catfell

golfaddiction, I've used it once, but I brought my own clubs. So I can't speak to the quality of what they rent, but if it's like the stuff in the rental bin at the range, the clubs are pretty beat up. Personally, I didn't think the overall experience was that great. It was a nice way to spend an hour or two in the winter when I couldn't play, but I think I would have rather spend the same time on the range with the appropriate warm clothes. The long shots are fine on the simulator, but all the short game shots and putting were very unnatural and left little to be desired. I suppose as something social to do it could be a lot more fun, but if you're looking to play golf indoors, I might prefer playing on the Wii. -catfell

I know, I know, but I literally got off the plane, picked up my rental car and went to the course. No time to acclimate to the new climate. And Florida in August, no thank you.

Crandon was a tough course, especially because I was having a lot of trouble off the tee. Also, I wasn't quite ready for the insane humidity and heat, coming from the Northeast. I ended up also playing at the Miami Beach Golf Club. Decent course, but a little overpriced IMHO. I also forget that with a lot of Florida golf, there aren't a lof of elevation changes, so there's a lot of water used to create difficulty which I'm not exactly crazy about.

@Nole77, I'm not exactly sure about my final cost, because I have a UPS account and don't get my bill until a month later. I would guess something in the $50 range. If you do not have a travel cover, I highly recommend the Club Glove burst proof with wheels. It's a good padded cover, just add a broomstick that is as long as your driver or longest club, in case the bag gets dropped on its head. The wheels make getting around the airport or anywhere else, really easy. Have fun in Myrtle, where are you playing?

I'm headed to Miami this week and play a couple of rounds. I'm trying to decide between playing at Crandon Park or at the Biltmore. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

As a follow-up, I shipped my clubs via UPS, and although I was told I did not need a box and would have to pay a small upcharge for an odd shaped package (my travel cover), after insuring my clubs at their replacement value, I was told that I would have to use a box. I flew to Chicago to play a few rounds, then went on a long one-way road trip with family (no golf on the road trip), so I needed to get my clubs back to NYC where I live. I flew back from Canada (the final destination) and my clubs met me at home. Also, a normal golf bag box is about 6 inches too short for a club glove burst-proof travel cover. So I had to get an extra 12"x12"x12" box to tape onto a normal golf bag box in order to fit my normal bag with the travel cover over it.

I'm going to ship my clubs for the first time so I won't have to lug them around after the golf portion of my vacation. Am I okay just shipping them, probably via UPS ground, in a Club Glove Burst Proof bag? Or should I box everything, including the Club Glove outer bag?

I'm planning on a trip to Bandon this June, but I'm not sure if it's worth the extra money to stay at the resort. It looks like most of the off-site locations are pretty spartan, motel 6-like places but they are a lot cheaper, something like $130 vs. $390. A Bandon Inn is very close in price to staying at the resort, but I have not found much else beyond the cheapie motels. We are planning on playing two rounds each day, and maybe even more if we aren't completely spent. Is it worth paying to stay onsite, and if not, can anyone recommend any hotels or motels in the area? Thanks.

So I'm very close to pulling the trigger on a new driver, and was wondering if there are ideal launch monitor conditions for a fairway metal? My current setup has been a 10.5 degree driver and a 15 degree fairway metal, same manufacturer and relatively similar vintage to each other. I was fitted for the driver and bought the fairway metal based on the driver. Now that I'm shopping for the new driver, I'm wondering if there's a smarter way to pick out a fairway metal. I typically use my fairway metal for short par 4's and anytime I'm in the fairway and a long ways off.

Ball forward- even with the inside of my left shoe/foot. Left foot turned normal (slightly open) and right foot turned out to 45 degrees. I've discovered that at that stance width, my hips are closed (point towards my left side) unless I turn out my right foot. I hit my driver consistently well. Better than any of my other long clubs until my 5-iron. It is my putting that is my achilles heel.

This is a negative recommendation- Don't bother with Mansion Ridge. I played it a few weeks ago and it was disappointing experience. For a relatively high price $130 with cart, the course was in fair condition. Either Bethpage Red or Black put Mansion Ridge to shame as far as quality and condition. The service was okay, but I'm pretty sure the two marshals are there mostly to make sure if you hit one into the protected wetlands, you don't go in to try and find your ball.

Dub, My buddy with the Big Green Egg suggests the Large. Most recipes are for the large, and apparently the XL needs recipe adjusting otherwise. He can fit a pretty big brisket in his large, and that feeds a lot of people.

Dear Jerks playing in the group behind us Saturday, The course was backed up, we waved you up on the first par 3 because it's the right thing to do. You even thanked us for doing so. You saw us waiting on several tee boxes because the groups in front of us were slow, and the course we're on is always slow. You hit into us THREE times and never once yelled fore. Twice the ball landed within 12 feet of us. So please explain to me if you figured you were trying to speed things up, have no concept of how far your ball goes, and/or have no concern for the safety of others. May you hit all your tee shots OB and you four-putt for the rest of your days. Rant over, thank you for your time.

Dub, A good friend of mine is a passionate smoker (slow and low) of meat. He used to use a homemade rig made from giant ceramic flower pots for several years. He's had a green egg for a couple of years now, and it's amazing. Not only for low temperature, long duration cooking, but also for anything else. The green egg can produce temps around 600 degrees so it can do high temp too. His brisket is even better since getting the green egg. It's well insulated and regulates temperature very well. I'd get one, but I don't have a yard. ;) One word of warning, they are very very heavy if you have to carry it.

Hey guys, A little head's up- I had a 12:42PM tee time this Friday reserved on Bethpage Black that I just cancelled. The time should be available on the phone system around 11:23PM EST tonight if anyone wants to try and snag it. Hope someone can take advantage of the spot. I played the Black last week, and it's in very good shape. -catfell

Last Saturday, my drive went a little left into the rough. I hit my hybrid onto the green, but rolled off into the rough. With about 4' of green to work with, the part of the green near me was bowl shaped downhill away from me with the hole on the downslope, and my ball is sitting down in a gnarl of grass growing in different directions. I took my 60˚ wedge, opened up the face, my stance and put the ball forward in my stance. A short backswing and a firm swing at the ball, the ball popped up with spin, landed on the downslope short of the pin and rolled in for my first birdie of the season! I would have had the best score of my career, but I shot a 10 on #17 but still had the round of my life.

Welcome back! Glad to see your re-infection is in full effect.;)

iacas and djyoshi, I couldn't agree more. I try hitting different shapes, both left/right and different trajectories at the range. Both to see what I can do, and to gain confidence hitting those shots. But on the course, I'll decide to shape (positive thinking here, doing not trying) a shot because I feel I can do it, and given the situation where my next shot would benefit from that shape. But most of the time, I'm mostly considering my trajectories either due to the wind, green elevation or hardness of the green, but keeping the ball straight. If I'm hitting a certain shape that day, I don't try to fight it until I feel like I know what's up with my swing. My putting is the worst part of my game, then my ball striking. My short game usually leaves me within a reasonable 1.5 putt distance, but I'm capable of a three putt on any hole. So between missing greens in reg and too many putts, that is why I haven't broken 90.

For all my partial wedge shots, I like to open my left (front for righties) foot about 45 degrees to encourage my turn-through. Also I keep more weight on my front foot, I'm not looking for power, but consistency. So by pre-shifting my weight, I'm reducing movement. I really fix my gaze on the ball to concentrate making a good strike. Try to feel the "weight" of the hip turn to get the distance I want during the practice swing. Commit to accelerating through the ball. Like the previous posters, tempo and rhythm are essential.

Without video it's pretty tough to diagnose your issue. However, I used to hit my driver unusually high until someone mentioned that my swing plane was very steep, so I was essentially increasing my effective loft at impact. When I remember to take a flatter path on the takeaway and backswing, my ball flight with the driver is normal looking. And you should be hitting up on the ball with the driver.

One question, does it smell like a hockey glove?

1. Improve my putting. I'm missing too many short putts, I'm not feeling the putter and subsequently my distance control is terrible. 2. Improve my sand game. I used to get out of bunkers with relative ease, but last year I lost most of my confidence. 3. Break 90 4. Even on a lousy day, break 100 no matter what. 5. Keep my cool and focus when putting on the blowup holes. I tend to give up on a particular hole if my first putt is for double bogey or worse. 6. Beat my Father-In-Law (gracefully). I'm out-driving him and keeping the ball in play, but the putting is killing me. 7. Hit more greens in regulation.

My regular playing partner is right handed, plays hockey as a left shot, plays golf righty but putts better lefty, so he has a left handed putter. It always freaks out people we get paired up with. If it feels better- do it.

I would contact a local jeweler to see what they can do. A guy named Jacob the Jeweler in NYC used to do all kinds of crazy custom stuff for a lot of musicians and athletes, but he's since opened a mainstream jewelry business (and also gone to prison for money laundering- but that's another story.). I'm sure a jeweler could make you the belt buckle of your dreams.

I play equally well with my glasses or contacts. Strangely, I don't like wearing sunglasses when I play. If there's a chance of rain, I will always wear my contacts because my glasses don't have windshield wipers. I might be crazy but, sometimes I think that I putt better with the glasses, because with my strong nearsightedness, if the hole is beyond the sightline of my frames, it's out of focus and the temptation to peek (at the hole) is almost non-existent.