dpgator33

http://www.ghin.com/solutions.aspx?id=72&libID;=93

I was a "drink water only" player for a long time, but I started toting a bag of trail mix or just nuts or sometimes a powerbar, and it really does help out, especially if you're walking. I would never do like some guys and call ahead for a sandwich at the turn or something like that, but a little goes a long ways when I'm out there.

barring travel, illness, etc., I'm playing 2-3 rounds an average week. Some weeks I don't hit the range at all though. I need to start hitting up the range instead of playing 9 after work during the week.

The 60-90 yard approach after completely over-clubbing on the previous shot. There's nothing more frustrating than hitting a perfect drive on a short par 4 and having to take a 75% swing, knowing full well that I should have hit a hybrid and left an solid 105-115 which is a much easier shot for me. I'm not a super long hitter either, so I'm never going for par 5s in two, but I'm always going Driver/5I to about 60-70 yards, when I should be going Hybrid/6I then PW or 9I from 115-140.

Jax isn't horrible for golf, but for better golf and overall more to do, I'd pick Orlando over Jax any day. I mean, if you're completely not dependent on location for work or anything, like you're retired or independently wealthy, then I'd say Orlando, or if you're fairly flexible financially, then I'd say the SW coastal area might be your best bet. The weather is a bit more forgiving in the summer, with temps rarely over 90 in the Naples/Fort Meyers area, with a gernally healthy breeze as well. Also, I assume you mean to live, not just for a long golf vacation or something. If that were the case, I'd say Orlando for sure. For living, for me personally, it's a bit too spread out and the traffic can be crappy if you travel during rush hour at all. Then again, there are places in /around Orlando that are very pleasant and have a lot of nice courses (Winter Park/Tuskawilla/Lake Howell are and also Dr Phillips/Bay Hill come to mind.

tossup between the Pine Barrens course at World Woods in Florida, or Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale.

Quote: Originally Posted by WUTiger SenorC... Oakmont Country Club just north of Dallas was in this situation about 1995 or so. Originally designed as a private club, the members got all uppidy about allowing outsiders to play - until the adult managers told them they could go bust and lose their investment if the club went bankrupt. From the looks of the website, they may have rebounded and shifted to private. Do you know Oakmont's situation now? http://www.clubcorp.com/club/scripts...MTCC&SUBGRP;=15 This is a great example. The club mentioned here is owned and managed by ClubCorp, which does so over something like 200 golf courses through out the world, mostly in the US though. They own a lot of little known but very nice courses, and also some better known courses (Bear's Best in Atlanta and Vegas for example), including some that have PGA/LPGA tour stops (Firestone and the one in Palm Springs that has the LPGA major, I forget). Anyhow, some of their places are semi-private, which you can tell by the fact that they offer tee times on their web site as well as membership information (not pricing though, I think maybe because pricing throughout their clubs varies wildly and they don't want members from the upper-tier clubs complaining about the dues at the lower tier clubs). I am a member at one of these clubs, and it's completely private, but surprisingly not that expensive, especially if you're under 35 and get in at the "junior executive" rate. Nice thing about ClubCorp is every member can pay a premium in their dues each month (for me it's $50) which gets them a number of benefits (1/2 off dining for example) including free greens fees and loaner clubs at pretty much every one of their other facilities. Makes for some cheap but really good golf when travelling to urban areas, and their mostly private so it's typically not jam packed or poorly run.

I find I play better in the rain, with no gloves. I do have Winn DriTac gloves so they hold up pretty well. I find that my swing is more steady when I'm worrying about the club flying out of my hands!

Top Flite Gamer V2 all the way. My game isn't to where it's going to matter all that much, and since I've found that buying "mint" balls online is a hit or miss proposition, I am going with these because they are new, well reviewed, and I like the look and feel of them. Nothing physiological about, pure psychology, but hey, that's golf in a nutshell. I grab 3 dozen shipped off rockbottomgolf for $36ish shipped. Can't beat that.

Age: 37 Height: 5'10" Where are your from: Gainesville, FL How long have you been playing: owned my first set as a teenager, but only played seriously in the last 2 years Best score: 85 Favorite club in the bag: 9 Iron Golf books/DVDs that have helped you: Ben Hogan's book, Zen Golf Where do you play: FL and anywhere I go Best courses you've played so far: World Woods Pine Barrens, Juliette Falls Things you enjoy most about golf: the passion, the challenge, doing something difficult better than most Goals for 2013: Break 80, on any course, at least once. Get HCP under 12

Assuming I'm home all weekend, always on Sunday, and usually Saturday as well. From spring through fall, I walk 9 a couple of times a week. Usually I will also try to play on vacation or work travel. Certainly 100 rounds a year and then some.

on 18, a long par 4 and my nemesis at the home course, pounded a drive down the left side and was left 190 to the pin, 175 to the front, normally a 5 iron. Unfortunately I was practicing with my 5-iron the day before and forgot to put it back in the bag. I decided to play it safe and hit the 6, OK with coming up a little short. Well, I hit it about damn near perfect, even with a really easy free swing. Ball mark was 3 ft short in line with the pin. Ball stuck on the second bounce and came back a couple of feet to finish about 6 feet from the pin. Missed the birdie, but my first par there in a few weeks.

If you're getting 30 rounds a year or anything more than that, with all the ancillary costs adding up to the amount, I'd say it's a great value no matter what, aside from your family suffering financially because of it. I am not a rich man, but I do OK and cost of living is average to maybe below average where I'm at, so I have no problem spending what I do, which is probably in the $6-8k range annually, counting membership dues (which cover more than golf, but if it weren't for golf I wouldn't be paying), occasionally riding in a cart, golfing on vacation or other travel, equipment, etc. Golf is more than a hobby or something to do to stay active, or a way to be social for me. It's a passion, a way of life, and I wouldn't do without it except in very severe situations. Put it this way, if my wife ever (and she never would, but if she did) said I needed to cut back on or quit golfing for any other reason other than financial hardship, we would have a serious problem.

outside of a few times where I came up on a hole, didn't expect or see anyone in front of me, and then found out someone was in the woods looking for a ball or something.

I bought my TaylorMade R7s in brand new condition from a local sports consignment shop for $150 a couple of years ago when they still wer a pretty new set. Couldn't beat the deal and they've not done me wrong while I've had them.

I'm so jealous...I don't know when, but one day, I'm doing a 5 day MB trip, with or without my wife!

I missed all last weekend being out of town. I walked 8 holes yesterday afternoon/evening (had to skip a group on 6 to make sure I got back before dark!). Due to weather (actual and projected) and other plans I can't move around, I may go two full weeks with no golf, and it's driving me nuts to think about it. Especially since yesterday, for the first time in ages, I hit my driver with accuracy and distance for the first time in a very long time. Started reading Zen Golf...not sure if it was just a coincidence or what since I only got about 20 pages in, but I just don't want to lose that feeling.

I never wear a watch for keeping time, and I don't think I'd adjust easily to a GPS watch. I have a belt mounted GPS that provides easy enough access for me.

Ugh...I can't stand when some hacker who plays a few times a year gets gifted a box of ProVs and doesn't have a clue what they just received. For this reason, I'd stay away from tour grade balls, but maybe a mid-level ball would be OK, like a dozen DT Solo or Callaway HX Hot or something like that.

2012 Odyssey putters can be found in the $70-80 range some places online.

The only relatively well known courses I've played at are the two at World Golf Village (King and Bear, Slammer and Squire) and also the two courses at World Woods north of Tampa. The World Woods courses take the cake equally by comparison. This should be no surprise, as they're well regarded by some national publications. If not for it's limitations as a facility, this place would certainly be host to a lot more events, and I believe the courses are PGA tournament worthy based on the few that I've seen, including a Sunday at TPC Sawgrass. The trouble is that it's an hour or more from anything, there's no facilities at all, and the layout wouldn't play well for crowds of any size, IMO (not much space between a lot of holes/fairways. It's too bad though, because the course is kept in great shape year round and the fees are reasonable, especially in the warmer months if you can stand the heat. After that my favorite course would have to be Juliette Falls, west of Ocala, FL in Dunnelon. Meant to be an exclusive residential and private club, the downturn of the economy forced them to open up to the public, and I'm glad they did. Pretty long but open enough to be playable for mid handicap players, some elevation, challenging greens. Very good and attentive staff as well. It's a little hard to find, which is too bad, but it's not but a 45 minute drive for me so I like to get down there from time to time. In May I will be spending some vacation time in Phoenix and Sedona and have some pretty scenic courses in mind to play, so my list may be changing soon :)

that's a little further than I would like to travel, given there are a ton of golf courses around. I guess I could have specified, I'm staying at the Seminole hard Rock hotel/casino (bachelor party, not my first choice). I've done a little research and the one I see so far that's close, seems pretty well reviewed, and reasonable prices, is Hillcrest GCC. Anyone play there? Other courses I'm thinking of are Colony West and Jacaranda

Going to be in town for the weekend and was looking to hit up a course while I'm down there, probably either early Saturday morning or early Sat afternoon. Not looking for a special experience or anything, but I'll spend up to $50-60 to play something decent. Any suggestions? I'm staying at the Seminole Hard Rock, so closer to there is better.

Sounds like I'm in the minority, but I find I play better/concentrate more when I'm alone. When I play with others I tend to feel rushed, like they're waiting for me to play so they can hit or something. When I'm alone, I take more time to line up the shot and my practice swing(s) are more deliberate and with better tempo. It's my own fault for not taking ownership of my own game, but it's a big reason why I perfer to play alone. I will say for myself also, that I'm not someone who will come out at 9am on a nice day and expect to be let on the course by myself, especially because I walk most of the time. I'm almost always first on the course, OR I will come later in the afternoon when it's slower, at least on the tee sheet. I may run up on some people, but unless I'm chasing the setting sun, I'll be walking and taking my time so as not to play behind people.