illmadden

Welcome Mike. I'm here in Severn. I think we're in the same boat. I've been playing for years, but decided to take it seriously within the last two. I'm not really familiar with any of the courses in Maryland, so do you have any suggestions for some inexpensive courses? I play Bay Hill in Severna Park. A pretty good course for the price. If you join their email alerts, they have plenty of deals. Take care- Bruce

Wisco, congrats man! I was going to suggest that you really look into purchasing a scotty before I found out that you already did because it seems as though you spent that much money for the total of your other 5 putters. I'm "borrowing" my dad's Scotty and have to admit, it hasn't helped lessen my score. Having said that, my previous putter was a carbite. There's really no comparison. The scotty has a better feel and gives me more control. I'm just not any good at reading my lines, that's all. Again, congratulations and good luck with the new putter...

I recently bought a 46" Samsung 1080p LCD flat-panel. We had a 52" Sony rear-proj HD ready, but I didn't care to have HD channels for this television. After buying the 46", I finally upgraded to Comcast HD and I have to say, I'm very impressed with the picture...especially with any sporting events. The only gripe that I have with HD is that NOT everything on the HD channels are viewed in HD. For example, I'll watch espn and the commentators will be crystal clear, then they'll cut to a highlight and it's all blurry. Now I only have component cables, but I'm going to purchase some HDMI cables this weekend. Anyone that uses HDMI cables, does it really make a big difference?

Seriously, I don't understand how someone doesn't find that question offensive. I mean, that's like asking any player on the tour..."You know Tiger is playing in this tournament, right? Why did you even bother showing up?"

Are you serious??? It is ILLEGAL to videotape your opponent! It is legal to take still photos, but never video. I just don't see how you are downplaying the Pat's actions? They recorded and studied their opponents play signals! That's like saying before every play, a defensive player telling the team on offense..."our safeties are going to blitz and cb's are in zone, so go deep." If you don't see that as an advantage, then I don't know what else can be considered cheating. We don't and won't ever know how much information the Pat's had on other teams since Goodell decided to destroy the evidence, so that just gives everyone the right to assume the worst. And I agree, they are loaded with talent; which makes the cheating more disgraceful. You have arguably the best offense in the NFL and a top notch defensive core, yet you still found the need to videotape the defense's signal calling? Don't get me wrong, I understand that EVERY team is trying to get an upperhand on the competition...but the Patriot's were CAUGHT cheating. Are we supposed to overlook it since it's "obvious" everyone is doing it?

Vince Carter was my choice from the list. I think he had the best overall performance in the dunk contest. All his dunks were entertaining. The arm hang, reverse 360...c'mon, there's no contest! The between the legs dunk was possibly the best executed dunk I've seen in any contest. They were all creative. I know JR Rider is known as the creator of the between the legs..but it was quite sloppy with that kung fu looking kick he did. I would also have included J-Rich to that list. His bounce pass, BEHIND then between his legs and one hand reverse dunk was incredible! I just hope in the future, we get more big name contestants back in. Think how much more exciting the contest would've been if it was Kobe, J-Rich, Lebron, Green, and Howard?

Thanks for the info everyone. I'm trying to obtain my Bachelor's in IT. Honestly, I liked Axia's set-up. I just had several bad experiences with some of the instructor's. Axia's set-up sounds similar to DeVry's. At Devry, is everything all inclusive or are there fees during the semestar that you need to pay for like books and other things? This might sound backwards, but I'm not really worried about the overall cost of attending...I just want a college where everything is taken care of up front. I'd like the convenience of not having to worry about paying for fees during the semester. Everado- How long have you been with Axia?

I just wondering if anyone has experience with online universities and if so, could you guy's recommend one? I took some courses with University of Phoenix online (Axium) and wasn't happy with them. Does anyone know a good one to go with? Thanks-

Best moment: (Last week) On a 511 par 5, I hit a great tee shot with my second sitting about 230 out. I break out the 3 wood and smack the cover off the ball. I didn't see it land, but I knew it was headed towards the hole. So I start driving towards the green. Before I get there, my dad yells "you're on the green." It wasn't the shot that really made my day, but the expression on my dad's face when he screamed it out...priceless. Worst moment: (8 years ago) We were on the 6th hole tee box with the 7 almost parrellel to us. About 80 yds to the left of us was seven's green with two old japanese lady's just finishing putting. They were probably in their late 50's, early 60's. I get up there for my tee shot and skull my ball. It grazes the ground and starts heading towards the two women. We yelled "fore". But too late, it drills one close to her temple and she falls face first. What made the whole situation worse was the base commander happened to catch the whole thing from his car and pulled up to assess the situation. My dad was the golf director at the time, so he had to quit and wait for the ambulance. After the lady gained conciousness, she wanted to finish but they kept her for pre-cautionary measures. The funny thing is the lady wasn't mad that I hit her, she was mad that I was the reason she had to stop golfing for the day.

I just came from Mississippi last weekend! I love the weather! I remember golfing last year on Christmas Day! It was cold, but there wasn't much wind at all. Last week, the weather was pretty ugly though. We played on Saturday right before the rain started and it was brutal. It was a cloudy 40 degrees with a strong wind. I just don't see how people can enjoy playing in weather similar or even worse. I especially hate the rain.

American...just like Tiger.

i had to give up on carbite. the head was so heavy, i didn't have any control with it and never really felt comfortable. fortunately, i went on vacation to my parent's house and was able to trade my dad for a scotty cameron that he wasn't using. don't worry, it's still his...i'm just borrowing it. first round i played with it...snatched two birdies and a few pars.

Just got back from Mississippi for the holidays and the best round I shot was 90 (par 71). I had two birdies and 4 pars with two really ugly holes...8 on a par 5 and 8 on a par 4.

I usually rock RL or Nike Polo's since that's what I wear off of the golf course. I can't afford to pay for golf gear and casual seperately...so i have to combine the two. You can't go wrong with Ralph Lauren though.

grey goose...hands down.

I agree with the statement that Kobe is a great player who can't seem to do anything right when it comes to the team aspect of the game. He might not have made the decision to get rid of Shaq, but he sure didn't help keep him in town. From a athlete's standpoint, I don't know any team that wouldn't want a top caliber player like Kobe. From a personal and financial standpoint, he carries too much baggage. But I totally disagree with you about the KG statement you made. How is KG not healthy as he should be for his age? He's the same age as Tim Duncan and hasn't missed as many games as TD. Didn't Timmy just win his 4th title? Garnett's arguably the best PF in the business...only behind Duncan and Dirk. What you fail to realize is the difference in the quality of players surrounding them. Other than the year he had Spree and Cassell and those with Marbury, he's never had a support group to assist him, yet was still able to take them to the playoffs. C'mon, you can't tell me Wally or even R. Davis was the answers to his prayers? Give him Parker and Ginobli and I would guarantee him a championship! Give him J.Howard and Terry and I would guarantee him a championship! There was never a team in NBA history that's won the championship with only ONE all-star on their roster, which is the problem with KG's team.

July 10 OR 11th isn't an exact period. It's not a definitive time. But that wasn't the point. I'm agreeing with you. The point I'm trying to make is that no changes happened with Elin for Tiger to have worried MORESO on Sunday than on Saturday. And yes, you're right. 9 fairways, 17 GIR's. My mistake.

But it does take away from Cabrera's win when we try to find reasons why Tiger wasn't God-like. You mentioned un-Tiger like characteristics, but isn't it a fact that he's never won when down coming into the last round? And believe me, you weren't the only one that wanted Tiger to win. On another thread, I posted that Tiger's my favorite golfer. So there's no question who I wanted to win. When they asked Cabrera how it felt to beat Tiger...his response was along the lines of "I'm just glad to have beaten everyone, not just Tiger." And that's it. Tiger didn't lose the Open. Carbrera won it...

Yes, I know he didn't make the cut his first tourny back...but are you telling me that 2 months is enough to mourn the loss of his father? And they never had an exact time when Sam would be born, so what was the reason for his exceptional play on Saturday? If he would've dropped many of those close putts, he would've easily shot a low 60. Did he hit 17 fairways and GIR's because he decided "NOW, is not the time to worry about Elin and Sam?" My point is, why not congratulate Cabrera for a great win instead of conjuring up reasons why Tiger lost?

I have to agree with Iacas. I don't think he's saying that the birth of his daughter didn't play a role on his mental state, but we shouldn't look at it as an excuse as to why he lost. So what would the reactions be if he would've won? That he played harder FOR his daughter? We could have easily used his father's death as an excuse to poor playing. Instead we say it gave him more of a reason why he won the British less than two months after. The point is, everyone has situations going on within their life. Why is the birth of Tiger's daughter be the reason he lost? Why don't we find out what significant event played the role to push Cabrera to win his first Open?

Had to give King a rep point for taking over by DJ Khaled. It gets heavy rotation on the ipod. Top 5 at the moment: Taking over - DJ Khaled Thanks for the memories - Fallout Boy Blow - Rick Ross Millionaire - Musiq Slow it down - Little Brother

This is a great question. Even though I saw many had valid arguments, I said no to the test. I voted for the booklet. I think many of the mistakes aren't only made by beginners, but also by those who don't feel the need to follow the rules and etiquette. For example, I was behind a group that looked to be pretty good. On one hole, two of the four hit the green. Not one single player bent down to fix their ball mark. By assumption, do I think they know about fixing ball marks? I would safely assume so... But I believe in leading by example. I was taught by my father to fix at least one ball mark on each green, even if I didn't leave one. So now while I'm waiting, I just fix ball marks. I do it by habit now. Doing this, I noticed my partner doing the same. It's contagious. And if you see someone doing something, just comment on it. I was paired with one guy who was just beginning. I could tell he was trying to follow the etiquettes of golf. One thing he was doing was stepping on everyones lines on the green. I politely asked him not to do so and he complied.

Goals for 2007: 1. At the driving range, focus more on practicing rather than just hitting as many buckets as I can. 2. Play at least 12 rounds this year. I've already played 5 rounds, so I think I'm at a good pace. 3. Shoot a round between 80-85 and lower my handicap. Before I quit the first time, I used to shoot that consistently. I would like to get there again. 4. Enjoy the time I'm out there playing. I hate slow play. So what I do to reduce the chances of groups pushing behind us, I run to my ball and don't really think the shot through. I do this even if the group ahead is playing slower than us. I need to just take my time and relax. 5. Continue to love the game and improve from the year prior. Years past, I started to hate golf. I was naive enough to think that I didn't need to practice and that my "game" would just come to me. Then I would go out there and have the same results...lousy shots and high scores. I figure, if I just stick with it I'll be better than I was last year. Those were the goals I posted on another thread. Here's how I'm doing so far: 1. On the range, I'm focusing more on the drills instead of just how many balls I can hit. I've cured my pull and now hit it where I'm aiming 80% of the time. I've also gotten rid of topping the ball. 2. My total is 8 and counting. This is the first year that I've consistently played one round a week. I found a course that has specials throughout the week. You pay $22.00 for 18 and a cart. It's not a nice course. www.bayhillsgolf.com if anyone lives close to the area. 3. 2 of the last 3 rounds, I shot 88 and 89. I'm getting close. I'm happy with my game, I just need to practice putting. Yesterday, I had 9 holes that I hit in regulation. 2 of them I was putting for birdie. I only got a par on 5 of them. What's even worse, on a hole where I was on the fringe for a birdie chance, I elected to go with a pitching wedge and ended up with a triple!!! 4. I'm making sure not to rush, unless there's a group behind us and no group in front. It took over 6 hours to play 18 yesterday, but I still made sure to remind myself that it wasn't our group that was causing the hold up. At one tee box, there was three groups waiting. 5. I'm starting to realize that golf is as addicting as any drug! Even my seven year old has taken notice. This week was the worst! If I wasn't playing, I was either watching the Open or playing Tiger Woods on xbox. But to my defense, I was given the Father's Day pass from chores this weekend and took it easy.

Thanks, man. Is that right, though? Do you know why it's a negative number?

Does anyone know where I can go online to tally up my rounds to get a better feel for my handicap? Dick's sporting good has a handicap tracker that allows you to input your scores. My handicap says -21.9. Is that right? I've never had an official handicap...all I do is average out my scores, so I'm not sure what the negative is for. Can anyone help? Thanks-