At the start of 2024 I was invited to my first Dorset County squad training session. On a wet and windy Sunday morning, with the course closed, we sat in the clubhouse and were asked to write down our golfing goals for 2024. My list was pretty comprehensive, at the top of it was: get down to scratch.
For as long as I can remember (probably since I got my first handicap) my golfing ambition has always been to achieve that elusive scratch handicap. In my thirty years of playing golf I’ve come tantalisingly close, getting to 0.6 whilst living in Surrey and playing for the county first team in my late twenties.
Fast forward 15 years and life has very much changed. I’m now a parent with responsibilities. Work comes first. But I’m fortunate to be able to earn a living doing what I love, and that affords me the luxury of getting to play competitive golf twice a week.
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
I started the year off a handicap index of 3.4 and it looks like I’m going to end it around the same mark (at the time of writing I’m 3.6) While frustrated that I haven’t reduced my handicap in 2024 I’m not disappointed because there are a number of factors that have affected it.
The Worst Winter Ever
Dare I mention the dreaded weather! 2024 was the worst winter I can ever remember. It felt like it rained continuously. Courses were closed, a lot. We almost skipped spring altogether and went straight to summer. Where, historically, I would have played at least one, often two qualifiers every week, there was at least three months at the start of the year when I didn’t play golf at all.
What this meant was I was extremely rusty with a scorecard in my hands when the courses finally dried up and reopened. I’m a firm believer in marking cards all year round. Those that don’t are a) not playing off a realistic handicap (see my article on the WHS) and b) not going to be as competitive as players who do, fact.
Motivation To Practice
I recently interviewed Georgia Hall. The former AIG Women’s Open champion has had her worst year since turning professional a decade ago, falling out of the Top 50 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She admitted to me that she hasn’t had the best work ethic towards practice this year and she intends to address that over the winter.
(Image…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Latest from Golf Monthly in Features…