PhilsRHman

I just had the same experience as the OP, but at Golf Galaxy. After a few warm ups (carry of about 270) I picked up the 9032LS and the first one carried 309. Then 314, then 311. It was insane. My SS was only around 107, which I think makes it impossible to carry it that far. Since it was dead in there, the rep had me hop over to the version you pay to use, and said on five swings I was anywhere from 105-114. That seems like an insane range, right?

I have some very similar experience to share. I spent 8 years through high school, college and even after I had a full time job working at a local club. The first few years I worked 30 hours or so a week in the cart barn, and loved it. Worked my shift, headed to the range or course after. Had such a great time, played 5-6 times a week (hitting balls at least), became close with the pros, really fell in love with the sport and the industry. Then as I was getting close to finishing college, I became the prime guy and was working 5 long days a week for the summer, and I can tell you that the last thing I wanted to do was finish my shift and spend another minute there. Mainly it was because I knew two things: I'd have to be back at 6 the next morning, and I knew we were short staffed and I'd get dragged into cleaning carts or doing some other form of the job when I wrapped up. Or the pro would see me at the range and ask me to pick it when I finished. That was the year I realized I didn't want to go into the business because I knew it would ruin my passion for the game. The job you describe sounds like the sort of thing you won't be able to "clock out" from. You'll be on your day off and someone will call in sick. Or something in the clubhouse will break. Or they can't find rolls of register tape. Or the handicap computer crashed. Essentially you're going to be on call all the time. Suddenly your 50 hour week with 20 hours of play/practice becomes a 70 hour week. On the other hand, the better job you do as a manager, the more you can arrange the job so that you can play and practice. Hire good people who won't bug you when you're not working. I'm tempted all the time to find a job in the golf business just to be around it. The benefits are insane -- from the knowledge gained being in the pro shop, to the free play and practice (both at your course and at others who will usually extend professional courtesy), to the huge discounts on equipment and clothes. And what's the worst that happens? After a year if you hate it, move on. But if you never give it a shot you'll never know. I'd love to know more about the job itself, it sounds interesting. And like Ben mentioned, it sounds quite advanced for having no golf experienced. If it's a shop manager who works the register, oversees schedules, etc., but who reports to the pro, it could be a nice fit and would mean a little less responsibility and the ability to get "off the clock" easier.

Truth is, if you're renting a car and driving 30 minutes to most of the courses, the hour to get to Wolf Creek is nothing. I made the trek solo last year (couldn't sell my casual golfing friends it was worth the money or time) and wow was it worth it. I played terribly and the round was nearly six hours but it didn't matter, it was incredibly enjoyable. I'm heading out in March also, and I'm seriously considering going out a day earlier than the rest of the group to hit Wolf Creek again. Just a warning -- Figuring it was the desert, I was expecting temperatures in the 80s and 90s last march, and that wasn't even close. All I packed was shorts and I got nailed one morning when it was in the 40s and howling wind. It eventually warmed up into the upper 50s, but the wind never stopped, and it took all I had to get through 18, I bailed on the third hole of my second 18. The rest of the week was in the 70s, but man, that cold morning was a shocker.

What percentage of Tour players have golf balls tailored specifically to their needs/wants? I remember reading over time that Tiger and Phil play a version of their ball that you'd never see if you just opened a sleeve from the pro shop. Is this true, or have I been mistake all these years? Reading this story, it seems that the manufacturers build Tour-tweaked balls for the Tour, but not specific to certain players. On the other hand, if this is Titleist, maybe they have so many players it's not feasible to tweak the ball, as opposed to a company like Callaway or Nike catering to a Top 2 player. Anyone know how this works? I've always been curious to know how much they can tailor a ball for a player, compared to what they can do to irons, drivers, etc.

Wow, I definitely expected this to be another "I just found a set of $900 irons on eBay for $129" thread, but that's great. Is it a sign that this model is tanking? Or did someone at Edwin Watts screw up and put a bunch of the wrong putters into the bucket? I just checked online and they definitely aren't running this special there.

I'll give this one more thought, but my first thought was that certainly I'd rather play Tiger's ball from 100 and in. I still contend that I'd rather swap the weakest part of my game for the strongest part of his game. The real question is, how many greens does he hit, vs. how many you'd hit. On short par 4s, a good drive would have him hitting the second shot and in. On par 5s, I'd be able to reach in 2 and have him putting for eagle, or trying to get up and down for birdie. On par 3s, especially long ones, it would obviously be nice to have him hitting off the tee, but I still think his ability around the greens would still make a bigger difference if the partner is a long hitting low handicapper. A short game whiz, obviously it would flip. And a high handicapper who would cost the teams strokes being wild off the tee would definitely benefit from putting and chipping Tiger's shots. However, it should take strategy, because I'd certainly rather Tiger from 105 than a 20 capper from 50. Interesting question. I shouldn't have dismissed it so quickly. HOwever, I still think I'd rather play over 100 and have Tiger play under.

That was definitely a bad post on my part. I meant to say I didn't think pitch n' putt had as big an effect on the short game as an hour or two at your home course's short game area. I often go to the pitch n' putt on Rt. 27 in NJ and it's fun and you definitely get plenty of chances to work around the greens. But there are times that the greens are so slow it's like playing to fairway, not green. That was my point, less so than it's not helpful. No doubt it helps get a feel for those 50 yard shots.

This is either a joke question, or there's no way on earth you're a low digit handicapper. If I hit every shot over 100 yards and Tiger hit every one inside 100, our score would be at least 10 shots better than vice versa.

But you would practice your full swing. You'd be playing 18 holes a week based on this experiment. If that's not enough to keep your current swing in tune, then you're definitely doing something wrong. Obviously it's a trade off, and sure, maybe you lose 10 pct on your full swing. But you'll definitely gain far more on the short game, and as has been beaten to death here, the short game is where you make your scores.

She is a babe, but they have to find a way to get her more face time. I'd bet if you added up an entire Top 10 episode, she's on the screen less than a minute or two.

Got some great advice on how to hit a knockdown shot: Move the ball back in your stance about 2-3 balls' worth. Take your normal swing but keep your bellybutton aimed directly at the ball. I'm not one to break down the mechanics, all I know is it's a shorter backswing but it promotes really great contact and a ball that flies low and on a piercing trajectory. For a while I had trouble hitting a nasty hook with this swing and would have to aim 30 yards right of the target, but messing with ball position solved that. There are days even when it's not windy that if I'm not striking the ball well I'll switch to this shot and it helps get me around the course.

Depends on what I'm working on. Early in the season, long layoff, or just making terrible contact: Warm up with a short iron (usually 8) to get loose. After 10-15 balls and solid contact, move to a mid iron (usually a 5I). If I have a lot of trouble I'll drop to a 6, then a 7, then an 8 until I find a comfortable spot, then jump back to the 5. Once I'm hitting it well with the 5I, I'll jump to the 3I and repeat as above. Keep in mind, this is when I'm really trying to find my swing. The better I hit my longer irons, the better overall I'm swinging. Often it means several short irons mixed in just to get that better feel back in. All the time I'm focusing on alignment, target and making solid contact. Sometimes I'll even break out my 1I, which serves as a training aid when I'm having overall trouble. When playing often and trying to hone in: I start with 8I to warm up. After getting loose, jump to a 3I, hit 3-4 just to get the feel. Then drop to PW. Then a few 4I, to get a full swing mixed in, then gap wedge. A few drivers, then I'll shift back into scoring irons. Jumping between 8I, GW, LW, 9I, etc. The key is to constantly change clubs (never more than 3-4 swings with one), and mixing in quite a few half shots (90 yards with a 8I, 50 yards yards with a SW, etc), messing with knock-downs, trajectory, draws, cuts, etc. The key for me to stay entertained is to try different things. I especially like if I'm with someone and have them call out draw, cut, low, high, etc. On the course you're constantly hitting different shots, and I think the key to developing touch and feel and distance control is to mix it up often on the range. After I've spent quite a while hitting full shots with the short irons (8, 9, PW, GW), then I do basically the same but completely with the wedges. Some low, some high, some full, some half. In my mind, the ability to make pure contact with a 50 pct swing on a SW, or a 75 pct LW, translates even better than grooving full swing after full swing. Sometimes I'll try to see how SHORT I can hit a 7I. For me, the concentration on clipping the ball perfectly is exactly what I need. You'll notice I've barely mentioned the driver. I'm too inclined to fall in love with cranking drivers and I know for sure it robs me of energy and does me no good. However, I will devote specific time for tee shot. So that's driver, 5W, 3I. For the most part, I hit 10 drives for ever 1-2 of the others. To avoid simply blasting away, I choose very specific targets and shape of shot. I'll also try to imagine a fairway to help measure just how accurate I was. Overall, driving range practice for me breaks down to 65-75 pct scoring clubs, 20-25 pct tee shots, 5 pct mid and long irons. Doing the math, you hit 14 tee balls a day, so it's important to have confidence in those. Figure 6-7 shots from 3I-7I, and the rest are going to be 8I or shorter. All the work you do should keep your longer irons sharp but allow you to really hone in with the scoring clubs. One caveat. When I was first learning to play, one of the best pieces of advice I followed was Harvey Penick's suggestion to find one club and learn to love it. For me, it was 8I, which at the time was my 150 club. I hits hundreds of balls with it, learned to punch it out of the woods, learned to hit it high, hit it low, hit it with a huge hook and a high stinky cut, and how to hit it 100 yards while never getting higher than the flag stick. On the course, I knew that as long as I could get between 130-165, I could hit it and find a piece of the green. To this day, I'm always most comfortable with an 8I in my hands.

OK, so I have $100 to one golf superstore and $25 to another. I'd love to combine them, but don't see that being possible. The $100 card is easy. I've had my eyes on a new driver, likely the Adams 9032LS, but holding out hope that the new Adams Hot 10 means they're ready to unveil it and drop the price on the 9032LS. Any thoughts on the best use of $25 without digging into my pocket? I typically buy logo overruns in bulk on ebay, so balls aren't really a need. What would you use the $25 on? How about the $100? Any ideas for how I could combine the two? I thought about buying $25 worth of stuff at the one, then return them to the other for store credit since I wouldn't have a receipt, but doubt that would work.

Are you looking for instructional books? Or more general interest, golf related books? On the instructional front, I like all the Harvey Penick books, especially the green one -- If You Play Golf, You're My Friend. It's got a lot of Penick wisdom, but they're hidden withing really great stories and tales. I actually read this one before the Little Red Book. The fact most of the stories are a page or two long makes it an easy, entertaining read. I also really got a lot out of Dr. Bob Rotella's first book -- Golf is a a Game of Confidence. It's so common sense based that you're bound to think, "no duh, that's pretty obvious" over and over, but to read it associated with big name golfers is very reassuring. I think Dr. Bob and Harvey Penick pair very well. If you want something more general interest, I'd highly recommend Tom Coyne's Paper Tiger. It's a year-long tale of his attempt at making it on tour by giving up his job, family, etc., in order to pursue the dream. Very entertaining book, and eye-opening as well.

I know that place. It's fun, although the mosquitos can be killers in the summer. I'd actually disagree about the benefit of pitch and putt, because the greens are typically so much slower than anything you'd see on a real course. As crazy as it sounds some of my best days putting came after a day playing mini golf at the shore. Those carpet greens obviously don't roll like real grass but without realizing it, you're spending an hour or two hitting short putt after short putt, all of slightly different distances. I think it does wonders for your stroke.

This seems like a silly debate. How can anyone argue that you wouldn't lower your scores by practicing the short game? The percentage of shots inside 50 yards should tell you you've got to devote the vast majority of your practice to short game. And the OP mentioned that you'd still play rounds of golf, so you'd get plenty of full swings in. I play with (and gamble against) enough high handicappers to know they'd cut a ton of shots by getting better within 50 yards of the green. The number of times a guy will hit an average iron shot that should be a pretty easy up and down par will often not only become a bogey, but I'd venture to say that anything that involves a chip brings double into play. If you're going to shoot 105, chances are you're only going to hit the green from 40 yards about 50 pct. of the time (at least based on experience playing with this level of player). So you're not only talking about not getting up and down from 40, but you're also trying to get up and down for bogey from just off the green, from a bunker, etc. Some of the best scores I've ever posted, I've only hit 5 or 6 greens, but made birdies when I had them and got up and down from some really amazing spots. And moreso than the crazy up and down is the comfort of really easy tap in par putts because I'm hitting chips that are scaring the hole each time. As for who it would help MORE, I guess it's all relative. If you are a 30 handicap, a 25 pct. improvement (which I think is feasible if you spend one month spending 4 hours a week on short game and 1-2 18 hole rounds) would drop you to a 22.5. If you're a 3 handicap, a 25 pct. improvement makes you a 2.25. In terms of scores, clearly the 30 will be far more noticeable. But for the 3, you might be talking about the short game practice being the spark to have a great round, really go low. Eliminate the 2-3 sloppy bogeys in a round, add 2-3 birdie putts that fall instead of lip out, and suddenly you're cutting 4-6 shots that day. Add 3-4 missed greens because your irons aren't as locked in. Question is, do those 3-4 missed greens cost 3-4 shots? I'd say no, because you're far more likely to save par. Where you might lose 1-2 shots due to lack of long game practice would be 1-2 irons over the course of a round that finish 15 feet instead of 3 feet. In that scenario, you're still well ahead of the game thanks to the added par saves. And I agree with those who mentioned earlier, that short game work does help you get into a golf mentality that I believe transfers over to the full swing.

I must go to wimpy driving ranges, because I've never seen one with a 350 sign. Once in a while 300, but definitely not 350. Is this a Texas thing, or have others seen such optimistic range owners?

Several years ago my work schedule broke right and I had a surprise 5 days off straight. I forget how it happened, but it was basically two days notice, so I couldn't find anyone else. Found a hotel in Myrtle running a $59/night special with free hot breakfast since they were renovating or something. Decided I'd be spontaneous. Hopped in the car after my last day of work (my shift ended around 1 a.m.) and was about a 10 hour drive. Once the sun came up, I started calling courses in the northern part of the strand looking to see who had a shower/locker room and had more trouble than I thought. But I think it was Farmstead that told me they've got a shower in their new clubhouse. Was a makeshift apartment or something, but it was like heaven after driving through the night. Anyway, the trip was fun. As a single I was able to call around and find pretty good last-minute prices. Since I play alone a lot, it was OK for me to get paired up with others. Having only been on one true golf trip with others, I'd say that you lose the cameraderie of the trip, the drinks at night, etc., but from a truly golf perspective, it's not bad at all.

Spend two days at Paiute and really enjoyed it. Played Sun and Snow and the day I was supposed to play Wolf as my second 18, the weather was brutal and there was a mix up on the tee times. Really enjoyed the solitude of the distance from the strip, and the drive was a snap. Designs were quite enjoyable, which is saying something since I was a single digit playing with guys in the 100s. We all enjoyed it. Haven't seen the others you're considering, so can't comment. But I can vouch for Paiute, especially since yo'd be playing 36 and not have to worry about any drive time.

Don't read this as snarky, it's not. But as a 28 handicapper and being new to the game, if you're hitting it 240 and straight, there are a lot of areas that you need to concentrate before worrying about the driver. The biggest mistake we make is spending time and energy on things we do well. It makes sense, because it's more fun. My advice would be to find something used, or on the clearance rack for under $100 and use it for a year until you've developed your swing further. It's going to be miles ahead of what you've got now, and you can stash away the extra money to put toward irons, wedges, a putter, etc. If you're hitting it 240 and straight, you're already ahead of the game and you should be able to shoot in the 90s in no time. As someone who plays with a lot of guys who have no clue where their drives are going but manage to finish around 100, if you're consistent off the tee, that's half the battle.

Haha, exactly what I was thinking, and I'm only 32! I've been hitting a lot of drivers lately as I hunt for a new one, and in terms of sound, the new Titleists have a great sound. A lot more solid and deep than the awful aluminum bat sounds I hear coming off the range. I actually had to move away from one guy in the stall next to me, I thought I would go deaf with the noise coming off his Nike square head. It was so jarring, I couldn't believe someone could hit that.

Awesome. You might even be able to bum a ride to the course and save some dough on the rental car. Plus, you can feel like you're 14 again, waiting by the bag drop for Grandma to come pick you up! Haha, I just had this happen on my last trip. Definitely weird to call my mom for a ride back to the hotel! My last few vacations, instead of deciding where I wanted to go, I started by figuring out the cheapest flights first. Especially for golf, hell, you can land anywhere and find enough golf to entertain you for a couple days.

Had a chance to spend a week in Kauai a month or so ago. What a place. Luxury on top of luxury. Stayed at the St. Regis up in Princeville, which was simply mind boggling in terms of amenities. The whole place just FELT rich if that makes sense. Then moved to the Hyatt for a few days and finally the Marriott. The Hyatt maintained a high level of posh, but was obviously busier and more active than the St. Regis. In golf terms, I guess the St. Regis was the classic country club (despite a recent overhaul) with the heavy woods and lush carpets and a couple dozen rounds a day. The Hyatt was your super high end resort course with 150 rounds a day, but you still feel like you own the place. The Marriott had a more family feel and the sort of place you could walk around in flip flops and a tank top without feeling like you're out of place. As for the golf: Prince: Wow, was that was tough. I'd put it on the 2-3 toughest courses I've played, although I'd love another crack at it. Definitely seemed like a track you have to see first. Many blind shots, and more annoying, many holes with blind trouble. Even with the GPS in the cart, it was hard to figure out target lines, especially the par 5 shaped like a question mark. Some of my fellow players called the course "tricked up" but I would disagree with that. The ? hole might be the only one because it can play anywhere from 400-600 yards, and it's hard to say a "better" shot would necessarily lead to an easier second. I'd guess 5-wood, 3 iron would be enough to get home many days. While I'd defend the design, I do think there are too many holes with hazards running directly across the hole. I played two sets of tees up from the tips, and I think played one further back would have made for a more enjoyable round. If I'm going to shoot 95, I'd rather do it having to hit driver more often than 3 iron off the tee. The one thing that's really cool about those "hazards" is that you drive the cart down and through some sections of jungle that feel like they're straight out of a movie set. Not going to see that in NJ! Poipu Bay: I don't have a ton of memories of this course, so I guess it didn't make much of an impression. It was in great shape, there were some fun holes and some really tough ones. The guy I played with who knew the course well said that we had some of the lightest tradewinds he'd ever remembered. Knowing they'd hosted the pros might have set the expectations too high, but overall, I'd say it was a solid, enjoyable round, but nothing stood out. Puakea: Maybe it's my anti-snob roots, but I really really enjoyed this course. After a few days in absolute luxury, it was nice to pull up to a course with a double-wide trailer as the clubhouse, and a snack bar instead of a cloth napkin restaurant. The conditions definitely showed why it's a sub-$100 round while everything else was twice that. But if you could get the Puakea layout into the shape of the others on the island, you'd have my favorite course on Kauai. There aren't the breathtaking ocean views, but the lush green mountains are there throughout the round. And in terms of design, there were no tricks, but it was far from easy. On the golf value scale, this is way up there. Kauai Lagoons: The real wildcard of the trip. They explained that they're in the middle of a redesign that was derailed by the economic downturn. They've taken pieces of both previous courses to make 18 holes, but it does feel disjointed and hard to shake the idea you're hopping around. However, Kauai Lagoons had the most incredible holes of the week, including some really tough par 3s, and a short little 4 that's nothing more than a 3-iron, wedge into a tiny green that's about 50 feet below the fairway and surrounded on 3 sides by ocean (picture attached). Great trip, once in a lifetime. Coming from the East Coast, it's a bear of a flight. Two legs of about 7 hours each. Oddly, that sort of added to the mystique. Despite being in resorts the entire time, I actually felt like it was less "Americanized" than some foreign spots (Cancun especially) and maintained a lot of the local vibe. Certainly a place I'd love to get back to some day ... but for that I better hit up that "if I hit the lottery" thead!

I'd second the suggestion to check the low-cost carriers like Spirit and AirTran. There are a few that don't show up on expedia, orbitz, etc. Also, as someone who has been in Myrtle Beach and Las Vegas in early March, I can attest that it's no fun to expect temps in the 70s and get them in the low 40s. I also just spent a week in Orlando and it barely broke 70 and was barely 40 at my 7 a.m. tee times. At that rate, might as well just wait until the cold breaks for a week in the Northeast and head to Atlantic City for 2 days where you can drive down and the courses will be in good shape. It seems like there have to be better ways to spend $700 on golf. For that you can probably get a week in a Punta Cana all-inclusive with some sort of golf deal. There are some great airfare deals down there, too. But if it's just a quick trip, I'd agree with everyone, find someplace that's guaranteed to be warm, don't waste time on flights with connections, and make sure to book a round on the day you leave. You can replay that 18 the entire flight home.

One of the best golf books I've read is "Paper Tiger" by Tom Coyne. The premise was exactly the question posed in this thread. He was a low single digit golfer, had played competitively when he was younger, and at 30 he decided to devote a year to practicing full time. He moved to Florida to play year-round, got constant coaching, physical conditioning and training, mental game help. It was a fascinating read and I won't spoil it here. But right off the bat you realize there's a huge gap between a scratch golfer and having the ability to get through Q school, regardless of the level of tour.