NoGimmies

Hey Trog, good to know you. There's a lot of golfers around I'm sure but we don't see too many folks from our neck of the woods, huh?! Cheers!

I don't know the rules well enough to really argue based on knowledge, but it would seem to me that your logic doesn't make sense. (Of course it IS golf we're talking about, how much DOES make sense in this game! ) But, she took a backswing. She started a downswing (obviously, since the ball ended up going ~50 yards) and made contact with the ball. How is that NOT intending to hit it? Who starts any downswing WITHOUT the intention of hitting the ball? Just because the ball happened to move on the tee and she didn't make solid contact, to me, has nothing to do with her intention to hit it or not. Only possible scenario I could see is that she tried to pull a Tiger and wasn't strong enough to completely stop the downswing - in that case I could see that a rules official who was watching her swing could determine intent and might allow her to re-tee...

I would highly recommend GolfCard, but NOT as a GPS / yardage device. The statistics and scoring program in GolfCard is excellent--lets you track all sorts of details and then email or upload the round right from the phone. But most GPS units are only going to be accurate down to ~20 feet or so. That's almost 7 yards! And it's a +/- error, so you really may be getting a reading that could be more than a club off... For me, I'll stick with my Bushnell any day of the week. I can get exact yardage to any point or distance. Granted, sometimes it is a little tricky to pinpoint the flag, but that doesn't happen often, and when it does you can always find something within a few yards to give you a reading. (Which would make it as accurate as GPS for those instances! LOL) I've not tried the SkyCaddie's so maybe they're different, but I do know that for GPS measurements I wouldn't trust my iPhone at all.

If your honkers are like our honkers, its usually guys between the teens and early 20's who probably know just enough about golf to know that loud noises can be distracting. Either that or they're trying to see who can do the best Tiger Woods impression--full downswing stopping midway before impact. Now THAT is some impressive stuff! Either way, they're just goofballs who don't know any better and think they're funny. I wouldn't waste the golf ball trying to hit 'em personally! LOL

Doesn't that part about "before the clubhead reaches the ball" mean anything? She had to have hit it, right? P.P.S. -- The only Rules Officals who never make mistakes are the ones giving you a ruling. All the others are fallible! LOL

Awesome!! Make sure you save your scorecard!

YES!! Thanks for the clarification! That is the one I was thinking of... I knew Mike Ahrnsbrack when he was in northern Virginia (he's back there again I know) and played Musket Ridge a few times right after it opened. Cheers!

I don't think this is a cut-and-dried situation. Some putts don't take as long to read as others...if you're playing in a tournament and you have a downhill left-to-right breaker on greens rolling 11-11.5, you're probably going to be a little more careful in reading that putt that you would be on, say a 15 footer, straight uphill on slower greens in a round with the guys/girls from work. That being said, I think that every player should be analyzing their putt from the moment you approach the green complex. Look at the mounding, see where the ground slopes (in the big picture, I mean), imagine how a bucket of water would drain off of the green if someone poured it out standing in the center...Watch other players in your group to see how their putts react around the hole. All of this gives you the general idea of your putt and how it is going to break. When it comes time for your turn, your final read should really be to determine the line you want to hit the putt on AND how hard you want to hit it. Honestly, when it comes down to choosing the correct line versus choosing the correct speed--most amateurs would be MUCH better served focusing on speed. Keep your misses inside of 2 feet and you're going to have a lot fewer 3-putts... And after all of that, to answer the question (LOL )--I generally take about 10-15 seconds behind the ball once it is my play. A few seconds to get the read, a few seconds to line my stripe up on the line I want and then I'm up and getting into my stance. Cheers! - Micah

My experience is that most range memberships are much more than $350... It depends upon the type of course, of course ( hee-hee!), but if the range balls are good quality and you have the ability to use a short-game area as well? That is awesome! It does sound quite reasonable to me and if you have a lot of free time for the rest of the season and can get in several 2-3 hours sessions every week, you'll not regret it. Good luck! - Micah

Hi All: Been passionate about golf for 30+ years...got my game to a pretty respectable point a few years ago, then had a kid and haven't been able to work or practice much since! Still love to play--wish I had more chances, but there will be time to polish up the game again! (At least I hope so! LOL) Look forward to making some friends here, and to discussing some of what makes this game great. If anyone is on Facebook or Twitter and wants to link up as friends, just let me know! I love to talk golf! - Micah

Welcome to the game, Son... There are some terrific courses in your area, and you have the luxury of golfing year-round for the most part! (I played in a tournament over New Year's in Williamsburg a few years ago and we were wearing shorts--70* weather for the day!) The Golden Horseshoe is my favorite complex down there... If you can get out on the Gold course you will play some of the best par-3s in the entire region! (Green course ain't too shabby either, BTW...!) - Micah

From CT but going to UVA?? As a UConn alum who lived in the Blue Ridge area (Front Royal) and now is in the NORTHERN Blue Ridge area (Martinsburg, WV - LOL) let me welcome you to the area! Lots of good courses in your neck of the woods, although I haven't played many in Charlottesville...more to the south. If you can, check out the VSGA program. They sponsor one-day flighted tournaments (using handicaps) at a lot of the premier courses--its a great way to have some fun and to play nice courses for not too much $$. - Micah

Hey Dave -- I live in Martinsburg...not too far away! Where do you play in Frederick? I've got friends from Baltimore and whenever we try to find somewhere that is relatively equidistant from ourselves, we come up empty... Maryland National and (shoot, I'm drawing a blank...the Joe Lee design off of I-70 right there in Middletown?? Grrr....) well, that other one, are nice but a little expensive for me. Hagerstown has a few good munis -- Black Rock is really nice for the price. - Micah

Hey Tyler...I'm in Martinsburg WV. Not too far away and I used to be closer (lived in Front Royal for a few years). Great golf courses around this area, for sure. If you get out toward the Shenandoah Valley, check out Blue Ridge Shadows. It's very new, but really nice. Raspberry Falls in Leesburg is an awesome Gary Player design that is closer to where you're at too... Have fun and good luck! - Micah

Hi Eddie...really if you were hitting the ball with any consistency in your first lesson, you're doing awesome! Golf is a hard game--doesn't look like it should be, but it is! Good luck! - Micah