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31.3 -- down from 31.9 last year. There's an old golf digest article that has stats for different handicap levels and 9-cappers averaged 32 a round, so that's the number I've been using as a target. Maybe it's time to switch my goal to 30 (GD handicap 4.5 level) or maybe it's time to start hitting more greens (I average a pretty sad 4 per round this year) and try to keep the same number of putts. FWIW, I'm fairly consistent in the 30-34 range, but had a personal best 25 last weekend with only 11 putts on the front. Of course, I only hit 2 greens in in regulation that nine...

May be more serious (i.e. expensive) than you're looking for, but: http://shop.callawaygolf.com/Accesso...olf_Pouch.html Otherwise, I'd check out backbacking sites, etc... good luck.

I'm generally traditional, but... I vote for the hybrid. It's essential to get one that fits your swing, however. Most that I've played (especially the TaylorMade) have a closed clubface which leads to an insta-hook for me. I have to keep the face from shutting down on me, but my 3 hybrid is one of my favorite clubs these days. Find one that suits you and I think you'll find that they're dramatically easier to hit than a 3 iron in almost every situation.

For the last few weeks, they've been saying on air that he was sick and today wished him well... at home in Vail recovering from surgery. Hope he's back soon, he's a great part of their team.

You definitely aren't the only one who feels this way. If you can, separate your social self-consciousness from worrying about your game. If you work in CS, you definitely can get on with folks on a golf course... at least you start out knowing that you share a common interest. As far as being a beginner goes, remember that *everyone* you'll ever play with started out in the same boat. I play as a single a lot and courtesy and reasonable pace matter, skill-level does not. When I first started out, I played a style I call "I wish I was as good as...". I'd hit every shot, but if I hit one OB or in the rough, I'd pick up and drop near the best shot of the group. It's a much less frustrating (and more quick) way to play. You still hit every type of shot, make sure you putt out, etc. You build confidence hitting less challenging shots while removing the additional pressure of keeping score and it shows your partners you're considerate of pace. To this day, I'll still play like this on an off day, just to practice specific approach shots, etc. Whichever path you take, it's good to hear you're getting out there and working through it... just remember to have fun!

Those are some nice looking putters! Looks like a bit of difference in weight distribution and CG. Decent micro-site at: http://www.odysseyblackseries.com/

The putter is such a "personal" club, and a good first one to invest in. I'd strongly suggest that you find some time to go try out a lot of different models and brands until you find what feels and looks good to you. Golf salespeople are used to folks taking a lot of demo time to find a putter that fits. I loved the Camerons when I first started playing, but couldn't rationalize the expense. I loved them every time I'd go check out other putters. I love mine now that I made the switch and putt really well with it. Other people, of course, think they're a rip off. Find one that suits you (make sure to demo with the same type of balls you play with) and have fun.

I've struggled with the exact same problem, so I know how frustrating it can be. There's a lot of good advice in this post already -- practice and confidence are key -- and here are two other things that have helped me. I have a long, rhythmic putting stroke with a traditional grip which works very well for longer putts. For short putts, I use a variation of the claw/saw grip which completely takes the wrists out of the equation and promotes a crisp straight back, straight through stroke (mine is something like the third picture here ). I also abbreviate my routine: a quick look to make sure I can play it inside the hole, one or no practice stroke and hit it. Takes the mind completely out of the equation :) Sounds like you're playing well, shortly after taking up the game, so make sure you focus on the good shots (not the bad ones) and enjoy!

Funny, I was just going to start a thread on gap wedges... I carry four wedges: PW (46*) = 120 yd FW (50*) = 105 SW (56* / 12) = 90 LW (60* / 6) = 80 I a big proponent of the gap (or "fairway") wedge, and it's the club I lay up to most often. No matter how you get there, I think it's crazy to have a hole between a 46* and 56* for full shots. For shorter approach shots I use the Pelz 3x4 method as well. I think the gap wedge is more important than the lob if you had to choose, but I'd give up almost any other club to keep all four wedges in the bag. That said, I hit most of my shots around the green with my lob, and I can vary the trajectory and spin quite a bit with it. The rest are generally low runners with my PW/9 iron.

Maybe this is the best of both worlds: Cleveland Launcher Driving Iron To each their own, of course. I personally opt for a hybrid 3. Whichever path you choose... enjoy!

I'm another fan (and one who also doesn't really buy the "performance" claims). I've gone at least five rounds without breaking or losing one, and now just put one tee in my pocket for the day.

If you're trying to prevent a slice your money's best spent, of course, on lessons. Or books and range balls. Eliminating a slice is relatively easy with sound fundamentals... I mention it because I was in exactly the same (banana) boat a few years back. With a bit of work, I now have a slight draw with my irons and generally hit it straight with my "ham on a stick" high-moi driver. Every non-TP club I've tried from TaylorMade has generally led to wild, painful hooks. If you're set on an R5 you should think about how long you think you'll have the club and whether you are going to be working hard to improve your swing. If you're set on fixing the swing flaws that lead to a slice I'd vote for the TP with more options later and the square face. If you're not -- which is OK too -- than an R5 D might be a better option. With a 30 handicap, I'd also suggest a little looking around for more forgiving clubs before you pull the trigger. I traded my R5TP for a Cleveland Launcher and loved it. New drivers are coming out every 4 minutes, so there's tons of great deals on Ebay. Whatever you end up with, have fun!

I use a hybrid 3, and will probably replace my 4-iron with a hybrid later this summer. That said, I hit a pretty predictable little draw with my 4 iron on short par 4's and longer par 3's. With my current swing, 5-iron is the longest club I have complete confidence in... not that I hit it perfect every time, but I feel really good over the ball with it. :)

What do folks think about irons that transition from blade short irons to cavity backs? Given the recent discussions about "players irons" for mid-cappers, seems like a good topic. I've just switched from the Hogan Apex Edge Pro irons to the Apex FTX, a set that has blades from fairway wedge to 8-iron and modest cavity backs in the longer irons. They have progressive -- but minimal -- offset, narrower soles and a thin top-line throughout. The now discontinued FTX's are available on Ebay (some stores seem to still have some new sets) and a number of other manufacturers make transition sets: Nike and Titleist come to mind. Others, like Mizuno, offer mixed sets of different models through custom order. I'm a huge fan of Hogan irons. They perform great, and look even better. I love my Edge Pros and I switched to them from more perimeter-weighted clubs for greater control and feedback. I'm trying out the FTX combos for just the same reason. My initial experience is encouraging. I feel confident at address and though miss-hits with the 8-iron can sting a bit, they're reasonably forgiving overall. Good contact is as sweet as it gets, I've never tried an iron that feels as good on solid contact as the Hogans. When I don't hit it pure I can feel exactly where the miss was. On good shots, I feel a better control over trajectory. Less offset helps to ward off the hook I generally fight with long irons. The mixed set seemed like a good choice for helping me improve my swing and consistency... with practice, of course. Who else has taken -- or rejected -- the same route?

Another spot to consider is Kiawah Island . I went there a few years back. They have five courses of varying difficulty -- including Pete Dye's Ocean Course, host to the '91 Ryder Cup. More of a family spot than not, and it lacks some of the "activities" Vegas offers. Charleston is just under an hour away by car. Last time I was in Scottsdale, I played the Monument course at Troon North. It's another course they play (used to play?) on tour, you can play it in video games and it's nowhere near as punishing as the Ocean course. It is, however, just as expensive :)

BTW, I use a ziplock for wallet, cash, cell phone, etc. Easy to deal with it all after the round and no worries about rain.

Numbers only tell half of the story, but a handicap index as low as 16.1 has a course handicap of 19 with a rating/slope of 71.3/130 -- ROUND(16.1*130/113,0). That still puts his odds at an astounding -- but not impossible -- 552:1. I do hope you have some luck in exposing him, and making future tournaments a bit more fair.

Decision 12-2/1 specifically counters this assertion (see below). On the other hand, it's probably not the smartest thing for me to do... as it certainly opens the door to a time when I may *not* be able to honestly identify my ball. See rule 27 ( http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/rules_of_golf.html) . Fortunately, I haven't had that problem yet - scuff marks generally do the trick if needed. I've seen found but unmarked balls both identified and declared lost on tour. 12-2/1 Identifying Ball by Brand and Number Only Q. In the area in which his ball presumably came to rest, a player finds a ball of the same brand and identification number as the ball he is playing. The player assumes it is his ball, even though it does not carry an identification mark as suggested in Rule 12-2, and plays it. Should the player be considered to have played a wrong ball? A. No, unless (1) there is reasonable evidence that, because of the ball’s condition, it is not the player’s ball or (2) subsequently it is established that another ball of the same brand and identification number was lying in the area at the time the player played and either ball, from a condition standpoint, could be the player’s ball.

I don't often run into people who play the same ball (Mafli Black Max) so I don't generally mark them... I also play high number pro V1's for the same reason. When I play a more common brand I put a single red dot at the top right of the number.

front right: zero friction tees, divot tool, ball markers (Jamaican dollars :) front left: nada back left: glove, lighter back right: yardage book, scorecard, pencil I'll only bring a spare ball (back pocket) if I'm riding and it's a long hike to the tee.

It's hard to gauge how unlikely a round this was without knowing the rating/slope of the course. Assuming your "friend" has a USGA handicap index of 19, different courses (both par 72) change the outrageousness of this scenario quite a bit once you factor in course handicap, rating and slope: rating/slope: 70.7 / 114 course handicap:19 net 63, gross score:82 gross / net diff.: 11.2 / -7.8 probability: 552:1 rating/slope: 67.8 / 124 course handicap:21 net 63, gross score:84 gross / net diff.: 14.8 / -4.2 probability: 87:1 So, it's worth doing a little math to figure out how unlikely this really was. 87:1 is not out of the realm of possibility, 552:1 probably is :) In any case, he'd likely need to shoot 80 or better to fall into the >37000:1 camp. Course Handicap calculator: http://www.usga.org/playing/handicap...calculator.asp USGA Handicap formulas: http://www.usga.org/playing/handicap...ection_10.html Net differential odds: http://www.usga.org/playing/handicap...eanstable.html Either way, the appropriate action is probably to bring this up with your committee to see if there's any clear wrongdoing or longer-term changes that can help lead to more accurate handicaps in the future. There's rarely a good reason not to post a score, and sandbagging sure can ruin the fun of competition.

How far does he hit his 9 iron from the same set? Assuming that he has consistent gaps between his clubs, there's nothing wrong with hitting a pitching wedge 150 -- some people would love to be able to. :) He'd probably need to de-loft the club quite a bit to do it... but as long as it's controllable, consistent and in line with his other distances he should be fine. If the distance of a 9 iron is about the same (or less) than his wedge, the loft probably is out of wack and he should get it adjusted back. Either way, I'm a big fan of having a gap/fairway wedge in the bag these days. Since pitching wedges are now in the 45-47* range, I think it's crazy not to have a 50-52* to fill-in before the sand wedge. Mine is the club I lay up to, and it's great for pitches around the green that need a bit of loft and then run out. Fortunately, there's no rule that says you can only pitch with a "pitching" wedge. Your friend might want to experiment with some higher lofted clubs if he's not getting the trajectory he's looking for.

Another vote for Zero Friction. I can't imagine that they really help with distance, but after three rounds without breaking one... anybody want to split a box of 50?

Though you should definitely get yourself fit professionally to make sure you get the right fit, there's a nice shaft write up by Gas Can at http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthr...0474#post40474

I completely agree... playing a water ball is a form of negative thinking that has no place in my routine. To say to yourself "I might chunk it into the water" and then go get some special (often under-performing) equipment for the occasion seems most likely to make it happen. If anything, play the best ball you've got to ensure a great shot. Better yet, I like my brother's approach: he pulls out a new ball on every par 3, so that it'll look good mounted when he gets a hole-in-one. Now that's positive thinking.