Jared

I just ordered my first set of irons in 15 years. Titleist AP1, PX 6.0 shafts. They will cost (around 800-900 for 4 - GW) but the difference during the fitting was night and day. Take a look at my signature to see what I'm playing now. My one buddy has the cash, and buys a new driver every 1-2 years. I'm still playing a Cleveland that I bought around 2010 for 100 bucks. My putter is 20 years old at least. I've got limited funds, I try to use the extra for playing golf, not equipment.

Tour Model 2. The Ping Eye 2 knockoff. Also my first ever full set of clubs. Dynamic Gold shafts, regular flex and green victory grips. I assembled them in my basement.

40 on 9. Hit 5-7 FW, 6-9 Greens, 16 Putts. Took a double from 95 yards in the light rough on a Par 4. Boned it over the back of the green, OB very close on that hole, and ended up with a penalty. Other than that, 2 bogeys, 1 birdie and 5 pars. I'll take it after a horrific 95 last week, first time on a very tough club course.

My least favorite running golf joke. You tee the ball, step up and it fall off the tee. Invariably someone in your group says "that's one".

Somewhere around 20-25. My last came last fall on a 560 yd par 5. Driver, 3H to 12 feet, made the putt.

Hit three chips to within 2 feet during a 9 hole round. This may not sound like much to most, but given the fact that I have rarely gotten clean contact on chips and pitches for about the last year and a half, I'm pretty excited.

Yelling "Get in the hole!" Should be punishable by death.

Did I say 10? I meant 80. Make 'em play gutta percha with hickory shafts.

I don't understand why a change isn't made to simply roll back ball technology about 10 years or so. This would seem to solve many of the issues mentioned. I, for one, could care less about players looking foolish during the US Open. I do care, however, about some of the legendary courses that either have to be fundamentally altered or passed over because of the length of today's touring pro.

IMO, the range is where you go to fix flaws in your game. The course is where you go to learn how to score.

I let my brother hit my driver one time. I remember it every time I hit my driver, since the huge skymark is still visible.

45 yard bunker shot into a steeply sloped, uphill green. Hit it to 10 feet.

This is why I don't buy golf magazines. The advice is different for everyone, depending on the swing they have. Case in point. During my son's recent golf lesson, the pro told him to release the club as early as he can, right at the beginning of his downswing. Now, you are probably thinking, " thats crazy, you want to lag the club, that way you dont lose power." You would be correct, and early release is death. But, my son has the habit of not releasing at all, so what feels like early to him is right on time in reality. I have a tendency to release the club wayyyy to early. So I need to feel like I'm lagging past contact. Too much advice, and any wrong advice, will set you back. Find a good pro, one who knows your swing and isn't reciting the same crap you just read in Golf Digest, and you will be well on your way.

I see what you are saying here, but don't you think the dress code for golf is fairly standardized? Basically, you have a minority of golf courses that allow anything short of a speedo, and you have a majority of courses that do not allow jeans, t shirts, athletic shorts, etc. I would bet that the intent of the OP's poll referred to the latter, not the former.

Remember that time you posted 3 times in a row? The original question was: Are dress codes good or bad for the game? It would appear that according to this poll, they are good for the game, by an overwhelming majority. The world is full of sports where the participants, paid and amateur, have no respect for the game, its history, or each other. IMO, dressing in what is considered standard golf attire lends itself well to respecting the game. If the golf course you play has no dress code, you can, of course, dress however you would like. I will continue to avoid those courses, many of those types in my area have fairways in poor condition due to players not replacing divots, and nearly unplayable greens due to players not fixing their ballmarks (and 2 others).

Have you tried taking the four year old to the range with you? When my boy was very young (18 months or so), he was always with me. I would set him up with a bucket of his own, and avoided lots of grief from the missus. The ancillary benefit is now, at age 14, he loves the game. He took his first lesson last week (he is now getting serious about getting better), and I will have a regular playing partner within a few months.

First of all, kudos for you 20 handicap after playing for a year. Your "friend" sounds like a douche. If it were me, I would stop playing with him if only because he's a cheater. He is clearly unhappy over your progress, which is mind blowing IMO. Why you wouldn't want someone you introduced to the game to improve is beyond me. Keep practicing, I bet when you are a legit 12 you will be able to kick the crap out of him, 7 or not.

Great subject. I used to get grief. Mostly because I played whether or not we had money. I never said I was smart. Now, of course, money isn't an issue and I have no time to play. I got in 12 rounds LAST YEAR. At one point, she suggested I play golf on a Saturday. That's when I knew I wasn't getting out enough. Basically, here's how it works now. I ask her if she has anything planned for the weekend. If not, I play. If she says, I was hoping you could ..., I don't play. We treat each other likes adults. Working so far after 16 years. I've already told her I plan on playing more this year, and she is cool with that. I'm a lucky guy.

I miss my metal spikes. Can't we outlaw soft spikes instead?

Was I the only one rooting for O'Hair? That kid has overcome a lot to be where he is.

If the change you need to make is a fairly sizeable one, my experience has been that it feels strange, if not really bad, at first. Case in point. Last year I finally found a good teaching pro. He showed me on video some of my flaws. My hands were way to low at setup, I had a terrible lateral shift on the downswing. He had me set up higher, and swing with my left hip against a chair (to encourage a pivot rather than a shift). At first, it felt terrible. The practice sessions were ugly, my ballstriking was worse at first. I thought about just going back to the old way because I was so frustrated. Two months later, I had dropped an average of four strokes per round or so. From mid-high 80's to low-mid 80's. I will never doubt this guy again.

I think the hope is that the "idiots and slobs" would decide not to play where dresscodes are enforced.

Ugh... Miller is back.

Why something newer? Personally, I don't think technology has improved by leaps and bounds over the past few years. If you like the look of it, hit it well, and are confident with it, done deal IMO. FYI, my driver is at least 4 years old, my irons going on 10, and my putter 20. The only new items in my bag are my wedges, the grooves were shot on my old ones. Every year I think about getting a new driver or irons, hit what's new, and come to the realization that my clubs are fine. Plus, at least for me anyway, a new driver isn't going to fix my awful short game.

I haven't been able to play too much golf in my travels. I was able to play LBV and Osprey Ridge at Disney a few years ago. I really enjoyed the Signature at West Neck in Virginia Beach (Palmer Course). The best course I've played is Oakmont Country Club. I used to have Monday Membership.