Can a 26 Handicapper break 90? With help from a UK Golfing YouTuber | Episode 6 | Killeen Golf Club

In this episode, our resident High Handicapper attempts to break 90 for the first time (or 45 to be more precise). This time he is joined in his quest by a very special guest caddy all the way from the UK. A fellow Golf KZbinr, our guest caddy will attempt to coach our 26 Handicapper through every shot of his 9 hole round at the stunning Killeen Golf Club, as he tries to avoid danger on every hole.

[@huwricketts8404]

That’s a great video. Love the positivity and course management. I’ve learned so much from this. Thank you guys

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

That’s great to hear mate and glad you enjoyed it. I learned loads from John too, I just wish I could employ it on course every now and then 😂 Thanks for watching mate

[@mikkeltaylor1]

Love that John robins is popping up in all sorts of channels I’m already subbed to!

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

He’s an absolute gent 👍🏻

[@kevingallagher7507]

Oh mate!! - Love John's positivity when he's not playing himself.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

It’s an incredible transformation 😂

[@MarkAndrews-dp3ir]

Great fun and some great golf.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers mate, glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻

[@terrybiddle6189]

Excellent video. Important emphasis on planning the round and trying to stay positive. Im in a similar place to this guy

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers Terry, really glad you enjoyed the video mate. Staying positive throughout a round is a lesson I’m going to try and take with me through my golfing career…. although I’m sure that will be heavily tested 😂

[@s3pius]

Great to have someone who could test your course management and lead you to better choice of a club

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Yeah John was such a great help and gave me some great advice that I still try and adhere to now. Unfortunately, I just couldn't hit enough good shots consistently but all part of being a beginner 😀 Thanks for watching mate 👍

[@wyattsutphin]

Another fantastic "journal entry". Three main takeaways...... 1. Putting was absolute money today. 2. Driver was on point. 3. Turf management didnt go unnoticed. We see them divot replacements 😂. Its a shame about the lost water balls but hey, thats a part of it. Great video as always and awesome collaboration.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers mate, delighted you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the positives from it. My driving and putting went well, it was just the few bits in between 😂 But we’ll get there 💪🏻 Thanks for watching

[@NarrowboatWill]

Such a great way to play. It makes it more enjoyable. Great vlog.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Glad you enjoyed it mate. Thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@robsengahay5614]

Don’t know why but I didn’t get the notification for this video and thought you hadn’t posted a while. John made some interesting points about course management but when it comes to positivity my view is that you are either a glass half full or a glass half empty type and golf isn’t going to change that. I am more inclined to half-empty. One thing I noticed here with your really bad shots is that you quit on your swing leading to a block out to the right. And this always comes when someone is not committing to the shot. My advice is always fully commit to every shot. Doesn’t mean it will always work out but you will eliminate that blocked shot to the right.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Hey mate, long time no chat 😀 Yeah I completely agree. I was very nervous filming this and was very tentative over some shots hence the blocks. Since then though I’ve been concentrating on swinging fully through the ball and I think my game has come on.

[@Matt_M85]

Great video, Really enjoyed this one. Amazing how playing "boring" shots can save the score on the round. I had a lesson the other week and when he asked what handicap I wanted to get to. I said I want to get down to the mid teens. He was like so 4 pars and 14 bogeys in the round then. When he said it like that it made it look so much easier to obtain! Keep doing what you're doing mate. Kileen looks lovely I will put that on my list. I played Ballykisteen in Tipp the other week. For 25 euro a round it was a bargain and lovely conditon! Look forward to the next video

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Hi Matt, glad you enjoyed it. I was certainly nowhere near my best but learned loads. I’ve played a few rounds since and I’ve been using those bump and run shots to great affect. They may not be as flashy as a lob wedge but they are so effective at ensuring low scores. It’s amazing when you think about a mid teen handicap like that isn’t it? 😂 It makes it sound so doable. Hopefully we’ll both be there eventually 👍🏻

[@Stuck_in_the_70s]

Great video lads. I could do with a coach coming round with me that’s a great idea. Thanks for introducing me to John’s channel as well great stuff mate cheers

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Ah this is a blast from the past. Haven’t had a comment on this video in a while. Great memories. Had a cracking round with John and his KZbin channel is class. Glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻

[@Stuck_in_the_70s]

@@DiaryofaHighHandicapper it took me a minute to realise that all these beautiful courses are in quite a small area really just south of Dublin. I said to my regular playing partner we could easily go over 3-4 days and play all these so🤞🏻we will be able to do so in the spring I’ll give you a shout if so take care mate cheers

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Yeah most of the course I’ve played on the channel are in Wicklow or South Dublin so all within a very short radius of each other. If you ever need any advice on what courses to play, let me know. Where do you live?

[@Stuck_in_the_70s]

@@DiaryofaHighHandicapper that’s awesome I hope we can get over there. Yeah I live in Cambridgeshire, nice part of the world overall - bit boring perhaps 😆

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Well that would make sense that a member of Cambridgeshire Golf Club would live in….Cambridgeshire 😂 Apologies, it can be tricky to keep up with the comments sometimes 😂 There’s a lot to be said for “a bit boring” when it comes to where you live mate 😃

[@darrenweldon944]

Have to say this video reminded me so much of how I'm playing at the minute, it's amazing how one shot can inspire/derail the next few holes. Keep at it anyway, definitely will take the 6/7 iron strategy for 2nd shots into consideration!

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Hi Darren, yeah it sums up my game really. Nice and tidy for about 80% of the shots and then a few horror shots that cost me a huge amount of strokes. Although I hadn’t hit shots as badly as the ones I did in this video in a long time 😂 But it’s all part of the learning experience and I’m just going to use them as lessons in what not to do again 😂 Thanks for tuning in and I hope you continue to enjoy the content mate 👍🏻

[@tomlee812]

Enjoying your journey. You certainly have a good golfer in you and you hit some great shots. You should be very happy with your play today.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Thanks Tom, really appreciate the kind words. I've been practicing since this video came out and I think I've improved further so hoping that will come across in future episodes. Glad to have you along for the journey 👍

[@tomlee812]

@@DiaryofaHighHandicapper I am making similar progress to you, except I used to play (badly) some years ago. For the past year I've been scoring mid to high 90's and sometimes three figures. Last Saturday, though it was an 84 and that was with one 'three off the tee' for an out of bounds drive. You will get there and I look forward to seeing it when you do!

[@davidcavon637]

Excellent effort! You've got a lot of the shots mastered, just a few to dial in. Course management is absolutely critical to minimize the big numbers (forget the water hole:)). Keep in mind that you're not a professional and the measurement is very different. We drive to be able to find and hit the second shot. Our second shot is most often to position us to get it on the green with our third shot...in the most effortless way possible. Bump and run is a tremendous skill to learn from inside 100 yards. Keep it up!

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Thanks David, I thought I had it 😀 But the curse of the High Handicapper struck again 😂 But I definitely learned loads from John during the round. Particularly just getting the ball on the green in the least difficult way...I've been utilising that bump and run for everything up to about 80 yards since the video and I don't think I've missed a green yet. My big issue tends to be that 2nd shot you discussed but I went and got a lesson and I've been working hard and I'm hoping everyone will see a huge improvement in subsequent videos. Thanks for the positive words. Much appreciated, Jamie 👍

[@stevenbonnar3136]

Excellent video mate I'll have to get some putting lessons from you that's my problem 👍👍 as I said before you will improve the more you play good luck mate with the practice 🏌️🏌️🏌️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 what a beautiful looking course 🏌️

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers mate, I’ve been very happy with my putting lately, same can’t be said about the rest 😂 But I hadn’t been able to practice much before the video so my game was a little rusty but have been practicing consistently since and I think my game has improved. Course was gorgeous. Thanks for watching mate 👍🏻

[@stevenbonnar3136]

No probs mate looking forward to more content 👍

[@kyle381000]

I FULLY embrace the conservative approach to playing par-4 and par-5 holes. However, I think that the 2nd shots were too conservative and therefore left approach shots which were too long and therefore too risky. I would recommend the same general approach except with a plan for the lay-ups to be longer and the approach shots to be shorter (perhaps no more than 60 yards) but still in the fairway. The whole mindfulness approach is so important to a sound game. Everyone who has ever been surprised by a really bad shot knows how hard it can be to just 'let it go' and move on to the next shot. Sometimes it can last a lot longer and can ruin an otherwise good round. Conservative golf means less risk and far less 'explosion' holes that can disrupt pace and concentration.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers mate, fully agree with everything you said and I do try and use this strategy in my rounds now 👍

[@sammyelliott5554]

Love this video. This is me. Been playing 40 years. 25+ handicap.Have never improved. My brother who is 2 years younger is a scratch golfer. Told me to take up walking…….that way I would not damage the course.😅

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Glad you enjoyed it Sam. That's some tough love from your brother 😂😂 You just remind your brother that you pay the same membership fee as him 😅

[@d.v.o.3956]

Binging on you videos. You are an inspiration for another bad golfer right here.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Ah mate thanks a million, that’s so great to hear. Sometimes I think nobody will even watch the videos so to hear that someone is watching them and taking stuff from them is brilliant, makes it all worthwhile. Thanks again. Jamie

[@andrewnealis6126]

Excellent effort mate just a wee bit unlucky with the water. Your putting was on point and you're descent with the driver. I'll try to replicate some of those shots to bring my score down. Keep up the good work

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers mate, I appreciate the positivity and encouragement. I'm glad you can take away a few tips from the vid to help your game. I thought John was excellent. I was pretty happy with my driving and really happy with the putting. Just need to work on a few other areas. I have had a lesson since and it was great at correcting some of the mistakes I made in the video, namely club face being too open so I'm hoping you'll see a big improvement in the near future. Thanks for watching Andrew and leaving a positive comment, it's really appreciated. Jamie

[@adrivanleuven8951]

positive thinking and a bit of course management are the keys to success for players like us.............

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Absolutely. Even when you hit a bad shot, you should always be looking to learn from it and use it to help with future shot decisions 👍 It's the hardest game in the world so no need to be so harsh on ourselves

[@ShakesTracey]

Fair play to John for getting involved and fair play to you Jamie for putting yourself out there. My feedback would be it felt like waaaaay too many ads, takes some of the shine off a nice video.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Thanks Eamonn, it’s not easy but comments and interactions like this make it worthwhile. John was a gent and great fun. Would love to team up with him the future. I appreciate the feedback, the ads are slightly out of my control but I’ll see if I can toggle around some of the settings or preferences 👍🏻

[@Mike-wv2pn]

Great video sir. Fantastic putting. Cheers.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers Mike, glad you enjoyed it. I was very happy with the putting at least 😂

[@Mike-wv2pn]

My next video i will be showing 3 or 4 holes of me golfing.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

@@Mike-wv2pn looking forward to watching Mike 👍🏻

[@davidgent188]

Hey…. Great job Jamie! You played some super golf there matey…. I believe if you hadn’t shot that 10 you wouldn’t of shot a 7 on the next hole so that’s very unfortunate mate… you would have been well under the 45 if you had gone bogey, bogey on 16 and 17 say…. But hey that’s golf! Must say you’re an awesome putter! Very enjoyable round to watch mate… big up to John too who did a great job with you, very encouraging! Cheers guys… I’ll just nip over to John’s channel now an subscribe…. Thanks again Jamie… well played, looking forward to seeing you play again… 🏌️‍♂️👍

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Thanks David, much appreciated as always. Hole 16 definitely rattled me a bit, and it was tough to mentally shake off. Was reasonably happy with MOST of my shots but still feel I was nowhere near my best. Was definitely happy with the putting though. Learned loads from John who was an absolute gent and great fun. I’m sure you’ll see that in his content. Thanks again for continuing to follow my journey 👍🏻

[@davidgent188]

Thanks for the reply Jamie…. Looking forward to seeing your next round mate…. Enjoying your channel and journey very much… see you soon… 👍

[@gavinwhitby5164]

Just subscribed after watching the video on Bad Golf. I've just put my first 3 cards in, and I'll be kicking around 25-28HCP, my yardages are pretty much exactly the same as yours! Really looking forward to catching up on your old vids and will be with you for the new content! All the best

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Hi Gavin, thanks a million for the sub, really, really appreciate it. Glad you found the content so relatable, it’s nice to know there’s others out there like me 😃 I hope you enjoy the channel and make sure to keep in touch and let me know how you’re getting on. Good luck with your game 👍🏻

[@gavinwhitby5164]

@@DiaryofaHighHandicapper cheers pal will do

[@Randbo]

Nice video, nice putts. I think rewatching my own footage has helped a lot. Keep it up 💪

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers mate, was delighted with my putting, just a shame about everything else 😂 And completely agree, while rewatching my footage can be uncomfortable at times, it's been invaluable for me in terms of understanding my swing and seeing what changes I need to make.

[@danielnevinson2833]

Hi Jamie, I’ve come over from bad golf mate :)

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Thanks a million Daniel, I hope you enjoyed the video and hopefully you’ll enjoy my channel 👍🏻😃

[@JohnnyEire]

For anyone that can watch it back, am I wrong in thinking that on some of Jamie's bad iron shots he opens the face of the club just as he starts the takeaway? I'm only a beginner so I could be seeing it completely wrong but it's something I think I saw 🤣

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Hey mate, you’re spot on. I went and had a lesson pretty soon after this was filmed and it’s the first thing he noticed - the club head being far too open in my backswing. So we worked on keeping this closed during the takeaway and my game has improved a lot since. It’s amazing how quickly a Pro can see and fix these things. Thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@JohnnyEire]

@@DiaryofaHighHandicapper Love watching the channel mate and delighted to see John on it too. Killeen is a lovely track aswell, first course I ever played. Keep up the good work

[@elliottconway5230]

Great video lads 👍

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Glad you enjoyed it Ellie, thanks for watching mate 👍🏻

[@gavineastwood7012]

Putter was molten hot 🔥 Great video.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers Gavin, glad you enjoyed it. Was delighted with my putting….just a shame about the rest 😂😂😂

[@Stevebohs1975]

Another top video. Started out this year and I’m trying to crack a 100 at moment (101 twice)…great take away from that video for me, play sensible golf and not necessarily always go for green 2nd shot, will keep that in mind next outing.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Glad you enjoyed it Stephen. You'll break 100 in no time. Hitting 101 twice means you were a couple of good bounces away from doing it each time. Put it to the back of your mind and I guarantee you'll do it without realising. The first time I ever did it, I actually scored 93.... and I didn't even look at the scorecard until about hole 15. I knew I was playing well and that's all that matters. Play for a bogey on each hole and you'll get there. Let me know how you get on mate

[@Stevebohs1975]

3 water balls, if I can get that down to 2 I’m there 😀… thanks for encouragement and good luck cracking 90. 👍

[@keystoneenglish8423]

Came from the bad golf video. Subscribed and enjoying your content. What clubs are you using?

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Hey mate, thanks a million for the sub, really appreciate it. I’m actually going to film a “What’s in the Bag” episode in the next few days so I’ll take you through every club then 👍🏻

[@stephenpoole3923]

That's such a random collaboration😂 Also the camera doesn't do the 18th justice. Very tricky hole.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Absolutely, a real knee trembler on that tee box 😬

[@ryansweeney5716]

Sound like the tall guy from ofice who wrote it with ricky gervais....stephen merchant

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

I’m gonna assume you’re talking about John here? 😂

[@ryansweeney5716]

@@DiaryofaHighHandicapper lolol. Has nobody else picked up on it

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

😂 Haha no. I can confirm you are the first 👍🏻

[@Kirtlington-Bandit]

I feel your pain ! Like you never beaten 90 lots of good golf just the odd complete f@ck up 😂 the positives being your driving and putting so on to the next round 👍

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers mate, I appreciate the positivity. I'm convinced it's all going to click sooner rather than later. Despite this video, the big blows ups are becoming less frequent and I think I've overcome the shanks.....until the next time I start to film, that is 😂

[@Kirtlington-Bandit]

@@DiaryofaHighHandicapper since my comment beating 90 most of the time now 18 handicap and will drop in next few rounds

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

@@Kirtlington-Bandit unreal mate. Delighted for you. Well done. What’s the secret? 😂

[@Kirtlington-Bandit]

@@DiaryofaHighHandicapper , new putter and practice practice . Driving straight made massive difference. It just clicks some days won a comp with 83 and that was with an 8 and 7 could / should have been lower. Wait for your next vid to see how you are getting on 👍

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

@@Kirtlington-Bandit That's serious golf there Andy, well done. No stopping you now 👍 Hopefully it will click for me eventually. Some rounds I feel like I've made great improvements and then others I feel like I'm back at square one. It's a mad game. I've a new video out at 7pm tonight and have two more lined up over the next 10-12 days. Hopefully you enjoy them 👍

[@KurnoBucca]

You're better than me dude... Remember success is always relative. Subbed for the journey. Drag me along if you can please! 😆

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers mate, appreciate that. I’m far too guilty of comparing myself to guys who’ve been playing for decades. But learning to be a bit more patient with myself and just working on my game. We’ll get there together 😉 Thanks for the sub mate 👍🏻

[@terranceparsons5185]

Putting like a scratch

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Cheers Terrance, was certainly a good day with the flat stick 🏒👍🏻

[@mikkeltaylor1]

I can’t hit that 4 hybrid either!

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

It’s in the bold corner for now 😂

[@ivantheterriblegolfer]

I pretty much drop the eff bomb on half my shots Sometimes even when its a good shot I might say “Eff that felt great!”

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

I genuinely think I use it more for my good shots than bad 😂 Usually my terrible shots are just met with a heavy sigh while I try and fight back the tears 😂😂😂😂

[@Irish_Pie_in_the_Sky]

Nice video, but do think the wrong course to gain confidence with, seen those last 4 holes wreak so many cards for all handicaps. Plenty of courses that would suit you and high handicapped players better.

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

Hi Dave, unfortunately John was only available on a Sunday and it was very tough to try and get a course to agree to let us to film given members should always come first particularly on the weekend. I had to reach out to a few personal contacts and the guys in Killeen were superb at facilitating us. Couldn’t do enough for us and allowed us to tee off early on the back 9 so as not to disturb the members. I agree that the course is very tough for someone of my level but I was really happy with how it looked on camera and I hope it gets good publicity cause it’s a smashing course.

[@paulrollich3615]

That bloke just cost you 10 shots 😅

[@DiaryofaHighHandicapper]

It’s about two and half years since I recorded this so can’t quite remember everything but I think Johns advice was pretty sound and good course management overall. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take the shots for me 😂 My big scores just came from poor execution 👍🏻