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I can't tell much difference other than at the real extremes (like the no name balls Grandma buys for my kids). I'm a 20 capper (although on the way down!) and I buy balls purely based on what is on sale within the price range that works for me ($20-$24/case). Mostly it's Callaway Hex Diablo but I've also played TaylorMade Urethane RBZs, and just bought a few cases of Bridgestone e6 because they were on sale for $19. I won't spend the money on the Pro v-1's because I still lose a decent number of balls and I also just don't experience that big a difference. I've never liked playing with found balls (no special reason; just love the ritual of a fresh sleeve at the start of a round). Anyway, a short while back I ran out of balls and had to use a ball I had found OB. It was a Top Flight I think with an accounting firm logo on it and the guy's name in messy Sharpie ("Rich"). The kind of balls I generally hate (I must be OCD). In any case, I birdied the next hole and proceeded to play lights out with it for the rest of the round. I played "Rich" for about 20 holes after that (a record for me), and was genuinely sad when he took a plunge into a water hazard. RIP Rich. In any case, the point is that I can't tell the difference. I also can't tell the difference between a audiophile level stereo and a regular old loudspeaker and I like a cold Bud as much as any artisan micro brew. So I guess I should count myself lucky to avoid desiring certain expensive things. Unfortunately I can very much tell the difference between a nice bottle of wine and $2 Chuck from Trader Joe's so I got screwed on that one. I would love to get to the point where my game was good enough to tell the difference in the ball.

A couple of concrete suggestions (I have 3 kids, 1 is fully addicted, 1 really enjoys it, 1 is relatively indifferent - 8th grader, 4th and 3rd). (1) Do not go out expecting to have your normal round. You have to let go of your score and play and focus on them. If that means stopping after 7 holes, not putting out your ball to keep the pace of play, playing with them from the forward tees, doing a scramble or whatever, do it. (2) Playing scrambles (easy for me with multiple kids, but can do it with you and 1 kid) is great because it gives everyone in the group a chance to contribute and get excited. My daughter might only hit the ball 50-70 yards all day but if she sinks a birdie put for the team she goes home pumped up. (3) Try to remember when you first started and how long an 18 hole round felt. I realize that money is a significant issue and we're lucky enough to be members of a club, but if you can swing it - playing 4 holes or 2 holes or whatever is a great way to keep them into it without crossing over into boring them or exhausting them. (4) This is kind of a repeat of point 1, but be ok with it if they do something you would never do - like sit out two holes or deciding not to finish a hole or whatever. (5) Obviously this is hugely dependent on your individual game but TRY to have perspective on your own ability and how it might extend (or not) to teaching. As a beginning golfer, I wouldn't dream of giving any swing tips or coaching. I do teach the things I know - etiquette, club choice, pace of play but I shut my trap on even things like alignment. I let the pro do the teaching. Many people on this site I'm sure are great at teaching/coaching but be honest with yourself. (6) Try to play twilight or take a mid afternoon break from work or something that allows you to get on the course when it's not crowded. Really hard to relax and let them explore the game when you're hyper aware of pace of play and the tee is stacked up behind you. (7) I would hold off going to a full, championship style 6000+ yard course. A 565 yard par five is just so overwhelming for a little kid or anyone who is hitting the ball 75 yards or whatever. I started them all on the local 9 hole executive course. (7) Love golf and be a good sport! If you come home every time you play with your buddies cursing your shitty game and complaining about how slow the course was and so on and so forth, your kids are going to pick up on that and not be super excited about playing.

I think even though the handicap system is theoretically designed to let people compete fairly against one another it does seem to break down when the gaps are too wide. There are a couple of scratch guys at our club who get very frustrated that they can't win any of the club events except the one or two that are scored off of gross stroke play. The people who mess it up are (sorry) people like me. Newbies but who are on their way down from a handicap standpoint. I have been playing seriously for about a year and a half. Last year's goal was to break 100 and this year's goal is to break 90. I haven't gotten there but I'm hovering around 94/95 on a course with a slope of 134. Any day I'm going to string together a few putts or avoid the blow up and shoot 88 or something and I'm getting 24 strokes as my course handicap! The handful of sub 5 caps in every one of these events are playing against a bunch of guys like me who are getting better, can strike the ball and get a few breaks but still get a ton of strokes. At any given event, one of the 20 cappers will shoot in the 80's and win.

And if OP's observation weren't enough, I'll be some of those people have granite countertops and stainless steel appliances and are shitty cooks. Some of them might even drive high end sport cars but have never raced on a track. I knew one guy who played pro V1s and also paid over a grand for a pure bred lab puppy... and it was his first dog.

Like a lot of people on this forum, I have to work hard to find time to play given work, family, etc. I can usually play at least one full round a week and often 1.5 to 2. I ALWAYS get to # 18 bummed that the round is over and with the desire to play more. Yesterday I walked 36 back to back on separate courses. Hot and sunny the entire time. For the first time, I got to #18 of the second round and had NO desire to play more golf. Absolutely cooked. What are your limits?

I have the RBZ 3W HL and the RBZ driver (the first model, not the newest one). I have had really great results with the 3W both off the deck and off the tee. So much so that for several months I stopped hitting the driver altogether because I was better off in the fairway with less distance than vice versa. In any case, I'm not super knowledgeable about club design and specs and am wondering how to translate what I like about the 3W into the search for a new driver. In other words, what is about the 3W (COG, weighting, etc) that makes it so sweet. Both my teaching pro and some of the forum posts I've read seem to confirm that the RBZ 3W is a better club than the driver from that line. How do I find those same characteristics in a driver and get back that lost distance!

My kids have all started young and at our club there are a number of kids who are terrific players at age 9, 10, etc. I think starting early with good instruction and some natural athletic ability gives you a very high shot at being an exceptional golfer RELATIVE TO AVERAGE. And by that I mean having a nice natural swing, good understanding of the game and a good shot at being a scratch or low handicap golfer if you stick with it. Even among guys who play once or twice a year you can still see the difference in swing and results among those who grew up playing. From there to PGA pro, however, is such an order of magnitude leap that I think it's absurd to think "anyone can do it with some natural talent, great coaching and starting young."

Golf + Sex what else is there to say?

I'm with all of the guys who have said some variation of "accuracy is better than length for the beginner to intermediate player." I have been playing regularly for about a year and a half. Last year's goal was to break 100. This year's goal to break 90. I am not an especially big hitter (a "crushed" drive might be 250, and I'm pretty sure I've never carried one more than 260 even at altitude). However, a month ago I stopped hitting driver altogether and have played only 3 wood off the tee. Since making that move, I've been about 5-7 strokes better over the last 8 rounds or than when I was hitting the driver. So, at least for me, getting the 3 wood in the middle of the fairway and giving up 20-25 yards has been well worth it in terms of improving scoring. I can see a future where the length will matter more but for my level of consistency I get way more bang for my buck from starting off on the fairway than the extra distance. Course this all begs the question of why I can't make the same f__king swing with the driver as I make with the 3W, but that's for another thread...

Wondering how people handle the mental game of keeping focused when you are approaching a milestone? I remember the first few times I broke 100 having a lot of 7s and 8s on the last three holes as I knew I was close and started to pucker. Lately I've been flirting with 90 and am running into the same issue. I see that I'm putting together a round (44 after 9, for example), and I can't seem to stop myself from thinking about "not blowing it" and, inevitably doing so as a result. This can't be uncommon so I'd love to hear what some of you guys have done to "break through" as you approach a plateau score. Thanks

300 is really, really ****ing long. Get a GPS watch or iPhone app or whatever and you will soon appreciate just how amazing a 300 yard drive is. I have no idea what my true average is because I don't keep stats that closely, but based on GPS, my "just ok" ones (worm burner/too much fade) are around 210, a real bomb might be 240 and I've only exceeded 250 in funky conditions like a downhill hole with a lot of carry because of dry ground and so forth. All in all, 225 seems like about the average. SW= 75 GW = 100 PW = 115 9I = 125 8i = 140 7i = 150 6i = 160 5H = 170 4H = 185 3H = 200

Take it with a lot of salt since I'm a pretty high handicap, but while I don't get to the range or practice green all that often I do a little something almost every day. I have an extra gap wedge that I bought before getting the (good) advice to match my wedges. I keep that club in my living room and constantly pick it up when I'm on the phone or watching TV or whatever and practice my backswing and setting the club. 4 or 5 times a week I'll take that same club in my backyard and hit foam balls over the house with a full swing or onto the roof with a half swing and let them role back down. I think it helps a ton to just keep the feel of the club between rounds.

thanks to all for the advice. Makes sense all around.

I am a 22 index so still working on many fundamentals of the game. I can honestly say that I don't feel any difference whatsoever from one ball to the next other than real extremes (like a range ball). Cost is not a huge issue so I feel very fortunate there, but given that I lose 4-5 balls a round OB, I see no need to buy expensive balls that my game is not ready for. Question is whether there is any benefit to playing the same brand/level of ball all the time? I have been playing mostly Callaway Diablos or HX Diablo the last 6 months. Lately just started buying whatever 3-piece ball happens to be on sale at the Sports Authority for between $20 and $25/box. Just curious whether folks see any benefit to playing the same make/model consistently or just balls in the same "range". Thanks

Hit a tree on the left side of the fairway yesterday. The tree had a ton of marks on it from years of getting smacked. The ball bounced back almost to my feet, I think I was net about 10 yards for that stroke. My buddy looks at the tree and says "that tree has had more balls slap against it than a hooker's ass" Needless to say, that broke the tension.

I did it in the early NOOB days when I "pured" a mid range iron for the first time in my life and sailed way past where I'd ever hit it before. The guys in front of us were justifiably pissed as the ball landed on the fringe of the green where they were putting. I apologized like hell but it was not pretty. It was a very exclusive club and the guy got in the cart and drove 180 yards back down the fairway to yell at me, demanded to know what member we were playing with, etc. etc. Not such good times. That scarred me for life, and I still wait for groups in front of me to clear even if I"m having one of those days where it feels like every second shot is a skulled worm burner.

Sorry for the newbie question, but are "gimmes" ok in match play? I'm reading John Feinstein's book "A Good Walk Spoiled" and in describing a Ryder Cup match he talks about Seve Ballesteros telling Davis Love "that's good" on a put and, in another match, talks about Faldo conceding the hole because the American player only needed to two putt from 8 feet to win the hole.

I was having similar thoughts after a few really up and down rounds. What really helped a lot was I went out with a couple of really good friends and we played Wolf for a round and then I went and played another round with my kids as a full scramble. Just getting the focus off of the score card and taking joy in a great shot or a great hole and not worrying about the handicap or the final outcome was a great reminder of how much fun the game is and how you can get too caught up in the scoring some times.

Obviously it's a personal taste thing and everyone needs to do what works for them. For me, I found it very distracting to pull out my phone, unlock it, load the ap and then enter the data for recording clubs and distance and such. Also, I get a ton of work email all day long and found it harder to ignore email and focus on my game when I was pulling out the phone up and down the fairway. I have the Garmin S-1 and really like just glancing at my wrist and then picking the club and swinging away. No question that you can get the exact same data (and much more) in a $.99 ap or even in some of the free applications, so it's really a choice of "form factor" and what works for you and how you play the game.

I think in this case it's the jockey and not the horse. You're just a much better golfer Mr. 8.8!

99. Actually struck the ball really well (for me). Putting was the downfall. Had two GIR's that I 3-putted to bogey. Argh. Still the best way to start the day though...

I disagree with the advice to put it back in your stance. I wouldn't dream of giving advice based on my own golf game, however, I had the exact same problem with topping hybrids. My teaching pro told me to hit it off my front foot, i.e., forward in the stance. Agree with everything the others said about using an "iron swing" and hitting down. I don't take a divot necessarily, but you definitely have to compress the ball. In any event, I'll repeat that I am only telling you what my teacher told me but it has worked completely. I now feel pretty confident with all three of my hybrids (3, 4 and 5) and get some of my best shots every round with them. The only downside I've found is that on a long par 3, for example, the ball flight can tend to result in hitting the green and skidding off the back because it just doesn't have the arc. I'd love to be one of those guys who can hit an 8 iron 200 but for me that's the 3 hybrid and it's hard sometimes to keep it on the green because of the lower trajectory ball flight.

Bloody Mary before a morning round; beer before an afternoon round to take the edge off the first tee. Also, as much as it's hard sometimes because golf already takes a long time, I try to build in enough time to get to the course early, hit a warm up bucket and just collect myself before starting the round. Worst rounds are always the ones where you fly into the parking lot while trying to wrap up that last work call and run to meet your group on the first tee. Guaranteed that the first several holes will be a train wreck. One strange thing (for me) is that I usually find a way to get that first tee shot off ok. My personal nightmare is skulling the second shot on par 5 hole #1. I think I do it 85% of rounds no matter how much I stick to my routine. I don't think I can think of a single round I played last year where I scored better than double bogey on the first hole regardless of the course.

I got an S-1 for Christmas this year and have played about 5 rounds with it. It seems to have every course in my area ranging from the local private country club to the local 9 hole executive course. I've found the yardages to be very accurate based on tee box markers and sprinkler heads. Certainly accurate enough for my crappy game! I think whether this is for you or not is largely based on your personal playing style. I found it to be very distracting to pull out my iPhone, punch in my passcode, launch an app and so on for every shot. For me, I'd rather have less data but just be able to glance at my wrist, grab the club and play. That's the huge benefit of the S-1. The basics are right there. One poster said the band broke quickly; that seems like a one off defect. I have another Garmin watch with a similar band that I use for cycling and running and I've had it for years with no issues despite moving it from handlebars to wrist and back constantly. One funny story. The first time out I was playing an exec course with my son. The 2nd hole is normally about 140 yards, straight out but they had moved the hole while the ground was on repair so that it angled off about 45 degrees to a green that is normally a practice green I think. I looked at my watch and it said 140. My son says, "no way, dad, that is way closer than that". Being a complete idiot, I say "dude, the GPS doesn't lie" and proceed to nail a perfect 8 iron over the green and all the way into the group teeing off on #3. Thankfully no one was hurt and I apologized my ass off. Obviously the pre-programmed course and GPS data didn't pick up the fact that they had moved the green to the right and in about 25 yards. My son still brings it up every time we hear one of those stories about someone driving into a lake while following their GPS in their car... Seriously though I love the watch. Especially good if you are a high handicapper and occasionally end up in the wrong fairway or way in the rough and need to scramble your way back.

I take issue with those who think slow play is the fault of newbies or high handicappers. I walked 18 last week on a crowded muni course with my 12 year old, my 9 year old and my 8 year old. We finished in 4:12, and we had to wait several times to tee off when the group in front of us hadn't cleared. First, my two youngest can't hit more than 75 yards so they could take their tee shots and several mulligans from the forward tees while the guys in front of us were still too close for me to hit. Then, after I hit, I made them pick up all of their balls and drop by mine so it was something of a modified scramble but I never made the next group suffer while one of my kids took 7 shots to 400 yards. Similarly, when I was first learning to play I ALWAYS picked up my ball if I was slowing things down. If you are going to shoot a 135 round, who gives a **** if you pick up the ball?! I'd also go out with guys who knew how to play and I'd bring a ton of extra balls and just abandon those that went way off the fairway instead of spending 5 minutes looking for my crappy slice or snap hook . When you're still at the stage of "one good shot per round" or even "one good shot per hole" you really shouldn't be worrying about your gross score just yet in my humble opinion. I guess that's a long way of saying it still comes down to the common sense, etiquette and awareness of the player, and even a really poor golfer can keep things moving if they respect the others on the course and the game.