Shaupeen

I've hit a house before. I've been lucky to never hear that shattering glass sound after the shot went wide, but I've had a few loud thuds! I've also put a few shots into busy roads, but I lucked out there too. There is nothing quite like the uncomfortable, anxious silence that follows a bad shot headed for trouble. The most impressive wayward shot I've ever seen came when a buddy shanked his approach shot, sent it over a fence, into the road, and hit a moving truck doing 45 mph down the road. My buddy called it before it crossed the fence. The driver didn't stop, but it was a very loud impact. My friend had his checkbook ready in case the guy came back.

I play every weekend with three buddies and our average amount of cash exchanged is about $20 per person. That isn't very much, but one of us still manages to whine incessantly when the cash isn't going in to his bag. His money is the sweetest to pocket. What are your payout averages per round?

OK, that's next on my list. Thanks for the explanation--that is awesome.

That's a great idea! I keep all of my old scorecards (I denote every club I hit on each hole, not just a +1 or such for each hole) and then I take that card to the range and re-hit that round from tee to green. It makes range work much more interesting.

Plum Creek, Casstle Rock Green Valley Ranch Broken Tee (Par 3 and the redone front 6 of the 18) Glenmoor CC

I was also concerned about the wood rotting out from contact with the ground.

Awesome read. Thank you. I'm looking to put a few dozen "sleepers" in my backyard for the same reason.

Same here in Denver! My last trip I got two new FJ StaSofts so I can rotate them thru the round. The last two were able to do Jazz Hands on their own. I had to put them down.

BTW, a really good value for a forged iron is the Adams Idea Black CB3. Check 'em out.

Hit them. A lot. If it seems over-whelming (and it is) try this: Go hit a few that are cast and then hit a few that are forged, to see what you like. Then blind-test three or four of that iron type. Any good shop will set you up on a sim with a few taped up demos and no hard sell. Feel which one you like the best. Check the numbers of the sim, but don't go on distance or launch angle or backspin alone. Feel the one you like. I've known fitters who don't even turn on the computer for the first half hour. Feel a favorite. Write the info down. And then leave the shop. A few days later, go hit again. This time put that best iron against three other irons in another blind-test. Do this a few more times. Repeated elimination. Eventually one set of irons will surface, like gold flakes in a pan. Then sell your kidney and go buy those irons!

Here are a few with the view, in no particular order: Fossil Trace, Golden Arrowhead, Littleton City Park, Denver The Ridge, Castle Pines The Raven, Silverthorne And the best value within a 3 hour drive of Denver: Bayside, Lake McConauhy, NE

I love playing Pete Dye's courses. There are a few around Denver and they are wonderful. In addition to the golf challenge, his attention to detail is amazing. I particularly like his use of old railroad ties as a landscaping tool. Does anyone know his process for preparing them and setting them? Pete?

That's a great looking mat. Are those distance numbers? 3 feet and on?

Yep. That's about the practice ratio I find myself following. Unless I start missing four footers. Then it's all putting green and up and down practice.

My first thought would be a medium high fade with my 3 wood aimed just left of the green. I could drop it in softly and stop it on the green. Then a second thought would creep in - where would my miss go? And that would get me thinking about splitting the distance for the GIR. I think the wind speed would help in my decision, but I try to go with my first, gut decision. Finally, I'd pull the 3 wood and silence the gallery so they wouldn't interrupt my playing partner's swing.

Indeed.

Mizunos? Samurai blacksmiths and Hollywood sound men.