ERdiesel

I play courses in the NYC/NJ area and I use a gps device. I can't count the number of times where my GPS distances differed from the course markers significantly, there's just been that many. And by significantly I mean by more than a club length, i.e. 10+ yards. I always go with my GPS and it has never let me down. Strangers and friends that I have played with would always learn the hard way. Especially on par 3's where i get a GPS distance dramatically different from markers on the tee box. Strangers always go with the established marker and come up short/long and after the first time, they would ask me for yardages on all remaining tee boxes.

It would be pretty interesting...............

I realize that this is a weekday and only the first round, but is it just me or is there hardly anyone attending this event today in person? Seems pretty empty as far as spectators are concerned. I didn't really watch the past few years, but is this typical for the so called "Tour Championship"? How sad.

The advice that i've "read" in various publications say that for uphill lies, you want the ball more forward in your stance as your swing will bottom out more forward, and for downhill lies you want the ball further back in the stance as your swing will bottom out more quickly. Seems to work fine for me. Is this not the way you would "normally" play these shots?

Isn't AK a short guy to begin with?

I've been using this on my iphone since it was first released. Awesome app for sure but as with any iphone app using GPS, it's a battery hog, so i only use it to keep my scores and stats. I use a garmin approach for GPS. I would also recommend the GolfPlan app that pulls in stats from the Golfshot app and compares your stats against the average for your handicap and tells you what you need to improve on and provides drills for those trouble areas.

I didn't even know that it was permissible to even chip on a green!!! I learn something new everyday.

I second the real feel mats. I bought one of their more expensive larger ones and you can tee up balls using real tees if you want and as mentioned can hit off the deck and really hit down on them. I live in an apt, so i basically keep it in my living room and practice chipping (flying wedge drills) primarily because I can't really take full swings indoors. But this has helped me tremendously. One day, with my own place, i hope to setup my own hitting bay and of course this will be the mat of my choice.

I've heard some refer to the mizuno mp-62's as blades and others saying that they aren't blades. On the internet, references are mixed as well. I know they are forged irons, but are they technically "blades"? if not how would you characterize them?

Pick up the phone and give'em a call to make sure. Sounds like a great deal, just do your due diligence before forking over any money.

Defending champ for this tournament, still the world #1, and still in it, why wouldn't Tiger's name come up in a thread titled "BMW championship"? I was watching the Golf Channel last night and they were replaying highlights from last year's BMW and all I could think was wow as I watched Tiger hitting one crazy good shot after another. There was one where he was in the rought with a huge tree several feet between him and the green and he just hit it right of the tree, it spun left and rolled up onto the green. The Tiger of old. Hope he gets his game back.

hudson hills golf course? Haven't been there, but heard mixed reviews of that course. I've played neshanic valley and it's a nice course. If you get a chance you should also try Berkshire Valley, it's a muni in Morris County, not crowded, and very very well maintained and just a beautiful course.

Hahahaha, i've seen some truly awful swings at every course that i've been too :) I play a lot in NJ as well, you should try the crystal springs courses like wild turkey and ballyowen. I also play Patriot Hills, great scenic course and only 45 mins from the city.

as you can tell from this thread, different strokes for different folks. there is no right or wrong. it's all about what you feel most comfortable with.

I actually started this spring using a variety of clubs such as the 7, 8, 9, even PW from the fringe and fairway to chip up. It got to the point where i would walk up with multiple clubs in my hands and a good single handicap player i played with frequently just told me that I should try to use one wedge, a SW or LW and take the decision making out of the process (I would take a while debating which of the clubs in my hands i would use) as well as get as much practice time and experience with a single club for those type of shots. At the range I would even practice chipping with a variety of irons but i just felt like i was splitting way too much time between way too many clubs and was becoming the master of "none" So i went with my buddy's advice and since then I haven't looked back. I can control my trajectory of chips by placing the ball forward or back (back for lower trajectory and more roll). In fact yesterday, I hit my approach shot over the green (too much club with the wind against my back) and it landed in an area with low hanging tree branches hanging out in front of my line back to the green (which was elevated with a steep slope from the back of the green) and i thought perhaps i should use a lower lofted club to keep it below the branches and catch the top of the slope and have it pop on the green, but then also knew i've practiced a more low flying chip with my 60* many times before and thought i should go with what i've practiced. And I pulled it off, where I caught the top of the slope and rolled it onto the greenside fringe on the other side (it was a downhill slope on the green from back to front so i couldn't really hope for better from where i was) without getting caught up in the branches. My goal was to chip it low enough where i would not hit one of the low hanging branches and i did do it. I guess different strokes for different folks. As I get better and get more play time in, i do believe that the natural evolution will be to use more irons and become more creative in my shot making. I just feel that right now with my limited play time, i would rather be the master of one, than the master of none.

Come to think of it, you're right. I don't know what I was thinking. Speaking of which.........does putting off the fringe, fairway, or short rough around the green as putting....technically? Or is putting technically when you're putting on the green and not off? I guess you haven't read Stan Utley's "The Art of the Short Game". He recommends using one club for the short game.

In all fairness to Dyker Beach, it was the best kept/maintained of the NYC muni's that i've been too (only been to Van Cortlandt and La Tourette). Nicely kept greens and fairways (other munis have large patches of dirt on the fairways and greens) and even has real fluffy sand in the bunkers unlike the other NYC muni's i've tried.

Yup Dyker Beach in Brooklyn. Not sure how long it's been around but it's one of two NYC munis accessible by subway.

Hi Iacas, would you have an idea of the % of pga pros who draw the ball vs fade it? Based on my limited google research it seemed as if fading was a more preferred shot shape by the pros since it was easier to control than a draw? but wondering if it was close or the pros overwhelming go with one vs the other. Just curious, thanks.

Was Dyker Beach in Brooklyn. First time there. I got there at noon for a 12:37 tee time thinking i would hit a few balls at the range and hit the practice green. Ummm, found out that they don't have a range and don't even have a practice green!!! To make matters worse, when i checked in at the pro shop at noon for the 12:37 tee time, they told me i couldn't check in and pay, until the groups scheduled to go out ahead of me checked in first. WTF? She told me to check back in 20 minutes to see if i can check in then. Ummm okay i told her, i need to check back to see if i can check in? It would have been comical if it wasn't so stupid.

I totally feel you on that one. I've done it too many times to count, and usually it's because it's a crowded course, i've gone through my pre-shot routine, and feel a bit rushed and though it just doesn't feel "right" as i'm standing over the ball, i commit to it anyways. And without fail, usually turns out badly and i get pissed at myself for not stepping away and resetting.

So I played a NYC muni on Labor Day and it was ridiculously crowded. 12:37 tee time, probably didn't tee off until 1 pm. By the time we got to the fourth tee, it was 2:30. Basically an hour and half to play 3 holes!!! I had a pretty bad round, been hitting in the mid 80's lately but yesterday shot in the low 90's even though this particular course was pretty "easy" as in straight and wide fairways. I was getting tired by the 5th or 6th hole, it felt like i played a whole 18 holes even though we didn't even hit that many shots. It was basically hit, wait....wait......wait.....wait.......wait......wait......wait......hit........wait.....well you get the point. I just couldn't get myself into a rhythm and my muscles never felt "loose". I was actually starting to doze off just waiting to take my next shot. Back 9 opened up a bit (i think people just got tired and went home early) so the total round finished in a little over 6 hours. Any advice on dealing with this? And can this really dramatically affect your game to the extent where it can add 10 some more strokes to what you would normally expect to hit?

I'm pretty sure that was directed at me. But yes, i'm a pretty crappy putter and my ball striking for approach shots has been pretty inconsistent leading to a lot of missed GIR's (though according to my Golfplan iphone app, the average # of GIR's that I get per round is slightly better than my handicap level....go figure) and forcing me to scramble. Unfortunately due to my crappy putting, i wind up two putting or worse on the green. I keep extensive stats on my game and to illustrate how bad my putting is, i actually average a higher #of putts per GIR than i do for non GIR. This is because I am usually aiming for the biggest part of the green with my approach shots as opposed to getting it close to the pin. So the average distance for putts from a GIR is much longer than for non GIR's when i'm chipping/pitching onto the green. And i struggle enough with 4+ footers, let alone 10 footers or longer. I tend to leave short or blow by the hole. Something i'm working on fixing!!!

As i've posted on multiple occassions, i only use my 60* from 80 yards and in with the exception of sand traps in which i'll use my 56* and open/close depending on the sand condition. To me, i simply don't have the time and luxury to practice with multiple club choices from multiple lie/distance situations to master any one of them. Not only that, but too many clubs, too many variables, too much thought.....too much tension. By exclusively practicing with my 60* in all kinds of situations, i've become pretty proficient with it, from 80 yard pitches, to greenside chips regardless of lie. I play with so many random players who stress over what club to hit for this chip shot and that chip shot and carry multiple clubs up to the green.

On facebook, Nike Golf was saying Wie averaged 290 yards off the tee with their VR Tour Driver to win the CN Canandian Open!!! 290 yards average? Crazy.