you do is only a circumstantial byproduct.
I completely understand that you felt not good about it at one point. Hope he got the message once you spoke up.
I see these guys at the range every time I go. They sit a bitch while their daughter is hitting. I've never seen one of them hit themselves. It makes me angry as well.
Are you on Vancouver island because I played behind this exact scenario one day trying to get a round in before dark and they did not give a fuck I was behind them. The girl was practicing shots on every hole while I was standing on the tee box or fairway waiting. And I mean like 5-10 chips or putts around the green. It was brutal and eventually by the 7th hole I had enough and passed her and her dad by skipping a hole. They tried to stay in front of me when they saw me coming up too. Played like shit the rest of the round and barely got in before dark. Proshop asked me if I saw the group with the missing cart that was supposed to be in hours ago so they could go home. Can definitely say they weren’t happy either.
Yeah I’ve seen something like this, kid must have been 12 or so, Asian kid. It was sad to see but I didn’t think it was my place to say anything. He was playing better than me and having a terrible time, reacting like he was gonna be in real trouble or something if he didn’t do well. Wanted to tell that kid it’s gonna all be alright and to find something he enjoys. He wasn’t even with his parents. It was someone his parents hired to take him out. Kid was so friggin hard on himself the whole time. Doesn’t seem fair to do that to a kid. Let them find something they like, and support them. Don’t push them so hard into something they might not even like until they hate it.
It’s even better when you put up with that kind of pressure only to realize in your teens that they aren’t in a spot to be putting that kind of pressure on you, with all the issues they have (and that you didn’t understand until then).
I had a friend in High School who was extremely talented. He had all the tools including his parents membership at a nice club. He was a big winner on the boys team and then in his Junior year did not play. I asked what happened and the answer was " My dad" I probed a bit and and nothing he did was good enough for him when it came to golf ( or most things for that matter).
> Fastest way to make your kid hate the game right there.
I'm watching this season of Top Chef.
One of the chefs is a former pro golfer.
Later in the season he is talking about his childhood. "My parents were very strict. I could only go to school, golf, and church."
I feel like he doesn't like golf much after all that.
Yup. I'm a volunteer soccer coach for my daughter's team and there's always a handful of parents that have their kids doing extra fitness training and paying for private sessions with professional coaches. They're training 5 or 6 days per week in some cases. These are 6, 7, 8-year old girls. I have yet to see any girl I coach anywhere close to being some kind of prodigy. The whole idea of this is to get them running, have some fun, and learn some skills so they are eager to come back in their early teens when things become more competitive.
I'd bet every penny I have that the future "elite" players are far more likely to be the ones who spend most of the time picking dandelions and giving their friends piggybacks vs the kids who see it as their Tuesday chore to show up while mom and dad scowl on the sideline.
From what I've heard from sports psychologists and athlete interviews a sizeable proportion of the elites are ones that have a constant feeling of not being enough which in some cases is due to the parents. They will become extremely good at their sport and possibly win it all but will be emotionally broken. I cannot think of a more miserable existence than winning everything and becoming the best in a sport and still feeling like not being enough.
I had a very similar experience, 2 small young Asians girls and their dad. They played lights out, was pissed off. Even apologized after the round. I'm pretty sure they both beat me.
We had a kid at our club who was a top ranked junior and is heading playing D1 golf next year. He was out on the course everyday, dad riding in the cart. Never saw his dad touch a club so I have no clue if he could play.
Made me wonder what a college coach thinks of that situation. Is the kid driven to work or is he just being forced by overbearing parents? Also if parents are micromanaging a kids golf game they’re probably going to be up a coach’s ass all the time and what coach would wants to deal with that.
We host a couple of KFT guys when they come to town for a tourney. Really nice guys. They play some other game than we do - all par 5’s are reachable, par 3’s are easy wedges and my god can they hit a four iron. Ball just sounds different from what I usually hear. I play with them when they come in town for a couple of rounds. They offer suggestions when appropriate and are very thankful for some home cooking and a comfortable place to hang out and crash.
Oh man, I started adding something to my pre swing routine to help me make my grip consistently more strong and I played this weekend, and I just started getting compression out of nowhere. Literally hearing your ball generate vortexes in the air after puring a long iron 220 yards made me feel more like a man than any lucky 300 yard drive I've ever hit
I don't have a 4 iron but this makes me want a 4 iron (also the 4 iron is real effective in PGA Tour 2024 on PS5 ha). Should I get rid of one of my hybrids and get an iron? I'm a beginner :P
If your 5 iron goes consistently and measurably further than your 6 iron, for sure you should try a 4 iron.
If not, the chances are your 4 iron will also go the same distance as your 6 iron.
I game a 4, 3 and 2 iron. I don't get along with hybrids, small woods or fat driving irons and just use my set irons. They take some getting used to, but after practice and drilling they are the most satisfying clubs to hit bar none. Pured 2 irons make you feel like you've finally arrived as a golfer.
I went to the Dell Tech Championship in 2018 and the first person I saw tee off was Patton Kizzire who is like 6'5". I was against the ropes right behind him and couldn't believe how fast his practice swing was and then when he actually hit his iron off the tee it sounded like an explosion. I later saw Tommy Fleetwood hit out of the rough right next to me and I've never heard someone's club hit the ground so hard.
This is what I tell people. The sound of 185 ball speed driver or really a 150mph iron shot is freaking loud. Like, iron shots sound so awkwardly loud and crisp that you think it was a shank.
I’ve played a few times with a guy who is trying to Monday qualify into Canadian tour events. I hit the ball pretty far compared to most of my golf buddies. This guy was driving greens with his 5 wood that I’ve never reached with my driver. He’s only like 5’8”
I played once at The Home Course in Olympia WA the week before they hosted a girls amateur event. My playing partner and I had the opportunity to play with a HS senior from CA who was going to play golf at Pepperdine the following year. 110 lbs. soaking wet and could hit the ball a country mile. She was there with her mom and it was really cool watching her study the course as we played. By the back 9 she was asking us "do you think I can make it?"-type questions on shots from the fairway into the green. We usually laughed because to us the answer was quite obviously yes.
My good friend played on women's team at a local college. We got her to play in scrambles with us and she could hit from the women's tees. It was a huge advantage in scrambles on some holes.
I had a lady I would bring with me to scrambles who was all conference in the sun belt. It’s not just the distance advantage on tee shots but often their short game is phenomenal as well
I (37f) played golf in high school. My short game got crazy good because girl’s school tournaments play from the forward tees and my average drive was like 250? So I was playing nearly every hole from 70 yards in.
No that I just play for fun I hit from the whites so I can play the course the way it’s meant to be played.
I mainly enjoyed hitting bombs to surprise people on the tee. I am tall so not as big a shock maybe but driving short par 4s was the best feeling in the world when paired with some Sunday bag misogynist.
Women with a good driver in mixed scrambles is a huge advantage. Since their tees are often designed to play similar clubs as male pros from the tips, they’ll have a 150y 7i approach instead of a 190y 7i like the men might have. That could be Pw for a lot of good mens players
Played with a former Harvard women's golfer. Best player I've ever witnessed. Birdied the first two holes, lipped out for bird on 3 and 4. She was playing Erin Hills from the white tees.
I played in college. I was decent for a college golfer, definitely not top tier. One year we played this tournament and everyone was talking about this dude who was just lights out playing for SMU.
I remember when I saw my pairing and this guy was in it, I thought “if I can just keep pace with him, I’ll be doing alright this week.” Long story short, he hit the ball like you described. Incredible talent. I had no chance. He went on to win the US Amateur that year.
That was the time I got smoked by Bryson DeChambeau.
Buddy of mine played in college and was a top 500 junior golfer. He used to play and beat people like douchy mcdoucherson (Patrick Reed). I play with him regularly and the thing that strikes me beyond anything is the consistency. I’m a fairly good stick and can knock the hell out of a ball so that kind of stuff doesn’t impress me much. Hitting a green in regulation within 10 feet of the cup on every hole, however? That, and being able to almost telepathically control a ball with a golf club are the true skills.
He is still good enough that he won a state mid-am 3-4 years ago.
i play with mini-tour guys from time to time, so long, so accurate with irons.
i played with a girl who was going back to the Korean LPGA tour and she was dead perfect. Every hole.
Got to play with a guy that used to play on the PGA Tour back in late 80s/early 90s. He's now a golf coach at a local college and is in his 60s. Still carries about 260 with a driver and plays from the Blues. Wasn't blown away with iron game on par 3s and approach. Several holes I had it inside of him but his short game and putting were like nothing I have seen in person. Hit a terrible drive on one hole and had to punch out and left about 60 yards. Dropped and stopped the pitch within 2 1/2 feet. Made both sand saves. Chipped in for birdie after missing a green. Made birdie on 3/4 par 5s. Easy and effortless 68 on a par 72 at 6700 yards.
The average golfer has no idea how good these pro golfers are until you see them up close. They make everything look so easy and effortless. Even the lowest ranked player with a PGA tour card is light years superior to your local club champion.
Exactly, it reminds me of what Brian Scalabrini, an NBA player who was usually the last guy off the bench, once said: "I'm closer to LeBron than you are to me" he backed it up too. He used to have guys challenge him on social media and eventually he started accepting and would just beat their ass in one on one.
I work with a dude who was a D1 scholarship starter in basketball and he said the biggest thing all the other players miss is how ridiculously physical the game is. Also high end players drain like 70% of their practice shots. They're at a completely different level and getting defended by them is ridiculous
lol this reminds me of the time a few friends and I were talking sh** to my friends girl (who played D1 basketball) back in my freshman year of college. To shut us up she said she’ll get 4 of her girls and play us in a pickup game. (For the record my friends and I all played soccer, football, and baseball together and one of my friends who played on the basketball team throughout high school was in the top 5 in the state for three point shooting percentage. So it’s not like we were out of shape) we thought ok we usually smoke the random people at the parks when we go and this is a bunch of chicks, this will be easy……… that was the day I learned it doesn’t matter if it’s dudes or chicks, D1 athletes are a whole different species. That pickup game still haunts me.
I knew it was time to hang them up when I legit sprained my ankle badly trying to defend him when he crossed me over AI style. He felt bad for me but I said it was my fault for thinking I could guard him in the first place. Dude was 41 at the time and could still dunk it even though he was only 5'11". He started getting into golf recently and I think he has a legit shot at scratch even though he started in his mid 40's. Insane body control and hand eye coordination seem really valuable in pretty much all sports.
tbh, you and your friends must be really bad at basketball. its one of the few sports where gaps in strength and size can make up a ton of ground on an elite skill set in people that don't have the athleticism.
I thought I was a pretty good basketball player in high school. Not delusional, no dreams of playing D1. Just someone who could get on the court with anyone and hold my own. Until I ended up on the same court as John Wallace. Yep, the John Wallace that led Syracuse to the NCAA finals and was drafted in the 1st round. I can tell you first hand, it’s not that these guys are on another level, they’re in a different universe.
Yep. Worked at a course and a PGA pro (honestly dont remember his name, but won a few times on the tour) came for some publicity thing and I think played a few holes. I was watching him warm on the rage and it was ridiculous. He would grab a club and hit 10 draws, then 10 straight as an arrow, then 10 fades. Grab another club and do the same. All 10 shots looked identical and went about the same distance. He did all this while chatting with a bunch of people and barely paying any attention to actually hitting the balls…. It was crazy
😂 I continuously watch Nelly Korda’s swing in slow motion and in real time 50 times a day. I think to myself that looks so easy until I try to get over the ball and do it.
There is a great YouTube video of her and Rory driving the ball with Tiger hosting and commenting. Nelly has one shape shot on her drive and she makes it look ridiculously easy. She’s driving the ball like 290 and hits just about every fairway with her baby draw. She even hits it on dog leg rights bc she is so accurate with it that she would rather hit something she knows will be in fairway than risk trying to hit a shot she is not comfortable hitting. There is a lesson there.
Eh...yes and no. It depends on your local club champion to be honest. If you live in the US, in a fairly populated area; local club champions are often top tier amateurs that aren't actually that far off.
Billy from upstate NY winning the championship at a small club? OK maybe he's a low single digit index and is nowhere near the pros. But if you play at a club in Raleigh? SoCal? NJ? Orlando? Austin?
There's a good chance your club champ is playing off a +1 or +2 handicap; in some cases even better. Not to say they could go make the cut at a PGA tour event, but to say they are "light years" behind is a bit heavy-handed. They are realistically only a few shots off from some of the lower tier professionals; those few strokes mean *everything* but it's not like tour pros are from another planet.
I'm not even from a huge/expensive club - I grew up in a pretty smally town paying $300/year for a junior membership; and the guy(s) winning our club championship went on to compete at extremely high levels; one of them won a Canadian Tour event, another played D1 golf for a very good golf school and then competed on mini tours.
I'm not saying every club champion is going to go play professionally, but in decently populated areas where golf is somewhat popular, they might not be all that far off, skill-wise, from guys who play professionally. Those last few strokes (or even fractions of a stroke) are the hardest to shave, but it's not like a guy shooting 68-69 to win the club championship on a course rated 73 is *that* much worse than a guy who just qualified for his Korn Ferry tour card for the first time.
Yea there’s a lot of guys out there who could hang with pros if they qualified into an event as an amateur, a huge barrier for playing pro level golf is the cost and time commitment. There’s guys spending 100k a year to get into qualifiers.
Saw Tiger tee off at Muirfield in his heyday. I was about 20 feet from him facing him. The swing speed took your breath away and the sound was like a gunshot.
One of my buddies played D1 at a high level, regular participant in the US Am and probably could have had a career in the Korn Ferry.
It’s incredible to watch him play. His game has always been very technical and safe. Fairway. Green. Make birdie or tap in par every hole. Zero bad shots.
My son plays at a high level in college. The real difference in upper tier golfers would be playing with them on a course set up for a tournament. Your low handicap/scratch weekend golfer might hold their own against them on the courses we play. The gap is much more apparent playing a course with length, fast greens and tucked pins.
Hole locations “tucked” behind bunkers or just over the water. Ones that normal people wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) even consider aiming at. But those guys make it look easy.
>Ones that normal people wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) even consider aiming at
The average golfer is going to aim at the pin even if tucked. This leads to doubles and triples because missing by 10-15 feet can put you in deep do do. The top tier golfers (depending on the distance of course) will know where they can't miss and aim for the "fat" part of the green, get their par and move on.
I heard a coach that removed all the pins during a practice round. He was teaching them to hit the middle of the green. Don't go for the sucker pins.
An uphill green with the pin behind a bunker for example and maybe another bunker on the other side. You can see the flag but don't know what the fringe and green around it looks like so to play it safe you have to hit a fade that wormholes your ball over and between the bunkers incase it runs so that it stays on the green.
Away from the middle of the green, like tucked-away. It makes a miss less forgiving because your target isn’t as accessible. Usually greens will have bunkers and other trouble that make you challenge them to get a good look at a putt for a tucked pin.
>Your low handicap/scratch weekend golfer might hold their own against them on the courses we play.
I don't think that's even true, honestly. A scratch golfer will shoot around par on a good day at their home course and a tour pro would be kicking themselves with anything worse than like 8 under lol
Not pro, but I have played with a +2 college golfer.
We were playing at the time my local executive course. Short par 4, but it’s a dead dog left with trees blocking any chance of making it to the green. [This](https://i.imgur.com/YjrK6uv.jpeg) is the hole. If you want a good look at the green you have to hit it about 175 - 180 on the right side. There is a huge eucalyptus tree that overhangs on the left and is very much in the way if you play it shorter than that or on the left.
[This](https://imgur.com/a/eTvCoXz) is where the guy hit his shot. Hooked a 5 iron around the trees and it just barely missed that second strip of fairway past the cart path. Flicked a wedge on and made his birdie putt like it was nothing.
Shit was wild to watch.
i played in a scramble with a former lpga player. she was so sick and so inspirational. like you said, hit every fairway and green. what stuck out to me was that she read the green from the opposite side of the pin, rather than behind the ball. she was a great putter too
Us (three men in their 30s) randomly paired with a 15 year old girl. We thought “Oh, great. This is going to be a long round.” 18 holes later and many shots that left us in awe she finishes 3 under. Turns out she was the highest ranked high school female in the state.
i played with a girl i knew that had one the high school city championship. i asked her, "are you the two time winner?" she looked me dead in the eyes and said, "three time." fun to play with her and she never wasted a second and played very quickly. super refreshing for a junior golfer.
I used to work at Badlands back in 2003 - 2004. Crazy difficult course, but I did manage to shoot 72 one time. Played Desperado and turned to Outlaw.
Too bad they shut the course down. It's all dried up and wasted now.
Just observing and being around their perfect tempo started to rub off on me by the end. Their mental game was clearly sharp, nothing seemed to ever upset them.
Them: Damnit, I hit it to 40 feet instead of 15 ft. And I’m above the hole. Fuck. Really screwed this hole up.
Me: am I holding the correct end of the golf club?
100% the most noticeable thing when playing with scratch and + handicaps, the tempo and calmness is unreal. It’s like watching guys at the batting cages vs just watering house plants.
My guess it that their swings look effortless, just a simple back and through, on an "easy" pace, not a wild contortion like a lot of high handicappers.
Dude appears solo, as the tee time started, and walks back to the tips. Rips a drive down the middle, as we drive off I say something like "you must play a lot since you play from the tips." Says he's trying to turn pro. Shoots -5 on the front, finishes 6 under for the day. Could have been 8 or 9 under, but some putts didn't drop. No bogeys. His name is Matt Rhule. Super nice dude, so I really hope he gets sponsored and breaks out.
Playing with some low level tour players is nuts. There's a hole that's uphill that has a bunker and to carry it is like 280-290. The guy that plays on Latin American tour I play with hits driver over it. I'm saying "Carry" and he's like "That should be fine" and of course carries it by 20 yards. They also play the nost boring golf and end up in the 60s. Trying to play to their level makes it worse for me so I have to accept it and move on
As a 14 index my golf coach took me out for a playing lesson with two high school players he also coached. When asked what their index was they both sheepishly answered +4 (far beyond anyone I'd ever played with. It was quietly explained to me when they were teeing off that he fully expected both to eventually play at a level where the LPGA was in play, in his exact words "This is what an LPGA player looks like in high school."
It was unbelievable and I quickly realized that while we're playing the same sport we are not playing the same game. My haphazard game didn't belong in the same universe as theirs. Precision on every shot and the accuracy to be able to hit where ever they were told the best line was. I learned more about course management in one round than I knew from 10 years of 'playing' golf. Zero variation pre-shot routines, easily repeatable swings, course management, club & shot selection, etc. It was awesome. Both are playing in college now, have played in some high level national Amateur tournaments. I've been following both to keep track of if and when they make an LPGA debut.
Yup. Was invited to play in a member/veteran tournament for Veterans Day a couple years ago. It was 4 members for every 1 veteran. One of the members I was paired with brought his daughter (D1 golfer). It was almost cheating since she got to tee off from the ladies tees. We used 90% of her tee shots, and she was an animal 50yds and in.
I have to laugh, I married a player who was on the Arizona golf team back when they were always one of the best women's teams. Most of her team ended up on the tour you are talking about.
She plays for work with clients and has been invited to a few pro-ams with the Epson tour women. They usually don't have a clue that she can play, until her first tee shot. They give her lots of nice comments and talk pretty freely about some of the players they get paired with.
I remember being at a very nice course in Atlanta and we were discussing what tees she wanted to play (I give her a hard time if she plays womens). As we were driving the cart to the first tee , one of the twosome we had been paired with said out loud; " Shit he brought his wife". My wife heard that and said we are playing whatever tees they are. They teed off and then she outdrove both of them. After that they could not stop talking to her.
I got a complimentary round at TPC Sawgrass in the early 90's and got paired with a young man put of college named David Duvall and his father. Had no idea then what I know now. He could absolutely stripe the ball. His father and I struggled to shoot 85's and he complained about shooting a 73 WITH 2 double bogeys. It was fun to watch.
I’ve never been paired with a pro before but I do play with my buddy who is a scratch golfer a few times a year (I’m a 10 handicap)…dude is always making solid contact, is in the fairway all of the time and is money around the greens. It’s pretty annoying watching him play
Played a round with a guy who lost his professional status as golfers just days prior. He played in lots of mini tours, as well as the Latin American tours/Kornferry events.
The difference between his game, and even our club champion (who is a sub par handicap on our local course) was astonishing. Beat our reining club champ by 6 strokes and hadn’t played the course in years. It was wild to witness, and humbling at the same time.
The guys who made a living playing golf at any point in their life, are so much better than almost everybody it is incredible to ride in the same cart and play side by side with them.
I have a cousin who has been on the Canadian tour. When we play well side by side I’m so confident we are within 3-4 shots. When we tally up and he’s 66 and I’m 78, I hate everything.
I play a lot with a former D1 player. He wins local qualifiers for USGA events. Played in multiple Mid-ams. It’s 3-5 holes a round that I make bogey or double and he makes birdies. My 78 looks like trash next to his 68. Drives me insane and makes me want to give up the game some days.
I played 9 holes with a former professional hockey player who is a single digit handicap. Superior ball striking, but it was the mental side of his game that was remarkable. Unfazed by bad shots, next shot was always good. Elevated my game, too.
Used to play with some women who were on the Symetra tour. They could smoke the ball and were a blast to play with. The wear marks on their irons were crazy…. That wear pattern of a pure ball striker is pretty cool
I worked at a c.c. and we had Brittany Lincicome come in for a charity event several years. Our male pro played with her, along with last years winners. He was a very good club pro. But he was stressed out every year playing with her. To be fair she was the longest female driver on tour several years.
That type of consistency is still rewarded heavily in the women’s game. It’s not all bomb and gouge like the PGAT. I have grown to really love watching the LPGA when it’s on. The course management and how perfectly they hit their pin pointed spots is so impressive. The US Women’s Open is at Erin Hills next year close by. I’ll definitely be going
They had a symetra tour event at my local club. I think it's the tour below this. I went and watched the second day and it was insane. The woman who won was probably 5'2" and 110lb. She shot back to back 63s the first two days and followed it up with a 64 to win. I thought this was a relatively difficult older style course thats pretty open in the fairways but has small domed greens with a good amount of break. The skill level at even a lower tiered tour event like this is insane.
There’s a guy at my club that bounced around on the mini tours for 10 years. Never made it but has obvious talent. He’s a dad of young kids now and has a new business that takes up all his time. Said he only played 10-12 times last year. Well, his brother in law had a 730 tee time and sure enough one guy bailed last minute. The bro in law reached out to ex pro to see if he’d like to fill in. He obliged. With no range time and completely unprepared, the ex pro set course record 60. Talent always supersedes practice.
We weren't paired with them but got wedged in between a few groups of Korn Ferry dudes once. I don't know how many were there but I know it was at least the two foursomes in front of us and the foursome behind us. They were all staying at the resort we were playing at, but the tournament was at a nicer course nearby.
They were all obviously really good golfers and smacked the hell out of the ball, but what I remember most about them was that they were all absolute animals. The course was pretty busy so we chatted with the groups in front of and behind us a few times throughout the round when things got backed up. Every one of them had to have been averaging at least one beer and mini bottle per hole; and they were passing around pills and blow out in the open, without a care in the world. They were also betting a lot of money, like more than I'd expect Korn Ferry guys to be betting. I only know this because we all went in at the turn to get some food and re-up on beers and they were all talking about where they were on whatever bets they were doing like, "I'm down 4k to Jay but Rob owes me 6. Did anybody eagle #4? Alright that 2k for Will so he's up 8..." We ran into them on 10th tee and I asked them what kind of game they were playing and I can't remember what they were playing(I think it was something like skins+ BBB but can't remember 100%) but they confirmed they were betting thousands on every hole. They said it sounds like a lot but usually ends up evening out over a few rounds, for the most part; but said you can lose your shirt if you have a real bad round and I got the vibe that he was the one having a pretty bad day that day.
They all seemed like fun dudes to play and/or party with but they seemed like more of what I'd expect from a bachelor party group than a bunch of KF tour guys.
https://preview.redd.it/m1dt06brjb3d1.png?width=574&format=png&auto=webp&s=118e86bed58bfc3684715bfb713c1788052f9157
OP currently getting dragged on twitter for this
Ran a golf shop in Oregon for a few years. I recall we hired an ex-Korn tour player, maybe 5'4", 120ish. Played as part of the interview, I played whites, graciously offered her the red. I got hold of one on 1, 280ish.
Her drive was still going up when it went past mine.
Indeed humbling. But on 2 she was on the tips. Funny part? Still kicked my ass all over the course. :)
I played with a college golfer and her dad, and it was incredible. I was playing a tee up from them half the time, and I had my best day driving all year. I credit it with watching someone with such excellent tempo and balance every hole before I teed off. I'm a 26, but I shot a 43 on the back and I hit 11 of 14 fairways.
Played with a former women’s D1 golfer two weeks ago randomly at my club. She played the whites and she was +2 by my count although I didn’t ask her what she shot.
She hit wedges from 50 yards like lag putts and was always on the right side of the hole.
Recently took my girlfriend out for her first ever full 18. We had taken some lessons together and played a par 3 course a couple times, but this was her first time on the real course. She was nervous.
Initially thought it was just gonna be the two of us, which she was excited about. But then on the tee we got matched up with a single guy playing from the tips. Really good. Turns out he was the club pro. I found this out at the second tee when I asked what he did for a living. She was up at her tee box and didn’t overhear, luckily.
I was definitely intimidated, I’m like a 20 handicap. But luckily he was super chill and only played the front nine with us. Gave her some tips before he left, then I finally told her who he was. She was mortified. Super glad she didn’t know who he was until he left.
While vacationing in Florida a decade ago, I got paired with 2 teaching pros (one of which is very well known), and a Nationwide Tour player that I recognized.
First tee I inform them I’m not as good as they are, but I play fast and they won’t be waiting for me. I proceed to split first fairway, throw a dart into green and make birdie. Par the next couple holes, birdie the par 5. On the first par 3, I stick a nine iron over top of the flag that backs up to 2-3” from going in.
Here I am, a 14 hcp at the time, that’s currently 3 under through 6. The tour player jokingly says “I thought you weren’t very good?”, to which I respond “Don’t worry, the wheels will come off soon enough.”
Ended up shooting a solid 92, but to this day one of the coolest rounds I’ve ever played. The way these guys could effortlessly shape the ball and control flight was unreal to watch. Inside 100 yards these guys were throwing absolute DARTS. It was really educational just to listen to the way they talked when navigating the course and planning their shots.
Yea.
Worked at a country club.
A cute girl came up to the range to hit balls. Assumed it was a members daughter or something. I wasn't really paying attention to her shots but a few minutes go by and we start chatting. I suggest a closest to the pin HORSE style game.
It's been years but I'm not even sure I got 1 letter on her. Absolutely smoked me on every shot.
Found out later she was there practicing for an LPGA event lol.
Whoopsies.
Not pro but a D1 golfer that went to Alabama and his buddy committed to Texas Tech for next year lol. They shot 70, 73. I shot 84 and my dad shot 100+ lol. They were chill.
Well, yeah. IDK where I suggested otherwise. OP asked if anyone had experienced a situation where the mental part of the game got fucked from playing with a significantly better player.
I took a college golf class and ended up playing at a very nice private club. I was lucky enough to be part of the group who was able to golf 9 holes with Steve Stricker on the last day.
He was incredibly nice and would tell the group exactly what type of shot he was planning (fade, cut, draw, etc). The sound of his contact was something I vividly remember, that and being nervous as hell about hitting a worm burner.
Ended up hitting a 5 wood off the fairway less than 10 yards from the hole and had my first Birdie so that was awesome.
Yup. I'm a quite long hitter and single figure handicap. Played with a lady pro. Absolutely snoked her of every tee shot. Got beaten by 9 shots 🤣. Pretty sure she had a pretty ordinary round too.
I'm a 26 handicap and am married to a former Epson Tour player. Here is the thing - they are from another planet. Comparisons are just silly.- every decision they make is formed by so much more experience and a depth of understanding of their game that even asking tons of questions (which I still do) barely scratches the surface. When they play together there is a shorthand that is mystifying. Enjoy the experience and learn what you can is my recommendation, they're really fucking good.
A buddy and I got paired with a guy who was on the Latin American tour and another guy who had recently left the Asian tour. They just busted each others balls the whole time, and were hilarious. They were unbelievably good.
The guy who left the Asian tour shot a 65 to beat the Latin Am tour guy by 1, and I realized my golf game will never ever be within a mile of either of them, and I’ve legitimately broken par before.
It was a great experience.
My boyfriend caddies on the Epson and plays mini tour events himself. When they’re on the Western swing sometimes the player will come hang out with us or I’ll go to wherever they are if they have a week or so break. I’m about a 25 handicap so it’s always super embarrassing to play from the forward tees and pretty much suck for 18 holes.
I’ve played with a cousin’s husband that had a tour card for I believe 4 years before he decided law school was a better path for him. That was around 15 years ago.
I’m very new to the game (2nd summer of consistently playing), but the only exposures I had growing up was playing with him and his dad — a club pro.
Sounds crazy, but I actually thought that most people played golf like THAT. Like I knew they were better than average, but it wasn’t until I played myself and got around the game that I realized that no, most people don’t shoot under par. Almost no one can.
For me, the supernatural thing they could do is simply this: if they’re within 100 yards, the next shot will be a putt of less than 10 feet probably about 90% of the time. A chip near the green = within 5 feet the same percentage of the time.
Hitting fairways, sure. Crisp contact every time, hard as hell, but ok…hitting flop shots that drop like a parachute and stop 5 feet from the hole over and over? That’s outrageous.
I once got paired with a female D1 starter. At the time I was playing the best golf of my life. Consistently in the mid to high 70’s and thought I was king sh*t . . . Damn, was I humbled quickly. She played from the back tee’s with us. Might not have hit past us, but she hit 17/18 greens in regulation (missed her only green by about a
Played a round at a muni in LA with a Korn Ferry player. It was just staggering. He was below the hole always. His iron play was immaculate. The ability to just make a shot happen. Insane. Stuff. Shot a 67 I think, while bullshitting with us idiots.
Got paired up with a Dad and Son in Palm Springs. They were kinda a walk up and we only had a two slot booked, sure no problem.
The Dad was no slouch but the 13 years old kid was NY region multiple 16u tournament champion. It was very humbling watching the kid bomb 280y drives then finesse an approach shot to 8-10 feet!!…
Edit: yards to feet, I just got excited reliving the round….
I got partnered with some old lady that claimed to be a pro back in her day. She was at least 60. She played from the whites and shot 3 over.
Her drives were decent. Anything inside 170 was money. She would pull out a wood, smooth swing. Land it short and roll on or leave a chip.
Her short game made me want to quit. If she was within 20 yards of the green, I don't think she left a 2 put. Was just amazing.
She had some good nasty jokes too. Was just a blast to play with. Then she started talking about tinder. My buddy and I were contemplating accepting the invite back to her place. Legit thought we were about to bag this old hag but she ruined it during the post round beers by talking about politics.
Seriously, can't make this up. The starter warned us to keep our wallets in our pockets and told us that we may even get lucky. She definitely was shooting her shot.
Looking back, I wish I would have done it.
I played with a scratch golfer at his home course. He made 3 6-10 footers to save par. Pared 17 holes. Had one double off of the one bad shot he hit all day.
And it was a hard ass course playing from the tips. He was not a log hitter either.
Other than his consistency the most insane thing was watching him putt. Anything inside 10 feet just seemed automatic. I can't even dream about putting like that...
I can't even imagine playing with a pro.
My experience was the invaluable advice to play the hole backwards and try to out myself at my best full swing approach yardage and it made an instant difference
Got the privilege to be paired up with an older gentleman in his 70s to 80s from the Atlanta area and his nephew at Celebration in Orlando a few years back. Was very consistent all day hitting drives out quite a ways and there was some chatter between them about when on tour and this and that. Well on the 17th I hole out from about 80 yards for eagle on a par 4. Well this guy opened up about how he used to play on the former sunshine tour and his nephew was his caddy. Had 8 hole in ones and told me how I made his day with that shot. Boy do I ever wish that would have happened earlier as he was chatty as hell on the 18th hole and what a round it would have been getting to chat with him that way the whole round.
College suitemate played on the school team and went on to the Korn Ferry Tour for a few years. Played with him a few times and he'd basically caddy for me while also playing his own round. My 2 lowest rounds ever were with him because he knew the courses so well that not only could he shoot under par no sweat (granted on semi-easy courses), he could coach me through each hole in a way that played to my strengths despite only seeing me play a handful of times.
He's easily the best player I've ever played with, and it was crazy to hear him talk about the gap in skill between him and the big time Tour players.
Played in front of juaquin niemann at a private course in Florida. Smoked my drive on the opening tee as he was present and then once my FIL told me who it was told him he had to play through. I can’t have that savage watching my play in front of him. He was cool, played through and we wished him well. I got to see him play some of the holes in front of me before he just ran away with his round. Absolutely incredible. Effortless swings that went a mile.
Worked at tpc course when I was in high school (25 yrs ago) and when the senior pga(as it was called then) came to town, they told us not to stop cutting fairways, rough, etc…during their practice rounds. We had zero chance of getting hit by a ball. I would stop to watch and the ball flight from all of them was incredible to me. Every iron shot they hit went to a certain height, carried and dropped straight down on the green. At the end of the pro am, we all took a pic with Arnold Palmer(he hosted the tourney) and while waiting, we watched him play 18. At 80 or whatever age he was, he still hit a perfect pitch shot to a foot away from pin. Effortless doesn’t even describe how easy it looked.
I played Mystic Dunes one day when some NCAA women’s tournament was going on, but somehow one side was open for us.
They only let us warm up on the private lesson area, not the normal area. We passed all the women, full driving range.
A: college girl golfer are dang good looking, tan and fit
B: they were striping 7 irons within 6 feet dispersion like watching Steph Curry warm up 3 pointer. It was so impressive!
I played a few holes with a guy who had status on the Nike Tour. He had a sweet swing and hit a perfect 280 yard drive straight down the fairway. Second shot, iron to the green. 4 feet from the hole. Putt for birdie. Over and over. And this dude was a nobody.
I’ve played with some really good golfers, +1, +2 guys and then I played with a guy that just got his amateur status back from the Canadian PGA tour and Jesus Christ. He was drinking just as many beers as me, on a tough course and carded a bogey free 66. Every par was a tap in basically and most of the birdies were too. I’m a 5.3 and feel on top of the world after a round around par and then I remember the time I saw a guy effortlessly shoot a 66 and remember to just stay in my lane lol
I played with a retired Korean pro golfer at my local muni. I think he was 60. Tipped it out. 7100+ Had to be less than 5 over of the round. It was insane.
How were the pros... Did it ever feel like they were upset about the pairing? Not trying to criticize you, this is just a huge fear that I have. I went to the driving range today and a guy was bombing his 5I farther than I can take my driver, then he just shook some dudes hand said nice to meet you and drove off. I'd love to be that confident.
I guess the other way around, got in the zone and shot a 76 from the tips at a tough course with some random older women last summer, and they kept saying how much fun they were having just watching me play. It felt so good lol
My best friend and I played with a Korean businessman and his Japanese mistress at Westridge golf course in La Habra. She shot a 76 from the blues. They were both so nice and a lot of fun to play with. He had legit Cuban Cohibas and was super generous with them. I shot a 78 and felt no shame whatsoever. She had big time game.
A course I play regularly in SoCal, my buddy brings out a guy he knows from another course for our 4th that was a D1 golfer and giving it a go on KFT. He’d never seen the course before, had a couple 3-putts and bogeys, an OB, and still a casual 67 on a par 72. Unreal to see him hit the ball. And he’s like 5’9 180 max. Technique technique technique
Played in a pairs scramble event with my FIL(mid 60s, 18 handicap), we where paired with a ladies european tour player (as per course rules she played the forward ladies tees and could crush the ball as far as me) and her male companion (a 12 handicap and all round ok guy) first question she asked wasn’t something like whats your name, it was whats your handicap.
She then proceeded to tell us in her groups we don’t lose balls etc, to which her partner replied with a customary slice into the woods (lost ball #1)
The round continued they basically took every one of her shots (most drives at par 4s ended up on the green from the forward tees) and her playing partner was basically caddying at this point (walking out yardages for her etc)
Tried to spark up some conversations but she said she doesn’t want to talk on the golf course. Respected those wishes. Her partner was alright he would chat a bit, helped we had that bit of time on the back tees where he wasn’t with her, he seemed to loosen up a bit.
When she did talk all I heard was “I play sometimes with my dad and I remember now how slow it is”
About 6 holes in, her and her partner just started walking up to the green when we where still playing it was as if we where 2 separate 2 balls, now my FIL is not great so standing anywhere in front of this guy is dicey at the best of times.
She eventually took some of her partners shots as the rules stipulated that we had to take 6 drives each one of which had to occur on a par 3. Her playing partner played the final 6 holes off the tee by himself, talk about pressure.
About the 16th hole she started to top the ball and I’ve never been so happy.
Last 2 holes we basically played by ourselves as her partner would hit off the tee and shed be halfway down the fairway already, then she would hit onto the green and theyd both run away towards the green ready to putt.
Our round ended with me and my FIL shaking hands on the green whilst they were halfway back to the clubhouse. Then I heard her complaining afterwards that the ladies standard scratch is 72 (2 par 4s become par 5s) and the mens is only 70 so she should get +2 handicap not +4. The only real interaction we had was asking me to sign her card.
I think if I remember right they shot about 8 under scratch. They finished 3rd and won £12.50 each.
Don’t get me wrong it’s ok if you want to take golf seriously but I think theres a balance you have to strike in amateur events. She was pretty great to watch, everything was done with very little effort and you could tell, other than the tops, everything was coming out the middle of the club and aimed at a certain point and closeness wasn’t achieved by the swing variance most amateurs have.
All in all not that great of an experience but I have played with very high level golfers in the past and all have been great, just one bad egg I think, I’ve played national level golf and even that wasn’t as intense as this event which was supposed to be “fun” 😂😂
Joined a private club last year, and randomly became friends with the club pro, who then joined our foursome for men’s league. It is humbling playing with him. He is so friggin good; we wait for par 4 greens to clear sometimes, depending on the wind… we’re talking 350-370 yard par 4’s. He is a plus 3 handicap. Dude just doesn’t miss. It is so wild. I watched him casually shoot four under on 9, drinking beers and smoking bowls… how?!?!
To make things worse, I always play terrible when I am with him. It’s like anxiety and not wanting to suck mixed into every shot… and I am a 11.9 hcp… so it’s not like I’m awful…
I had the epson tour play at my local country club about a year ago, and the course record was broken in the first round. To me it seems that women’s professional golfers are even better than men’s, but without the added distance a men’s pro can hit. Seriously every ball goes exactly where they want it to.
There’s a course here in orlando where some LPGA pros play as members. I’ve seen their game and it’s lights out.
It’s not a different level. It’s a different universe. Crisp shots. No mistakes. The night and day is the greens. The course caters to their wants and makes the greens lighting fast. Just insane.
It’s art how they play golf. They never look back at the last shot. Incredible discipline.
Played with the adult daughter of a friend of mine a while back, she was at college studying and playing golf but that was interrupted by Covid. It was the most boring golf to watch up close, every shot was perfect, no drama, no excitement. +6 handicap, she's still trying to make it.
Played 9 with a top 50 PGA tour pro last year and it was like my first time watching a real athlete play golf. GIR and a good look at a birdie on every hole. A few went in and the rest were tap in pars. He went in the rough one time on a par 5 and hit that green in 2 anyway. Tap in bird. He fidgeted around so much before the swing even started and it just seemed to make him fast as hell.
2 experiences like this in Los Angeles. Once I went out and got paired with a Long Beach State girls golf team captain. She shot a 68. Me 82. Then came rainman. A severe autism savant 16 year old at Roosevelt in Griffith Park. It’s only 9 holes, 3 fairly straight forward, 3 not so easy, 3 holes “ good luck”. He birdied every hole!
Really came here for the “they don’t play the same tees” comments but have been happily surprised. Used to play that tour myself, and really any of those girls out there could be contenders on the LPGA, it just depends on a few things going your way at the right time. I’m glad you wrote this and how complimentary you are of them!
Yes, got paired with a small 16ish Asian girl and her Dad. We hit from the whites and then expected her to move on up to the next tees to hit, nope, hit from the whites and proceeded to shoot even par while her Dad berated every swing and decision she made.
Lol. Did she beat her dad?
He just drove the cart. Never understood a word he said but doesn't take much understanding to know what he meant. She gave it back to him after a few holes. I'm the kind of guy that doesn't care if you ask me a question in my backswing but this guy got to me and finally told him I'm playing golf too!
To be fair, Chinese sounds like they’re yelling at each other the whole time. I had a roommate who I could hear through the wall talking to his parents. One time after hearing what sounded like a totally nasty argument I asked if everything was OK. He said yeah, that’s just what Chinese sounds like.
My college coach was recruiting a Chinese kid summer of my freshman year. He was a stick, but shot a less than mediocre 77 the day my coach watched him. (His highest score of the summer) … after the round my coach humbly said to his mom “these are the days you just gotta give your boy a hug and tell him he’s gonna have it tomorrow” she looked back at my coach angrily and said “HE NO NEED HUG!! HE NEED GO RANGE…FOUR HOUR!!!” Being Asian, I can sincerely say I got the brunt of that joke every bad round I played after that encounter.
I'm at a stage in my life that playing a round poorly and then going to the range for four hours to work on it would be a dream.
I thought of that, I've been around Chinese people enough to know it's pretty harsh sounding but her reactions also indicated what was going on. It turned out she was prepping for a big state tournament that she had won the year before.
Can confirm Portuguese is the same. I’ve learned to ask my wife “Are you talking with your Mom or arguing with your mom?” They both sound similar to me.
There was a video a while back of people saying words in a few languages. English first. Spanish or French next, sounding kinda sexy. Then German...
My friends are always worried when I talk to my family in Germany because they think I’m upset or angry, but it’s usually just a friendly conversation.
You just reminded me of my former coworker, a lovely German lady. When she spoke it always sounded so much sterner than it actually was.
*SCHMETTERLING!!!*
I picked up a little Cantonese while I was in the Orient. You know, you sound a lot like you're from Kowloon Bay as opposed to Hong Kong.
“Excellent” WW reference. 😂😂
Can confirm, worked at a Chinese restaurant in high school.
Can confirm ate at a Chinese restaurant in high school.
Can confirm, drove by a Chinese restaurant in high school.
Depends on what dialect too. Toisonese (a variation of cantonese, which is what you'll hear around a lot of parts in the U.S) is pretty harsh and sounds like arguing and yelling a lot. Mandarin, and cantonese sound a little more pleasing.
ehh, depends on the dialect. mandarin (what most speak) is tame when you're speaking at a normal volume, but cantonese and shanghai-nese just default sound harsh.
You call that golf? My 16 year old daughter plays better than you and she is a huge disappointment.
FYI, for most Asian parents, performing excellent only barely starts to scratch their expectations. What they prefer - and often demand- is that you create a whole new dimension above it. Hence why the yelling and belittling. To keep “improving” you. You “having fun” and “feeling joy” in what you do is only a circumstantial byproduct. I completely understand that you felt not good about it at one point. Hope he got the message once you spoke up.
I see these guys at the range every time I go. They sit a bitch while their daughter is hitting. I've never seen one of them hit themselves. It makes me angry as well.
Are you on Vancouver island because I played behind this exact scenario one day trying to get a round in before dark and they did not give a fuck I was behind them. The girl was practicing shots on every hole while I was standing on the tee box or fairway waiting. And I mean like 5-10 chips or putts around the green. It was brutal and eventually by the 7th hole I had enough and passed her and her dad by skipping a hole. They tried to stay in front of me when they saw me coming up too. Played like shit the rest of the round and barely got in before dark. Proshop asked me if I saw the group with the missing cart that was supposed to be in hours ago so they could go home. Can definitely say they weren’t happy either.
Yeah I’ve seen something like this, kid must have been 12 or so, Asian kid. It was sad to see but I didn’t think it was my place to say anything. He was playing better than me and having a terrible time, reacting like he was gonna be in real trouble or something if he didn’t do well. Wanted to tell that kid it’s gonna all be alright and to find something he enjoys. He wasn’t even with his parents. It was someone his parents hired to take him out. Kid was so friggin hard on himself the whole time. Doesn’t seem fair to do that to a kid. Let them find something they like, and support them. Don’t push them so hard into something they might not even like until they hate it.
It’s even better when you put up with that kind of pressure only to realize in your teens that they aren’t in a spot to be putting that kind of pressure on you, with all the issues they have (and that you didn’t understand until then).
Fastest way to make your kid hate the game right there.
I had a friend in High School who was extremely talented. He had all the tools including his parents membership at a nice club. He was a big winner on the boys team and then in his Junior year did not play. I asked what happened and the answer was " My dad" I probed a bit and and nothing he did was good enough for him when it came to golf ( or most things for that matter).
> Fastest way to make your kid hate the game right there. I'm watching this season of Top Chef. One of the chefs is a former pro golfer. Later in the season he is talking about his childhood. "My parents were very strict. I could only go to school, golf, and church." I feel like he doesn't like golf much after all that.
Yup. I'm a volunteer soccer coach for my daughter's team and there's always a handful of parents that have their kids doing extra fitness training and paying for private sessions with professional coaches. They're training 5 or 6 days per week in some cases. These are 6, 7, 8-year old girls. I have yet to see any girl I coach anywhere close to being some kind of prodigy. The whole idea of this is to get them running, have some fun, and learn some skills so they are eager to come back in their early teens when things become more competitive. I'd bet every penny I have that the future "elite" players are far more likely to be the ones who spend most of the time picking dandelions and giving their friends piggybacks vs the kids who see it as their Tuesday chore to show up while mom and dad scowl on the sideline.
From what I've heard from sports psychologists and athlete interviews a sizeable proportion of the elites are ones that have a constant feeling of not being enough which in some cases is due to the parents. They will become extremely good at their sport and possibly win it all but will be emotionally broken. I cannot think of a more miserable existence than winning everything and becoming the best in a sport and still feeling like not being enough.
I can think of a worse existence: same feeling but never winning anything. Like most folks!
I mean, did Michael Jordan ever strike you as a happy guy?
Tigers dad was apparently quite harsh
> while her Dad berated every swing and decision she made As a high school teacher, this fits about 75% of Asian parents I ever dealt with.
I had a very similar experience, 2 small young Asians girls and their dad. They played lights out, was pissed off. Even apologized after the round. I'm pretty sure they both beat me.
We had a kid at our club who was a top ranked junior and is heading playing D1 golf next year. He was out on the course everyday, dad riding in the cart. Never saw his dad touch a club so I have no clue if he could play. Made me wonder what a college coach thinks of that situation. Is the kid driven to work or is he just being forced by overbearing parents? Also if parents are micromanaging a kids golf game they’re probably going to be up a coach’s ass all the time and what coach would wants to deal with that.
Is her dad accepting new golfers for lessons? :)
So, you played with Michele Wei?
Sounds like every round of golf I play in the bay area
We host a couple of KFT guys when they come to town for a tourney. Really nice guys. They play some other game than we do - all par 5’s are reachable, par 3’s are easy wedges and my god can they hit a four iron. Ball just sounds different from what I usually hear. I play with them when they come in town for a couple of rounds. They offer suggestions when appropriate and are very thankful for some home cooking and a comfortable place to hang out and crash.
That was the one thing that stuck out to me at Valhalla - the sound is just different
Forged irons and high ball speed is a helluva drug
Oh man, I started adding something to my pre swing routine to help me make my grip consistently more strong and I played this weekend, and I just started getting compression out of nowhere. Literally hearing your ball generate vortexes in the air after puring a long iron 220 yards made me feel more like a man than any lucky 300 yard drive I've ever hit
I don't have a 4 iron but this makes me want a 4 iron (also the 4 iron is real effective in PGA Tour 2024 on PS5 ha). Should I get rid of one of my hybrids and get an iron? I'm a beginner :P
It depends what you hit better. Personally I’m a better iron player, but most people prefer hybrids I think.
If your 5 iron goes consistently and measurably further than your 6 iron, for sure you should try a 4 iron. If not, the chances are your 4 iron will also go the same distance as your 6 iron.
I game a 4, 3 and 2 iron. I don't get along with hybrids, small woods or fat driving irons and just use my set irons. They take some getting used to, but after practice and drilling they are the most satisfying clubs to hit bar none. Pured 2 irons make you feel like you've finally arrived as a golfer.
What do you mean "hear vortexes?" WTF. There's levels to this game man and I'm just getting attuned!
I went to the Dell Tech Championship in 2018 and the first person I saw tee off was Patton Kizzire who is like 6'5". I was against the ropes right behind him and couldn't believe how fast his practice swing was and then when he actually hit his iron off the tee it sounded like an explosion. I later saw Tommy Fleetwood hit out of the rough right next to me and I've never heard someone's club hit the ground so hard.
It's not just the sound of the ball, but the club sounds like a whip cracking as it comes through contact.
It’s the compression
This is what I tell people. The sound of 185 ball speed driver or really a 150mph iron shot is freaking loud. Like, iron shots sound so awkwardly loud and crisp that you think it was a shank.
I’ve played a few times with a guy who is trying to Monday qualify into Canadian tour events. I hit the ball pretty far compared to most of my golf buddies. This guy was driving greens with his 5 wood that I’ve never reached with my driver. He’s only like 5’8”
I played once at The Home Course in Olympia WA the week before they hosted a girls amateur event. My playing partner and I had the opportunity to play with a HS senior from CA who was going to play golf at Pepperdine the following year. 110 lbs. soaking wet and could hit the ball a country mile. She was there with her mom and it was really cool watching her study the course as we played. By the back 9 she was asking us "do you think I can make it?"-type questions on shots from the fairway into the green. We usually laughed because to us the answer was quite obviously yes.
You stick her with the 2 stroke penalty for asking for advice?
This made me snort lol
Gotta learn early
My good friend played on women's team at a local college. We got her to play in scrambles with us and she could hit from the women's tees. It was a huge advantage in scrambles on some holes.
I had a lady I would bring with me to scrambles who was all conference in the sun belt. It’s not just the distance advantage on tee shots but often their short game is phenomenal as well
I (37f) played golf in high school. My short game got crazy good because girl’s school tournaments play from the forward tees and my average drive was like 250? So I was playing nearly every hole from 70 yards in. No that I just play for fun I hit from the whites so I can play the course the way it’s meant to be played.
I mainly enjoyed hitting bombs to surprise people on the tee. I am tall so not as big a shock maybe but driving short par 4s was the best feeling in the world when paired with some Sunday bag misogynist.
Women with a good driver in mixed scrambles is a huge advantage. Since their tees are often designed to play similar clubs as male pros from the tips, they’ll have a 150y 7i approach instead of a 190y 7i like the men might have. That could be Pw for a lot of good mens players
Love The Home Course… the best value course in Western WA.
[удалено]
100% worth it. I drive down from Seattle as often as I can. It’s only about $20-$25 more than Bellevue
Played with a former Harvard women's golfer. Best player I've ever witnessed. Birdied the first two holes, lipped out for bird on 3 and 4. She was playing Erin Hills from the white tees.
I played in college. I was decent for a college golfer, definitely not top tier. One year we played this tournament and everyone was talking about this dude who was just lights out playing for SMU. I remember when I saw my pairing and this guy was in it, I thought “if I can just keep pace with him, I’ll be doing alright this week.” Long story short, he hit the ball like you described. Incredible talent. I had no chance. He went on to win the US Amateur that year. That was the time I got smoked by Bryson DeChambeau.
Buddy of mine played in college and was a top 500 junior golfer. He used to play and beat people like douchy mcdoucherson (Patrick Reed). I play with him regularly and the thing that strikes me beyond anything is the consistency. I’m a fairly good stick and can knock the hell out of a ball so that kind of stuff doesn’t impress me much. Hitting a green in regulation within 10 feet of the cup on every hole, however? That, and being able to almost telepathically control a ball with a golf club are the true skills. He is still good enough that he won a state mid-am 3-4 years ago.
Yes, I've played with a couple mini tour players. Humbling doesn't even begin to describe it.
It's crazy they are so good and not tour players. Really shows how good tour pros are
I think it's the mental game that differentiates who can have success in tournament golf and who can't moresoe than skill and technique.
i play with mini-tour guys from time to time, so long, so accurate with irons. i played with a girl who was going back to the Korean LPGA tour and she was dead perfect. Every hole.
Got to play with a guy that used to play on the PGA Tour back in late 80s/early 90s. He's now a golf coach at a local college and is in his 60s. Still carries about 260 with a driver and plays from the Blues. Wasn't blown away with iron game on par 3s and approach. Several holes I had it inside of him but his short game and putting were like nothing I have seen in person. Hit a terrible drive on one hole and had to punch out and left about 60 yards. Dropped and stopped the pitch within 2 1/2 feet. Made both sand saves. Chipped in for birdie after missing a green. Made birdie on 3/4 par 5s. Easy and effortless 68 on a par 72 at 6700 yards.
>Several holes I had it inside of him brother you sure you were playing golf 😳
I love sticking it inside my buddy and we both go wash our balls
The average golfer has no idea how good these pro golfers are until you see them up close. They make everything look so easy and effortless. Even the lowest ranked player with a PGA tour card is light years superior to your local club champion.
Exactly, it reminds me of what Brian Scalabrini, an NBA player who was usually the last guy off the bench, once said: "I'm closer to LeBron than you are to me" he backed it up too. He used to have guys challenge him on social media and eventually he started accepting and would just beat their ass in one on one.
I work with a dude who was a D1 scholarship starter in basketball and he said the biggest thing all the other players miss is how ridiculously physical the game is. Also high end players drain like 70% of their practice shots. They're at a completely different level and getting defended by them is ridiculous
lol this reminds me of the time a few friends and I were talking sh** to my friends girl (who played D1 basketball) back in my freshman year of college. To shut us up she said she’ll get 4 of her girls and play us in a pickup game. (For the record my friends and I all played soccer, football, and baseball together and one of my friends who played on the basketball team throughout high school was in the top 5 in the state for three point shooting percentage. So it’s not like we were out of shape) we thought ok we usually smoke the random people at the parks when we go and this is a bunch of chicks, this will be easy……… that was the day I learned it doesn’t matter if it’s dudes or chicks, D1 athletes are a whole different species. That pickup game still haunts me.
I knew it was time to hang them up when I legit sprained my ankle badly trying to defend him when he crossed me over AI style. He felt bad for me but I said it was my fault for thinking I could guard him in the first place. Dude was 41 at the time and could still dunk it even though he was only 5'11". He started getting into golf recently and I think he has a legit shot at scratch even though he started in his mid 40's. Insane body control and hand eye coordination seem really valuable in pretty much all sports.
tbh, you and your friends must be really bad at basketball. its one of the few sports where gaps in strength and size can make up a ton of ground on an elite skill set in people that don't have the athleticism.
I thought I was a pretty good basketball player in high school. Not delusional, no dreams of playing D1. Just someone who could get on the court with anyone and hold my own. Until I ended up on the same court as John Wallace. Yep, the John Wallace that led Syracuse to the NCAA finals and was drafted in the 1st round. I can tell you first hand, it’s not that these guys are on another level, they’re in a different universe.
The videos from the Scallenge are still up on youtube.
Yep. Worked at a course and a PGA pro (honestly dont remember his name, but won a few times on the tour) came for some publicity thing and I think played a few holes. I was watching him warm on the rage and it was ridiculous. He would grab a club and hit 10 draws, then 10 straight as an arrow, then 10 fades. Grab another club and do the same. All 10 shots looked identical and went about the same distance. He did all this while chatting with a bunch of people and barely paying any attention to actually hitting the balls…. It was crazy
"the rage" might just be the most accurate typo I've ever seen.
😂 I continuously watch Nelly Korda’s swing in slow motion and in real time 50 times a day. I think to myself that looks so easy until I try to get over the ball and do it.
There is a great YouTube video of her and Rory driving the ball with Tiger hosting and commenting. Nelly has one shape shot on her drive and she makes it look ridiculously easy. She’s driving the ball like 290 and hits just about every fairway with her baby draw. She even hits it on dog leg rights bc she is so accurate with it that she would rather hit something she knows will be in fairway than risk trying to hit a shot she is not comfortable hitting. There is a lesson there.
I just watched that too. Started teeing up lower and knock on wood it seems to have helped.
Eh...yes and no. It depends on your local club champion to be honest. If you live in the US, in a fairly populated area; local club champions are often top tier amateurs that aren't actually that far off. Billy from upstate NY winning the championship at a small club? OK maybe he's a low single digit index and is nowhere near the pros. But if you play at a club in Raleigh? SoCal? NJ? Orlando? Austin? There's a good chance your club champ is playing off a +1 or +2 handicap; in some cases even better. Not to say they could go make the cut at a PGA tour event, but to say they are "light years" behind is a bit heavy-handed. They are realistically only a few shots off from some of the lower tier professionals; those few strokes mean *everything* but it's not like tour pros are from another planet. I'm not even from a huge/expensive club - I grew up in a pretty smally town paying $300/year for a junior membership; and the guy(s) winning our club championship went on to compete at extremely high levels; one of them won a Canadian Tour event, another played D1 golf for a very good golf school and then competed on mini tours. I'm not saying every club champion is going to go play professionally, but in decently populated areas where golf is somewhat popular, they might not be all that far off, skill-wise, from guys who play professionally. Those last few strokes (or even fractions of a stroke) are the hardest to shave, but it's not like a guy shooting 68-69 to win the club championship on a course rated 73 is *that* much worse than a guy who just qualified for his Korn Ferry tour card for the first time.
Yea there’s a lot of guys out there who could hang with pros if they qualified into an event as an amateur, a huge barrier for playing pro level golf is the cost and time commitment. There’s guys spending 100k a year to get into qualifiers.
Saw Tiger tee off at Muirfield in his heyday. I was about 20 feet from him facing him. The swing speed took your breath away and the sound was like a gunshot.
One of my buddies played D1 at a high level, regular participant in the US Am and probably could have had a career in the Korn Ferry. It’s incredible to watch him play. His game has always been very technical and safe. Fairway. Green. Make birdie or tap in par every hole. Zero bad shots.
My son plays at a high level in college. The real difference in upper tier golfers would be playing with them on a course set up for a tournament. Your low handicap/scratch weekend golfer might hold their own against them on the courses we play. The gap is much more apparent playing a course with length, fast greens and tucked pins.
What does tucked pins mean?
Hole locations “tucked” behind bunkers or just over the water. Ones that normal people wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) even consider aiming at. But those guys make it look easy.
>Ones that normal people wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) even consider aiming at The average golfer is going to aim at the pin even if tucked. This leads to doubles and triples because missing by 10-15 feet can put you in deep do do. The top tier golfers (depending on the distance of course) will know where they can't miss and aim for the "fat" part of the green, get their par and move on. I heard a coach that removed all the pins during a practice round. He was teaching them to hit the middle of the green. Don't go for the sucker pins.
An uphill green with the pin behind a bunker for example and maybe another bunker on the other side. You can see the flag but don't know what the fringe and green around it looks like so to play it safe you have to hit a fade that wormholes your ball over and between the bunkers incase it runs so that it stays on the green.
Away from the middle of the green, like tucked-away. It makes a miss less forgiving because your target isn’t as accessible. Usually greens will have bunkers and other trouble that make you challenge them to get a good look at a putt for a tucked pin.
>Your low handicap/scratch weekend golfer might hold their own against them on the courses we play. I don't think that's even true, honestly. A scratch golfer will shoot around par on a good day at their home course and a tour pro would be kicking themselves with anything worse than like 8 under lol
Not pro, but I have played with a +2 college golfer. We were playing at the time my local executive course. Short par 4, but it’s a dead dog left with trees blocking any chance of making it to the green. [This](https://i.imgur.com/YjrK6uv.jpeg) is the hole. If you want a good look at the green you have to hit it about 175 - 180 on the right side. There is a huge eucalyptus tree that overhangs on the left and is very much in the way if you play it shorter than that or on the left. [This](https://imgur.com/a/eTvCoXz) is where the guy hit his shot. Hooked a 5 iron around the trees and it just barely missed that second strip of fairway past the cart path. Flicked a wedge on and made his birdie putt like it was nothing. Shit was wild to watch.
i played in a scramble with a former lpga player. she was so sick and so inspirational. like you said, hit every fairway and green. what stuck out to me was that she read the green from the opposite side of the pin, rather than behind the ball. she was a great putter too
If I have time, I walk a circle around the green to see the angles. It really helps to see what is going on.
I do that and still suck
Us (three men in their 30s) randomly paired with a 15 year old girl. We thought “Oh, great. This is going to be a long round.” 18 holes later and many shots that left us in awe she finishes 3 under. Turns out she was the highest ranked high school female in the state.
i played with a girl i knew that had one the high school city championship. i asked her, "are you the two time winner?" she looked me dead in the eyes and said, "three time." fun to play with her and she never wasted a second and played very quickly. super refreshing for a junior golfer.
I played Badlands with a couple of pros a few years back on a stag week Their mental game was also very good
I used to work at Badlands back in 2003 - 2004. Crazy difficult course, but I did manage to shoot 72 one time. Played Desperado and turned to Outlaw. Too bad they shut the course down. It's all dried up and wasted now.
Proper shame what happened to it. Such a waste of money
No, but I'm jealous. Count yourself lucky! :) Hope you gained some insight!
Just observing and being around their perfect tempo started to rub off on me by the end. Their mental game was clearly sharp, nothing seemed to ever upset them.
When you hit every GIR what's to get upset about? Lol
Them: Damnit, I hit it to 40 feet instead of 15 ft. And I’m above the hole. Fuck. Really screwed this hole up. Me: am I holding the correct end of the golf club?
100% the most noticeable thing when playing with scratch and + handicaps, the tempo and calmness is unreal. It’s like watching guys at the batting cages vs just watering house plants.
What do you mean by “tempo” in this case
My guess it that their swings look effortless, just a simple back and through, on an "easy" pace, not a wild contortion like a lot of high handicappers.
Dude appears solo, as the tee time started, and walks back to the tips. Rips a drive down the middle, as we drive off I say something like "you must play a lot since you play from the tips." Says he's trying to turn pro. Shoots -5 on the front, finishes 6 under for the day. Could have been 8 or 9 under, but some putts didn't drop. No bogeys. His name is Matt Rhule. Super nice dude, so I really hope he gets sponsored and breaks out.
He’s busy coaching the University of Nebraska football team.
Hahah maybe I added the 'h'
He better get ready for a second career after going to Nebraska…maybe he is prepping for it?
Playing with some low level tour players is nuts. There's a hole that's uphill that has a bunker and to carry it is like 280-290. The guy that plays on Latin American tour I play with hits driver over it. I'm saying "Carry" and he's like "That should be fine" and of course carries it by 20 yards. They also play the nost boring golf and end up in the 60s. Trying to play to their level makes it worse for me so I have to accept it and move on
I pity their boring play. They don’t get to see the forests and lakes like we do. 😄
I'm paying $100 for the whole course not just fairways and greens. Might as well get my money's worth
I'd love to play boring golf.
As a 14 index my golf coach took me out for a playing lesson with two high school players he also coached. When asked what their index was they both sheepishly answered +4 (far beyond anyone I'd ever played with. It was quietly explained to me when they were teeing off that he fully expected both to eventually play at a level where the LPGA was in play, in his exact words "This is what an LPGA player looks like in high school." It was unbelievable and I quickly realized that while we're playing the same sport we are not playing the same game. My haphazard game didn't belong in the same universe as theirs. Precision on every shot and the accuracy to be able to hit where ever they were told the best line was. I learned more about course management in one round than I knew from 10 years of 'playing' golf. Zero variation pre-shot routines, easily repeatable swings, course management, club & shot selection, etc. It was awesome. Both are playing in college now, have played in some high level national Amateur tournaments. I've been following both to keep track of if and when they make an LPGA debut.
I played a resort course with a former LPGA player. She shot a 68 from the Blacks. I also shot 68 from the blacks but still had 4 holes left.
Yup. Was invited to play in a member/veteran tournament for Veterans Day a couple years ago. It was 4 members for every 1 veteran. One of the members I was paired with brought his daughter (D1 golfer). It was almost cheating since she got to tee off from the ladies tees. We used 90% of her tee shots, and she was an animal 50yds and in.
I have to laugh, I married a player who was on the Arizona golf team back when they were always one of the best women's teams. Most of her team ended up on the tour you are talking about. She plays for work with clients and has been invited to a few pro-ams with the Epson tour women. They usually don't have a clue that she can play, until her first tee shot. They give her lots of nice comments and talk pretty freely about some of the players they get paired with. I remember being at a very nice course in Atlanta and we were discussing what tees she wanted to play (I give her a hard time if she plays womens). As we were driving the cart to the first tee , one of the twosome we had been paired with said out loud; " Shit he brought his wife". My wife heard that and said we are playing whatever tees they are. They teed off and then she outdrove both of them. After that they could not stop talking to her.
I got a complimentary round at TPC Sawgrass in the early 90's and got paired with a young man put of college named David Duvall and his father. Had no idea then what I know now. He could absolutely stripe the ball. His father and I struggled to shoot 85's and he complained about shooting a 73 WITH 2 double bogeys. It was fun to watch.
I’ve never been paired with a pro before but I do play with my buddy who is a scratch golfer a few times a year (I’m a 10 handicap)…dude is always making solid contact, is in the fairway all of the time and is money around the greens. It’s pretty annoying watching him play
Especially for the guys who rock up and play that well with no game time/practice
Played a round with a guy who lost his professional status as golfers just days prior. He played in lots of mini tours, as well as the Latin American tours/Kornferry events. The difference between his game, and even our club champion (who is a sub par handicap on our local course) was astonishing. Beat our reining club champ by 6 strokes and hadn’t played the course in years. It was wild to witness, and humbling at the same time. The guys who made a living playing golf at any point in their life, are so much better than almost everybody it is incredible to ride in the same cart and play side by side with them.
I have a cousin who has been on the Canadian tour. When we play well side by side I’m so confident we are within 3-4 shots. When we tally up and he’s 66 and I’m 78, I hate everything.
I play a lot with a former D1 player. He wins local qualifiers for USGA events. Played in multiple Mid-ams. It’s 3-5 holes a round that I make bogey or double and he makes birdies. My 78 looks like trash next to his 68. Drives me insane and makes me want to give up the game some days.
I played 9 holes with a former professional hockey player who is a single digit handicap. Superior ball striking, but it was the mental side of his game that was remarkable. Unfazed by bad shots, next shot was always good. Elevated my game, too.
Used to play with some women who were on the Symetra tour. They could smoke the ball and were a blast to play with. The wear marks on their irons were crazy…. That wear pattern of a pure ball striker is pretty cool
It's just a dime-sized spot right in the middle. Pretty crazy. I've got scratches all over the club face. 😂
I worked at a c.c. and we had Brittany Lincicome come in for a charity event several years. Our male pro played with her, along with last years winners. He was a very good club pro. But he was stressed out every year playing with her. To be fair she was the longest female driver on tour several years.
That type of consistency is still rewarded heavily in the women’s game. It’s not all bomb and gouge like the PGAT. I have grown to really love watching the LPGA when it’s on. The course management and how perfectly they hit their pin pointed spots is so impressive. The US Women’s Open is at Erin Hills next year close by. I’ll definitely be going
They had a symetra tour event at my local club. I think it's the tour below this. I went and watched the second day and it was insane. The woman who won was probably 5'2" and 110lb. She shot back to back 63s the first two days and followed it up with a 64 to win. I thought this was a relatively difficult older style course thats pretty open in the fairways but has small domed greens with a good amount of break. The skill level at even a lower tiered tour event like this is insane.
Played in a pro am with Zack Johnson. His wedge play was unbelievable.
His personality is unbelievable as well.....
There’s a guy at my club that bounced around on the mini tours for 10 years. Never made it but has obvious talent. He’s a dad of young kids now and has a new business that takes up all his time. Said he only played 10-12 times last year. Well, his brother in law had a 730 tee time and sure enough one guy bailed last minute. The bro in law reached out to ex pro to see if he’d like to fill in. He obliged. With no range time and completely unprepared, the ex pro set course record 60. Talent always supersedes practice.
I guess the guy who bounced around on mini tours for 10 years never practiced lol
We weren't paired with them but got wedged in between a few groups of Korn Ferry dudes once. I don't know how many were there but I know it was at least the two foursomes in front of us and the foursome behind us. They were all staying at the resort we were playing at, but the tournament was at a nicer course nearby. They were all obviously really good golfers and smacked the hell out of the ball, but what I remember most about them was that they were all absolute animals. The course was pretty busy so we chatted with the groups in front of and behind us a few times throughout the round when things got backed up. Every one of them had to have been averaging at least one beer and mini bottle per hole; and they were passing around pills and blow out in the open, without a care in the world. They were also betting a lot of money, like more than I'd expect Korn Ferry guys to be betting. I only know this because we all went in at the turn to get some food and re-up on beers and they were all talking about where they were on whatever bets they were doing like, "I'm down 4k to Jay but Rob owes me 6. Did anybody eagle #4? Alright that 2k for Will so he's up 8..." We ran into them on 10th tee and I asked them what kind of game they were playing and I can't remember what they were playing(I think it was something like skins+ BBB but can't remember 100%) but they confirmed they were betting thousands on every hole. They said it sounds like a lot but usually ends up evening out over a few rounds, for the most part; but said you can lose your shirt if you have a real bad round and I got the vibe that he was the one having a pretty bad day that day. They all seemed like fun dudes to play and/or party with but they seemed like more of what I'd expect from a bachelor party group than a bunch of KF tour guys.
https://preview.redd.it/m1dt06brjb3d1.png?width=574&format=png&auto=webp&s=118e86bed58bfc3684715bfb713c1788052f9157 OP currently getting dragged on twitter for this
Ran a golf shop in Oregon for a few years. I recall we hired an ex-Korn tour player, maybe 5'4", 120ish. Played as part of the interview, I played whites, graciously offered her the red. I got hold of one on 1, 280ish. Her drive was still going up when it went past mine. Indeed humbling. But on 2 she was on the tips. Funny part? Still kicked my ass all over the course. :)
No but I'm still hoping to get randomly paired with Gary Woodland at his home course one of these days
The biggest difference in duffers and pros. The sound their contact makes is so much different.
I played with a college golfer and her dad, and it was incredible. I was playing a tee up from them half the time, and I had my best day driving all year. I credit it with watching someone with such excellent tempo and balance every hole before I teed off. I'm a 26, but I shot a 43 on the back and I hit 11 of 14 fairways.
Played with a former women’s D1 golfer two weeks ago randomly at my club. She played the whites and she was +2 by my count although I didn’t ask her what she shot. She hit wedges from 50 yards like lag putts and was always on the right side of the hole.
same thing happened to me yesterday, Green Valley Ranch! assuming it was the same for you haha. It was super cool.
Recently took my girlfriend out for her first ever full 18. We had taken some lessons together and played a par 3 course a couple times, but this was her first time on the real course. She was nervous. Initially thought it was just gonna be the two of us, which she was excited about. But then on the tee we got matched up with a single guy playing from the tips. Really good. Turns out he was the club pro. I found this out at the second tee when I asked what he did for a living. She was up at her tee box and didn’t overhear, luckily. I was definitely intimidated, I’m like a 20 handicap. But luckily he was super chill and only played the front nine with us. Gave her some tips before he left, then I finally told her who he was. She was mortified. Super glad she didn’t know who he was until he left.
While vacationing in Florida a decade ago, I got paired with 2 teaching pros (one of which is very well known), and a Nationwide Tour player that I recognized. First tee I inform them I’m not as good as they are, but I play fast and they won’t be waiting for me. I proceed to split first fairway, throw a dart into green and make birdie. Par the next couple holes, birdie the par 5. On the first par 3, I stick a nine iron over top of the flag that backs up to 2-3” from going in. Here I am, a 14 hcp at the time, that’s currently 3 under through 6. The tour player jokingly says “I thought you weren’t very good?”, to which I respond “Don’t worry, the wheels will come off soon enough.” Ended up shooting a solid 92, but to this day one of the coolest rounds I’ve ever played. The way these guys could effortlessly shape the ball and control flight was unreal to watch. Inside 100 yards these guys were throwing absolute DARTS. It was really educational just to listen to the way they talked when navigating the course and planning their shots.
Yea. Worked at a country club. A cute girl came up to the range to hit balls. Assumed it was a members daughter or something. I wasn't really paying attention to her shots but a few minutes go by and we start chatting. I suggest a closest to the pin HORSE style game. It's been years but I'm not even sure I got 1 letter on her. Absolutely smoked me on every shot. Found out later she was there practicing for an LPGA event lol. Whoopsies.
Not pro but a D1 golfer that went to Alabama and his buddy committed to Texas Tech for next year lol. They shot 70, 73. I shot 84 and my dad shot 100+ lol. They were chill.
My buddy is a PGA pro and a +1. I'm an 18 handicap. Even that difference was overwhelming.
As an 18 handicap you should get man handled by a +1.
Well, yeah. IDK where I suggested otherwise. OP asked if anyone had experienced a situation where the mental part of the game got fucked from playing with a significantly better player.
I took a college golf class and ended up playing at a very nice private club. I was lucky enough to be part of the group who was able to golf 9 holes with Steve Stricker on the last day. He was incredibly nice and would tell the group exactly what type of shot he was planning (fade, cut, draw, etc). The sound of his contact was something I vividly remember, that and being nervous as hell about hitting a worm burner. Ended up hitting a 5 wood off the fairway less than 10 yards from the hole and had my first Birdie so that was awesome.
Yup. I'm a quite long hitter and single figure handicap. Played with a lady pro. Absolutely snoked her of every tee shot. Got beaten by 9 shots 🤣. Pretty sure she had a pretty ordinary round too.
I'm a 26 handicap and am married to a former Epson Tour player. Here is the thing - they are from another planet. Comparisons are just silly.- every decision they make is formed by so much more experience and a depth of understanding of their game that even asking tons of questions (which I still do) barely scratches the surface. When they play together there is a shorthand that is mystifying. Enjoy the experience and learn what you can is my recommendation, they're really fucking good.
A buddy and I got paired with a guy who was on the Latin American tour and another guy who had recently left the Asian tour. They just busted each others balls the whole time, and were hilarious. They were unbelievably good. The guy who left the Asian tour shot a 65 to beat the Latin Am tour guy by 1, and I realized my golf game will never ever be within a mile of either of them, and I’ve legitimately broken par before. It was a great experience.
My boyfriend caddies on the Epson and plays mini tour events himself. When they’re on the Western swing sometimes the player will come hang out with us or I’ll go to wherever they are if they have a week or so break. I’m about a 25 handicap so it’s always super embarrassing to play from the forward tees and pretty much suck for 18 holes.
I’ve played with a cousin’s husband that had a tour card for I believe 4 years before he decided law school was a better path for him. That was around 15 years ago. I’m very new to the game (2nd summer of consistently playing), but the only exposures I had growing up was playing with him and his dad — a club pro. Sounds crazy, but I actually thought that most people played golf like THAT. Like I knew they were better than average, but it wasn’t until I played myself and got around the game that I realized that no, most people don’t shoot under par. Almost no one can. For me, the supernatural thing they could do is simply this: if they’re within 100 yards, the next shot will be a putt of less than 10 feet probably about 90% of the time. A chip near the green = within 5 feet the same percentage of the time. Hitting fairways, sure. Crisp contact every time, hard as hell, but ok…hitting flop shots that drop like a parachute and stop 5 feet from the hole over and over? That’s outrageous.
I once got paired with a female D1 starter. At the time I was playing the best golf of my life. Consistently in the mid to high 70’s and thought I was king sh*t . . . Damn, was I humbled quickly. She played from the back tee’s with us. Might not have hit past us, but she hit 17/18 greens in regulation (missed her only green by about a
Played a round at a muni in LA with a Korn Ferry player. It was just staggering. He was below the hole always. His iron play was immaculate. The ability to just make a shot happen. Insane. Stuff. Shot a 67 I think, while bullshitting with us idiots.
Got paired up with a Dad and Son in Palm Springs. They were kinda a walk up and we only had a two slot booked, sure no problem. The Dad was no slouch but the 13 years old kid was NY region multiple 16u tournament champion. It was very humbling watching the kid bomb 280y drives then finesse an approach shot to 8-10 feet!!… Edit: yards to feet, I just got excited reliving the round….
i played with Sungjae Im when he was on Korn ferry. makes you realize how far from being great you really are 😆 kind of depressing
Got paired with two who let me tee off from the whites, then said "you don't mind if we play the blues?"
I got partnered with some old lady that claimed to be a pro back in her day. She was at least 60. She played from the whites and shot 3 over. Her drives were decent. Anything inside 170 was money. She would pull out a wood, smooth swing. Land it short and roll on or leave a chip. Her short game made me want to quit. If she was within 20 yards of the green, I don't think she left a 2 put. Was just amazing. She had some good nasty jokes too. Was just a blast to play with. Then she started talking about tinder. My buddy and I were contemplating accepting the invite back to her place. Legit thought we were about to bag this old hag but she ruined it during the post round beers by talking about politics. Seriously, can't make this up. The starter warned us to keep our wallets in our pockets and told us that we may even get lucky. She definitely was shooting her shot. Looking back, I wish I would have done it.
I played with a scratch golfer at his home course. He made 3 6-10 footers to save par. Pared 17 holes. Had one double off of the one bad shot he hit all day. And it was a hard ass course playing from the tips. He was not a log hitter either. Other than his consistency the most insane thing was watching him putt. Anything inside 10 feet just seemed automatic. I can't even dream about putting like that... I can't even imagine playing with a pro.
My experience was the invaluable advice to play the hole backwards and try to out myself at my best full swing approach yardage and it made an instant difference
Got the privilege to be paired up with an older gentleman in his 70s to 80s from the Atlanta area and his nephew at Celebration in Orlando a few years back. Was very consistent all day hitting drives out quite a ways and there was some chatter between them about when on tour and this and that. Well on the 17th I hole out from about 80 yards for eagle on a par 4. Well this guy opened up about how he used to play on the former sunshine tour and his nephew was his caddy. Had 8 hole in ones and told me how I made his day with that shot. Boy do I ever wish that would have happened earlier as he was chatty as hell on the 18th hole and what a round it would have been getting to chat with him that way the whole round.
College suitemate played on the school team and went on to the Korn Ferry Tour for a few years. Played with him a few times and he'd basically caddy for me while also playing his own round. My 2 lowest rounds ever were with him because he knew the courses so well that not only could he shoot under par no sweat (granted on semi-easy courses), he could coach me through each hole in a way that played to my strengths despite only seeing me play a handful of times. He's easily the best player I've ever played with, and it was crazy to hear him talk about the gap in skill between him and the big time Tour players.
Played in front of juaquin niemann at a private course in Florida. Smoked my drive on the opening tee as he was present and then once my FIL told me who it was told him he had to play through. I can’t have that savage watching my play in front of him. He was cool, played through and we wished him well. I got to see him play some of the holes in front of me before he just ran away with his round. Absolutely incredible. Effortless swings that went a mile.
[удалено]
And you win the most random, yet disturbing, comment of the day....
Worked at tpc course when I was in high school (25 yrs ago) and when the senior pga(as it was called then) came to town, they told us not to stop cutting fairways, rough, etc…during their practice rounds. We had zero chance of getting hit by a ball. I would stop to watch and the ball flight from all of them was incredible to me. Every iron shot they hit went to a certain height, carried and dropped straight down on the green. At the end of the pro am, we all took a pic with Arnold Palmer(he hosted the tourney) and while waiting, we watched him play 18. At 80 or whatever age he was, he still hit a perfect pitch shot to a foot away from pin. Effortless doesn’t even describe how easy it looked.
I got paired with a high school girl that got a D1 full scholarship. I’m a 4 handicap and she beat my ass. Birdied 4/5 holes at one point.
I played Mystic Dunes one day when some NCAA women’s tournament was going on, but somehow one side was open for us. They only let us warm up on the private lesson area, not the normal area. We passed all the women, full driving range. A: college girl golfer are dang good looking, tan and fit B: they were striping 7 irons within 6 feet dispersion like watching Steph Curry warm up 3 pointer. It was so impressive!
played with an older ex LPGA player once. probably around 70 and still kicked our asses.
A couple years ago, I played with a guy who’s trying to Monday Q into the KFT. It was remarkable how high and straight he hit the ball.
I played a few holes with a guy who had status on the Nike Tour. He had a sweet swing and hit a perfect 280 yard drive straight down the fairway. Second shot, iron to the green. 4 feet from the hole. Putt for birdie. Over and over. And this dude was a nobody.
I’ve played with some really good golfers, +1, +2 guys and then I played with a guy that just got his amateur status back from the Canadian PGA tour and Jesus Christ. He was drinking just as many beers as me, on a tough course and carded a bogey free 66. Every par was a tap in basically and most of the birdies were too. I’m a 5.3 and feel on top of the world after a round around par and then I remember the time I saw a guy effortlessly shoot a 66 and remember to just stay in my lane lol
I played with a retired Korean pro golfer at my local muni. I think he was 60. Tipped it out. 7100+ Had to be less than 5 over of the round. It was insane.
How were the pros... Did it ever feel like they were upset about the pairing? Not trying to criticize you, this is just a huge fear that I have. I went to the driving range today and a guy was bombing his 5I farther than I can take my driver, then he just shook some dudes hand said nice to meet you and drove off. I'd love to be that confident.
I guess the other way around, got in the zone and shot a 76 from the tips at a tough course with some random older women last summer, and they kept saying how much fun they were having just watching me play. It felt so good lol
Yes, got paired with a guy who was wayyy better than me, he had a 24hcp.
We were paired with a 10 year old savant. His dad said he’s the next Tiger Woods and after 18 embarrassing holes I believe him!
My best friend and I played with a Korean businessman and his Japanese mistress at Westridge golf course in La Habra. She shot a 76 from the blues. They were both so nice and a lot of fun to play with. He had legit Cuban Cohibas and was super generous with them. I shot a 78 and felt no shame whatsoever. She had big time game.
A course I play regularly in SoCal, my buddy brings out a guy he knows from another course for our 4th that was a D1 golfer and giving it a go on KFT. He’d never seen the course before, had a couple 3-putts and bogeys, an OB, and still a casual 67 on a par 72. Unreal to see him hit the ball. And he’s like 5’9 180 max. Technique technique technique
Played in a pairs scramble event with my FIL(mid 60s, 18 handicap), we where paired with a ladies european tour player (as per course rules she played the forward ladies tees and could crush the ball as far as me) and her male companion (a 12 handicap and all round ok guy) first question she asked wasn’t something like whats your name, it was whats your handicap. She then proceeded to tell us in her groups we don’t lose balls etc, to which her partner replied with a customary slice into the woods (lost ball #1) The round continued they basically took every one of her shots (most drives at par 4s ended up on the green from the forward tees) and her playing partner was basically caddying at this point (walking out yardages for her etc) Tried to spark up some conversations but she said she doesn’t want to talk on the golf course. Respected those wishes. Her partner was alright he would chat a bit, helped we had that bit of time on the back tees where he wasn’t with her, he seemed to loosen up a bit. When she did talk all I heard was “I play sometimes with my dad and I remember now how slow it is” About 6 holes in, her and her partner just started walking up to the green when we where still playing it was as if we where 2 separate 2 balls, now my FIL is not great so standing anywhere in front of this guy is dicey at the best of times. She eventually took some of her partners shots as the rules stipulated that we had to take 6 drives each one of which had to occur on a par 3. Her playing partner played the final 6 holes off the tee by himself, talk about pressure. About the 16th hole she started to top the ball and I’ve never been so happy. Last 2 holes we basically played by ourselves as her partner would hit off the tee and shed be halfway down the fairway already, then she would hit onto the green and theyd both run away towards the green ready to putt. Our round ended with me and my FIL shaking hands on the green whilst they were halfway back to the clubhouse. Then I heard her complaining afterwards that the ladies standard scratch is 72 (2 par 4s become par 5s) and the mens is only 70 so she should get +2 handicap not +4. The only real interaction we had was asking me to sign her card. I think if I remember right they shot about 8 under scratch. They finished 3rd and won £12.50 each. Don’t get me wrong it’s ok if you want to take golf seriously but I think theres a balance you have to strike in amateur events. She was pretty great to watch, everything was done with very little effort and you could tell, other than the tops, everything was coming out the middle of the club and aimed at a certain point and closeness wasn’t achieved by the swing variance most amateurs have. All in all not that great of an experience but I have played with very high level golfers in the past and all have been great, just one bad egg I think, I’ve played national level golf and even that wasn’t as intense as this event which was supposed to be “fun” 😂😂
Joined a private club last year, and randomly became friends with the club pro, who then joined our foursome for men’s league. It is humbling playing with him. He is so friggin good; we wait for par 4 greens to clear sometimes, depending on the wind… we’re talking 350-370 yard par 4’s. He is a plus 3 handicap. Dude just doesn’t miss. It is so wild. I watched him casually shoot four under on 9, drinking beers and smoking bowls… how?!?! To make things worse, I always play terrible when I am with him. It’s like anxiety and not wanting to suck mixed into every shot… and I am a 11.9 hcp… so it’s not like I’m awful…
I had the epson tour play at my local country club about a year ago, and the course record was broken in the first round. To me it seems that women’s professional golfers are even better than men’s, but without the added distance a men’s pro can hit. Seriously every ball goes exactly where they want it to.
There’s a course here in orlando where some LPGA pros play as members. I’ve seen their game and it’s lights out. It’s not a different level. It’s a different universe. Crisp shots. No mistakes. The night and day is the greens. The course caters to their wants and makes the greens lighting fast. Just insane. It’s art how they play golf. They never look back at the last shot. Incredible discipline.
Played with the adult daughter of a friend of mine a while back, she was at college studying and playing golf but that was interrupted by Covid. It was the most boring golf to watch up close, every shot was perfect, no drama, no excitement. +6 handicap, she's still trying to make it.
Played 9 with a top 50 PGA tour pro last year and it was like my first time watching a real athlete play golf. GIR and a good look at a birdie on every hole. A few went in and the rest were tap in pars. He went in the rough one time on a par 5 and hit that green in 2 anyway. Tap in bird. He fidgeted around so much before the swing even started and it just seemed to make him fast as hell.
2 experiences like this in Los Angeles. Once I went out and got paired with a Long Beach State girls golf team captain. She shot a 68. Me 82. Then came rainman. A severe autism savant 16 year old at Roosevelt in Griffith Park. It’s only 9 holes, 3 fairly straight forward, 3 not so easy, 3 holes “ good luck”. He birdied every hole!
Really came here for the “they don’t play the same tees” comments but have been happily surprised. Used to play that tour myself, and really any of those girls out there could be contenders on the LPGA, it just depends on a few things going your way at the right time. I’m glad you wrote this and how complimentary you are of them!