Tim Williamson

I play with my buddies in 40 degrees weather. I also use a cart cover and a heater when it's cold. The winter rates are lower and less golfers on the course.

After a one month hiatus I played my first round of 2018. My chipping and putting definitely need some work. My tee shots were, for the most part, pretty good. Six double bogeys and three triple bogeys hurt the most and I ended up with a 99.

Tower Tee will be open till July 2018. I spoke to Steve Lotz this evening. He may open another location, not as close for most of us St. Louis city and South County residents. Enjoy these last few months at Tower Tee! http://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/tower-tee-complex-set-to-close-july-1-2018/63-491562474?scroll=0

All may not be lost just yet. I just took a lesson at Tower Tee with Bob Gaus. He pointed out that It's going to be difficult for McBride to sell $300,000 homes when there is an industrial plant across the street that sometimes emits noxious odors. McBride can't build many homes unless it is able to secure the wooded acreage that adjoins Tower Tee. That land is owned by the Archdiocese of St. Louis. We may have another year until we know what's going to happen. Things are not moving very fast.

This is not good: "Property owner says Tower Tee's lease is being terminated in two months." They probably postponed the zoning hearing because there would have been at least a hundred or more loyal Tower Tee customers there to voice their opposition. http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/property-owner-says-tower-tee-s-lease-is-being-terminated/article_8b08f256-d445-558a-8eb4-eba66378b62e.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

https://callnewspapers.com/breaking-tower-tee-subdivision-proposal-hearing-postponed/ Update: The Planning Commission Hearing for Nov 13 has been postponed. "The housing developer seeking to redevelop the Tower Tee golf course and driving range in Affton has asked to postpone its request, and a public hearing will not be held on the development next week as previously announced."

Update: “The property was listed for sale this summer at $4.77 million. Lotz has offered to buy the property in the past and submitted a bid to buy the course, but was outbid by McBride Berra. Since news broke last week of the golf course’s possible fate, he told the Call he has had several investors approach him offering to help match McBride Berra’s offer.” It is a driving range, practice putting, Batting cages, Miniature golf and 18 hole par 3, not a golf course. I will see Steve today and see what the latest is. I can relate to what you've said, billchao, about taking an already population dense area and putting more houses on it.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Tower Tee has been a golf gem for the St. Louis area for 54 years. I doubt that I would have ever developed a love for the game if it had not been for Steve Lotz and Tower Tee practice facility. It serves everyone from kids to High Schools, College teams, every level of golfer in the area. It would be tragic to loose Tower Tee. It's a St. Louis institution, like Ted Drewe's, the Arch or the Cardinals. I hope we get a huge turnout on November 13--it's our best chance to save Tower Tee.

Save Tower Tee in St Louis. I can no longer edit it.

Save Tower Tee: There has been a good deal of discourse recently on the future of Tower Tee. The land is under contract to a Home Developer. We don't need more McMansions, we need Tower Tee. TT has been the place where so many of us developed our game and we can't let it go. Discussions are continuing in the days and weeks ahead. If you want to lend your voice and presence to the process, please attend the St Louis County meeting at 7pm on Monday, November 13 at 41 S Central in Clayton, County Council Chambers where an application for a zoning change will be discussed before the planning commission. There will be a chance for friends of Tower Tee to make their voices heard. Please look for and like the "Save Tower Tee" Page on Face book. And please attend the meeting on Monday, November 13.

My pitching wedge is a 46 so instead of buying a 52 Gap Wedge I bought a 51. My other two wedges are a 56 and 60. The 51 GW is 5 degrees between the 46 PW and the 56.

Dec 11: Went to my local practice facility where I started off with some practice chipping and putting. Hit about thirteen balls on the driving range and then played eighteen holes of par 3 golf. There was no one on the course so I was able to play two, sometimes three balls on various holes. I also had the opportunity to repeat some of my pitches two or three times. Afterwards, I hit some more balls, working on my three wood, hybrids and four iron.

12/10 I'm out of the challenge since I missed some practicing. Today, I took my eight iron and some practice balls up to the park near my house. I hit from one end of the soccer field to the other, trying to keep my shots close to the opposite goal net. I went up there with six balls and came home with six. During the walk home, I stopped at an empty lot and worked on some eight iron chipping.

I knew what I wanted for Christmas. These came in yesterday. I took them directly to the driving range. What a difference modern equipment makes! My old set was Dynacraft forged cavity backs that were about 20 years old.

!2/4 Played the par 3 course near my house. I was the only one on the course and was able to practice some of my chip shots several times. Only got through five holes before it was too dark to continue. Afterwards, I went to the practice putting area where there was sufficient light to continue for another half hour.

Dec. 3: I was fitted for a new set of Mizuno JPX 900s today. Hit into a net at ProAm Golf for about a half hour while the fitter checked my lie angle and swing speed. Before it got too dark I spent about 10 minutes in the backyard hitting little chip shots with a mix of perforated and foam practice balls.

My bad. I am kind of curious as to what app or apps others are finding useful.

Dec. 2: Hit into the net in the backyard. I hit the 52* wedge, the 9, 7, and 5 irons. Thought about getting my left shoulder behind the ball at the top of the backswing for the 5 iron. Hit the 20* hybrid and the 3 wood. Thought about and practiced a nice follow through to a picture perfect finish.

HERE is Jason Bohn's mixed irons. He uses Titleist AP 1 for his 4 & 5 irons and AP 2 in the 6 - 9. If you look at Jordan Speith's clubs you will find that he uses the AP 1 in his 4 iron and AP 2 in his 5-9 irons.

The temperature was in the high 40s in the afternoon today. I hit into the outdoor net for about a half hour. I worked through the short irons up to the 5 iron and then hit a hybrid and a 3 wood. I'm going to get good at setting up and taking down that net in the back yard.

The NG360 App will no longer be accessible starting December 8, 2016. I was hoping this wouldn't happen. I really liked that app.

Update: I'm leaning toward a mixed set. It may be 6-PW in the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour and 4-5 in the JPX Forged (more forgiving). Another option would be to go 5-PW in the Tour and a 4 iron in the Forged .

I was fitted by John Kelly here in St. Louis years ago. I've been playing 1" over clubs for a long time. According to what I've learned from playing 1"+ for the last years and THIS CHART I'm on the right track. I'll go over the length again when I meet my clubfitter for a proper fitting. I've tried the Ping iblade, the Titleist 716 AP2 and the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour clubs. I liked the AP2s but not as much as I like the Mizuno JPX 900s. Since I last posted I'm leaning toward putting together a mixed set of the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour in either 5-PW or 6-PW and use the Mizuno JPX 900 Forged to make up the longer irons. MORE HERE Based on Mizuno's software, my club fitter gave me three or four different shafts to choose from. I can't find the paper that I had the different shafts written on or I'd share that information. I don't plan to stress over this. It's really easy to overthink and obsess to the point that I am never confident with my equipment, constantly churning through expensive club options searching for the perfect clubs. This game is mostly about my swing, not my clubs. Whatever I buy, my game will mold around that set and become natural to me.

Thanks for these great ideas. I was also considering getting the 4 iron, and possibly a 3 iron, in a more forgiving club, like the JPX 900 Forged or even the JPX 900 Hot Metal. HERE