Hairy Feet

The Sunday 4ball I play in consists of one 66 year old recovering from cancer, one 72 year old recently diagnosed with cancer, a 74 year old with arthritis in the knees and a 54 year old with arthritis in the spine and right hip. All walk the course. Typical round times are about 3.5 hours, sometimes quicker & sometimes a little slower. The average distance between green and next tee is about 50yds, and the course length is 6600yds. We don't rush round, we're not capable of rushing. Once upon a time the expected time 'limit' for a 4ball was 4hrs, and anything over was frowned upon. Why is it now acceptable to go round in 4.5hrs? That said, I don't care if you want to take 4.5hrs, just have the courtesy to let those through that are quicker. That way everyone is happy.

I joined a club with a lot of righthand doglegs

With freedom of speech comes the responsibility to use it wisely or risk someone stepping in and removing/curtailing that freedom. Those that hide behind the "fredom of speech" chant haven't recognised the responsiblity passed onto them by those who fought/fight for it. As for the idiots who taunt people for the fun of it. You either need to get out more or need your meds adjusting.

Paid about $250 for St Andrews, and about the same for Carnoustie the following year. Carnoustie is the better course but St Andrews for the atmosphere nails it by miles.

Hit straight and you have both sides of the fairway as a safety margin. Aim right and hope for "a fairly consistent draw" and you only get to use the fairway for the ones that draw. I've never been able to hit a consistent draw but have hit a fade for 40+ years, 30+ years as a low single figure handicapper. It works for me but its about what suits any particular individual. I prefer a fade because it lands softer. Get a draw going a bit awry and its get too lively when it lands, What I lose in distance I gain in it pretty much staying where it lands...

And if you set up for a draw and it fades you miss the green by a wide margin... Its not a game of how, its a game of how many.

I find this thread extremely sad. There's a 14 yr old lad, who appears to be a little insecure and looking for a little praise getting a good roasting by a load of adults whose attitude, quite frankly, stinks. What would some of you do/feel if your son had posted up something that is relatively innocuous and a whole host of rabid dogs had jumped on him? The lad maybe having a gentle brag, and maybe isn't the best of company out on the course but he's only a 14 yr old lad, not a beer swilling belching and farting redneck. Some of you need to go and have a good look at yourselves in the mirror... Flame away guys, its about all some of you are good at.

Playing off 6 at 14 is pretty decent. Not quite sure what your height and weight have to do with it though. Get your self to the chipping and putting ground and put a lot of hours in. At your age I was putting in about 2-3 hrs a day practicing + at least 2 rounds a day during holidays/weekends. That is the effort you need to put in to get lower. Concentrate on that, not what other people say or"gawk."

Had 5 birdies several times, and one of 4 birdies and an eagle. I'm guessing but its about 7-8 years since I've done anything like that and last year my best was 3 birdies in a round - old age.

Old age! Distance is dropping off

July 1968, at the age of 9, my dad took me out with him whilst he played. He'd had a cut down club made up for me and once out of sight of the clubhouse he gave it to me.... and the rest is history. During the school holidays I played every day, all day. By the time I was 16 I'd got down to low single figures, where its stayed until a serious traffic accident 6 years ago. Since then its been on the climb, and got to 6 last weekend. Man, I love this wonderful game!!

A quick glance at the picture I used for my avatar gives you an idea of how lucky I am. I ended up being the airbag for the buggy driver - it tipped over onto the passenger side. Anyway, did I tell you about the time I fell asleep whilst riding my motorbike...

Playing the 16th hole, par 5, of the final round of a 3 round tournament I'm in the last group and 2 shots behind the leader. My tee shot leaks a little right and comes to rest about a foot from a wall that runs parallel to the fairway. Do I hit a mid iron for position or hit the 5 wood at the green? No one remembers 2nd, so I take out the 5 wood. A good solid strike, and as my head comes up the ball hits me just above the right eye. I go down like I've been got by a sniper, and spend the next 5 mins talking to the pixies in la-la land. Eventually I come round and ask where my ball is. It only ricocheted off my head over the wall and out of bounds. I drop another ball and weave my way up the last few holes scattering shots all over the place. Walking into the clubhouse I pass out again and I go face down on the floor. An ambulance is called and in the back I go...... but it won't start. As its the only ambulance they have on the island I'm then transferred into the back of a Police van for the short trip to the hospital. The local hospital, on the island, is no bigger than a garden shed and the Doc is more used to the odd cut or sprain. He decides I should go to a larger hospital on the mainland, and I'm put in the back of the ambulance that's been repaired... but it won't start. Queue the Police van again. The following week I turn out for a comp at my home club, and that damned sniper has followed me. There's a shout of FORE from the tee on the previous hole, and a ball pitches just short of me and then traps my right testicle against my thigh. Once again I'm down on the ground and out for the count. The guys call me lucky!

Note to self (July 1968). Don't do anything different until 1983. Then stop playing 3,4,5 times a week and enjoy your wife and children or you'll end up getting divorced. Find balance in your life.

My tee shot on the 1st hole, par 3, last Saturday. It didn't hit the green, and it wasn't even pretty. But it was my first shot following a heart attack in November. It had been suggested I give up playing, which after 44 years of golf was like telling me to stop breathing. I only managed 10 holes, and I was using a buggy, but I came off the course with a huge beaming smile. 10 holes, 5 over par and happy.

You will feel nervous, just as the majority of amatuers do on the first tee. You will think people are watching, which many of them will be. But you will be where you want to be... you're not laid in the dentist's chair or sat a your desk at work. Enjoy the adreneline buzz, its what you're there for. Your expectations of how well you will perform; many people 'expect' to fail the first few times out, or at least hope to not embarrass themselves. First of all, why can't you post a good score? It's the same grass you played off last time, with the same clubs a balls. And as to embarrassing yourself, I've seen Jack Nichlaus totally duff a chip. We all do it, it's no big thing, its part of the game. No one will die, governments won't fall and the sun will still rise the following morning. Enjoy the game, the company and the buzz. Good luck.

Best is 5 birdies on the trot on the front 9. Also 4 birdies and an eagle, again on the front 9. Had 5 birdies on the back 9 once... pity I've not put those scores together in one round. Twice had 6 birdies in a round. Lowest round total is a 65, 6 under, made up of 6 birdies and 12 pars. Not shot anything like that for at least 5 years, and not had an eagle for a couple of years now.

If I had the talent...? I'd stay an amatuer. I'd be home every night in my own bed, I'd be home when the kids are born, and I'd be able to play with my friends every week rather than people I may not even want to play with. At 40 my career wouldn't be on the slide, and at 53 I'd be around to play with the grandkids...

Cell phones going off out on the course... if you desperately need a phone with you turn the damn thing to vibrate and just check it every so often. Remember to repair your pitch marks and replace your divots. Rake the bunker you've just been in and try not to spoil someone else's round. If everyone does that we'll all be happy.

Practice?! I don't practice because the body can't take the hammering - old age and arthritis. From your game, what part of it is waning? For me it has been distance in the last 15 years. As it started to go I did loads of short game practice to compensate - as I'd got shorter off the tee it led to missing more greens. I wasn't going to regain the distance, so the only thing to do was strengthen another area of the game. My handicap is unlikely to go low again but I've managed to bounce between 5 & 6 for the last 14 years. Good luck.

UK 5.4 USA 2.9 WOW! That is a huge difference. My home course is 6704yds, and where I posted 8 out of the 10 scores used in the calculations. Its also a tough seaside links course which if it had the slope rating system used in the US may have seen the handicap even lower. Very interesting and thought provoking

On the odd occasion I've played with someone who's thrown a club I suggest to them they throw another just in case they can't find the first one. At the end of the day, if someone wants to look like a dick that's their choice.

I play less than once a week, and never practice but consistently break 80. That said I've been playing 44 years and used to play 4 or 5 times a week and practiced often.

Age: 53 Height: 5'9 Where are you from: Redcar, Cleveland, England. How Long have you been Playing: 44 years Best Score: 70 (2 under). Best 9, 6 under. In competition: 71 Favorite club in the bag: Odysseey white hot #5 centre shaft. Golf Books / DVD's that have helped you: Tom Watson, "getting up and down." Where do you play: Cleveland GC. Best courses you've played so far: Carnoustie, St Andrews Old Course, Woodall Spa Things you enjoy most about golf: Getting on a run of birdies. The banter with the guys Goals for 2012: Keep doing what I'm doing. Ideally, finish the year with a handicap no higher than I start it.

24 rounds from 30th July when I started using a stats tracking site. Gross score ave 76.52 Lowest score 70 (2 under), Highest score 86 (14 over) FIR 63.82% GIR 44.97% Scambling par 49..52% Sand saves 58.82% Putts per round 29.57 3 putts 2.38% Putts per GIR 1.85 Penalties 0 Pars made 63.23% 269 pars Birdies 15.88% 30 birdies Par 3 average 3.25 Par 4 average 4.31 Par 5 average 5.13 Following a heart attack two weeks ago the clubs will stay in the locker till next year.