mcanadiens

I sort of met it half way last week. I hit a par-3 (albeit a fairly challenging one). After an hour delay due to frost, I got off in about 35 degrees and a wind that gusted up to 20 mph. The first two holes were rough, but after I got moving things got better. The wind was a real pain. This course (Falcon at Kittyhawk Golf Center, Dayton OH), has some 200 - 250 yard par 3s and the wind was knocking everything down. Still it beat the crud out of sitting on the coach watching football and I'm watching the forecast for this weekend..

People who don't known much about it run down golf for a lot of different reasons. The fact that it can be played into an advanced age is a great redeeming aspect. My father was consumed with his work. He had many happy years doing it, but then it came time to retire. He didn't know what to do with himself and passed shortly after that. I can't help but think that if he had something like golf, he may have stayed with us a little longer.

I'm about a year and a half in and am starting to get the same thing.I'll pop along decently for 4 or so holes and blam oh. Rack up a 10 and start hoping for a 99.

I'm really leaning that way. I'm in Dayton, OH, but I do got a brother in Hudson.

Knowing we weren't going to see 40 degrees this weekend, I packed a bunch of work in and took Thursday off. Now its Friday night and I'm trying to convince myself that a 36-degree high isn't that bad.

Here in SW Ohio we have a few courses that stay open on a weather permitting basis. My area is fortunate enough to have a range with heated tees as well. Once in a while we'll get a decent day even in January or February. The one thing I really struggle with in the winter is the low sun. It's just a real pain to find the ball sometimes.

For what it's worth, I had today off and played by myself at the local muni with next to nobody around. I hacked up a 97 (which is bad even for me) and got around in 3:15. Now, I did probably kill approx 5 min looking for balls in the leaves. If I were any good, I'd have another 10 minutes or so due to fewer strokes. So ... The best I think I could possibly due under the most ideal circumstances might be about 3 hours.

I watched this for the first time last night. The whole football-style intensity wouldn't seem to make for good golf, but it's a chuckle. Of course, I always have doubts about how real these reality shows really are.

I'm just a little south of you and normally stay in if anything is frozen. Had really good luck down here last winter. My guys and I do liberalize things if leaves are problem. We'll take relief from bad divots (since the grass isn't growing). Of course, we're not playing really serious games at this point in the year anyway.

Reid Memorial North is definitely a nice course. It's one of the better maintained municipal courses I've seen. The greens run really true, but if you miss the fairway, you are in trouble. I hear the South course is the easier of the two and probably would have been a better choice for my skill level. It's also real cheap, especially if you go through Golfnow.

Not sure how long ago that was, but calling Hidden Lake undermaintained is like calling hell warm. Not only are the fairways the same length as the rough, but they have these holes and ruts that decent drives go to die in. You should never lose a ball on a fairway. I'd second you on Cliffside and WGC. Sugar Isle is decent when they tend the greens. I played out there earlier this year and it was like putting through molasses. Still, we do have a lot of cheap golf courses and that's golden for people on a budget like me.

Well ... it isn't all teenage boys. My bruv and I play this game a ridiculous amount when we get together. He has about six others that never leave the shelf. I don't think either of us have beat the other by more than 2 strokes in months.

Picking an appropriate course is part of it. For me, it wasn't that long ago that was piling up 120-130. My first two or three rounds were a par-3 course and I think it was a key factor in my coming back for more. My first big course rounds came on the shorter and wider-open courses in my area. To this day, I stick to white tees. Another good safety tip is not having more than 1 beginner in a group. Ideally, you'd have an experienced golfer showing the new guy the ropes. I was fortunate enough to have that. As brutal as I was early on, my buddy got me on ready golf. Even the worst rounds rarely took much more than four hours.

I'd say that nearly 95% of the time, people will let me play through when it makes sense. Usually the exception is someone that is a complete newb and doesn't know any better.

I just got on this board about a week ago. Generally I play the City of Dayton courses (Community, Kittyhawk and Madden). When I'm at my brothers in Troy, we play Miami Shores. They are all good, forgiving courses for hacks like me. My brother and I tried to play Reid Memorial North in Springfield a couple of weeks ago and made a mess of it. I must of lost no short of 6 balls that day. We get around to a few others. Ever play a place called Hidden Lake? I'd like to hear others' take on that one.

Anytime I play one of my usual courses as a single, I can bet on crashing headlong into a multi-group pile up by the 5th hole. If the group I run into is less than four, they usually invite me to join them. For the most part, it's usually a pleasant thing. Met some fine people that way. I'd rather play with my buddies, but they've got their schedule and budget issues from week to week and I'm not going to pass up a chance to get out.

So far so good for me. I absolutely hate these courses that are lined with houses. Fortunately several of the locals have little to none of that and those are the ones I usually play. When I was brand-spanking new, I did pop up driver into the road about 2.5 seconds after a van drove by the spot. That was my closest brush with disaster.

Probably watching football on tv. I'll admit I'm letting the grass grow a little longer now as well.

I had two goals this year. The first was to break 100. I did that in May and quickly switched to breaking 90. Right now I'm sitting on a 91. The second was to beat the fellow that started my on golf. I've come within 3 strokes, but have also come to realize he doesn't count everything. Next year, I'll get on the handicap system and started plugging through that.

My first round was a 136, so I can believe 140. Fortunately I've come along a little since that day a year and a half ago. I cracked into the 90's in May. As someone who has kind of groped his way toward minimal competence, it was funny how some tips were useful and others simply made things worse. The golfer himself needs to decide who to listen to. It's part of the trial and error that makes the whole thing worthwhile. I also had a buddy want to help me out. Some of it helped. Some didn't. I occasionally ask him questions He understands I don't want to hear from him in the middle of the round unless I ask.