dogburger

Lets be honest here , Links golf is the only true test of golf in the game . Its why the winner of The Open is called the Champion golfer of the year . There are very few who rise to the challenge of links preferring the easier target golf found in the US where we find many over rated players who cant cut it on a real golf course . FFS you must rate the guy very highly if you think he is over rated .

Well in the UK , I guess its the same in the US you first have to join a club to get an official handicap . You then put in some scorecards ,normally 3 , and the club 'estimates ' your playing handicap . It then goes up or down depending on your scores in competitions . Its quite easy to give yourself a handicap if you don't want to join a club and play in official competitions . Just lower it or raise it a shot if you shoot outside -2 and +4 . That should give you a fair handicap when playing casual golf .

About $14 Million so far . Really over rated golfer . lol . (Im banking on this thread coming to an abrupt end in about 8 hours )😉

Im a bit like that myself . Was standing close to Lowry when he was trying to Qualify for the US Open at Walton Heath (UK) a few years back and he was cussing like a trooper in front of kids . Ok maybe having an off day but Id rather see someone else pick up the jug , like anyone from England !

Was in Orlando area a couple of years ago and played some of the courses mentioned . The OCN courses were a grade above the Disney and Falcons Fire though I loved the layout of Falcons . I also played a quirky little course near our house rental called Highlands Reserve which was good fun if not the greatest of challenges but well worth the green fee of under $30

Ive been off the course for about a year now , the pain in my feet meant was just too much both during and after .Arthritis was diagnosed and to cut a long story sideways had to have my big toes fused in place . The lack of activity with not walking the links has meant a weight gain of around 2 stone and a general drop off in my fitness . But , Horray ! Im now pain free and getting on the push bike in attempt to get a bit fitter and will hope to get the clubs out of the garage soon and back on the course . With the unbending toes though Ive no idea of how its going to go . Anyone else had this op ? https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Fusion of the Great (or Big) Toe_NBT002182.pdf

I was playing behind the captain and his wife a few years ago and they were that slow I fired a drive up behind them in the hope they would let us through . The Captain came marching back toward me and obviously quite distressed shouted that I had nearly hit his wife . I told him to ask her to stand still and I would have another go ……….. Anyway further to previous replies the shouting of 'fore!' was I believe to alert the 'forecaddie' who is positioned ahead of the game to see where the ball lands . Of course today its used as a warning to others on the course that you have hit a bad one .

If you don't want to pay 100's of pounds there are some decent courses in and around South London /Croydon where you can test your game . A lot of the big money courses for me are so to keep the riff raff out rather than them being great courses . Snobbery comes to mind and the difference you will pay will not reflect some great leap in quality . Addington Palace , Croham Hurst and Mitcham are all very well kept courses with differing challenges that wont break the bank .

I played there in 1980 ! I was camped up the road with a few lads who as well as keen hackers were football fans and we had driven to Italy to see England in the European Championships . Getting tear gassed by the Italian police at the first game v Belgium wasn't great and my Father who was also with us decided to ditch the football and turn it into a golf trip . As with Naves account my great memory of Le Fronde was the friendliness of the people . We played three rounds there and were even invited to play in a competition at the weekend for free where we fielded an England team in a texas scramble . The memory (It was some years ago) that I have of the course was the dramatic change in elevation on some of the holes . Great fun and fond memories of the people of Le Fronde . Shame I couldn't say the same about the tear gas happy Italian police.

This is going to be a long night . Its 22.45 in the UK and the leaders are just teeing off …….And Rose hits it in the crap ………..as does Woodland .

Surely your handicaps are what they are due to competition golf which is always off the back tees ? I don't think moving to the forward tees for casual golf makes a lot of difference to players such as myself who have decent distance off the tee . My handicap is what it is because I struggle around and on the greens . (I think that's what DavePO43 said)

Everyone plays awful golf . Its just a question of how many good shots you can hit while your doing it

Its a tradition that still holds at my club and I have hole in one insurance tagged onto my cover for all things golf . Id be more than happy to buy the round if I were lucky enough to achieve the feat . Ive been to some clubs where hole in one is marked by the player buying a bottle (normally brandy or Whisky) and leaving it on the bar with a few shot glasses . This seems a good compromise of marking the occasion and not having to sell the family silver to pay for it .

I like having all my clubs with me at all times so carry most of the time . The odd social round with a pal and a cart full of ice cold beer is not to be sniffed at though . As far as I know carts are not allowed in the UK for competition rounds without a medical exemption .

I thought when I hit 60 that would be it but have pleasantly surprised myself by smashing my best ever by 12 shots twice in the past three weeks . Don't ask me ,Im hitting straight long drives ,chipping like never before and if I could only putt Ive told my pals Im turning pro ! Well not quite but Im enjoying it while it lasts