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*?

Went out for 9 with the wife today. I played like absolute garbage shooting 53 (with one par, one bogie, and doubles and triples everywhere else), she beat me on three holes shooting 61 We had a fantastic time. I know many, if not most, men prefer to have their golf game to themselves. For me, I love getting out there with her. I still prefer to play by myself as I can concentrate on my game more. But as she continues to progress, and fall in love with the game, it is really fun to watch. Plus, when she gets good enough the challenge will become to not let her beat me. She's a good putter, which is my biggest weakness!

I wanted to leave them on the course, but no. We let our son play out the 9th hole, and then left. A little later in the day I returned to the course and hit a bucket of balls at the range just to clear my head from the morning. Like I said, I doubt that I will ever do it again... It was a really bad example to set for my son.

Both options have their place. If you have a SLOW course (not many other players) in your area, I'm an advocate of course work rather than range work. However, this early in your game, you would be well served by a lesson or two and then try to groove that swing on the range. Trying to "figure it out on your own" will most often result in frustration. If you choose course work, pick a specific part of your game and work on it in real world conditions. Many ranges use limited flight balls, making it hard to gauge distance. The two ranges I occasionally hit at both use this type of ball. I prefer to hit my ball on a real course, and work on specific parts of the game. For instance I am hoping to get out tomorrow, and my plan is to work from 100 and in. I will play the round completely differently to ensure that I have 2nd, or 3rd shots from that distance. Take your time, enjoy the process, and don't expect to be on tour any time soon!

I used to use Bullg frog, but it gummed up so bad forming littles balls on my skin that I quit using it. Back in the day, PreSun was my favorite. It was expensive as hell at 12.00 for a 4oz bottle 6 years ago, but it went on clean lasted all day on the lake fishing, and I never got so much as a hint of color using it. Then it just vanished from all of my local stores!

I searched this (and others) thread hoping to find a "best of" sunscreen for us golfers. I am amazed at how many folks don't protect themselves, or take sun protection so non-nonchalantly. As a person that has scar tissue over at least 30% of my back and inside my left arm pit, let me assure you that malignant melanoma is not only real, it is frankly the scariest thing I have ever been through. I was diagnosed at age 32, so it's not strictly an old persons affliction. When my GP got a look at the 25-cent piece sized mole on my back he was aghast. A biopsy happened on the spot and was RUSHED! Two weeks later I was under the knife at UNC Chapel Hill's Cancer center. It took almost 6-weeks for me to regain limited use of my left arm due to the number of stitches, staples, and depth of the incisions. I state all of the above not as a scare tactic, but to inform. I have to put on sunscreen everyday... and I HATE it!!! The alternative is to do nothing and risk committing long term suicide. I am always on the lookout for a product that will do a better, less greasy job. But honestly throwing a golf club due to greasy hands should be the least of worries. If you play golf, you are in the sun for a minimum of 2 hours for nine holes. That is more than enough time for you to get burned, and it only takes that one burn to cause cancer. Meaning you may get burned for your whole life with "no ill effect". Or you may be LUCKY like me and get the one burn that changes everything. And for those of you that are thinking, I only ever "tan"??? A tan is only a light burn!

I walked off the course for the first time in my life a few weeks ago. We went out as a family, wife and 10-year-old son. I posted on here about it afterwards. I doubt that I will ever do it again. In hindsight it was a horrible example to set for my son.

I say if you scored it post it. I would also like to say that this is one of those threads that could have easily gone bad in a big way. I have read quite a few threads on here that got really ugly. I'm impressed that the tone of this thread has stayed so pleasant... Keep it up!

If it's been a while since you played it, they are making huge progress... With the exception the first three greens, it's really starting to look more like a golf course. They still have a ways to go, but they are getting there. Next time I'm out I try to remember my camera and take a few pictures to show the difference between the good & bad greens. They really need to update the website to show their progress.

From the airport it shouldn't be more than 35-40 minutes. Google says 32 minutes. Keep your expectations low and go to: 8025 Country Club Drive, Garner, NC

I have never gps measured any of my shots, but I'm pretty sure I would average 230-260 on good drives. That number shrinks drastically when I factor in the shank, or severe slice which creeps into my swing from time to time.