alo1984

Love me some chicks!

The interest in golf in general grew for the general public due to Tiger. I don't recall seeing much LPGA before Tiger but I am likely much younger than you. I think it would be a reach to say that Tiger took away from their air time though. I would disagree that Tiger excited anyone about Buick except for the old people who already drove them. Have you ever heard anyone say that they took up baseball because of Albert Pujols or Derek Jeter? Or took up football because Brett Favre or Reggie Bush. People play sports because they are introduced to it from family, friends, school, or a combination of those and the athletes they are fans of but not necessarily because of any one athlete. I agree, I hardly ever see anyone playing Nike clubs. When I do, they are usually poor players or those who seem uninterested in improvement. Maybe those are the people Tiger attracted to the game.

I find that with my players irons I hit the ball further than GI irons if I hit the sweet spot. GI irons will be longer on mishits for sure.

Okay, so let's not give Tiger any credit for the huge growth that just happened to take place at the exact time he dominated the sport. It was bound to happen anyway. I agree with some of your points, but it seems that your disdain for "fawning" over Tiger is keeping you from acknowledging what is really obvious. Tiger absolutely deserves credit for the commercial growth that golf has experienced. No, he isn't the sole reason for it but he has played a substantial role. Sheesh. A bit gloomy don't you think.

I've never had an ace in 18 years of playing golf. I have holed out for a two on a par four twice and made a double eagle from 220 yds on a par five with a five wood but never a 1...To be honest I've never even come close really. I've had shots that looked like they had a chance only to get to the green and find my pitch mark to be a couple of feet long or short.

It really isn't that hard. Just kind of flick the club with your right hand a thumb as if your trying to spin it. I actually have a (maybe annoying) habit of spinning the club into a "sheath" on my right side after a good shot. Kinda silly I know.

HA! Yeah he is a real class act outside of the pool. What a winner!

I couldn't agree more. On occasions that I am a single, the last thing I want to do is get stuck on a course full of bigger groups and try to jockey for position throughout the day. I have had that happen a couple of times on a course that doesn't have a designated starter. They just give you a tee time and send you off whether you are a single or a foursome. THAT is incredibly annoying. It's much appreciated when I happen on a thoughtful starter such as yourself. I'd much rather join some nice fellows than stand around waiting all day.

Kind of a big deal, huh.

For the most part I play better when playing competitive. WIth exception to a couple of guys who I just really struggle with even though I am actually a better golfer than they are.

Around here, with the economy the way it is, golf tee times are intended for whomever will pay for them.

I hope not!

You sound like a good dude who isn't going to ruin his family playing a game. Lots of people have though. As far as what you should do: I say get some lessons and be a range warrior whenever you can. Figure out what it is you want out of your game and how you want that to fit in with your life. Then make a plan to make it happen.

If you don't mind having a golf widow and a kid that resents you in 15 years, then go ahead and play 5 or more times a week. I think the fact that you have posed the question is answer enough that you know you should not skimp on the family man responsibilities in an effort to reduce your handicap by a couple of points. Right?

I hear ya :-) I would never suggest the British is not at all demanding off the tee. I guess for me it would be scarier to face that 6 inch deep rough in the US Open seeing as how it's literally just off the fairways. But I certainly don/t want to be hacking out of that Euro hay either! JD was (is?) a stinking wizard around the greens for sure! I'll never forget being blown away seeing him hit some flop shots at the PGA at Southern Hills a few years ago. It was just remarkable how huge a swing he took for a 30ft shot.

Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Vijay Singh, Rory Sabbattini, Colin Montgomerie, Steve Stricker

Yeah, I get all that. But again, as you pointed out if a guy can come close to winning a tournament with very demanding driving conditions (U.S. Open, PGA), then he has a good chance to win there in the future. What confuses me is how you think he has less chance to win on courses that are not as demanding from the tee (most Open Championship courses)... My point with JD was just that you said he was often underrated when it came to his short game but I recall just the opposite.

Um, Louis is at best only an average pro player who got hot one week on a relatively easy course. Bubba is an above average player so I'd give him a fair chance to win any major or tournament he plays. If a guy like Louis can win a tournament then I think Bubba has an even better chance in the same tourney. Announcers used to gush over JD's short game if I'm not mistaken. I'm confused how if a guy has shown he can come close to winning the U.S. Open (known for extremely narrow fairways) and the PGA doesn't have a chance on a wide open British Open course. I don't mean to beat this to death but I just don't understand the logic.

To be honest, somebody chowing down on full meal while on the course is kind of annoying to me...

^^^^^this

I was talking to the OP and obviously any other "you" who may have a problem with gum chewing on the golf course. I didn't think it was that hard to figure out who the comment would be intended for. "quote"

It's remarkable how many people actually know what the effect could be a day later. I don't have any experiential input to give regarding pot but alcohol hangovers definitely have a negative effect on my game so I would imagine weed would do the same.

There are some qualifiers you should meet before considering buying blades or players irons, First, can you put up with the crap people will give you for buying clubs above your skill level? Second, are you committed to the game and getting better? (Or are you stuck at a 19 handicap and can't envision getting much better?) Third, if you are committed to the game are you going to be okay with struggling with more difficult clubs before seeing improvement? Fourth, do you have the patience and budget to get properly fit? (Everything from shaft, to lie and length, etc) If you can say yes to all of those then you could be ready to at least consider buying them.

I used to live in St Joseph, MI nearby and was invited to a social event there but have never played it. I salivated everytime I drove past the course on I-94. You have to be in the know or know someone who is to get on there for sure.

For value, stay in Palm Desert at the Marriott for sure...there are actually two marriotts. Stay at the one with the Faldo Course. It's a good course and you can eat and drink at the restaurant on site there. The pool(s) are awesome and depending on when you're there can be hoppin. A lot of the rooms/suites on the ground floor are on the golf course and on two different occassions myself and the little lady have gone out and hit some night time approach shots and had some drinks on one of the greens. As far as other courses to play, PGA West is must! It's a Pete Dye course that used to host the Q school but was too hard so they quit it a couple years back. Indian Wells and The Classic Club are two others that you must play. The Classic Club held the Bob Hope until this year. Very affordable too. As far as bars and food, there are so many choices out there that you won't be lacking. The area is a bit spread out though so you may want to grab a cab or bus for the nights out.