What Is Your Main Golf Goal For Every Round?

[Middler]

After camaraderie, weather and the course, my goal for golf itself is real simple. I enjoy every round, and though I "fail" 90% of the time or so - success to me is:

1. Break 80 for 18, then
2. Break 40 for each/either 9

Beyond that, everything else is to achieve 1 or 2.

And it's a "game of inches" with very small improvements along the way. 

• I've improved my putting, first in May 2020 going from a blade to a mallet.
• In Mar 2022 I improved my putting further by getting fit for my mallet putter (TrueSpec didn't recommend a new putter, just tweaking the one I had).
• It's harder to see because it was just in Oct 2022, but I have improved my FW's hit, which has improved my GIR and scoring. The improvement was from switching from off the rack 2018 Callaway Rogues (1-3 w Mizuno CLK 3h) to fitted Titleist TSR2's (1-4-7) - LOVE THEM!
• With both above I have a few more pars, and a few less bogeys or worse (especially).

Just thought I'd share since there are others here who value data...

I am not one of those who thinks fittings are a panacea, they're recommended here too often by some. But a good fitting can be invaluable.

[tony@CIC]

My overarching goal is to play in the mid to high 80's. Getting there is relative simple in though but difficult in execution = eliminating the doubles. Prime example was monday where I was doing well til the last 4 holes when everything fell apart. Normally I do well on those holes and certainly hardly ever get doubles. Was it energy level or the mental game went down the hill??  Or both. Either way I've got to work on it. 

[cnosil]

My main goal is to have an average score of 75.   I fail miserably at this since I average right around 80-82.  
 

For each round this requires:

• that tee shots are playable and allow for approach shots that I can get to the green - generally pretty successful at this
• Hitting 12  greens a round - I average about 9 
• short game that lets me get up and down 50% of the time - I am at around 20%
• Avoid 3 putts - typically 1-2 a round. 

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

My main goal this year is a very simple thing, keep the ball in play. I dont mind scrambling on a wayward tee shot and having a good par/bogey after an iffy shot. Its the lost balls. Need to keep the ball in play this year!

I will have others I am sure but for now this is my very broad stroke goal

[edingc]

10 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

My main goal this year is a very simple thing, keep the ball in play.

Broad stroke goal, but it will definitely lead to reaching a bunch of other markers of improvement. It's something I'm always trying to improve upon. One penalty can turn a good round into an average one so fast.

At my home course, I try to break 80 every time I go out. With the state of my game and the course, I feel like that is achievable. 

[Middler]

2 hours ago, tony@CIC said:

My overarching goal is to play in the mid to high 80's. Getting there is relative simple in though but difficult in execution = eliminating the doubles. Prime example was monday where I was doing well til the last 4 holes when everything fell apart. Normally I do well on those holes and certainly hardly ever get doubles. Was it energy level or the mental game went down the hill??  Or both. Either way I've got to work on it. 

IME you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to pin down “why?” It’s golf, we’re not meant to understand fully. Each shot is a new opportunity to succeed, one at a time. It works more often than not, but it can go horribly wrong at any time, no explanation.

[chisag]

... Since you asked, my main goal is twofold. Shoot my age or under and if I do, shoot my lowest score ever. I have shot 66 four times now but 65 seems illusive so it is always the goal. Like most I am very rarely in a position to do so and still enjoy every round but my focus then slides toward playing every shot to the best of my ability, always learning more about which shots to hit in certain situations, enjoying the camaraderie and communing with nature. I try to keep in mind every day is a gift regardless of how I play and I try to enjoy every one of them. 

[funkyjudge]

In casual rounds, my goal is very simple—to have fun and enjoy my round and the golf course on which the round is played.

In my competitive rounds, goals are expanded to include:

1.) win my matches on the statewide senior travel league In which I have been playing for 8+ years.

2.) score better than I did the last time I played on whatever course I am on.

3.) finish on the top five in the senior net division in the events that I play on the winter golf tour, and at least top ten overall (fields usually range from 40-56 players in the senior division, and 96-120 or more overall), and win a few events, so that I can make it into the field for the end-of-season tour championship, as I have done 2 of the last 3 years.

4.) when my round is “going south “ on me in the tour events and it becomes clear that I am out of contention to win or place near the top in the senior or amateur divisions, my goal shifts to winning a few skins and/or closest to the pin prizes that day.

 I have done really well on goals #1 and #3 above, winning 3 regular season events and a season-ending tour championship plus finishing top five an average of 4 additional times per full season (22 regular season events, of which I have generally play about 19) in the 4+ years that I have played on the winter golf tour. In the senior travel league, I was extremely successful from 2015-2019, with season-long matchplay win percentages above 80%, and two top three finishes in POTY points .However, thanks to some serious health issues (mainly cancer-related with a long layoff due to bone, spine, and blood infections that I got as a result of one cancer surgery), I have been hovering around a 50-60% win percentage the last couple of years.

Edited January 19, 2023 by funkyjudge

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

1 hour ago, edingc said:

Broad stroke goal, but it will definitely lead to reaching a bunch of other markers of improvement. It's something I'm always trying to improve upon. One penalty can turn a good round into an average one so fast.

At my home course, I try to break 80 every time I go out. With the state of my game and the course, I feel like that is achievable. 

Thats how I am feeling. I had 3 really great rounds last year that I became over confident partway through and had a stretch of just penalties that derailed. Got back on track but the round went from going to be a PB to just a good round.

I have that mentality of go big or go home, it doesn't often pan out for me. Holes where I should just take a shorter club and take a less risky path, when in a good spot turns into a blow up hole. Need to do away with those. Sub 80 is definitely part of that goal which I think keeping it in play will lead to more of them, most I have ever had in a year last year.

[GolfSpy_APH]

My main goal honestly is to enjoy my time golfing. 

Of course I want to score well and go low, get birdies and more. However I went through a 2 yese stretch where I hardly played and when I did because I hadn't played or practiced I got annoyed or upset with my results. 

When I got back to playing more regularly this year my wife and son came for a few rounds and I just focused shot to shot and enjoying my time on the course. Played a bunch of new courses, took time to enjoy the scenery and played better as well.

With baby 2 coming next year will be another tougher one to get let's of golf in so I just want to make the most of the times I do get to play.

 

[MGoBlue100]

Two rules:  Have fun & don't lose a club.  If I do those, everything else seems to fall into place.  If I crunched numbers as hard as some of y'all do I'd be in an asylum. 

[David Leighton Reid]

My first goal is to break 70 from the white (member) tees before old age catches up with me. 

Other goals:

1.  Give each shot or stroke my best effort.

2.  Have fun and enjoy the round.  

[chisag]

40 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

My main goal honestly is to enjoy my time golfing. 

Of course I want to score well and go low, get birdies and more. However I went through a 2 yese stretch where I hardly played and when I did because I hadn't played or practiced I got annoyed or upset with my results. 

When I got back to playing more regularly this year my wife and son came for a few rounds and I just focused shot to shot and enjoying my time on the course. Played a bunch of new courses, took time to enjoy the scenery and played better as well.

 

... Ain't it amazing? It's almost like the old saying "plan for the best but expect the worst" and anything better than that is really icing on the cake. I learned early in my acting career after working on my first TV show with Anthony Dennison and John Polito that spent the entire day biching and complaining about everything to 1. expect the people you are working for to be unreasonable. 2. Expect conditions to be challenging. 3. Expect the food to be horrible. 4. expect your fellow actors to be prima donnas with bad attitudes. Everything above that is a bonus! Rarely do all of them happen at the same time but usually one or two. Working is so much better with a positive attitude. Same thing with golf ... and then just relish those days when it all comes together. 

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

55 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Ain't it amazing? It's almost like the old saying "plan for the best but expect the worst" and anything better than that is really icing on the cake. I learned early in my acting career after working on my first TV show with Anthony Dennison and John Polito that spent the entire day biching and complaining about everything to 1. expect the people you are working for to be unreasonable. 2. Expect conditions to be challenging. 3. Expect the food to be horrible. 4. expect your fellow actors to be prima donnas with bad attitudes. Everything above that is a bonus! Rarely do all of them happen at the same time but usually one or two. Working is so much better with a positive attitude. Same thing with golf ... and then just relish those days when it all comes together. 

It’s so hard to get out of that mind set thiugg. Happened to me end of the year last year and while you know the reason behind it, that mental state is a SOB….expecting a certain result is so hard to shake when it was something you are used to.

@GolfSpy_APHcheers to that mentality. Being on the course is some of the most satisfying times (for us golfers anyway!) of course there are others but that is a great goal

[G56788]

If I’m playing regularly, my goal is always a 9-hole score that starts with 3 or an 18-hole score that begins with a 7. 

If I haven’t been playing, my goal is to make as many pars or better as possible and to disregard the other scores. When I do this, I just enjoy playing and usually try shots I’d never try because it’s par or bust. My score on one of those days is the number of good holes I had. I get a lot of confused looks when I say I shot “8”.

 

 

[GaryF]

Interesting topic and a lot of good ways to answer, but here us what I focus on.

Stay healthy and avoid injury.  I’m late 60s and have had my share of injuries including 10 fracture when in my 20s from an auto accident.  The lingering damage  is my back. I stretch for ~20 min before leaving the house, then plan 45 min warmup at the range and practice green. 

Stay focused before each shot.  stay connected, avoid trying to over-swing, Commit to each shot.

No triples or worse (I probably avg < 1/round), eliminate 3-putts (I avg around 2-3/round).  

15-second rule: if I hit a bad shot, allow 15 sec to get mad, frustrated, etc, then move on.  Never play mad. If playing with others that are playing mad, walk away.

Have fun and shoot 85 or better.  Achieve 10 effective pars (birdie counts as 2, etc). 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by GaryF

[GolfSpy_APH]

I will say a stretch goal for me is to get a personal best 4 birdies. I for some reason always cap myself at 3. Never had more than 3 in a round, but have had that more times than I can count. 

On a non playing note because most all the golfers I play with speak german and often not as much english here I make it a goal to interact and practice my german language skills as I go along through the round. 

There are so many little things that I would say are goals and those are going to change for this year and coming seasons. I am hoping to get Ivan on the practice green (artificial) so I would say incorporating family into my golf round (wife plans to take it up this year) whether that be at the par 3 course or 6 hole course creating family memories during the round would be another non performance related goal. 

[drb1956]

1-Keeping the ball in the fairway. 2-Making much better approach shots. Short game with the wedges really got overused last season, so back to #2. Time in greenside bunkers, or rough around the greens has got to be LESS than it is now. Better accuracy with the approach shots is a main goal this coming season. 3-Just trying to keep a positive attitude when things start going off the rails. This makes for a much more enjoyable round, for all involved..4-Shooting in the low 90's is a goal, if all of the above goes well, just for starters. Will adjust this goal as the season progresses. In March, going to Golftec for a swing evaluation. Let's see if it finds something to help me... 

[GySgtFTL]

1. Play smart

2. Stay focused on the current shot

3. Keep the ball in play

4. Eliminate foolish mistakes that often result from foolish decisions

5. Putt better

6. DO NOT decelerate the clubhead during pitch/chip shots resulting in fat/chunked shots

 

[Placasse61]

Goal 1: enjoy the landscape and the golf buddies I am with. Goal 2: Keep the ball out of trouble, Boagie golf and as many pars as possible (hopefully 3 or more) and someday drop my 22.5 handicap.

[Olmsted421]

My goal this year is to actually work on my game and drop my scoring average to feel confident enough to try and Monday qualify (if that’s still a thing) for the Korn Ferry Tour event here in June. 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Olmsted421

[Kent Osborne]

Enjoy my best swings

Accept my worst swings

[dlm]

Well, hole in one's are good, I have 7.  Shooting par is good, did it once.  But realistic is busting 80.  And no triples or doubles.  Having a good time is the main goal.

[Billy-Bo-Jim-Bob]

Main goal.....have fun & enjoy time with playing partners!

Statistical goal......30 or less putts.

Pace of play goal.....Play each 9 in 2 hrs.

 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

I stopped going in with target scores as it just made me nervous and tense. Here is what I usually think about ahead of a round. 
 

1) have fun by myself or with friends. Enjoy the scenery 

2) try to play a round without losing a ball. This is a little nerve inducing but helps me focus on smart targets  

3) no three putts

4) no double chips

5) where do you want the ball to go and get there. Try not to think about mechanics of the swing

i went into a round with this mindset and was one bad blow up hole away from getting into the 80s. Trust your game, have fun and enjoy yourself  remember you are paying to play. Might as well try to enjoy it

 

[DeBartola_B]

I used to look at it from breaking a score threshold (Break 90 or Break 80) but that seems to be putting the horse before the buggy for me. Lol that would actually be the correct way to do it.... ***Buggy before the Horse***  I found I started scoring better when I set goals where each shot could accomplish the goal.

For example, my new goal every time I play is to avoid a double bogey or worse.  Always having an achievable goal in my head allows me to play toward accomplishing the goal with every shot, whether that means not taking an unnecessary risk, aiming for the fat of the green, taking a more accurate club off the tee, etc.  It is kind of boring(scoring better is not boring) but I have found scores improving with this mindset.  Besides the easiest way to consistently break 80 is not more birdies but less doubles.

Edited January 20, 2023 by DeBartola_B

[homerun3]

My goal is actually more of an every shot goal.  It is to remember to not get ahead of myself in preparing to take a swing.  Make sure the grip is correct, visualize what I want to do, one preparation swing, clear the mind, and take a good swing. 
Too often I just go up to the ball and try to hit it without a plan. 

[billybogey]

When I'm playing with "The Boy's" my goal is shoot the Best Score that I can.

Which is 85 or below. Usually, it is higher. So really if I have Fun & if I win some $$$ I'm really Happy!!

With HRH or just playing a Round seems I put more pressure on myself to shoot 85  or less. 

Do not have the Laffs though!! She is too ******** serious. Tick's me off!!

Enjoy playing "The Boy's" as am out on a Day Pass!! Yippee!!

[DMcA]

Since I'm usually playing the same few courses, I try to pick 2-3 holes that I want to improve on from the previous round there. Strike it better off the tee, better position on the green, make fewer putts. Small wins.

[T-Bone]

I try to break 40 for each nine and stay away from anything worse than a bogey.   Obviously this doesn't always work out as one bad swing can create a failure at both goals.  I've gotten a lot better at avoiding making the "hero" shot, taking my medicine and trying to get up and down for a par rather than creating a double or worse.