RussUK

I have been looking at ways to play golf for less and realised if I book online using Golfnow I can play my usual course for at least £7 less than i would normally and a local championship course for around £20 on a weekend. Compared to booking over the phone its so much cheaper (the championship course is double the price when booking direct). As i can book up to 6 days in advance I have now so many more affordable courses I could play. The only question is how far to go for 18 holes?. For me Leeds is about 18 miles away and is do-able without taking the wholw day up. How far would you travel to play golf (just a normal everyday course for everyday players)?.

I used to be too competetive. Probelm was I'm not a great golfer but still found myself trying to compete with mates who were properly good. Hitting 9 iron to that 150yd par 3? I'll hit the same, all that sort of stuff. Result? Frustration at not being able to match them. I've since learned to play my own game. If they hit 9 iron on that par 3 what does it matter if i hit a 7 as long as i get there. As I'm not a long hitter i've worked on my short game to help out when i'm short of the green and my putting is good. Now, play for the fun of it, ignore what they are doing and play my own game. I often find that i can stay with them as by not trying to compete with them really gets in their heads and messes them up. If you cant beat them....play mind games and watch them implode

For me it has to be bombing a drive off the tee only to fat it 20 yards with your 2nd shot!. Normally happens after a playing partner declares your drive was "Shot of the day".

Most courses have the foot golf "greens" off the fairway short of the green but the little par 3 is mainly for footgolf these days.

Welcome to TST. When i started i was lucky to be loaned a set of irons (old dunlops) that got me going. Since then I always bought used clubs and there is nothing wrong with used clubs (or budget clubs) when you are starting out. Last year i had my first custom fitting and got fitted for Srixon Z155 with reg graphite shafts and absolutely love them. I got them for £279 fitted as they were overstock (but brand new) clubs. Dont spend too much to start with as there is nothing worse tthan spending hundreds of £/$ on clubs to find you dont like golf. Have a look at the package sets where you get either a half set or a full set as these are good enough to get you started but dont cost the earth. Other options are second hand but make sure you get them from a reputable seller (such as a pro shop or their ebay shop). If a deal seems too good to be true it usually is so stay clear of the year old Taylormade's for $100 . Whatever route you choose just make sure your #1 goal is enjoyment.

My eldest son started getting into golf when he was 4 years old (now 6, nearly 7). I got him putter, SW,7, hybrid and driver from Sports direct (they were £6 each) in 4-5 year old sizes. He got into it and comes to the range with me whenever i go. He asked Santa for new clubs for Christmas and as luck would have it we, sorry Santa, had a friend who had some 6-8 year old Wilson clubs (PW, 7, Fairway and a putter with a matching stand bag all in really good condition) their son had grown out of. "Santa" gave them £30 for them and my son was jumping round the room when he unwrapped them. Checked on line and a set of wilson junior clubs similar are about £60-£70 new so we got a bargain.

At home watching either He-Man or Knight Rider as i was only 6 years old. Still a tough call today, Knight rider or the Masters, decisions decisions!

I thought a "windjury" was when you farted too hard?

Had braces when i was 15. You get used to them but you'll hurt for a while after each tightening. I had top and bottom to straighten them out then a retainer for about a year. Make sure you get the little pointy toothbrush to clean around your braces.

Indoor putting using my PuttOut. I also practice my swing in slow motion with a wedge. Helping a lot at the moment as i'm learning a new motion.

I've always found it easier to play sports when the ball is moving as well. I used to play volleyball for school as well as squash and football (proper footie, not that American one where you carry the ball ). I dont know why but i always found it easier to hit or kick the ball well. With golf where the ball isn't moving and I'm pretty much static i always found it tough to make good contact. I'm hoping the JV swing not only protects my kidneys but helps me be consistent.

I agree with with half/quarter wedge shots but the whole 10 different shots per club is excesive to say the least.

I'm thinking of motocaddy. Makes sense you can do it in seconds now

I think you may have come up with a new challenge there Erik! It would have to be with wheel cover on, battery jammed under something (just to make it a bit harder). Swearing is optional but i find it helps in many situations .

I agree with you there. The method is very simple and while the idea of having different shots for each club in the bag could be a good idea for the more advanced player, for the majority of players who would use this swing it seems unnecessary. If i need to hit it 100yds i'll hit a 56 wedge full rather than a 5 9 iron or whatever, having 10 swings per club over compliactes it for many people imo. I do like Jim's videos as they are very down to earth and so far and the swing definately has merit especially for the right group of players (i'll count myself in that group). Where you suprised with the amount of power the swing had with it being essentially all arms?

Callaway CXR Power in high viz yellow. For a high handicapper, surprisingly good, and cheap as chips.

This thread keeps popping into my mind. This year has been pretty crap golf wise. Start of the year i was playing ok, not great but well enough to have fun. Just when i thought I was turning a corner I get diagnosed with Beurgers disease so golf stopped. Towards the end of the summer i was allowed to start playing again, had a couple of par 3 rounds and (coupled with new irons) played well. However, as i'm now prone to getting inflamed kidneys I found the coiling/uncoiling painful. Anyway, rather than give up playing I decided to at least have a more in depth look at the JV swing (plus seeing that @Vinsk has/is trying it convinced me it was ok to try it). It's pretty simple and repeatable providing you stay still and dont overswing ( I found my arms go to just over paralell to the ground) as if you go too far it's thin shot city!. Only been able to hit foam balls so no idea on distance yet (other than chipping, which is nice) but it feels surprisingly good and contact is decent. The main thing is the preset seems to take the pressure of the back so no kidney pain. I know i dismissed it when my work colleague was using it but sometimes drastic situations call for drastic measures. Early days but i'll work on it over the winter. My goal now is to be able to play golf with my son and if an alternative swing allows me to do that it has to be worth a go?. Sure, i'd love to be swinging how I used to but I cant put my body through it anymore.

Bucket hat, SPF50 (quite often the kids stuff!) and it also helps playing in the UK where we are lucky if we see the sun at all at times

I just hear a lot of people saying events shouldn't be held in places like this and if they are not to compete which is hard on many of the comeptitors. I watch the Dakar every year so it will be interesting to watch in regards to whether many competitors pull out or not. In regards to security it'll be the safest in years. Back to Phil, it does have the whiff of greed to it. Often the case with some people, the more money they have the more money they "need".

Now, i neither agree or like whats been going on in Saudi at the moment but here's a question. If Phil is supporting the regime by playing in a tournament, does the same stand for the 600+ competitors taking part in January's Dakar Rally (Saudi have a 3 year deal)? 90% of those guys do it for the love of the sport and the challenge and stand to make nothing from it money wise. I know OP was in regards to Golf but im sure its relevant for all sporting events taking place in Saudi?

I use wood tee's, however i may switch to bamboo tee's. They are more expensive but if they are more sustainable then i suppose that offsets the higher price. Very rarely use plastic unless i find one on the tee box.

I'm pretty confident that the 3* upright is correct for me as the pro was very thorough during the fitting (i actually only went to see if graphite shafts would be right for me) and he checked pretty much everything about my swing. I think its swing or (more specifically) setup related as when you see something that doesnt look right such as the toe being higher than before there is a real urge to "correct" it. It's annoying as i finished the year hitting very well but i'll be happy if its just a setup issue. I know @mvmacposted a topic about the sharpie pen lie check a while back but i can see that it's best used as a "guidline" check to help decide whether to get it checked profesionally.

No golf happening over here. We had a months worth of rain in about 48hrs. Parts of yorkshire still under water including the aptly named Fishlake. Really feel for those people affected by the floods. I'm very glad i live high up and nowhere near a river, stream or canal.

I can trump that. Still playing the G5!!. May look at finally replacing it next year if i can be arsed to

Most definately not the clubs. I think @billchao may have hit the nail on the head with compensating for seeting up with the sole flat. When i first starting using the clubs i was making a concious effort to ground the club correctly with the toe up a bit. Now it's as if my brain is now looking at it and telling me as it looks a little too much to up to correct it. May be worth checking this as part of my pre shot routine till it's second nature?