jvalhalla

EW is just overpriced and I'm not surprised by this at all. The only thing I have purchased from them in 13ish years of living near their stores was a used set of irons. I do go in there if I want to see something up close, then use my phone to google prices for that item. I never find them to be even remotely close to the best deal so I don't end up buying stuff from them. For such a large golf chain, they sure as heck don't try to get your business through pricing. Also, I would LIKE to give them my business as they are a local company for me (we are both in the Panhandle) but I can't justify paying their prices. If they were even in the ballpark, I'd buy stuff from them.

Always good playing with advanced players. A lot of it just depends on how close of buddies you are. Is he a friend or acquaintance? Buddy is a broad term. When I've played with better friends, I don't worry about all this extraneous crap people are bringing up. I'll ask questions if there is something I want to know from him and gladly listen if he offers anything unsolicited. At the same time I will promptly give a scratch golfer friend crap on bad shots and expect to get it in return on mine. Huge difference on playing with acquaintance scratch golfer vs. friend scratch golfer...

as has been previously stated, i think it is due to the competition/interest on the men's side vs. the women's. When I think back over my last 27ish years playing golf in Arizona, Texas and Florida, it occurs to me just how few women I've ever actually seen playing. I'm not even talking about playing well, just playing. Then when I think about how many I've played with/seen that I thought "she's pretty good", I can only think of ONE (a college golfer). I'm not saying women aren't or can't be talented golfers, but there are just very few females who seem to have a passion to play golf. Maybe I've led a sheltered golf life, but women seem outnumbered 500 to 1 on the golf course.

I'd keep working at your driver on the range. I've pulled my driver/woods from my bag in the past and sure, you can reduce scores from where you are currently at. If you only play short courses this will work fine. However, without the driver you will probably plateau in the mid-high 80s unless you develop tour-like irons. If you play long par 4s with that 4i distance, you will be turning them effectively into par 5s. The other problem is you will run into par 3s that you can't reach with that 4i off the tee. Just depends on your course and the tees you play from. At some point you will have to introduce the driver back in and that can be painful. I'd continue to use it and not worry about the scores. You are shooting 100-120...now is the time to work on it.

I misread part of the post and have edited mine. I'm pretty sure the OP asked in his original post why guys like me don't maintain a handicap.

I do know when I am getting better or worse. I know what I shoot.

I'm one of those guys who golfs a fair amount but I've never been interested in an official handicap. I don't honestly see the need; I don't enter tournaments and I don't gamble. I know what I typically shoot and getting that "official' number would only give me a reason to a) brag or b) have an inferiority complex. I don't want either, I play purely for fun. I know many people here won't get that but that is why I don't have a handicap.

I've fired off a few rounds in the 70s. I've been playing off and on for 27 yrs. When I got in the 70s it was due to me playing ~9 rounds a week on a course that I was extremely familiar with (and a fairly simple course in all honesty). For me the keys are plain and simple. I have to be very hot with my short game. If I put in the work with the putter and wedges I can be very good, even with a mediocre driver. These days I don't have the time to work on the short game as much as I require to be good and I'm playing some longer, more challenging courses. In my opinion, the key to getting into the 70s is practice but even more playing. I think a lot of golfers spend too much time on the range. That is fine if there are some mechanical things you are trying to work out but for me, I can't replicate the situations I find on the course in the practice areas. You build your strategy and mental toughness through playing rounds, not mashing range balls.

2pm in the summer during the oppressive heat. Keeps the masses away and allows me time for 36.

120 on an absolute fluke. I hitd a 3 iron punch shot with a tree in my way (negating a full swing with a wedge) from inside the depression around the tree. It came out a little hotter than I expected and fortunately hit the side of a hill around the green and went in. Luckiest shot I've ever hit, with no skill involved.

My bag just got a little more expensive...just bought a new Cobra Amp Cell 2/3 Hybrid for $91. Now I just need to see what club I'm going to remove...I'll either drop down to 2 wedges or chunk a fairway wood. Will see after I hit the thing a bit.

I wouldn't know what to do if my buddies didn't trash talk during a round. Granted we normally only play for fun and pride (with an occasional best ball mixed in) but if they weren't talking smack I'd wonder what gives. We can all laugh at ourselves and each other. In my experience, if somebody shows it affects them it only gets worse. I don't do this with people I've just met or the random people I play with, just my good buddies. Part of this is probably due to all of us being military and used to it. We also compliment each other on good shots and praise the amazing ones. Nobody has any hard feelings. I would say if it bugs you have a man to man conversation with him about it. If he doesn't stop, don't play with him if it is that much of an issue.

It sure is...and it seems fine for the year I've had it. I should have said "i've never had a Sun Mountain CART BAG". I don't have anything against Sun Mountain, I was just relaying my experience with my Ogio cart bag. 6 or 7 years with no issues and if I was going to buy another cart bag, I'd look there first.

I know this is a couple months old but I wanted to see if there were any other thoughts. I recently ordered one when I found it new for $149+ free shipping. Had to wait until it hit my price point! I haven't seen very many bad things on it, other than a couple "anti-Cobra guy" reviews. Not that it much matters at this point as I will play this driver for the next 4-5 years, but would like to hear more if any of you own it.

I'll play ProV1s if I'm swinging well or QStars if I'm not. I will also play any number of the expensive balls that others lose all over the course. I usually come home with 5-10 nice ones that other people paid for.

I bought an Ogio cart bag years ago. I couldn't tell you which one it is but it has held up very well and never given me any issues. I think I bought it in 2007-2008. I recently bought a new bag (Titleist stand bag) but that was only because I started walking more. I still love the Ogio and use it if I know I'm going to be in a cart. Never had a Sun Mountain but if I were going to buy a new cart bag, I'd stick with an Ogio based on my old one.

I've always had a mixed bag, but that is usually due to which club I can get the best value on when I'm in the market for something. I've got some Adams fairway woods and a Titlelist putter. I started playing Cobra irons because I found a used set in mint condition for almost nothing, bought them without hitting them. Absolutely loved them once I hit them. Because of that experience I just bought a Cobra driver. I honestly wouldn't worry about having a mixed bag or one manufacturer. The only time I look at another golfer's clubs is if I get put with random people. Before we tee off I like to see what they are playing so I can get a ROUGH idea of their skill level. Doesn't always pan out; I've played with guys who have $2,000 set ups and couldn't break 100 and I've been the guy with a $250 bag that shoots an 80.

Hello. I'm a 40 yr old guy in the military and stumbled onto this forum while I was browsing around the web. Been playing forever. I tend to stick to military or municipal courses, since they are cheap, some are pretty good and the miltary courses are rarely over-crowded. I just enjoy playing the game. I am more likely to go play a round vs. spending time practicing. I don't get too serious since I frequently have to go months (or even a year or so) without playing. Fortunately my irons don't seem to be affected by this erratic play and typically only take a trip to the range to get back to where I left off. My driver and putter aren't so lucky. I tend to stick with clubs forever and rarely change. Still playing with the putter I got in 1985, a Titleist Dead Center. Currently living in Florida. Anyway, just want to say hi.

True, but I'm fairly aware of what my problems are. My main problem is I don't enjoy practicing my putting these days...if I put in the work I'd lower my score. I don't need a pro to tell me that. I have limited time available and prefer to just go play or hit the driving range. That is fun to me. Trust me, I don't hold people up on the course, even when I'm walking!

I prefer to figure things out on my own...and I'm cheap. I love playing golf but I am not delusional that I'm going to make the tour. I compete with myself, not others. I've been a far better golfer than I currently am but I'm good with where I'm at. If I really wanted to be a better golfer I'd probably spend an hour or two a day putting and chipping which would make me so much better than spending money on lessons. Now if I ever developed an issue so serious where I wasn't having fun, I might take a lesson or two. To me it is all about how much I am enjoying the game.

Normally I still hit the driving range or play...I live in Florida. This year though, I'm deployed to the middle east so I'm doing nothing golf related. Just working out. I'm fortunate because I typically hit my irons well no matter how long I lay off. My driver on the other hand will likely be a mess...I just ordered a new driver and I'm inconsistent off the tee anyway. My putting will be horrid because I don't put the work in.

None of my friends like to play as much as I do. I've had periods in my life where I would play 7 days a week, including 36 on weekends. I might have a buddy or two join up once during the week or on the weekend but I'd normally show up to the course alone. I am perfectly content playing by myself but I don't mind playing with friends or strangers.

My only issue with slow play are those people that seemingly are out there to just jerk around. The guys who aren't ready to hit when it is their turn and take a few minutes AFTER somebody else in their group has already hit. When I'm walking and running up on guys in carts, I get frustrated. I get it if they are being held up by groups in front of them but I've had many times where groups are seemingly oblivious to pace or to others around them. I will caveat that I normally play military courses or munis but I've seen this at private clubs too.

Typically I carry driver, 3&5 wood, 4-pw, gw and putter. However, in my experience it depends on where you live and the courses you play. When I was in Oklahoma back in the day playing the OU course, I kept a 1 iron in my bag. The often high winds out of the south on that course required me to use that on a few holes where a fairway wood would just get hung up in 40+mph winds. I've used to regularly play a shorter course in NM (par 70) where it didn't make sense to carry fairway woods...very few opportunities to use them (2X par 5s). If I'm only going to have only 2 likely holes to use a fairway wood, I won't even carry them. I was too inconsistent and having them in my bag made it too tempting. Now that I'm back in FL playing longer courses with more opportunities to use woods, I carry and use them. Like I said, I think it depends on the typical courses you play and normal environmental conditions as to what to carry. My bag when playing in Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle or eastern NM is way different that when I'm playing in Florida.