RickK

I would just look at them and say..."This is what we are doing, get over it. Join in or run your group the way you want to." If you are the one booking tee times, tell them they will need to book their own times in the future for their group. All it took in our group was someone to step up, take charge, and tell everyone else how it would be. Another thing it does with gross and net skins is spread the winnings around. A person can win a gross skin and a net skin on the same hole. It is not a matter of one or the other. But, sometimes a guy wins with a gross skin on a hole that someone else wins it with a net skin in the other pot. Also, we do not allow someone to only play in the gross skins game or only in the net skins game. It is always combined net and gross. Have fun.

Mine was a toss up between 2. Playing to an 8 handicap on a golf course in Scotland I had never laid eyes on before, carded a 68 (par 71). There was a lot of luck involved and it included 3 chip-ins. The other, not quite as glorious but playing a golf course I absolutely hated on a miserable rainy day...shot 45 on front 9. Weather got just a bit better and put together a 31 on the back 9 for 76 (4 over par). Won a ton of skins money with those 5 birdies. Still the best 9 holes I have ever played.

At almost 67 years old... I want to shoot one more round in the 60s before I die from tees above 6200 yards. I have been a single digit handicap before, close to it now again. Have had some really good rounds but as the years are slipping by now, not sure I will ever be below 70 again. Just hope it happens one more time.

I used to put a green dot on either side of Titleist, just big enough to fill up one dimple on the ball. Now that I am way the heck older and can't see as well, I think that dot is about the size of 3 dimples. :)

Have played Farmstead in tournaments a few times and also some just fun practice rounds. I love the speech they used to give about 18. "You can land a plane in the fairway", and they tell you how long the hole is. Let me tell you...I don't care what kind of plane they can land in that fairway...it slopes right to left to begin with, there is water on the left and when you tend to draw (sometime hook), you are going to aim way the heck right. Now the hole becomes about 800 yards long. You kill a drive, kill a 3 wood and you are still over 300 yards out.

I used to play a very, very busy muni course and remember a round that was going to be about 7-1/2 hours. On the 17th tee, with 2 groups waiting ahead of us to tee off, I packed it up and walked in. Did not play that course again for maybe 5 years or so. I have played in tournament rounds where it was extremely wet and we were playing cart path only that have taken almost 6 hours. Several factors led to that however...first it was the CPO, second it was the fact that there were 108 players in the field and with shotgun start there were 9 holes that had 2 groups staring there. It got backed up so quickly that the round just took forever. When everyone is putting everything out, most are playing a course they have never played before...the round just drug on and on. But, when it is a 4 day tournament and this is the first day having paid the entry fee...not going to WD and not get to play the next 3 days. What I have found is that if you start b!tching and complaining to yourself or everyone else around you...it just makes you more miserable and will takes it toll on your play. Best to sit back, entertain yourself or others around you while you wait and make the best of it. Life is way too short already.

I have played golf with several tour pros and to the average Joe out playing golf, touring pros are damn accurate. Unless you are a very low handicap golfer already, play with someone who is a 2 or 3 handicap and remember that they are not good enough to make it on Tour. Watch and see how much better they are than you are. See how much more accurate they are. Then think...this person is a 2 or 3 handicap and is not good enough for Tour. Then think...just how good and how accurate is a guy who is a +3 or so handicap. Trust me...they really are that good and that accurate. Yes, they will hit errant shots but they are doing so under an extreme amount of pressure. They are playing for their livelyhood, not just drinks afterwards or a few bucks in skins.

Mine is in my signature. Not planning on changing anything from last year. Well, not just yet anyway. Debating on giving the TM Rocketbladz a whirl at the next TM demo day I can find.

I play in a large group and handicaps are really on both ends of the spectrum. We got so tired of hearing all the complaining about "it's not fair to the high handicappers", "it's not fair to the low handicappers" that we decided to play off full handicap. Everyone gets whatever their course handicap is and we pay out both gross and net skins. We all pot up $25 each. Of that $25, $1 for every par 3 and we pay closest to the pin on all par 3s. So, it will be either $4 or $5 from the $25 will go towards closest to the pin, depending upon which course we play (4 par 3s, or 5 par 3s). Then we split the remainder down the middle and pay out 1/2 for gross skins and 1/2 for net skins. It stopped the b!tching about not being fair.

I play a lot of golf (3 or 4 times a week) in the late afternoons during the summer and I find a lot of golf balls. Besides TopFlites, probably the ball I find the most are Pro V1 or ProV1x. Many are almost brand new. So, I do play a lot of non-tournament golf with balls I find. I went to a TaylorMade club fitting and of course the ball they recommend is the TM Penta5. So happens that where I did the fitting, their range balls were ProV1. So, once we moved to the grass range portion of the fitting where the guy was putting clubs together, he asked me about what balls I played. Told him ProV1. He asked me if I had ever played the Penta balls and told him only if I find one. He suggested if I was going to continue playing Titleist balls that I switch to the ProV1x. So, the next time I went out to play in the afternoon, I played 3 balls off the tee on several holes and played the hole in with those balls. One was ProV1, one was ProV1x and one was the Penta5. He was right...for me, the ProV1x outperformed the ProV1. And, the Penta5 and the ProV1x were very comparable. I had a gift card for Golfsmith and I bought the Penta5 balls with the buy 2 dozen, get 1 dozen free. I have been playing them in tournaments lately and have been very pleased. I actually think they are a touch longer for me off my irons. Performance is good also. I think someone else said it...they tend to hit, skip, stop. The ProV1x does similar whereas the ProV1 would hit, skip, spin back.

Sharpie permanent markers are about the best I have found. However, don't remember what the ball was now but about a month back someone gave me a 2 pack of balls to try. I tried marking them with the same Sharpie I normally use and the finish on the ball just did not allow the mark from the Sharpie to adhere. Found it strange but then did not like the ball anyway. Since you are applying the mark to the surface of the ball and it is not part of the outer coating itself...it is going to wear off over time. I try to mark my balls when I first get them and put them back in the box. I find the marking holds up a little bit better but rolling on the grass/ground and rubbing up against the fabric in your pocket...the markings don't hold up forever. I play with Titleist ProV1s and I think the Sharpie marker holds up well on them.

Has anything ever developed where the Bay Tree complex used to be? I know in the last years it was never in great shape but a couple of the layouts were not bad. Always hate to see a golf course disappear.

To rephrase what N.V.M. said...I think the poll pretty much speaks for itself. I don't consider most golf courses to have "strict" dress codes. I think those that do have dress codes for the most part seem to be reasonable. We are not talking PGA Tour here where the players have to wear slacks...no shorts. I used the no shirt, no shoes, no service for restaurants. Where I live, even in fast food restaurants, I don't see any "no shirts". Flip flops are pretty dang close to no shoes but I don't think even moderate restaurants have relaxed their dress codes to where you can come in barefooted and no shirt just to get your business.

Just thought it was funny since this whole thread is about attire on the golf course. It did appear to be a driving range picture...as a matter of fact. As far as putting on your putting mat at home is concerned...I guess that depends upon what your dress code is for your home...since it is your establishment after all. I would honor it if I were a guest in your home.

Reading your post, then looked at your Avatar, relating it to this thread. Spewed coffee all over my keyboard and screen.

Here's hoping some day he makes it on Tour and "makes it" for real. Then maybe he will remember all that you all have sacrificed for him to get there.

AMEN!!! Nothing to do with golf. Not that long ago, our corporate office had to issue a memo about "casual dress on Fridays". Years ago when the casual dress on Fridays first started, it was supposed to be "business casual". When the memo came out recently...they actually had to spell out things that were inappropriate office attire. You would think these people would have had enough common sense to know what was inappropriate office attire but it was painfully obvious they did not. I can appreciate someone's dress attire being tied to their self expression. That is all well and good where appropriate. In this case, the office was not the appropriate place and for some, golf courses with stricter dress codes is not either.

I have had to laugh out loud at many of the posts in this thread. I have already posted my thoughts and the fact that I am "old school" and believe in dressing appropriately. But, what really gets me (not going to do the quote in my response as I am combining several into one) is that many think some people "just get it" or they have a "better perspective about what is important in life" and so on. Having, and enforcing, a dress code at golf courses is no different than have a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" sign posted on the door of restaurants. If you don't want to wear proper dress as required by the establishment you are going to (be that a golf course or a restaurant) then don't go there. Ahhhh, but if it where you really want to go, then respect the management of said establishment and dress in an appropriate manner. Isn't it wonderful that those of us who live in the US and other countries consider to be in the "free world" live in countries where we have "a choice". You can choose to dress accordingly to management's requirement or you can choose to not go there. It is not so hard.

Loaded no, not really. I am just old and everything I own (house/furnishings/car/truck) is paid for plus I still work so I can enjoy this kind of stuff.

I have to disagree with you. Golf course closures are, and have been, happening all over the US. Even some of the older well established private clubs are struggling today due to the rising cost of just staying open. I get emails almost ever week offering play on the weekend for less than $55 including cart and they give you free breakfast and free lunch plus free afternoon replays (space available). That is not a hefty price. You can play during the week for under $30 (same deal...cart/breakfast/lunch). Believe me, these courses are not making obscene profits. They are barely breaking even. You run a business to make money...not break even.

$350 per month of fees. $800 per year on equipment - on average $50 per month for food/beer at course $7500 on average per year for miscellaneous - tournaments,golf vacations, shoes and the other misc stuff. So, probably close to $13.5k +/- per year. I don't count clothing cause I wear the same clothes to work that I play golf in.

Would not call it "dying" but it certainly is in decline for the number of rounds played each year. The economy in many areas is one of the reasons. Most who cannot afford to belong to a club are probably many of the same people who are impacted by the increased cost of living. Fuel costs have skyrocketed. Getting to and from the course as well as the outlay of cash to play...well some just cannot afford it. I also don't think the appeal is there for as many as it was not so many years ago. I have seen many courses that used to thrive fall onto hard times and some have disappeared all together. Our area overbuilt golf courses. One time there were so few the options for good golf were very limited and very costly. Upscale daily fee came into vogue and prices were high for golf. Now, many of those so called "upscale" daily fee courses are struggling and are not so upscale any more. I think it is cyclical and some day it will swing the other way again.

I voted Good for the game. Personally, I am old school and I don't care for slouchy, sloppy attire...don't really care where it is but especially hate it on the golf course. My club has a dress code which is pretty lenient but they do draw the line on inappropriate attire (such as tank tops, cutoff shorts, etc). For me, I still will not wear a mock turtle neck shirt on the golf course, unless it is under a shirt with a true collar. Does it make me a better player...nope.

A few years back, I used to belong to a club where the general rule of thumb was when you hit up on a par3 and everyone was on the green, to let the next group behind you hit up to the green. Silly somewhat...did not speed up anything...but I digress. Little over a year before, I had left a Ping 6 iron laying on a tee box and it never got turned it. So, we are on this par3 and wave the group up that is behind us. They hit and drive up as we are putting out. As I am walking off the green towards the carts, I see a Ping iron in this guys bag of shiny chromed Staff irons. Sure enough, it is a 6 iron. I ask, whose clubs they are and did you find the 6 iron a while back. The guys response...still kills me to today..."Yes I did. I knew that someday someone would ask me about it." Got the iron back but really want to tell him what an inconsiderate jerk he was.

First of all, you have to consider the lie you have in the sand. If you ball is sitting on top of the sand, it is much easier to get the ball out. If very much of the ball is below the sand, it becomes more difficult and just advancing the ball beyond the trap becomes the priority. You do NEED to play the ball back in your stance but I never play more than an inch or so past the middle, regardless of what club I am using. Try delofting the club since you have it more back in your stance than normal. Just shut the face down some. The best tip I ever received for any bunker play, greenside or fairway, was to stop putting so much effort into the swing. I went after bunker shots like I was attacking the ball. You tend to rock back off the ball more when you do that. You need to stay over the ball. Another thing that has helped me more than anything else is moving my hands back towards the middle of my stance also. This may not work for some but it did wonders for me. I was taught straight line from the shoulder to the clubhead. That works great everywhere but in fairway bunkers for me. Last thing...watch the clubhead hit the ball, every shot, not just in the sand.