Mitch Cumstein

COVID-19 stole my first hole in one! Pretty sure this would have stayed in but for the noodle. 140y downhill par 3 with a PW. Bounced out to 10 inches, so easy birdie.

I'm working to schedule my fitting for the 0211 irons. The November special pricing is too hard to pass up, especially since I've been playing the same irons since 2005! If my fitter has Gen1 on hand, I may get fit for the driver too. Probably time to update the Nike Sumo driver too....

Would be great to hear an update. Still loving the 0211s after 2 months?

I'll second the recommendation of Ocean Ridge Plantation. The "Big Cats" are all pretty good courses.

I'm from Southeast PA and agree with the posters above recommending Glen Mills (only drawback in no liquor license, but otherwise perfect), Wyncote and Broad Run for a 2-3 course buddy trip. This time of year, Glen Mills and Broad Run will be stunning with the fall foliage. You could get a hotel in West Chester, which is an awesome little town, and have excellent evening entertainment as well. If you wanted to go further south, you could go to the Delaware Beaches (Rehoboth, Dewey or Bethany). Baywood Greens in Rehoboth is a really nice course, and there are plenty of nice courses in Ocean City Maryland (short drive away). If it is a weekend trip, you could still count on decent evening entertainment and plenty of places to stay that wouldn't be too expensive.

"Standard" is generally accepted to be 38". Measurement is taken from the butt of the club, along the shaft and to the ground when the club is properly soled.

As you've noticed, a heavier swingweight can give you a better of sense of where the head is during your swing. This is generally a good thing for golfers with a faster tempo and who are more "hitters" than "swingers." If the swingweight is too heavy, however, the swing can feel cumbersome and too slow. A lower swingweight is generally preferred by those who like the feel of swinging the entire club (rather than just the head) and who have a slower tempo. Of course, these are all just general rules and it really comes down to personal preference. You can experiment with your existing clubs to find out what swingweight you prefer. Grab your 6 iron and measure the swingweight (GolfGalaxy did it for me) and then buy some lead weights (easier than lead tape). Also get some impact tape, or baby powder or chalk or whatever, so you can measure the impact location of the club face. Hit 5 balls, noting the location of impact, and then increase the weight of the head by adding weight. You should generally try to work up in increments of 2 swingweights (about 4 ounces of weight, I think) because mere mortals won't notice the difference with less. Keep hitting 5 balls at a time and try to work the impact point towards the sweetspot on the club. Once you've got it there (or just like the way the club feels) have the swingweight measured again and you are in business. Probably way more info than you wanted/needed, but hope this helps.

Nike Sumo (not the "tour") is 1/2 degree open, you could check that one out.

Thanks for the compliments. My dad really took his time restoring the car and put a lot of love into it, but it certainly isn't concourse (but I don't care). It has the original engine, but has been converted to 12v, fitted with a big bore kit (around 1750cc) and is using Dell'Orto carbs. The Bursch exhaust gives it a great sound, kind of like flying a small plane It is amazing how "modern" the car drives when you consider that it is almost 50 years old. Thanks for the trade offer, but I have two five year old twin boys who love to ride around in the jump seats and they have already called "dibbs."

Okay. My Dad bought this car in 1974 for $375. He drove it as his daily driver for years and I grew up riding around in this. He spent ten years restoring it himself but then never really drove it much. Two years ago he decided I would "get more use out of it" and gave it to me.

I never give swing instructions on the course, with one exception, my brother. And that's only because he's totally cool with it and wants the help during what he considers practice rounds. Otherwise, even if they ask "what am I doing wrong?", I'm not giving any advice. My normal response to a question like that might be "don't worry about it, you're doing fine." In my experience, and personal opinion, when someone asks that question it is more because they are getting frustrated and/or feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed about how they are playing. The point is not to try to fix their swing during the middle of a round, it's just not going to happen. Instead, I focus on trying to get the person to relax and just have a good time, they can deal with their crappy swing later. Giving unsolicited swing instruction is a good way to piss someone off and ensure that they continue to not enjoy their round. Advice or course management tips are different of course. I never give advice unsolicited, but if a playing partner asks in a non-competitive round "what do you think, flop shot over the bunker to the tight pin or hit to the middle of the green?", I'll play caddie.

There are some significant differences in club values in those choices. The cynic in me thinks you should get the Raptures, Fusions or R7 CGBs and then sell them on eBay. Use the resulting money to go shopping for whatever clubs you want, plus maybe a nice driver and wedge. If you are looking to keep the clubs though, the clubs mentioned above also happen to be the most "ultra game improvement" of the bunch. If you are just starting out, any of those should work great. I used to have the R7XDs and thought they were great clubs. They are REALLY long (strong lofts, "hot" face and ultralite shafts at work) but they have also been discontinued by TaylorMade and can be purchased for significant discounts both on eBay and at the retailers.

If you follow through with your plan (shoot in the 70s, enter some USGA tournaments and do well) that should help you build your playing resume. Then, I would start reaching out to the coaches at some schools where you might be interested in going, express your interest and ask for advice. Your playing resume will give them an idea of what kind of player you are and whether you are right for their program. Even if you are not right for their program, they will probably point you in the right direction. There are some DIII schools where you can just walk onto the team, no problem, especially shooting consistently in the 70s. However, to do that, you've got to get into the school, and DIII schools have less "flexibility" than DI schools when it comes to academics (in my experience). A coach who is really interested in getting you on his/her team can help with the admissions process, but they can't forgive all past academic sins. DI is a little different story and one I don't know a lot about. My guess is, that unless you are a golf phenom, getting into a DI golf program, not even considering scholarships, is an extreme long shot. But that doesn't mean its not worth a try. GolfDigest just did their College Golf issue. There is some good information in there, check it out.

Few questions: 1. Why, exactly, are you looking to play in college? Are you looking for the competition, the coaching, the facilities, etc. or are you hoping to get a scholarship to offset the cost of school or that golf will help you get into a "better" school? 2. Do you care what division you play in? Obviously there is a big difference between getting on a team at a DI school and a DIII school. 3. How would you rate yourself academically? 4. Do you want/need to stay in Texas?

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I cross-shopped the Titleist 585.H, TM Rescue TP, Adams Idea Pro and the Cobra Baffler Pro. Couldn't find the Sonartec or Tour Exotics around here. I ended up going with the Titleist. It felt really solid and I was able to get the low/mid trajectory that I was looking for.

Any recommendations for square/neutral (or slightly open) faced hybrids? I really don't need any help closing the face, in fact the last thing I need is more hook spin. I know the Titleist 585H has a square face, but I'd like to comparison shop.

I'm talking about those big giant screen virtual reality things, not swing monitors. I'm convinced that they are adjustable and that the store can increase the distance and decrease side spin. I hit the 360 yard drive during a "long drive contest." They were pushing the new MaxFli Fire golf ball and the TM Draw driver. You had to use the ball and driver, and if you had the longest drive, you won a free "Fire" hat (woohoo!!). They definitely had the simulator juiced, because the winning drive was like 410 yards.

Kind of the same concept as the "simulator." I think I once hit a 360 yard drive in the simulator.

There is a municipal course in Philadelphia where you have a blind tee shot over a hill. The local kids will run out and steal you ball, of course. The great thing is though, that they then meet you about six holes later and offer to sell you some balls. My friend puts a really distinctive mark on his ball and they were trying to sell him back his ball! I was really impressed with how the kid could keep a completely straight face and insist that it was not my friends ball and that he had found it weeks ago. He absolutely stuck by the story. We didn't buy the ball back, but he didn't give it back either.

Grand scheme of things, I could care less. As numerous people have said, I have other things to worry about. I think I was more annoyed with this woman when I flipped past her show on the Golf Channel and she was buying knock off purses in Chinatown. Further evidence of Natalie's ignorance.

Um, yeah. You kinda misread my meaning. How come if we yap about shaft flexes and Pro V1s vs. Pro V1xs, it is a completely valid use of our time, but if we yap about some LPGA player sitting on the U.S. flag we have nothing better to do?

2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited and 1959 Porsche 356A. I like flat fours.

That picture saddens me more than anything else. I have no doubt in my mind that Natalie did not intend to disrespect the flag or the United States, which means she's likely ignorant of the rules with respect to flag etiquette. Not only is Natalie ignorant, but the other U.S. citizens who were present at the photoshoot were ignorant too (I'm assuming they would have said something otherwise). The fact that all U.S. citizens aren't more aware of the rules of flag etiquette is what saddens me. These rules are important and U.S. citizens should know them. Just like they should exercise the right to vote and should be informed on the issues of the day and ensure that their represented leaders are representing them or are held accountable if they don't. It's part of your duty of citizenship, because the flag is the symbol of the United States. It is not just a bunch of pieces of cloth. Saying the flag is a bunch of pieces of cloth is like saying the Cross is just two sticks of wood and the Koran is just a book.

I would think that one of the risks of reshafting the R580 XD is that you would lose that "feel" that you like so much. I have no idea what proportion of "feel" is allocated to the shaft as opposed to the clubhead, but the shaft definitely plays a role. I reshafted a Cobra 454 comp once (with a UST V2) and just ruined the way the club played (oops). All the signs pointed to that being the right shaft for the effect I was looking for, but once it was in there, I wasn't happy at all. On the other hand, I reshafted my Cobra SS 310 tour with an Aldila NV-65r, and I love it. Totally money. If I just looked at it financially though, the move would make no sense. You can buy SS310 tours on eBay for $15-$45 and the shaft was much more than that. I would try out a bunch of the newer drivers and see whether any of them feel right to you, and if they do, apply your $150 there.