Never3putt

Nicely done on the weight loss!!!

Having experience both, I'll opt for #1 -- play in gusty winds! Trying to putt with mosquitoes buzzing your face is torturous!

You can definitely get better in your 60s. I believe that I played some of my best and most consistent golf in my 60s. We just had our Club Championship and a friend who is over 65 just won the Regular Men's flight, competing with the younger guys without a problem. Of course, he's shot his age a number of times and carries a +2 handicap....age hasn't slowed him down yet, at all!

I don't think it's uncommon for people to "lose their swing" from time to time. Even lower handicap players will have bad days when things just don't go right (or they do go right, and left, and....). For me, it's falling back on the fundamentals to get me back on track. Go back to your fundamentals. Grip, posture, ball position, etc. I often allow the ball to move further back or my alignment gets too far to the right, or some other similar, easy to lose sight of, factor that sets me up for poor ball striking. When I'm striking it poorly, these are the things I check.

Because I served onboard a submarine for 20 years shortly after high school, I didn't take up golf until late in life at age 38. I'm 70 now and have been playing pretty regular since taking the game up. It took time and some lessons, but I became a single digit handicap player and remain one to this day. While I've never shot par or better, I've come within 1 shot of doing so with 73 on 2 occasions. It's funny now, because when I come home and my wife asks me how I played and I grouse with a remark about shooting 82, she just laughs at me and reminds me that she remembers when I couldn't break 100. So, in answer to your query, yes, it's realistic to expect to be able to play good golf starting later in life. Like any other skill, it takes time, practice, and guidance. Good luck!! Edit: just realized how old this thread was....nebber mind 🙂.

No birdies, 4 bogeys for a 76 at the Rogue Course at Rogue Valley Country Club, Medford OR

Broke 80 (many times including 2 one over rounds but never shot par or broke it) Eagle (numerous) Hole in One (1) LSW (own the videos and book is on order due to arrive Monday)

No, mine is kept in the lined pocket of my bag, along with keys and wallet/cash. I have no need for the phone while playing. Ringer is turned off. Only reason I even carry it on the course is in case of an emergency.

I replaced my Scotty Cameron Platinum Pro with a 34 inch Method blade. Love it. Rolls very nicely, balanced well.

If you're talking about a ball retriever, I'd go with a "Gotcha". If you're talking about getting it out of the cup, the hand is the best -- doesn't damage the cup :)

I play a lot of golf and this has not been an issue. I have a pair of 2011 shoes I'm still wearing, as well as the newer ones. Traction is not an issue unless you're swinging out of your balance, which would be an issue with any shoes with soft cleats.

It boils down to "do you cheat or not?" EVERY stroke counts. Penalty strokes count. Anything less is cheating (either yourself or your opponents)

One big cause of the reverse pivot is the advice to keep your head still. In the effort to keep your head over the ball, the body ends up tilting up and back into the reverse pivot. Rather than thinking "head still", think constant spine angle and allow the head to respond to the natural flow of your body as you turn your shoulders and load up over the trailing leg. On the downswing, start your initial movement by shifting your weight back to the leading side using your feet/knees/hips (various ways to make this work and everyone has a different key), allowing your arms to drop into the slot, then the turn of your body carries the clubhead back to impact and through. But my best advice is to see a PGA professional for a series of lessons. It's much easier with trained eyes watching you than trying to learn by reading tips.

The physics rule of golf: The direction the ball starts out will be determined by the path of the club. The curvature of the ball is determined by the clubface (open or closed) at impact. So, if you're swing out to in, the ball will want to start out to your left (right for left handers). The ball will either draw, hook, fade, slice, or go straight based on how far open or closed the clubface is at impact. Open face -- ball curves right (right handers). The most commonly seen swing among high handicappers is an over the top, outside to in swing path with an open clubface at impact .... results are a ball that starts out going left and slices back to the right (again, right handed golfers).

At 57, I'm carrying currently. I have a speed cart that I've used for the last 7 years, but started carrying again. Having said that, I also play in groups where the guys own their own golf carts (country club) and will often ride. I prefer to walk, but hate being the only guy in the foursome hoofing it while the other 3 ride ahead of me. That seems to force me to feel rushed.

A 1 over par 73

When I lived in Fargo ND, if it was in the 20's (F) during the winter, we called that a heat wave and would have loved to play golf .... unfortunately, there would be way too much snow still. In Billings, MT, we'd play in the winter on a couple of the courses that were set up. As long as the snow was only in patches and not blanketed, we'd play in sunny cold weather. The ground was frozen, lakes were solid enough to walk on, and the balls would bounce forever (including on the greens).

There's a reason that a LOT of pros use cavity back irons rather than muscle back blades .... do yourself a favor and take advantage of technology .... find irons that you like and can play well and don't concern yourself with the name brand or if they're blades or not.

I bogeyed 7 holes on the front, then went on to shoot even par on the back. 79

My short game ... chips and short pitches to a specific spot on the green and distance contol with my putter (I have a tendency to leave putts short rather than putting past the hole).

The rules of golf says 14 clubs is the max. They also define the putter as a club. So, there you go.

I didn't like the super size grips, but I recently put a Winn oversize (I think it's the mid not the jumbo) grip on my 2 Ball putter. I love it. Now when I put a regular grip putter in my hand, it feels foreign and I don't feel like I have the same sense of control as I do with my newer grip. About the same time, I made a conscious effort to use the grip recommended by Stan Utley in his putting book (more in the left hand than in the fingers). Between the two changes, my putting stats have improved drastically lately.

Have you read anything by John Lutz? If you like cop/serial killer novels, his books are very good. I'm also a fan of Sandra Brown and enjoy most of her work. John Sandford (Prey series) is another author I like.

Nice round. Well done, my friend. Now, you do realize that your bar has been raised and you now have new goals