killerduck

OK, so I played that course I was looking at today... They had a stableford comp today so I went in that. I had either 33 or 34 points, not too sure. I might've signed an incorrect card... oops. But the course is REALLY nice. The club and it's facilities are REALLY good. The greens are good, the fairways are good. I was welcomed well. I signed up on the spot, not wanting to waste any time. 6 day membership was $1345 + joining & extras like bar tab. I get 3 rounds a year at 5 other pretty decent courses. That's 15 rounds per year at no charge, which is pretty decent. I pick up my membership package on Thursday, when I'll probably head up early for my 2nd round at my new home course. I feel like I'm at a REAL golf club/course now. Not that mickey mouse bullshit I was playing at Mawson Lakes.

I've left a couple within a foot, but never an ace. The best I've done is hole out for eagle with a SW from about 90 a few years ago. Followed it up with a 10 on the next hole. Shot 98 for the day. Good thing I had that 2 on the card!!

Dude, that is EPIC bad luck! But yeah, you'd be pretty screwed in a comp, lol! I've often wondered on my course, in the empty are to the right of the 9th/18th fairway there is a little drain that is perfectly aligned for any fading/drawing (LH) ball.... Don't know if anyones ever gone into it, but I reckon I've been close a couple of times

I'm playing this course today as a trial for membership. I think I've decided if the course and prac facilities are good, then it IS worth it! lol $1250 or so for 6 day membership, $905 joining fee + reciprocal rights to 5 other courses in the metro area

Good explanation iacas. But it is up to you. I count an U&D; attempt if I'm not playing a full shot, so anywhere within maybe 100mtr. It's the sand save that counts no matter what the score is. Bunker shot, 1 putt = sand save. The only thing scorecard doesn't do is allow for multiple SS attempts on one hole. If I leave the first attempt in the bunker, and then put the 2nd attempt to a foot and make the putt I'm 1/2 in sand saves, but scorecard doesn't allow this.

My mate actually found a book in the library a few years ago called something like "How to play faster golf, and shave 30 minutes off your round" A MUST READ for every dimwitted hack golfer, and every dimwitted club golfer who always seems to be the last to play and keeps everyone in their own group waiting! Simple things like - * Putting your glove on as you approach the ball, not after you get to it * Leaving your bag/buggy between the green and the next tee, not on the other side of the green * Marking scorecards at the next tee, or after your round, IN THE F'ING CLUB HOUSE (that's what it's for!) - that fries me at my home course and the most commonly broken speed rule on the golf course (and every scorecard I've seen has it written somewhere on it)... * Walk BRISKLY between shots. You'll easily save up to 30min per round. Happy times

Yeah, cool. Couldn't remember if it was Australian, or Accredited. Judged on measured length, not playing length, which would alter it at MOST courses... Bring on the slope system

So we're in agree-ance (spelling??) Great shot, but possibly not as fantastic as it looked. But don't forget, he did put it to about 4 feet, on the skinny side of the hole. I thought he was amazing today. He looked (unsurprisingly) like a man on a mission. His family will appreciate his efforts today, but not as much as the support he has given during his wife's and mothers treatment. Honestly, I don't get how so many people like Tiger so much when he shuts himself off from the supporters who made him who he is. Phil is eternally grateful for his success, and is clearly appreciative of his fans. Just look at the way he walked out onto the 1st tee today. All that aside, the shot of the masters (that I saw, anyway) was Adam Scott's eagle on 7 today. He must've walked about 50m in the time it took for the ball to land and go into the hole! Unbelievable! But that was the shot of the masters, not the 'defining shot' of the masters, which was Phil's for mine.

another factor in the "so sick of my course" thread. Clueless idiots with no regard to other golfers. These guys are probably the same guys who leave their buggies on the opposite side of the green to the next tee, and insist on marking their scorecards together in the middle of said green, looking back up the fairway and pointing to where each shot was played from counting 1,2,3,4,5,6....

At the end of the day, golf is a battle against yourself. Outside interferences like that takes the battle outside of yourself (if you know what I mean) You've pretty much done exactly what I would do in that situation. But it's amazing how many things can distract me when I over the ball. But sometimes the same things don't distract me. As long as you can sleep at night, knowing you've done what's fair to you. As you said, in a comp round, it's just bad luck. Get the license plate and hunt the bastard down! lol

Phil Mickelson from the pine needles in the trees to about 4 feet. I know he didn't make the eagle putt but it guaranteed birdie. How does it rank among the best shots ever/masters/phil's career/ whatever I was stunned

I have a Bertha 454 and I hit it pretty well atm. If I had one piece of advice for anyone it'd be to stay away from Nike Golf!! I know a few people all with nike drivers. They sound terrible, and the guys have to work REALLY hard to get even an average hit out of them! lol That is obviously a REALLY unfair comment to Nike, but I had one, I've hit many, and none of them seem to work!!

I assume that the scores you've been blowing are on the same course. Your home course, even? Therefore, it's safe to assume that at some stage you've hit the perfect drive, approach, chip etc on every hole at some stage.... DRAW ON THOSE MEMORIES I know at my home course, the 8th (very tight driving hole, OOB within 2 metres of the fairway) I stopped aiming away from the OOB (into the trees, hoping for fade) and started aiming straight, with desregard to the OOB, my score or anything. And I keep hitting the fairway.... Draw upon the good shots you've hit. THAT, is mental strength.

one more thought about the pause, it's what I go to when I'm losing my swing, getting too fast. It works for me most of the time, but it can give you time to lose your swing!! (big blocks etc).. I started doing it when trying to learn how to hit off of dirt/bare lies (our fairways used to get ZERO water) and it really improved my striking. Also, Vijay started using this technique a few years ago. Works for him...

apart from the flat backswing, I mean, who cares? Lots of pros have a flat swing (Miguel.....) I don't know if anyone's pointed this out, but.... at address, your hands are behind the ball. I was doing the same thing!!! Try getting you hands out infront of the ball at address, and maintaining that wrist cock shape through the backswing. Also, where is your centre of balance? It's hard to see from the video, but I know I was REALLY on my toes (leaning forward). I recently moved the weight back towards my heels and INSTANTLY made better contact. Think of the back heel, mine would come up, and my knee would move almost directly infront of me... I moved my weight back and me heel now stays down a lot more through impact, and my knee moves toward the target. And MOST pro's have that in their swing. I may have rambled on a bit here, but I think the hand position could help you the most, the soonest. Gotta get those hands slight infront of the ball at impact.... One drill for this (this is all 2nd hand information from the pro that teaches me) is practice hitting 3/4 punch shots the "right" way. Slightly open your stance, ball in the middle of your feet, and keep the weight on your front foot. But most importantly, don't cock the wrists. Use you body to lift the club up, and hit the ball. Your hands will be infront of the ball at impact. When I do this I might be 2 clubs shorter than normal, but the contact is good. The flight is lower (it's a punch shot) but it's also more penetrating. I've lost 4 shots off my average since I started working on this (3-4 weeks ago) Good luck

this is, without doubt, the problem hurting my game the most right now. I've tried lining up a spot just infront the ball with my target, I've tried lining up a spot just behind my ball. I've tried lining up with target itself.... Whilst most of the time I'm ok with my alignment, I'm out far too often. But it's not only irons/woods that I can't line up confidently, it's PUTTS!!! The most important line, and I'll miss it by miles sometimes. I think I might need my eyes tested, as I'm starting to lose sight of the ball upon apex, maybe that's got something to do with it... lol

WHAT HOURS ARE YOU WORKING!!?? I'm in Australia, which has a very close timezone to Japan, and the masters is on between 5am and 8.30 am!

The pro that teaches me, and is on the new One Asia tour as part of being on the Australiasian tour, is 6'2", skinny as, might weigh about 80-85kg, and he IS a 'gym-rat' But he doesn't pump iron for size, like MOST retards out there, he pumps iron for strength. Strength in the right areas. He works his core (like pretty much all Pros these days). Especially his side muscles, which he says do most of the hitting. Again, he looks like a bean pole. Nothing of him, but his body is incredibly strong. His average drive is 280 metres, with 260 metres of carry. Actually, that might be more of a minimum...

The course I'm looking into costs (Australian $) $1500 for 7 day membership. I'm looking at getting 6 day for $1250 as I work almost every saturday. Joining fee is usually $1800, but I qualify for a sub-junior category as I'm still 24, which makes entry fee $900. There is also reciprocal rights to 5 other courses as well, which is a bonus. I would describe the club (and it's reciprocals) as tier 2. Just under the major, championships courses that have hosted international tournaments (Like Royal Adelaide, Grange etc) www.ttggolfclub.com.au if you want to have a look. I'll post to let people know how the practice round goes on Tuesday.

For mine, the daily CCR system has got to go. Because it's not a reflection of how hard the course was, it was a reflection of how well people played! Another interesting note is that here in Australia, the ACR (permanent course rating, can't remember exactly what the 'A' stands for) is worked out differently. For example, length rating is measured on scorecard distance, not playing distance, which is insane. At my course, there are several short holes that play MUCH longer than the scorecard indicates due to doglegs, water hazards etc. Our par is 70 but the course rating is 68.3 I also like the idea of slope rating, taking into account the hazards and set up of each particular hole. For example, our 8th hole is 402m (440y) straight away par 4. On paper it doesn't seem like much. But the fairway is NARROW, and narrows incredibly at the 150m out zone. About 2 metres off the left hand side of the fairway is OOB all the way down the hole! There's no space between fairway and trees on the right... the green is raised and significantly undulated. I think the slope rating would be somewhere around 145 for this hole!! (It should be, anyway) But whilst Australia has started calculating handicaps on the best 10 of the last 20 scores, we haven't yet adopted ESC (equitable stroke control). This exists ONLY in obtaining a handicap, but not when adjusting one, so all your 8's 9's and 10's still count. Personally, I like the idea of slope ratings and your handicap changing depending on the course. I am interested to see how course ratings will turn out under the American system, and also looking forward to seeing nett scores go up as a result of the seemingly more challenging handicap system.

I am really struggling to find detailed info on the web, but basically it was.... After a player obtains a handicap, and plays a competition round, their handicap is adjusted in this way. Given handicap = 18.3 (18) First, calculate CCR (calculated course rating) this is complicated, but it's supposed to account for the difficulty of the day (weather, set up of the course etc) Basically the CCR is determined by the top 10% of the field. ie - if 72 players competed, the CCR is set by the player finishing 7th (but there is a limited to what the score can be) par for the course is 72 Given CCR = 71 (1 under) SO....... Our player (hc 18) shoots 85 OTS, for a nett score of 67 (5 under) Their handicap is adjusted for every shot under CCR, not par. So, that is 4 under CCR. A player of 18 will lose 0.3 strokes for every shot under par. 4 x 0.3 is 1.2 - new handicap is 17.1 If a player shoots over CCR (there is a buffer zone, depending on your hc) the player goes out 0.1 I hope that makes sense.... There are some good explanations out there on the net, but I couldn't find any tonight.

I've seen this written in several places. Basically what it's saying is that all the technology around today hasn't made people better golfers. I'd believe that whilst there are more people playing today, the handicap spread is pretty much the same as it was in 1960. Basically, get lessons, not $600 Drivers if you want to lower your score.

After playing on a course with little or no fairway grass for past 4 years, you tend to get pretty good at punching a hybrid club from anywhere between 20-90 metres out. That's one shot I'd recommend every player to practice (whilst on course) every now and then, for when you do get a bad/unlucky lie.

Today is a historical day for Australian golf. As the title of the thread suggests, Golf Australia has taken the first step toward fully adopting the USGA handicapping system. We now calculate handicaps based on the best 10 of the previous 20 rounds. I'm sure you all know how it works. As our club only moved to the national system 'Golflink' only recently, I only have about 6 or 7 rounds to go on, but my handicap has gone from 14.0 on the previous incremental system, to 12.7 on the new system. According to scorecard (which has a few more rounds in it) my handicap would be 12.6 (assuming all courses I've played rate at par, with a slope of 113) Thoughts? Is the US system better than the incremental? Or will it all work out about the same anyway?

That sounds fantastic! If only there were something like that where I live.