M2R

When: Early October 2006 Course: Wild Horse Location: Gothenburg, NE Cost:$33 walking, $47 riding. Rated by Golfweek as the 25th best modern (build after 1960) course in US. This course isn't near any metro area and I can't imagine why it exists at all. However if a person were to get a chance to play here, it’s likely they wouldn't be disappointed. The drive North on 47 toward Gothenburg went through some of the prettiest sand hills prairie I have ever seen. I did begin to wonder what I had gotten myself into driving down the gravel road toward the course with nothing in site but corn fields on both sides. I arrived at the course to find almost no trees, no water in play on any holes, and nearly flat terrain with only small rolling hills and mounds. The clubhouse is moderate in size with lockers, showers, and everything else I would want, everything on a modest scale. There are a few homes on the perimeter of the site and some of them may actually be larger than the clubhouse itself. These homes are the first thing I saw approaching the course. However the houses were not obviously visible while playing the course. The course has a nice practice facility with separate areas for the driving range (with many target flags from 100 yards to 300+ yards), two target greens in an area dedicated to less than 100 yard shots, a green dedicated to bunker practice, and an absolutely monstrous putting/chipping green. Fairways snake their way thru native Nebraska sand hills prairie to large greens that seem US Open slick and hard. I chatted with some of the maintenance personnel and they said their goal was to keep the greens at 12-14, conditions permitting. The day I played the greens were set up to run 13-13.5, easily faster than anything I’ve seen before or since. There are some man made bunkers but the majority are just natural areas where the wind has blown large holes into the ground. These natural bunkers are strewn about at various places in the fairway and rough. Some are in play and others are more a visual obstacles than a hazard to play. The natural sand in the bunkers is very fine, powdery, and heavy; bring a sand wedge with decent bounce. The course is well marked with 200, 150, and 100 yard plates and yardages on sprinkler heads. The 150 is also marked on each side of the fairway by bleached buffalo skulls pegged into the ground. However with some of the greens being maybe 40 yards deep, it is helpful to know the pin placements (which were provided in the pro shop). Getting on the green in regulation may not be enough to secure a par. Some greens have as many as five tiers and if the ball ends up above the hole on the wrong tier - forget it, you are in trouble. Carts can only be driven in the fairways, never in the rough. The course is easy to walk as there are separate walking paths (about 4 feet wide and mowed close to the ground) that go directly through the rough to the next teeing ground. The courses defenses are wind, natural prairie rough and large difficult greens. In most places the grass in the rough is knee to waist high. Even if you could find your ball (unlikely) it would be difficult to move it more than a few feet. In other places the rough is only a few inches high and it is easy to find the ball and play it. However it is far more likely that missing the fairway by more than a few feet will result in taking an unplayable. Pace of play starting at 1:20 pm on a Monday was less than 4 hours but from other reviews that I have read, the norm may be closer to 5 hours. Playing here might be similar to the links experience playing across the pond - although I have never played outside the US. I certainly have never thought, or even begun to suspect, that a course could play this hard and fast. About the only negative thing from my day at Wild Horse was finding a set of tees to play. It was almost a 1500 yard jump from the silver tees (4843 yards) back to the black tees (6325 yards) but only a few hundred more to move back to the gold (6805 yards). I played from the black tees and it intimidated the heck out of me. I didn't see another person all day playing tees other than silver. Even the women were all playing from the silver tees. To fully appreciate this you need a day when the wind is blowing and the course and greens are in good condition. If you were unlucky enough to arrive during a wet spell with no wind, this course wouldn’t be that memorable.

My thoughts almost exactly, only articulated better ... and I've never seen either in person or on calendars.

This is one seriously funny and interesting thread. So if I understand correctly women buy $500 shoes because the more they pay the more they actually enjoy the shoes, that is so cool! The whole thing about equipment v.s. lessons v.s. practice v.s. etc. got me to thinking. If I'm really serious about improving I should get to the gym and work on some fitness and flexibility. How many strokes is proper conditioning and fitness worth? I tried to Google this but couldn't find anything useful. Does anyone have any info on what has happened to the USGA index curve over the last say 5, 10, and 15 years ? I recall reading and article and it implied that over the last 15? years the bulk of the golfing public has hardly improved their index while the really accomplished players have benefited the most from the equipment revolution. Or put another way, the average weekend golfer does drive the ball further and hit irons further but doesn't really score too much better because of it. The really accomplished golfers turn those extra yards, spin, and control into lower scores. I haven't been golfing that long but it seems like it's not only equipment that is improving, the courses themselves are dramatically advanced especially for the public golfer with the advent of upscale daily fee courses. Mix fairways that stimp faster than some of the greens I've played with big headed driver and custom fitting and it's heady stuff.

100% agree. However moving your ball isn't necessarily against the rules (USGA at least). Sometimes a local rule (Appendix I) allows for moving the ball. Examples such as for protection of immature trees or generally poor course conditions. Normally a local rule allowing "Preferred Lies" involves marking the ball before lifting it. Even if a local rule is in effect, persons not following the stipulated process are still breaking the rules.

I you have been to Wild Horse , what were your impressions and when did you play? This course has made some the top "___" type lists lately like The Thrifty 50 .

Kansas City golf, that's sort of Kansas. Heritage Park, challenging 72.6/131/6876 from the back, attractive, and always in decent shape when I have been there. Sister course to Tomahawk Hills which Smallville already mentioned. Adams Pointe, (Blue Springs MO) moderately challenging but I didn't play the back, very attractive, well kept but last time I was on it they were starting reconstruction on fairways and I haven't seen it since. Country Creek - Rock, (Pleasant Hill MO) basic straight forward golf but the people there have always treated me great and the price is attractive. Two other courses here but I have only played the Quarry once and never played Hoot's Hollow. Overland Park, fun but don't expect a stern test of golf. St. Andrews, run away!

The lesson/equipment thing may be a catch 22 situation. I'm not far enough along in golf to say and I have never been fitted so I have no data on that either. My experience was trying to learn to play the guitar with a $20 Sears instrument my parents got me. Why spend more money until you are sure you will actually succeed in playing? I struggled with that guitar for years with no real breakthrough. When I finally got some money of my own I bought an Ovation Custom Balladeer and for the first time my feeble attempts at fingering and phrasing were successful because of the light action and responsive top on that guitar. The catch, AFTER I had some time successfully executing the techniques and sort of burning them into my fingers and hands I could play that stiff necked Sears buzz box just fine. May not be relevant and I only submit it as food for thought as I'm still waiting for my AH HA! epiphany in golf.

For some people the answer must surely be yes? My observation is that the harder something is to achieve, the more satisfaction/passion it evokes. Those triathlon people seem pretty passionate about the sport and their stories seem familiar, casual interest progressing into all consuming obsession. I'm in a bit of a funk at the present and the passion is a bit scarce. Is that something common for teeners trying to claw their way down into the single digits? Like the light is always darkest right before the dawn kind of thing?

May Wood If forced to decide between Natalie and Paula, I'd go with Natalie as a golfing partner.

From the Titleist website News: Tradition and Technology, Myths About Golf Equipment And Performance. Personally I would start with these numbers as a reference, with leaves me ~10 mph and 10-15 yards short respectively.

I don't know the specs on that shaft but have hit it, my guess is you should be all set.

I knew most golfers didn't carry an index but I had never heard an actual number. I tried to Google "average golfer" and "average golf score" but didn't come up with anything very substantial or convincing. Average score 100, have to wonder how that statistic was calculated? In any case I feel that anyone who can keep a ball in play reasonably well can effectively play the Pro V1, maybe not ideal but good enough for horse shoes and golf.

Playing in the "Granite State" (NH) a lot where rocks/stones are constantly floating to the surface takes it's toll. Sounds weird but I guess it's true because new ones do keep popping up every year. Tagging one when the divot is taken usually cuts right thru the chrome and into the base metal. Mostly on the sole but sometimes on the face too. Also practicing on a typical grass range can really damage the face chrome if the clubs and balls aren't kept really clean. The worst is if there is dew in the mornings or the balls are freshly washed and a fine layer of sand sticks to them when you put a new ball down. Bottom line about three seasons before oops and oh no incidents move a set from playing to practice status.

Interesting, I wonder exactly what and "average golfer" is and how much distance is lost and in what way? According to the USGA: As near as I can tell the "average" USGA index is around 14.5.

MacGregor M85 Colokrom, to bad they don't play as good as they look, and if you do play with them the copper faces get trashed in a heartbeat. I think the MP-33s have the total package, looks, feel, playability. Have to admit to never playing any of the Titleist products though. Also someday I seriously want to get my hands on a set of Nike forged irons, they look like serious competition for the MP-33s overall crown.

Totally guilty, I like trying different balls and sometimes get pleasantly surprised like by the Nike PDSoft ball. Only two (current) balls I will not play are the NXT and the Nike Karma, distance control issues. I do try and stick to the same ball type through the round unless I totally run out. However, if I played a "special" round on a nice course I would want the new One Platinum or new V1x.

The 983K is still my choice and those specs. sound reasonable. I feel the 983K is more responsive than either of my 905's or any of the other big headed drivers I've tried. That's probably just another way of saying the sweet spot is smaller, as several other posters have already replied. In one of your posts you mention that some of the initial balls went out to the right. My only comment is if the shaft is a Grafalloy Blue, even in a regular flex, it will take a reasonable swing speed (90 mph minimum?) to make it work. The Blue regular flex is similar to a lot of other stiff shafts (the popular ProForce V2 stiff for example).

Do you happen to have one of those swing sequence photo pages of a decent swing that you could pull out of some golfing magazine? I used to carry around a reduced photocopy of Annika's sequence that I folded around the outside of my scorecard and I would glance at it every time I wrote down a score as part of my preparation for teeing off on the next hole. Looking at her swing sequence for some reason usually produced a calming effect.

Maybe the antithesis of how I got in trouble a few weeks ago. I was 214 yards out on a par 5 and the course is horribly backed up so I didn't want to wait for green to clear just to try and get there in two. When the group ahead gets to the green and starts surveying their putts, I lay up to within 30-35 yards of them (because it is a forced carry of ~160 yards to clear a hazard). They don't even finish putting but get in the cart and come back to find out why I'm hitting into them. I felt horrible and tried to explain that I was laying up and not going for the green or trying to hit them. Even at that when I was starting my backswing for the layup I could hear the clank from one of the guys behind teeing off ... sort of felt between rock and hard place. To their credit they did seem to calm down and accept that I wasn't trying to hit them when I explained my side. Honestly still don't know what the correct action was or what I'll do if I ever get in that kind of situation again. Maybe 30 yards is too close but aren't some tee boxes occasionally closer than that from the previous green?

How far out of range does the group ahead have to be from where your ball ends up for it to be considered proper etiquette? Most sources simply say safely out of range. Is that 30 yards, 50 yards, 100 yards, or some criteria other than simple distance?

Three years ago I would have said one basic swing, today I think the answer is either zero or quit a few. My natural tendency is to drag the club around behind(?) then lift it up into a laid off position, come of the top on the downswing and try to time the in out and around whipping motion. If I understand correctly this is a rather common novice swing type/flaw. So I'm working on keeping the club more connected, in front of me, and on plane. Trouble is I have some word reading understanding/concept of what those things mean but almost no club swinging/feeling understanding of what they are. I feel a bit like I'm groping in the dark for an unknown shape and hoping somehow I'll recognize it when I stumble across it. In the process of trying to instigate these changes I end up making some of the most insane and unlikely swings mixed in with regressing back to my natural tendencies and a few apparently more or less decent ones. The whole thing is frighteningly maddening, embarrassing, and frustrating. At one point earlier this summer I was down to a 6 iron as the longest club I was carrying/attempting to hit because I was in such a state of confusion. An unexpected side effect is that now when I play with other people, I watch them and try to understand what they are doing and what they may be thinking. The whole process is immensely fascinating.

Using charts that try to equate swing speed with carry distance suggests a mid 80 mph swing should net 190-200 yards carry on the driver and a 4-5 iron for 150 yard carry. If you are anywhere near those numbers I would think you are doing quite well, if not, something might need attention. I couldn't begin to guess what but as Harry said "you might as well get fitted ... (it can't hurt)". I give up on a club when I no longer connect with it. When making shots with it no longer produces joy, satisfaction, or excitement. Even frustration is fine but when it leaves me feeling flat I look for something else.

Cyprian Keyes 73.3/134/6498 - classic New England type course, tree lined, rolling hills, carries over protected wetlands. Sort of a Blackstone National junior kind of feel.

Even a player who has been at it a while may not know the rules. Early this season I ran across a decision that stated a local rule at our club is not legal (a free drop from a drainage ditch crossing the fairway on the drive only). Seems like every season I come across a rule or decision that I have been interpreting or applying incorrectly. In my experience so far, golf is a learning process on many different fronts. TinCupTampa, I also have a set of MP-32s with DG-S300 shafts which I picked up for $250 (nowhere near mint though) because I simply couldn't pass them up for that price. Not using them at the moment though as I never managed to establish a mutually respectful relationship with them ... and you think you may have a problem? HA!

My crowning achievement, I took my bag out of the car and set it down beside the car near the passenger door. Started working on the car and eventually needed a part so jumped in car, cut wheel hard left to back out of driveway and ran over my bag. Wiped out bag, driver, woods, and three irons ... ouch!