I'm such a jackass.. Nabbed by the impulse buy!

[firstcut]

For those of you who care to read my posts you'll remember I needed a 3 wood and found my old TM 3W Draw in the garage. I spent the $10 and re-griped it, ready for my first round with a 3 wood in over a year tomorrow. It was like X-Mas all over again!

So I have some time to kill and wander into Golfsmith today to see how much a new shaft for the driver is going to run. For some reason it's dead in there. I quickly snatch up one of the practice boxes as well as 4 different 3 woods. I grab the TM draw (for comparison), the Callaway Square, the Sumo and the Cleveland XLS.

It's just me 60 balls and four clubs. The only thing that could make this better would be cold beer and a waitress from the Hooters Calendar.

I quickly realize that I can't hit the TM for shit. It's light and whippy and I'm skying everything.. Everything that isn't going way right or left anyway. Uh oh.. Maybe there was a reason it was in the garage. Fun turns into panic as I realize that I'm taking it out tomorrow and I've already attributed half of the days pars to it's grace from the fairway. Rut Roh Raggy! (Scooby doo reference for you youngsters)

Next up is the Sumo. It just looks like fun. It's big and porky and well.. who could miss with that thing? It seems as big as my driver! It's actually a pretty decent little club and I'm back to wishing I have the hooters beer again. It seems taller than it does wide and I'm spraying it a little but it's new and.... hey, they're on sale for $150 ! Maybe I'll pick one up ina few weeks if my TM doesn't work out tomorrow!

Next I hit the squareway. Another large 3W that seems to hit well. I know I'd be comfy with it since it feels very similar to staring down my FT-i driver. It hits well, isn't spraying as much as the Sumo and I can see myself with one. I take a look at the price tag and suddenly realize I wish I was wearing a diaper. $300? For a freekin 3W? I don't think I actually Shat myself, but I had to have farted.. I'm hoping that an employee doesn't drop by to see how I'm doing. Then I remember that I'm at golfsmith and figure I'm probably safe.. Whew!

Out comes the XLS.. In an effort to keep my tighty whiteys clean, I check the tag first. $180 bucks.. Huh.. Not great, but not $300 either. I proceed to hit the piss out of this club. I can't miss.. I put it in the back of my stance, the front of my stance, stand on one leg, stand on the other leg and basically do everything i can to look and feel like a jackass while hitting. Sure, I shank a few, but I mostly can't miss. I'm actually getting a little worried that I'll need come back and test it some more and may need to find the money to buy this thing before next saturdays game! Sure, it's a quick decision, but if it'll help next weeks game, I'm OK with it.

I go through all the clubs at least four more times and the consistent top performer is the XLS.. At least in the store, it's a pretty amazing club.

I've never purchased a club on an immediate impulse, but after 30 minutes of this I walked right over to the rack, pulled out the range clubs twin brother and dropped it off at the cashier. In an effort to keep from getting my ace totally handed to me by my wife when the CC bill comes in I go out to the car and pull out any club that hasn't seen action in the past 90 days.. Including my FRESHLY gripped TM. I had to look like the Tasmanian devil tossing balls, clubs, towels, shoes, shorts, socks, a pair of underwear (what's up with that?) out of my trunk looking anything with a grip on it.

I found some stuff, but not enough. And, I didn't get the $$$ value I could on here, but you have to expect to get screwed on store trade ins. And in all fairness, they actually treated me OK. I get out of there with less than $100 on the CC. I can blame that on a few cases of balls and a glove when it comes in.

In the meantime, I have a brand new club that somehow bamboozled me into turning in half the semi-used clubs in my trunk for less than their value AND spending $100.. I've check myself for needle marks and don't remember any Rohypnol showing up in my imaginary hooters beer, so I'm at a loss..

That fooking club had better play good for me tomorrow!

[alf174]

ha ha, good story.....so now you got to smooth it over with the better half when the CC bill comes in.

[golfchief]

Good thing you were not looking at the drivers.

[iPutt]

Hahaha I did something like this once only it was with my driver.

[Smallville]

I NEVER buy on impulse!

Good luck with yours. Hope your wife understands!

[NI4NI]

Good purchase - I recently bought the Hi-Bore XLS Driver and 3-wood, and can't believe how well I hit them (not take the shine off your purchase, but I grabbed the 3-W brandy new off eBay for $104 + $12 S/H, so you're in the ballpark, sans half your trunk in trade-ins).

Hopefully your wife dropped 3X your purchase on new clothes, so it'll be like Clinton's Army when the bill comes in: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"!

Post back with the results of your round.

[GaijinGolfer]

Thats one of the nice things about being single. I can blow as much money on golf as I want and as long as Ive got enough left over to cover the bills for that month, its all good.
Not sure what Id do if I had to ask for permission every time I wanted to spend my hard-earned money on something.
Good story though and I hope the new club works out for you.

[tjy355]

Just a question: how does one know how well he is hitting the club when indoors hitting into a net?

[ks8829]

I went to Costco for a hotdog and came out with a hotdog and a 3 wood. The craving for a hotdog cost me $155.

[Dent]

haha great story, I love impulse buys.

[G10_Jamie]

costco has golf clubs?
I really need to consider getting a membership!

jamie

[Three Putt]

The Cleveland HiBore is a great club, I carry 2 drivers, my Nike SQ is great for hitting a nice draw (due to the closed face) I also have a HiBore tour driver I use for cuts. PS...I hate my 3 wood. Probably gonna git a Hi Bore 3 wood off eBay.

[Redbird]

tell us how you play tomorrow

[firstcut]

Thanks for all the great responses.

Well I played like shit today. It was my first time playing this course and I got "stuck" at the blues which were 73/135. But still no excuses.

I only got the new wood out three times. I topped it the first two times. I make a lot of mistakes, but don't usually top balls... I got the gold shaft because that's what i was hitting in the store with, but it's light so I wonder if that hurt? The third time I hit it about 220 straight into the side of a hill, which incidentally was exactly where I was aiming it. I was playing my fade and it didn't show up.. Doh!

So.. Inconclusive day.. Sorry I don't have better results to report.

[NI4NI]

Somebody told me there be days like that! No worries. How did you broach the purchase decision with the Mrs?

[firstcut]

Somebody told me there be days like that! No worries. How did you broach the purchase decision with the Mrs?

Thanks, that's a good song for today.

How did I broach it? I didn't. I'll let her see the CC bill and decide if it's worth the fight or not. I don't attack walls, I hope they don't come after me. Besides, I still have a new shaft I want to put in the driver. No sense getting her riled up twice.

[Southpaw]

I went to Costco for a hotdog and came out with a hotdog and a 3 wood. The craving for a hotdog cost me $155.

That's the funniest thing I've heard in a while. lol

[Travis13]

Just be glad you didnt try the driver out. Awesome club, and congrats on the new 3W