Groucho Valentine

Youre allowed relief for "unusual playing conditions" now and causal water. Like if you take your stance and water or mud bubbles around your feet. I was playing in a tournament over the summer and a rules official have me relief in the fairway from a burnt out area. That normally would have been outlined in white, but i think its kind of a blanket thing now. So they dont really bother outlining poor course conditions anymore.

Well..dont mind if i do...

Thats actually a good play if the ball was sitting up. Id be just concerned about getting it over the trees in that scenario. A bad ricochet could have kept him over there.

If you read that rule literally, just walking into the bunker and leaving footprints is a breach.. Theres nothing in there that specifies how deep or shallow you're allowed to go. But if youre dug in past your ankle to something... that would be.....unusual.... When I dig in, i dig my trail leg on an angle on my instep for stability and to help me stay forwards a little better. Some asshat i was playing with in a US open qualifier in a long time ago said i was building a stance when i did that. In the tent the rules official said "no i didnt" and then i gave him the "u cant see me" wave and he cowered back to his car in shame after shooting a dreadful 80-something. But in cantakerish's case, im confused why he choose to do that. He probably made the shot harder...

This is true. I tell people my handicap and they expect me to go out and shoot 65 or something. Which i might do. Ive shot a 66 this year. But the reality is i only break par a handful of times a year. I always hope those rounds come during tournaments, but they almost never do these days. 😡 Most of my rounds are actually in the mid-high 70s. I only play in gross tournaments so i don't have a need for a handicap other than entry requirments, my score is my score. But i never understood the practice of deflating your handicap. It doesn't do you any good to do that at all. You're betting off sandbagging if you're looking to cheat the system.

I dont know if the faxon take is true or not, but i wouldn't doubt it. They guy was legit.

I know a few older guys that practically made a living hustling golf. I got some of my first golf tips from a Argentinian guy who used to hustle alot at bethpage. Made a living from playing big money games on the east coast (talking like 5 figure money matches) from everywhere to winged foot down to colonial. Heard a story he took 100k from brad faxon at due process back in the 90s. But those types of guys are definitely a dying breed. If not completely extinct. I understand it was more common back in the 70's and 80's.

I normally play 18 when i decide to play. During high summer i can usually get in 18 after work if nobody slowing me down. I never really plan to just play 9, its usually one of those things where i get through 8 and dont want to play anymore.

Im not really a swing guy, but ive found that lower handicaps that struggle with longer clubs off the deck is usually set up or ball position related.

We played a fivesome on a early weekend morning a couple weeks ago. It actually sort of common at private places. There was nobody in front or behind us for at least 2 holes. As long as youre not holding anyone up it really shouldn't matter too much. Still played in under 4 hours, too. People need to learn from us.

Ive left it in for longer putts just so i dont have to ask anyone to tend or when im playing alone. But I've taken it out it all situations otherwise. I dont like having the flagstick in my field of view. Its f'ing distracting. It creates a mental image of the hole being smaller and i dont like that, either. I like to imagine the ball dropping into the bottom of the cup, not clanging off a flagstick.

For eagles you can control, being able to comfortably get on par fives in two strokes is the easiest way. Ive gotten 99% of my eagles from 1 putt 3's on par fives. Other than that, my eagles have just been dumb luck. A hole-out from an approach shot or chip in. I can count on my hands the amount of times ive done that in the tens of thousands of holes ive played over the past 20+ years.

I will laugh at you. Dont post your swing in here unless you shoulder soul crushing weight of ridicule and mockery.

If the USA won nobody would be talking about the Solhiem cup at all, so i guess its good that Europe won. Its generated interest. I dont know how close European and USA women's players really are, but it seems odd that womens golf holds no team competition with the best players in their game. I wouldnt be surprised if nobody in the top 10 in the women's game played in that Solheim Cup.

Wouldn't be surprised if Tiger picked himself with the competition coming so late this time. December should be plenty of time for his knee procedure to heal and get his swing in shape. But i doubt he does. Even though a rusty Tiger Woods might still be better than the 12th or 13th guy on the list, anyway.