My quest for extraordinary golf

Can a golfer who started playing in 2006 improve his skill to the point that he is eligible to qualify for the 2009 US Open?

I believe so, and intend to demonstrate just that. To get there, I will have to reduce my handicap from 16.3 where it was at the end of the 2007 Kansas golf handicap season to 1.4 or less by March 2009. In the 6 months between April and October 2007 my handicap went from 26.2 down to 16.3. This was all done without much focused practice, just lots of playing (> 100 rounds).

I know I have my work cut out for me. I have been told by single digit handicappers that getting from 80 to 70 is enormously harder than getting from 100 to 90. I have already experienced some of that diminishing rate of improvement; I basically dropped 10 points in 6 months, and the first 6 points were dropped in the first 2 months.

To achieve this extraordinary goal, I will have to learn how to swing more consistently and possibly faster. I will be working on focus, flexibility, strength, endurance, and strategy. I will be analyzing my strengths and weaknesses and will be focusing my practice time in the areas that affect scoring the most.

Part of my goal this year is to play in as many amateur tournaments as I can to get experience playing in a tournament atmosphere. Casual golf rounds with friends and solo rounds make up the majority of my experience so far. Here are the 2008 tournaments I plan on participating in:

• May 5,6 - Kansas Mid Amateur, Tallgrass CC, Wichita
• June 28,29 - Kansas Public Links, Eagle Bend, Lawrence
• July 14-20 - Kansas Amateur, Wichita CC, Wichita - Qualifier June 26, Sand Creek Station GC, Newton
• August 23,24 - High Plains Amateur, Southwind CC, Garden City

The two handicap milestones that I have in place right now are:

• June 13, 2008 - Handicap of 12.5 or less to qualify for Kansas Amateur
• March 2009 - Handicap of 1.4 or less to be eligible to qualify for US Open

This blog and website is serving as my virtual journal and progress log. I am also working on adding a golf stats web application to better track my progress as well as show which parts of my game need the most work.

Assuming I get my handicap below 12.5 by the middle of June, I will be setting some additional intermediate milestones based on my experience and progress rate up to that point.

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