The Golf Thread

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

When I moved to NH four months ago, I realized I hadn't picked up my clubs in four years....ended up selling them to my boss this summer. I like the game, but only when I can really get into it and play a 2-3 days a week for the season. I started playing when I was 14, but there has probably been 12 years of not playing and 7 years of playing over the years. My guess is I'll pick the game up again in retirement.

My golf has remained the same for the past 5 years or so because I don't play that often. My Dad and I used to ski together but since his hip is bad he doesn't ski anymore..so golf is something we can do together and my Dad is a better golfer than me..and he can hit it just as far with less effort. I don't even wear golf shoes...I'm thinking about taking my Dad on a weekend golf trip late next spring...maybe to Hershey or Gettysburg..play some golf and drink a bunch of gimlits..

 

[Warp Daddy]

I did 2-putt from 55 feet so it wasn't all bad...are the greens really fast up your way??

Yep the greens are fast , undulating and several are elevated

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

My golf has remained the same for the past 5 years or so because I don't play that often. My Dad and I used to ski together but since his hip is bad he doesn't ski anymore..so golf is something we can do together and my Dad is a better golfer than me..and he can hit it just as far with less effort. I don't even wear golf shoes...I'm thinking about taking my Dad on a weekend golf trip late next spring...maybe to Hershey or Gettysburg..play some golf and drink a bunch of gimlits..

Steez im not sure how far it is from you but i played some nice courses up in the pokes, like east stroudsburg area, great views, cheap, not crowded, one in particular country club of the poconos real nice.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Steez im not sure how far it is from you but i played some nice courses up in the pokes, like east stroudsburg area, great views, cheap, not crowded, one in particular country club of the poconos real nice.

I'm about 45 minutes from some nice Pocono golf courses. My favorite is Hideaway Hills is Kresqueville..right off of 209..between 33 and the PA turnpike(476)..What courses do you recommend in the East Stroudsburg area?

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

I'm about 45 minutes from some nice Pocono golf courses. My favorite is Hideaway Hills is Kresqueville..right off of 209..between 33 and the PA turnpike(476)..What courses do you recommend in the East Stroudsburg area?

The 2 i recommend are actually in marshalls creek about 5-10min down the road from the highway off route 209, the country club of the poconos is nice, stunning views, kinda short i think its only about 6000 yards, also right down the street is a real challege, Great bear golf and country club, its designed by jack nicklaus, very fast greens, a few blind shots, im sure a little more expensive than ccotp.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Played again today another great sunny fall day -- lost my mojo today - shot a so so 88-- lost my putting touch today tho ------------too many blown opportunities

Tomorrow's another day

 

[riverc0il]

Wanted to go out today but decided against it. Back is sore from too much time at the range last week and pushing things with a game on Friday too soon. Gah, drives me nuts. I just want to keep working at it but I gotta realize that playing with a tired muscle group just makes my shots worse and the game less fun. I have quickly realized that quality practice is better than just going out there and hacking, getting worse instead of better. Lessons for me next season for sure

 

[Warp Daddy]

Wanted to go out today but decided against it. Back is sore from too much time at the range last week and pushing things with a game on Friday too soon. Gah, drives me nuts. I just want to keep working at it but I gotta realize that playing with a tired muscle group just makes my shots worse and the game less fun. I have quickly realized that quality practice is better than just going out there and hacking, getting worse instead of better. Lessons for me next season for sure

Yeah i played the last 2 days with an aching back too ! I washed, waxed and detailed my 2 saabs saturday and i'm aching from that .

Strangely i played really well sunday and so/so today differance was i carted sunday and walked it today . I sitting here with my shatsu messager on now as i type this -- going to play again tomorrow IF weather holds and back is less achy.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

Wanted to go out today but decided against it. Back is sore from too much time at the range last week and pushing things with a game on Friday too soon. Gah, drives me nuts. I just want to keep working at it but I gotta realize that playing with a tired muscle group just makes my shots worse and the game less fun. I have quickly realized that quality practice is better than just going out there and hacking, getting worse instead of better. Lessons for me next season for sure

sometimes u will shoot your best scores when u havent picked up a club for a few days.

 

[riverc0il]

sometimes u will shoot your best scores when u havent picked up a club for a few days.

Word. I have already noticed that when I play more than twice a week my playing gets worse. Hard to resist though, but that is what kept me from going out today... knowing patience now will result in a much better game next weekend.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

River..playing consecutive days helps a ton..just like with skiing...any playing is good even if you are playing bad..next season after some lessons and some more time on the course..you might break 100..from then on it's all gravy and frustrating..I shot a legit 91 yesterday and I slammed my club at least 10 times..lol

 

[riverc0il]

River..playing consecutive days helps a ton..just like with skiing...any playing is good even if you are playing bad..next season after some lessons and some more time on the course..you might break 100..from then on it's all gravy and frustrating..I shot a legit 91 yesterday and I slammed my club at least 10 times..lol

I agree that it is just like skiing but disagree on playing consecutive days if your back is sore. I do this with skiing when I need to do it. With skiing though, I have the technique and talent to grin and bare it and still ski respectably and not hurt myself and still have a good time. With my beginning golf game, I don't find it correlates. I have horrid days and want to quite half way through a game. Yea, I know what they say... its called golf. But when I hack my way down the first fairway of the day 30 yards at a time while hitting the best iron in my bag and can't make it onto the green without double digits, that is not a good time and its time to rest up. When I start slamming clubs into the ground, I know its time to give up the game. I saw a cool quote somewhere online that you're not good enough to be destroying your clubs or some such. I certainly can't afford it, regardless :lol:

Any ways, I could care less about my score. I only care about not making good contact consistently. I jump for joy when I make good contact, even if it goes in the completely wrong direction. I have hit some impressively off target shots and I just take a step back and say "wow, that one felt good." That is all I am after right now. I am sure I'll become a points hound in a year or two :lol: For this year, I started tracking my scores and gave up on it because while entering the numbers into the computer, I just sat there thinking "what the hell does it really matter to me?"

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Clubs are pretty tough..I slam them all the time and they don't break..the key for most patient/mature golfers is if you hit a bad shot..slow it down..regroup and eliminate a second bad shot. For most of us mere mortals..when we top..flub or dub the ball..we immediately run up to the ball and take another hard swing..and then we mess up and say f0ck and it leads to worse shots. Also the worst thing to do when hitting a mediocre lag putt is to just finish up immediately..mark the ball and regroup and you'll have a better shot of making that 3-8 footer...

Oh yeah and has anybody ever putt out of the sand with success??? One of the weakest parts of my golf game is from out of the sand. My Dads buddy is an excellent sand player and scrambler..and with greenside bunkers his advice is to get under the ball like you're also picking up a fried egg or dollar bill below the ball..it works well..but..I was matched up with somebody who putts from out of the sand..when there is no lip and if the sand is wet or solid..I've tried that and it is a very high percentage shot for me in certain situations..If I hit my sandwedge right..I can get it to go past the hole and get it to bounce back..

Does anybody have a favorite club..from out of the fairway..for me it's been my 8-iron lately. My favorite shot to hit with an 8-iron is an uphill approach shot from 140-150..It hit my 8 iron alot higher than my 7-iron and a tad farther than my 9...it works well in clearing bunkers garding the front of the green while landing soft enough to hold the green even when landing on a downslope..I also enjoy hitting a 60 percent pitching wedge from 75-80 yards..

 

[riverc0il]

Does anybody have a favorite club.

I have favorite clubs in various situations. My 6I has traditionally been my best shot so I'll go for that if I know I can pitch or chip it onto the green instead of taking more club. Love my 7I for chipping. My best swing in the bag is my 56* SW which is good within 100 yards. My hybrids have been misbehaving lately.

My most consistent and reliable club though is my putter. Pretty rare I do more than two putt a green. Never understood why putting is so difficult for so many golfers. First putt to get close (still go for it any ways) and second putt within gimme range ideally. I never even bother practicing putting because I know it is the most consistent part of my game.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

Steez is correct that playing alot sure helps, taking a few days off wont hurt, but if u stretch that out for say a week u will notice the first thing to go is the short game, chipping, putting, things like that. The touch goes first.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

Clubs are pretty tough..I slam them all the time and they don't break..the key for most patient/mature golfers is if you hit a bad shot..slow it down..regroup and eliminate a second bad shot. For most of us mere mortals..when we top..flub or dub the ball..we immediately run up to the ball and take another hard swing..and then we mess up and say f0ck and it leads to worse shots. Also the worst thing to do when hitting a mediocre lag putt is to just finish up immediately..mark the ball and regroup and you'll have a better shot of making that 3-8 footer...

Oh yeah and has anybody ever putt out of the sand with success??? One of the weakest parts of my golf game is from out of the sand. My Dads buddy is an excellent sand player and scrambler..and with greenside bunkers his advice is to get under the ball like you're also picking up a fried egg or dollar bill below the ball..it works well..but..I was matched up with somebody who putts from out of the sand..when there is no lip and if the sand is wet or solid..I've tried that and it is a very high percentage shot for me in certain situations..If I hit my sandwedge right..I can get it to go past the hole and get it to bounce back..

Does anybody have a favorite club..from out of the fairway..for me it's been my 8-iron lately. My favorite shot to hit with an 8-iron is an uphill approach shot from 140-150..It hit my 8 iron alot higher than my 7-iron and a tad farther than my 9...it works well in clearing bunkers garding the front of the green while landing soft enough to hold the green even when landing on a downslope..I also enjoy hitting a 60 percent pitching wedge from 75-80 yards..

Ive defidently putted out of the sand, obviously when the bunker has no lip however. I try to put whenever possible even if im a few feet from the fringe inbetween the green and rough if the grass isnt too deep i have much better results putting then blading a chip and it scooting across the green into a bunker. My favorite club is a 60 degree lob wedge, its good from 90-100yds, i chip out of heavy rough with it, use it out of bunkers its hard to hit off the deck however, if u dont take the divot just right you will chunk it or skull it

 

[drjeff]

TR

Course Haystack Golf Club

Date Sunday October 12th

I manged to squeeze in 14 holes after my family left my place by Mount Snow Sunday afternoon before it just got too dark for me to see where the heck I was hitting the ball. I hadn't played Haystack in about 6 years and while not the longest course, I had forgotten how fun and scenic it was. Okay, scenery wise, how can a mountain course during peak foliage season on an absolutely cystal clear 65 degree mid October day in the late afternoon sun, not be scenic

Between the relatively tightness of the course and the relative shortness even off the back tees, the driverf didn't get alot of use, but most par 4's were still playing 3 wood and anywhere between an 8 iron and a gap wedge for me.

I was at 4 over par through 14 holes when it just plain and simple got too dark for me to go any further. Not a bad round considering I wasn't 100% mentally into the round as I was a bit distracted by both the scenery and having to force myself to play as quick as possible as I was racing the daylight.

The mental not has been made for me to get a full 18 in at haystack next year in full day light!

 

[ChileMass]

One of the weakest parts of my golf game is from out of the sand.....

OK - try to picture it:

1 - Stand with your left foot opened about 15-20 degrees from a normal square position.

2 - Open the sand wedge clubface until the leading (lower) edge of the club is pointing at the target line you want your ball to travel on.

3 - Put the ball in the middle of your stance.

4 - Take the club back low and slow (shallow take-away angle).

5 - Make your follow through on a line along your toe-line (look down at your open stance and swing from right to left).

6 - Make your swing 3X more than what you would from the grass at the same distance.

7 - FOLLOW THROUGH until your hands come up to your shoulders. This is the biggest reason newbies leave it in the bunker.

You can do this. Now go practice it 1000 times and picture it in your mind all winter.

 

[drjeff]

OK - try to picture it:

1 - Stand with your left foot opened about 15-20 degrees from a normal square position.

2 - Open the sand wedge clubface until the leading (lower) edge of the club is pointing at the target line you want your ball to travel on.

3 - Put the ball in the middle of your stance.

4 - Take the club back low and slow (shallow take-away angle).

5 - Make your follow through on a line along your toe-line (look down at your open stance and swing from right to left).

6 - Make your swing 3X more than what you would from the grass at the same distance.

7 - FOLLOW THROUGH until your hands come up to your shoulders. This is the biggest reason newbies leave it in the bunker.

You can do this. Now go practice it 1000 times and picture it in your mind all winter.

The best tip I've ever had about bunker play came from the assistant pro at a course I worked in the pro shop in high school + college. [size=+4]ACCELERATE[/size] the club through the ball!!! So many golfers will leave the ball in the bunker due to a LONG back swing and a SHORT follow through, thus causing a major deceleration of the club through the sand and ultimately to the ball

The key is a SHORT backswing(maybe 1/2 of normal length) and a LONG, full follow through. That way, you'll keep the clubhead speed up through the sand and ball and get the ball out of the beach and back onto some turf.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

OK - try to picture it:

1 - Stand with your left foot opened about 15-20 degrees from a normal square position.

2 - Open the sand wedge clubface until the leading (lower) edge of the club is pointing at the target line you want your ball to travel on.

3 - Put the ball in the middle of your stance.

4 - Take the club back low and slow (shallow take-away angle).

5 - Make your follow through on a line along your toe-line (look down at your open stance and swing from right to left).

6 - Make your swing 3X more than what you would from the grass at the same distance.

7 - FOLLOW THROUGH until your hands come up to your shoulders. This is the biggest reason newbies leave it in the bunker.

You can do this. Now go practice it 1000 times and picture it in your mind all winter.

Thanks but I'm not thinking about golf during the winter..that would just be wrong..lol