Jmuir

I'm on the same green. Let me know when you figure this one out. I was going to get a membership this year but fortunately decided against it. I have played good amount of rounds this year, but not enough to justify the membership fee. The family/work/golf balance gets difficult when kids are added to the mix. Good luck with your decision.

Did you end up playing? If so, how did your round go? My buddies are drinkers that just happen to be on a golf course and only ride. I have found that I really enjoy walking the course and playing by myself or getting paired up with people I do not know. I have better concentration, course management, and just flat out play better. While on vacation last month I got paired with two guys that were 87 and 86 years young. These guys play together everyday and were hands down the best guys I have ever played with. I'm actually looking forward to going back next week and playing with them again.

I average about one round a week. Some weeks I may get out 2-3 times and then go 2-3 weeks without playing. All depends on the kids schedules and what the wife has planned for us. My goal is to play weekly.

I work at an asset management firm.

I'm 35 and started playing at 15. Played seriously from the age of 17 to 21. After that I played only 2-3 rounds a year until last year when I decided to get into this game. So far this year I've played more than in the last ten years combined. Looking forward to many more rounds.

Congrats to your son. He is definitely better than some of my friends. Sounds like you also had a great round. I bet your score did not matter this time.

I am right there with you, except for the time to commit to practice. Two kids and long days at work take up most of my time. I played and practiced a lot through college, but then I had to decide between paying the bills and playing golf. Being cautious about money, bills won. So at most I would get in 3-4 rounds each year and with no time spent practicing. The past few years I played a lot more and towards the end of last season made the decision to get serious about golf and make an effort to get better. First I worked on my swing and striking the ball better. With colder weather approaching I felt this would be something I could work on throughout the winter. I have a pretty good idea of the fundamentals of a swing so I set up a hitting cage and video camera in my garage. After seeing just a few swings the thought of giving up golf for good ran through my mind. I had developed some pretty bad habits. I worked out a lot of the bad habits in the hitting cage and then spent some time at a range that is open year round. Lets just say I was very pleased with the progress I was making and the thought of giving up golf is gone. I started off this year working on my short game. This time I set up a mock hole that will let me work on shots up to 50yds. Just mowed on circle (10 ft in diameter) on one end of the yard with the idea that all shots should land inside the circle and no care where the bounced/rolled to. I have also made an effort to go to a course near the office to work on putting a few times each week during lunch. Although I’m not there yet, I also feel I’m in a better position to play the best golf of my life. My index fell below 10 last month and my goal is to have it down into the 7-8 range by the end of the year. Reading puts is really holding me back right now. Way too many pars when i have birdie putts. Do not know what to think about you scoring better on more difficult courses. I usually score in line with course ratings. Maybe the competitive nature in you comes out and your just play at your best. Good luck with your game! John

For me it is more about how true a green roles. I can adapt to speed pretty well, pre-round warm up consists of 20-30 minutes on the practice green, but my confidence drops if the ball bounces around and will not hold a line. Back to speed. If I had my choice on any given day, I would take a faster green. Easier for me to start the ball on what I think is the correct line with a shorter stroke than a longer/firmer one. John

This is a good place to start for my first post. I currently call Honey Brook Golf Course my home course. Great course that is very well maintained, affordable, and can walk any time. http://www.honeybrookgolf.com/ John