The first time you broke 100, 90, 80, 70

[Tommy Williamsen]

I was chatting with a friend of mine a few days ago. He was stoked. It was the first time he had broken 80. He had tried for decades but just couldn't pull it off. Do you remember any of those days you broke through on that kind of milestone?

[Ken Moum]

I only remember ALMOST breaking 70. 


In a tournament in Chamberlain SD, on a nine-hole course.  I remember it because I knew I was leading with several holes to go and managed to get it to the house in 70 and win the thing.


The only, ONLY, tournament I ever played in and beat everyone in the field.


Being able to win from in front may be the single biggest accomplishment in my career...other than taking Curt Byrum to the 15th hole before he beat me in a City Championship match.


 

[Rob Marshall]

What I remember about the first time I broke 70 was that I didn’t play great. Only hit 9 greens. Contrary to what what some people will tell you, the short game is important.

[Adrian_Stiff]

I remember breaking 90 and also very clearly breaking 80. Can't remember when I broke 70 for the first time. Don't think it will happen again.

[Ally Mcintosh]

All I can remember is that my first proper round on an eighteen hole course was 127.


And that I have broken 70 three times but only once in competition.

[Adam Lawrence]

I remember the first time I broke 100 in my early teens. I knew I was playing well, and made the catastrophic mistake of counting my card on the fifteenth tee, and remember very clearly how excited I was to realise that if I could finish with two fours and two fives I would in fact break ninety.

I ended up with 97. Still the best round of my life up till then, but massively disappointing at the same time. I've always been terrible at controlling my emotions on the golf course.

[Philippe Binette]

I broke 70 twice...
 First time: 2 under thru 12 holes... rain delay..  came back the next morning... walked to the 13th tee and close out with a 2-under 69


Second time: shot 2-under 69 wearing headphones and listening to bob Marley's greatest hits !!!


Never made enough birdies to break par often.. shot a lot of 73-74 hitting 6 GIR...


First time I broke 80... shot 74 !!

[Brett Meyer]

It took me 2 years of playing to break 80 for the first time but another 22 to break 70. I remember the latter pretty well because it was...earlier this summer. The former was mostly memorable for the date, which I only know because my dad had written it in permanent marker on the golf ball: September 11, 1999.

[Michael Felton]

The only one I remember is breaking 70 for the first time. It was in one of the major events at my club. I still have the scorecard because at the time it was the course record. I shot 67. It was a two round event and in round two I went out in 31, so I shot 98 for 27 holes. That was fun. Back nine in round two wasn't quite so pretty. Came back in 38 for a 69 in round 2. The 31 my longest shot for birdie was a 12 foot putt. I could do no wrong. Then I pulled a 5 iron into a bunker on 10 and suddenly I could do wrong again and set about proving it. Chipped in on the last for the 69. I broke 70 a few more times over the next couple of years and then went on about a 15 year hiatus from that. I managed three more in the last 6 or 7 years. They're rare enough that I remember all of them.

[archie_struthers]

 


Don’t remember breaking 80 but remember breaking 70 because it was a humbling experience . How could it be you ask ?


Was 21 and just starting to get pretty good , caddying at Pine Valley and found a driver I could hit straight . Had pretty much given up other sports ⚽️ other than pick up basketball so really started to play a lot of golf  . Had been playing with a couple local legends like Tommy Elder and Leo Glutting and wasn’t getting beat too bad, so had aspirations 🙏


We had a Monday game for all the loopers and a couple other and played various courses within driving distance We all bet a little and that day I had a $5 game with the field all day net. Was giving shots to all but a few of the guys by then and somehow when I came in added the card up and lo and behold had shot 67!


First time breaking 70 even if it was an easy course .  Collected 22 bets and sauntered over to my last “victim” , a guy nicknamed “lizard”.   He was a great player and was giving me 5 shots that day.  So I say sorry buddy think I finallly got you. He asks calmly what did you shoot Arch?   67!   Proudly and a little too cockily. 


He looks at the card , says I give you five right ?   Yep 👍.  Sorry I just nipped you but nice  round.


He shot 61 !    Ended up being the best player in Philly section and still hits it great. Lots of laughs in the  room as I shuffled back to my seat at the bar , definitely humbled a bit .

[Matthew Rose]

I don't actually remember 100 or 90.

70 is still elusive. I've shot it twice on the number, both times missing makeable birdie putts on the last hole.

80 is always going to be the one I remember because it was 1) in competition, in high school, and 2) I had an ace on the 13th hole. I needed a double bogey for 79 and I made a double bogey.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I don't actually remember 100 or 90.

70 is still elusive. I've shot it twice on the number, both times missing makeable birdie putts on the last hole.

80 is always going to be the one I remember because it was 1) in competition, in high school, and 2) I had an ace on the 13th hole. I needed a double bogey for 79 and I made a double bogey.

The first time I broke 90 I was playing with my Father at Ft. Meade in Maryland. I was about 13 and just starting to get serious about golf. I had been a baseball player but couldn't hit a curveball to save my life. In fact the coach told me that if I stepped out of the batter's box he'd bench me. I didn't get many hits but I was hit by a bunch of pitches. I birdied the last two holes to shoot 88. It is etched in my heart because I did it with my Dad.


I have no recollection of breaking 80 but remember shooting 66 to break 70 for the first time. I had the scorecard but lost it in our last move. Neither of those compare with that day with my Dad.

[JMEvensky]

Archie, that's a bad beat. Didn't anyone ever tell you most bets are won/lost on the 1st tee?

[Kalen Braley]

First time I broke 80, shot 77 with 3 birds, a double bogey and a whole mess of pars.  The only nerve racking part was playing 18 and telling myself over and over again to not F it up with a triple bogey...and ended up making par.

P.S. I've broken 70 too many times to count...on 9 holers and putt putt courses! 

[Michael Moore]

The first time I broke par was the Saturday before Mother's Day. I went to see Mom for brunch, made a huge scene out of digging through the sports section for "local results" and reading them out loud, and was like "uhhh . . . tied for first with . . .  uhhhh level par 72 . . . Michael Moore . . . wait a minute." My then-wife was on the scene and before I could process this she was like "You signed for an incorrect scorecard! Can't you do anything right!" and in this case she was correct.

The first time I broke 70 was the second round of the club championship. I had fired an 86 in the opening round so I was playing with three jolly high-teen handicappers. Gunning for a bogey-free 66, I left a thirty-inch putt short on the last hole. It was hard to remain disappointed as my three playing companions all ran up and hugged me, but I managed to maintain a frown.

As I am always reminding myself, it's a difficult game.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

What I remember about the first time I broke 70 was that I didn’t play great. Only hit 9 greens. Contrary to what what some people will tell you, the short game is important.

No, people don't say it's not important. They say it's less important, in general, than the full swing, because that's true. Troll better, Rob. 

I remember the first time I broke par (I think). I was using a Bullseye putter because I was mis-hitting putts slightly and I wanted to use that putter to narrow down just how I was mis-hitting them. Anyway, I three-putted twice en route to a 71, -1. One of those three-putts was on 16, but I had tap-in pars on 17 and 18.

I have no idea when I first broke 100, 90, 80, or 70. I remember a 62 I shot from some 5500-yard tees (we encourage people to break scoring barriers to play up, as it helps remove the mental hurdle for "going low"). I remember the first time my daughter broke 50 for nine holes, and 45, but everything other than that for her, no… Even she doesn't even remember her first 89 or 79.

[Tim Martin]

What I remember about the first time I broke 70 was that I didn’t play great. Only hit 9 greens. Contrary to what what some people will tell you, the short game is important.

No, people don't say it's not important. They say it's less important, in general, than the full swing, because that's true. Troll better, Rob. 

I remember the first time I broke par (I think). I was using a Bullseye putter because I was mis-hitting putts slightly and I wanted to use that putter to narrow down just how I was mis-hitting them. Anyway, I three-putted twice en route to a 71, -1. One of those three-putts was on 16, but I had tap-in pars on 17 and 18.

I have no idea when I first broke 100, 90, 80, or 70. I remember a 62 I shot from some 5500-yard tees (we encourage people to break scoring barriers to play up, as it helps remove the mental hurdle for "going low"). I remember the first time my daughter broke 50 for nine holes, and 45, but everything other than that for her, no… Even she doesn't even remember her first 89 or 79.

You must remember the first time you yelled fore as it happens so rarely. Did the group in the crosshairs duck and cover or run wildly???

[Pete_Pittock]

The first time I broke par is still fresh.  Late 1970s. Tom Marlowe, an assistant pro at Tualatin had left some gear at a course near where my brother lived. I offered to pick it up. Spring Hill (since renamed) in W Albany, OR had an odd layout, 6 3s, 6 4s and 6 5s and no two holes in succession had the same par.
I stopped by the pro shop, picked up Tom's gear and noticed they had a set of Browning 440 irons on the wall. Had been looking for some since they were introduced. They were loaned to me with my irons as collateral. Shot -1 and purchased the clubs at the end of the round. Best set of irons I ever used, luckily my home club was set up with light rough.


The only time I broke 70 was at Tualatin CC, par 71, after its remodel. Even thru 7 had birdies on 8, 9, 10 and eagled 11. After a perfect drive on 12 it took me a number of minutes and tries to even swing a club. Made enough pars for a 69.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

You must remember the first time you yelled fore as it happens so rarely. Did the group in the crosshairs duck and cover or run wildly???

Troll better, Tim. Way to contribute to the conversation.

[Rob Marshall]

What I remember about the first time I broke 70 was that I didn’t play great. Only hit 9 greens. Contrary to what what some people will tell you, the short game is important.

No, people don't say it's not important. They say it's less important, in general, than the full swing, because that's true. Troll better, Rob. 

I remember the first time I broke par (I think). I was using a Bullseye putter because I was mis-hitting putts slightly and I wanted to use that putter to narrow down just how I was mis-hitting them. Anyway, I three-putted twice en route to a 71, -1. One of those three-putts was on 16, but I had tap-in pars on 17 and 18.

I have no idea when I first broke 100, 90, 80, or 70. I remember a 62 I shot from some 5500-yard tees (we encourage people to break scoring barriers to play up, as it helps remove the mental hurdle for "going low"). I remember the first time my daughter broke 50 for nine holes, and 45, but everything other than that for her, no… Even she doesn't even remember her first 89 or 79.

You must remember the first time you yelled fore as it happens so rarely. Did the group in the crosshairs duck and cover or run wildly???

That's funny!

[Jim_Coleman]

   Broke 100 in 1961 at age 12 at the Coonamessett Golf Club - a public course on Cape Cod.  No memory of 90 or 80. Have shot 69 three times - the first at Coeur d’Alene in the mid 90’s, the last at La Romana Country Club 7 years ago.

[Shane Wright]

This topic reminded me of an inspirational dinner I had this past week. 


My best friend died at 32 years old running a half marathon.  He was a super amateur player and his dad was always a good player.  My friend died in 2010. 


His Dad still grieves to this day. He still sheds many tears every time I talk to him and I try to do so often.


I had dinner with his Dad this past week.


He is 80 years old, a 3.9 handicap, and shoots his age just about every single time he plays, which is 3 times a week.  He has golf goals every year, and he works his ass off to hit the goals every year. [size=78%]Putting has always held him up from being REALLY good.  [/size]


So he designed his own putter and is potentially going to bring it to market later next year.  He said it is saving him 3-4 strokes a round and he was shooting his age or better before the putter.  He just had a sub par round last week.


My point - age is only a number.  Spend your days living.  The goals shouldn't stop with the years.  Keep setting them. 


Shane

[Brad Tufts]

Don’t remember breaking 100, but i remember breaking 90.  I was growing fast at age 15 in size and golf ability and played both courses at Kauai Lagoons on a family vacation.  Having not touched a club in a month, i shot an 88 then an 85 the next day.  I still have the ball from the 85 with some Kauai red dirt smeared on it!

Breaking 80 I remember vividly, maybe a year later than the above, as my dad had $100 on offer for the first time I beat him (a longtime 10-12 capper).  I was a few shots ahead coming down 18 so I was floating on air, finally going to win the $!  The last hole at Tedesco is a 450y par four and my third shot was from about 40y, one bounce and CLANK, it goes down for 78!

Breaking 70 I do not remember, other than it was a 69 at Tedesco, and it was my low for a while.

I broke 65 for the first (and only) time at Metacomet (RIP) in 2019 with a 64.  I actually missed a 3.5’ putt on the last for 63.  The funny story about that day was my brother and I played Newport CC in the morning and I was terrible, failing to break 80 and dreading a slog through round 2.  One life-changing Italian sub later, I had my career low!

My yearly goal is more rounds in the 60s than 80s…usually it’s neck-and-neck with 5ish each.

[Richard Fisher]

I have never come close to breaking 70, but I can remember vividly the time I failed to break 80 at Harlech, when after two career shots into the 17th I missed from seven feet for a three, and came to the last ( a short hole) needing a four for 79 - pulled my drive left, hacked out, and took three putts for a five. Tears all round. I have never to this day (54 years a member) broken 80 at Harlech, and very probably never will.

[Adrian_Stiff]

I can remember every single shot and putt breaking 30 for 9 holes. only time i did a 29 and never really played well. I had 10 putts, including two huge ones at 7 and 9.    3 5 2 2 4 4 2 4 3


i hit a 9 iron fat second shot at the first then chipped in. Holed my second for an eagle at 2 @ 3, holed ten footer at 4. rest was scrambling for par!!!!


Another round hit everything close and missed everything. Funny game golf.