Bradenator

I'm in the joke camp.... It turns into a one shot playoff. It's gimmicky, and of course is a "made for TV" event...There is just something fundamentally wrong with a playoff starting with a wedge shot, much less over water, much less to an island green. Maybe next year they can pull out the "playoff windmill" and stick it on the green to add some additional excitement? As is, they might as well just stand on the tee, and alternate shots. First one to hit the water loses the tournament.

Have to say "no, not usually" to the first part. Analysts seem to focus so much on the technical side of the game, that they overlook the bigger picture....Personally, I just about choked when Phil referred to Sergio as a "champion". (There is a Phil/choke pun in there somewhere) Sergio played well, sure, and won the tournament, fair and square, but he is certainly a "fair weather champion" at best. Had he been the one to drop one in the drink on 17, I have my doubts if he would have had the grace of Goydos. I am not about to say that Goydos has the game of a true champion, but he clearly has the demeanor that I would like to see in a true champ. I think the analysts deserve stroke and distance on this, but I imagine there are politics involved. Admittedly, Sergio is not my favorite, so I am biased...but I think this is because he is so immature as a player, and really just comes off sounding a bit whiny to me. I like watching him play, but have a difficult time rooting for him. Have to say it was rather humorous to see Sergio kiss his putter after missing a 2 footer for birdie. I know he did better on Friday, and he could have taken two more from there, but geez! He should have kissed Goydos!

My understanding- #1- Not up and down #2- Yes. Not up and down. Missed green, one putt. Not a putt unless you are on the green. #3- Yes, sand save with 0 putt. If I am not mistaken, the technical stats of Up and Down, and Sand Saves are defined much the same way- Failing to hit the green in regulation, but still carding a par or better for the hole. Number of putts doesn't matter...

Ugh...checked the wrong box on the poll! Feel like I just sniped one into the lumberyard... Oh well, I hope this one doesn't get graded. Player isn't really my favorite, but he earned his right to be there, and I respect the heck out of the man. He knows that he isn't going to win, and the only way he'd even have a Saturday morning tee time would be if there was a heck of a lot of rain on Thursday and/or Friday... Point is, he has a green jacket being kept on a hanger at Augusta National...this means something.

Don't tell my wife about this....but I clean my shag balls in the washing machine. I use hot water, and a normal amount of soap. Trick is to toss in a some rags, towels, etc...with the balls, so they are getting a scrubbing while they are in there. You can fit a good number of balls in at once. I hadn't thought of 10K balls, but it sure would beat doing it by hand!

I'm trying to remember....my Dad had this special word he used to use to describe what it was when you keep golf clubs that you find lying on a golf course.. Oh...It's on the tip of my tongue....Let me think.... Oh, yes...now I remember...."stealing". That was the word! How silly of me to forget! Be warned folks, I have a voodoo lady in Lousiana that puts a curse on all of my clubs. I am of course, immune to this curse...but anyone that so dares to steal and subsequently use any of my equipment shall be plagued with an incurable case of the yips, a viscious and unpredictable push-slice, and a particularly bad rash in a place best left unmentioned. Go ahead, keep that wedge....I dare you....

I started really young myself, graduating to a "real" putter at three, and at 4 I graduated to the the most common mid-1970's version of "Junior" clubs, which was of course an uncle with a hacksaw and some mismatched clubs from a pawnshop. I played what my godfather and dad called "monkey golf", so we all teed off, then drove by my ball, picked up, and dropped next to my dad. Basically, a scramble format, except it was rare that I got to keep my shot. Once on or around the green, I was on my own, and didn't get gimmes, but didn't want them either. Loved holing it out, no matter how short. I got to play just as much as the grownups, wasn't holding up anyone's play, and remember these times with very fond memories. I remember as I got a bit older, more and more of my approach shots counted as my own. Once I was able to hit 150 yards off the tee, Dad cut me loose, and I got to play my own game. Younger the better, I think...as long as you keep it fun, and keep it simple. Kills me to see the occasional dad on the range lecturing his 7 year old about swing planes and such. They have the rest of their lives to over-analyze their own games...

Ditto...wife came with 2 boys. Awesome kids. The younger (8 now) has a pretty nice natural swing to boot!

Totally agree. After a "many moon" break from playing any competitions, I am finally getting back in, getting an active GHIN, etc...and am partially dreading competing on net again. I try to focus on my own gross, rather than net....but since all the goodies tend to go to net, well, it can be frustrating, but at the same time, I like the idea of everyone having a chance at winning if they play to their own personal best. I've read a lot both ways on where, if any, of the advantage lies....but from my own experience, higher handicappers tend to fare better...I would think the misapplication of rules is part of this, though wonder if this wouldn't already be picked up in already skewed cards they have turned in, assuming the culprit isn't a concious sandbagger? Hard to say for sure, but can't help but think that 1.) The tendency for less experienced (and presumably higher handicap) golfer is to err on the side of less harsh penalty if they are unsure, and 2.) To make more blasphemous errors that reduce overall risk (e.g. taking a 2 clublength drop from OB, with a one stroke penalty...wow) ,and 3.) These tendencies ultimately puts more experienced players, regardless of handicap, at a disadvantage. My wife is learning the game, and as she is learning the rules, she feels that many of them are "not fair", and has a hard time believing some of them. Perhaps a similar perspective drives some of the less punative calls, as the player feels that their interpretation is "fair" under the circumstances? Again, hard to say... In casual play, I'll let someone butcher the rules all they want, as long as they aren't turning in their card at the end of the day. Casual play, then that's on them. If they are planning to turn in a card, I will say something, but can't "make" them do anything, not that I would really try. In tournament play, I am not shy about being the ***** that ruins their day if they are not playing by the rules, but I don't see it this way, and am a gentleman about it, and stop him before the he starts a chain of miscues that ultimately wind up in a DQ. Yet another disadvantage, as the more knowledgable player is now having to play "bad cop", which is tough when you are trying to focus on your pla, and not what in the world Homer might be doing over near those OB stakes this time.... Rules are rules, and we are all supposed to abide by them. You don't have to like them, you don't even have to memorize them- just look them up if you are not absolutely 100% sure (I do this all the time), and if you are 99% sure, and make the wrong call, be prepared to suffer the consequences (have done this as well, when I was "sure"). The USGA isn't charging a whole lot for the rule book...what is it, like a buck? Better yet, spring the $15, and get a fancy membership card with a hat and a sharp looking bag tag.... So, in an attempt to get my little rant centered back on the actual topic, I would tend to think that SubPar makes an excellent, but rarely discussed point here, and that misapplication of the rules are a very real "hidden sandbag factor", if you will, particularly on courses that have a lot of hazards, etc... On a side note, wanted to note that I believe that chipping and putting are actually permitted during a round on the tee box of next hole to be played, or the previous green, but the committee reserves the right to prohibit practice and/or rolling of ball on the previous green. And of course, straddling a short putt is permitted, if, (and I believe, ONLY if) the reason for doing so is to avoid stepping in someone's line.

I still carry (and not just for decoration) the same MacGregor persimmons 3 and 4 woods (I typically carry only one of these, depending on the course) I have owned since I was 12 years old. The driver and 5 wood are safely tucked away in the garage. Original finish and everything. Yes, I am losing distance, but I have yet to find anything that allows me to work the ball quite the same way. Perhaps I haven't looked hard enough, or made that change, but it ain't broke, so I am not going to try to fix it. I love these clubs, and may have to finally break down and admit that I am losing strokes, but until then, I savor the feel of a well struck shot off of a 'real' wood. Until last month, I was playing with the same Karsten II's that I have carried since I was 12 as well. I believe they were 8 years old at the time? Original ZZ lite shafts, though I probably went through 30 sets of grips....Somewhat revolutionary at the time, but almost museum pieces today. I bought the entire set from a family friend, who less than a year later offered to trade me for the "upgrade" set that he had bought. I declined. He is now retired, and playing a lot of golf. I think I might clean up the Karstens, put on some fresh grips, and "send them home". They don't have any real value, but I think he would get a real kick out of it.... He can't have the persimmons woods back though....

An oldie, but my favorite...unfortunately, he lost some weight, and it loses some of its impact- A Rush Limbaugh- short, fat, and to the right.... Maybe he will pick up a few pounds?

I wouldn't mind seeing the big leagers play on some unmanicured courses every now and again...though I suppose they do run into their fair share of rub. I would definitely get a kick out of some "carry your own" events on Tour. It would change the leader dynamic considerably, though number one would still be number one. I played HS golf in Hawaii, and there are some pretty mountainous courses there, and contrary to popular belief, it can get miserably hot there on occasion. Most of the resort courses are designed with carts in mind, so 1/2 hikes between green and tee are not uncommon. Walking, much less carrying your sticks and playing, 18 holes was a physical/endurance challenge. At least once a week, instead of playing, or hitting the range, the coach had the players all weight down their bags and "go for a walk", which meant a 5 mile run with an overwieght bag on our shoulder. It sucked, of course, but a large part of our success as a team was having the endurance to play well on the back nine, while many other teams were "out of gas".... I know the PGA Tour would never do this, but I think it would be great to watch, and see who would emerge from the lower part of the rankings to be a serious contender if everyone had to haul their own sticks... [QUOTE=Backspin;137999] 7) Change the slow play rule. Instead of penalizing the group, yank the guy who is slow. Change to time limit as well. They take way too long. QUOTE] Amen. It's gotten waaaaay out of hand, IMO. I can't even stand on the tee on a par 3 anymore, stare in disbelief as each the group in front marks, lifts, cleans, and places their 3rd putts for their double bogey 'saves' and comment "What do they think, they are on tour?" anymore....the guys on tour take even longer...

Feathers....that's funny! I don't care how you hit it, a ball won't check and back up on concrete (though it will look similar to how it looks after a spin milled wedge gets a hold of it). See how the 54 does on a full wedge shot, though keep in mind, the green itslef is a huge factor, and some greens just won't give you the hop-hop-check no matter what you do. I tend to change my target distance, rather than my swing/contact to compensate for different greens, and let the ball do what it wants to do. Personally, I don't intentionally try to alter the spin much on different shots, though I probably do this subconciously to some degree, and do tend to be sure I catch the ball "crisp" when I want to put some extra zip on it....I think some call this pinching, or ball first, then divot, etc....

From your "spoiler"- Um, no. That isn't what "through the green" means....Through the Green refers to the entire course, with the exceptions of the tee/green of the hole being played, and all hazards.

Lots of good suggestions on technique. I managed to learn to put a bit of extra spin on the ball using my beloved Karsten II's, but I can vouch that the club and ball can also play a huge part in ball action on landing. Switched to Vokey Spin Milled wedges (and play V1/V1x), and it is challenging to prevent the ball from backing up on any 3/4+ shot, if the green has any bite at all. I am still adjusting to having to compensate for the increased spin. Not sure if it will ultimately pay off in terms of scoring, but have to admit that it does just look sharp, perhaps even sexy, to see a ball stick, and then back on up... though my first time out with the the Vokey "ball shredders", I dropped two shots right on the flag, and watched them back right on off the green. A good reminder that an ugly/boring shot that leaves me with a makeable putt often beats a high flying wedge with 10 kajillion RPM's of backsspin... If you want "off the shelf" spin, grab a spin milled Vokey and some V1's (or similar)....but as you can read all over the web, as well as here, the milling on the face will tear the snot out of a soft cover ball.

I put my balls in one pocket, my tees in another, gloves go in yet another, and my clubs go in the openings on the top! Never occured to me to organize them...haven't yet been in a situation where I just couldn't find that pesky 6 iron because it wasn't in the right slot.

I've done a similar drill, and had good results as well. I started with an 80-90 yard target with a 3 iron (fun drill just for recovery shots anyways), focusing only on making a good solid strike. Very gradually, increasing swing speed, then backing down if I had any inconsistency, just focusing on a nice smooth swing. It took a bit, but agree that it took the pressure off when I was able to hit a VERY smooth and easy 3 iron 150-160 yards, and enabled me to feel better as I ratcheted my speed up a bit. I haven't measured it in some time, but the clubhead speed on my 3 iron is about the same as my 5 iron, so I am swinging a bit easier with the 3, and to a lesser degree with the 4. I just strike the ball better this way, and don;t like the feel of hybrids, so I'd rather work with my irons. I lose just a bit of yardage, but think I get more value in consistency and ball flight. I can use a 100% swing off the tee with confidence, but just feel better backing off a bit when hitting off the deck, and tend to think that long iron play is largely mental. When I am tense, I always run into problems...

Oustanding accomplishment! Now for the hard part...keeping it! Congrats!

I always play down, though most of the guys I play with for casual rounds roll and fluff as they see fit. I happen to believe that playing by the book is important, no matter how casual the round, but that's just me. If my buddies want to pull out the foot wedge from time to time, then that's on them. I don't know if I think it is really "dishonest" or not, but it isn't the game of golf as defined by the USGA. At the end of the day, the game is meant to be enjoyed, and if some folks get more pleasure from rolling the ball, then more power to them. I just happen to get more pleasure from accepting the rub of the green as it comes. A bit off topic, but related...A couple of months ago, after a sand-save on a weekend casual round, my cart partner told me "nice par" as he started to card a 4 for me. The look on his face when I told him that I ws calling a penalty for clipping a leaf on my backswing in the bunker....well, it was absolutely priceless...and more than worth the penalty! He must have said, "You're serious??" five or six times before the next tee... Like I said though, to each their own...enjoy your game, and I'll enjoy mine.

No doubt...I'd trade all my top five for one round at Augusta...

I was spoiled, as I lived in Hawaii for 4 years while attending high school...Father was in the hotel business, which provided some great contacts on the best courses. Played just about all the signature courses in the islands, but my favorites- Ka'anapali Mauna Kea Princeville Makaha West Kapalua Plantation Ko Olina was pretty new when I played it, and I seem to remember was really too young to have opened. Seemed like it would develop nicely though... I forget the names of so many of the other gems there. The military courses were always a treat. The Pali was hands down the best Muni course I have ever seen. Challenging, scenic, and was in great condition when I played, at least. Still trying to figure out why I thought that college in the mainland was a good idea!

There are elements of course design I don't care for, but while many of these cost me strokes, I really believe they are part of the risk/reward/luck aspect of golf. Granted, playing a new course "blind" can present some genuine "unfair" situations. I have hit into many creeks and hazards that were either poorly marked on the card, or not marked at all. What I think is a well played and safe shot, turns into a penalty-and-drop situation. Fair? Well, yes and no...Would have been nice to have a caddy (echoing some previous comments about course design and caddies), but there is always next time, and that is part of what keeps me coming back. I personally enjoy the challenges that even the most gimmicky holes present. Do they get me a bit riled at times? You bet. Is a 60 degree mound in the center of the fairway seem like being punished for a well-placed drive? You bet. But walking up to your best drive of the day, and seeing it sitting in a divot seems unfair too, but that, to me, is what the rub of the green is all about. You take the good with the bad, and sometimes you do get punished for a perfectly executed shot, but then again, who hasn't reaped the unexpected rewards of a push-slice into the lumberyard that miraculously pops out into the fairway? I played a course outside of Austin, Texas that was a muni at the time, but I think it was taken over by a private developer. Anyways, in the summer, it had rock hard fairways, one of which must have had 20 degrees of slope from left/right. I distinctly remember playing a well-hit drive with a healthy draw that landed no more than 2 feet from the first cut on the left....and then watched it rocket across and into the next fairway to the right. One would literally have to snap-hook a drive to have a chance of holding the fairway. Granted, this was more to do with the conditions of the soil that with anything else, but it seemed to punish what I thought to be an ideal shot under the conditions. Unfortunately, my estimation of the conditions was not correct. I played a dozen rounds there, and never once held the fairway, but learned to adapt so I at least had a manageable approach shot. As long as there isn't a windmill blocking the green, I think it is fair game, with a couple of exceptions. All that being said (yes, there's more), I can completely see how some of the mentioned features would discourage some golfers. I play fairly regularly with my father, who is a seasoned-citizen, and he doesn't have the distance/carry he had in his younger days. This has been mentioned before, but I bring it up again...Some courses seem to have missed the mark on their tee placement. I think needing a 200+ yard carry from the tips is completely reasonable, but too many times there is just too much carry required from the front tees to be fair, if there is such a thing. If someone chooses to play from the front tees, then I think the course should present a much more player-friendly layout, particularly with respect to distance/carry requirements. A 180 yard carry from the shortest tees to reach safety is not reasonable, in my estimation...but I say this mainly because I get to watch my old man sigh as he tees up on holes such as this, knowing full well that his best drive won't be enough. Perhaps these courses are making a killing off of the used ball sales in the pro-shop...I don't know. Still, Dad is the one that taught me that USGA made the rules for the game, not just for tournaments....so he pulls out a water ball, cermoniously plunks one in the drink, and then proceeds under rule 26-1...makes me want to cry sometimes...though when we have a press bet on, I manage to get over it...particularly if there are carry-overs involved!

I'm debating getting a membership at Wildcat myself. Was just discussing with the loving wife this evening. Might just do their player development program instead. I love both courses, but am in a similar situation, as I just don't know if I will get over there (coming from the other side of Houston) enough to make it worth while. I though that Timber Creek had a membership program, but I might be mistaken, as I don't see anything on their website about it. There are some great deals to be had on the this side of town in terms of memberships/development programs, but not that familiar with Pasadena... Having lived in Austin before I moved here, I desperately miss the Harvey Penick facility/range at the Golfsmith Hqs in Austin. Not just a driving range, but a real live practice facility. Haven't found anything in Houston that compares, at least not without going out to one of the semi-privates in the Woodlands....I think having a good facility to actually practice (not just pound buckets) is critical... Since I am in the market for a membership, I will holler at you if I happen to see anything in your area that might interest you.

I lucked out...I was on the putting greens at 3...was on the driving range later the same year. When I was 4, we got a house on a golf course, and the practice tee (it was a 130 yard practice hole...no range) was quite literally in my back yard, so spent a lot of time developing what would become my swing. First "set" was a mixed bag of random cutoff clubs. First "real" set was a Chi-Chi Rodriguez getup, with a 3,5,7,9, putter, and a 2 wood. I think I was 6?

I told you I was lucky! I kept telling her that I didn't want to be one of those guys that is collecting clubs, and always changing equipment to try to fix a swing problem....Then she reminded me that my clubs were older than most of my playing partners! After I came home with the irons, she then asked "Why didn't you get any new woods?" I must have saved a bunch of kids from a burning building in my previous life or something! Thanks for being excited. I really can't wait to get a few rounds under my belt. The computer at the shop had me 20+ yards more distance than my Karstens, so that might take a bit of getting used to- I think I can get over it, though!! So, to keep the wife happy, I suppose I am in the market for some fairway woods as well. Looking for the same mix of playability and a bit of forgiveness so I am not completely miserable on days that I can't seem to hit the ball on the screws. Upgraded my driver a few years ago, and am pleased with it. My current fairway wood is just that....a MacGregor persimmons 4 wood. I have the whole set (1,3,4,5), and swap a wedge for the 3 wood on courses with longer 5 pars, but am thinking a 3/5 combo would be better, and allow me to drop the 2 iron. Man, I've got it rough....