Matt P

Anybody else hear a beeping on the President's Cup Broadcast?

21 for me Shake hands with Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus--No Play the Old Course at St.Andrews, Scotland--Not Yet Play Pebble Beach--Not Yet Lower your handicap at least five stokes in one year--Yes Make a hole-in-one (or at least witness one)--Kinda---put one in from the tee, it just counted as three (First tee shot went OB behind green). Make at least three birdies in a row--No Play at least 54 holes in one day--Don't think so Be the first to tee off at dawn--Yes Be the last to complete play at dusk, playing the last hole in near dark--Yes Go to the Masters, even if only for a practice round--No Go to the British Open--NO Play a Scottish or Irish links course in a 40mph wind--NO Win a tournamnent--Team Tournament Yes Hole out from the bunker---No Hit a shot out of the water – successfully---No Go on a week-long golf orgy with the guys---No Run out of balls--No Hit a least three balls in a row out of bounds---Yes Make par on hole after hitting a ball out of bounds--Yes--See hole in one above. Play 18 holes with a Tour pro--No Play in a sudden-death playoff--No Hole a full shot from the fairway or rough---No Four-putt a green in a tournament--No Play a wrong ball in a tournament--No Hit a drive 300 yards (even if it’s downhill, downwind on a rock-hard fairway)--Yes Reach a par five in two---Yes Chip in a the last hole to win a match---No Par every hole at your home course in one year---don't know Birdie every hole at your home course---No Come from five down to win a match---NO Play 18 holes in less than three hours---Yes Make a long putt on the last hole with a crowd gathered to watch---Yes Yip a short putt on the last hole with a crowd gathered to watch---Yes Play a round with just one club--No Play a round on two different courses in one day--Yes Call in sick to play golf--Yes Play 18 holes by yourself--Yes Try teaching a spouse, child or friend to play--Yes Read the Rules of Golf---Yes Call a Rules violation on yourself----Yes Play a foursomes (alternate shot) match or tournament--No Have your swing videotaped--Yes Read at least one book by Bobby Jones--Not yet Play 18 holes in hard, steady rain---No, not all 18 Break a club in anger---No Have a bout with the shanks---Yes Announce that you’re giving up the game--no Fall in love with an ancient and/or funky putter--Yes Play with an ailment or injury – and play much better than usual---Yes Play 18 holes while having had a few “tasty” beverage---Yes

Haha, I grew up an Irish fan in Indiana but went to Michigan. One of the best rivalries in sports. This years game is going to be awesome, first night game at Michigan Stadium. This was kinda my thinking hard to justify at that price, and I believe it is probably a fair price for the amount of work that would have to be done. Does anyone know if you can blueprint the irons later on down the road, i.e. a year or two after buying them?

I am going to get some new clubs in the next few months and will be getting fit at a local custom club-builders shop. The question I now have, is whether blueprinting the clubs is a worthwhile investment for a mid to high handicap golfer, especially at $35 - $50 per club depending on the shaft. Thoughts?

Okay, I am planning on upgrading my eight year old driver this spring and going to a club fitter to get properly fit for a new one, I would like to the R11 but will defer to his judgment. The other thought I had was whether or not I should also get fit for new irons. I have some nike slingshots that I play and like except I am getting tired of looking at steam shovels every time I address the ball. I would also like to get properly fitted irons. Should I break up the upgrades into this spring and next spring or just go all in. Has anyone gone all in and had trouble adjusting to the new irons, what kind of adjustment period should I expect. I am sure there are a bunch of other questions that I can't think of right now so if you have any additional info, just fire away. Thanks for the help. Matt

I can't speak to enis' experience, but I find the Ogio Grom to be a great bag. I have not had trouble with the legs, other than the black tension piece breaking, which Ogio replaced free of charge. I would recommend the Ogio Grom, but there are a lot of great bags out there, and from the constant debates on Golfwrx, the Grom, Tity X86, Tity Premium, and Sun Mountain Four5 always seem to be at the top of the list.

I tend to agree with a lot of what Erik said. I have no idea the pressure he is under, and the pressure he places on himself to be the best. I am a Tiger fan, but it does bother me a little and is hard to defend at the morning gressy spoon when some older guys claim he is acting like a baby. One thing, with the way the media guys continually beat into their audience the way his father used to try and get into his head, you would think he would be better at maintaining his composure. But when you are cratering your way to the cut line at what for him was surely a record pace, slamming the club seems to be a natural result, I know I have done it during league play. I bet he will see some of his behavior at the Open later down the road and tone it down, I can't imagine he would want to teach his kids that that is how the game is played. Too bad about Watson though, too juiced shots...and naturally a weak third, who hasn't done it?

Michigan vs. Ohio State...aka The Game! I am biased, but there is nothing like it. Go to one of the games and you will understand. Go Blue 105701, are you going to change your name when they get the stadium finished?

Vardon/Overlap

cutting the shaft down is only part of the equation as if you are also changing the swingweight of the club. Going to a club fitter to get the work done ensures that the club will be both the lenght you need and the proper swingweight, or at a swingweight you are comfortable with.

There are a couple of good places to check out. Here are a few I have run across: Colbert putter plating MannKrafted and Black Oxide Services You could also contact Tom Slighter of Slighter putters, I believe he does re-finishing. Possibly Byron Morgan of Turf Surfer as well, but I am not sure if he is in the re-finishing market. Hope this helps, Matt

Tribute to the Fab Five?

Playing alone can be great. Ultimately, if you walk you already spend a lot of the time playing the game alone as you are only with your playing partners from the green to the tee box (unless you land in the same area, which doesn't happen a lot with my playing partners). It it fast and fun and can be more relaxing. I played nine yesterday (which is great for Michigan) and started out alone and caught up to a group I let get two or three holes ahead of me by the seveth hole (would have caught up sooner, but I nuked one approach shot and had to spend some time looking for it). Just try it out for a early morning nine, and you will know if it suits you.

Well from the TNT video posted a little earlier, it looks like his swing does improve. The teaser at the end of the show seemed to indicate that he went to the course in the middle of the reconstruction effort and blew up everything he earned. I could not imagine going through whatever he went through and having it prevent me from playing golf. I hope he does get his swing fixed...after all the humor in his swing is long over, at least for me, it is now just painful to watch.

Another good course in SE Michigan is the Orchards

Half your age plus 7 Oh wait...wrong topic. Can't be too young to start generating a interest. Harvey Penick says give a child a putter and one ball and start from there. When they get good at that add a wedge...get the child putting the ball in the cup everytime. Take a look at his little red book for some more insight. My 3 1/2 year old boy loves to pull the putter out occasionally, he dosen't hit it like I showed him, but as long as he is having fun with it, its great.

So how does everyone roll with their towel? Do you attach it to your bag, or not? Reasons?

A father, son and grandfather went to the country club for their weekly round of golf. Just as they reached the first tee, a beautiful young blonde woman carrying her bag of clubs approached them. She explained that the member who brought her to the club for a round of golf had an emergency that called him away, and asked the trio whether she could join them. Naturally, the guys all agreed. Smiling, the blonde thanked them and said, "Look, fellows, I work in a topless bar as a dancer, so nothing shocks me anymore. If any of you want to smoke cigars, have a beer, bet, swear, tell off-color stories or do anything that you normally do when playing a round together, go ahead. But I enjoy playing golf, and consider myself pretty good at it, so don't try to coach me on how to play my shots." With that the guys agreed to relax and invited her to hit first. All eyes were fastened on her shapely behind as she bent over to place her ball on the tee. She then took her driver and hit the ball 270 yards down the middle, right in front of the green. The father's mouth was agape. "That was beautiful," he said. The blonde put her driver away and said, "I really didn't get into it, and I faded it a little." After the three guys hit their drives and their second shots, the blonde took out an eight iron and lofted the ball within five feet of the pin. The son said, "Damn, lady, you played that perfectly." The blonde frowned and said, "It was a little weak, but even a soft seven would have been too much club. I've left a tricky little putt." She then tapped in the five-footer for a birdie. Having the honors, she hit first on the second hole, knocked the hell out of the ball, and it landed nearly 300 yards away, smack in the middle of the fairway. For the rest of the round the statuesque blonde continued to amaze the guys, quietly and methodically shooting par or less on every hole. When they arrived at the 18th green, the blonde was three under, and had a very nasty 12-foot putt on an undulating green for a par. She turned to the three guys and said, "I really want to thank you all for not acting like a bunch of chauvinists and telling me what club to use or how to play a shot, but I need this putt for a 69 and I'd really like to break 70 on this course... ... If any one of you can tell me how to make par on this hole, I'll take him back to my apartment, pour some 35-year-old Single Malt Strathmill Scotch in him, fix him a steak dinner, and then show him a very good time for the rest of the night." The yuppie son jumped at the thought! He strolled across the green, carefully eyeing the line of the putt and finally said, "Honey, aim about 6 inches to the right of the hole and hit it firm. It will g et over that little hump and break right into the cup." The father knelt down and sighted the putt using his putter as a plumb, "Don't listen to the kid, darlin', you want to hit it softly 10 inches to the right and let it run left down that little hogback, so it falls into the cup." The old gray-haired grandfather walked over to the blonde's ball, picked it up, handed it to her and said, "That's a gimme, sweetheart." The blonde smiled and said, "Your car or mine?" Just thought I would pass on a good joke. Happy Holidays....Hope everyone has a gimmie!!!!!

I will play this winter. There is a course close to where I live that is open all winter. For those in Metro Detroit (Chandler Park is $10 bucks to play 9 or 18 once the carts are put away for the winter). I don't know about the other metro park courses though.

The local muni (metro Detroit) has dropped about ten bucks, and will drop to ten bucks for 9 or 18 (doesn't make sense I know) when the temp drops down in the 30s and they put the carts away for the winter. Guess you get a free nine if you can brave the cold

Voted this morning...about 15 minutes in total, although I was told it was an hour long procedure earlier in the day....lots of people voting, kind of exciting when we have had aroung 50% turnout the last few elections.

If you bought a z-factor, are you still using it. I have a feeling that Erik still is, but was wondering about the others who have said the got one. Thanks for any updates.

I was pictuirng a T-Rex. Tall with very short arms.

I have the "Game before the Game", but wanted to get a comparison between this book and Dr. Bob Rotella's books...any thougths?

So my brother and law and I made a early tee time yesterday, hoping to get in nine holes. It rained all day yesterday and we knew it was going to be pretty soggy. Anyway we get to the course we were going to play (the only one that answered the phone yesterday--Salt River in Chesterfield Michigan) and there is no one there, no one in the clubhouse. It wasn't raining so we decided to go out and play and pay at turn or after. Well holes 4-6 were completely flooded by the river. After realizing this we quit keeping scord and started hitting multiple balls at greens and such. After playing the ninth hole, my brother in law asks if I want to keep going and I said of course. We get to 11, which is a 156-160 par 3. I pulled my six for some reason and nuked the green into the woods behind. I walked back to my bag, pulled another ball and seven iron and re-teed. I hit the ball and in flight my brother in law says thats the right one. The ball hits two feet in front of the pin, hits the pin and falls in. We didn't know whehter to celebrate or not. It is either a great practice round hole in one, or the best damn par I have ever gotten. Ob and Par on a Par 3. Would have been first hole in one. Only in golf do you get lifted up and brought back down to earth in the same moment. So the question is how do I mark the ball for the trophy case....I was thinking Hole in Three....Hole in Three/Hole in One....any suggestions?