NJpatbee

I have 17 posted rounds this season which is the most I have had in 10 years and I believe that my handicap is fairly accurate. If the weather cooperates I hope to have at least 20 and have my handicap current.

I use a 2h thru 6h and at age 67 I believe that the hybrids have kept me in the game. 25 years ago I could hit a good 2 iron but once I turned 60 I found that I could no longer generate enough club head speed for long and mid irons (a chronic bad back did not help). The hybrids are a tremendous help for me and I find them easy to hit.

I have taken a number of lessons in the past but with the body of a 67 year old with a bad back and bum hip I have learned to swing in a manner that stops me from breaking something. I do believe a good teacher can help you greatly if you have the agility and basic skills required.

At my level “pure” is relative and I chose 1-3. I typically hit at least one drive exactly where I wanted to with a carry and roll up to 225. I also play a lot of hybrids and will hit a shot or two as straight and far as I am able. Pure? To a 67 year old 16 handicap they feel pure to me.

My worse etiquette violation unfortunately took place in front of my grandson. We were playing a resort with 5 golf courses and there are times when non-golfers who are staying there decide to play a round of golf. A foursome jumped in front of us while we were playing and it was clear from watching them that they were not golfers and they were taking forever. To make matters worse, they would leave their golf carts about 75 yards from the green and then take their time walking back to the carts after 5-8 putts each. Finally on one par 5 they parked their carts about 150 yards from the green and strolled up towards the green. At this point I was fuming and waiting to hit my second shot on the par 5 and I pulled out a hybrid and nuked the ball into one of their carts (I never thought I would actually hit one of the carts). The players on the green just waved and seemed to think that I just hit a wayward shot. My grandson thought it was "cool" and a great shot and I had to explain to him that I was way out of line and it wasn't cool, but stupid and inconsiderate on my part. Very embarrassing and something I will never forget. Fortunately my grandson did understand that I was totally wrong.

A lot of good advice and I would add having a pro look at your swing - it may be something simple. If all else fails a little time off may help. I had a period of 2 months where it was like I never hit a golf ball before and I was too frustrated and embarrassed to play a round. I gave golf up for about a year and did a lot of fly fishing. When the golf bug bit me again I came back with a ton of renewed energy and optimism and started playing to my ability again with some improvement. It happens to most of us and there is not one prescription that fits all. Good luck!

The LPGA has to stand on its own and provide a product that the American audiences (where the $$ is) will follow. I find it interesting to watch a few LPGA events and the players are talented and I can also identify more with their distances and course management than the PGA Tour. The LPGA does need more American superstars which should bump up the viewership and perhaps bring higher purses. But the reality is that the best golfers in the world are on the PGA Tour and they generate the most interest and revenue.

Group 1. Group 2 I would be too intimidated to enjoy myself.

Rory has played at a high level (with the exception of the Open) this season and appears to have more of a killer instinct than Jordan. I would like to see Spieth get on track for another Major but he just seems hesitant and unsure of himself to me.

I usually play the hole out and if it is a match I take whatever score I had. For handicap purposes I adjust using ESC and if I am not playing a match I still play out (unless the course is crowded) but card the ESC.

I have never quit a round due to bad play. However, about 15 years ago I had a 2 month stretch that was horrible and even lessons did not help. I was not enjoying myself so I picked up the fly rod and did not play golf for almost a year. When I got the golf bug again, my swing (such as it is for a 16 hcp) came back very quickly and l have been at it ever since. And I did get in some great fly fishing for trout.

Thanks, I did not know that they were playing in Australia during December.

I do not get worked up over the FedEx Cup/Tour Championship but hopefully we will get some good golf to watch. For the players it can be a big payday but to me it is anticlimactic after the four Majors. As for Tiger, I expect him to play fairly well in the warmer weather and be in the money but with the handicapping it makes it difficult for golfers that do not play many tournaments. I watched the first President's Cup but haven't watched since. I suspect that Tiger will be tired after the playoffs and will not play.

I struggle with an uphill lie, especially in the rough.

I may have posted this before but below are the distances of my home course from the different tees and I play from the whites. The course is not level with some uphill holes that may not seem long but they play much longer than the card would indicate. I have highlighted in red the one hole that I cannot reach in regulation and in yellow the holes that are a stretch distance wise but I can reach them in regulation if I make some excellent swings (for me). As a 16 HCP I am only on in regulation for 4-5 holes on a typical round. I enjoy the challenge and do not feel that I am over my head on the white tees. The course has a 70.1 rating and 136 slope and here is plenty of sand and rough to make it difficult for a player at my level. But I am having a ball on the white tees and do not feel pressured to move up. HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 IN Tot BLACK 565 365 340 175 405 410 165 370 550 3345 545 395 235 405 200 410 540 465 410 3605 6950 BLUE 540 345 325 165 390 395 155 360 525 3200 515 385 210 390 190 390 515 450 390 3435 6635 WHITE 520 325 310 155 370 375 145 345 500 3045 495 365 195 370 180 375 495 435 375 3285 6330 GOLD 495 315 295 150 350 360 130 325 475 2895 480 350 180 355 165 360 475 415 355 3135 6030 GREEN 485 290 265 135 310 335 120 315 415 2670 465 300 170 310 155 305 465 345 300 2815 5485 MENS HCP 7 5 15 17 1 9 11 13 3 14 4 12 16 18 8 10 2 6 PAR 5 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 5 36 5 4 3 4 3 4 5 4 4 36 72 RED 425 270 255 125 305 310 115 280 410 2495 405 295 160 305 150 300 405 340 295 2655 5150

If you get an annual subscription the cost Is quite reasonable. I do rely much more on the internet for swing fixes and techniques which are free and abundant and I am a baby boomer.

I was never an accomplished golfer and started at age 40 so I was never super long. I do take a similar approach to the OP and my scores are very similar at age 67 to what they were at age 45. I have shot par on every hole at my new club at least once but there are a few holes (e.g. 435 yard par 4) I cannot reach in regulation. I do use a cart and can get around in under 3 hours when the course is not crowded. I have read the comments that if you cannot reach every par 4 in regulation that you should move up but I am comfortable counting on a good pitch or chip to give me a par putt.

I tip 5 dollars but do not always accept the service.

I never heard of Korn Ferry. Now I have.

I am a 16 handicap and have never been more than a 14 and change. In addition to gauging my progress I primarily used my handicap for money matches and it was fine if the golfers were of similar talent (e.g. +- 2 strokes) but was terrible when a low cap joined in the match. First of all, I would normally lose to the more consistent low cap and even worse, I would occasionally beat the better player. I have had golfers stop speaking to me because I won the cash but they were better golfers. I stopped playing any handicapped money matches over 10 years ago. The OP's case sounds like extreme sandbagging which is a shame. I still keep my handicap to track my progress and I am less than an hour from Pine Valley which requires that you have a 22 or better HCP to play the course (still waiting for my invitation). To the OP, I suggest that you follow this high handicapper and avoid handicapped net matches.

I started at age 40 and hit the ball my longest in my late 40's and 50's (technology?). I started losing serious distance in my early 60's and by 63 had replaced my 2i thru 6i with 2h thru 6h and regained some of the distance. I have lost a good 20-30 yards yards with my driver at age 67 and 220 is about as long as I get. But I still can handle the middle tees for now and golf is still as much fun as ever.

That was quite a clinic that Rory put on. Rory should win a few more majors and is a HOF golfer but to be compared to Tiger he has to be on more often. He has the talent and another 10 years to do it.

I don't follow Hank Haney and would not speculate whether he is a racist or sexist. His statement, however, was belittling and dismissive of the women players because so any of them are Asian and therefore he could not be less interested. As a golf "commentator" he would be wise to be more informed regarding the players on the LPGA and look into why such a small country as South Korea could produce so many talented female golfer (something about Se Ri Pak as a role model?). What is true is that the USA is where the money is and regularly seeing a leader board with few Americans does not help with the purses and general interest in the USA. By the way, I am one golfer that flipped between the Memorial and Women's US Open and quite frankly the Americans made a good showing. The LPGA players are very talented and worth watching even though they could not compete with the PGA Tour. But I would rather watch in football Michigan/Notre Dame, Alabama/Auburn, or Army/Navy than any NFL Super Bowl. Hank, check out the LPGA, you might like it.

Thanks, very good advice. I usually rip through a small bucket of balls in 15 minutes.

Rest and ibuprofen afterwards. I have reached the point where I can only hit about 40 golf balls at the range before my back cramps up but can play 18 without much of a problem because there is a break between swings I try to stretch before swinging but I still get the muscle cramps. As I get older I have to accept the new normal.