Dloy

Retire mid year to Fall, play at least once per week thereafter and whittle away at my handicap. Maybe get into single digits sometime in 2018. Got some work to do, but it's work I like. Walk more, carry less.

I want to believe this guy (and his partners) is/are honest. Seems likely that the foursome in front is having a chuckle, at least on the par 4s, if the greens are just out of sight from the tee.

I'm in the 14 HI range, and distance isn't my problem either. As mentioned in another thread, roughly half of my rounds are "walk-ons". Whether I'm playing with new friends or old golf buddies, I play what they play, usually white but often enough blue. If I kept close track, the blue or black rounds are probably a slightly higher scoring average. My short game is fairly decent and that is the equalizer.

Winner

Not advice per se, my irons are the original Hogan Edge. Possibly the first perimeter weighted, cavity back forged irons, circa mid 80s I think. I MAY change them out some day, but maybe not. It isn't clubs that are holding me back. "It's not the arrow", so to speak. I'll second comments on the fitting process though. I have had my clubs re-shafted (to my swing speed) and fitted (twice now) for length loft and lie. That is huge and makes a big difference. I am sure there are better clubs out there, but not convinced to a game changing degree. I am pretty current with driver, woods (909s) and wedges (Vokeys) but have no plans to replace the Edges. Good dependable old friends that have been on many walks. Now, I am not missing any clubs. I don't carry them all, but could if I chose to. I understand you are missing some clubs. In that case I would consider some Mizuno or what ever you fancy.

Like most, I play better at a home course. When I belonged to a spendy club, I played there 90+% of the time. It was close to home, no wait for a tee time and hey, no green fees (other than the monthly bleeding). My only thought is that someone in a similar situation, playing at a home club most of the time, will probably not realize a handicap change shooting a higher than normal score at a different course once or twice a month. Since your handicap is calculated on the 10 or 12 best scores of the last 20 or more, those few high scores will never make it into the equation.

Up until 18 months ago I belonged to a local club, and carried a 13 handicap. So, most rounds varied between low 80s to mid 90s. On occasion I would have a horrible round with maybe a 105. I didn't post these rare high rounds as I felt they didn't represent my ability and would be meaningless since they would never be included in the handicap calculations. Eventually though, the "Handicap Police" (handicap chairman) noticed I didn't post a round (another 100 plus score) and sent me a VERY nasty letter. You would have thought I was a murderer. And no matter how you try to explain it, you come out as the sandbagger, public enemy #1. I was pretty disgusted. But, lesson learned. I now post everything, even the hideous.

Ha. I'd expect a retort from the Mary Mex, its in his DNA. But I doubt he'd be offended.

I play maybe half my rounds with strangers, usually at public courses. I'm not really that social but I do enjoy meeting guys over golf. Most guys are pretty fun and have great humor. Still, I don't rub too hard. On a rare occasion, I have played with an a**h***, but likely less than 7 times. One time a young guy joined us on the first tee, and for some reason we started talking about Travino. This guy says "I played with Travino once. He is an a**h***!" Well, about 2 holes later I realized just who the a**h*** was. I'd bet Lee is quite adept at getting under some jerks skin.

By virtue of what they are being paid, and all the smoke no doubt being blown up the ass, it isn't too surprising the guys you mention think they are relevant. I like Nance, but he can't NOT give every Green Jacket a BJ. B.Chamblee is a horrid ego. I like Norman but he is no Miller.

It just makes sense to me that we all (typically) do better when we concentrate more. So, I don't think the odds of doing so are astronomical at all, even twice in a row. On any given day I might shoot anywhere from mid 80s to upper 90s, depending on a lot of things (fatigue, hangover, course familiarity, etc.). I have even broken 80 two or three times, thankfully (maybe) not in a tournament. Not recently either. Now, the odds of me (at 14) shooting a near par round are pretty remote.

SubPar touched on my situation around page 1. I am a 14 and usually struggle to break 90. I have talent but there's often drama somewhere in my round. I enjoy playing tournaments, partly because I focus more. Since I focus more, I often shoot a better score, maybe 60% of the time. Not dramatically but maybe 5 strokes, which makes a difference. I work on my game and someday hope to get into single digits. The absolute LAST thing I want is to be labeled as a sandbagger. I have far more integrity than to cheat to win a prize. The point is, many of us (I imagine) play better in a tournament than a casual day at the course.

My ex-boss is a great athlete but a crappy golfer. Mostly devoid of etiquette, he was often talking on the phone walking down the fairway or on the tee. I wanted to tee his phone up (and am still sorry I didn't) just to make the point. Just responding to the previous post.

I was invited to play with a friend and his guests at a course 20 miles North of home. I had time for lunch first so made a sandwich and a crow got it when I went for a soda. I dispatched the crow, finished lunch and drove to the course. Walking down #5, a long straight par 5, I am alone on one side of the fairway when I spot some crows 100 yds ahead. I thought "I wonder if you guys know I shot one of your brothers". As if on que, they flew directly to me and started dive bombing me. I fought them off with an iron but it took a while, as I walked maybe another 30 yards. I had absolutely no food on me or in my bag. Pretty scarey I can tell you. Easily 20 miles away. It will get you thinking.

I'm with you. I never have a bad time on the course. I like to play well of course but there is often drama in some aspect of my game. I am a 13. One thing I've come to enjoy is meeting new folks on the course. I usually play with friends but also enjoy walking on with a group I've never met. Funny because I'm not really that social. But I rarely meet a jerk while golfing, and before long we're joking around like buddies.

Played with a walk-on a few years ago, a fairly decent stick. He mentioned playing with Travino in the past, and what an a**h*** he was. By around the 5th hole I realized just who the a**h*** was. I imagine Travino is adept at playing with amateurs and getting a decent personality read. He likely then pushed this guy to the limit just for fun. Another fellow said Chi Chi wasn't the nice guy you see on TV. Possible I suppose.

Good point. I'd almost bet lunch that this never happens again. He was playing not long after (if at all) players were driving old cars from tourney to tourney, living out of motels and campgrounds and playing for a 10K purse. It's big business now and the colleges are pumping out dozens of viable contenders every year.

I'm an older guy I guess. I remember watching Calvin compete. I liked him a lot. Always seemed like a class act.

The shot that I remember most often was a lob shot from behind the green maybe 30 yards, to a significant downhill green. At the time I had a Callaway S2H2 lob wedge with practically zero bounce. You could really dig a ditch with this club. Anyway, the only way to get this close was to sky the wedge, and it dropped just perfectly on the fringe which killed it just enough to trickle onto the green and down slope 15' or so to cozy next to the pin. A Mickleson moment for sure. The best I ever SAW however was when a friend was maybe 30 feet from the pin but with a tall fir perfectly on line. He was helped with an uphill lie, but still, he sky'd a wedge easily 60' in the air, cleared the tree top by maybe a foot and dropped the shot a foot from the pin. Glad I saw it because I doubt I'd ever believe it. A circus shot.

I've always kind of liked Monty and am aware at least of some of the bad press he's suffered in the past. He is a bit prickly and has had some tough crowd interaction. I notice now though that it seems like there is nearly a full court media press to rectify that somehow and build him up as this nice guy and sage golfer. Better than the former, but the PR effort seems a bit out of place.

I recently dropped membership at a private course 5 minutes from my house. On the plus side, I could be home and decide to golf, and tee it up in literally 15 minutes. Hardly ever a wait, and a fine course. On the down side (there were many actually) primarily I am not a "clubby guy", AND, you barely ever play anywhere else. Boring. So now my home course is my old muni about 15 minutes away. Yes, there is a wait, but it doesn't bother me. I love to chip and putt. Also, this year I'm re-joining old golf buddies that use the OKI Card here in the PNW. There are a plethora of great courses around. Somehow my love for the game really went up when I quit the club. Go figger.

Gary's OK, but I prefer Holly Sonders. Probably just me.

I grip tighter occasionally and it helps, but I don't do it all the time. One thing that works for me on shortish putts is a hesitation at the peak of the back stroke. When I take away, sometimes I wobble on the back stroke. When I see this I'll literally stop the club at the back stroke for a split second and then flow through the ball. Seems to be a much straighter forward stroke when I do that. Only shorter putts though. Long putts are all about feel and that requires a fluid movement. Clearly YMMV.

That sucks. My story may be unique to me but I found it aggravating. I played public courses here in Seattle for many years before joining a CC. Probably left clubs or putter at holes at least 3 times, only to discover it missing too late. Each and every time someone turned it in and I got it back a day or two later. So, after I joined "The Club" 15 years ago, I've left clubs out there maybe 3 times. Not one time did the club or putter ever come back to me. Wouldn't you expect honor among club members? These guys are all doctors, financial guys, business men and (dare I say it) lawyers. John Q. Public is more honest than a club of the well to do. That's been my experience anyway.