Today I carded my best ever round 80 at my home club st augustines in kent.

But whilst analyzing my card and thinking back to each hole and how i played it, I noticed that i could of shaved another 5 shots off if only I had taken my time on all those 2ft putts......if only i had not taken 3 off the tee on the 17th......if only i had picked the 7 iron instead of an 8 on the 11th............

so like the title says the if only round is all i can think of and not the 3 birdies or the 4 pars which got me my best ever round

I'm with you Ian.  I shot a PB 82 today.  All I'm thinking is "If only I hadn't s###ked my wedge on the 16th and took a par when eagle was on", "If only I hadn't 3 putted 5 holes (including one from 4 feet)", "If only I hadn't lipped out on the 4th", "If only I had concentrated more when putting on the front 9".  There's a theme to mine......

Yeah

IF

I improved on the back 9 due to implementing some Dr Bob stuff and some effective NLP Santo.  You would've been proud

Wow I am impressed

more so due to you actually knowing what it's all about

I knew about NLP before you did Santorini.  Been using it to influence management and naysayers for about 8 years.  Only occured to me it could be used on the golf course after you started waffling on about it though. 

Seriously though, it really does help and is not that difficult to implement once you know how.  I think those who struggle with a little inconsistency or the nagging negative thoughts are the ones who can benefit most from it

If your going to do the classic 'if only I'd have done this" you've got to balance it with negative shots as well.

I guarantee for every put you feel you were unlucky to miss, there is another that you were lucky to make.

So if your honest, your as lucky to shoot 80 as you were unlucky - just think of all the drives that could have ended up bad, or those birdies that could easily have been pars.

Works both ways!

If only, I too have suffered this awful syndrome for many years. There is nothing to cure it, so one has to accept, that no matter how good the round, there will always be a few shots that were left out there.

I played in the final of the John Courage Trophy at Calcot Park Goilf Club and after a decent morning round of 72 I managed to play the par 3's in the afternoon in a massive six over par, yet still posted a 69 to win the torunament.

Wow Ian you started the round in blistering form! A birdie and a par. For a 23 handicapper (at the time) you must have been delighted!

I've had starts like that before: Birdie, par, par. In some sports this mght mean that you go on to score your best ever... But golf is a wicked sport. On the 4th, I start to think things like "Surely I can't keep this up.." and "Wow, great start, I wonder which hole will wreck my card..." 

All those negative thoughts.  Instead of simply thinking; "Where do I want my tee shot to land?".

I've the odd social game also, where the back nine is much better than the front. Simply because I spent the front 9 bantering with my mates, and playing it easy. Then on or around the 10th someone says something like "£5 each for closest to the hole..."  Then I manage to knock in a birdie then go on a par run... at the end you start to wish you'd been concentrating from the beginning.

This round is an example: http://www.golfshake.com/round/view/769763/

I would be scratch round that course, Ray, just the sort of length I could cope with.

If only the length of the course was it's only challenge JP!

Try playing round the Annesly Course at Royal County Down, with it's dinner-plate-sized greens, and rough that would give Machete Wielding Amazonian Tribes trouble!

Ok I'll admit that the Valley course is short, flat and easy, but that round was back when I was still getting re-started. I'm confident that I'd go round there now 5 over. Or thereabouts. But I don't have your years of experience!

You have to remember, Ray, that I was brought up on tiny greens where the premium was on accuracy, probably what aided me in becoming a decent player.

The emphasis then was in finding these small targets, now the emphasis has shifted to a game of putting ability.