maelkoth

I lost about 15 lbs and 15 yards on the driver. I didn't have much fat to lose in the first place, so half of the weight loss was probably fat, and the other half was probably muscle. All my other clubs however remained the same distance.

I was a single paired up with a 3some...we were first out at twilight and finishing the full 18 is completely feasible. I make a conscious effort to speed up play because I know as the first group out we're setting the pace for everyone else. I was the only one riding, everyone else walking. First few holes everything was peachy, but I kinda noticed the guys I were playing with were taking their time...not walking briskly, not ready to hit. Then the groups behind us, who were in carts, started catching up. By the 6th hole there were two groups waiting to hit while we were on the green and nobody is in front of us for at least 3 holes. I'm thinking to myself, "if I ditch my group, it will be reduced to a 3some, so that's some time shaved off there for everyone on the course behind us, and I get to rip ahead, meaning a shorter round for me." Normally I like to play with other people so it was rather unfortunate that I had to do that. So on the next hole, I told them that I'm going to split up. They agreed and off I went to the next tee. After I holed out on the 18 I went back to the hole I picked up on and finished up. When I went to my car, I saw that the group I ditched were on pace to finish in 4 hours 20 minutes. If I had stayed with them it probably would have been a 5 hour round. The 3some I was with were pleasant to play with, but It would be nice if people who were the first few groups out at twilight played with a sense of ready golf...and if you want to play at your own pace and enjoy the day, play in a later group.

Anyone play Wilson or Rancho Park lately? Are they less crowded because of the green fee hike?

trying to find some consistency in my chipping. during practice it's difficult to have a consistent grass surface from which to chip. would placing the ball on a tee, say 1/8 inch above the grass help me find consistency? also, am i supposed to hit the sweet spot of the club when chipping? i've noticed that i've been hitting the balls on the lower grooves of the club...

"Let's see...I've got a bunch of trees in front of me...the green is 100 yards away...I usually hit my 7 iron 150 yards...so if I blast it through the tree, the leaves will kill 50 yards and i'll be on the green..."

Well they aerated Wilson/Balboa/Encino a few weeks ago...so expect bumpy greens. Harding should be fine, as well as Woodley Lakes. Harding is the better course. Just be prepared for the fact that you might not finish a full 18 in under 4 hours...

Plan to play on friday...I was thinking of playing Robinson Ranch, as they had the lushest, most gorgeous fairways I've ever played...(don't mind paying a little extra to play off green, thick fairways unlike the rampant bald mess of grasses I encounter on munis)...This was awhile back, and conditions may have changed. Are their fairways still in fantastic condition? I played Rustic a month ago, and their fairways, although better than munis, were rather unexciting. Same with Moorpark. Who has the best fairways in LA/OC/VENTURA? Oh yeah, I heard Hansen Dam is going off the LA City course list, and will be operated privately in the near future...Hope prices won't go up too much as Hansen is one of my fave munis.

I don't know all the details but based on what you've said, two things are troublesome. 1. you have a fiance...2. your backup job is dependent on staying with your fiance. Hopefully she doesn't have a job and can travel with you, otherwise I think you may not see much of her during your quest...How does she feel about this? Have you asked her?

The puma shoes I wear now are holding up a lot better than the addidas 360 LTDs which broke apart after a year of use. The perma quills are awesome. You won't have to spend 15 bucks every couple months to change out the spikes...

For me, the importance on putting is overrated. I usually average 36 putts/round. If I lower my average by 6 putts to reach a pga pro's stats of 30 putts/round, I'll still be shooting a high 80's score...and there's no way I'm going to be able to reach a pga pro's stats... For me, it's either because I'm stuck behind a tree, or have a really unfortunate lie...so yeah, I need to practice everything but my putting...so for you, keep stats and figure out what you need to practice...everyone's different.

Armand Hammer/Holmby Pony Course 601 Club View Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90024 This is the best place to practice your short game. You hit off real grass, unlike rancho's par 3. The only thing is, their greens are not really puttable. When the VA opens up, that would be your best bet.

Sweep vs Snap

The BREAK challenge was lame. The Finau bros had an advantage over everyone else. And I'm glad to see Kevin earn his way onto the next show. I wonder if he aimed left...

I didn't change shafts. I did have to "baby" the club while swinging though.