Fore Left

Getting back in the game after a 3 year Hiatus I find my ball striking coming back, but my touch around the greens GONE. One bad shot will destroy a hole for me. I shot a 90 last time out, and third time out this year.... that was with a couple of birdies, a handful of pars, then a few doubles, a NINE on a par four, and a triple..... My card screamed "inconsistent" because it wasn't like I fell apart on the back, or took awhile to get going..... it was Par, Bogey, Par, NINE, birdie, Bogey, Triple etc..... just ALL OVER the place! But, at least I enjoyed a nice 95 degree day!

Ping Hoofer of some sort. Driver: Callaway 8* Hawk Eye with Pro-force 75 x-stiff shaft Irons: Titleist 990B Wedges: 52 and 55* Vokey's, and a Greg Norman Sig. series 60 degree (Cobra) Putter: Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum.... not sure the model, I'd have to look. OTHER: Ping "Chip-O" (for the novelty, and because I have the room in the bag) Balls: Titleist Pro-V1 (without the *) It's been so long since I got anything new, I don't know what I have really!

I just joined myself. I'm in Lakewood. What course did you play?

This is what I do now, and what I did then..... I fold it, and keep it in my back pocket, and make a system (dashes/numbers/whatever) for putts etc. on the extra lines. What type of stats do you need? I think you can fit it all on the standard scorecard really, no holder necessary.

You're making me nervous.... I've been apprehensive about buying new shoes because of the fact that I couldn't get the "Classics" I wanted since they stopped making them, and couldn't justify the price of the 'new in box' ones on ebay since I couldn't try them on and return them if they didn't fit right. My current shoes came with metal spikes, but that's another rant for another time. If you have Allen Edmonds now, and obviously enjoy the quality of them etc..... what would be your reservations about their comfort level as far as golf shoes be? Their track record (with me personally) was my main deciding factor in spending WAY more than I would ever want to on golf shoes. I enjoy the fact that I can wear their shoes to weddings etc. and be completely comfortable, but my daily duties etc. don't put me in anything nearly that formal, and when I'm around the house, I'm a cheap flip-flop guy, so I'm certainly not a high-brow guy at all. I read ad-naseum about how Icons are basically the FJ Classics just "better" but I just can't get behind the more contemporary look of them (not that I mind them, but at the cost, I would want something closer to what I WANT) I would have readily jumped on these, but they either made them for a short time, or they were mistakes, or something, I just found them while searching, and could never find them, besides, they're 'closer' to a cap-toe than a true wingtip, but that's splitting hairs.

I've been playing the same irons (I'm not sure if they're considered blades, they're an 'in-between' I think.... Titleist 990B's) for the past 12-13 years (I bought them right when they came out... it's been a long time!) and I don't have any noticeable marks on the faces.... either I don't play enough, I hit the ball like a 2-year-old, or they don't mark-up as much as his. If I could cause "wear" on the face, I'd be depressed when I found wear marks on the heel and toe !!!

Personal preference is one thing, so if you said they made your eyes hurt, I wouldn't fault you one bit! Despite looking like something a groomsman would wear, a nice soft calf-skin shoe can be exceptionally comfortable, much more so than an "athletic" style shoe that has an overly hard rubber sole, and inadequate padding, and worse yet, 'plastic-like' seams around the outside that rub against your foot/heel. I know the ones I got don't look comfortable, but it's my experience that any shoe with full leather uppers will wear nicely to the point where you don't realize you're wearing shoes at all. I personally don't understand the need for the support of the Icon "Boa" designs, and although I'm not trying to be in a fashion show, I cringe when I see those 'golf-sandals' for sale (never seen anyone wear them before) I do think the Ashworth shoes with the small nubby-spike things look pretty good, and also look comfy, but despite the fact that I'm not yet a senior, I try my best to keep with the tradition of the game so the two things I do without fail are play with proper etiquette, and I ALWAYS wear long pants, and I have played my fair share of goat-ranches in addition to top rated courses. (no offense to those who are and wear shorts)

I found these on clearance (still pretty costly unfortunately, but they make GREAT shoes, so I suspect their golf-shoes to be great also) They only list a few sizes available, but when I called, they had a bunch more: http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF7411_1_40000000001_-1 They have them in Brown/Black as well.

Checking out Ebay, I see that used driver prices are all over the place... I've had my current driver "forever" and the one before that was a Big Bertha Steelhead, and I had a a Callaway prior to that... I've always liked the feel of them. With that said, is the Diablo Octane considered anything 'worthwhile' by most? I see the used prices on them are very good. I likely wouldn't buy anything from Ebay, but I can keep my eye out at the local golf-shops for one I suppose. Also, I'd like a good shaft, so I will probably keep my eye out for one with a nice shaft also, but I don't know what the used club market looks like these days.

I think it's mostly an inconsistency issue with pretty much all of them. If playing golf is like riding a bike, it's safe to say I'm "Shaky" right now. A couple of good shots, and I three putt A great drive, and I pull the hell out of an iron, or blade/hit fat the short pitch/approach/whatever. My sand game is all over the place.... I can't seem to hit the same subtle draw with my irons that I once had, and my driver has a slight fade even when I hit it as well as I can these days (I had a nice slight draw, 'raising' trajectory with my driver before) I hit all of my irons 10 yards shorter than I did when I played much more often, but I'm hoping the distance comes back when I hit the ball more consistently.

I do have to give you credit for playing solo after only picking up the game so recently. I have always been more than happy to walk a round solo, but in the beginning of the season etc., I find it quite stressful (although it should be the opposite) to go out and hack up a round alone..... at least when I'm with friends I have company while I'm struggling, rather than just beating myself up over every poor shot I take.

I haven't purchased a new club in about 10 years. I even use the same golf-towel I got probably 8 years ago! I buy a lot of golf gloves though....

I'm one of those "Was good at one point, but make too many mistakes to score well now" type of players.... I started playing less and less because of things going on (College etc) and ultimately after college I played sporadically and in leagues etc, until finally hanging up the towel for 2 full seasons, and then picking up the sticks at the end of the following season, so basically I took 3 years off, and now this season it's even more evident that I've been away from the game! In my hey-day I was a single-digit handicapper, and now, since I'm hitting good shots, but far too inconsistently, I find myself REALLY struggling to put together scores. I'm not big on switching up equipment (ordered my first new pair of shoes today, and I had the previous pair for 17 years.... yep, you read that correctly... they came with metal spikes, and I loved them, so I had a cobbler re-size them once, and to this day I wouldn't say they are "worn out" ) I don't carry any fairway woods/rescue clubs. My clubs are the main point of concern I have right now, because I think they're costing me strokes since my game has fallen off so badly (and I've lost distance so I can't hit my 3 iron as far as I once did) My equipment: Great Big Bertha, 8 degree driver with an extra-stiff shaft w/ stiff tip. (oversized grip, as I have arthritis, and I actually prefer the feel) Titleist 990B irons I guess they're considered a "Blade" style, although they're not true blades like others I've seen, but I know they're less forgiving than cavity backs. Scotty Cameron pro-platinum putter (A putter is a putter in my opinion.... all personal preference.... It's certainly an area of my game that requires constant work) I just spent way too much money on shoes otherwise I was considering buying a used fairway wood and just "figuring it out" but I've never been very accurate or consistent with one. On a recent round, a friend, who is a very high handicapper, was hitting a newer driver (they're all newer compared to mine) and other than the times he would top it, or really push/pull it, he was driving as far as me (and I have a fairly high swing speed, which is why I went to an 8 degree to begin with) and a lot of times he was out-driving me by a pretty good amount. I look at the new "Tin can on a stick" drivers out there, and I'm thinking I need to be less of an angry codger and make the technological leap, but just don't know where to begin.... I can't tell anything from hitting into a screen with a "simulator" and even if I find a place to hit actual balls into a range etc, I'd hate to make a purchase based on one outing, and I certainly don't think I need the "latest" at this point, since I'm 15 years behind the technology as it is, so a used club would be great, but finding something with an 8 or 8.5 degree loft, and a firm enough flex shaft seems impossible to me..... where do I look? I also realize from reading here, that I should abandon plucking down the money on the Pro-V-1's until I improve, but no other ball has that "feel" off of the face of the club as those (and I prefer the non-* ones too.... not sure what's the difference though) Too much rambling.... I'll keep reading.