grizfan

Some very good recommendations, I've had a lot of luck with golfwrx.com's classified section, as well as callawaygolfpreowned.com. Also, Globalgolf.com and 3balls.com are good resources. I've purchased from all 4, with great results.

Some good advice here. It sounds like you're game is similar to mine in that you're still learning the game. At this stage, I think consistency is probably more important than the specific ball you pick. I would look for a ball that won't break the bank, and does fairly well around the green. The Gamer V2 would be a great option. Basically, don't pick a ball that is way better than your game. Also, stick with the same ball. As you learn the game, one less variable is a good thing ;)

Hey - I do that ;) For me, when that happens it is because my back hand is too active. I'm a lefty, so its my left hand. basically, I'm trying to do too much with my left hand, and I wind up throwing the club into the ground behind the ball. I was able to diagnose this through video lessons. By focusing more on my lead hand, I get more lag and much better contact. I'm not explaining it all that well, but hopefully you get the idea.

I'm in a similar position, though probably closer to 18 than 36 at this point. I've taken some lessons, and I'm currently getting video lessons from Golf Galaxy. So far, these have proven to be the most effective, possibly because of what I learned at earlier lessons. My wife got me the 3 pack of lessons for Christmas. The Golf Galaxy lessons are 30 minutes, and I've been going every other week. For someone at our skill level, I like the 30 minute format, with video. There are so many things to work on, it is easy to lose focus. With 30 minute lesson, you pick one or two areas to concentrate on, then really work them. The video really helps, too. I then have something to take to the driving range for practice. Any longer, and I would worry that I'd have too much to work on during my practice time. So, 30 minutes, no more than once a week. Before going, though, have a goal. For a beginner, maybe start with the basics of good ball striking. With a goal, you know when you are done, at least with that phase. Then, play a bunch, find out what you might need to work on next, and get some more lessons.

I've heard that lefties account for about 20% of the population. If golf retailers had 20% of their inventory for lefties, I'd be OK with that, but no such luck. My local Golf Galaxy is OK for lefty gear, but my local Dick's Sporting Goods runs hot and cold, and the local Sports Authority store completely ignores left-handed golfers. So, I wind up buying a lot of stuff online based completely on reviews.

Do restraining orders count?

I have to strongly disagree with what you say here. My experience is the complete opposite. I've found kids to be very honest and sincerely interested in doing the right thing. Adults tend to be the problem, especially those with cynical views like this. I've coached youth sports for the last 8 years and have 4 kids of my own. Because of that, I spend a lot of time with kids ranging in age from 7 or 8 to 15 or 16. I'm actually quite impressed with the younger generation. Hopefully they can make it to adulthood without succumbing to this cynicism.

I'm a big fan of buying used, especially for those new to the game. I've had great luck with used clubs from Globalgolf.com, 3balls.com and the used bin at my local Golf Galaxy. As long as you buy from a reputable dealer, you should be fine.

Another victim of raised expectations ;) I've been through this cycle myself. Just when you think you might be learning something, you put in a round on the course that proves otherwise. As others have mentioned, gut it out. It does take time, but it is possible. Keep hitting the lessons, and pay attention to you major faults. During your lessons, learn to identify when you make your most common mistakes. This ability to catch and correct your top 3 or 4 swing faults will help keep your from going off the rails while on the course, and will help you get back on track when it does happen. Final tip - from your original post, I saw a lot of frustration (easy for me to recognize because I've been there myself). Learn to keep this frustration under control and learn how to put your mistakes behind you. Otherwise, it can spiral out of control pretty quickly (that's how a lot of clubs take flight and other nasty behavior). Keeping your head when your game turns to crap is a skill in its own that everyone should work on.

I ordered a bucket of 100 4-star Taylormade TP Red LDP balls a couple of weeks ago, with a huge bag of tees thrown in. About $75 for everything. Order arrived promptly, and all but two of the balls are what I'd consider good to excellent. I've officially bought my last golf ball in a store, now.

Several options available. I have the Callaway uPro which offers free downloads of standard courses. They have a feature called pro-mode which offers a more sophisticated view of each hole that costs extra (but, the more you buy, the lower the unit price). The pro-mode is entirely optional, though, and the normal mode gives you all the basic measurements. Garmin, Sonocaddy and Golf Buddy also have units with no annual fee. Others, such as the Bushnell Neo have an annual fee, but once you've downloaded a course, you don't need to renew the fee to keep it.

At this point in your game, I would focus more on where to buy than what to buy (well, maybe that's overdoing it a bit...) Drivers seem to be very personal, something you need to get comfortable with. As a result, there's a large market for "slightly used" drivers. People will buy a new driver, take it to the range, not like the feel of it, and unload it at a good discount. So, until you really know what you want (and even then, its a bit of a crap shoot), stay away from your local big box stores. You can either invest the money in getting fitted, or go the bargain route. for the bargain route, check out callawaygolfpreowned.com, 3balls.com or globalgolf.com (to name a few). Lots of options for the slightly used to closeout drivers, at a big savings. Then, with the money you save, get some lessons. As a beginner myself, my $90 Cleveland Hi-Bore driver (new last year from 3balls.com) combined with $150 spent on lessons blows away any $250+ driver without lessons.

Pay a visit to rockbottomgolf, they have some great deals right now on golf GPS units. The Callaway uPro for $249 is a great option. No annual fees, good course selection and lots of nice features. They do have some paid extras (the "pro mode" course layouts) but those are one-time fees and entirely optional. Also, for the basics, the Bushnell Neo is quite attractively priced. I've heard the mobile phone golf GPS apps can be tough on battery life, but are also an option. But, there are some really good prices on dedicated golf GPS units right now, especially for the Callaway units. I'd start there.

Xanax and lessons. Or... offer to go golfing with him and a video camera, partly to capture his swing for analysis, but then you can capture all the bad behavior, too. He's completely succumbed to his frustration. His expectations for his game are far removed from reality and he needs to do something to break the cycle of frustration he's in. Maybe seeing himself on the course will snap him out of the spiral he's in so he can take a step back and get some perspective.

I'm in a similar situation, maybe a year further along than you are. At this stage in your progression, you should see huge advances in your game from lessons (with a few relapses thrown in...) I would highly recomend lessons, but spread them out a bit, to give yourself time to apply what you've learned (and mess it up again at times). If you were to hook up with a good instructor with maybe one lesson a week (with some range time and a round thrown in between each lesson), I bet you could drop into the 90's. Not only will you see your score drop, but your ball-striking ability should go up quite a bit, which (at least for me) went a long way to improve my enjoyment of the game. I still have tons to learn, but lessons have easily been the best money I've spent on golf. I've back-slid a few times, but the next lesson gets me back on track, and I now know a LOT more about what it takes to make a good swing and what I specifically do wrong.