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Golfers; where are you all?

I was expecting to see more golfers in "The Clubhouse" but they seem a bit thin on the ground.

So... does anyone play? Tell me about your game please.

What's your home course?
What's your handicap?
What gear do you use?
How long have you been playing?
etc etc

For me, I'm a golf nut. I've been playing since I was a kid but never quite made a single figure handicap and I'm currently sat squarely on 13.5.

I'm a member at Chippenham golf club in the UK which opened 3 new holes on Monday which is close to the final phase of a brand new (much longer) course structure opening in May. I'm looking forward to the weekend when I can try them out. BTW, the first hole is due to be turned into a 550 yard par 5 in May, and that's from the yellows. Talk about an evil start.

  • I favour Burner 09 Irons (steel shafts) because I hit a high ball flight and the Burners have a natural low tradjectory.
  • I use the R9 Supertri driver (9 deg) weighted for a low flight and slight draw with a stiff shaft.
  • I like the Cleveland Classic putter for its elegance and simplicity but I have to admit that my long putting is easily the worst part of my game.
  • I use Mizuno forged wedges because they are beautiful
  • I like the old style NXT ball for the low spin, again helping to keep the ball low and straight, although this does make control around the green more tricky.
  • I use a vardon grip

I'd say my distance is slightly above average for an amature with an 8 iron flying just over 150 yards, assuming a calm and warm day. As long as I can keep the tradjectory low and get a decent roll-out, I'd expect my drives to be between 250 and 270 yards on the flat.

Main strength - Long game
Main weakness - Long putting
 
Here! Unfortunately haven't touched a club in at least 5 months. Hopefully the cold weather is really over and courses will start opening shortly. Our golf league is tentatively scheduled to start in about 2 weeks.

I absolutely love golf, but it wasn't always that way. My dad played a bit, but I had zero interest as a kid. I took up the game the year I turned 30 (currently late 40's) just because I was in sales and it seemed to help with networking and such. Played in a 9 hole work league and in outings here and there for 4-5 years but really only enjoyed the social aspect of it. Then I changed jobs and didn't play for at least a year. For some reason I came back to it with a huge passion. Finally took a few lessons, actually practiced a bit and even learned to build clubs. I've been totally hooked since. I found myself out of work back in the summer of 2009 and played about 3 times/week and managed to break 80 several times, but I haven't really been close to doing that since. Having a job and family limits me to a weekly 9 hole league and getting out for 18 here and there when I can. I generally play too aggressively to score well, but that's part of the fun. I prefer to walk when playing and I'll put my bag on a Clicgear cart for 18 holes.

I play in a 9-hole league at Westwoods GC in Farmington, CT. I'll play Tunxis, Hawks Landing, Wintonbury, Fairview and many other local courses during the year. I may join a Mens league at a new course to try to get some more rounds in this summer.

Haven't formally kept a handicap lately, but my index was ~ 14.

Because I build clubs I tend to change regularly (building clubs does NOT save you money lol). Last year I used a Wishon 919 driver, Wishon 949 fairways, Snake Eyes 685OS irons, Wishon wedges and a Dogleg Right Machine putter. This year I may be using a TM R1 driver and Mizuno JPX800 irons. I have a love for all things forged, but as a former engineer I love technology too.

I tend to favor a "higher" lofted driver; the Wishon was handpicked to 11* and slightly open. It's also only 44.5" with a heavy Proforce V2 75 S shaft. I know I can hit a 46" driver longer, but the shorter heavier ones are much more accurate for me. I was hitting 230-240 yds, but I picked up some speed last year, reshafted to S flex and was getting 250-270...I really shouldn't even be looking at another driver lol. For irons I can hit an 8i 150, but that's pretty much max and I'll usually throttle back and hit a 7. I tend to hit the ball pretty high and despite my mid handicap I actually can work the ball either way to some extent....but probably shouldn't lol.

I like pretty much any ball that has a urethane cover. I find those really do seem to behave better around the greens. I avoid ProV's because they cost too much and look for good sales on Cally, TM and Srixon balls.

My game used to be about being a decent iron player and consistency from 100 yds and in. Last year I didn't play much due to a shoulder injury and my wedge game was horrible and my irons spotty, but I drove the ball unbelievably well. Probably the worst part of my game was my putting.
 
Golf...the curse of my adult life. Been playing for quite a few years. Currently at an established 20 hcp. Was down to a 16 until my putting/chipping went to hell in a handbasket.

Playing a set of Ping G25 irons (4-PW) and a Ping G25 10.5 driver. Taylor Made supplies the RBZ 3 wood and RBZ 20 deg. utility. Vokey wedges (52, 56, 60) and a Ping Scottsdale B60 putter. Haven't found a ball better than Bridgestone's E5.

Never been scary long but that's why I carry 14 clubs. Ironically, although I am pretty short off the tee, I can hit my wedges as far or in some cases farther than my son (29 years younger than I and he plays to about a 9). He cannot figure how I can (accurately) hit a 60 degree lob wedge 75-80 yards....

Home course would be Baytree National (Melbourne, Brevard County FL).

I've been quite fortunate throughout the years and have played golf in many places. Among them: Ballybunion, Old Head, and Portmarnoch were excellent Irish courses. Last year, Gleneagles, North Berwick (2nd oldest course in Scotland) Kingsbarn and Carnoustie. All were fun and in many cases humbling experiences. Pubs in both countries were a lot of fun too.

...and golf in the Southwest US?? Courses are simply amazing.

Took pretty much a sabbatical from the links over the past couple months. Just have too much other stuff on the agenda. Maybe summer will open up some. At least the greens fees will get less-expensive.
 
Hello Complex! I got my first set of clubs for my 5th birthday, but only to hack around once a year when my dad decided he was up for it. Nobody in my immediate family played seriously, but I met a kid across the street that got me into it pretty hard and I've been playing ever since. I played varsity all four years of high school but never had quite enough skill to make it at the college level (especially since I go to University of Illinois which is currently ranked #6 in the nation). I've been caddying over the summers at Sunset Ridge Country Club. As much as I'd like to say it's my home course, I probably play Thunderhawk in Zion, IL a lot more than Sunset. I've been fortunate to play a lot of great courses around me like Shore Acres, Conway Farms, Cog Hill #4, Firestone South, Medinah #3, and Olympia Fields North, but I'd love to branch out and play in more places on the East and West coast. My best friend and I are planning a golf trip to Europe when we both graduate.

Recently, my index has been floating around 4.1-4.9 and right now is at 4.4. I just played my first round since late September (due to a shoulder injury) in Florida and shot 80, which for me is generally unheard of for the first 2 or 3 rounds of the year. Although, I guess it helps when you're playing with someone who's going to school to become a teaching professional!

As far as equipment goes, my bag looks like this:

- Titleist 910 D3 8.5* driver set a little upright (fade bias). I switch between an Aldila RIP alpha 70 X and a Matrix Black Tie X shaft
- Cobra Pro X 3 wood with the stock speeder shaft
- Titleist AP2 3-PW with KBS Tour X flex shafts (sometimes if I feel like I'm swinging really well I'll go back to my Mizuno MP60's with Rifle 6.5 shafts)
- Just recently got a set of Scratch wedges with KBS Tour X's. 52*, 56* and 60*
- Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 34" with a Ping Scottsdale chord grip
- Like KCee, I use any tour performance ball that I can get cheaply. Sometimes even refurbished ProV's. Just whatever I can get my hands on for a good price

Off the tee I average about 290-300, and measure all of my distances off of my 8 iron that flies about 170. I was surprised that the ball was flying a lot farther in florida. I thought the humidity would have hindered ball flight, but my friend told me to be prepared. I actually hit a 9 iron 180 yds, and then followed it up with a PW that went about 165..... But that's a story for another time.

I'd say the greatest strength in my game is all iron play, and my biggest weakness is midrange putting. I definitely need to start getting more of those 10-25 footers for birdie to drop!
 
So that's 4 of us :tongue_sm

It sounds like we're a decent mix of styles and abilities. I reckon Lax and Acme vs Kev and I would make for an interesting fourball.
Lax - That's one hell of an average drive distance and, interestingly, would sit you in the top 40 when compared against the tour pros (just behind Geoff Olgivy lol)!

Acme - It's interesting that you say you hit your wedges disproportionally further than your other clubs because I'm the exact opposite. My distances go 9 iron: 140, PW: 130, AW: 115, SW: 85, LW: 60. There's a constant 5deg difference as you move along those clubs (my SW is 55deg, I checked) and from 4 iron to PW there's a constant 10 yard gap... so what the hell happens between my AW, SW and LW??? Buggered if I know.

Kev - The JPX800s are really nice irons and packed with technology. I was seriously impressed when I tried them but they were a little out of my price range which is why I have the Burners.

Unsurprisingly, we all struggle to putt.

I'm convinced that from tee to green I'm just as good as any single figure handicapper but put a putter in my hand and things go south fast. If my approach shot is outside of 15ft, I'd say it's even money whether I two or three putt. My last round I must have three putted about 7 times but I still came in at +14 (on handicap in other words).

It's incredibly frustrating and I'd say the vast majority of my problems are down to misjudging the weight of putts with many coming up 4ft short or 4ft long which, coupled with my 50/50 success rate at sinking 4ft putts, really messes me up.

Of course, the answer is to spend a lot more time on the putting green but... we don't do we? :wink2:
 
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Retired.

I played quite a bit when I was younger but my motivation is no longer there and the idea of playing once a year (and badly) doesn't appeal to me. I was down into single figures when I was a kid and then floated about 9 for many years. Having had the luck to play most of the great courses in Ireland, a few in Scotland and a couple in England I was happy to call it a day.

I gave away my big travel cover, two golf bags and about 40 Ping, Titleist, Cleveland, Acushnet and Wilson clubs last month. These days I enjoy taking photos much more.
 
Golfed for the first time this year twilight yesterday. Shot a 46 for 9, which is about 8 better than i normally do. More than likely more score was aided by the Force Ten Gale called The Hawk in Chicago, which corrected my "power slice." The course is a good muni called Glenwoodie-I'm part of a golf league run by one of our customer's.

I grew up in the city, and played Marquette Park until I got wheels. Cuurently I live in the greatest concentration of golf courses in Chicagoland-the southwestern suburbs. Cog Hill is 10 minutes from me. This year I'm committed to playing more, and just for the enjoyment of the friendships. As a 27 handicapper, my game is streaky. Long ball is solid (except for that mutant gene that twitches from time to time and creates the famed "Power Slice"), chipping was good, gotta get it back. Always a 2-3 putt in my game. Irons are Mizuno MX 30, Taylor Made driver/ 3 wood, 2 ball Odessey putter. Couple of utility clubs. Trying to hit the Noodle/soft compression balls now.

I am a tough competitor in all areas, except for golf. For me to be out walking a course is just supreme freedom, so you'll never see me wound up when it goes OB or a putt is yanked. Been known to "Happy Gilmore" a few drives, with fairly good success (thank you hockey). Glad you got the post started!
 
I may actually go out and hit some balls today. It should be at least in the 50's and I know the range nearby opened this week. I don't think I'll be able to get out and play for another week or 2, but it would be nice to swing the clubs. Maybe the putting green will be open too. I've read some Dave Pelz and Dave Stockton books this winter and I'm ready to put some effort in with the flatstick!
 
I love golf!!!! I like to try golfing at all different courses especially if I have a chance while I am travelling. I dont golf as much as I would like now that I live in the booneys and have a 2 year old son. but when I do get out I tend to shoot in the low 80's and sometimes high 70's.

As for my gear, it was all brand new about 6-7 years ago. Nike Slingshot Irons, Ping Si3 8.5 degree driver, Nike SQ 3 wood, feel Golf wedges(reversed grips)....and a Scotty Cameron(Brad Faxon) putter.

Been playing about 15-20 years.

Distance wise I can hit it pretty well. More accurate and almost as long with my 3 wood as my driver.

Strength: Hitting it pretty straight...don't take many penalties or miss too many fairways
Weakness: inconsistent short game. Both chipping and putting. I feel this affects the other parts of my game. I three put waaaay to much.

I hope to get out more this year. Liking this thread


FORE!!!!
 
How about "Hackers" - I'd hate to defile the term "Golfer" when describing my game! :lol:

What's your home course? I live in Cen FL & there are so many courses nearby I don't have a home course although there are about 4-5 munis or non privates that I play most often.

What's your handicap? I don't think they have a handicap number for my average score? In my defense though I will say that I DO count every stroke and every penalty; I do putt it out to the end; and I DO play the ball where it lies (things not all of my playing partners do...)

What gear do you use? I'm playing Taylor 2.0 Burner Irons & Rescue club set (3i & 4i) right off the shelf; Taylor Rocketbalz Driver & 3 Wood; a couple of Warrior Wedges; a Lynx Chipper Putter; Carbite Mallard style putter and the always trusty, must needed = 8' ball retriever!!

How long have you been playing? I took up golf late in life - been playing (well, attempting to play) for about 10-11 years.

I will say I have met some great people playing golf; have had lot's of laughs and lot's of fun; have enjoyed playing at many places around the country when on vacation, and now that my wife has taken up the game I find it particularly relaxing and enjoyable when we play with other couples.
 
That is interesting about where I'd sit in tour stats, until you take into account that I'm judging purely my driver distance, and the tour stats factor in every ball hit off the tee at a par 4/5. Not that I don't when it's needed, but tour players take 3 wood/3 iron off the tee a decent amount. Tour players can rip it whenever they want. There is a member at the club I caddie at who was on the tour for a year, that can drill it with a driver, but only uses it about 3 times a round at the club! I'd say I could hold my own distance wise against the likes of Luke Donald or Zach Johnson, who are generally viewed as the shorter drivers of the ball.

I definitely need to spend more time on the putting green, especially when there's Thunderhawk down the road that keeps their sizable putting green rolling pretty well. I'd say I spend about an hour or two a week after work, but pros spend that amount of time per day whether they're playing or practicing.
 
What's your home course? I dont have a home course I play Ironwood in Sussex, WI and Silverspring CC in Menomonee Falls, WI.

What's your handicap? 4-5 Hcp

What gear do you use? Currently playing with Mizuno TZoid Pros and MP14-s or full set of MP68's . Driver is a cleveland classic 9* Wedges are fordged clevelands and the putter is a ping answer BeCu.

How long have you been playing? Since i have been about 6 yrs old - 29 yrs old now
 

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In Chicago we are just coming out of golf-hibernation. I used to play pretty well, but now that I work every day instead of practicing every day my handicap is threatening to climb into the double digits.

Driver - R9
3W - R9tp
2 hybrid - R11tp
3-7 irons - mp59
8-p irons - mp69
54 and 56 degree wedges - vokey
putter - an old odyssey rossie 2 (black insert)
ball - prov1x

Eyeing a new driver this year, the R9 was a silly purchase and doesn't fit me very well, just spins way too much for modern golf balls. I am lucky if I average 260 with it and I hit my 3wood 250. I am also thinking about getting a new putter this year, my odyssey has been in the bag for the better part of the last 15 years.
 
Getting so depressed by the weather here in Southern Ontario...It's 22Apr and I haven't been out yet. Forecast for the next 7 days sucks. Of course I ponied up for the unlimited membership this year too instead of paying per round. Hoping for a long dry warm May to make up for some lost time...
 
I'm glad to see some other golfers here on B&B.

I started playing when I was in 2nd grade, and played a bit in the Junior PGA during the early 90's. I took to golf naturally, but never really took it seriously. I loved to play, but I was never one for practice :001_rolle

About 4 years ago when I was 29, I played with some business associates of mine, and had such an embarrassingly terrible day, that I went home and thought about how I could shoot so poorly having played for so long. My conclusion was that I needed to actually practice and spend some time figuring out how to play the game correctly.

4 years later, I'm a 3 handicap. It hasn't been easy, but I think my biggest weak spot is course management. I'm the guy that hits a shot, and then says "Why the hell did I just do that? Why didn't I just lay up and take double bogey out of play?" Hindsight is 20-20, I guess.

My bag:

Nike Covert Tour Driver w/ Kuro Kage Stiff @ 9.5 open
Titleist 909F3 3 Wood @ 15 degrees
Titleist 909F3 5 Wood @ 18 degrees
Mizuno MP 33s w/ Dynamic Gold S300 shafts
Callaway Wedges 52 & 56 Degrees
Odyssey Putter (no idea what the name of it is)

One thing that has helped me is realizing that I have to play realistic golf. For example, its easy to come into a green with a 7 iron, hit it right in the middle of the green, and be mad because your 20 feet away from the pin. In reality, that's a great shot. For example, the Tour averages from different distances are surprising (at least they were for me, when I actually looked them up). I guess maybe we're all used to seeing highlights on ESPN or the Golf Channel of guys coming in from 220 yards and sticking it 6" away, and its easy to expect that of yourself. Here are some stats that surprised me. These are Accuracy From the Fairway stats from the Tour's website:

Tour Averages
Inside 100 yards - 11' 6" (Scott Stallings)
From 75-100 yards - 10' 7" (Scott Stallings)
From 100-125 yards - 13' 9" (Hideki Matsuyama)
From 50-125 yards - 14' 9" (Hideki Matsuyama)
From 125-150 yards - 18' 8" (Peter Malnati)
From 150-175 yards - 22' 4" (Troy Merritt)
From 175-200 yards - 26' 11" (Chad Campbell)
From 200 yards - 41' 1" (Brad Fritsch)

The one that really blows me away is the one from inside 100 yards. 11" from inside 100 yards? And these stats are based on approaches from the fairway, so the shots are all in the go zone, more or less. When I start getting irritated at myself for not hitting the ball close enough, I just stop and think about these averages, and it helps me to calm down.

My home course is Juniper Golf Club in Redmond, OR. There are a lot of nice courses in nearby Bend, and of course the Nicklaus and Fazio courses over at Pronghorn. The Fazio course is gorgeous, but you'd better bring your ballstriking with you. He's not very forgiving if you miss, and the greens are hard and fast.
 
I'm actually really surprised I don't see more golf talk as well.

I played as a kid for a few years, took a long break, picked it back up again a few years ago. I'm a hack, but it's fun. Haven't got out this year yet due to work and a new baby at home, but hoping to play a couple times before the end of the season and more regularly next year.

Most of my time I spend at the range trying to figure out how to consistently hit the golf ball. I've had an issue with making good contact, resulting in anywhere from 5 to 20% of balls hit thin or fat. For a couple years, I lived right by the range and got pretty good with my chipping and putting, but it's been a while there too.

Managed to break 100 both of the times I played 18 last year, so that's good. Just need to play a lot more.

My clubs right now:

Driver: Cleveland Classic XL (don't bag it because of consistency issues)
Woods: Cleveland Mashie (3 and 5, but usually only bring the 3)
Hybrids: Cleveland Mashie (3 and 4, but usually only bring the 3)
Irons: Cobra Amp Cell (4 all the way to the matching SW, but usually bring 5i-GW or SW)
Wedges: Taylormade ATV 54 & 58 (always bring 58, sometimes swap 54 with set SW)
Putter: Taylormade Ghost Spider with a Super Stroke grip
 
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