formula428

Being with the drought this year, I've hit it several times out of muck/evaporated lake. Very squishy and I almost fell in a few times. I've also hit it from the edge of the lake, and again almost fell in.

I just thought since golf was supposed to be a gentleman sport, that type of info would be supplied. Again, I wasn't the only person/group that was issued a refund. Bottom line -- I need to always ask this stuff. I played a very reputable course and on one occasion, they actually closed down a hole completely. We were not told about that until we came up to that hole. I don't care so much about discounts or getting it as cheaply as possible. However, to not even mention that at all? Again, I guess I just need to start asking if all the holes are in play and conditioned properly. You're missing my point. My point is, if they booked 5 groups of 5...let's say between 11:31 and 12:31 or whatever, WHY on EARTH would they continue to book people at the normal time, knowing full-well that the course would most likely get jammed up? I guess 12:46 really didn't matter, other than it was too close to the large groups. I thought courses considered that, and that was the point of booking a tee time, to attempt to make the course play at the normal pace. Then again, maybe I'm wrong... But they lose money when everyone on the course is pissed off and getting refunds due to poor management. And those people may only come and play their credited round and then never play again. The point isn't so much about the $20, it's more that I wasted the drive and my time with that circus. I can plenty well afford a round of golf, thanks. I went there because I really enjoy that course and it's really nice within my area. I could very well see 3 of the 5 groups that were ahead of me. Obviously it wasn't just me, since others tried to jump ahead and everything. You seriously don't need to get pissed with me or anything. You may want to join another forum. Agreed about jumping. It was the wrong decision, though I'll still argue that jamming the course up for what is already a mess is also wrong. Had I know, I would have certainly asked to start off the back. No one ever told me, until I was already on the course and found out. I saw the HS golfers, though I didn't watch them to see their pace. I assumed that since the 2-some in front of me actually jumped a hole (or tried to) that it must be bad. The issue with the 4-some on Hole 10 wasn't that they caught up to us. It was that (and again my fault on this one) others followed us to the Back 9. We were well ahead of the 4-some but they must have caught up to the other groups behind us. When we got there, 2 had tee'd off and they were moving quick. So, that's how I figure "wide open" considered a sunny Friday afternoon. I agree about the course being backed up and others wanting to go in front, but there's no where to go. Did not call on the same day. It's not "other people" but instead 5 groups of 5 (walkers). Back to back to back to back to back. Big difference. I agree about the mistake to jump. I was just pissed because they started to write out 18 and then caught themselves and only said $20. If I was the owner, I would have just given them 18 anytime. I figured it would be crowded by the number of cars in the lot. However, 5 groups of 5 playing back to back to back to back to back? Seriously? That's the unbelievable part. I don't want to have the run of the course. And it's evident that the staff wasn't accommodating ANYONE except for the group of all-special 4 that was on Hole 10, who likely made a fuss. They just kept taking money and jamming it up, knowing that it's already a disaster. After we got our money and returned our cart, I could see 4 more groups waiting on the Front. Boy if they only knew what lied ahead of them! And for the record, I personally would have no problem if a group of 2 wanted to go in front of me and I was playing a group of 4. Hell, I even let groups of 2 play ahead when I'm playing a two-some. Doesn't bother me.

You both are wrong. I wanted a later tee time and they forced me to go 12:46. OK, fine, that's the way it is and I accept. I'm upset because I get there and WAS NOT TOLD about the large groups (walkers!) and the mess on the Front 9 when I paid. For the record, I've been told almost every time at other courses when something like this goes on. I decide to stay and accept it, or leave, or ask to play the other side of the course. So, I play the first hole. I move onto the second hole, and THEN I find out about the giant mess from the other golfers (NOT the staff!). I make the mistake of playing the Back 9. I'm not sure if I was actually "kicked off" but my friend just wanted to end the hassle and get our money back. So, we go back to the clubhouse and the pro KNOWS it's a big mess out there. We we're the only ones who got refunded. Yet he STILL collects new players' money and sends them off to join the mess, which they'll later figure out in about 20 minutes. The starter also KNOWS it's a mess, but he's wandering around the course trying to sort it out, so no one was even at the Back 9 when we tee'd off. We got reported by the 4-some behind us, who apparently had exclusive rights and "could not be held up at all" in the eyes of the pro/course. Total chaos, and insulting too! I'm sorry, but I just think it's a cheap way to collect peoples money, especially when they KNOW it's a disaster all-around. It pisses me off even more because I had the day off and could have went anywhere, but I really like(d) this course. Key word: Liked.

I had the day off last Friday, so I decided to get out to one of my favorite local courses I recently started playing, before I move to CA. Even better, they have a special of $20 for 18 holes/cart on Fridays. It's a really nice layout and well-kept course, used to be one that the LPGA played years ago. I was originally shooting for about 1:15p or 1:30p, but was told that my choices are either 12:46p or 1:50p. So, I book my tee time for 12:46p with a friend. We arrive at about 12:30 and are in the box at 12:46p exactly. As expected, the fairway is ours. We play through the first hole, and move onto the second. As I'm standing in the box, a cart is coming toward us. We have to wait because of the cart coming toward us, which eventually pulls up to us and asks if we're playing Hole 2. Since I'm standing in the box, I reply "yes we are." The pair of women tell us that they skipped Hole 2, because they tried to go around a large HS golf club group. The group is now on Hole 3 through Hole 7, 5 golfers to each hole and they are all walking. The women ask if they can play ahead of us (on Hole 2), since they were technically first but tried to skip over the HS group without success. I'm thinking in my mind, we'll I'd imagine we would be quicker than two older ladies, but we let them tee up. At that time, I make an executive decision to reverse course and play the Back 9 first, and then swing around for Hole 2 through Hole 9. Semi-disgusted, we head for Hole 10. We are behind one group, but they go quickly and we get to the box, tee up, and are now on the green. As we are walking toward the green, putters in hand, we get approached by another women. She is an employee of the course and she is pitching a fit because we are not supposed to be on the Back 9. I explained to her that the Front 9 is jammed up because of a HS golf club and we figured since the Back appeared open, we'd play it. Plus, we are only a group of 2 and should not hold anyone up. She explains back that there's a league of gentlemen behind us and they will be very upset they are held up at all . At that point, my friend (who is somewhat passive) suggests that we just go get a refund, since we've only completed 1 of 18 holes. As we arrive at the clubhouse, the guy explains that "it's a mess out there" and is happy to give us credit for 9 holes . I explain that we've only completed 1 hole out of the 18. He pauses, but then agrees to give us credit for 18 holes, but later changes that offer realizing that 18 holes for "anytime" is more expensive than 18 holes on Friday. So, now we get a credit for $20. Since I'm moving, I explain that I came here for $20/18 holes, drove 25 minutes to the course, took off work to play, and cannot play on Fridays anymore because I'm soon moving. He refuses to give me any refund, and sticks to the $20 credit. I remind him that we were NEVER told about any HS golf outing when booking the tee time, OR when paying our money. Needless to say, aside from my $20 credit which I'll apply toward a full-round of golf, I will never be back at that course again. I find it downright rude that they would never mention an HS golf club (like others in the area mention) either at tee time or at payment. The worst part is, they just kept loading up the Front 9...and we started seeing groups that were behind us coming to the clubhouse to also demand a refund. How common is this episode for others? How did you solve it?

Par 3 course (holes range from 60 to 120 yards). Shot at 32 on the front, 34 on the back. Did it with 3 clubs, SW, PW and putter. For a regular course, 45 is my best for 9 (slope was something like 125).

Yes, I realize how the traffic is out west. However, anyone from Pittsburgh can tell you that traffic down there isn't much better! I work there everyday, driving 2.5 hours round trip and I'm just plain sick of it. It's one of the things (along with getting another job) that prompted me out to CA. If anything else, it'll be a long vacation :)

10, and I did it twice. 45 on the front, 55 on the back...and then 50 on the front and 60 (!!!) on the back. I'm trying to erase that 110 round out of my mind...just was playing plain terrible. For me, anything in the 40s is acceptable...so even the 50 was a bad 9.

Thanks for all the replies. To the one who posted about salary -- I'm making 68.5k/yr, though I do have the rent thing covered (free for at least 6 months). I should be completely debt free after that, so hopefully I will be able to afford something. My primary sport is beach volleyball and hopefully sand is free out there, so I'll only play golf maybe twice a month. Worst case, I'll move back to Ohio from a 6 month vacation!

Being from Ohio, some of our "better" courses can be played for a little as $20 including cart. So my question is two-fold: 1. Burbank, CA area -- what are some good courses nearby? 2. How much would I expect to pay at an "average" course in Southern Cali?

If I don't get par on at least 1 hole in a round, I will jump off a bridge. I take this sport very seriously. So far, I've managed to do that, and I'm alive!

Putting.

My question is, certain rules in golf allow for a free drop. For me, this particularly often applies to the cart path and next to a yardage stake that isn't movable. Under the "free drop" may I place the ball (no closure to the hole) on the fairway, or must it be in the rough? Or, is it where the ball is nearest to? I.e, if the ball is on the cart path, which is "in" the rough, it must be placed in the rough. Likewise, if the yardage marker is in the center of the fairway, the ball is placed in the fairway. But how about on the edge of the fairway/rough...?

With the severe drought in Ohio this year, I'd be SHOCKED if the local courses were NOT losing money or breaking even. Stated another way, it would be unbelievable if they were actually making money. Wouldn't want to see their water bills...

** Additionally, I was looking at TM Burner Specs and the new Rocketballz specs. It seems that the Burner 2.0 driver had the long of all shafts @ 46.5". The TP version is 45.5", the RBZ standard is 46", and the RBZ TP version is 45.75". So, why would a club manufacturer give the "amateur" a club that is the longest of all, verses the TP version, which is shorter?

For me, the difference in shaft length is huge. I didn't know this much when I bought the club, but my current Burner 2.0 driver is a whopping 46.5" long! Whereas, my 3W is 43.75" long. That's 2.75 inches difference in shaft length. For a guy who just started golfing this season, that's a big difference. Again, I played a round yesterday and shot the 3W unbelievable. It was automatic -- 250y straight. I took out the driver and hit a 2nd ball on a very generous fairway. Ended up connecting and blasted a straight shot down the fairway. To my surprise, it was only about 265y though. Perhaps I got a better bounce with my 3W? Anyway, for that particular Par 5, that extra 15y didn't mean anything to me...and it usually wouldn't. I wish that I could get my hands on a strong 3W...something with a loft between my 9.5* driver and current 15* 3W. That was be ideal...as I could probably get my usual "driver" distance then.

I don't think I've ever broken more than 5 tees using my driver from a bag of Stinger tees. However, I do use the shorter 2-3/4" tees and I tee it up high, so the tee is probably only 1/2" (maybe less) in the ground. They usually fly right out. Now, since I've been using my 3W off the box, I've broken them nearly every time because the tee is nearly all the way in the ground. Same with irons, it's almost a guaranteed break. But really, how much does it matter? It appears that you can get them for $12.99 for a 200 count. So, that comes out to 6.4 cents per tee! Or, you could look at it like this: You would need to break roughly 26 tees to equal losing 1 mid-range golf ball (19.99/dozen) or break over 50 tees to equal losing 1 high-end golf ball (330/ProV1/etc.). I like the Stinger tees, so I'll keep using and breaking them. As an aside: I have a friend who uses a plastic tee because he doesn't want to break tees and waste money. He shoots mid-60s on 9 holes. I was with him once when he thought he lost his plastic tee, and he completely panicked until he found it. Yet, he goes out and buys Q-Star balls and loses like 3 or more per 9 holes. Go figure!

That's crazy...some people. I just had an issue today where it almost ended up in a fight. The guy (and his lady friend) were playing ahead of me. I had been waiting for them for 2 holes (they wouldn't let me play through). I'm by no means a great golfer, but they didn't make contact most of the time. Meanwhile, I'm en route to shooting a 44 or 45 (ended up with a 45). Finally, I was on this one Par 4 hole and there's a blind spot about 250y from the tee box. There are no visible yardage markers (see my other thread about that). I didn't see them (must have been about 270 over the hill) so I hit my 3W (which goes darn near exactly 250y including the roll). I got up to where i thought my ball would be and the guy tells me that I almost hit him, and that he just hit my ball back toward the tee box! I thought it was going to happen and I reached for my 4 iron. Thankfully it didn't. After assessing the situation, I saw the ball land from my drive and I know there was no way it could have ever came close to him. Just no way. Plus, it was a wide fairway and my ball landed on the right side, while he and his lady were on the left. Maybe he just felt the need to show off in front of his woman?

For a while, I was swinging my driver really well off the tee. By really well, I mean that I wasn't landing the fairway, but was slightly off due to a fade. At least I wasn't in the trees...right? I was happy and kept playing those shots...scoring between 48 and 53 for 9 holes. Then one day, I noticed that my drives kept getting worse and worse...turning into a slice. I come up to this one hole, a dog leg left, and I needed 250y to the bend. Brought out my 3W...straight as an arrow and 245y. Finished the hole and kept with the driver, all bad drives. A few days later I replay that course. Again, driver is terrible and I again brought out the 3W for that dog leg left hole. A similar shot -- 250y straight as an arrow. I finished the course teeing off with my 3W...all about 240-250y drives and very straight. I've now completely abandoned my driver -- teeing off with the 3W 100% of the time (for the Par 4s and Par 5s, of course). I hit it 240 to 250 consistent, very straight. At worst, it's about 10y off the fairway. After all, when I could hit my driver very straight, I was typically around 260-265y, with my bests coming in around 280-290y. But, the odds of most driver shots being on the fairway were probably 10% at best. Anyone else tee off with their 3W more often than not?

I buy 175 count 2 3/4" Stinger tees.

Speaking of incorrect distances, I've really started to question the posted yardage of some local courses. One course said 155y to COG and I thankfully hit a club less, and still put it 8' over the pin. So, did I really hit an 8i (36°) 159 y with a tee? I think not. For most holes, having the tee distance off by 10-15 y isn't a huge deal...but Par 3 should be dead on.

So, I've recently formulated an opinion that I really prefer courses that have the yardage sticks at the edges of the fairways, instead of the cart path markers or the fairway markers that are in the fairway. This allows me to know the edges of the fairway from the tee box and know the yardage of my ball at all times, without having to use my cell phone at all. What's your take?

Agreed. Many of my friends with higher handicaps just have to pick up all the golf balls to check. For this reason, I put my first name initial on the ball. This way, I can tell if it's mine without even touching the ball. I guess that's kind of what I meant by the 3rd option -- with exceptions being if you're playing on a fairway with muddy conditions or standing water and the ball is 1/3 into the ground or something. I'd also add that another time I'll pick up my ball is when there are actually rocks next to it or behind it. If it's bare ground, I'll play it as it lies. But rocks, no thank you!

Per the title, what is your worst or most unusual cart path shot ever? For me, it was a Par 3, about 197 to pin from blue tees. The cart path on this hole is on the left, fairly close to the green. I got my 3H and played it the distance perfect but pulled it about 15y from the pin, right onto the cart path. The ball took about 6 bounces all the way down the path until resting on the slope of the next tee box. Turns out it ended up being about 70 yards past the hole!

So I got into an interesting discussion with my uncle, who usually shoots low 80s or better. I was discuss recent play with some friends and brought up how they always fluff their ball before every shot. His response was that he always plays the 6"/winter rules all year around (well, we live in Ohio so there is no "winter" golf here). It kinda struck me odd because I would have thought someone of his skill wouldn't need to fluff the ball at all. Although shooting my current posted handicap, I absolutely do not fluff the ball unless it's somewhere like an approach and there's grass completely missing. Question: How many of you fluff your ball or play 6"/winter rules all year around?