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17th hole, 126 yard par 3; slight downhill, island green. Take out my 9 iron (right around my 130 club); ball is tracking to the pin the whole way. Ends up landing 2 feet from the pin, and rolled back ~7 feet. Best aimed shot of my life pretty much.

Then I don't really see why you wouldn't want to take a 5 (if you can get away with it); your 52 and a putter. I can't imagine trying to drain any type of putt over 5 feet with a wedge with any consistency nor lagging well to get within that range with a wedge in certain conditions. The thing I'm having the most trouble understanding is why you'd want to go without your most used club in a 14 club bag, let alone a 3 club tournament.

I think it comes down to how much sand do you think you're going to get into? If not that much (especially since you're going to be more accurate with the 4 instead of a driver or a wood) I don't see why you'd really need a wedge. You'd want something for the intermediate distances so it's up to you whether you want to try to take shorter, less powerful swings with a 4 down to where your wedge length is; or a 4, 7/8 down to putting. Putting is so key, I don't really think not having a putter with you is going to help you more than it'd hurt you overall.

I love my 15* 3 wood; great for long approach shots; or when thick rough is miraculously holding my ball up a bit and I don't trust hitting an iron there. My set started with a 3 iron as well; didn't use it for a long time; but this year I've been hitting it pretty decently as my 205 club.

Just yesterday I was out and I really was trying to shape my shots. The reason for this is because the fairway angled one way or another; or there were too many hazards on one side. Even still; trying to shape your shots gives you a base starting point to know where you can hit it (and play with any curve that you get) and relate that to how you swing the club. Just thinking about your swing and what you want to happen is a big step forward for any golfer that wants to get better.

I can generally go 18+ with a ball; I don't really keep track. The only time I ever end up switching one out is if I mishit it and it hits a tree or a cart path or something. Then it goes into a different pouch in my bag and turns into "balls for friends" since they're a bit worse, and forced carries make them lose 2-3 at times (and I don't mind since I hit a lot of trees.... )

Also not stated is that you clearly have the ability to play to that level now. Your golf game is never static (until possibly you reach an upper ceiling of your ability), and therefore you're always improving. Since you are always improving, it's only natural that you keep posting similar/slightly better scores relatively consistently.

18 today; really humid and slow conditions here but nothing to do about that. Anyways, BROKE 100! 48/47; no birdies but a couple nice par saves. Highlight was an approach on a short par 4; I was in the woods to the left; had a 7 ft wide by 10 ft tall "tunnel" formed by tree branches for about 80 ft; pulled out a 6i and punched it right down the middle and almost made it onto the green from there. 2nd highlight was finding a TP-Red and a ProV1 just sitting in the rough by my ball throughout the back 9...

Tee it up higher... Really, you already have the swing for the draw; you just need height. With a driver your loft comes from hitting up on the ball so I find it's easier to do so when I tee it up a bit (maybe half a ball width, tops). Adjusting the position will most likely just lose you your draw; so teeing it up a bit should be the fix.

After losing my grandmother this last winter; I definitely know that it can be very hard dealing with something so hard for somebody so close to you. I ended up getting a tattoo to remember her by; so whenever I hit a rough spot or something that reminds me of her I can just touch that and feel like she's with me. It's kinda become a life-stop for me; whenever things get too hectic I can just think of her and know that she wants me to be happy. Back on topic: I hack around the course, but I always have fun. If/when I think of her I know she'd want me to have fun so I just relax and try to enjoy the day and relish the ability to be able to be out on the course with friends or enjoy some alone time all by myself with nobody around. Definitely don't get frustrated at a game; just try to do better the next shot. It's really no use focusing on the past, you just have to make the best with what you got (in life and on the course).

Not really a question; but something I wanted to share none-the-less. This really is only my 2nd year hitting the links; last year was horrendous. 70 on 9 holes was not unheard of for me. Earlier this summer I was averaging around 55 for a par 36 9 holes or so. After getting the SnT book about a month ago (just under, right around the 4th of July) my ball striking improved immensely. I immediately knocked my scores down to around 50 for 9 holes; and between yesterday and today I just broke 90 for 18! I've never had this much fun on a golf course; I'd always have those blowup holes where I'd get a +4 for 2-3 holes in a row and destroy it. Now I have confidence over my ball; I have a draw (which I never thought would happen knowing how badly I over-sliced the ball before with my out to in swing); and I've gained 25-30 yards per club. My 1989 Hogan Forged have probably never been hit this well. Long par 5s are no longer "ok, lets try for a double", I have a shot at par! I still have some mishits, but I know what I'm doing wrong for the first time ever as well. Heck, I was paired up and somebody asked *me* for a little help on their swing! And my help actually worked! Golf is now my heroin solely because of the SnT swing. Love you guys!

I carry 12 right now; and there's still rarely a time I use my PW (well, "EW" in my set). I rarely find an opportunity to use my 3w too unless there's a couple long par 5s (where I *could* hit my 3i just as well; and probably should....) I see people with 14 clubs and I just wonder "what do you use them all for?" Course, I'm one of those people who have a decently lofted club and use it for every single shot within 50 yards or so; from a full high pitch to a bump and run.

After a good warmup (the front 9) and a triple on 10; I shot a 47 on the back nine; my best ever. There are some tough holes on the back nine; 3 of the top 5...

163 par 3. Into the wind, pulled out my 5 Iron (typically my 170 club; it was downhill as well). Slightly bladed it, but pull faded it to the left edge of the green and rolled up to within 15 feet. Second one was from about 155, uphill lie for a par 4. Pull out my 7 Iron (145-150 club, slight uphill but really dry so it'd roll) I absolutely pure the ball; crush it 15 yards past the pin but since there was so much spin on it it stopped dead right there and I ended up 2putting from 40 feet for a good par after a crappy drive...

Worst feeling of my life: Last year was my first year of golf. So I was bad. Really bad. like 75 on a par 36 9 hole bad. Anyways on the 2nd hole (570 par 5; straight as an arrow but from 40 yards out there's a 15 yard drop to the green) I'm playing from about 170 out. I knew there was a foursome in front of me, but they were all pretty decent and me being a hacker made me believe that there was no way that I'd ever hit into them, especially since it routinely took me 7 shots to get to the green on that particular hole anyways. Like I was saying, 170 yards out, I couldn't hit my woods off the deck to save my soul (or my 3I) so I took out my 4I. I was kinda waiting just to make sure and I hit the cleanest shot of the year for me. Perfectly straight well struck mishit (since I couldn't do that again if I tried that year) that bounced twice and hit a younger guy in the back. I went up and apologized profusely and they just laughed it off and said it probably would've rolled into the hole if they weren't in the way. On a related note, I've *almost* been hit twice. Once was just as I was heading to my cart putting things away on the 18th; the twosome behind us hit one that ended up fading about 10 yards right of the right edge of the green (about 25 from the pin) from about 185 out. Heard FORE; ducked into the cart quick and landed about 5 feet from us so no harm done. Other time was on the aforementioned par 5; we were just about to tee off when a younger kid crushed one 30 yards past the green and landed 15 feet away and rolled to about 3 feet. Probably one of the first times that they played that hole and didn't realize how far it actually carried over the ridge there.

From time to time putting is my strongest aspect of my game; and only when I really think about doing it the right way every time (I get lazy a lot which really hurts my scores) 1) I keep the ball dead center, primarily so I can look straight down and still feel really solid and balanced. 2) My lean *only* comes from putting about 60% of my weight on my left (lead) foot. When I first address the ball, the shaft is straight up and down; with the lean it's forward about 1" 3) Pendulum, easiest for me to see where/if I screwed up and why. 4) I guess conventional. No claw or anything. 5) After I pick the point that I want to aim for; I use the front tip of the ball and the line on the top of my putter to get the proper reference line; then conform my body to where my putter is aiming. This might be easier for me since I played a lot of Billiards in my day, thinking of one specific part of the ball; and the line on my putter to be the cuestick on a straight shot.

Best of luck!

MN golfer here too; and in all my time there was only one time on a local course that I was started by a marshall (it was over a holiday weekend, I think Labor Day?) last year. That same course is also the only one that I've ever *seen* a ranger or anything of the sort on (twice). Granted, I don't get out much, but it was weird having people telling me when to tee off; just used to "oh, they're well out of my range; so I can hit." Actually, that round was one of my better ones (one of very few that I've shot in the 90s...). Maybe I need to find more courses with Marshalls....

Ping G15 Draw. I was with Callaway back before the 460cc heads came out; but then went and got fitted and that club was the only one I could really hit consistently well.

1989 Hogan Forged!

Go to the range; hit a bunch of practice balls where you literally *stop* at the top of the backswing, then come down. You'll get used to staying slow (and it should help with balance overall; regardless of if this is an issue with you or not). The feeling of stopping at the top of your backswing should help you not really feel like you have to rush it while still hitting it fine.

Under a 30 handicap. Learning a whole new swing (bought the SnT book 3? weeks ago) affected this; but it's definitely getting there. Also, my goal of playing as many "new" courses hinders this due to not knowing some of the lies/holes/etc. hurts; but I tend to not shoot that well anyways.

I think Nick Price said that he's a lot stronger than he looks; but what I heard and read about him was that his balance is absolutely perfect. This allows him to hit the sweet spot *every* time while swinging hard but not overswinging.

I used to have a terrible slice. Almost as much right as forward seemed like at times. Switched swings with a little coaching; now I hit it straight; whether I hit it a reasonable fade; right down the pipe or a 5-10 yard draw; if I don't mishit it (big if) it's getting where I need to be more consistently than I'm used to. Though now with more working I'm almost always either pretty much perfectly straight or my baby draw.

Yank my left hip. It helps me slide my hips so my weight comes forward and gets into a good impact position. If I pull the ball I know that I wasn't thinking about it (which is a common mishit for me). Course, I also use the Stack and Tilt method, not sure if this works with a conventional swing too...