Haven't played in 6 years. So what's changed?

[JessN16]

Hello all,

This is my first post other than the three I had to get to make this post...(g)

Anyway, I walked away from the game about six years ago, actually a little longer (I hadn't played regularly since about 2000). It was a combination of several things, including the death of my father (my original playing partner) and the fact friends and I had moved away from one another and I no longer had anyone familiar to play with.

At the time I quit, I'd been making my own clubs for awhile. I'd built a ton of woods for myself over the years and a set of XTR II irons out of a Golfsmith catalog. I don't know what the prevailing opinion of Golfsmith here is but I'd played a whole bunch of different manufacturers, including upper-level stuff like TaylorMade, King Cobra, etc., and I matched up better with my Golfsmith stuff than anything else by far. Building things for myself gave me extra joy.

Until recently, I had not considered ever playing again. Like a lot of folks, I suppose, I got hooked into the U.S. Open telecast, and that's when the bug started. Then I got back in contact with two old friends and that added to it. Over the last eight years, my sport of choice has been bowling, to the extent that I have my own "amateur pro shop" set up at my house where I custom drill and fit bowling balls.

As I've been thinking about getting back into the game, I've started to wonder if my equipment is up to snuff. Eight years ago I could have a fairly intelligent discussion about clubs and balls but right now I'm lost. I think I've got a bag full of Wal-Mart special balls (with a couple of sleeves of Srixons mixed in) which have been stored outside in a metal building in some serious Alabama summer heat for a couple of years. As for clubs, I assembled a Golfsmith Long Jon driver back around 1999 that was 350cc and regarded as a whopper for its time; now I see clubs 25 percent bigger on sale everywhere. For a full list of what I'm playing, see my signature.

At the time I quit, I had gotten good enough to break 90 as often as not. I was more likely to shoot right at 100, though. I'm sure right now I'd embarrass myself completely.

So I pose the question to you, fellow forum folk: What has changed since I quit? I feel like I've emerged from a time capsule.

Jess

[RX Phoenix]

HYBRIDS . . . taking the place of the long irons, much easier to hit with higher trajectory
High MOI (moment of inertia) Drivers and Putters . . . keeps the club from twisting and allows better results
Larger sweet spots
More forgiving fairway woods
Higher quality balls with many different characteristics
Vast array of shafts
Launch moniter fitting
LCG (low center of gravity) design for higher trajectory on drivers
GPS like Skycaddie or Rangefinders which enable exact distances both to flag, hazards, front and back of green
Longer golf courses with tricked up greens

Mostly there is a greater range of options with so many bells and whistles that it may be bewildering.

If you take advantage of the technology you will play better, but it still takes course management.

[CG031]

You'll be shocked at how big the driver heads are now...

[CPHoya]

Differences : launch monitors give you more information than you ever thought you could need about your shots; every club is longer; balls are longer and softer; custom fitting is more prevalent; courses are even slower than they used to be; everyone uses at least one hybrid, many use more.

The more things change, the more they stay the same : the nicest courses are still way too expensive; the nicest courses have the only good greens; the nicest courses have the hottest cart girls; the hottest cart girls are still not giving you their number.

Update : From your username I am unsure if you are a dude or a chick. Add "CPHoya is still a moron" to the second group above. Welcome!

[JessN16]

Differences

CPHoya,

I'm a guy. No worries, though. Thanks for the humorous response. And thanks to everyone else, too. I promise I've been reading a lot this past week or so before I made that post, but I'd reached a point where I wasn't going to understand anything else unless I asked for help. I hope I'll get the chance to play a few rounds this year and re-learn the game firsthand. I'm fortunate to have a lot of good courses nearby (but unfortunately, you are very correct about greens condition as it relates to greens fees). Jess

[ks8829]

Golf balls have changed. Titleist PRO-V1 Balls, long off the tee and drop and stop on the greens was introduced in late 2000.

[TarDawg]

[b] the nicest courses have the hottest cart girls; the hottest cart girls are still not giving you their number.

lol. Not true! over here in Atlanta my home course is actually 2 exectutive courses side by side. All the cart girls are freshman/sophomore college girls. All Hot. Except one. And I can neither confirm nor deny the statement about giving you their number.

[GaijinGolfer]

Id say another big change is putters. Nowdays theres some really weird looking putters out there.

[alf174]

Id say another big change is putters. Nowdays theres some really weird looking putters out there.

Amen

[scooterguitar]

I too got back in the game this year, looks like we quit around the same time. SO much has changed.
All the above is true and I'll add...I was and am totally suprised at how much shaft variance now makes (maybe it always did) in club performance. same head, same stiffness but with different toruque, kick points can make or break many clubs for you in your buying decision. So if you try clubs and think you like one but aren't happy, check around usually you can find one with a different shaft that can be the one.

[iwannabesedated]

1. Putters have changed the most IMHO
2. Driver heads are huge, an some are square
3. Graphite is much more popular (and cheaper) than it used to be
4. Lots more choices in shoes, clothes, bags, etc.
5. More options for club fitting, but still not enough

You all are lucky that you even have cart girls. We have cart old dudes.

[YogiTKE]

Mallet putters are going nuts.
Hybrid clubs are the new rave.
Moment of Inertia is new talk for drivers.
Drivers have non-traditional shapes now.
Jesper Parnevik dresses normal compared to some of these European and Australian golfers.

[YogiTKE]

Golf balls have changed. Titleist PRO-V1 Balls, long off the tee and drop and stop on the greens was introduced in late 2000.

6 years ago was 2002.

[Dub]

HYBRIDS . . . taking the place of the long irons, much easier to hit with higher trajectory

Great list posted here.

I was in the same boat as you....just a couple of months ahead of you on my return to the game and not quite as long of a layoff. He's nailed down a good list above. For me the biggest change has been with the rise to fame of the hybrid club. I have added one to the bag to good effect. It is my 200-215 yarder club. It really makes me smile when I have to hit out of mild rough or from a fairway bunker. I am able to pull off these shots with minimal distance loss compared to how I'd do with an iron. Just remember that these work best when swung identical to an iron....hit down on that ball!!!!! I'm still not fully used to the massive driver heads and I suspect that I'd continue playing my driver if it wasn't for the fact that I crave higher trajectories off the tee. I've ordered a modern driver that I hope arrives this week. Forget about finding balata balls or spin that is on par with the wonderful old Tour Balatas.......those days are gone, I'm afraid. There are plenty of good options out there that will get you more distance and still check up very nicely. The clothing has improved a great deal. Invest in a few nice moisture wicking golf shirts. The new performance fabrics make the shirts and shorts soooo much more comfortable. Buying golf tees now requires some type of flow chart/ decision matrix bull crap. There are tees that even have brushes and junk on them. The putters have really caught my attention. I truly love a mallet style putter...always have. Now the choices in mallet styles are even greater. The line of Yes putters really has my eye right now. The major manf.....like Ping are really making an effort to allow you more shaft options. When I stopped playing before, Titleist was about the only company I knew off that would allow you to "go aftermarket" when you ordered a club. Last and not least has been grips....there are many nice choices out there now. I still love the standard Tour Velvet Full Cord and the like...but I can see where folks would fall in love with the numerous other options.

[LPHSGolfPhil]

Don't forget the size of K.J. Choi's HUGE PUTTER GRIP!