Full Version: I dont play well on vacation
I go to florida a couple times a year and I play golf a lot. However, I never play as well on vaction as I do at home. At home, I can can shoot in the 70's fairly easily, but on vacation, I always shoot 80's and sometimes even 90's. This isnt an excuse, but I dont like the driving ranges in Floirda. All the ranges are very sandy and bad. I just dont know why I cant play well?Anyone else play bad on vacation
QUOTE (nas1021 @ Apr 16 2009, 08:35 AM) 
I go to florida a couple times a year and I play golf a lot. However, I never play as well on vaction as I do at home. At home, I can can shoot in the 70's fairly easily, but on vacation, I always shoot 80's and sometimes even 90's. This isnt an excuse, but I dont like the driving ranges in Floirda. All the ranges are very sandy and bad. I just dont know why I cant play well?Anyone else play bad on vacation
People that regularly play one home course play better because they are comfortable knowing where to hit it; not so on vacation. The other aspect is the discomfort that comes from playing different courses is exaserbated through poor course management and self-control.
What's peculiar is shooting in the 70's at home and jump to the 80-90 range on vacation; that's way huge. Could it be the difficulty and length of your home course doesn't measure up to the difficulty and length of tracks you face on vacation?
Thats weird. I usually play better on vacation. My head is clearer and I'm more relaxed most of the time.
maybe i just try to do good to hard.
Reasons your scores could be spiking:
1. Wind. We always have some sort of breeze blowing in Florida, at least if you're at all near the coast. Once it gets above the trees, you can have a nasty little 2+ club wind and not ever know it down on the ground.
2. Temperature & humidity. Depending on when you're here and when you play, the temperature can play tricks on your distances. I've lost a club distance in 2 hours (5:30 vs 7:30) once the sun has set and the temperature has dropped and humidity has gone up. Thicker air, colder temp, there goes distance. Sun's down, gettin cooler, greens seem to get slower.
3. Green surfaces. If you're used to bent grass or some other weak grain type of grass and then you come to bermuda heaven down in Florida, that takes some getting used to more than just a yearly getaway. Grain makes the ball do some stupid stupid stuff that you just have to get used to having.
1. Wind. We always have some sort of breeze blowing in Florida, at least if you're at all near the coast. Once it gets above the trees, you can have a nasty little 2+ club wind and not ever know it down on the ground.
2. Temperature & humidity. Depending on when you're here and when you play, the temperature can play tricks on your distances. I've lost a club distance in 2 hours (5:30 vs 7:30) once the sun has set and the temperature has dropped and humidity has gone up. Thicker air, colder temp, there goes distance. Sun's down, gettin cooler, greens seem to get slower.
3. Green surfaces. If you're used to bent grass or some other weak grain type of grass and then you come to bermuda heaven down in Florida, that takes some getting used to more than just a yearly getaway. Grain makes the ball do some stupid stupid stuff that you just have to get used to having.
If you cross time zones and travel for any period of time, in a plane or car, I think it really messes up your soft tissues, back, and leg muscles all of which are key to swinging well.
On vacation, I do a lot more late night socializing as well, which is not conductive to a good round.
On vacation, I do a lot more late night socializing as well, which is not conductive to a good round.
Where are you losing shots?
When I play an unfamiliar course, I usually lose a few due to poor course management decisions. It's kind of a "hey, when am I going to play here again, might as well smash driver off of every tee!" attitude that affects my normally conservative tee game.
My "home" course does not have deep bunkers (which is odd since the practice bunker is 8-10' deep) so I am always very very aggressive with my approach shots- greenside bunkers aren't a problem. On other courses, well the sand is different, they tend to be deeper and steeper, etc. so if I do plunk it in a bunker, I'm kind of f'ed since I probably won't tuck it in that close. My home course lets you get by with a mediocre sand game.
When I play an unfamiliar course, I usually lose a few due to poor course management decisions. It's kind of a "hey, when am I going to play here again, might as well smash driver off of every tee!" attitude that affects my normally conservative tee game.
My "home" course does not have deep bunkers (which is odd since the practice bunker is 8-10' deep) so I am always very very aggressive with my approach shots- greenside bunkers aren't a problem. On other courses, well the sand is different, they tend to be deeper and steeper, etc. so if I do plunk it in a bunker, I'm kind of f'ed since I probably won't tuck it in that close. My home course lets you get by with a mediocre sand game.
I play to 1.2... a "6" index trying hard doesn't normally jump 15-20 strokes; conditions, course and tees are probably to hard.
I oddly have a different problem. Doesn't matter where I play or when, but I always shoot 85-90, even if I have never seen a course before. I don't really have a home course. I am sure if I did, I would shoot lower just from knowing the course really well.
I find that I should shoot better on vacations, but I am not used to the conditions. Recently in Mexico, I played 3 courses and shot 91-87-88. I lost a ton of shots due to various differences in the environment. The greens were sandy and slowish compared to some at home. The fairways were very tight and made some of my pitching/chipping difficult. The rough was different and really grabbed the club coming through. Add the component of the ball flying a least a club further and I was all over the place. But then I came home to a course I knew better and shot a 90. At least my HC travels well since I shoot the same scores no matter what?!?!?!?!?!
I find that I should shoot better on vacations, but I am not used to the conditions. Recently in Mexico, I played 3 courses and shot 91-87-88. I lost a ton of shots due to various differences in the environment. The greens were sandy and slowish compared to some at home. The fairways were very tight and made some of my pitching/chipping difficult. The rough was different and really grabbed the club coming through. Add the component of the ball flying a least a club further and I was all over the place. But then I came home to a course I knew better and shot a 90. At least my HC travels well since I shoot the same scores no matter what?!?!?!?!?!
Playing on bermuda grass always kills me because it's so different. That's probably my biggest problem with vacation golf
QUOTE (flaun @ Apr 16 2009, 12:32 PM)
I oddly have a different problem. Doesn't matter where I play or when, but I always shoot 85-90, even if I have never seen a course before. I don't really have a home course. I am sure if I did, I would shoot lower just from knowing the course really well.
I find that I should shoot better on vacations, but I am not used to the conditions. Recently in Mexico, I played 3 courses and shot 91-87-88. I lost a ton of shots due to various differences in the environment. The greens were sandy and slowish compared to some at home. The fairways were very tight and made some of my pitching/chipping difficult. The rough was different and really grabbed the club coming through. Add the component of the ball flying a least a club further and I was all over the place. But then I came home to a course I knew better and shot a 90. At least my HC travels well since I shoot the same scores no matter what?!?!?!?!?!
I find that I should shoot better on vacations, but I am not used to the conditions. Recently in Mexico, I played 3 courses and shot 91-87-88. I lost a ton of shots due to various differences in the environment. The greens were sandy and slowish compared to some at home. The fairways were very tight and made some of my pitching/chipping difficult. The rough was different and really grabbed the club coming through. Add the component of the ball flying a least a club further and I was all over the place. But then I came home to a course I knew better and shot a 90. At least my HC travels well since I shoot the same scores no matter what?!?!?!?!?!
A friend of mine does that too. He shoots between 95-99 consistently and it doesn't matter how difficult or easy the course is or if the yardage is 6300 or 6800yds.
I've played with him on and off for over 7yrs now and can see why. He plays the same game making the same mistakes regardless of what the course dictates, and he's not iratic or long enough to get into much trouble.
Not knowing a course as well is a big factor. If you think you swing it worse then obviously its a swing issue. But if you think you are swinging it ok and you are shooting more then you think you are capable of, then it is probably due to infamiliarity with the course. So it depends where you are dropping shots....swing or course.
How about the alchohol factor? I know when I golf on vacation with the boys, there's cocktails and no going to bed at 10pm.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. I play terribly on vacation also. The flight always makes me stiff. Its usually unfamiliar conditions, e.g., the types of grass in the rough and on the greens. I never once played well on vacation.
QUOTE (Mward2002 @ Apr 16 2009, 12:22 PM)
Reasons your scores could be spiking:
1. Wind. We always have some sort of breeze blowing in Florida, at least if you're at all near the coast. Once it gets above the trees, you can have a nasty little 2+ club wind and not ever know it down on the ground.
2. Temperature & humidity. Depending on when you're here and when you play, the temperature can play tricks on your distances. I've lost a club distance in 2 hours (5:30 vs 7:30) once the sun has set and the temperature has dropped and humidity has gone up. Thicker air, colder temp, there goes distance. Sun's down, gettin cooler, greens seem to get slower.
3. Green surfaces. If you're used to bent grass or some other weak grain type of grass and then you come to bermuda heaven down in Florida, that takes some getting used to more than just a yearly getaway. Grain makes the ball do some stupid stupid stuff that you just have to get used to having.
1. Wind. We always have some sort of breeze blowing in Florida, at least if you're at all near the coast. Once it gets above the trees, you can have a nasty little 2+ club wind and not ever know it down on the ground.
2. Temperature & humidity. Depending on when you're here and when you play, the temperature can play tricks on your distances. I've lost a club distance in 2 hours (5:30 vs 7:30) once the sun has set and the temperature has dropped and humidity has gone up. Thicker air, colder temp, there goes distance. Sun's down, gettin cooler, greens seem to get slower.
3. Green surfaces. If you're used to bent grass or some other weak grain type of grass and then you come to bermuda heaven down in Florida, that takes some getting used to more than just a yearly getaway. Grain makes the ball do some stupid stupid stuff that you just have to get used to having.
Truth so pure.
I also tend to play a little worse, not drastically though, on vacation. Usually its just a combination of unfamiliar course/conditions and rust. It's always been in the middle of the winter when I haven't played a real round of golf in 2 months. Can't really expect to be scoring below my cap with that much time off. Fortunately I'm not as bad as the guys I played with. 3 way match play $1/hole, they lost $47 in 54 holes to me at the end of Jan. 
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