[artofeyyy]

In my experience, and I am only 54 years old and have been playing golf about four years, it seems to me this game is more about ego then scoring.

Item: I played from the middle tees the other day and the three guys I was playing with played from the back tees. They had NO business paying from the back tees (none of them broke 100). Of course they asked me why I wasn't playing from the back tees and I said, "Not until I break 80 from the middle tees." One guy says I should play from the back tees as "You need a challenge." I told him that breaking 80 was challenging enough, for me anyway.

Item: Yesterday I was paired with a gentleman in his 80s, wearing a knee brace and hobbling around in and out of his cart. I only had my irons (5 on down) and noticed he was going to play the middle tees. I said, "I just have my irons and am going to play the red tees today." (wink, not). He was so happy to be playing the red tees. His average drive was about 140 and I knew he'd have more fun playing from the red tees, but he needed a reason to do so. Normally he would NEVER play from the red tees. How fun is that...hitting a fairway wood into every par four and hitting a fairway wood or driver on the par threes? Even the pros would have a problem getting GIRs with those clubs.

Item: Constantly underclubbing. I'm by no means a long hitting and I err on the side of overclubbing. "What club are you using?" "5-iron", I say. "I'm using a 7-iron," is the response. I end up on the green and they are short...along with the usual excuses: I didn't catch all of that, the wind knocked it down, etc.

Item: 200 plus yards over a pond to a green at #2 at my home course for an approach shot. I lay up. 99% of the golfers I play with go for it and "plunk". I lay up to 125 yards from the hole, just short of the pond. I usually make a five, no worse than a six, and the once in a while par, while they card a 7, 8, or worse.

Item: Excuses on the first tee: I haven't played much this summer; haven't been hitting it well lately; my shoulder is sore, etc. Just play the bloody game, no one is analyzing your shots and remembering every score on each hole.

Item: If I have a long way into a well protected par four I'll lay up. I have a fairly decent short game so I give my chance to get up and down, or at worst make a five. The heroes go for it and usually end up with big numbers.

Item: hitting driver off every tee. If a golfer can't get to a par five in two (or a par four for that matter), leave the driver in the bag if there is a lot of danger off the tee. If the fairway is wide open that is different. At my home course by "laying up" on my tee shot I automatically double the size of the fairway, which is very narrow to begin with. It's ranked the third toughest hole on the course but I find it to be the easiest hole on the course.

Item: I played nine holes the other day from the middle tees with my 5-iron on down (been doing a lot of iron work lately), and played with similar handicapped golfers. I beat all of them with a 42. Our home course is extremely tight. You MUST keep the ball in play or it is OB. They hit driver every chance they got.

Anyway, all this nonsense gets so tiresome. It's getting to the point where I prefer to play by myself so I don't have to witness such nonsense. I would much rather shoot an 82 leaving the ego at home then shooting a 92 and bringing my ego with me.

And, please note, I am by no means a long hitter. My strategy is to keep the ball in play, to give myself a chance to score.

What do you think? Is golf a game of scoring or a game of ego?

[Nutpoode]

I think for most, golf starts out as a ego issue. Especially when starting out, and the golfer knows they have some natural game talent to build up on. The number one ego issue I see has to do with distance. Distance is everything to some golfers.

As we get older, some of our "golf" ego gives way to common sense.......we grow up, and get smarter. I say "some of our golf ego" because I feel pretty good about my self when I play a young, long knocker, who out drives by 30-40 yards, but is still putting for bogey or worse after I am done, and have won the hole.

Everyone has a ego. It's a human trait we all share. If we know our limitations, abide by them, our ego is not going to be a problem.

I also think the pro tours have more "ego issues" than they care to admit to.

[Cabinanteerip]

DC1
Great examples... I happen to be a longer hitter, I played college baseball (so I've developed the right muscles for swinging hard) and I am only 30 (so I still have them). In previous years I have mostly played bomb and gauge golf, having a decent amount of success. This year I really tried to learn how to play different shots, high, low punch, draws and my natural fade. I've been taking a lot more 3w and my 19* hybrid off the tee, playing from the short grass, since my courses around here aren't mowing as often with gas prices. I also started aiming for the center of the greens and work the ball to the flags more. So instead of trying to hit a 7i 185 yds, I'll play a 6i and fade it in or punch it to keep it out of the wind...
I have been playing much more consistent this year and had a lot more chances at birdie (not that I'm sinking as many as I'd like). I'm sure a lot of it is because I'm swinging more in control, but I also think because I'm also concentrating more and focusing in on my 'shot' I'm trying to play.

[iqxdvjgmat]

Look no further than our review of the Cleveland Niblick. Most mid to high handicappers would take major strokes off their score with it, but they refuse to try.

[johobuo]

I have a serious ego problem, but I end up shooting 85 or better...

[sat23neus2]

It's ego, I could probably score better, but tend to have more fun hitting the clubs I want to hit instead of the clubs I should hit. That being said, I hate losing golf balls, so I'll usually lay up before water or use a club I'm more accurate with on tight holes.

[erubresen]

It's ego, I could probably score better, but tend to have more fun hitting the clubs I want to hit instead of the clubs I should hit.

Same here as I tend to go with the wacked out goofy shots that I must try instead of the simple shots that get the ball back in play.

[sat23neus2]

Yep, while any well executed shot feels good, pulling off a fun shot just gives extra satisfaction

[Suvuseh]

I have to say I have zero ego when it comes to picking the right club. Just today I'm 130 from the front of the green and a forward pin placement on an uphill hole. I hit an 8 iron that appears to be good. The guy playing with me said thats a nice 9 and I said I used an 8 iron and he chuckled. When we got to the green I was laying about 3 feet from the hole and I was just grinning. Who cares about the club when the goal is to get the ball into the hole.

[varrozans]

I think it's more about ego for men than women.

[connandoilee]

What do you think? Is golf a game of scoring or a game of ego?

It's not a game of ego, it's a game of fun. Just because it's fun for you to hit 5I twice to reach a par 4 green, that doesn't make it so for others. I play my game and don't worry about what other players do. Like you, I play a lot of shorter clubs on several holes where others play drivers (although rarely an iron... usually my 4W). On those particular holes, it happens to give me a better chance to score if I do that, but some of the guys I play with just don't care to play that kind of golf. Fine by me. I have yet to be beaten by any of them. But if that's what makes the game fun for them, then more power to them. As long as the added strokes don't slow the group down then they are welcome to their version of fun.

Your method may ensure that you don't have a blow up round, but it will severely limit your chances for shooting a better score too. When you are laying up on par 4 holes, and never going for par 5's in two, you will make far fewer birdies than the guy who is willing to take a few risks.

The best round of my last 20 is 76... the worst is 93. Both shot on the same course from the same tees, using the same strategy. While I do like to play a well managed game, I still play a game that usually gives me a chance to reach every green in regulation. Sometimes it works better than it does other times. That means that I sometimes play a driver when I'd prefer not to, but to lay up would leave me an equal chance of bogey or worse, and I don't play for bogey from the tee. After the tee shot, then sometimes I leave myself no other option, but that isn't usually a decision I make until I see the result.

[Brutton]

It's not a game of ego, it's a game of fun. Just because it's fun for you to hit 5I twice to reach a par 4 green, that doesn't make it so for others...

I agree 100%. Golf, for most of us, is recreational, and should be fun. I enjoy pushing the limits of my game once in a while. If the shot fails, so what?

[Lhtfajba]

Well said Fourputt!! If I think I can hit a certain shot I'll try it, and I usually know my limitations. If anything I get in more trouble overclubbing than anything. I have gone for par 5's in two and made big numbers and I have also made big numbers trying to play "smart" with layups and such.

[artofeyyy]

What I said was what's the point of using a driver on a very tight par five when you know you can't get there in two, or a tight par four for that matter?

Anyway, I know many golfers that curse and/or slam clubs when they don't make the smart play and end up in even bigger trouble. At the end of the round they complain about their high score. Doesn't seem like they are having much fun.

[standaman]

Interesting question. For me it's about scoring and ego. I want to shoot the lowest scores I can, but if I'm going to be honest about it, I want to do it impressively. I've been struggling with a bit of a mid-life golf crisis this summer because I've been scoring well, but doing it from 6,400 to 6,500 yards which makes me feel like I'm cheating a bit. From that distance I'm long enough and straight enough with the driver where my approach shots are mostly wedges, and rarely a club longer than an 8i on par fours.

Yet my ego won't let me go back to the tips and play from 6,900 to 7,000 yards. It's a different course from back there, and I'm not quite long enough anymore to take it much below 80 from that distance. So my 'cap stays the same, but the scores are not anything to write home about. I like to know I can shoot 76, 74, or like a couple weeks ago, a 72. I admit it. But the ego suffers because I did it from the blue tees.

On the other hand, a 78 or 79 from the tips is a nice score, but it doesn't seem as impressive in my mind. I applaud most guys that play from the tips, even if maybe they should not. I lost my stomach for it because my ego wants lower scores.

Today it was cold and and damp, and I was playing with my 12 year old daughter. We were kind of messing around. More of a playing lesson for her as there were few people on the course. She was trying different shots, hitting out of bunkers, that kind of thing.

On the 13th tee we let a twosome play through. One guy younger than me, one older. They teed off from the tips, and both hit drives that were rather short for guys playing from the tips. When we could hit, I walked back to the tips and teed it up. My daughter was surprised. I was honest with her, and told her I wanted to see how far past where those two ended up I could hit the ball. I hit a good shot and went by where they ended up by 30-40 yards. Birdied the hole, too. That was all ego, and I admit it. It would have been more satisfying if they would have seen it.

I'm not sure this post even makes sense. I don't do stupid things like try and fly a 3w in from 250 or hit a 6i 200 yards. I like to score, and for the most part play smart, but I have an ego.

Kevin

[medifastwoman]

What do you think? Is golf a game of scoring or a game of ego?

Excellent #1 post, Defcon1!

Scoring or ego? Scoring for me.... I start every round optimistically though, as if this were the day that my swing would finally join me on the course.... But after a handful of aggressive mishappenings, I will be playing conservatively by hole #4: My ego is somewhat underdeveloped!

Item: Constantly underclubbing. I'm by no means a long hitting and I err on the side of overclubbing. "What club are you using?" "5-iron", I say. "I'm using a 7-iron," is the response. I end up on the green and they are short...along with the usual excuses: I didn't catch all of that, the wind knocked it down, etc.

This one bothers me, a LOT!

I know how far I can carry my irons on a good day. But during the usual bad day on the course, I (over-)club according to my misdeeds. The thing is, I am not very happy when I get a good result from a poor swing (thanks to over-clubbing). And I absolutely, positively HATE it when I sail one over the green on a fine swing (due to over-clubbing)! This isn't as much an issue for par>4 tee-shots, as it is for approach shots and par3 tee shots....

I have never had an eagle, and I think I would not enjoy it to hole one on a poor swing. I want it to come on a perfect swing, with the "right" club! I hope you can see my dilemma!

Anyway, all this nonsense gets so tiresome. It's getting to the point where I prefer to play by myself so I don't have to witness such nonsense.

Why is it tiresome? Because you succumb to your ego via peer-pressure? Or because you can't stand the foolishness you see around you? In case of the latter, just laugh at them (quietly if you can), and show them the way!

[BuyCheapest]

Look no further than our review of the Cleveland Niblick. Most mid to high handicappers would take major strokes off their score with it, but they refuse to try.

Not Me JB I'll pick one up with tax money next year if I can.

[BuyCheapest]

I think it's more about ego for men than women.

not neccesarily.

[JTS_tv]

Another factor to consider is the type round one is playing. If it is stroke play and especially tournament play, I would tend to be more conservative in shot selection. In match play where the risk is only losing one hole, that risk might be more worthwhile. And in a practice or solo round, that is the perfect time to explore and maybe try to expand one's limits.

[artofeyyy]

Interesting question. For me it's about scoring and ego. I want to shoot the lowest scores I can, but if I'm going to be honest about it, I want to do it impressively. I've been struggling with a bit of a mid-life golf crisis this summer because I've been scoring well, but doing it from 6,400 to 6,500 yards which makes me feel like I'm cheating a bit. From that distance I'm long enough and straight enough with the driver where my approach shots are mostly wedges, and rarely a club longer than an 8i on par fours.

Yet my ego won't let me go back to the tips and play from 6,900 to 7,000 yards. It's a different course from back there, and I'm not quite long enough anymore to take it much below 80 from that distance. So my 'cap stays the same, but the scores are not anything to write home about. I like to know I can shoot 76, 74, or like a couple weeks ago, a 72. I admit it. But the ego suffers because I did it from the blue tees.

On the other hand, a 78 or 79 from the tips is a nice score, but it doesn't seem as impressive in my mind. I applaud most guys that play from the tips, even if maybe they should not. I lost my stomach for it because my ego wants lower scores.

Today it was cold and and damp, and I was playing with my 12 year old daughter. We were kind of messing around. More of a playing lesson for her as there were few people on the course. She was trying different shots, hitting out of bunkers, that kind of thing.

On the 13th tee we let a twosome play through. One guy younger than me, one older. They teed off from the tips, and both hit drives that were rather short for guys playing from the tips. When we could hit, I walked back to the tips and teed it up. My daughter was surprised. I was honest with her, and told her I wanted to see how far past where those two ended up I could hit the ball. I hit a good shot and went by where they ended up by 30-40 yards. Birdied the hole, too. That was all ego, and I admit it. It would have been more satisfying if they would have seen it.

I'm not sure this post even makes sense. I don't do stupid things like try and fly a 3w in from 250 or hit a 6i 200 yards. I like to score, and for the most part play smart, but I have an ego.

Kevin

Given my distance, or lack there of, I could never play the yardages you do. Well I could but it wouldn't be any fun and I wouldn't have a chance to score at all.

I was told two different ways to determine what yardages to play. First, how far I would hit a good drive and a good mid-iron, or, take my 5-iron carry distance and multiply by 36. Regarding the former a "healthy" par 4 for me is 355 yards, and according to the latter my ideal yardage for 18 holes is a little over 5,000 yards.

I usually play from 5500 to 6000+ yards. The long par fours are frustrating and I've never been on a par 5 in two.