Topper

1. GEAR CHANGES - No major gear changes. I'm trying to learn to use the gear I have first. However.....I'm considering temporarily removing my driver from the bag and temporarily replacing it with a 2h (17 or 18 degrees). I'm awful with the driver and not all that great with my 3W. I'm thinking a 2h will give me more flexibility with some distance off the T, fairway, and rough. 2. WORKOUT ROUTINES - No major changes. I'll ramp-up my boxing and kickboxing training during the winter which is a lot of core strength. Plus it's fun. I'll be able to go to the driving range in the Spring and hit 150-200 balls with no soreness (assuming that I can avoid chipped teeth, broken noses, dislocated knees, or rib fractures while sparring). 3. LESSONS. I'll probably take a lesson or two...probably at the local Golf Galaxy which does video tape sessons. In the Spring, I might look at lessons from a golf pro in a nearby city courtesy of a recommendation from Iacas. I am also seriously considering getting a season pass to the golf dome at Turningstone Casino...but I'm not sure yet. 4. PERSONAL GOALS - Improve my consistency off the T with Driver, 3W, and hybrids....especially driver and 3W. More consistent ball striking which means fewer topped shots.

You're right that I shouldn't assume everyone is willing to make that commitment because having a family is absolutely a huge commitment. For others, it could be work demands and have little to do with family. There's no surprise on my end except for the number of golfers who apparently don't appreciate the time crunch that many of us have (work and/or family) and why we simply don't practice more or don't religiously follow the rules of golf during practice, non-competition, non-handicap rounds. The game should have room for serious golfers as well as casual or beginning golfers. The focus should be on good golf etiquette to make the game enjoyable for everyone who may be on the course at the same time. That's something I'm personally 100% committed to and will frequently repair extra divots, ball marks, and pickup trash (even tees left on the ground) whenever possible....as long as I don't hold up the pace of play.

Ahhh...I sometimes fondly remember the days of dual-income-no-kids....assuming your wife works also. I hated my 12 years of school loans but the abundance of free time was nice....even considering that I frequently traveled for work. The truth of that statement will be more obvious when you've got 3 or 4 kids, especially when they enter their teens and take-on a slew of extracurricular activities. For example, no golfing today because one of my daughters has a cross-country race. Yesterday I took one of my other daughters to her modern dance class after dinner. Tomorrow, my kids are invited to a birthday party. Saturday morning from 6AM until 1PM my whole family is supporting a church fund-raiser. But I may golf after that if my back holds up. The point being, a huge portion of the population has weekly schedules that look like mine and it's an issue that the golf industry must come to grips with. Chances are, your schedule will be similar someday! Anyway, I take lessons and practice to the extent that I can including the driving range (most of the first half of the summer) and then a combination of driving range and 9-hole par3 courses or the front 9 at an executive length course. My wife dislikes anything that remotely resembles exercise, but I've somehow "tricked" her into golfing with me because it's 90 minutes of quiet time for us. We could follow the rules explicitly but neither of us is concerned about a handicap at this point and it would slow-up play. From my perspective and limited experience on golf courses, the definition of "slow play" seems to get shorter as golfers get better. I will have more time to golf if my wife also golfs with me and the last thing I need is an uptight golfer behind us that turns her off from the game before she's had a chance to develop a strong interest in it. The reality is that more skilled golfers are often intolerant of beginners and less skilled golfers and it shows. In general, golf is way too uptight as far as sports go....but I still like it.

46 years

I could practice more if I chose to.... A) neglect my family because golf is time-consuming or B) neglect my job which would which would make it more difficult to pay for more greens fees and lessons. God bless you if you have all the time you need to master this game. However, I guarantee that I'm not alone with respect to pressures placed on "disposable time" (and money), but I see that most Sandtrap members are relative youngsters who aren't yet in this predicament or maybe just starting families. Anyway, I appreciate the intellectual depth of your response. On a side note, Golf has been on a relative decline in the United States for a decade or more. The 2008/2009 recession only accelerated what was already happening in the U.S. and put a real damper on global expansion of the game.

True and True

My first golf outing ever (less than a year ago) was a business event sponsored by my company. There were about 24 of us. I had never even held a club and was invited specifically for that reason....and the fact I had business scheduled near Boston anyway. One of our clients had never golfed either so we were teamed up. Anyway, I hit fat most of the day but on this one approach shot I took a chunk of earth that was literally the size of a brick....and that is absolutely NOT an exaggeration. It sailed at least 20 or 30 feet. I remarked how impressed I was with my rental clubs that such a huge chunk of dirt could be sent such a distance. During dinner at the clubhouse, everyone had a good time trying to figure out what is the next type of divot after beaver pelt and we settled on "bear rug." [You had to be there. It sounded better after several beers.] A week later, I got a phone call from one of my co-workers in another office. He relayed a story he heard that my divots caused a solar eclipse as they went down the fairway.

My wife and I are both beginners. We wish we could play faster, but the fact of the matter is we simply take more strokes and have more shots go astray. It's just the way it is and the only way we can go faster is to adjust the rules. If there are people behind us, we drop another ball after a couple of minutes if we loose one in the rough, play OOB as a lateral hazard if we don't play a provisional, and we'll cap the number of strokes over par and then pickup the ball. Neither of us care about a handicap so the rule adjustments are just fine with us and hopefully keep the more experienced (and usually uptight) golfers off our backs. As far as I know, I'm free to choose any T. Sometimes I'll golf from the forward Ts when I'm with my wife because it's easier or faster and I'm a beginner too. If anything, beginners should be encouraged to use the forward T's at first. Furthermore, I've spent my first golf season almost exlcusively on the driving range, 9-hole par 3 courses, and the front 9 at an executive length course which are appropriate for my ability. I think it would be tough for every course to be designed optimally for every type of golfer, but every golfer should be able to find appropriate courses in their area. I think the 10" cup is ridiculous. I understand that golf courses try to operate lean-and-mean. But we all probably have dealt with businesses that have adopted a lean-and-mean business model with respect to customer service that has left us very dissatisified to the point of not buying a product or service from that company again. I absolutely agree that you need to be efficient, but I would argue that putting an inexpensive clerk (at least part time) behind the cash register to provide golf pros more time to help beginner golfers become regular golfers is worth more in the long run. The fact of the matter is that more golf pros probably find it easier (possibly preferrable) to deal with cash registers and computers than it is to deal with (and help) people. Because someone is designated as the golf pro does not mean that he/she is a "people person." I think this is a good idea. More options and more flexibility can accommodate a wider range of golfer (and family) schedules. I will rarely have 4 hours to spend playing 18 holes.....at least until my youngest daughter leaves for college in 12 years. Then I'll be too broke to play. See my comments for #2. Course developers need to be sensitive to the type of courses already existing in an area and develop different courses that meet the needs of different types of golfers. Each course cannot individually meet the needs of all golfers. It's not beneficial to have all courses in an area the skiing-equivalent of double black diamonds. Sustainable golf course management is something that everyone needs to embrace. I'm not exactly sure what that is, but I'd be OK with less maintenance on fairways with more attention on and immediately around the greens. I'm not experienced enough to comment specifically on green speeds. I love to take the family bowling occasionally and we do get a kick out of the black lights, whirling light thingys, and bumpers. I have no idea how this applies to golf except to somehow decrease the stodgy, intimidating, and confusing persona that generally surrounds the game. Golf just generally lacks "friendliness." I don't know how else to describe it, but as a beginner who often navigated my way around golf courses on my own I can tell you that it's there. For those who always golf with groups of friends, this may not be as evident. Maybe golf pros could link lone golfers or couples with others at their clubs of similar abilities? Advertising golf as an exercise option is a great idea but why does it only apply to seniors when most of our population is overweight and childhood obesity is considered a major public health problem. BTW, why do most "experienced" golfers seem to take a riding cart instead of walking. I forced my brother-in-law to walk 9 holes with me this summer and it was the first time he didn't take a riding cart in 6 years! I have no idea on this. I don't give a damn about handicap (at this point anyway). Most courses already allow early start times. Since I'm a beginner, I usually let the early times go to the better golfers and I try to fit 9 holes in between mowing the lawn and taking my daughters to dance lessons.

My swing is not very consistent so I can't say that I detect a difference between rubber and regular T's, but I usually don't like the height. I pull the rubber T out and replace it with a rubber T-holder (can't think of a better word) that holds regular T's in place. I bought a couple of these a Golf Galaxy and they work great. When I'm done, I put the orignal rubber T back.

Although I would agree that people with general athletic experience or ability will likely have an advantage, your comment is way off-base overall. Consider the following: First....Sports training is specific. I could probably make a case that people who have played tennis, baseball, or hockey for years may struggle for a while to overcome muscle memory specific to those sports that don't particularly help them in golf. Second......to play any sport with any proficiency requires practice. Golf requires a lot of practice and working people with families usually don't have much time. Also consider that some of us live in climates where we can golf only half the year. Third.....Golf instruction (the equivalent of coaching in other sports) exists to keep the golf swing complicated and almost incomprehensible. [sarcasm with some truth] Fourth....Persons may not have previously participated in sports due to interest or opportunity but that doesn't mean they don't have athletic ability. And Fifth.....Any golfer who goes out and plays to the best of their ability given their available resources (mostly time) has no reason to be embarrassed about their performance....just be courteous to others and not hold-up the pace of play.

[Sorry for the long post, but OP's comments really resonated with me.] I read your (OP) post and was amazed at how accurately it reflected my feelings this golf season. I am a middle-aged (although older than most on this forum) beginning golfer with a long history of athletics: high school and college basketball, bike (the pedal kind) racing, weightlifting/strength training, boxing, Thai boxing, etc. I understand the importance of coaching and instruction when taking on a new sport...so I thought golf would be no different. I was wrong....mostly. I am not afraid to take (and pay for) lessons. I even took time to visit a golf course and take a lesson during my family vacation. I've had 3 different PGA instructors and countless well-meaning friends and acquaintance give advice and have read countless golf articles. I have subscriptions to Golf Digest and Golf. I have not had a SnT lesson or know that much about SnT except that it focuses on keeping weight left. In short, the best lesson I had was the first one. The instructor showed me how to hold a golf club in a neutral grip and stand. After that, lessons were not all that productive....and quite possibly counterproductive. Why do I say that you might ask. Because like the OP said (for the most part), golf instructors make the swing so *$%

I tape my swing every 2 to 3 sessions at the driving range. I use a Kodak Playsport and tripod. The camera works great and is waterproof so if there's no worries if it's raining. The Kodak has selectable (including very slow) playback speeds so you can look at specific points during your swing. I've never seen anyone else use a camera. As a beginner, I have always considered it odd given how inexpensive the equipment is and how ridiculously hard this game is.

I sympathize completely as a fellow high handicapper. I don't have enough experience to provide much game improvement advice but I can outline some of the things I've done to move my game forward and maybe you can find something helpful. 1. Be realistic about how much time you have to practice and what you can accomplish in that time. I have a busy career and family so frequent 18-hole outings are a rare (i.e., never) event. So I focus on par 3 or "executive" length courses and play only 9 holes at a time. In the Spring, I practiced regularly with all my clubs (driver, hybrids, irons, wedges, and putting), but I found that I able to do a little bit with each but do nothing OK....even for a beginner. So I made a decision midway through the summer to focus my limited time on my irons (4-9), wedges, and putting. Leave the "long" clubs for later. This means that most par 4s become par 5s and par 5s become par 6s for me. I don't care. 2. Like other have said, know what your major "leaks" are and focus limited time on fixing your leaks.....which means track your stats and make field notes. I actually take a notebook with me on the golf course. I know that my number one stroke loss is topping shots from the t-box. Until last weekend, I topped an amazing 75% of my T-shots (including every mulligan). I have T-box phobia because I only topped 20-25% of my approach shots (still pretty significant). Surprisingly, my wedge game and putting are OK (for a beginner). I only 3-putt once every 8 or 9 holes. I love using wedges and experiment with lofted wedges shots and bump-and-runs all the time. I know this because I keep notes. 3. Know what your swing really looks like. You can only do this with a video camera and/or take lessons. I did both this summer and found that they're helpful in moderation. The only problem I have with lessons is that most PGA Instructors are very mechanics orientated focusing on specific orientation of the club, the ball, and various body parts during the golf swing. I'm sure it works for many, but I found my brain so full of swing thoughts that I spent most of the summer with "brain freeze" and topping golf balls to the point that I was wondering if I should divert golf time back to boxing and Thai-boxing. I hit people way easier than golf balls! 4. Once you know what your golf swing really looks like, focus only one or two key swing thoughts to make improvements. From video, It was easy to see that I tended to take the club back steeply and lay it off slightly at the top. Typical for a beginner but I didn't really know it until I saw it. After a few lessons, I filtered out all the instructional chaff and latched onto a simple swing thought that worked for me. For me, it was to take may hands away and reach slightly behind me during the back swing (only to the point where I felt comfortable). This one thought cause my swing to go more around me, no layoff at the top, and a reasonable shoulder turn (given arthritis in my lower back), and weight shift to the right without excessive body movement. One thought did a lot things and I focused on that for a while. Then, someone told me I needed a "trigger" to initiate the downswing. I really struggled with this but recently stumbled on what seems to be working for me. I make a slight hip turn (open) immediately followed by tucking my right elbow into my side as the club comes down. That action seems to allow me to "whip" the club with the "swooshing" sound happening near the ball instead of earlier in the swing. The weight shift kind of happens on its own. That didn't fall into place until last weekend when I played 9-holes on Fri, Sat, and Sun which is the most golf I've ever played on a weekend. What a difference! Zero topped shots on Saturday and only 4 on Sunday. I'll have to see how it holds during the short time remaining until winter. You'll need to see what works for you but keep your swing thoughts few and simple. Good luck.

bigoak - Grapes, apples, etc are good this year. My 6-year old just picked her body-weight in apples at one of the local orchards so we're in the middle of apple sauce, apple crisp, and apple pie season. Your comment on finger lakes wines has got me thinking about a finger lakes golf & wine tour outing for my wife and I in the next few weeks before courses start closing. I might play better if golf follows our wine tour activities.

joshiemac25 - I will be in your area (Potsdam) on Thursday and Friday this week for business . I have two days of meetings but if my meetings end by3 or 4 on Friday I'm thinking of going to the Potsdam Country Club and playing 9 holes before I head back to Syracuse. I'm a relative beginner so I like to take the opportunity to hack-up distant courses when I can, so that the grounds keepers have time to forget me before I have an opportunity to return! My plan assumes that the weather is cooperative of course.

Just started golfing this year at 46. My wife started with me although she's not as "dedicated" as I am about improving. Since we walk the courses (at my insistence), golfing sometimes seems too much like exercise...which she's not real fond of. Anyway, I think I'm finally making real progress with my irons and wedges and it's almost time to start our annual 5-6 months of hibernation as winter approaches. I'm sure envious of you folks that live in climates where you can golf all year....even if it's not every day and even if it's a bit cold.

Good for you getting the family involved! Both my wife and I started golfing this year as a way to get some exercise and some "quiet" time. Even at the expense of some of the "quiet" in our quiet time, I asked if any of our girls were interested (13, 11, and 6). I had no takers. My oldest simply doesn't get get the point of hitting a little white ball and pretty much says so in her hormonal, teenage, don't-bother-me voice. My 11-year old was interested only until I indicated she could not drive the golf cart (plus I usually walk). If you saw her drive go-carts you'd know why. Her motto is "brakes are for babies." My little one has a nano-second attention span and the idea of putting a long steel club in her hand is scary. Maybe things will change as they get older! It would certainly make it easier to golf more if everyone were interested.

1. Putter 2. 56 deg wedge 3. 7I 4. 4I I'm a beginner so I don't even bother with my woods or driver. I'm afraid I'll hurt people in other fairways and pedestrians walking in out-of-bounds areas. I'm not that comfortable with hybrids either....although I've started working with my 3H at the driving range. I can't make consistent contact with it yet.

Department Manager for a midsize Design/Construction Management/Environmental/O&M; Firm. We're usually busiest in the summer which "conflicts" with golf season. Unfortunately, I have to hibernate for almost 5-6 months once the cold weather and snow arrives. I envy all of you who live in milder climates!