DoGolf Brian

Hey everyone! Hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving. The winner of the R11 Giveaway was Joe M. of Alabama. He didn't come directly through The Sand Trap, but we'll let him speak up if he is part of the community. Thanks again for the participation! Anything special you would all like to see from a giveaway the next time around?

I'm a 6'2" golfer and have experienced some significant back pain as well. I had some temporary relief after having my clubs fitted. However, the pain returned after a few months. Oddly, I've found a weekend massage once per week is quite helpful. I always opt for the sports massage and it really works off many of the issues I've experienced with my back.

I've tried GolfTEC in the past with some nice success. They have a variety of locations around Chicago. They're nationwide, so others could take advantage as well. If you're not within the Chicago area I'm sure there are a variety of other simulator options...or indoor driving ranges.

I'll go ahead and suggest a geographic favorite: Fat Tire. I've been surprised to find it in more and more cities lately, but it's a great beer. Try it out if you have the chance.

I played soccer for most of my life and this was a frequent issue with cleats in the rain and mud. I'd constantly come home and have to deal with wet boots. It was even worse when I had to practice the following day and my cleats were still cold and wet! Unfortunately, I didn't discover the trick newtogolf notes above until late in my soccer career. As a quick sidenote, I would make the rather (now) obvious comment that blowdrying your shoes does NOT work. Wet plastic composite + hot air = small shoes!

I agree with the others that both Nike and Under Armor have some great dri fit clothing. I would check both of those out. Even PING and other more golf-focused companies have begun pushing these options. Here in California it's all I'll wear out on the course. Anything else is simply too hot.

I recently began using an Odyssey Tour Designs 6 putter. Oddly, I've always been a pretty solid putter. This one has been an adjustment, but I'm beginning to see some positive results.

Personally, I can't stand the golfer "uhhhAHHHH" sound that comes out on a bad shot. I can hear it even as I'm typing. It has that transition from the "uhh" to the "AHHH" as the ball hooks into the woods. We get it...you hit a bad shot. Time to move on. No need to hit us with the same noise every other golfer utters on a bad shot.

Check out some of American Golf's courses. They aren't overly pricey and you can typically find good prices on GolfZing...their in-house tee time website. Not sure whether you've played Lost Canyons, but it's a pretty challenging course in Simi Valley. It's a good one to check out.

I actually prefer a quick 9 over 18...but only on weekdays. I find it simply takes too much time away from my weekday work schedule to play 18. On weekends I'm an 18 guy, but I'll stick to a quick 9 any other time!

If I were able to get out on the course more often, I'd definitely prefer more consistency. That said, I don't golf enough to expect a solid round each and every time I go out. I don't even expect to shoot a poor round each time I go out! For me, half the fun is not knowing what I'm gong to put up that day. 80 or 100...I still love to play!

From what I've been told, UNLV has a fairly reputable golf management program. At the very least, you may be able to gain some insider knowledge by speaking with some of their instructors...

I started playing in Adidas, but I've since changed to Nike. My issue is that I have a fairly narrow foot and even Nike is a bit too wide. Anyone have a suggestion as to a solid narrow shoe that doesn't sacrifice performance?

The majority of the courses I play are in solid financial health, but I think that's a product of my geography. I'm in the middle of LA and there are so many people that the most popular public courses have a pretty consistent supply. That said, as you start to spread from the inner city, I think you find more and more courses struggling to get by. I've been told by a number of large golf management companies that they go into the red beginning in September. That means that even their Southern and Western courses can't make up the off-season losses bore by the Midwestern and Eastern state. Interesting for sure!