J.P.

Those courses are middle to low tier. Bali Hai is noisy next to the freeway and airport. Desert Pines has a bunch of pine trees struggling to survive wishing they were back East at the course DP is copied from in the Carolinas. LV National can be crowded and is narrow. I like the Paiute courses - do the Wolf. Also look at Bears Best to the West of the Strip, and Rio Secco to the South East in Henderson, NV. A little cheaper, but very cool is Tuscany golf course due East. All can be reached in under 30 minutes - Paiute may be pushing it. Look these up. They are all far better than what you have so far. Trust me. Have fun!

Based on those numbers, possibly, BUT, why not work to get that speed back!!! Watch your swing in a mirror, check coil, lag etc . . See a PGA Teacher that can look at you on video, Do whatever you have to do to get your speed back! It makes golf more fun! Good Luck!

jmurdock, I too have wondered about this. I tried the Pro V1 a while back, and found that for me, it simply curved too much off of my long clubs. Be it an intentional draw that hooked too much or a loose swing/open face slicing into trouble. The Pro V1x curves left and right LESS than the Pro V1; could rephrase this to say it is less workable, but also less penal on poor shots. Problem is, it takes a high amount of club head speed to maximize V1x potential. I always thought at my 100mph swing speed, this ball was not getting compressed well, but since i use it when its hot out here, it worked ok. SO, I took the Bridgestone Challenge! Of course they set me up with a Bridgestone ball, in particular, the B330s. They said for me, I was getting more ball speed with it than with the e5's. Still, I was concerned because as has been stated, B330s competes directly with Pro V1 - I was worried about that excess side spin taking my draw into a hook and getting me in trouble. My concerns were unfounded. I could not be happier with the B330s. I am hitting it farther than I did the V1x, but probably due to getting it to compress more. (it may not be the case for those swinging at 110 etc) It does not curve as much on bad swings as the Pro V1 did to me. It is awesome in the wind, and is sensational around the greens. It will easily spin back on the greens similarly to Pro V1 - (not always a good thing) and its durablity is fine. (just played 18 yesterday with one ball) Lastly, the reason I went to Bridgestone was on the recommendation of Hot Stix golf. They wanted to get my driver spin down, and said the B330s would take off a couple hundred rpm's and so improve driver launch dynamics. Hot Stix also suggested the Tyalormade Black to accomplish the same, though I have not tried it. This is only my personal experience and not intended to be a commercial. Good luck!

Not to hijack the thread, but that's the number we should compare. How do peoples smash factor change with handicap or do they? At Hotstix in Az, while i have a rather slow swing speed, 98-100, I was getting decent ball speed 142-147 with decent smash factor numbers 1.45-1.47 Maybe some could add this info in addition to ball speed if they have it??

My last round of golf, my pinseeker 1500 range finder somehow found its way out of my cart and onto the ground. I have no idea how, even now. Group behind us caught up to us on the next tee before I even knew it was missing and asked if it was mine. I produced the empty case for it along with a stunned expression, and they gave it back. That's why golf is different than most other sports. Good people can be found on the golf course. I always am considerate of how players will feel if they lose one of their hard earned golf tools. Besides, their wife will never let them buy another one!

What do some of you outside the US know about how the european players feel about Nick Faldo? I seem to hear an awful lot about how he is not well liked by many peers? I know the captain never hits a shot, but could it affect the Team concept if there are some players who have some reason to not like this guy? Maybe all the current players are too young to remember the things that bothered the vets about him. Can't really see a rout for either side this time.

Wonderful evaluations! I too have played the Boulders. Awesome scenery and track. I did get to play faster and without angst you experienced. I saw a coyote darting across one of the long par 3 greens just before I tee'd off. Nice place - could be more reasonable price wise. Thanks for the heads up!

I think many people tee it up that high for a few reasons. 1. Higher tee height promotes a flatter swing plane - good with the driver. 2. The "tall face" club heads of today have sweet spots higher off the ground 3. Vertical Gear Effect improves launch dynamics - by striking the ball higher on the face - just above middle face - you launch the ball higher and with less spin - a condition that will maximize carry. Tee it high and watch it fly!

I am not a negative person, but in this case, I must say, it won't happen. I will take a bit different angle. Green Speed. Ultra fast greens have a way of affecting every aspect of the short game. By everything, I mean how deep into the green to carry the approach shot without quality spin on the ball? How far on do I land the sand shot to let it roll out? Do I dare chip & run with a 7 iron, even a 9 iron? My sand or lob wedge out of greenside rough with no spin to a tight pin? Not happening. Then they have to putt. When putting, there will always be this subtle, or not so subtle, fear and uncertainty present. Maybe they have a 15 footer for birdie that at home they would challenge - at Torrey, they will be apprehensive about running it to far past for fear of the comebacker. So, no birdie. How good is their lag putting from 30 feet, 40 feet etc. . . Fast greens create apprehension in the short game - which will prevent them from performing at a level they are used to at home. Short game mistakes will add up quickly and will likely be the reason they shoot over 100.

I too remember this phenomenon. However, it is not supposed to be the case. My recent experience playing white tees (around 6000 in Vegas) found me shooting 78 with maybe just 2 driver tee shots, several 3 woods, and long irons off the tee. That took away OB penalty strokes etc... The short length also allowed for easier to hit short irons into the greens. I think it was 12 GIR. Normally from 6700 to 7000, Driver is in play on most holes and even when its in the fairway, the longer iron is more difficult/prone to error when hitting approaches. I have been at a point - when I couldn't hit a 3 wood any better than a driver or a 9 iron better than a 5 iron - it's these type of problems that find one scoring the same no matter what tees they choose . . .

I view the shot from behind the ball and hold the club vertical (toe in the air) with my right hand and bring my left hand in from the SIDE. Once I like where the placement is, I bring the right hand into postion. While this is happening, the shaft is aiding in downrange aim and target finding. I actually pay close attention to this detail before every shot - practice and while playing - it eliminates a variable when diagnosing bad shots . . .

I wasted 6 years thinking I could learn golf on my own - I have visited a golf school 4 times a year for a couple years now, and worked hard on the issues and am improving dramatically. The handicap in my sig is from before lessons. We will see later this year - what it could be down to - I did not want scoring pressure while changing my swing. Get a good instructor and practice what he says ! You will improve!!

There is a very nice and reasonable course 20 to 30 minutes East of Scottsdale in Fountain Hills, AZ. Take a look at their web site - this is a very nice place - a reservation, but no housing development around it. Just you and nature! Go Early! We-Ko-Pa Golf Club. wekopa.com Have Fun!

No - not at all . . . I went to get fitted for the "woods" portion of my set at Hotstix in Scottsdale. They suggest components for you that match best with your swing speed, spin rate, swing tempo and skill level etc. . . A big component of fitting is the shaft you get as well and the frequency they build it to, so don't get so caught up in the heads on the shaft. I am quite certain a perfectly fit shaft would tempt you to buy a head you previously did not like. Good Luck!

Europe recently has putt much better than USA. I don't get it with very good putters like Tiger, Phil, and Cink. When we make putts, as did Couples, and Demarco in Past Presidents Cups, USA wins. Still kinda early though . . .