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Diddy

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  1. Diddy

    Diddy

  2. Question re: Arcadia Bluffs/South Course, for those of you who may be familiar... I'm looking to plan a trip to AB this October, but I'm concerned about the aeration schedule. I called, and they said the Bluffs Course will be aerated on the 7th and 8th, with the South Course being aerated on the 10th and 11th. I'm supposed to play on the 13th-15th. Has anyone had experience with the Bluffs Course, and how quickly the greens recover after aeration? I'm coming from Pennsylvania, and I don't want the experience to be sullied by unputtable greens. Also, I've heard horror stories of 5-6 hour rounds at AB. Given that there will only be about 11 hours of daylight in October, is playing 36 holes in one day too optimistic? Thanks so much for your comments/input! Patrick
  3. Flipping through the photo gallery on SI.com for today's practice round at the Open, I found some interesting photos of PING staff players. For one, looks like Lee Westwood is using a G10 driver: http://www.golf.com/golf/gallery/article/0,28242,2082674-1,00.html Moreover, looks like Louie Oosthuizen has a PING Rapture driver in his bag: http://www.golf.com/golf/gallery/article/0,28242,2082674-12,00.html Now that the G20 series is out, LW and LO are both using drivers from more than two series ago. I find it interesting that they would still be gaming drivers that are so old, and that PING has since "updated." Seems like quite the condemnation of the "advancements" made by PING in the G15 and G20 series, right? Sure, they might be favorite or "old reliable" drivers, but wouldn't you think that PING would have made enough improvements in the last 3-4 years to make LW and LO want to change to an updated model? What do you think? Full disclosure: I have a G5, so am obviously in the market for an upgrade. But these photos make me wonder if it isn't smarted to but a lightly used G10 or G15 instead of plopping down $300 for a new G20 (since LW and LO don't seem to think that the G15/G20s are any better than the previous lines).
  4. I'll be traveling for work next week and will be spending a few days in Knoxville, TN. Does anyone have any good recommendations for public courses in or near to Knoxville, or even good ranges? All suggestions welcome. Thanks!
  5. Heading down to Sarasota for a week in early March. Looking for some courses in the area. Any recommendations? Since it's early in the season for us Northerners, I'm really just looking for places that are well-maintained. Thanks to all.
  6. While I understand withholding judgment until you hold the clubs in the store, based solely on the photos here, I think the clubs look terrible. One of, if not the, best part about Mizuno clubs, IMHO, is their simplicity of design. Mizzys aren't busy and don't seem tricked out; they are just good, classic-looking golf clubs that are beautiful to play and look at. Personally, I think the ideal look for irons are the blade look, but obviously I (along with a lot of other people) can't/don't play blades. I like to think that Mizzy blends the blade look with technological function (i.e. bigger sweet spot, perimeter weighting, etc), but it appears that the 53/63s are getting away from that. Again, this is just an opinion, and I look forward to checking them out in person. But based on the photos, I'm disappointed in you, Mizuno.
  7. Yes, everything is based on that day's score, so Uncle Johnny can walk in off the street with no handicap or anything, and his score that day determines his "handicap", so to speak. What you normally shoot means nothing. This is what makes this format perfect for a family group, where not everyone has a handicap, and that way people aren't trying to guess at their "normal" score. The Callaway system will level the playing field on its own.
  8. Here's a cut and paste response I made to a thread a while back about the Callaway scoring system. If you're looking for a scoring system where you don't need handicaps, you have golfers of varying skill levels, and you want everyone to have a chance at winning, this is the system for you. Warning: it does require the person in charge to do some math. Here's the link to an explanation: http://golf.about.com/od/handicaps/l/blcallawaysys.htm I've not only played in, but I've "run" tournaments with Callaway scoring. Granted, it was only a family golf outing tournament, with players ranging from age 10 to 80, but that is precisely the type of group the Callaway system is designed for. If you have a bunch of golfers who are varying ability levels and don't have handicaps, the Callaway is perfect for just the reason you stated. Everyone always ends up in the 70s, no matter if you shoot 68 or 118. The key to Callaway is to have a card full of 3s and 7s as opposed to 4s and 5s. Aside from that (or just going into the 60s gross), there's really no correct way to play a Callaway tournament. And I'm pretty sure there's usually a triple-bogey or double-par cap, so you can't just run up a 15 on some hole. So in all, my advice would be to shoot at pins all day and be aggressive. Enjoy.
  9. Ok, so I just got a new Blackberry Tour and a new iTouch, and I'm trying to come up with good golf apps for them. I would love to get a GPS app, and also one that allows me to keep scores/stats. Any BB apps have to be free (since it's a work phone). I'm open to all suggestions. Thanks for your recs.
  10. I've not only played in, but I've "run" tournaments with Callaway scoring. Granted, it was only a family golf outing tournament, with players ranging from age 10 to 80, but that is precisely the type of group the Callaway system is designed for. If you have a bunch of golfers who are varying ability levels and don't have handicaps, the Callaway is perfect for just the reason you stated. Everyone always ends up in the 70s, no matter if you shoot 68 or 118. The key to Callaway is to have a card full of 3s and 7s as opposed to 4s and 5s. Aside from that (or just going into the 60s gross), there's really no correct way to play a Callaway tournament. And I'm pretty sure there's usually a triple-bogey or double-par cap, so you can't just run up a 15 on some hole. So in all, my advice would be to shoot at pins all day and be aggressive. Enjoy.
  11. This question has always been one of my favorite "what if"s. I played football as opposed to golf in HS, and back then "golf season" for me was the 4-6 weeks in July-August after baseball ended and before football began. Now I look back and wonder how good I would/could have been (not that I would have made the Tour or anything, but I like to think that I might have been able to get down close to scratch) if I'd been able to devote all of my football time to golf and practicing. My whole golfing career has basically been one round and one driving range trip per week in the summer, so I would have loved the opportunity to really get after my game and work on it. Oh well.
  12. I do think that the F3 is supposed to be a little easier to hit off the tee than the F2. I have an F2 myself, which has a shallower face than the F3 so it's easier to hit off the deck. I hit both and noticed a little difference, but I liked the versatility of the F2 (which is much easier to hit off the deck than the F3, IMO). But I agree with the other suggestions in this thread; if you hit the F2 well off the deck, give yourself "the perfect fairway lie" with a tee on the tee box, and let 'er rip.
  13. This is the correct answer, IMHO. Flop shot is sexy, but it seems much too risky off of a tight lie. The chip into the bank requires similar "touch", but it doesn't sound like the green is so elevated that there's a risk of having the ball roll back to your feet. As such, I say use your 9i/PW/GW to pick the ball clean, land it so it bounces one time (or so) in the apron, then start rolling once it hits the dance floor. And err on the side of hitting it too hard, because even if you run it a little by the hole on a green that slopes away from you, at worst you'll have an uphill putt for birdie. Hope this makes sense, and that I've visualized your shot accurately.
  14. So, I've found myself with a free three-day weekend coming up in mid-May, and I'd like to do a golf trip. Unfortunately, the buddies I usually travel with are unavailable, so it looks like it's going to be a solo trip. That said, does anyone have any recommendations based on the following criteria: 1. I live in Philly, so I'm hoping to keep it within 4-5 hours of drive time. 2. Primary goal is to maximize golf (i.e. 5-6 rounds total for Fri-Sun). 3. Extracurriculars (i.e. lodging, entertainment, food) are secondary to golf. 4. Would love to play at least 3-4 different courses. My original thought would be to head to Williamsburg for the weekend, though that's about as far as I'm willing to go driving-wise. Does anyone else know of good golf pockets in the Northeast that I might be missing? Ideally, I'd love to find some place off the beaten path where there are 3-4 really good courses that could entertain me for the weekend (without costing me $200/round). Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your comments.
  15. Don't tell me, let me guess: The wife thinks it's silly to spend $168 on just irons (and then have to spend more on woods, putter, bag, et al) when you can spend $200 for the whole shebang? That said, the 990s are definitely the better deal.
  16. I could see the layperson using some sort of over-generalized method of keeping this statistic that doesn't take into account the difficulty of the course/green. I obviously haven't given this much thought, but wouldn't something like this work: Putts between 2' and 5', average strokes = 1.5 (i.e. you make 50% of them and never three-putt) Putts between 5' and 10', average strokes = 1.75 Putts between 10' and 25', average strokes = 2.0 Putts between 26' and 50', average strokes = 2.25 Putts over 50', average strokes = 2.5 This is obviously rudimentary, but I think it gives a general enough gauge of what the normal hack does on the putting surface. I'm sure there's a study out there that gives more precise average values for "Average Joe" golfers, or maybe you can just use pro stats and judge yourself against the best. Anyway, this whole PGPR stat seems really interesting, and with some tinkering I might try it out this year and see what numbers I come up with.
  17. I'm not sure if this is answers your question, but this is my take on it. I play golf to get "good" at it. Basically, I have a point in my mind where I'll get to the point where I'm a "good golfer" in my estimation. This point doesn't have a tangible notation (like "I want to be scratch"), but just a general feeling. It has to do with both scores and with how I hit the ball. To wit, I want to be able to walk out onto any course and have a better-than-average chance of shooting in the 70s. I want to be able to stand behind a ball, and be able to call upon a shot and have a reasonable degree of certainty that I can pull it off. I don't know if this day will ever come, but that is what I'm shooting for, and that is why I play. It should go without saying that I enjoy the game of golf, and the challenge of getting to this mythical "level" in my head. This might have something to do with my naturally competitive nature, in that to enjoy something I have to be good/getting better at it. Otherwise, I wouldn't put myself through all the ups and downs this great game provides.
  18. Good lie: Try to muscle up on a 4-iron (since I am also currently looking for a good hybrid club to bridge the gap between my 3W (225) and my 4-iron (190)). Bad lie: Just hit a nice smooth 5-iron and leave it a little short of the green, and then try to get up and down.
  19. I black out the number on my ProV1s with a black dot. I used to be really paranoid about the number ball I used (the lower the number, the better I'd play), but I can't really afford to get a dozen balls and only play the #1 balls! So blotting out the number solves that problem.
  20. As Harvey Penick would say: "If you have a headache, just take a couple of aspirin. Don't take the whole bottle."
  21. So, I'm playing with my girlfriend's father this Saturday. We're playing at a public course, but I'm pretty sure he's a "member" (i.e. he pays reduced greens fees, if at all). We played at the course once before. My question is this: what is protocol for me paying for my round? He sent me to the range the first time, and he went into the clubhouse to pay the first time we played. Is it just assumed that, because he invited me to come play, he's picking up the tab? Should I try and pay for myself? I don't want to get into a pattern of him always paying, and then him feeling obligated to do so. What say you all?
  22. Diddy

    OB Rules

    Great minds think alike, jonnythan!
  23. Diddy

    OB Rules

    Think of it this way: Stroke #1 -- hit the ball from the tee into the woods OB Stroke #2 -- bring the ball back to the tee Stroke #3 -- hit the ball off the tee again. Into the woods and OB (again) Stroke #4 -- bring the ball back to the tee Stroke #5 -- hit the ball off the tee again. Hopefully keep it in play this time! That's how I usually think of shots I hit OB. Sadly, I have plenty of time to think about it
  24. Ballybunion is an absolute must. It's expensive (as are a lot of the courses previously discussed), but completely worth it. If you can play while in Dublin, try Portmarnock. It's a great test, pure golf. Lahinch is impressive and worth a trip. If you want another opinion, read "A Course Called Ireland," about a guy who WALKED all over Ireland, from course to course, and played about 80 courses. Usually, people just talk about the biggies (BallyB, Doonbeg, Old Head, etc), but ACCI talks about a bunch of hidden gems, even 9-holers, that nobody really talks about. Worth a read.
  25. My dad and I learned the game together through that book, and I still keep some of the same swing thoughts from the book 15 years later. I think the beauty of the book is that even if you take only one or two thoughts from the book, it's still a worth-while read. And if you do learn something, don't take the whole bottle of aspirin :)
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