OCdude12

A round of golf should NEVER take more than 4 hours and 30 minutes. I would say never more than 4, but things do happen out there (lost balls) that can drag a round on a little longer. Handicap doesn't matter, there are low handicap players that play slow as well as high handicap players. There are times and places taking more time on a shot is fine, if the course is empty, go ahead, take as much time as you want, but at first site of someone waiting a couple minutes for you, let them play through. Someone mentioned higher handicap players might take longer because they're learning. The course is not always the place to learn, go to the range or take an ettiquete class. If you do notice a group that is constantly on your back, do what was said already, prepare your shot ahead of time so you're ready when its your turn. I'm sick of seeing people take 4-5 practice swings, stand over the ball for 20 more seconds and then proceed to duff it. Save everyone the time, take one practice swing and hit the ball, at that level does it really make a difference? I am all for people learning the game, but please, just be aware of others on the course.

Sorry, don't mean to be that guy who calls people out, but averaging 17 greens per round? That's saying you hit 94% of GIR! The no. 1 player on Tour last year in GIR, John Senden, managed just above 70%. Typo? For the last year or so I've been writing down the main stats - fairways, greens, putts - on my scorecard after a round, although haven't really backed those stats up anywhere. Is there a free program out there that I could quickly and easily enter my stats after a round so I can look at my progress over the course of the year?

I just found my new favorite golfer hands down. The guy is in no way an emotionally disturbed person. He just likes to have a lot of fun and doesn't get caught up in what everyone expects as the norm for a professional golfer. I just watched almost all the videos on his Youtube channel and to me that explains a lot. The guy is pure comedy. He's an extremely talented player, knows it and just goes about his business in a way that makes him happy, hence no swing coach. Really, he's just a 13 year old kid stuck in a 31 year old man's body and I think a lot of people in life could probably benefit from looking at things like him. The man seems like he has everything he needs to be content, except for a PGA Tour win, but I'm sure he's not losing a ton of sleep over it. Sure he's probably pissed he came so close this weekend and let it get away, but thats because he's a competitor, who wouldn't be pissed? I really hope he wins his first tournament soon and will be paying attention to his results much more frequently now. GO BUBBA!!!

And yes, practice your short game as much as possible. Get a shag bag and hit the practice green for an hour or two whenever you get the chance.

Also agree with what most people have said so far, focus more on the easier clubs to hit right now, PW, 9, 8 and the rest will come in time. Pick a target and hit to it. Don't just go to the range and start swinging away, make yourself set up properly and focus like you're hitting a real shot. Put a club on the ground aimed at your target and set up along that line to help with your body alignment. One person mentioned distance control and I thought of my brother right away. He's about an 18 and so many times I'll see him taking a full swing from 40 or 50 yards after one of his mishits. Taking a full swing from that close brings just as many problems into play as if you were 150 out. Work on controlling the distance of your wedges, taking a shorter swing and following through. The ball will fly lower and you can control the distance much easier. For fun, get a friend on the range of similar skill and hit to the same green that is a smooth PW or SW distance, alternating shots, each one closest to the hole on the green worth $1. Puts a little pressure on each shot and is a fun way to get good practice in. Give tips to each other if you notice problems, golf is a gentleman's game after all right?

I don't think I've ever worn a visor on the course, usually stick with my San Francisco Giants hat - I go through those things like no other- although I will say I do like the visor look. My opinion on the visor is you have to have a certain amount of game to pull off the look, e.g. Bubba Watson, he pulls it off damn well. Unless your game is so bad that you focus more on how you're looking, thats cool too, got to at least do one thing well.

I don't think I've ever worn a visor on the course, usually stick with my San Francisco Giants hat - I go through those things like no other- although I will say I do like the visor look. My opinion on the visor is you have to have a certain amount of game to pull off the look, e.g. Bubba Watson, he pulls it off damn well. Unless your game is so bad that you focus more on how you're looking, thats cool too, got to at least do one thing good.

Just watching "Playing Lessons with the Pros" right now with Billy Andrade and a great point about having a pre-shot routine was brought up that is one thing everyone has (should have) but is not always thought about. Almost every great player you would talk to would say they have some pre-shot routine, however for the average amateur I know thats one thing we don't always focus on. Recently I've been noticing I do have somewhat of a routine, but don't know if I really stick to it EVERY single swing. When I do notice it, I usually tee it up, measure the height to make sure its alright, take a step back into a practice swing then take one more quick one before getting set, aligning myself, taking a few waggles, one or two more looks at where I'm going, then pulling the trigger. I also have noticed when putting I do something a little different than the full swing but think I'm more consistent with really sticking to my putting routine each stroke. I couldn't tell you the amount of times I did or didn't fully stick to my routine for a round or if it really effected me, but do you really catch when you didn't stick to your routine after a bad shot? I hear often guys are so good with their routine, i.e. Tiger, that they will pull the trigger once they tee the ball in the ground between X amount of seconds and Y amount of seconds every time. How much is this the mental part of the game, really doing the same thing every time even when the pressure is on? Curious, do you guys notice and pay attention to your pre-shot routine? How much do you think it helps in pressure situations, and how do you get your mind right when you get nervous?

Played this course, Sevillano Links, in 40+ MPH winds about a month and a half ago. Its a John Daly signature course, plays over 7800 yards from the tees we played with a 78.0 rating/140 slope. Safe to say the hardest round of golf I have ever played. One par 3 is 268 yds or thereabouts, I hit driver and didnt even get there, the wind was so hard when you took the club back it acted like a sail blowing in every direction, I don't even know how I made contact with the ball. Greens were also so fast and wind so hard, a couple times you would put your ball down and it would just start rolling away from me. Even little 10-15 yard pitches you had to account for the wind, so ridiculous. Shot a smooth 96 that day, I was real glad when that round was over. http://www.sevillanolinks.com/

Mine is of the former Saint Mary's PG, Patrick Mills, who was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers last year. First player we've had drafted in quite some time and I love the emotion in the picture.

Lots of great advice here, thanks guys. I really enjoy hearing other people's experiences and have written down a few of the things said here as reminders to look at every once in awhile. I'm going to start by signing up for as many amateur events as possible for this season to really get my feet wet and commit to actually practicing certain things and not just hitting the ball when I go to the course. And since this is the first year in awhile I can play in the scratch tournaments, this summer is really going to give me an idea of where I stand against the competition and what I'll need to work on. I've set some goals and made a mini plan so far, so we'll see how that goes and evaluate where to go from there. For now, if I can qualify for match play in the SF city in a few weeks I'll be a real happy camper and then CA state Am qualifying is in April so that'll be the next one I'll be really focused on. Sleeping in your car probably does suck but if I find a big enough one, say a Tahoe (throw an air matress in the back) might not be that bad ;)

Paper Tiger is a great read and part of the reason why I think about this stuff way too often. But I also thought of another thing on my walk home that kind of relates to the Paper Tiger thing. I know one guy my age that has tried the pro thing, still lives half the year down in the Palm Desert and has tried his luck at Q-school unsuccessfully. This is also the same kid that only knows golf - home schooled his whole life, not social at all, never played any other sport to my knowledge - which makes me think is he still playing golf because he's naturally that good or because thats all he knows (and his family is supporting him)? I also know another guy that might have one of the ugliest swings I've seen, however he plays golf probably 5 days a week and actually manages to play to a +1. Also not the athletic type by any stretch, which is one of the main reasons why I say anyone can become a scratch player or better given time. You are correct, I do not have the money to pursue a year off like Coyne and can't see my family putting up the kind of money it would take considering they have no idea what serious golf is all about (I'm the only golfer in the family). If anyone has done it before, what's the first step to committing your life to golf and at what point did you decide to go for it? For the sponsor thing, how do you convince people its a good choice for them?

I think we're agreeing on the same point and I'm probably falling into what was mentioned before, about saying one thing and thinking the body is doing it, when in reality it just feels like that. When I hit the same shot, I have that feeling of what Faldo describes and believe he is correct, however you can't argue with science, as mentioned above with respect to the face actually being pointed a certain direction. In the end does it really matter? We both agree the face has to be closed compared to the body and from there its all feel for how far you think you're body is aligned for how much you wish to hook the ball. This conversation got too scientific for me.

I know I've read a couple threads about this subject on here before, but thought I'd put my own spin on things. Ok, so I'm a 24 year old young professional thats been working for a couple years now and have come to realize WORK SUCKS! I've been playing a lot more golf in the past year, getting back to playing in a couple tournaments for the first time since high school and have been reading golf books nonstop on my lunchbreaks cause I can't get enough. Shooting even par this weekend for the first time really got the juices flowing again too and believing that I haven't lost a whole lot of my game since my peak back in HS. I could have played golf in college but never really pursued it (was down to a 1 senior year), thinking it would just take too much time and I was never really pushed to keep going. Boy, do I wish I had kept playing now. I've always believed anyone could become a pro golfer also, given enough time and money, and after reading the bios of some of the top amateur players from the NCGA, it got me thinking what it really takes to play high level golf. Pretty much every one of the guys played in college and went on to have some solid performances in USGA events and even a couple went pro for a couple years. Last year at this time I was about a 7 handicap and have gotten down to a 3 now, however I've played 2 of the best rounds of my life in the past 3 months and I feel like my swing is finally getting back to its original form. So what would it really take to think about the pro thing in say 3-5 years? My goals are to make match play in the SF city championship in Feb. first, and then hopefully keep playing well in other local qualifiers and have the index low enough to play in US Am qualifying this summer. I've never had a lesson and don't lift weights, so I'm thinking if I go see the local pro for some tips and start some workout routine, things can only improve from there, right? So I guess my question is, are there people out there that didn't play college golf that have tried going the amateur route and are having success on any tours? I know there is so much more to actually playing golf for a living, but at what point do I quit this damn office job and try for what would really make me happy?

"If you're going to hit the ball to the right and draw it, it makes sense that your swing has to be even FURTHER right." Agreed, but how do you make your swing go further right? (never heard the term "swing" go a direction before) By aiming your body to the right, like Faldo says, and swinging the club ALONG THAT LINE with the face aimed AT THE TARGET, that is what creates the HOOK spin on the ball which is what he was trying to teach. "The clubface is, by far, the determining factor in where the ball starts." Also agree here, so by doing what he says, the club will be attacking the ball from an inside approach (because you're LINED UP TO THE RIGHT) with a closed club face (AT THE TARGET), creating the desired hook that is easy to control. His goal was making it as simple as possible to hit these type of shots, and if you practiced this you can get the feel down since you're going to need some touch for these shots anyway.

I don't know why you all get so worked up about a simple tip he's giving on a telecast, but as far as I can tell, he's absolutely right. Everytime I'm in a situation like these, I follow the exact same steps he mentions and most times it works just to plan. You are wrong when saying you should aim the clubface where you want the ball to start. That just forces you to compensate even more with the body. By doing what Faldo said, you are creating the balance of changing the club face angle with your body alignment in a way to make a more natural and easier swing as long as you have some feel for how the ball will leave the face. Faldo was just giving a tip for how to execute a shot and presented it in the easiest way for a viewer to visualize and imagine the feeling when hitting that type of shot. The chicken wing reference for the left arm (RH golfer) can be also be practiced by letting your right hand off the club at the moment of impact and pulling with your left arm, (like you're elbowing someone behind you to your left) to create the feeling of an open clubface. Maybe I'm wrong like Faldo, but if I were having trouble with shots like these, I would definitely listen to someone that has won multiple tournaments worldwide rather than a know-it-all that feels the need to correct the teacher.

Shot even par, 71, today for the first time in my life. Teed off at 7:50 as a threesome and we got around in 3 hours, only had to wait for one shot all day. Was playing with a demo driver as my driver was being reshafted and now I'm really tempted to just go and buy the same club. Hit 8 of 14 fairways, 13 of 18 GIR and had 31 putts. 3 birdies, 3 bogeys, 12 pars. This was the first real solid round that I never really felt stressed or like I was grinding out there I've had in awhile. Hoping I can keep this up as I the SF city championship is coming up in a month and I'm playing the championship flight for the first time.

Now that is one hellavu golf trip right there! Did you book all the tee times seperately or were you able to get a special deal for Pebble, Spyglass and Spanish since they're all owned by The Pebble Beach Company? Couple good places for dinner after your rounds you might consider Roy's at Spanish Bay - great food, great atmosphere with the bagpiper at sunset every night - and the Beach Club at PB right along the 17th hole with views of the bay. If you get the opportunity, Poppy would be worth trying to get onto. I know it always get a bad reputation from the Tour guys when they used to play it for the Pro-Am, because of some of the funky holes I'm guessing, but its actually one of my favorite courses I've ever played. As an NCGA member it's our home course so the price is definitely right for $65 or so considering the course is always in awesome shape. I like the course a lot because there are lots of risk/reward dogleg shots that can really make a round if you're hitting it well off the tee. I don't know if you're a walker or rider, but I've always been puzzled by the people that pay so much money to play Pebble and then ride in a cart. Pebble is one of the most beautiful walks on the Peninsula, soak in every minute of it. Spyglass is the most challenging I would say of the list, Spanish is the most funky (all target golf) and have to say I really wasnt too impressed with it. Pasa's greens might be the most challenging as the undulations of the greens combined with the speed can make for a long day if you're not on with your putting. If you want to take a peak at Cypress, I've done this a few times at dusk after playing Poppy, drive down the hill past the Lodge at Pebble and continue on 17 Mile Drive for about 10 minutes until you pass by the sign for Cypress Point Golf Club. Theres a small parking lot on the left overlooking the ocean, but if you grab a 7 iron and walk back along the road towards the clubhouse, hop over the fence real quick and walk through the trees and you'll find yourself hidden on the 15th tee. Make sure to do it right when it starts to get dark so no one sees you though. I've done it by myself so it was pretty easy, might not be able to do it with all your buddies. But I will say, I walked up to the green after hitting my shot and almost felt guilty just for walking on the green cause they were so nice and every grain of sand in the bunkers looked like they were hand placed. You can then walk through the trees to the famous 16th, par 3 over the water, but be careful cause the clubhouse is right up the hill to your left and I'm sure someone could spot you if they were trying. You'll be awestruck from the beauty of this hole and its safe to say my 7 iron was not enough club to get it there. Enjoy your trip, I'm extremely jealous.

Big game tonight for my Gaels from St. Mary's! After getting screwed out of an at-large bid last year, a win tonight (barring any real bad losses to the bottom of the WCC) could make the difference come Selection Sunday. You may not know where Moraga is, but if you enjoy watching quality hoops, turn on ESPN 2 tonight at 8 and prepare for college basketball at its finest!

"Even if i did, i wouldn't play. There is another level of player in those tournaments that I just cant compete with. You get touring pros and world ranked amateurs in those things." "I don't want to make a fool out of myself until I think I have the ability to compete at that level." Sorry, but what kind of attitude is that? Understood some people don't play in them because of scheduling conflicts or they simply are not interested in trying, but to say you wouldn't play because you're scared your game is not at that level or you don't want to make a fool of yourself? Why not just quit the game right now because with with a mindset like these, even if you were to get in a postion to play for something that mattered, you'd be the last guys I would ever put a dime on to play well. If you're able to play to a scratch, why not give it a try? That's the beautiful thing about golf. Any day you can go out there and play the best round of your life, and as a scratch player, that difference is made by holing putts. Get hot with the putter at the right time and magical things can happen. I get so sick of people that don't challenge themselves in situations that aren't in their favor. How do you expect to ever get better at something if you don't push yourself to the next level? The day my index gets low enough that I can compete in major USGA events you bet your ass I'll be playing cause last I checked, in golf you're playing against you and the course, not other people. The second you start worrying about anything else but your own game, you're done. To quote Sean Connery from "The Rock" - Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and f*** the prom queen! End Rant

If you don't mind driving a little bit for the golf, I would recommend making the trip down 101 and over to the Monterey Peninsula. Not sure how nice your wife is, but if she lets you get away for the entire day, any course down there is absolutely worth it. I've never played here, but Pacific Grove Muni was listed in a book I recieved called "50 Places to Play golf before you die" - I'm sure it wouldn't be too expensive and you get almost the same beauty as many of the other courses in Monterey. Another course that is a little closer is Coyote Creek, right off the 101 just south of San Jose. They have 2 courses, one of which used to host a Senior PGA event. I haven't played that one, but have played their Valley Course. Very nice greens, although a lot of the same type of holes. Championship course is much better so I hear. Harding Park, where they just held the President's Cup is also a great track although a little bit of a drive from Santa Clara. Hell, see if you can get out on the Stanford golf course. I think its private, but its also a great course and fairly cheap. I know the students can play it for something like $15 or something. Quite the steal. Hope we can get you some nice weather!

Looking to replace the shaft in my driver right now and looking for suggestions. I've had the same stock shaft it comes with in it, the Mitsubishi ReAx 65g S shaft, but think I need something thats a little heavier or maybe switch to an X. I loved the club when I first got it, but now I don't get the same feel when I set up to hit or with my practice swings. Talked to a guy last week and he recommended the Proforce V2 75 g (I think thats what it was) and have swung different drivers with this shaft and liked it. Any other thoughts?

I've wondered kind of the same thing recently. I had gotten down to about a 1 before college 7 years ago but never pursued it further after that, but now in the working world have found my love for the game really come around and kind of wish I had kept going with it then. I was about an 8 at this time last year and struggled during the winter months to keep my swing in shape but have made an effort this year to keep playing on the weekends so I can finally start playing serious amateur events again. I hit the ball a pretty good distance with my driver now, probably 265-270 when I'm swinging well, but thats because I usually swing really hard every time. I think I developed this because I was a lot smaller when I was younger forcing me to swing harder to keep up with people, and now have kept doing it. I look at pro players and see how easy their swings are, yet they generate very high club head speeds to still hit it a mile. So back to the point about whats next, do I just need to get my lazy ass into the gym and start lifting weights to make it easier? I feel that if I start lifting weights its just going to make the entire game that much easier, not having to swing as hard, more club control and hopefully more body control all while increasing my distance. I wish I was in the same boat as you, being able to play 4 rounds a week, that is going to help out the game a TON. But also like the guy above said, just practice, practice, practice. I got out to really just practice a couple weekends ago for the first time in too long and it felt great, you start to feel the misses and get into a groove. If only it was possilbe to hit balls or chip every day. From experience, have people out there noticed an improvement in their game after starting a workout routine targeted for golf?

Christmas present to myself off ebay. Odyssey Black Series i 9 heel shafted putter. Played one round with it, not too shabby, gonna need some more time though.

When I was younger, would swing in my room before bed. Had just enough clearance to make a full swing on one side of the room. Late at night, wasn't far enough to the side, made a full swing and hit the glass light cover. Came crashing down and shattered on the floor and I for sure thought I woke the folks up. Have also hit the wall many-a-times, just left some grey marks that are still there. Nothing a poster couldn't cover up.