ggallant1

I finished the book yesterday and seems like a lot of comments in this thread are based on excerpts or hearsay about Hank. Take the time and read the book and your opinion will change drastically. The book is hard to put down and gets into a lot of Hanks philosophies around the golf swing, and Tiger's swing in particular. It IS a golf book. Does he get off on short tangents about Tiger's obsession with the military, his personal life, and his moodiness? Yes, but that probably makes up 5% of the book. Read the book, you may be surprised at what you learn and how interested you become in different swing theories.

Just a short story I thought I'd share from the last few days: My fiancé's grandfather unfortunately passed away last week, so we had to make a last minute trip across the country to their home in Bandon, Oregon for the funeral. I didn't bring my clubs, as I really did not plan to play any golf given the circumstances of our trip, even though we would be in quite the Golf Mecca. Luckily, I got to play Pacific Dunes last year. Monday was my birthday, but I didn't really expect much of a celebration because of Grandpa's passing, etc. To my surprise, my fiancé took me to Bandon Crossings (not part of the Dunes resort, but an extremely nice course in its own right) where she bought me a new pair of FootJoy Contour Series shoes, and got me set up with a set of rental clubs (Nike Ignite irons and Nike Sasquatch woods) and a quick 9-hole round since it was already late afternoon. I was pretty pleased with my play given that i was using rental clubs on an unfamiliar course and shot a seven-over 44 on holes 1-5, 15-18 (ends up being a par 37). The course was in fantastic shape and the layout was challenging yet forgiving. I would love to come back and play the full 18, and of course can't wait to play at the Dunes again. The rental clubs weren't too bad, I found the irons came up a few yards shorter than the Callaways I play but were forgiving and easy to hit. Same for the driver, a bit shorter than my TM Burner, but I was in the fairway on every hole. For those who haven't been, coastal Oregon and Bandon in particular is a beautiful area and well worth the extensive travel time it takes to get there, for me it was 8 hours of flying plus the 5 hour car ride from Portland to Bandon. Would love to hear anyones thoughts on Bandon Crossings for those who have played there!

I would be weary of the dry weather drying out your grips, but thats about it.

I received a Nike M9 cart bag which I am LOVING!! Looks great and has 14 full length dividers which is a must for me.

You could also go with the super fast 1.0. They are only $150 if you can still find the model you want. I tried both the 1.0 and 2.0 and hit the 1.0 better, so thats what i went with. It's not as long as i had hoped (averaging about 240) but I'm hitting more fairways than i ever did.

Odyssey white hot xg #1 - 35 inches. It's my first quality putter, my only other putter being an old beat up Titliest Deadcenter that I think i paid $10 for. I've had it for about a year now and am pretty pleased. Most of the time its the operator that frustrates me most :-)

Good suggestions so far. I spent my first 24 years in central mass (leominster). Some others to add to the list: Woods of Westminster, Westminster Country Club, Templewood, Gardner Municipal, Oak Hill

I played Pacific Dunes in March. I lucked out with a sunny and clear day for that time of year. My fiancee's grandparents live in Bandon, so I did not utilize any of the lodging at the resort, though I certainly would love to stay for 4-5 days in the future on site and play all the courses. The resort is beautiful, and PD was absolutely gorgeous (and extremely challenging for a first time links player). A 5th course is in development, but I think it may just be a par-3?

Thanks for the tips. Too much wrist movement could be to blame, i will pay close attention to that.

I've recently started playing new wedges, a 52 and 56 degree Callaway X-Series Jaws. There certainly has been an adjustment period, as these are the first true wedges i have owned other than those that come in a set of irons. I have noticed that when chipping (not on full swing shots) the ball has been coming off the club and going left of where I am aiming. Could the ball be too far forward in my stance? Or might the club face be closed? I have tried to make sure the club face is at its natural lie (not open or closed). I would appreciate any tips or advice. Thanks!

Thanks for the recommendation, I have heard good things about Osprey. If either of you haven't played it yet, check out the Links at Madison Green in Royal Palm Beach. Beautiful course!

Last trip to Golfsmith was a big one: Bought a new Taylormade Superfast 1.0 Driver (10.5 Loft with Stiff Shaft), also picked up a slightly used Callaway x-series Jaws 52 degree wedge, the old one with the mack daddy grooves. Later that night, i got on ebay and found a matching 56 degree wedge. Now on the lookout for the 60 degree wedge! Anyone have experience with these wedges?

Thank you. I actually played there in March. Caught a rare sunny and warm day during the time of year. The course is absolutely beautiful, but quite the challenge. The greens are incredibly fast and challenging. The entire Bandon Dunes resort is just awesome, definitely make the trip someday if you can!

Been reading the forums for a few months every now and again and figured I would join. Picked up golf when I was 13 or 14 in Massachusetts and am now living in South Florida, golfer's paradise! I met one of my goals this year playing Pacific Dunes.