LarryK

How come I have a feeling that most course owners were "loaded and played everyday" before they bought a golf course? I am not saying that owning and managing the right property might not be profitable, but if it was as easy as you imply, I would think we would see more courses for sale on late night cable TV.

Check this prior post in another thread for my response. http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4583

Sometimes standing over my tee ball I am struck by an odd sensation that I am never going to see it again. I think the technical name for this sensation is deja vu.

What if JD does not win this year? Will he likely be able to crack the top 125 money list with his limited exemptions simply by "playing well"? How well?

My best moment: Double eagle from 184 yards out. This past summer.

Having worked there about four years ago, I can tell you that some of those exclusions are as a result of manufacturer's policies and binding agreements imposed upon retailers. But it has gotten ridiculous. The exclusion list is almost twice as long as when I worked there. There is one special non-public sale twice a year for employees, friends and family members with fairly deep discounts. I always managed to get one of the special coupons from one of my former co-workers that would entitle me to the sale prices, but it is no longer worth the effort.

Wonder what it was like for Michelle to realize she wasn't even the best teenager in the tournament?

Reminds me of the time when I was about 12 or 13 caddying for my Dad. He had hit one in the short rough, and as he was getting ready for his next shot, I was just kind of standing around paying attention to nothing in particular. At the top of his backswing I happened to look down at the ball and couldn't believe what I saw. I wasn't even thinking. I just blurted out the question: "A TEE ????? " The whole thing was so ridiculous even my dad broke out laughing as his ball squirted straight up in the air about 50 yards.

Consider the following situation: Ball sitting in moderately deep rough about 35 yards from the green with a large, tall tree midway between the ball and the green completely blocking your approach. Trying to go under means negotiating more rough and maybe even a sand trap. I have actually pulled this shot off two of the three times I had to try it. Open the blade on my 60-degree as wide as possible and come straight down behind the ball as hard as I can. The one time I missed, I clipped a few of the upper most branches and came up short. No other club would have given me a chance. Definitely love my lob wedge.

I thought golf was sex.

I think that's a great idea! Nobilo is a solid analyst. Faldo is best when he is playing off somebody. That's why he worked so well with Zinger. But there is no way GC can build a broadcast around him, although he can play a valuable role. I think it is a better start than most people are saying. I think Rolfing, Fultz and Dottie Pepper are credible. They just need a little more meat and potatoes. Nobilo and Mark Lye could easily provide that. LOL!!! That's exactly what it sounds like!

So is that basically the way we would use "spoiler text"? To maintain some sense of surprise within or towards the end of the post? Any other uses?

I would have thought someone would have jumped in with this point by now, but follow this link for a discussion about forged vs. cast irons. It reflects what I have always understood to be true about the two different club types. In other words, it isn't the manufacturing process you guys are noticing in the way the club plays. It's in the design. http://golf.about.com/od/faqs/f/cast_forged.htm

I had 10 lessons with Golftec here in Denver (where they are headquartered) about a year ago. A friend of mine had been with them a loooong time and I went in and got his same instructor. I was in pursuit of the picture perfect swing, and, in retrospect, that may have been my downfall. I was just too old and fat to get the kind of full shoulder turn that my 20-something mentor was trying to torque out of me. Worse, I simply wasn't able to consistently get my clubface back on plane coming down. I was doomed to months and months of hitting the ball, replaying the video and cursing under my breath. Not that I blame Golftec. Not in the least. But if you go there, I suggest you be prepared to have your current swing ash canned and start from scratch. Maybe you won't need that, but if you do, they will. One thing that did appear to me to be a bit of a gimmick was the video comparison of my swing to other players on tour. We did a little bit of that, but think about it......how does watching what the pros do right help you with what you're doing wrong? As a result, there wasn't much focus on that. Slow motion video analysis (Golftec's or anyone else's) is pretty much about achieving certain positions at various points in the swing, and that's probably what many, if not most of us need. But it made me tense and anxious as I tried to do things that my body wasn't quite capable of. I just got tired of working that hard on something that I was not able to do. But had I been 20 years younger, I think I would have felt differently. One thing that did NOT bother me was not being able to see my ball flight. When you hit it really good, there is no mistaking it. I didn't feel the need for additional confirmation. I just didn't get enough of those experiences in 10 lessons and a dozen more practice sessions. And I probably should not have expected it. Anyway, that was my experience. It was not wildly positive, but I blame myself more than Golftec.

You have been playing for awhile now, and you probably are making better contact with the ball more often. That would be my guess to explain your increased distances. It's a natural progression. Congratulations! For most of us, 60-yards with a 60-degree lob wedge sounds about right to me. You might get a little more out of your PW later on, but, again, the key is to make a good, smooth swing and not get hung up too much on specific distances. Take what a good swing gives you, and don't get greedy! I do agree that a 52 or 54 degree wedge might be a good addition to your bag. Good luck!

Let's start with the obvious. The variability of "how much you put into it" is the ENEMY of "consistency." Plain and simple. You don't get consistency by experimenting with umpteen different techniques or swing speeds. As to how much "effort" you should be expending towards a normal iron swing? If, by that, you mean how much practice you should be engaged in, I would say quite a lot. If you are wondering how fast you should be swinging the club, I would say no faster than that speed with which you make consistent (that's your goal, right?) solid, squishy, sweet-spot-center-of-the-clubface contact. Whatever distance occurs as a result, accept that and move on to the next club and make exactly the same swing with that club and accept whatever distance you get. The point of all this is not to hit the ball a certain distance. And it is certainly not to hit the ball various distances with the same club. The point is to make quality contact. You do that by keeping your swing the same and restricting the "variables" to the different lofts of your irons. Having said that, believe me, I know how hard it is to do. I tend to put a lot more "oomph" into my four and five iron shots than I do with eight and nine irons. And every time I do that, I am sabotaging myself. It's stupid. I hate it when I do that. Repeat after me: SAME SWING (different club) ..... SAME SWING (different club) .

There seems to be a consensus here that you should take lessons. Yep! Absolutely! Additionally, and in the meantime, work on a smooth, rhythmic swing that relies more on you turning your shoulders rather than just pulling your arms back or manipulating the club with your hands. Don't try to "hit" the ball as hard as you can. Swing through the ball with about 70% of what would be your "full power". Think nice and easy. Loosey goosey.

Aurora Hills, Fitz, and Meadow Hills are what I can afford on a weekly basis... http://www.auroragov.org/AuroraGov/D...Golf/index.htm .....but my heart belongs to Bear Dance. Check out the tee shot photos on 14 and 16. http://www.golfcolorado.com/linkfram...-frameset.html

Great stuff, Johnny! Thanks.

I play a lot of carpet golf. Nice long stretch between the living and dining room. I lay two business cards down about 20 feet apart. Putt to one and chip with either of two wedges back again. I think the short chipping helps the most. Being short sided to the pin is one of the toughest shots out there.

http://www.pga.com/tournaments/scori...eaderboard.cfm

You're kidding, right? I'll bet 30% of the guys here would fill out the foursome if it was at Spring View Muni, much less Augusta. "I'll give you a call at the turn and see how you're doing." (This labor thing can easily take longer than a round of 18).

This is exactly why I play links courses in the fall. No trees. Love the cool shade in the summer, but hate losing balls in the fall.

Ditto on Ames. I think Sabbatini is going to be at the top of a lot of people's list (mine included), but Ames is right there with him. Dude wins one tournament every decade and thinks he's Tiger. Also not a big fan of Craig Stadler's tantrums. He could be shooting a 59 and if you didn't know better you would swear he was on pace for an 82.

If you haven't cared enough about fixing divots or ball marks or other forms of etiquette, then I'm guessing you haven't cared much about your golf swing either. Therefore, while you are right to be concerned about the etiquette portion of this equation, I hope you don't think you are going to be able to pull off some grand deception just by learning a few of the more important social protocols. Your partners are going to realize very quickly that you don't play much golf. One of the best things you can do at this point is pick out the one person in your foursome who you trust the most and confide your neophyte status and emphasize your determination to play the game right and not detract from the others' experience. Otherwise, if you try to fool everybody you will end up being the only fool left. And that is more likely to detrimentally affect your job status than whatever actual infractions you may commit.