Hairy Feet

Golfchannelsolutions.com

I'm not sure how the handicap system operates in the U.S.A. For example, you say you're only a few shots worse than a scratch player but your handicap is 8... So is your handicap a genuine handicap or have the scoring pixies got it wrong and accidently given you an 8 when in fact it should be just "a few shots" difference at 3? And 8 isn't "not nearly good enough," it's miles away. Sorry buddy, but I've been down at this level for almost 35 years now and have played against plenty of scratch guys in loads of comps, and local pro's when filling in for our pro in matchplay league matches... if you think 8 is close to scratch you need your meds sorting out. As for your comment about higher handicap golfers; I'm happy to play with anyone who knows how to behave out on the course irrespective of handicap. The golfers I don't like playing with are those that are arrogant towards higher handicap golfers, forgetting its not that long ago we were all at that level and needed all the help and encouragement we could get. One day, when age has really got a grip I'll be back up in the higher handicap region and I'd like to think my fellow golfers will give me a game and not turn their back on me. Wonder if they'll welcome you so readily?

Took 41 years to get my first, in August 2009. Hope I don't have to wait 41 years for the next one. 1st Hole Cleveland Golf Club, England. 172yds into a stiff breeze. 4 iron. The ball, a Callaway tour i(s), has been hit just that once and sits on the mantlepiece.

25% of male golfers break 90. The average score by male golfers is 97. 6% of male golfers break 80. So what makes a good golfer? The goal of most golfers is to break 80, and ideally have a single digit handicap. But when a golfer gets to x handicap he wants to be lower, then lower again. Then there is the difference between what we each consider a good score. Ask someone who plays off 20 what they consider to be a good score and they will want to break 90, and a 10 handicapper wants to break 80. Having a "good day out" to all of us means beating our own handicaps. A good handicap is one that makes an individual competitive with his fellow golfers, irrespective of whether its scratch or 28.

I rarely exceed 250yds, and a 470yd par 4 is just about out of reach for me but I chip and putt like god............... that said I'm an old fat cripple now and although my long game is waning with age and infirmity I'll take on all-comers. Golf isn't just about length... note, at the risk of being flamed for bragging, my putting average for the season is 29.1 but best not say how poor my driving is now.

I think yardage books and gps has opened a lot of players eyes to how far the really hit the ball. They've certainly opened my eyes to just how good I'm not and how good the pro's really are. As for other golfer abilities... maybe they're telling the truth. Personally, I find their ramblings entertaining, especially when at the bottom of the post it says "handicap 28".

I'd like club tech in one of the manufacturer's tour trucks

After several months of really slicing I was getting close to the edge. Stood on the tee of stroke index 1, and decide to lay up short of the lake. Took out a mid iron for my 2nd shot and fatted it into the water. Drop a ball and do the same again, and then again. Turned round and whacked my bag, then kicked it twice then picked it up and threw it in the lake.......... thankfully, just like my golf, it came up short.

Glad you're ok. Been hit 3 times. First one was a shank off my playing partner that went across my back like a bull whip... and sure as hell stung. The 2nd one was just above the right eye, hit on the fly from about 5 yds. It was my ball that rebounded off a rock. End result, hospital and the mother of all headaches for about two weeks. And two weeks later, the final one was from about 180yds, a hooked tee shot that took one bounce and trapped my right testicle against my thigh - out for the count for a 2nd time in a month. 25 years accident free........ apart from flipping a buggy, see pic to the left

Tiger answered it how he decided to answer it. He could have answered it in whatever way he chose, and no doubt would have had the moral high ground and sympathy that an injured party receives. I see little point in speculating in what he could or should have said.

Full cord or half cord. Maybe a multicompound. Is it forged or cast? Do you interlock or overlap when retrieving a ball? Have you thought of doing an instructional vid?

Different countries, different cultures and boudaries. A quote from a main stream Oz paper a few years back, "Aussies go Paki bashing," refering to a cricket match. Its a comment you definitely wouldn't see on the back of a UK paper but is acceptable in Oz. Although Williams is from NZ they have fairly similar cultural attitudes. However, Williams is much travelled and will almost certainly know that the context he used the word "black" in would be taken a certain way by Woods. He may have had a few beers inside him at the time but he knew what he was saying, and the context in which it would have been received by Tiger. Its a playground spat. Is it really worth all the press time? All people are doing is giving Williams the vehicle on which he can vent his spleen. Better off just ignoring him... he's just an irritating idiot.

I agree with Rossvanwyk, i.e. it is achieveable. Highly unlikey but achieveable. Its not just about a winning lottery ticket, its about buying the ticket so you have a chance of winning. Saying no, or its a waste of time simply means there is no chance. Attempting it means there is a (slim) chance. "Man will never fly. Man will never go to the moon. Man will never climb Everest." Jeez, listen to yourselves... Calvin Peete, Lee Trevino, Christie O'Conner Jr. All with swings like an Octypus putting on a sweater in a phonebox but hugely successful. And in the case of the first two just have a look at the odds against their success. Yes its highly unlikely. And yes Travis's work ethic, or plan, appears flawed but "can't" and "never" shouldn't figure in something that is physically achieveable. Can't be done?!? I know a guy that was hit by car 6 yrs ago. Broken back, neck, arm, shoulder turned into a jigsaw, massive amount of soft tissue/ligament damage. 6 yrs later he still suffers loads of pain, and can only play 2 or 3 times a month - no practicing. A much shorter swing, which doesn't resemble his old swing, and a lot shorter shots. And I've broken par 3 times this yr. Don't say it can't be done till it physically can't be done.

Travis, it is possible that you will achieve your goals but time and tide waits for no man. You don't appear to be putting in the hours required for practice nor putting together a plan that in all honesty will help you achieve your goals. I've played the game for over 40 years now, and been a low single figure h'capper for over 35 years. Having played countless scratch strokeplay and matchplay tournaments, and competed against a number of professionals I can honestly tell you there isn't a magic wand, or special secret, that will get you down to the level you want to be at. Its got to be a huge dose of consistent, focused, hard work. If you get to mid single figures and you competed in a 4 round scratch (amatuer) tournament you'd finish about 40+ shots off the lead. There's a huge amount of really good advice been posted by many experienced guys on here. First of all you need a good swing coach, then you need to compete at the highest level appropriate for your current ability. Shift your goals as you improve... but talking of goals, you need some short term achievable goals now that will give you a lift as you achieve them. Your long term goal of being a pro isn't a goal, its a dream. Its not a pipe dream, its not unachieveable but you need realistic goals if only to have marker posts for your progress. My son is a club pro, and a damn fine golfer. I know the level of work he puts in in his game and I know he rarely shots more than 70. His results on the mini tours?? He'd starve within a month if he went full time on the tours. With what you're talking about as a schedule you ain't going to get anywhere near being good enough to starve.

I tend to go for everything unless there is a high risk of losing the ball, e.g. an impossible carry over water. I play the game for fun, not for a living, and I'd rather have the memories of a ridiculous shot through that 6" gap in the trees than of the chip out onto the fairway. The game may be about the number posted at the end of the round but would you rather arrive there like Driving Miss Daisy or with a screech of the tyres and a YeeHah!!?

Sorry I can't help you with companies as I just went online and booked the courses direct. St Andrews is as good as all the reports. The atmosphere of the town, and the whole experience just blows your mind. All the different features on the Old Course, Hell bunker & the Road Hole etc are fantastic. Don't forget to take a camera and get your photo of you stood on the bridge on the 18th - I have one of me and my son. Carnoustie is a stunning links course, and probably the best I've played. I've had quite a few trips north of the border and never had a bad course. I hope your plans come to fruitition... but don't forget to bring a decent sweater coz it sure is cold up there sometimes.

Like Zipazoid I wasn't on the forum so can't quote something from the beginning of the year. However, I had set myself a target of playing more and practicing some... The playing more didn't happen for the same reasons I didn't play enough in 2010. Old age and arthritis are a real pain in the ar5e. I didn't enter the Matchplay Knockouts for the 2nd year running, and the Club Championship(36 holes in a day) for the 3rd year running all because some stupid bitch decided she'd rather drive on the sidewalk at speed. And yes I am pretty pi$$ed by it. Practicing was also missed for the same reasons. 24/7 pain makes getting out there hard work. Enough of the moaning; I posted some great rounds and managed to finish 21st out of 91 in the summer league. My handicap was 5.2 at the start of the year, and with all the ups and downs it finished on 5.2. Here's hoping for better pain mgt and a better 2012

If I'm out by myself for a casual round I might knowingly break a rule, not go back to the tee for a lost ball or move the ball out of a divot hole. But if I'm playing with others, whether its competitive or not, its by the rules. Golf is one of the few games where you referee yourself. If you deliberately break a rule in competitive golf it says a lot about the type of person you are. If, in competitive golf, I see someone about to make an error of judgement I'll pull them up before they break the rule, diplomatically worded so as not to create bad feeling in the group.

To post good scores, enjoy the company and the game. If I have an ambition it would be to lower my handicap, which would happen anyway if I shot good scores. I've done the under par, hole in one, won decent amatuer comps, and I hope everyone has a bite of those pies. My one other golfing ambition, which in reality this late in my golfing life is just a dream, would be to be club champion. I've had lowest gross plenty of times but not on the right day.

I've golfed for over 40yrs and if it wasn't for the handicap system I'd would have had little comptetition golf... why? Think about it, if you only wanted to compete against those within a few shots of you that would severly limit how many people you'd play with/against. And as an aside, it would severly limit how many new friends you would have made down the years. Also, competing against competitors with vastly different handicaps in a matchplay game concentrates the mind. Every dog has his day, and just occasionally you'll post a stellar score and another dog will beat you. Take on the chin, and bear in mind you will have your day. Life's too short to worry about why you can't win every week.

Fantastic viewing! The ribbons were in memory of Adam Hunter, who died last week aged 48. Adam was a much respected player, e.g. he won the Portuguese Open in '95, and latterly a coach. He was coach to Paul Lawrie when he won the British Open.

Is it safe for a Brit to come in here and put a different slant on Majors?? Its interesting to see so many say the US PGA is a minor Major. In many Brits eyes its the Masters, by virtue of its weak field, that is the weakest of the Majors. That doesn't detract from it being a Major, and for me its the curtain raiser for the golf season. The US PGA is a great tournament, and a true test of golf... its got to stay as a Major. The US Open, as well as the British Open, is a given. Both are Majors in everyone's eyes and will always be Majors. And many Brits see ours as the British Open even if it does seem to get shortened to the Open on occasion. Should there be an Australasian Major? Its not that long ago that the Autralian Open was one of the premier events, and still is in the Far East. Time zone and TV relegated it to an also ran but that's a real shame. The field for it dropped of as the TV revenue tailed off but its a great shame because it gets played on some great courses. If golf is to be the big world sport, and see the revenue from the emerging nations in the Far East, its only common sense for a 5th Major to evolve out there. As for the WGC tournaments; the original concept that Greg Norman was heavily involved in was really good but money has seen the majority of the tournaments end up in the US... its about money at the end of the day, and thats where the advertisers see the biggest markets for their wares. That said, with the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup & Walker Cup over here I wonder just where the balance of golfing power resides -------- sorry guys, I just couldn't stop myself having a little fun.

A gross 80, 8 over, and played like a dog. Must have left my brains at home, e.g. 165yds from the middle of the fairway into a stiff breeze. I changed the 5 iron for a 6, or so I thought. WOW! Straight over the back. Er, mmm that 6 I thought I'd pulled out turned out to be a 4. There were several other examples of muppetry. Nailed a drvie across a dogleg to 135yds. I hit a strong 9 straight at the flag but for some reason hadn't taken into account the croasswind - a miss into the lefthand bunker. I played like a baby elephant on steriods.

Very true! My best is 70 gross, and my worst is 81. That puts me just outside 5 better than handicap and 4 worse. Good job someone else has been marking my cards or I might not be an honest person

Wow! Now that is a deep deep question, and some of the answers...? I wouldn't decry anyone for their lifestyle unless it was genuinely causing serious harm to others, or themselves. If its a little dark, that's their choice. Married (too) early, and was married for 11 years. Had a few years on my own, then remarried. 19 years and 6 kids later I can honestly say marriage with kids is fantastic. But now the last one is away at college, and the others are scattered to the four winds, its terribly quiet around here now. And why has it been so successful? Let's ignore the love aspect for a second and point to one thing, Time Management. We've all had time to ourselves and for ourselves. Having that (me) time has had the added benefit of giving us all the energy to enjoy each other's company all the more. Our get togethers, holidays and Christmas' are everything a family could hope for, especially with grandkids. They're noisy, energetic, full of love and laughter. The large dinig table, and a dinner, can see the sort of far reaching debates... wow, great times! Could a single person have all those experiences of love and laughter? A married person gets those opportunities but so does the child in those marriages. Being alone(single), and being lonely are two vastly different things. I like being on my own on occasion but never want to be lonely.