shortgame85

He became an iconoclast. He had great observations, although I was never impressed with his take on golf.

These days 4 irons are often at 23 degree lofts and 5 irons are about 26 degree lofts. Players irons may have slightly weaker lofts. Check out last year's Cobra DWS hybrids with the Aldila NV shaft. They're available at a discount.

Glad you like your new shoes. FWIW, I purchased a pair of discontinued, new, Footjoy Gel Fusion IIs fom TGW in January for $99 delivered. My point is that in the winter many shoe companies discontinue models that retailers then sell for a steep discount. This is a good way to buy if you can find your size among those shoes which are discounted in price. My guess is that, with the state of our economy where it is, there will be a lot of bargains available from apparel manufacturers this fall and winter.

Sweet looking irons. Enjoy.

What I hate most about golf is, like most of you, the weather. Even in Mississippi, we get cold days that make playing impossible, not to mention wind and rain. This spring was the windiest and wetest in my memory; the farmers had great difficulty getting their crops in the ground in a timely manner.

After work yesterday, I played the front nine on my home course. I shot a four over 39. This is only the second time I've shot that score on the front nine of my home course. Were it not for the fact that my wife had prepared supper for my family, I would have played the back nine to finish the round. I have felt that I have been on the cusp of shooting scores in the low eighties. Hopefully, this score is a harbinger of scores to come!

Well, that's good to know. Very eighties. Now, if only those hats will make me look as rugged, tall and handsome as Greg Norman, I'll buy a dozen!

You're right. It's a cool hat. But I prefer one without a logo. Also, Norman's hat is black, a color which absorbs heat, even though it is vented. I prefer a lighter color which reflects heat.

Thanks for posting these pictures. As I have rounded the corner to age 50, I've become more sensitive to the potential of contracting skin cancer and I have been looking for a hat with a brim around it. While I haven't liked what I've seen in the market place, these hats look a bit better than those I've seen. I'll look them up.

After playing a few holes with a lovely, older couple who were very slow, I played the back nine of my home course by myself. And I played fast: about an hour and ten minutes ( I rode in a cart, it was morning and I had no one in front or in back of me ). I recorded a par on 14, 15, 16 and 18; a bogey on 10, 11, 12, 13 and 17. My final score: 41. This score was better than most because of a lack of double or triple bogies, more consistent tee shots and better short game control. And, what's more: I now the score could have been better.

Thanks, Munkey. If they are young, they require a lot of patience and love. Stay with them and don't make learning the game too onerous; who knows, you may be playing with them soon enough! One of my goals is to be able to play a round of 18 with one of my daughters when she is a bit older: how cool is it to play a genuine round of golf with your own kid?

Right you are about seizing the moment. We just don't know what fate has in store for us or our loved ones. Play golf or just spend time with the ones you love as often as possible; and tell them you love them often, too.

Thanks, Dent. I would love to get out there with her once a week but it's tough keeping her interested once the tournament is over; I think it is well worth trying, though.

Thanks. Keep working on your sister. Golf's a great game for men and women. This morning, I played with an older surgeon and his wife. She was the Easter Seals poster child in either 1954 or 1953. For those of you too young to know what that means: she had the polio virus, which left her left leg entirely wasted. She wears a metal brace on it and limps along rather well. And she has great physical beauty. She also plays golf. She can't make a full turn because her hips won't rotate, but she hits the ball straight as an arrow. Her husband was a state amateur champion in his youth and still hits his tee shots about 250 yards. Although he is known as the grumpiest bastard in my community, watching them play golf together is a real treat: he treats her like a princess. Amazing woman; amazing game. Talk about a gal playing the ball as it lies!

I probably have more than most: 16, 18, 20, 23 and 26 degree hybrids. They take the place of 3, 5 and 7 woods and 4 and 5 irons. They're easy to hit. If I had more time to practice, I would likely eschew them for more traditional irons and woods because I like the look of the traditional clubs. But, for now, the hybrids stay in the bag.

In my effort to keep my eldest child interested in golf, I have acceded to her desire to enter the annual Parent/Child, normally known as the Father/Son (until we came along) Golf Tournament. Since our former, beloved old Pro retired a few years ago, and a new young Pro has had an up and down career at our Club. Perhaps because of his relative youth (early 30s), perhaps because his synapses don't fire well, his communications and desicion making skills seem wanting. The latest example of this is that in three seperate conversations with him about the format for the tournament, the new Pro changed the format each time. It was not only confusing to me but also to my 10 year old daughter. Nonetheless, we adjusted our preperation each time he changed his mind. The final format turned out to be what is called a shamble: father and child each hit a drive, the best drive is taken and each person plays his own ball from that spot through the hole. The best score is the only score recorded. My child pointed out that even if a child's drive is selected on each hole ( because their tees are so much more forward than the adult tees ), the better golfer's next several shots will determine the score of each hole and that better golfer will likely be the parent, especially in our division, 12 years and under. She was right. And her frustration was compounded by mine, because I knew that most of the adult golfers carried a handicap lower than mine. What to do? Well, I looked at my daughter and said, "Just like in life, kiddo, we'll have to play the ball as it lies." And that's just what we did. Fortunately, we had practiced for this event: Katherine and I had risen early each day for two weeks to hit balls before I left for work. At the begining of the tournament I told Katherine that even if we didn't like the format, we had nine holes to play and we might as well play the best we could and take the opportunity to enjoy each other's company. There were ten teams, nine father/sons and us, a father/daughter. I was pleasently surprised to note that, as we played, Katherine's tee shots were right on the money, often leaving me about 118 yards to the hole. Either my approach shots were good or my short game was on that day, because after four holes, we were even par. On the 5th hole, Katherine's drive wasn't her best and I hit my approach fat: bogey. On number 6, a difficult par three, I missed a 10 foot birdie putt by an inch. On number 8, my approach shot again was fat and caused us to record a bogey. I had a chance at a birdie on number 9 and, again, barely missed the putt. We finished with a two over 37. The father/son team that won last year recorded a 31 for first place this year. Another father/son team shot 33 for second place. Our score was good enough for third place. While we didn't take home any hardware, we did have a celebratory lunch afterward for preparing for and competing in this tournament. We had the deep satisfaction of doing something challenging together and, Katherine learned a valuable lesson about "playing the ball as it lies." Ultimately, I was very proud of Katherine's approach to this tournament: her grit, focus as well as her determination. Those qualities are trophy enough for me.

I was in Memphis, recently, for a lunch meeting. I got there early and because I was near the Edwin Watts store, I decided to stop in and look for a wide brimmed hat to wear on course ( I had decided to get one of those goobery looking hats in order to protect my extraordinary visage from the ravages of the sun ). I walked in and, as usual, was barely greeted by a disinterested employee. Now, I walked into that store with money in my pocket, ready to spend it on a specific item. The poor attitude of the employees in that store just turned me off. While they weren't rude, they just seemed disinterested; they just didn't seem to care whether or not I was there or whether or not they were there. Eventhough I found one hat that I might, under other circumstances, have bought, I decided to save my money and spend it somewhere else where it mattered to those with whom I spent it. This situation has happened almost every time I visit the Edwin Watts in Memphis. Every time I go there, I swear it will be my last and, like some lemming, I am always lured back there because of proximity and the quantity of golf equipment. But every time I step through their door, I am greeted with the same indifference and lack of interest. So, what did I buy on my last trip to a golf store: nothing! Given the state of our economy, this lack of regard for a customer borders on the insane. If I were Edwin Watts, I would reconsider either the qualifications for salespeople or reconsider the training program, if any, in which they require employees to participate. Anybody else have similar experiences?

FWIW, I carried 3,5, and 7 woods for several years. I hit them fairly well. When I replaced my 4 iron with a hybrid, I began to realize how easy it was to hit hybrids. Gradually, I replaced my woods with hybrids. Woods typically have a longer shaft and the weight of the club is a bit farther back than in a hybrid, so for the same loft, a fairway wood might go a bit farther. However, and perhaps because of the fact that a hybrid has a shorter shaft, it is a bit easier to control than a comparable fairway wood. I find the control of the hybrid preferable to the increased distance of the fairway wood. I also find the hybrid more versatile: easy off the fairway or tee, better out of the rough, easier to shape a shot, easier to hit a low shot out from under the damn trees and easier to chip with.

Hoo boy! Now how do you really feel? I think the Hyper X is superb. One of my golf partners swears by his G10. I tried his G10 several times this weekend. While I am sure it is a superb driver, I just couldn't get a feel for it. On the other hand, I'm hitting more fairways than ever, as well as hitting the ball a bit farther, with my Hyper X. So, I suppose it is horses for courses; or, if you prefer, try them both and see what works best for you. Don't take our advice, determine which driver feels best to you. Good luck.

Three cheers to Rocco Mediate for taking Tiger through 91 holes and giving all us fans a grand exhibit of golf! Three cheers for Tiger: amazing grit, desire, ambition and talent are an unbeatable combination! Three cheers to Torrey Pines for a superb venue! What an exciting and fun Open Championship!

Last night, I played nine holes in about one hour and fifteen minutes. I was by myself, riding in a cart. I have played 18 holes by myself on an empty course on Sunday mornings in about two and one half hours. I really can't stand five hour rounds.

Great pictures, Mr. Sparkle; for sharing them with us, you really do shine.

I thought exactly the same thing; that is, that the drivers bear a family resemblance to the Cobra drivers. Of course that might be natural, as Cobra is owned by Acushnet, as is Titleist. I like the look of them both. Of course, they look like contemporary drivers. I'll bet they perform well, too.

If you're having a tough time hitting a 3 wood, eschew it for a 16 degree hybrid. The hybrids are so much easier to hit consistently and to get up in the air. The hybrid won't go quite as far, but if you're scoring in the 90s, accuracy is more important than distance and you are more likely to be accurate with a hybrid than with a 3 wood.

You need to try out both clubs in the loft and with the shaft you need. Only by trying out these clubs can you derive anything that resembles information neccessary on which to make a decision. I can tell you that for me, the Hyper X is one of the best drivers, if not the best driver I've ever hit. No, wait, I can tell you that the Hyper X driver is the best I've hit; and the emphasis is on the I.[/ I] I came to that conclusion after hitting several different drivers on a launch monitor. But what works for my swing and my swing speed may not work for you. Don't take my word on the performance of a driver, try several out for yourself side by side and see empirically what works best for you. Good luck.