Chasing Scratch…A Dream or Reality?

In a futile attempt to find girlfriends in college my roommates and I decided one week to go on a date every single night. By date four no second dates had been planned. I had texted. No replies. “Their loss”, I kept telling myself. To drown my sorrows I skipped a date one evening and went to the Golf Course. My own attempt at Chasing Scratch was under way. Every drive hit the fairway. Every approach hit the green. I must have been wearing my PF Flyers.

I shot the lowest round of golf ever that day: a 6 under par 66. “Their loss,” I reconfirmed to myself. I didn’t realize it, but from that point on, I’ve been chasing scratch.

Chasing Scratch?

My wife and were talking about scratch the other day. She is pretty golf savvy these days, but I’m pretty sure this is what came to her mind when we were talking about scratch…

Scratch is the Holy Grail

Scratch is the creme de la creme. Scratch is the Holy Grail of the amateur golfer. Like Indiana Jones it is a quest which takes a lifetime and places you in the realm of amateur golf immortality.

Being a scratch golfer means having a handicap of 0 or better….shooting even par or better consistently. Being scratch places you in the top 1.6% of golfers in the country. That’s bragging rights.

Chasing Scratch Podcast

A friend recently told me about a podcast that he listens to…Chasing Scratch. The title intrigued me. It’s the story of two guys back east who pursue the Holy Grail of golf while at the same time maintaining their jobs, family lives, and hopefully their dignity. There is not a more relevant podcast for me to listen to.

Their futile pursuit in Season 1 of Chasing Scratch is littered with sparks of glory intermixed with seemingly failed attempts to improve their games. Listening to their journey of evening range sessions, dieting, daily yoga…all things which I have pursued to improve my game, is therapeutic for the daily golfer.

Any golf enthusiast should listen to the Chasing Scratch podcast. It is podcast gold. Mike and Eli I am rooting for you. The entire nation is rooting for you.

My Current State of Affairs

My handicap currently is a 2.7. Last year my handicap was as high as a 4.5. The lowest I have ever been is a 1.5. My last 10 rounds of golf I have shot the following scores…

76, 77, 78, 73, 76, 77, 75, 77, 78, 76

Pretty good golf, but not good enough. The quest for the Holy Grail continues.

Chasing Scratch

Does it matter if I never become a scratch golfer? Yes. Why? I don’t know. Like my chase for the elusive girlfriend back in college maybe my goal is out of reach…but it feels so close.

Until then, the chase for scratch continues.

About Me

I am a husband, father, ER doctor, and an avid golfer.  With a handicap of 2.7 I have a fairly legitimate claim to be among the Top 100 Physician Golfers in the United States.  You can read more about my story on my about page. Feel free to contact me or follow my sites on social media.