dkirk

My top 10: •Riviera •Spyglass Hill •Olympic Club Lake Course •Torrey Pines South •The Links at Spanish Bay •La Costa •La Quinta Mountain Course •Mauna Kea •Kapalua Bay •The Gallery (Now, if I can only figure out how to get on to Augusta National)

I can't recall for sure when the grass was put in but it wasn't that long ago. New matts (on the bottom level) and ball machines too. P.S. old range cards don't work on the new machines but the guys in the pro shop are pretty good about giving you credit for them. They use a refillable magnetic key system now. For a single bucket, they give you a code number that you enter into the machine. Big improvement after a lot of complaints, but it's still not the same as hitting off real grass.

I use it almost exclusively from 96 yards in to where I would chip around the green with a less lofted club.

After playing Pings form many years and swearing by them, I love my AP2s I got early this year even more!

One of the lessons I taught my son when he was learning to play was not to say anything about a swing or shot until the ball stops rolling. You never know where it will actually end up - no matter how bad you think you have hit it.

I live near Knollwood and play it often. Since cirem22 origional post, the range has been redone. Artificial turf (mostly dirt and sand) has been replaced with natural grass and new yellow range balls have been put into play.

When playing my local course, I walk and carry my bag, use my an app on my iPhone for driving distance as well as for keeping my score and statistics (fairway, GIRs, sand saves, and putts). I also carry and use a laser rangefinder for my approach shots. In the last two years of doing this, not once has anyone complained to me about slow play. I've made all of this part of my routine and in fact I can usually play as fast or faster than a twosome in a cart. Many times, the others I'm playing with will ask me to scope their distances which I will gladly do if it isn't a match or doesn't slow our entire group down. On the flip side, there are many things inexperienced and/or inconsiderate players do to slow the speed of play. ie. leaving their bags or cart on the wrong side of the green away from the next tee, looking at every putt longer than 6 inches from every side, not being ready to play a shot or putt when it is their turn, etc., etc., etc. To me, all of these are just more things to learn to block out and deal with so they don't affect my game.

Winter Break? I only stop playing when the rain is coming down sideways here in Southern California.

I've probably read this book a dozen time. It seems like every time I pick it up and read it, I get a new insight into Hogan was trying to communicate about the golf swing. Sticks in My Bag: Titleist 909 D2 9.5 w/ Stiff UST V2 76 gram, Titleist 909F2 15.5 w/ Stiff UST V2 76 grams, Titleist 909H w/ Stiff UST V2 89 grams, Titleist AP2 3-9 irons w/ Project X 5.5, Titleist Spin Mill 56.11 Sand Wedge, Titleist Spin Mill 60.7 Lob Wedge, Scotty Cameron Newport 2, Pro V1 ball.

I've always felt that the harder I work on the range and putting green, the luckier I would be on the course! Sticks in My Bag: Titleist 909 D2 9.5 w/ Stiff UST V2 76 gram, Titleist 909F2 15.5 w/ Stiff UST V2 76 grams, Titleist 909H w/ Stiff UST V2 89 grams, Titleist AP2 3-9 irons w/ Project X 5.5, Titleist Spin Mill 56.11 Sand Wedge, Titleist Spin Mill 60.7 Lob Wedge, Scotty Cameron Newport 2, Pro V1 ball.

What I worked on this afternoon at the range: Driver - Pre-shot routine on every shot. Good alignment and posture. Good coil into right hip with complete shoulder turn without swaying. Smooth transition in to downswing syncing arm swing with body turn and head position. I try to hit no more than three drivers in a row and then hit a couple of mid to short irons or wedges. Then back to the driver. The pressure is on to hit three good drives in a row. The idea is to try to simulate hitting shots I'll hit on the course. Partial Wedges - Controlling distance with length of back swing, width of stance, and tempo. I work on accelerating the club through the ball no matter how short the swing. I do a drill trying to hit 1st ball 40 yards, 2nd ball 50 yards, 3rd ball 60 yards, 4th ball 50 yards and then 5th ball 40 yards. (Up and then back down the ladder.) I mix this drill up with other things I'm working on; like today when I was working on my driver. Putting - Setting up with my eyes directly over the ball with my hands slightly ahead of the ball. Today I worked mostly on keeping my head steady by focusing on the alignment line I mark on my golf ball. I work on visualizing a line starting with the alignment line on my putter, through the line on my ball, to my aim point at the hole. I then try to make my stoke along this line with out moving my head or eyes and with out peeking until well after the ball is on its way. I don't do a complete pre-shot putting routine every time, but I do take the time to carefully align my ball via the alignment line before making my practice put. Yes, it does take more time, but it sure makes it more realistic to what try to do on the course. Sticks in My Bag: Titleist 909 D2 9.5 w/ Stiff UST V2 76 gram, Titleist 909F2 15.5 w/ Stiff UST V2 76 grams, Titleist 909H w/ Stiff UST V2 89 grams, Titleist AP2 3-9 irons w/ Project X 5.5, Titleist Spin Mill 56.11 Sand Wedge, Titleist Spin Mill 60.7 Lob Wedge, Scotty Cameron Newport 2, Pro V1 ball.

Semi-Retired bank regulator