mdbuschsr

Can I purchase this locally, or is it online only? Never mind, it looks like GNC carries it.

I'd say go be "That guy at the range". Get at least a small bucket, and hit nothing but driver. Get back to basics, and start with the same preshot routine for every ball. Start with 1/2 swings to ensure control of the club and work your way up to full swings. Over thinking the shot/club is the death of a good swing every time.

The simulators can be adjusted, to show you what they think you want to see. When I was getting ready to buy my new clubs I demoed some at Golfsmith, then went directly to Golf Galaxy and demoed some others. But I hit one set (Cleveland CG7's) in both stores and the difference was amazing. I found it interesting that the most expensive clubs I tested at Golfsmith flew the farthest. I expected to pick up some distance with the new irons, but Golfsmith showed an increase of 40-50 yards. Golf Galaxy on the other hand only showed an increase of 10-15 yards. In the end, don't take the distance that they show you as real. Demo the clubs, and see what feels right.

The idea being that I don't get to take any free cart path drops, so I use the "I don't care about it" club.

That's what I thought. However, the "cart paths" at my course are a combination dirt-sand-roots-rocks. So I choose not to hit my good clubs off from them. I also choose not to take a penalty for hitting onto them, hence the "I don't care about it" club.

I suppose if I could pick the ball I wouldn't be as concerned. Unfortunately, I tend to take pretty deep divots. So, slamming my club into hard-pan or hitting off from particularly nasty ground is no fun. I realize that my clubs are tools, but I don't want to have to replace them every few years because I beat the crap out of them.

@ mattplusness - I have modified my scorecard to show the two stroke penalty. I asked the question so I would know whether or not I broke a rule. Like I said in an earlier post. I try to make sure that I follow the rules, and if I find out after the fact that I broke one, I take the appropriate penalty. I kind of think it's CRAP that I am penalized from crummy greens keeping (in this specific case), but that I the course that I choose to play, so I live with it.

I'm certainly not going to argue the ruling, because it's pretty straight forward. Knowing that I should, and will, take the penalty... I ask how would you play it in a casual round? I keep an unofficial handicap (no current interest in official handicapped tournaments). My home course, while getting better, is not great! I know I should "play a better course". Someday, I hope I can afford it. In the mean time, I love my course. I like supporting my course. But there are times that I have a hard time following the letter of the law. It is a rare occurrence that I break the rules, knowingly or otherwise. In fact, when I catch myself cheating (as in this case) I alter the scorecard and take the penalty. Had I hit my putt through that weed(s), it would have altered the line of the shot just as surely as a rock would have.

Is it legal to pull the weeds in my line on the green? My course is trying really hard to improve the course, but there are still some weeds on the greens. Today, I had two that were directly on my putting line. If the green is cut to 1/8" the weeds were both 3/4", and would certainly have pushed my ball off-line. I pulled the junk out of the way, smoothed the area back out and was able to putt through them. Did I do anything wrong?

Do you have an I don't care about it club? As a higher handicapper, I still blow one into the rough or the woods. The course I play also has some sandy pebbley lies here and there (in and on the edges of fairways). Because I hate moving my ball for any reason other than a truly unplayable lie, & since I had room in the bag to throw in an old club I added my old reliable 3w. When I was playing it, it was one of my favorite clubs. Playing today, as usual, I stroked my tee shot into the woods on 9/18 (9 hole course). The lie was playable but my follow through was closer to a tree than I was comfortable taking a full swing with. So I pulled old trusty, played it back in my stance slightly with a hacked off follow through, and was able to punch it out of the woods without worry of breaking a "good" club. I didn't get the carry I was hoping for and landed in an aforementioned sandy/pebbely area, but with a beautiful line to the flag. Out comes the old 3w again from about 225-yards. This time I hit it clean, straight onto the green and off the back. Took a bogey on the par-5 that previously would have been a triple at least. For me, it was nice to have an "I don't care about it club" in the bag. Had I been forced to swing one of my new clubs in either of those messes I know the outcome would have been much worse. Do you carry an IDCAC?

And it's even that better that he had/has no sense of humor. THAT makes it hilarious!!!

And we all WONDER why amateurs act like EFFING morons on the course? My 10 year-old kid "tossed" his club four or five feet after two impressively poor tee shots (I wonder where he gets it from). That was the end of his golf day, on the 2nd hole!!! I absolutely refuse to play with people that throw clubs or have kind of attitude on the course (or any where else for that matter) it makes me sick. I don't care who you are, how you make your money, or what your stress level is! THERE IS NO EXCUSE!!! I'd rather not play than deal with the crap on the course. I threw a wrench once after it slipped and I punched an engine block and nearly broke my hand. I was still PISSED after throwing it, and then I got to feel like an A$$ as I went to pick it up. I knew right then that I would never again throw anything in anger! Show some self-control! Everyone gets angry, GET OVER IT!!

Lot's of funny stuff here. Nothing of value to add. I think my favorite was "don't strain your uterus". A friend of mine, drunk at a best ball tourney, actually walked up the 18th and finished the hole in his boxers when his drive didn't make the ladies tee.

As my swing slowly matures, I have had to change my alignment repeatedly. As with most players, I started with a monster slice that still rears it's ugly head from time to time. With that slice I had to align left to attempt making the fairway. AS my ball flight straightened out my alignment has become more centered. In reality, my alignment changes slightly every time I go out. I try to make sure that I give myself time to hit a small bucket at the course range before my round. That way, I take take "todays" swing out on the course. It would be nice if my swing was so consistent that I could align the same every time but since that is not the case. When my swing really goes south, I'll drop a couple of parallel clubs to regain a starting point.

I doubt if I have ever used all of my clubs in any one round.

I'd take them. A good travel bag will keep the clubs protected... And I hate playing with other people's clubs! I don't think it has anything to do with level of talent, for me it has to do with comfort.

There seems to be a lot of 'someone stole my ball' posts lately. I see basically two reasons: Golf balls have gotten too expensive, so "everyone" is just stealing them. There also seems to be a lot of posts talking about hitting into the group in front. With the angry response that follows. Not calling out the OP on the second one because I wasn't there... People seem so caught up in the pace of play aspect of the game that patience has gone by the wayside. Don't forget, this IS just a game. I've had golf balls stolen from me out of the middle of the fairway, and out of the rough. I've let it make me so angry that it ruined my round. I've also had slow play in front of me that made me so angry that it ruined my round. Now that I play with my wife and son (both newbies and very slow), I don't allow myself to get angry out there... It's not worth it!! If you hit into the group in front of you, you deserve to not only lose your golf ball, but you should be thrown off the course. If you steal a golf ball, just 'cuz, you should also be thrown off. In either case I say call the club house and let them handle it.

I was thing penalty of some sort for slow play as well. But penalizing the whole group would be wrong. Send her group out last, at she won't hold up the whole league.

My improvement curve is like the waves of the ocean. Some times I absolutely KILL it (think crest). Some time I get killed (think trough). To date, I have yet to see two crests without a trough in there... Fun game huh?

I wish... I was playing at my favorite little 9-holer Meadowbrook GC in Garner.

Today, I watched my partners ball go through a small bush and never took my eye off the line... We never found the ball. About a month ago I hit a dead straight drive. This particular fairway has a 30-yard-wide x 100-wide-long section of rough cut into the center of the fairway right at the landing zone. I "lost the ball" and accidentally hit the wrong ball to the green before I recognized the miscue. I played the next day, and found my ball by accident, while looking for that days partners' ball from the previous day 5-feet from where I was looking. Clear as mud huh? Hitting into the rough on my course is an issue even when you know "exactly" where it is!

The best piece of advice I was ever given is actually counter to this. I was told to line up down the right edge of the fairway. It seems that my brain knowing that I'm lined up to that side makes my swing better. Don't know exactly why it works, but it does... Most of the time.

To date, I have posted my score (via oobgolf) to track my handicap as best I can, for every round I play. I have noticed a bit of a trend though. When I play with my wife and son (read: 5.5 - 6 hour round) I score much higher, like 10-15 strokes. Makes for a rapidly rising HC. There is just no way to get into a rhythm. I understand those of you that track HC for tourney purposes, but that's just not me. I track my HC for my benefit. Other than fighting the mental battle and keeping a "real" handicap, is there any reason to keep those scores? I know when I play alone or with my normal group of friends I shoot low 90's high 80's. When I play with the wife and son it's more like high 90's low 100's. Should I keep tracking my HC with them just to watch my mental game or drop those score to see my real game improvement?

Putter every hole (obviously), 60* LW almost every hole depending on lie and necessary run, 6-7i. Everything else is fitted in as needed. Driver, 3W, 4i from tee about 50, 30, 20 depending on the day and the hole.

I know this is off topic to the OP but since it was brought up... The attitude of sales people, noted above by golfro, gets my goat to no end. I run a small handyman business. As a result my "uniform" is typically a pair of khaki colored shorts and a gray t-shirt both normally have at least one stain or some paint on them. When I walk into a golf shop, the sales people look at me like I'm a leper! I was in and out of a local Golfsmith several times in my work clothes and I could not get a sales person to look at me, let alone try to sell me anything. So, I decided to test my theory. I went in on a Monday wearing my work clothes to look at new irons. Again, there wasn't a sales person in the store that wanted anything to do with me. I went back the next day, wearing a nice pair of shorts and a good golf polo... I could barely walk 15 feet without a salesperson asking if they could help. NICE HUH? Before I get slammed with all of the 'they are there to make a living' comments... Someone that I know runs a HVAC company and my best guess, having seen his books, is that he nets in the neighborhood of a mil/year, and wears an awfully similar uniform to me. The point is, don't be so quick to judge a book by it's cover. This person could, without thinking twice, walk into a golf shop and buy any set he thought looked nice. He would still suck at the game, but he could carry/wear any gear he wants. The best part about him, is that he knows he sucks at the game and yet still has fun at it when he plays, both times every year .