NJpatbee

My home course is about 20 minutes away. I would drive up to an hour to play a good different course on occasion.

I have a much slower swing speed than the OP and am 68 years old. When I was 63 - 64 I switched to hybrids from my 2i thru 6i. It rejuvenated my game to the point that I am hitting distances that I was hitting in my late 50's. In my opinion the hybrids are much easier to hit but looking at your distance with a 5 iron you may not notice a big difference but will be interested to know how they work out for the OP.

I was probably fly fishing for trout.

I went from 16.5 to 16.9. I did sign on to the ghin website but it took several tries.

I agree with fat shots which can ruin an entire round for me. Shanks are unnerving but for me they are an anomaly and go away after one good swing. Hitting 3 or 4 fat shots per round can stick with me for a couple of weeks.

I do not know exactly but I would take a guess at 8-9.

Faster - within reason.

2019 Goals Decide on a new home course since moving Play 40 18 hole rounds with at least 15 eligible for handicap entry Work on solid contact with the ball for additional distance Lower my 16.3 handicap index by a stroke I did join a nearby semi-private club in 2019. I played about 30 rounds but had 20 eligible for handicap. I did make decent contact but did not gain much in the way of distance. And my handicap went down a half point for a while but I ended up at 16.5 .

As a 68 year old 16 Hcp I play better with a soft feeling ball that has decent performance on the green. I have played many of the premium tour level balls with no difference in final score than my surlyn softer golf balls. I agree that a more talented golfer can do things with a tour ball that most of us cannot.

I drink very good scotch and have tried it neat but unless I am nursing a cold or the flu I much prefer ice. I suppose it is the way I started drinking it in my 30's and it is what I enjoy. I know, I cringe when my grandkids put ketchup on hot dogs but they like it.

Excellent golfer and competitor but he always seemed a bit quiet in front of the camera. Let's see how he does.

About 20 years ago when I was a youngster of 47 I would travel to the Dallas area for business once/month. I would fly to Dallas on Saturday and be on the local public course at 7AM Saturday after a light breakfast. I would finish 18 by 10:15, put my name on the list and have time for heartier breakfast and be on my second 18 by 11AM. I would finish the second 18 by 2:30, put my name on the list, and grab a sandwich. I would usually be playing my third 18 by about 3:15 and with more people on the course would finish by 7:30 and head to the local sports bar after 54 holes. Now, I could do this when there was enough light by riding a cart, and playing Sunday morning and early afternoon when most locals were busy with their church duties. Today it would be out of the question.

I am a child of the 60's, went to Woodstock, and attended college in Boston from 1969 to 1973. I have seen many example of frequent pot users losing ambition and failing in their jobs or dropping out of school by refusing to attend classes. Just like alcohol, marijuana has a lot of negative effects especially in young people and habitual users. I also do not want to see people put in jail for smoking pot or drinking, but we cannot be blind to the negative consequences of abusers. That being said, I enjoy a good single malt scotch at least 4 or 5 times per week but cannot remember the last time I over drank I do have a friend that is a very good golfer that smokes a small amount of pot before every round and claims it helps his concentration and ability to perform. So is it a PED? For some it may be. I personally cannot stand the effects of THC and the last thing I need on a golf course is a scotch on the rocks to help my game.

Other than handicapped charity tournaments I have never played in a tournament. A lot of gambling in the past which is why I have always kept my handicap. I recently joined a semi-private club with a full slate of tournaments for members but my game just hasn't been where I had hoped. My goal is to play next year in the Senior Championship (gross score) and finish in the top 10.

I will not play in the rain or if it is below 50F. Wind is the biggest factor when I play but I just go with it. I have yet to figure out why on my home course the wind can be in my face on 14 of 18 holes!