Able Hands

When I take my wife out, almost weekly now, I ask at the beginning of each round... Do you want help, or just to be left to your own swing? Alternatively I'll say, if you want help ask, otherwise I am going to keep my mouth shut. If I tried to feel my wife out on the golf course I'd get SMACKED!

I just had this happen a few weeks ago. Stood on the par-3 tee box, for ten minutes. The chuckle head knew that I was there, and just never moved. Instead of getting angry, or forcing a confrontation, I skipped the hole and returned to it later. Let in the day I was playing out a par-5 when the same guy came past me in the fairway, headed to the green I was playing to. I thought CRAP, I'm gonna have to stand in the fairway now until he's done. When I drove up to the top of the hill to see if it was safe to hit, he was sitting well off the left side of the green waiting for me to play through. While I was angry at the first interruption in play he did a good job of diffusing the situation, both by staying out of the way and apologizing for not moving off the hole.

That is basically my goal as well. My "dream" goal is to break 80, but as yet I have yet to convince myself that it's realistic. I think a real goal for this year is to get playing to the low to mid 80's most rounds. I watched Phil's short game DVD, and have started putting some of it into to practice. When I concentrate, it works!

Good question... I always assumed all of them were measured to the center of the green. Soon, it won't matter for me. We just switched phone services, and I'll have a new Droid on Tuesday. Step two will be finding and installing a decent Golf GPS package.

With any luck the first few holes should tell you the condition of the course overall. Hitting a driver and it runs and extra 50 yards, may speak volumes about the rest of the round. I say play shot-by-shot. Hard greens and fairways, hit short and let it run... Or visa-verca. Good luck, and enjpy the round!

Played a practice round today, hitting 2-3 balls for every shot (BLAZING hot here so the course was empty). Didn't keep score or anything, and for the most part it would not have been pretty if I did. However on the fourth hole, I hit my driver and pulled it dead left. The breakthrough is that I actually "felt" what I did wrong, rolling my right hand over at impact. I hit my 2nd ball, just a nice controlled swing, and pasted it. I wished I had a gps so I could measure it. My honest guess, with carry... bout 325!!! The wonderful thing is that, that was not the only highlight of the round. I quit hitting multiple balls on 8 and 9 because I needed to get off the course. I finished birdie, birdie!!! 8 & 9 are both par 5's, on 8 I was putting for eagle, hit some chunk of crap half way to the hole and missed the put by the amount the chunk moved the ball. On 9 I hit exactly the drive I wanted to hit (a rare occurrence), 3w to the fringe, and chipped to 2-feet! I call it a successful day!

There was a thread a few days ago "Do you play a worse course..." I posted about the course I play all the time, and sort of let them have it with regard to the first three greens. I played there the other day, and there was a notice on teh clubhouse door that the course would be closed all of next week for repairs. Turns out they are going to redo the first three greens. ALL NEW GRASS!!! Can they really redo three greens and have them playable in a week? All of them are pretty good size. Do they stand a reasonable chance of staying in good shape? They do have a greenside sprinkler system. I am really psyched about this, but a little nervous for them at the same time. They certainly can't get much worse, but I hate to see them sink all of this money into the greens to have them fail. This cannot be a cheap undertaking.

That makes sense. Thanks. If I did that I'd probably never get the ball of the ground.

Can someone explain to me why Phil is pounding the ground on the tee box when he is hitting a FW? I've seen him do it for every tee shot he hits with the FW. It looks almost like he is trying to create a small dent in the ground with the toe of the club, and then he sets the ball down into it.

When I was playing Maxfli rocks I could play a couple rounds with one ball. I just switched to Topflight Gamers, so I am losing a lot more into the woods on mis-hits. The spin that the Gamer provides, in comparison to my old ball, means I am losing more than I have in a long time. If a ball makes it through 9, it gets retired and goes into my practice basket for chipping at home.

I bought a box of "Almost Golf" practice balls from Golf Galaxy last year for my son to hit around the yard. I've hit them a hand full of times, but my yard is too small for a full swing with just about any club. I did take a few out in the front yard last year and I was hitting them over the house with a LW. Ball flight seemed pretty realistic, but the wind/breeze has a larger effect. I can't speak to plastic balls.

Based on the majority of answers I think I'll pick up a gap wedge. I am happy with my selection of longer clubs at the moment. I have only owned one hybrid, an Adams hybrid 3, and I could not hit that club to save my life. I just bought the Cleveland Launcher a few days ago, so I am still try to figure that club out. When I hit it nice, boy does it sound great and fly nice. Thanks for all of your input!

Today is a prime example why I don't "normally" quit. I hit my one and only decent drive of the day, about 260 down the left side and on the short stuff, leaving about 140 to the green. 2nd shot was right off the toe and maybe I gained 15 yards, but under a tree in the right rough! Pulled it out from under the tree, and took the blasted penalty stroke AGAIN!!! Next shot was the most beautiful 9-iron I may have ever hit. Three feet from the pin, and still managed to bogey the hole... You just have to LOVE this game!!

I got the 60 used about 10 years ago for free. I don't guess I really KNOW if it's worn out or not, more curious if wedge technology has improved as dramatically as the rest of the game in that time frame.

I have room in my bag for two more clubs. You can see the clubs I carry in my sig. What would you add? I'm thinking at least one wedge to fill the gap between my PW & SW. Dick's has the Taylormade RAC wedges on sale right now 2 for $100. Good deal? Anything else I should consider? My current short game set includes: X18R 9i - 41* X18R PW - 46* X18R SW - 56* Cleveland REG 588 - 60* Should I replace the worn out 60*?