Sergio77

Not the vast majority of golf fans? That's called doing people's thinking for them. Monty is a European golfer who hardly played on the PGA Tour - duh, no surprise he has no wins! To say the Ryder Cup doesn't matter is laughable, and to back that up by asking about the Ryder Cup records of players who are amazing individuals is senseless. Golf is NOT just an individual sport. Mostly it is, but not always. Also, the US Tour is strong. But you are looking at it from a US perspective. Asking how many US Tour wins a European player has comes across as a bizarre question from this side of the Atlantic. Sure, it has the most money. Some players go over to try and make their fortune, and adapt to target golf. But if it is that hugely superior, why do the "unknown" Europeans stuff the Americans in the Ryder Cup? Do you think you might be guilty of underrating the European Tour? Anyway, back to Monty. Almost every article written about him for a while was along the lines of "Will he ever win a major?". He came 2nd a ridiculous amount of times but never quite got it done. The coverage he received reflected this and his achievements elsewhere. The fact that US golf fans don't like him doesn't mean he is overrated. Don't confuse the two.

Which people don't give a rat's behind? Not Europeans, I can tell you that. He is revered here for his Ryder Cup record, achieved under the most excruciating pressure. He is a great team player. While no-one would argue with the fact that the PGA Tour is the stronger, the European Tour was packed with stars of the Faldo, Woosnam, Lyle, Langer, Olazabal variety when Monty was dominating it. No mean feat, and inaccurate to charactarise it as weak.He didn't play the PGA tour much at all, perhaps unsurprisingly given the behaviour of US crowds towards him. Perhaps the slightly sneering attitude towards the European Tour is one of the reasons the US team get it handed out to them in the Ryder Cup so often.

Re: Colin Montgomerie being overrated.... In the Ryder Cup he is undefeated in eight singles matches and his record of seven points from singles after six wins and two halves, equals the Ryder Cup record, as does his tally of six wins. In total he has played in eight matches, 36 games and won 23.5 points, including holeing the winning put at Oakland Hills in 2004. Yeah, totally overrated!

"How is saying you putt like a woman homosexual? It's a little banter with mates." It's not homosexual. It is implying that the other person is, by implying they are effeminate. Let's not even get started on the value systems that lead to that kind of joke being funny. Women=inferior. Trouble is using the forums can sometimes be like talking to an autistic person who takes everything literally - if you don't leave sign that you're being ironic, you can't be surprised when people take you at face value.

"I pride myself on sledging my mates during rounds, trying to take away any ounce of self-confidence they may have. You may think im an ******* for doing so, but i dont care. " 1) If you pride yourself on that, you must be scratching around for things to be proud about. 2) If you don't care why the flame response? A few chips on the shoulders about the English on here I see. To be fair, it's pretty hard to tell the tone of a post sans smileys. The original post came over as incredibly redneck. As for sportsmanship, I can only look after my own behaviour there. And it's respectful. While we're on the subject of stereotypes, how unsurprising to find Aussies discussing ways to imply that people are homosexual. You guys really are stuck in the 70s aren't you?

Sorry but only an Australian could post that. Golf for me is about sportsmanship and a bit of dignity. Keep your "witty" banter for the cricket pitch.

Bob Torrance wouldn't be far away, especially given Harrington's recent successes.

Preferred Lies: A Journey to the Heart of Golf By Andrew Greig This book made me cry. It is fantastic. Brackley Sumner, TRIBUNE 'If you are looking for a seriously fine piece of writing and have a rudimentary understanding of a game which involves using a stick to hit a little white ball into a hole several hundred yards away, then PREFERRED LIES is worth reading.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Review 'Greig's purely struck prose is not the only strength of this book. For one thing he has excellent taste in golf courses.' (Lawrence Donegan THE GUARDIAN ) 'one you should look out for is novelist Andrew Greig's PREFERRED LIES. To describe it as a tour of the Scottish golf courses is to do it a grave disservice, as it is really a book of 'life thinking.' (Giles Foden CONDE NAST TRAVELLER ) 'If you have, or ever have had, any interest in golf, buy this book and read it. Buy it for your loved one, your lost one, the Saturday morning medal deserter . . . They and you will love it, inhabit it, and possibly be transformed by it. It's the best book about golf I've ever read.' (Tom Moreton SUNDAY HERALD ) PREFERRED LIES is satisfying, demanding, allusive and provocative. I finished it not merely wishing I was as good at golf as Greig, but also as good at learning from it.' (Rick Gekoski SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY ) Greig....., has crafted a wonderful book about how it feels to be alive, in which the game of golf is a conduit for sensation. Here, golf isn't a metaphor for life - it is life. Sculpted in luminous prose, which echoes his work as one of Scotland's leading poets and novelists, this is a beautiful, affecting piece of work.' (Mike Aitken THE SCOTSMAN ) a wonderful and wise book, quite unlike any golfing book you will have ever read before. (Dermot Bolger THE IRISH TIMES ) 'Thought-provoking and moving.' (Doug Johnstone THE LIST ) 'PREFERRED LIES feels like quite a special book.' (Tom Cox THE INDEPENDENT ) 'Greig writes engagingly. His observations are sharp, sometimes zany.' (Michael Lister THE TLS ) 'he does have an ear for the way people talk and express themselves on and off the course.' (Ian Dunlop THE SPECTATOR ) 'a triumph..... his beautiful prose and wry observations will keep you reading into the night.' (GOLF PUNK ) 'The pleasure of this book is no doubt down to the fact that the author is an accomplished writer' (GOLF INTERNATIONAL ) 'If you are looking for a seriously fine piece of writing and have a rudimentary understanding of a game which involves using a stick to hit a little white ball into a hole several hundred yards away, then PREFERRED LIES is worth reading.' (Brackley Sumner TRIBUNE ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

You DO have to take an etiquette test when learning the game in Sweden I believe...

Well done MelloJoe!! :)

101. Aaaaaaagh. I am getting quite dispirited about my golf. The breakthrough round doesn't seem to be out there, and I have played my course (my first ever membership) 12 times since joining in July and STILL not broken 100. I am going for lessons which is really helping but my Pro's prediction of 15 h/c seems a long way off! I am currently off 24 and not playing to it - my first ever proper handicap. My last rounds have been 101, 93, 100, and 106 (playing alone so doesnt count for me) My course is well known around here for being a test, so maybe I just have to show some patience.... or maybe I should've joined an easier track for my first club! any advice guys?

Hi guys I went to my local American Golf store yesterday for some shoes. Spotted some second hand LH Taylormade RAC Oversize irons, graphite shafts, and on impulse traded them in for my Powerbilts that some guy in a workshop had put together after my last set got stolen. Good LH second hand sets are rare! Got them for £100 including the trade in - $200 or so I think. So OK maybe this is a question I needed to ask BEFORE I bought them... but are they any good?

Irrelevant, he's unfit.

Craig, how do you get "My Scorecards" to appear on your posts? I have Scorecard downloaded on my MacBook.

Thanks NVM! Interesting about time of a round isn't it. I am reading a FANTASTIC book by Scottish poet Andrew Greig called Preferred Lies. It's a journey of (re)discovery of golf and life for him after he nearly died from a brain injury. There's a lot in it about the history of golf and how it is played in Scotland. People there see no reason to take longer than 2 and a half hours for a game. They are maybe a little less prone to the vanities of the game - watching tee shots from the tee until they roll to a halt, not moving until 10 seconds after a putt stops, endless practice swings etc. Scottish people play FAST. There is a guy at our club ( www.hazelgrovegolfclub.com ) who hails from St. Andrews. He plays off 5, doesn't mess about, walks after his putts once they're rolling (thanks to his amazing short game he usually knows he's picking them out of the hole anyway!) I played with him and he was level par after 9 but had to go in as he couldn't make it all the way round due to a bad knee. Modest and unassuming as they come - quite a guy. I have tried alone on a quiet day at my course and I STILL take 4 hours!