iggywriter

93 today...could have been better. I played a course I've never played before, and it was by far and away the most difficult course I've ever played (the scorecard rating wouldn't lead you to think that; it's about as difficult as most of the courses I normally play). Mostly shot bogey (11) with 4 DB, 1 TB, and 2 Pars. The big thing today was really tricky, fast greens (I've never played greens this fast; I would barely touch the ball with the putter and it'd fly, and when I tried chipping or pitching, It'd be one bounce and off). Driving has actually significantly improved; I hit 6 fairways, and had approach shots very close to the green (usually about half a club length short; I decided that since I struggle with long irons, I'd take them out of the bag. The longest iron I had in the bag today was my 5).

A buddy of mine gave me a Bobby Jones 460cc black driver today and I played absolutely great with it! Highlight of today's round, however, was a beautiful 3 wood onto a par 3 that landed about 7-8 feet from the hole. There must have been a closest to the pin challenge earlier in the morning, because a marker was out there. My shot would have won it today had I been there to play in it 🙂 Overall, really solid round. Still some inconsistencies with iron play, but it's getting the better (the last three holes were really good with my 6, 7, 8, and W).

Not sure if it counts, but: Scrambled with some great guys today (foursome). We played an absolutely beautiful course. Shot a 73.

No I mean more in terms of the entire park system (they offer kayaking, trails, a butterfly garden, etc in addition to the golf course, almost all of which is free to the public. It reminds me a little bit of Belle Isle in Detroit, which offers several amazing amenities to the public for free). And okay, sorry. It's 2 and a half gallons then for me (which roughly boils down to $6.25 at current prices; average seems to be $2.59 a gallon).

And I'll be playing them as well. No, it's more of the idea of the course is something I really admire, and supporting it is something I'd like to do (both by playing and donating to the organization that maintains the upkeep of the course). It's not so much the course itself, but the fact that a service like this exists, and that's what I like about it. I wish there were more places like these, funded by super wealthy people looking to contribute to society (the guy who founded this park made his money and gave back to the community; the offer more than just a golf course. It's a pretty incredible place from what I'm reading). Plus, it'll cost me only a gallon and a half of gas (if not less) plus whatever amount I donate when I play. Reasonably, I can't imagine paying less that $25 to play a course in Cleveland. If I pay that same amount with gas figured it, it's going to a really cool organization offering something nobody else is.

Philosophically, I like the idea of the course, and the job that I'll be working isn't all that high paying (so paying for gas in my car --- which gets 60 miles to the gallon doesn't really factor in all that much in terms of the price because a round trip will cost me about a gallon and a half, if that) but I'm taking it because it gets me a step closer to my end career goals. It's a good opportunity, career wise, and it also gives me a chance to experience a course like this and pretty much play all day and not worry about green fees (obviously I will be donating from time to time, so you can call that a minor fee).

So...bit of an update: I just got offered a job in Cleveland, which is only about 90 minutes away. Looks like I'll be playing this course quite a bit in the coming year.

I'm starting to really enjoy this game. My last two rounds have been 81 & 82 (18) at this little executive course near my house (par 62 --- 66 /107 ratings; my regulation course is 69.1 / 124 from the tees I play) for 18; so like this is averaging out to be mid 90's at a regulation course). My short game has really been outstanding; good, consistent chipping and two putting. Also, I'm just madly in love with my Ping Eye 2 irons!

Shot an 82 at the same place I played the other day and shot the 81. I think that's called consistency 😉. In all seriousness, I'm starting to have fun out there!

Thanks for the update. At Red Oaks (the local executive course) I managed to get a hold of there official card to check handicap course info, so I've been going off of that. The other two courses I've played I've been relying off the scorecard.

That makes a ton of sense, because I shot an 81 and an 82 at my local executive course this week ( 66 / 107) and I had broken 100 with a 99 at the closest regulation course near me (69 / 127). I thought I was on the right track, because my first round I shot a 120, and had another 115 in there, so my scores were all over the place and I was expecting to be rated around 28 - 30 (the 18.2 just really caught me by surprise).

Hey folks, I've just imputed the data from my last 7 rounds (the total of what I've played this year) and came out with a number that seems much higher than what I was expecting (I came out with an 18.2). Can someone link me to a good site that has an up to date calculator? And, if at all possible, can someone also explain how the handicap system works? I understand essentially that the idea is to measure potential ability, but how is it completely calculated and what impact does say a really bad round or a really good round have the next time you try to calculate?

I played 18 at my short, executive course (Red Oaks) and had the best round of the year for me (I shot 81; par is 62).

We're talking about Tiger's first run (1997 - 2008) not today when talking about strength of field. Yes, I agree with you that the players today (top to bottom) are much better than back when Jack played. The depth is incredibly more challenging, even during the first run (today's much better than it was 15 - 20 years ago). Okay, sure, Tiger's 81 victories have had stronger fields top to bottom: but what about the top guys during that first run? Who are they, outside of Phil, Sergio and Ernie? Fred Couples is like the next best guy. Harrington had a few good years. There's like nobody else (I guess you could name Furyk or Vijay, but neither of them are on par with Hale Irwin or Johnny Miller). So what if each of these guys would have won more and more majors? They didn't, even when Tiger was absent off and on for a decade. So your top guys for Tiger (during that first run) are: 1. Phil 2. Ernie 3. Vijay 4. Sergio 5. DJ 6. Rory And what about Jack? 1. Tom Watson 2. Seve Ballesteros 3. Lee Trevino 4. Gary Player 5. Arnold Palmer 6. Johnny Miller 7. Hale Irwin Heck, if you want to go even deeper at the end of his run, you've got Greg Norman and Nick Faldo. You can't tell me that those names are worse or less skilled than the guys you named as Tiger's primary challenge during his first run. Here's another thing to consider: Tom Watson in 2009 nearly won the open at 59. If that doesn't say something about how great Tom was, and just how weak the top of the field that Tiger had to contend with during his run was, then nothing else will. It was harder for Jack with the top guys; It's harder for Tiger with strength of depth. To me, it's a wash saying which field was harder to compete in. To me, the rivalries are much more indicative of just how great a player is. With Jack, you've got plenty of guys to pick from. That's not the case with Tiger. And yes, the game is different. You have much more forgiving clubs, and you don't see guys needing to use a 1 iron off the tee to play a long par 3. Putting is certainly different, too. The length of the courses today are longer, but are better kept. Each era presents it's own challenges, and when you're talking about all time greatness, you need to keep that in mind. Anyway, I'm sticking to my guns here: Jack, as of right now, is still the GOAT. At the end of his career, Tiger will likely pass him. What does Tiger need to do to pass Jack? Win at least 1 more major against the field today; if he can dominate these guys like the last generation, then there's no question as to who's the best of all time. And one more thing: Bobby was great. The guy deserves credit for what he did.

I had a very good round with my short game the other day. That was nice. Around the greens, I'm usually pretty good, but everything seemed to click with my SW and putter. Of course, the overall score wasn't great, but that wasn't because of the short game (irons and driver were very inconsistent).