Par Fore

IMHO, the driver and iron swings and two completely different animals....the iron is a descending blow where you trap the ball, while the driver is more hitting the ball at the bottom or just a bit on the upswing....sounds to me like you have a tendency to groove one swing and stick with it.....on the range, practice Driver, 8iron, driver 3iron, driver, wedge and so on, just like you would on the course.....during your practice swing, get your mind right and remember which swing you need to produce..... Also, someone just made a good point about the mental part.....remember to keep positive - don't focus on where you don't want the ball to go or what can go wrong......when you hit a great drive, get birdie in your mind right away.....when you are planning your approach shot, think about exactly where you want to line up, what the ball is going to look like in the air, and how you want it to land.....focus on the process, be specific, and then pull the trigger....

I would say about 1% of golfers that consistently break 100 have the ability, with unlimited funds and top shelf coaching, to play at the pro level.....I have a friend who was an All-American in college baseball at a major school.....he grew up on a golf course, but just "plays for fun".....he plays about once every 3 months or so.....he can hit about 20-30 balls on the range and he's ready to go, he'll go out and shoot anywhere from 75-85 with a set of 10 year old blades.....he drives the ball an average of 280 and has a simple, compact, repeatable swing....he never duffs the ball, has reasonable misses.....his contact, on most shots, sounds just like the pros and he still plays a 2 iron on shorter holes, just punching it out to about 240.....he could got pro......in all the excellent golfers I've met over the years, with unlimited funds and coaching, about 5 of them could go pro..... The rest would be like me.....they'd put up a valiant effort, and many would get to scratch, and they'd probably get within the top 5 golfers that play at their home course.....unfortunately, far short of any pro status.... A good friend of mine is 54.....he was a city champ growning up and loves golf....as a sales rep, he was about to play about 2 rounds a week, and he lives off 2 golf courses and typically plays a round on each every weekend.....even at 54, he's a consistent 260 down the middle with his driver.....he hits the middle of every fairway and every green.....when he turned 50, he worked even harder on his game and went to many a qualifier for the senior tour....even with his game, he never qualified for a single event....he got close a few times, but the course conditions and pressure are huge....and this is a guy that has won several tournaments over the years.... I have no doubt many a person, with the physical ability, could swing like a pro.....but the mental game at that level is something amazing....

First round of this year....actually, first time I met up with somebody from this site.......it was both of our first rounds of the year, back in late February I think.....for some dumb reason, we decided to play the tips.....it was aweful, I think I shot a 110.....hadn't shot that bad since I learned the game.....flops, shanks, duffs, I had it all, LOL......worst part was he had an ugly day too, shot like 98, so I didn't feel so bad.....

7-iron twice....couple of shortish par 5's just under 500 yards, a little downhill, different courses.....both drives to about 170.....one happened yesterday, and I actually made the 12 footer for eagle....first eagle I've had in a long, long time....

Played with two good buddies and made a few friends on Sunday.....first time to swing a club in months since the back went south.....shot an ugly 85, hit tons of fat and thin shots....did piece 3 great shots together on a shortish par 5 to make eagle, made my day, for some reason the putter was hot......also, uttexas and senorchipotle went with me for burgers afterwards.....good times, thanks guys....

Had a blast at the Byron today......got some last minute tickets, what a blast..... Normal Saturday, started off in the office, worked until 11:30..... Picked up my buddy Sean, we picked up a sandwhich just down the road form the tourney - Kip Henley, Brian Gay's caddie was in line behind us - we got to BS with him, what a nice guy We had a parking pass hook-up thanks to my boss, got to park off of the 16th green, fawesome Since Faherty was with them, we jumped in the with the Elk/Day pairing on the 7th.....Faherty is hilarious.... The camera/picture guys were a blast, let us hold the cameras, had fun bs-ing with them on the greens.... Luckily Day was playing strong, that kid can flat out play, very impressed..... Most fun I've had at a tourney in a long time......and I only had 1 beer

Thanks for the explanation misty.....enjoy your Wild Turkey this weekend

Great question.... Personally, I prefer the well struck shot, especially early in the season when the goal is to get consistent and grooved.... Mid summer, it's score.....I don't care if I shank it off a tree, roll down the cart path, and up on the green.....birdies are a thing of beauty.... Kudos to you for making that birdie putt.....too many people are apt to miss it, thinking they didn't "earn it"......I get plenty of bad bounces on the golf course - reward yourself when you get the good ones

OK, I'm curious here and maybe someone with a little more knowledge can shed some light on this???? Trump is trump - every course he owns is the best course in the world.......every woman he marries is the hottest, and everything he does is the best in his mind.....this is the arrogance of the Donald, but this is no news to anyone..... What's the big deal? If you don't like his course, then don't go. Did he buy land that was once some ancient burial ground or something? Please help me out here. Thanks, Perm

Titleist and Ping are the most recognizeable to the public.....people that play only one round a year recognize those names with golf.... Among true golfers, I'd say almost any brand is the best depending on what that person plays In relation to perception, maybe Mizuno for irons, Taylormade for drivers, Cleveland for wedges, and Ping for putters....

You and I are about the same handicap, I play blades.....love them.....a well struck iron shot is a thing of pure beaty and feels like butta I prefer the workability and trajectory of the blades, as well as the thin topline and classic look/feel. In my experience with cavity backs, you get a little higher ball flight and they are a little more forgiving outside the sweet spot, but many of them are also have a bigger face than my irons, kinda like a 460cc driver effect....don't let anyone scare you away - play whatever you can hit and whatever makes you happy....

Good luck with your finals.......not Cowboys, I meant just play somewhere in general.....I am golf poor and would rather play somewhere cheaper

Sounds like the guy knew his stuff and you are going to reap the benefits.....congrats and enjoy the new club.... P.S. You are supposed to post that your swing speed is 110 and you were busting them out there 250 yards

Fawesome! Great work amigo, hope to join you in the low 80's soon....same here, 33 or so putts a round, too many wasted strokes...

Good question.....I live in Plano, but I have yet to play Cowboys.....if you'd like to hook up for a round, shoot me a PM, you are welcome to bring your pops along.... Smokers rights and responsibilities - yes, you can smoke outside.....if you are riding with someone, you should always ask if they are OK with it......also, you need to pay attention and avoid blowing into peoples faces on the tee box.....additionally, you should throw away of your butts properly......as mentioned, you SHOULD NOT light up nor drag your cigars in the clubhouse, someone elses car, and so forth.... Non-smokers rights and responsibility - yes, the guy who rides with you in a cart should ask first.....also, he should not blow smoke in your face nor light up in your car and he needs to pay attention to where his ashes are going.....you DO NOT have the right to be a complete azzhole just because you got a whiff of a cigar from a player in your group.....golf is a gentlemen's game (ladies too), and real man or woman also understands and respects tolerance of others......I've seen a d-bag make a big scene about cigar smoke, finish the round, then ride off in his straightpiped F350 diesel, black-smoking any car within 20 feet.....unfortunatley, some non-smokers go completely over the top and hypocritical at times - don't be that guy.... For the record, I smoke a very rare cigar, but usually not on the golf course....I like to smoke on the patio where I can relax with a friend....I don't like to waste them on the course because I am busy playing golf

Saturday, supposed to be in a scramble at Castle Hills that morning, but weather looks grim.....never played there, company event, looks like a great course.... Sunday, playing at Cedar Crest in south Dallas, beautiful old course with rolling terrain and excellent greens....

IMHO, this makes it worth it......sounds like you have a plan and good options for free.....join up, enjoy the other courses, it will keep you busy until the winter when the greens are done

Agree with Butch here.....denim isn't very flexible, and it just doesn't seem to fit golf at a nice course.....and trust me, I love a nice pair of jeans and will be the first one to sell my wife on the fact that they are dressy Is it that hard to wear some slacks, or even just a pair of decent golf shorts???.....especially in Texas, wearing denim on a summer day on the golf course will put you in the hospital.....granted, for winter rounds with temps in the 40's, I'm inclined to be a bit more flexible....but if it's wet, denim soaks up the water and the cold.... As far as certain courses allowing it, there are plenty of things that are allowed or legal, but that doesn't mean they should be done.... My two cents...

I don't necessarily score better, depending on the difficulty, but I do "play" better.......it's nice to have good lies in the fairway, grass on the teeboxes, greens that roll true, and manicured traps.....adds to the enjoyment and experience....

My thoughts exactly.....swing and ball speed.....although, it's also a measure of the altitude, ball spin, and roll.....ultimately, a swing speed of 90mph ain't gonna hit it 300

Sweeeet......that would be one for the ages..... The one I saw was at a PGA event in San Antonio.....to be clear, when I say live, I mean live broadcast, not a replay....not a tournament I would usually watch, just bored on a weekend.....only watched for about 20 minutes, they were showing this downhill par 4, about 350 or so with wind at the back....the long hitters were going for it.....guy hit it perfect, fade, rolled up just beside the bunker, took the break, and into the cup.....it was too cool....

I find I play best when I get to the course at least an hour beforehand..... 5 mins stretching 15 mins putting 15 mins chipping 5 min warmup 15 mins on the range - 10 balls with 7 iron, a few with 4 iron, a few with 52 degree, and a few with my driver - just enough to warm up and see a good ball flight Hit the tee....I find the more prepared I am, the more relaxed I am on the first tee.... Most days, I do get there at least 30 minutes before....I check in, stretch, hit a few putts and chips, hit about 20-30 on the range, and play.

The Masters is your best choice.......you have huge, wide fairways, perfect greens, no rough, mostly nice weather, and you get to play the same golf course every year.....shoot 12 under, and you are a likely champion......I love that the sand traps mirror the size of a large pool.... US Open.....sorry, you take any good long course, thin the fairways to 25 yards, grow the rough to 5 inches, and cut the green to match the concrete in a parking lot, and scores are gonna skyrocket.... British Open......while played on some of the best, most traditional courses in the world, if the weather lays down, scoring is gonna be low.....bring cold temps, rain, and 40mpg winds to Augusta and nobody can shoot par.... PGA......weakest major IMHO, I actually prefer The Players over this event....

My wifes also not going to allow you to measure her.....uh.....wingspan No go there as well.......there are some 5 foot 6 powerhouses out on tour.......now Stewart Cink is gonna be screwed..... Also, a good buddy of mine is well over 6 feet, like almost 6 foot 6, and I only play about a half club shorter than him.....I don't wanna hear him beyotch all day about how I have better balls, LOL Next

Thanks for posting up the results....glad it all worked out for the good!