I have finally figured out how to break 80. And then I did it. Yes, you read that right. I, Josie, a 10 handicap golfer, broke 80 at Goodrich Golf Course.
Some of it was skill. Most of it was luck. When I mean luck, I REALLY did get lucky, especially towards the end of the round. I’ll elaborate further later.
But regardless, I did it. Out of the hundreds of hundreds of people I have met that play golf, I only recall a handful that have broken 80. Bossman, our Chief Editor Sarge, and a really good friend of mine, Kyle. I can now put my name down on that list.
Sure, I didn’t break par or shoot par, but I came close. Really close. Most of the people I golf with are thrilled to shoot in the high 80’s/ low 90’s. I did what most of them will never do. I did it while sticking to 4 simple rules. These 4 rules may help you the next time you’re out, so pay attention.
Rule #1 – Stick to The 4 Rules
THIS IS MASSIVELY IMPORTANT EVERYONE. It’s so important that I decided to use 1 of the 4 rules to make sure to trust the process. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, unravels at some point because of the lack of discipline or willingness to stick to their game plan.
I usually give up on my fucking game plan during the round, especially if it isn’t working for me.
This time, I made a dedicated effort to stick to the rules. First one being, stick to the rules/game plan and it will all work out eventually. Pretend you’re in Philly and trust the process. If you do that, it’s only a matter of time before you break 80.
Rule #2 – Hit the Putting Green
Your problem, like many golfers, is that you get to the course way too late. Either you have a meeting right before the tee time (Journalist Jake) or you just don’t care enough. You need to allow yourself time to warm up at the range or hit the putting green, but specifically the putting green.
Drive for show, putt for dough. Putting, in my opinion, is the most important thing in golf. It has make or break implications on every round. If you are able to avoid 3 putting, you can knock off up to 18 strokes (18!!!) off your score.
By warming up on the putting green, you can see how the greens are playing and what pace is appropriate for putting. Where I played, (Goodrich Golf Course), the greens are extremely fast and do not hold the ball well. Any mistake could really fuck your round up. I found that hitting the putting green beforehand was extremely valuable for me.
Rule #3 – Get on the Green as Fast as You Can
By “as fast as you can”, I don’t mean in terms of time. I mean in strokes. On a par 3, get on from the tee or close to the green. Par 4, get on in 2 or close to it. Par 5, get on in 3. This allows you to set yourself up for success with putting.
If you haven’t played the course before, this may take you a few holes to really get a feel for how the ball will sit on the green. For example, I have played Goodrich at least 80 times since I started golfing regularly in 2019, but still find it difficult to get the ball to stay on the green. I found that it is easier to aim for the front of the green and have the ball bounce then roll to where I want it to go.
By combining that with getting on the green ASAP, I found success. However, I started to fuck up towards the end of my round because I did not follow this rule. I continuously played the safe shot, which in some cases is the right thing to do. However, if you think you can play the punch-slice shot from underneath a pine tree from 178 yards out, DO IT. Again, trust the process and trust in yourself
Rule #4 – Limit Alcohol Consumption
I know, golf and booze go together like PB&J. But I promise you, limiting your alcohol intake will help your game.
Due to some health issues I have been dealing with, I have all but cut out alcohol from my diet. This actually was tough for me on the course, because when I’m out there, I need some liquid courage to hit that completely unnecessary flop shot from 8 yards out.
Sure, it’s fun to get loaded on the course with the fellas. But when you have to make a decision between the safe/smart shot or the risky shot you know you cannot make, you want to go with the correct choice. Alcohol will make you think you’re Tiger. You’re not Tiger. You’re Mike that works IT Monday-Friday and golfs 8 times a year.
Concluding Statements
I ended up finishing with a 79. Thru 12, I was on pace to shoot par. It was incredible and I have never played like that before. However, I totally disregarded most of my own rules which lead to some pretty fucking awful holes on the back 9.
Like I said earlier, I got very lucky and a lot of times you need that if you’re gonna break 80. For example, Goodrich is full of trees. Sometimes you blade one and it hits a tree. Usually here you’ll never see it again. But 2 of my blades hit a tree and went right onto the fairway about 150 yards in front of me. Luck. Still didn’t matter though, because the last few holes, again, were horrendous even with nature helping me.
See for yourself.
I was finally able to break 80 in golf… Now, I think my next challenge will be to hit a hole in one…
Former professional High School Baseball player. 12 Handicap Golfer. Patrick Reusse blocked me for calling him old.