huskylawyer

So I played Chambers Bay today and had a blast. If you ever come to the Seattle/Tacoma area, I highly recommend this course as it gives you a unique experience. It is a Links course, with no tree (or one famous tree). Today was a nice, albeit overcast day, and while walking the course I felt like I was in Ireland. Just an amazing course. Few tidbits: - It was very busy (first time the sun came out in the area in a week or so). Typically on a par 4 there was a group on the green, in the middle of the fairway and the tee. Didn't bother me too much though. - The people there are very nice. I was kinda worried, because I'm a new golfer with a high handicap. It appeared that it was a course for the "good golfers" (older folks, with nice gear and nice tee shots). I asked the marshall if I could play alone (so I don't frustrate a group), but he said it was too busy. He paired me up with 2 older guys who were nice and supportive. They shot in the high 80s and 90s, but they looked like PGA veterans compared to me (hit a 60 on the front 9, didn't keep score on second 9 cuz I was sucking so bad - though I managed to bogie three holes in a row -woot!). - It is VERY dry. I was amazed that, despite the constant rain in the area the past few weeks, the course was super dry. My partners told me it was the fescue grass and the fact that it was build on a sand mine or something like that. Because of the fescue, the greens are incredibly fast and hard. I was used to soppy messes in Seattle, but the greens were dry and quick. The greens are also very tough, with steep grades. Whether hitting to the fairway or green, you really need to consider the roll factor. Balls would roll for it seemed like miles. If you don't play the quick grass right, you're ball will roll right into a hazard. - You can't beat the view. Right on the water and very scenic. - Driving carts aren't allowed. I just bought the clicgear, but you can also hire a caddy for $50 bucks or so to carry your bags. - The front 9 IMHO is easier than the back 9. Very wide fairways, and of course, no trees. The fairways got significantly narrower during the back 9. It seemed like most of the par 3s you were shooting from an elevated position (with a view of the water as a backdrop). Every driver shot I had was playable. However, there is sand EVERYWHERE. This really killed me, as I am such a noob so sand traps are very difficult for me. - Finally, a little secret. When you walk in the pro shop to pay for the green fee, they always ask with a smile, "so where you traveling from." I sheepishly said, "Seattle" and proceeded to pay the non-Pierce County rate ($99). If you live in Pierce Country (e.g., Tacoma), the rate is $40 or so cheaper. The guys I played with said that (1) pay in cash (so they don't ask for ID for the credit card), and (2) say you are from Tacoma, and you get the better rate all the time. Lesson learned. All in all, a great experience. I probably won't go there until I shave 10 points off my handicap, but I plan on being a regular there once I get there.

Well, I'm excited about tomorrow. Going to play Chambers Bay in Washington tomorrow. One of the best new golf courses in the country, and is hosting the 2015 U.S. Open. $99 green fee due to the winter rates. I don't mind playing in the rain, but I'm hoping the rain holds off tomorrow (I'm optimistic due to forecast). I'm a noobie golfer, so I'm very intimidated, but I said, "what the heck?" and am just going to do it. Should be interesting lol....

I had the same issue. I would hit sync on the website, and nothing would happen. So I ran the uPro Finder application while synicing, and then it started to work. Hope that helps.

I would suggest not focusing on brand, but instead, going to the local golf show and trying all the brands. Hit everything, and pick what you like. When I went to get my clubs, I thought I would stick with the same brand for everything. I had this dream of owning "brand x" irons, woods, putter, bag and clothes lol. But I soon learned that different brands offer different things, and as a result, I have a ton of different brands in my bags: Ping Driver, Callaway Irons, Adams and Ping Hybrids, and a Nike Putter! I love all of them!

I took 2 hours of lesson about a month ago and it helped tremendously. It was during a trip to Arizona, so I can't go to the same instructor. I'd like to find someone local (in the Seattle area), but I have no idea where to start. Yesterday, I was about to play solo, and this guy who was about to start said I could join him. I told him, "I suck" and he just laughed and said, "no worries." He actually happened to be an instructor at the course (Maplewood-South of Seattle). He was a great golfer (scratch), and he gave me some decent tips for free (though he spoke in technical terms; sometimes I didn't understand and I just nodded and said, "ahh..yea, I get it..." lol). He put on a thick sales pitch ("Dude...I can really help you."). He is $60/hour. I suppose I could just book an hour and see if I like him, but I'm wondering if I should put more thought into selecting an instructor. Should I be looking for something specific when looking for an instructor? Should the instructor be "certified" by a certain organization? Should I gravitate towards instructors that work at certain places? (public course, universities, private clubs?). Is $60 a decent deal (In Arizona I paid $100 for the first hour and $80 for the second hour - he taught me and another person at the same time the basics of golf). Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the great summary. A friend of mine who is a local booked a tee time on Saturday at Las Colinos. $49, so feeling a lot better now. Since I'm staying the Westin, I'll probably bite the bullet and play one round at Kierland, and I'll play one at Talking Stick. Will be there six days, so hopefully will fit in another round or two at the courses mentioned in this thread. Gonna be nice playing without wearing a full set of rain gear.

Just picked up the Kindle version of this book to read on my iPad. I'm a noobie golfer, so curious as to whether I'll understand what he's saying. The first "how to" book I've picked up.

Noobie golfer here, and I spent a TON of time in the golf store when looking for my set. I ended up with the Callaway Diablo Edges. They are quite forgiving, and are more tailored for the high handicappers-noobies IMHO. I hit a lot of different brands before ultimately choosing the Diablo Edges.

In a former life, I had clients in the adult industry. It was quite entertaining (the law firm parties were epic). I remember telling friends, "yea, I talked to the former Penthouse Pet of the Year earlier today" and they almost lost their minds lol. It is a big business for sure, and you'd be surprised how "normal" the people involved in the industry are. Most people only recognize the performers, but the business folks behind the business are pretty dang sophisticated. The online adult industry is responsible for most the mainstream technology we use today (e-commerce, video streaming, etc.). The business has taken a huge hit downward though with the proliferation of "tube sites" (i.e., stolen "free" content). As for consumer consumption, like anything (even golf lol), too much can lead to bad results. As long as you can function day to day, keep a job, have normal relationships with people, etc., not a problem.

Pimpin' ain't easy.

I have the Method 001 and I love it. I feel very confident with it, and it is easy to handle imho. It also looks great.

Just picked up the Nike Tour Cart Bag II. Had the Ping Latitude V2, but retired it because clubs stuck all the time. I love this bag. Lots of storage and looks good (I have black and red bag).

Shot a 50 in 9 holes today. I'm elated. It was my fourth day playing since I started to learn. I hit the driving range before playing to work on my driver (the club that gets me the most trouble). All of my drives were decent, with no crazy slices. Had 3 pars, and nothing worse than a triple bogie. Hit one long putt, and on the 9th, I hit an 8 iron from about 125 yards out and it landed about a foot from the cup, to save par on a par 4. In a really good mood.

So on Saturday I played 18 holes in 30 degree weather. On Sunday I played 27 in a light rain. On Monday I played 18 in cloudy and wet conditions. I thoroughly enjoyed each session. Ah, to be a golfer in Seattle..... Thankfully, I'm headed to Scottsdale Arizona next week. As a new golfer, I almost started drooling while looking for hotels, as a few of them are on golf courses. I ended up picking The Westin Kierland ( http://www.kierlandresort.com/# ) and Talking Stick Resort Casino which is next to the Talking Stick Golf Club ( http://www.talkingstickgolfclub.com/index.php ). Three nights each. Very excited. Some questions and comments: 1) After I booked the room, I was super excited, until I checked the green fees. I paid 18 bucks on Saturday to play 18 here in Seattle (the back 9 was closed because of snow on the course, so we played the front nine twice). Talking stick is $130 for 18, and Kierland is $200!!!!! WTF? I almost fainted. Is this typical for Arizona? Are these courses "worth it."? I already booked the hotel, so I'm going to play each course at least once, but my fantasy of golf everyday probably evaporated after I checked the rates (unless I win big playing poker at Talking Stick lol). I guess it is the "sun fee". I mean, to put it in perspective, Chambers Bay, which is one of best new courses in the country (and will host a U.S. Open or other in 2015) is $80 right now. 2) Any recommendations on a travel bag? I want to bring my clubs, so any input appreciated. 3) Anyone play these courses? 4) Any "cheaper alternatives" near the Scottsdale/Phoenix area? Thanks in advance.

I just had my first par on a par 4, so it is going to be awhile before I start talking about aces lol. New to the game, so you gotta start somewhere!

My random thoughts on Tiger (who I root for, but he's never been my "favorite" golfer): 1) Woods is primarily responsible for the huge leaps in TV ratings and winning purses in Golf for the past 10+ years. To deny otherwise is foolhardy. Yes, Golf was doing reasonably well before Tiger, but his rise to prominence, put simply, had a huge impact on the popularity of golf. 2) Woods created thousands of jobs in golf. See point #1. More money=more jobs, more innovation, etc.. Nike Golf grew exponentially because of Woods. His impact on the "Golf economy" is pretty amazing, and he is the reason many people have jobs in golf. 3) Woods is a flawed guy. Who isn't? Infidelity among married men is huge, i.e., 50%. Therefore half (and probably more) of the married guys you see swing the stick during the weekends are also swinging their other stick when their wife isn't around. That's just a fact. His mistake--he got caught. Call him an idiot for getting caught, but most guys who cheat on their wives aren't very smart about it. He's not a "bad guy", because I have plenty of friends who have similar problems (and half the married guys on this board aren't angels in their marriage). He's a flawed guy. It doesn't make it right--but just the self righteousness is kinda crazy, considering that cheating on your wife is almost a part of the human condition for most men. 4) I think it is a little premature to say his reign is over. For crying out loud, he's 5th in the world lol. It's not like he completely fell off the map like Sergio. Generally, he is a threat in every tournament. I'm hoping Tiger gets back at #1 and stays there. The Europeans are on a nice run, but it is time for an American to take the top spot again! (*USA!* *USA!* *USA!* :) )

+1 for Clicgear 3.0. I love the cart; no complaints.

So a few weeks ago I bought a Ping Latitude V2 bag. A solid bag, but after a few runs on the course I realized I made a mistake. First, I use a cart (Cliqgear 3.0), and the Latitude is much more suited for someone who is carrying. Not a ton of functionality, and limited space (not a bad thing--a solid lightweight bag for someone carrying). My golfing buddy had a cart bag, and he just seemed to have more useful features, so the jealousy kicked in lol. Also, clubs would stick in the Latitude bag all the time, and it would drive me crazy. I decided to retire the bag after a short ownership period (tried to return; but store won't take it-so will sell it to a friend or keep it as my travel bag). I feel like I found the perfect bag, and I'm in love. I bought the Nike Tour Cart II Bag ($240) ( http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikegolf/en_US/products/details?sku=bg0220 I bought black with red accents. All my clubs have some red accents, so it matches nicely with the bag. Things I love about the bag: 1) 14 club divider. No more sticking clubs! Clubs go in and out with ease. Plus a dedicated well for the putter. 2) Lots of pockets. Just a ton of storage, and most of the pockets have an internal pouch. 3) 2 insulated water bottle pouches. these are great. Bought 2 Gatorades today and put one in each pouch, and they stayed cool for for 18. 4) Small mesh pocket on outside. This is great for the cell phone. No more digging in a pocket full of tees, balls, etc., to get your phone, smokes or other item. 5) 2 open air pockets for balls 6) tee holder near top of bag. Small conveniences are always nice. I just love this bag, and playing is so much more enjoyable now. It looks great, and has amazing functionality. If you use a cart (hand, or drive), I highly recommend this bag. It fits nicely on the Clickgear. It really makes life easier for me on the course.

Played 27 holes today. Was kinda cold, but not freezing. Got my first par (par 4) and also drained a long putt from the fringe. Hit a 116 on my first 18, and didn't keep score on the second 9 (first 3 holes terrible, last 6, nothing worse than a triple bogie but a mix of bogies and double bogies - I was happy). Hit my driver much better today, but the 4 Hybrid (Ping G15) was definitely off today. It was a little muddy today, so when it was deep in the grass, the hybrid was tough to hit. When the ball was set up well, I hit the hybrid pretty good. Probably gonna need to take a few days off, because my body feels like @#$@$@. I'm in reasonably decent shape and HWP, but I haven't felt like this since football practice in high school. Ouch.

I went to a local golf store that has been around for 40+ years and just spent an hour or so with the sales guy. He hooked me up to all the gizmos, watched my swing, and asked a lot of questions. He had me hit 4 different set of irons, and just asked me what felt best. It came down to some Pings and the Callaway Diablos for me. He measured my hands, height, and had me get in a stance for the fitting. I also hit some balls with some tape on the bottom of the irons on a black mat and he could tell if I was prone to slice or hook (I'm a slicer). They fitted the Diablos and I got them in 7 days. Very happy with the experience. No up-selling; they just wanted me to get clubs that I felt comfortable with.

I just got some Callaway Diablo Edges and I LOVE them. I'm basically new to the game, and they are very forgiving. $599 MSRP, but you may be able to find a deal. I highly recommend them.

So just back into the game after a looooong hiatus. After 2 hours of lessons a few weeks ago, and about a dozen trips to the driving range, I played 18 at the Auburn, WA public course (in about 35 degree weather). I didn't keep score, but I'm guessing around a 110 or so. Game highlights and lowlights. I'm @#$@#$@ Sore! - Wow, I'm sore. I would get sore after hitting 120 balls at the driving range, but the combination of walking and hitting has taken a toll on my body. Every inch of my body is sore. My golfing buddy wants to play 18 tomorrow, but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get out of bed tomorrow. Nerves . I get super nervous when people are watching. Thankfully, due to the weather, the course was pretty slow, but I still can't get over having people watching me hit off the tee. Things started great though. First hole is a fairly straight and narrow par 4. A duo was behind us, and before I hit the tee with my Ping K15 I turn to them and said, "I haven't played in 8 years, this could be ugly." They laughed. I get up, swing, and I hit my best shot of the day. Straight ball about 200 yards. Dude behind me says, "Umm.....for 8 years out of the game, that was a damn good shot." I felt pretty good! Positives. Out of 18, I only had 2 holes where I just picked the ball up because I sucked so bad. Had one bogie, a lot of double bogies, and a few triple bogies. I also chipped very well (with backspin says my golfing partner *shrugs*) Negatives . Consistency. I probably shanked 60% of my driver shots. Some I hit really well-straight and long. But a vast majority were low bad hooks. Going to take lessons on the driver. Hybrid! Last time I played I don't even think hybrids existed. I hit my 4 iron hybrid pretty well today. A few shanks, but I'd say 80% of the time I hit it pretty well. Disaster at 9: I almost had a complete disaster on the 9th hole, i.e., I almost had a VERY expensive trip. So on my 4rd shot on a par 5, I pull out the 7 iron. My buddy (and experienced golfer) says, "dude...I'm thinking 9 or even a PW". Whatever he tells me to hit I get a longer club, because he's a lot better and I can't hit as far as he does. So I pull out the 7, proceed to slice it bad, and the ball heads straight towards the parking lot. Thankfully, the ball landed between 2 cars and bounces into the tee area of another hole. Disaster averted! All in all, a great day. I'm very happy that I'm back into the game.

This has probably been stated in an earlier post, but if you decide to loan money, always put it in writing. In some jurisdictions, a verbal loan is generally unenforceable. More importantly, if there is ever a dispute, you want some documentation. If it is a large loan, request that the loan is secured with some of his assets. This way, if he/she defaults, you can try to seize the assets. I'd loan money to friends (never been asked) or family (has been requested-and granted) if I have it (never put yourself in financial distress). I was super poor when I was young, and people helped me out (not with cash, but letting me stay with them and stuff like that). With that said, if the potential borrower has a drug, gambling or credit card problem, don't do it, even if they say it isn't for that. I loaned a family member some money who liked to gamble and gets in credit card trouble, and I'm absolutely certain I'll never get it back.

Love Hoegarden. What's interesting is that when I was travelling in London, i noticed that it was on tap everywhere, and it kinda seemed like it was Europe's version of Budweiser (popular cheap beer). I like trappist bear, with Chimay being my favorite. Quote:

Undergrad Diploma (University of Washington - Political Science) is in a file cabinet somewhere collecting dust. Law School Diploma (University of Michigan - Go Blue!) is framed, but in the basement collecting dust. My house is pretty small, so not a lot of room to put stuff on the walls. If I ever get a bigger house, I'll put it somewhere.