SmiterofPV1x

Better date work for anyone? Throw it out there. I'm also playing tomorrow morning, not the best course in the world but if you're free and want to join up let me know. Playing Oak Tree, Ontario Ohio. Tee time is 9:15. I've got a group but could expand it if someone wants to join. If you've never played this course, you'll love your score.... until you hit holes 8 and 9. The course is a wide open piece of cake, until then. 8-9 have wrecked more under par rounds for me than any other hole, let alone 2 holes that I've ever played. 8 is a mammoth par 4. Usually plays downwind but from the tip it's 488. Card only says 440, but GPS has it pegged at 488. No real trouble but good luck from that length. 9 is a silly short par 5. If you're brave enough to hit driver and can hit a draw, it's an easy hole. However starting at 210 the landing area narrows to 20 yards and you must hit a draw. Straight will go into the woods. Overcook it, it goes into the woods. Way overcook and you're OB. I now play this hole, 6i/6i/w. It's really pretty easy doing this. If you hit that 10% driver shot though this is an easy chance at eagle. I played it this way for many years and have 5x as many double bogeys as eagles here. So far I'm loving the 6i off the tee approach. I won't make eagle unless I hole out, but it's really an easy par hole if you just play it for par. Good luck to you if you don't, lol. Hole 1, I have the most eagles of any hole I've ever played. Maybe as many as all others combined. It's a par 5 of about 500 that's usually downwind, always downhill, easy peasy green, and wide open. Build that lead though, there are hard holes coming up.

If 07/22 isn't the best date suggest any weekend day mid July through August. I'm flexible. If we can get a firm head count for any day in that 6 week span, I'll do the legwork. Morning round at Deer Ridge and afternoon at Ashland Golf Club, or vice versa. If you haven't played them you won't be disappointed. Both are top notch in their own ways. Deer Ridge is a mountain course in NC Ohio, AGC is a Parkland style course that is on the top 20 courses under 50.00 in the US. Total greens fees and cart for both courses will be under 100.00. If there's enough interest I could host a BBQ the night before or after for all. There are two decent and reasonable priced hotels within a mile of my house, and I could also house a few as my guests if you're established and have a good reputation. Since I'm a pretty committed to my job guy I've got enough vacation time that I could take an entire summer off and barely make a dent in the totals. Taking a day or two to make this nice is definitely doable. Post what would work and would entice you to make the trip. I'd love to make this a outing now at this point. Both courses are fabulous and mi casa es su casa for golfers. I've got a smoker that I'd have to say is pretty adept at turning out the best quality foods. The bar is always open here as well. So come for the golf, but we can have a heck of a time the night before or after too. Two perfect courses within 20 minutes of each other, two reasonable priced hotels a minute from me, and a good BBQ the night prior? I'm already in if this happens but I'd travel for it if I wasn't. I don't half ass anything and if I'm going to be involved setting it up, I'll do it right.

What I find really weird, you both live 48 minutes from there and haven't played it! Lol. Seriously though, it's a fantastic course and if you live within 70 miles or so, it's gotta be a once a year course at the very least. They must really stink at marketing if you've never played it, but once you've played it once I guarantee you'd make it an annual must play. I like it more than longaberger/virtues which at one time was in the top 100 courses in the US (maybe world?). The only issue with it is a couple holes are a bit gimmicky. There is a blind par 3 and a 225 yard par 4 (pray for par on that one though but a long hitter could have a go at eagle if they hit a perfect shot). That one requires a very high cut long iron to go for eagle. That's a hole that there are no good misses. I usually hit a long iron and try to be somewhere around the green and pray that I can get up and down. There's about 5ft left of the green that's a good miss but otherwise you are screwed if you're not on the green. No real layup area either except maybe Way left. You'd have a prayer there. Anything right, short, or long is dead and you pray for par. Again, hardest green complexes you might ever see. A pro would annihilate this hole but they could hit an iron into that 5ft gap on the left that makes it easy. Anyways, what a course Deer Ridge is! If you're on point you can beat it into submission! If slightly off it'll be a long day. Several driveable 4's. Several long 4's. Par 5's are gettable. It's a must play in this area.

Let's plan it out then! I work one of the two weekend days but if I have at least 3-4 weeks notice, I can make either weekend day work (I write the schedule, lol!). Anybody down with 07/22? If I can get a firm number I can do the leg work. We could do a morning round at Deer Ridge and maybe an afternoon at Ashland Golf Club. Both courses are worthy of play for anyone that's not a member of Muirfield or Firestone. They're both great. Or we could just do the morning or afternoon round. Doesn't matter to me. Let's see what interest there is and go from there. Deer Ridge is a course that will have you swear you were in the mountains and some of the toughest greens/complexes that you'd ever see. Ashland Golf Club is owned by the eviliest man ever (kidding, he's my kidney stone doctor so while he's a very nice guy I really dislike him!, lol). Both are superb courses that if you haven't played and live somewhat near by, they are must plays. If that date doesn't work, suggest one that does. I'd like to meet some golfing friends in my area so I can be pretty flexible. Just let me know what can work. If we get enough responses maybe we can change this to the NC Ohio summer gathering or something similar. I golf almost exclusively with my dad and my kids so it'll be nice to golf with others. Not that I dislike that but I feel like every round is a lesson from me to all of them (that I'm not really qualified for) and me worrying more about them than myself. Wouldn't trade that time with them for anything but would like to once in a while Tee it up and just play my ball. @iacas sorry for my above misunderstanding. I meant no offense by it. I tend to be a little high strung. It's hard to discern intent on the internet and I hope to learn to do a little better in the future with it. Again, my bad and sorry to have been a pain in any way. That's not what I'm here for at all.

Depends on how and where I'm playing. I have glasses now, thought this would cure me. Not a prayer. I just don't pick up the ball very well. Doesn't matter where I hit it, even with improved 20/20 vision I just don't pick up a small percentage. Luckily I have a pretty good idea based on feel now. I usually know left/right/straight based on feel. I still have one shot or so a round when I play solo that I have no idea. It is frustrating but it's a part of golf. My playing partners act as spotters and depending on money involved usually determines how accurate they are. Last year I lost one that felt dead f****** center. My playing partner told me "right, maybe on the road". Huh??? Sruck with my gut and found it dead center, WAY down the FW. In the dead center of the FW. If you rely on others, consider their views on it. They won't care... sometimes.... if you find it. In fact sometimes they may have motive to not find it. Disclaimer: I don't think that this one wasn't found because it was convenient. I think he genuinely lost it. But if I had just went with it, it'd have cost me a lot of money. So be careful.

Ok. Sorry. Misunderstanding on my part. Didn't mean to say you did. I read it that way, my problem, not yours. Once a problem child somewhere, I have a chip that makes me feel like I'm always a problem child. So I'm always trying to justify it. My bad. I hope you have a fantastic rest of your evening.

Touché. I was banned from a previous website so anytime an administrator from a website gets into me, I feel a little threatened. I'm pretty light, lol. Hopefully you are as well. 🙂 I get that. I went 104/71 (legitimately) my last two rounds. Not many people can say that. It's something I have a gift at. I'm a 90'ish golfer anymore that once or twice a year goes Par or better. 104 is an outlier, 71 is even more so. My last interaction with you, you said to post a swing video. I've been injured pretty ever since so I haven't done so. So I felt that you were being facetious with the swing video thing. It's obvious now that you didn't mean that, but your original post was read as that by me. I'm sorry. I didn't read that as being helpful. It's easy to misread intention on the internet and I apologize that I read yours as that way. Hopefully this will be read in the lighthearted way that it's meant. Have a fantastic night.

I don't think so?? If you are saying that to discredit my opinion because I don't, I take offense! Lol! Kidding, kidding, but that was very accusatory from you, I could care less but I'd much rather be friends. This is your place though so feel free to hammer me with the ban hammer lol! , I've been there other places and I guess I have to get used to it at this point (please don't ban me, lol! I'm really kidding about that, what you see is what you get and if I say something to deserve it, I'll admit it :)) Some places are a little too liberal about that when one hasn't been in the wrong. But I digress..... I can post one if you'd prefer. If you want to see a 120+ SS that nets absolute crap, I'll do it for you. I set up a YouTube channel doohickey in anticipation of giving you something to laugh at awhile back. No one pressed so I felt that it wasn't my best course of action, lol. If you really want to make fun of me, say so and I'll post it. I'm feeling pretty froggy after going 104/71 in my last two rounds (course 104 was a par 71 at 6400 yards, course 71 was a par 72 at 6600 yards, note that both are well outside of my norm, I'm probably a 5-7 HC that hasn't played enough to have any consistency whatsoever). If you'd really like to see a wasted high swing speed let me know. I'll get one of my kids to take a video (" hey kid, hold my beer and film/watch this"). I'm not a huge fan of showing my fat self swinging futility at a golf ball, and I prefer to have FUN anywhere I'm at (hopefully above is read as such). But if you really want to see a walrus taking a healthy poke at a golf ball, sure I can film that. Lol. If im answering directly to your post, no. I don't think I have a member swing post. But show me someone else on here that can go 104/71 in 2 rounds. Lol! Those folks are few and far between. I'm unique!! I'm unique!! Lol!!

I love to hate it's undulations, but yes. It is a pretty crazy course. I shot a tidy 104 today. I'm trying to establish a HC this year and my dad accused me of sandbagging. It's that bad. He's seen me shoot level par before, the last time we played Deer Ridge, I had 40+ putts and was still mid 80's. I think the number was 43 on the putts. Not real sure other than I ruined my best ball striking day ever I choose not to remember that round. Today I played a relatively easy course and shot a 104. Early returns this year makes me want to die. It's ugly and there is not much to say. I took so many penalties it wasn't funny. I atilk had fun, folded with my dad and there is no price for that. Last year I gave him 18 strikes. Today he beat me heads up. P

We'll have to do it then. I'm telling you this course has the scariest greens on a public course in this state, and I doubt I'm wrong. If they're rolling with any speed they are terrifying. Even slow they're terrifying. You miss from 15 feet in the wrong direction, you will be praying for a 20ft come-backer. Its either that or I just can't read greens. Last time I played here I hit some of the best full shots of my entire life. I struck the ball like a tour player, then I had to putt the greens. I was putting 4 footers to not 3 putt. On the first par 5, it played into the teeth of the wind. Hit a knockdown drive into it and then I Knocked a 3i from 230 to 8 feet. Into a huge wind. Might have been the best long shot I've ever hit, it was given the extra juice, kept it low and penetrating, then had enough check up to hit basically on the pin and end up 8ft past. Easy birdie with a chance for eagle? Not a prayer. 3 putt city. Was a sad round as I struck the ball the best I ever had and had something like 43 putts that day. Golf is hard

I found out very quickly the same thing, lol. Hearing everyone I played with tell me that I should go pro made me think I was better than I was. There was a whole lot of difference between shooting -2 on a 6200 wide open no trouble course than there was with shooting a 65 on a pro level 7400 course. I never really sniffed Par past 7000 even with my length. What really dissuaded me of the notion, I met and started playing with a guy that was 49 and preparing for the senior tour (he never made it either). I blew it by him by 60+ yards and still lost to him virtually every time. He was so dang consistent, best golfer I've ever played with. I don't think I ever saw him shoot ever 74, even on hard courses. He'd hit his 5i closer than my PW. He'd also almost never didn't get up and down on the rare occasion that he missed a green, and if I ever saw him take a double bogey I certainly don't recall it. Don't think I ever saw him 3 putt, he either holed it or had a tap in. If that guy wasn't good enough for the senior tour, no way was I going to be good enough for the regular tour. I hope for you that you consider all angles of this. As I tell my kids all the times, don't get to my age and have any regrets. If you truly think this is the best course for you and you won't regret it in 20 years, absolutely go that route. You don't get do-overs in life and I hate for anyone to do something they'd regret. At any rate, good luck with your decision.

I can make that happen but it would probably be sometime after 07/04 this year. I'm sure I'll get some golf in on the weekends too but it's usually an impromptu thing prior to then. I coach baseball and Tball so my weekends are pretty booked until the end of the season. Let's revisit on this after then Deer Ridge is about 25 minutes for me, probably slightly further than that for you and a must play if you've never been there.

I'm off work 51 out of 52 weeks a year on Thursdays. Who is relatively local to Mansfield/ Ashland OH and would like to play some Thursday morning? I'm talking an entirely fun round with nothing (or very little if that's what it takes to get your juices flowing) on the line. Golf for the sheer joy of golfing. Loser buys a beer or ice cream. If coming from any distance (2 ish hours away) I'd pick up the greens fees. I hate driving and as an old sweaty semi fat dude, I wouldn't drive 15 minutes to play a round with me, lol. Let me know and I'll pick up the greens fees tab. I've got some very nice courses surrounding me. I also have access on a few very nice private clubs within an hour of me. I'd prefer to play something like Ashland Golf Club, Eagle Creek, or Deer Ridge before sticking my neck out on any of the local privates. And trust me, outside of Longaburger aka Virtues, these are the best three clubs not called Firestone, Westbrook, or Muirfield Village within 60 miles. Westbrook is even a stretch as I prefer all the other layouts to that place. I'll concede that it's in better shape but aside from the greens it's really a bit of a snooze fest. Greens are 100% legit though and the course conditions are superb. Just a little boring on the layout. Deer Ridge is where it's at if you haven't played it. Not super difficult but it's a course where you'll probably hit every club. Greens are incredibly tough too if you're in the wrong spot. I've had 15 feet going downhill that I just prayed to be within 15 feet for the comebacker. Very fair but those greens are insane if they're rolling a 10+. Time to stop typing before this becomes overly long. If you are up for a Thursday morning round in my area, let me know. I love the game, and I can either look brilliant or horrible. I usually will be able to tell you on the first tee. Lately it's been all terrible. But I'm due for that breakout round. As per usual. Let me know if interested and we'll set something up.

I get it for sure. Back when I was 18-19 I VERY briefly considered making a run at going pro. About the only thing I had going for me was CHS. I could get into the low 140's and typically hit it 60-80 yards past playing partners. Truth was I was better suited to the LD Tour and did ok in a couple LD amateur events I played in. The rest of my game was crap but always being the best golfer in any group I played in made me feel like it was better than it was. If you took away my distance and the short 6k'ish yard courses I usually played I was an average weekend hacker. If I hit it the usual 220 that most did I was a 85-90 type golfer. I usually flirted with Par as everything I played was drive/chip/putt. Pretty easy to make par most holes when you're just off the green in one on a par 4. I entered a couple legit amateur type events and was still the longest in my group every time, but from 7500 yards even being really long I had more than a chip into most holes. Found out I was really good at making 4 from 100 yards out and that was that. I'm now almost 40 and have bled swing speed the past couple years. I'm still in the mid 120's but I can't get spin under control, which might have always been a problem, I just never knew it back in the day of no launch monitors. Ive always hated hitting into any wind so it probably was. Now that I'm almost 20 SS down, it's much more glaring. I used to get so upset over every shot that wasn't perfect. I now have accepted my limitations and just live for the good shots. So if you are comfortable with your decision, I'd like to welcome you to the failed Dream club, lol. I hope you continue to enjoy the game and play at a semi high level for the rest of your life! That's what I've settled for. I enjoy it a heck of a lot more now than I did back then.

I think the whole thing is pretty silly. Sure equipment has gotten better. But that's true for every single piece of equipment. Irons are stronger lofted without sacrificing the ability to get them airborne. Golfers have gotten better. There aren't too many Craig Stadler body types out there. Probably most important to the increase in distance is the pairing of the correct equipment to optimize ball flight. Having proper monitors such as Trackman, etc just about anyone can find the best combo of equipment for them (except me, I can't tame the spin monkey no matter what I do equipment wise, I need to see the swing doctor). There are already limits on CT, ball flight, etc. there are so many ways that they can make distance less of an advantage without FURTHER limiting the the ball. Things such as making sure everyone maintains at least a BAC of .15 on each hole (kidding!), or simply narrowing the longer landing areas and adding hazards as appropriate (although it seems like bunkers are hardly even penal for the pros unless they get unlucky and are right up against the lip-they're such good ball strikers that these rarely hold them back). Personally I like seeing the pros go low. I could care less if the winning score is -30. Those guys are good. There's a reason why they're paid to play a game that we have to pay to play. Trick out the US Open to try to have a score of around par, but otherwise let them rip and if they all become birdie fests, so much the better. If you can shoot 63 from 7500 yards you deserve to win. Just as long as the other guys aren't shooting 62's. Then they deserve to win. Unless the fairways were asphalt and 100 yards wide I'm not shooting a 63 from that length. I'm also not doing it from 6,000. My best is flirting with par very occasionally from 6k.

Good time! Nothing like a vomit flavor jelly bean to soothe the fact that you played like puke! Debating heading to the club to practice with them, but weather is questionable so I don't know. I'm still trying to take it easy on the leg until I find out what's going on so probably won't. Tomorrow we were all supposed to play in an outing from another site, would have been their first experience playing with other golfers so I kind of wanted to see how they'd do out of their comfort level. Then the leg thing happened and I had to let the organizer know last Friday and it wasn't looking good then. Now I could play but I don't know about 36 still which this event was. Oh well, we'll catch one that'll work sooner or later on this site or that one. I have a kid with a weak stomach otherwise I like the idea! I'll have to come up with something, maybe loser wears a pink sports bra over their shirt 👚 the next hole? That would be a pretty fun way to embarrass them (and me 🙂 ). I'll have to turn my diabolical self on and give this some thought 💭.

Awesome! You described it perfectly too. We hate to love it and love to hate it. We're some of the most competitive people out there. Even when playing scramble format and trying to be good teammates to each other, we always have at least a hole or two where we are all ticked off at each other, lol. Three straight terrible shots have a way of killing team unity! Other than my middle son, it's all fun and games though. He sometimes takes it too seriously and I have to have him sit out a hole or two. The flip side to that is that out of all of us he's the only one that has a chance to do something serious athletically. He just turned 13 and he's beat me head to head once. I'm not a scratch anymore, trending solidly the other way, but he's solid. Once he gains some swing speed he'll roast me almost every time. At a minimum I think he'll be a very good to great HS golfer. I understand that past that you've got to be GREAT and have the mental game to go along with it. That's what I worry about with him as he gets too upset too easily. He usually plays better a little ticked off, but that stuff won't fly when he hits competitive golf. Great thread. I love reading about kids playing golf and I love to share my experiences playing with my kids with others. Keep em coming! 🙂

Xed bag (sorry I think I have a 2x post), about what I expected. Hit some good and some really awful. Funny part to that was I was trying to hit the bottom of the flag at about 85 yards into a 20+ wind. I hit a beautiful punch that hit about 6" from the base of the flag. I wasn't trying to keep the ball close I was trying to land it on the flag, and had made my intentions known. My oldest, half paying attention said " oh that was almost good but it ended up too long". Had to reiterate that I was trying to land it at the base of the flag, the hops from there were what they were. Finally got a "nice shot" out of him, lol. The real fun and games started at the short game area. We play a game called "its good to be king". Basically the king is whoever WON the previous set. Not tied the reigning king, but beat him. The King picks the shot and the only rule is that it has to be 30+ feet away. Can be from the rough, fringe, or all putting. The king hits first, giving out the line and negating some of the advantage of all ties going his way. I always start out as king. Tonight I picked an uphill 75 footer and holed it first putt, lol. Next shot was a drop in the rough from 15 off to a nasty right to left breaker, holed that one too. It was good to be king and to close out the "hole" without a fight, lol. Kept up as king for about 8 rounds then lost it on an ugly 3 putt. Won it back a hole later when my kids dared me to only putt one handed, lol. I holed every single putt under 20ft, and a few over that, one handed the rest of the way. I'm thinking I might just leave the left hand in the cart from now on! I was on point! I like when the kids start chanting "old man golf...old man golf!" 🙂

NIce! I hit the range tonight. Haven't swung a club in over 2 weeks due to injury. The range was a mi

I don't blame the doc, that's just good business. Insurances aren't going to pay for an MRI until you've been laid up for a while anyways, so I guess I don't disagree with the approach. When I saw him, 2 days after the injury it was so swollen that I thought the pain was in the center of my calf. Now that the swelling is down some the pain is more interior. He poked and prodded the middle of my calf, told me he didn't feel anything bunched up (Achilles tendon fully ruptured-wouldn't have been even limping in at that point anyways-or a torn muscle that had seperated). It's definitely getting better too I'm going to the club in an hour or so with the kids. I'm not going to push it real hard but I'm going to swing a few, then do some short game work. Or maybe swing once then do some short game work. Or maybe stretch some then do some short game work. Going to have to play this one out on the fly. But I'm tired of sitting out so I'm going to ease myself back into this, at least a little. Half hugs are great from little guys. They're only surpassed by full hugs. I'm taking him with me as soon as he gets off the bus and eats a quick dinner!

Very cool story! My little guy who's now 6 started going with me when he was 3 or so. The first year I had to hold him with one arm anytime I drove the cart 🙂, just so he wouldn't fall out (what he said anyways, I was fine with a half hug every time we drove off!) I'm hoping for the best with the injury, haven't been diagnosed yet but something in my calf popped and even though there isn't much pain (or I'm too old and dumb to feel it) it's swollen about 2x the size of my other leg. Saw the doc and he basically told me to give it a couple weeks and if not better then we'd run tests. I could probably play if I had to but I don't want to make a bad situation worse so I haven't and won't until I see him again next week.

There is NOTHING that beats playing golf with your kids. I've pretty much given up on my game the past few years to focus on theirs. I'm 100% fine with that. I'm so very glad to see your post, I'm laid up right now with injury so seeing someone else playing how we like to play brings a big ol grin to my face. I'm glad you both enjoyed that format, I'm convinced it's the way to go with kids. I always hit last so they never have any pressure. It's up to me to carry the team when they struggle. My middle son is going to be very good with the caveat that he doesn't get too gangly once he hits his growth spurt. He's beat me straight up once (at The Old Course to boot). He had the round of his life and he was hitting 3w closer than I was hitting my 9i. My oldest boy is good for a couple great shots a round but he probably has more fun than the rest of us. He knows he's a hacker and embraces it. What area of the country are you in? I'd love to bring my guys and play a round with you and your son. Don't know the best way to make it fair, but we could haggle about that on the tee. Sounds like a great way to spend a morning or afternoon!:) Enjiy your time with him sir! Once upon a time I was a very good golfer. Nowhere near Tour worthy but par was always in grasp. My entire focus is on THEIR game now. Before that i played and generally didn't have much fun. I enjoy the heck out of it now and am at least 8-10 strokes behind my best. It's all about them now and it seems you have the right perspective.

I did, lol. Mostly anyways, can never be sure given what happened at another much darker place golf site:)

I fully support your decision. This time I'll go a lot quieter than the last time, lol. (Not here of course, I've been nothing but a gentleman here). If you're being serious and referencing another time and another place please feel free to PM me. I'll attempt to explain what occurred there. I take it you're joking but since I've felt the sting of a ban hammer before at another place, I can never be sure.

And.... bogey at 14. Of course. Now he's simply on course record watch. Ho hum day. I had to open my yap:)