TourSpoon

First birdie of the year.... Par 5 - Hole 4 - Driver to fairway, 6 iron lay up, 54 degree from 100 into wind 10 feet past hole - spin, slope and wind helped it spin back to leave an easy 3 foot up hill putt. Let's Go!

Fair point, Maybe I should have said more consistent and reliable results, but I think most would understand the point I was making.

I grew up in South Florida and drove a CJ5 with a bikini top for years in high school and college. I was outside constantly windsurfing, scuba diving, three wheeling, beaching, and playing sports. Sundown sunblock came out as a thing when I was 17 and I used when I was near the water but I was really tan but the damage was done. I have had 30+ stitches (driver's side of face) and you can't really tell unless I point it out to treat basal cell carcinoma starting at 40 years old. I am now on a 6 month derm check and use sunblock (mostly face) every time I play golf. I have had the Mohs procedure 3 or 4 times and its not that bad if the skin cancer is caught early. I had an LPGA friend who had to have her nose reconstructed but she wasn't getting checked regularly. That was an ordeal for her as the cancer had spread and the recovery was involved. The point is early screening is key. Now, I will tell you when the doctor says you have a spot that is cancerous you want to treat it immediately and you really don't want to wait. With Mohs its days later and they cut those cells out and then look at the margins to make sure its done. The down time is minimal but the relief knowing its gone is priceless.

This question came up in my office yesterday as a legit topic for a gift for a 20 handicap who plays once a month who most likely is playing a bargain starter set and is happy not keeping score. I said a general fitting would be enough (ie: length, lie, grip size etc). Anything beyond the basics is generally not needed and is certainly not a value until the golfer plays on a regular basis, has a repeatable swing, and cares enough to want to really get into it to spend the money and move from basic equipment to more premium components. Once a player gets to that point, then equipment can mean more, but it still has a small return over an actual improvement strategy. But hey, you got cash, you can spend it anyway you want. There is nothing wrong with having some great sticks in your bag.

Update: The move has been amazing! I love the country club life. As soon as I got here, I went into speed training mode and sometime in June, injured my thumb which took me out for 6 weeks. I climbed back on the horse and was cruising along nicely when I decided to go down the yoga/mobility path and pulled some tiny little something in my hip joint which sidelined me for 2 weeks. Anyway, I am -19 on the Birdie challenge (17 birdies, 2 eagles) and need 1 more birdie to complete. I am back to playing regularly and hope to get in another 5 rounds before the new year. 1. SS is about the same @ 103 range. 2. Handicap has varied from 4.1 to 6.0. 3. Greens are elusive but still around 7-8 per round. 4. Scrambling about the same at 33/50.

Birdie watch for 18.... Last night I hit a pully heater that just missed the tree on the left but ended up cutting off the corner of the dogleg and had 135 into the wind. Hit 9 iron to 12 feet with an uphill Right to Left putt. Lipped out!!! Ugggg. The struggle is real!

I have had a slew of birdies lately but 18 still eludes me. Yesterday it was playing 425 into the wind and hit driver 6 iron to 15 feet above the hole. This is a severe downslope and greens are tens so I literally hit a 2 foot putt that just missed! Easy par, but man I need me a birdie to wrap this up!

I have the Titleist Players 4 stand and the Titleist cart 14. I do prefer the Players 4 (at the moment) even though I ride and live on course. I find myself taking my bag off quite often at the range and for away games and its just a super easy bag to navigate with. I do miss having a putter well though.

I have never been so uninterested in something and couldn't get past the thumbnail to even open the video.

I thought it was a little premature in the messaging to be preaching the dangers of gambling. I agree with the premise of the content and it is surely a problem for him and his family. Maybe they didn't lose a house or whatever but there has to be a psychological and emotional toll on his family. But lets see you not bet more than one day in a row before you get on the bandwagon. I like Phil as a player/personality, but this just rubbed me the wrong way. I don't think he should get the pats on the back for doing the right thing just yet. Put a track record together, help some people out, and let someone else bring the attention to the situation.

That is a serious slice! 🤣

Make sure to use complimentary phrases like, "You da Man" or "Get in the Hole" especially on the first few shots so they know you are a true golf fan. If a player hits less than driver and gets into trouble make sure to say, "Good thing you used the fairway finder!" Or just don't be an asshole.

Yah, I know what my swing looks like and it is not that. Getting feedback is fine. I do it every so often from a professional or trusted expert. What I find is that the theme is pretty much the same, just my understanding or ability to address the issue may changed over time so I need the reminder. Interesting take. Not sure I am going to agree but I am sure viewing either could be really disappointing. 🤣

It's been a while, but I still need 18. It may be a while more because of a sprained left thumb. There is nothing worse than a golf injury. I think about it (my thumb and #18) every single day! 🤣

Adidas Code Chaos closeouts from Rock Bottom. My friend swears by them, but order 1/2 size up from standard Adidas golf shoes. I found out the hard way.

Any way you slice it, Bryson joins an elite club of sub 60 golfers. He joins at Greenbrier which also had 2 59s there in PGA tournaments. DeChambeau latest to join list of sub-60 rounds in golf A list of players with sub-60 rounds in professional golf around the world.

You aren't allowed to knowingly break the rules.

I am not a rules expert by any means, but it was match play and if after each hole and finally the match, they mutually agreed upon the results its a done deal.

So I happened to be flipping around and caught this when he was on the 16th hole when he birdied and was put on "59" watch. He got up and down on the par 5 17th for birdie and finished on the par 3 and made a very impressive 40 foot putt for 58. I have to admit, I jumped out of my seat and said "No Freakin Way"! I will also admit, that is the most LIV I have watched ever. When asked if he should make the Ryder Cup team via a call from Zach, he stated his recent play and then basically said if he gets the call he would play for his country in Rome and if not he would be rooting them on. I thought it was a great answer. I have never been a BAD fan, but his interview after the 58 did soften me up. It was as classy as I have ever seen from him.

The last 2 weeks here has been brutal. The 90+ degrees, with the soggy ground make for a real sauna. I got off the course last weekend looking like I had jumped in the pool (cart path only made for quite a long day as well). However, its a trade-off because 9 months of the year, its fine. Now back to the OT. The lady is off base here. She should have been polite and respectful and used the time element to get a credit of some sort. My group actually did that last winter when a course we frequent over booked. It took us 30 minutes to play 1.5 holes after our tee time was pushed back 30 minutes. It was clearly a cluster and the course knew they screwed up. They had no issue with a refund that day as someone decided to be a nice guy and to squeeze out 3 extra groups that day. They made it up to us as regulars, and it never happened again. Whenever I am in a pro shop at a public course and hear the phone being answered with the "It's another beautiful day at Looney Tunes National", I often think (or say out loud that it should be, "Thank you for calling Looney Tunes National, home of the 4 hour round!" Seriously, I love the courses that enforce a reasonable pace. The ones that take it seriously also get more rounds in and have happier golfers. Well, it makes me happier at least, lol.

Still looking for #18, but on the 350 yard 15, hit 4 wood and had 130 left. Pitching wedge to a foot and it disappeared. Eagle!

Ok, you really don't need to pay anyone to break out the laughs. I am sure that is all pro bono work! I seem to get the same lecture many times. I always come back to the same few concepts. Anyway, I have a guy I work with every few months. I have been taking detailed notes and have eliminated a few of the repeat offenders usually caused by set-up especially short game and bunker play. Today is a new pro that is local that is a "feel" guy as opposed to my "technical" guy. I practiced pitching with the feel guy a while ago and picked up some serious tempo just by watching him. That was invaluable.

Sometimes you just need to be reminded of what works for you and to refocus on the lessons of the past. Come to think of it, most of my lessons are just that. My faults creep in when set-up gets sloppy which leads to an inside move and across the line. Funny how a set-up check fixes all that other stuff.

We do learn a lot about golf swings through the internet, too bad self diagnosing can be dangerous on a variety of fronts. I get too distracted by the internet. I found a qualified person to help me (PGA Pro, trusted coach, etc) and then stuck to the lesson at hand. Again, when I self diagnose I am usually wrong. Absolutely! Ok, you sought help. Now go see someone so you can get a reliable tee shot, hit a reasonable approach, chip on in one stroke, and two putt. You master these basics and you will be taking 10 shots off a round in less than a month. Best of luck!

And then there was one.... Number 11 fell today with a driver to the end of the right fairway bunker that was playing firm due to rain and hit a pitching wedge from 120 to 15 feet. Playing one ball to the right, I poured it in. Now, when will 18 fall?