The Golf Thread

[PaloAltoCougar]

I've vacationed at Tahoe dozens of times but had never played Edgewood until today (this where they hold the Celebrity Golf Championship every summer). Beautiful course, but I uglied it up a bit--I shot a pair of 46's in a very undistinguished round. Unless one plays from the tips (I certainly did not), it's really not a very tough course, my performance notwithstanding.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I played Coyote Moon (north of Tahoe) today with very mixed results, mostly disappointing. I was pleased that on a 410 yard hole I was pin high using a sand wedge for my second shot, but that's pretty much it for my highlight reel. I want to play more to get ready for next month's ultracompetitive CS Golf Challenge, but at the moment the only good thing that's happening is my index is climbing a bit.

I played with two cardiologists and a rheumatologist (there has to be a joke there), all of them substantially older than me, and play was excruciatingly slow. One guy was particularly maddening, with a lengthy warm-up ritual before each shot, and then the world's slowest backswing. Seriously, it was about 6-7 seconds, minimum, followed by an odd hitch on the downswing and a jump at contact. Very nice guys, but five-hour rounds, especially when there's nobody in front, are extremely irritating. Maybe that's why I sucked.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I've played twice in the last month, once in Wisconsin with the nicest set of rental clubs I've ever used. Two 6-irons, mix of easy flex graphite and firm steel shafts an unusable driver and a 3-wood that said Tovo-Technology for Women on the bottom. It didn't matter.

It is hard to be very good if you don't play a lot.

[cougjunkie]

I played Cedar Hills over the weekend.

We started on 9 (for those that have played there it made more sense since nobody was in front of us). I went birdie (lipped out my eagle putt), eagle, birdie, birdie to start. Honestly it doesn't get any better than that. That is the pinnacle of golf right there. I was -5 through 4 holes. I mixed in another birdie on hole 8. Which means on that stretch (8-12) I was -6. I still shot an 83.

I don't think I had a single par on the day. It was all or nothing. I did mix in a few 8s for fun.

[byu71]

I played Cedar Hills over the weekend.

We started on 9 (for those that have played there it made more sense since nobody was in front of us). I went birdie (lipped out my eagle putt), eagle, birdie, birdie to start. Honestly it doesn't get any better than that. That is the pinnacle of golf right there. I was -5 through 4 holes. I mixed in another birdie on hole 8. Which means on that stretch (8-12) I was -6. I still shot an 83.

I don't think I had a single par on the day. It was all or nothing. I did mix in a few 8s for fun.

That is a pretty inconsistent round of golf.

That being said, the good part was really good.

[Donuthole]

I played Cedar Hills over the weekend.

We started on 9 (for those that have played there it made more sense since nobody was in front of us). I went birdie (lipped out my eagle putt), eagle, birdie, birdie to start. Honestly it doesn't get any better than that. That is the pinnacle of golf right there. I was -5 through 4 holes. I mixed in another birdie on hole 8. Which means on that stretch (8-12) I was -6. I still shot an 83.

I don't think I had a single par on the day. It was all or nothing. I did mix in a few 8s for fun.

Golf is so strange. I had somewhat of an opposite experience. I played a round a couple weeks ago with a former bishop. I started out double, double, and by the tee box on hole #3 I was pretty much resigned to a round in the high 80s low 90s. I then rattled off 10 straight pars (including 9 straight up and downs) to be sitting 4 over through 12. I tripped up a couple more times, and ended up finishing with an 81: 3 doubles; 3 bogeys; 12 pars. 4 GIR.

[RC Vikings]

I then rattled off 10 straight pars (including 9 straight up and downs) 4 GIR.

That's pretty amazing, I would give my left nut in order to have a short game like that. The 4 GIR may get me a little down but 10 straight pars are nice.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I played Wente (a Greg Norman course) today, within minutes after they had punched all the greens and deposited Sahara-like quantities of sand on each of them. But that turned out to be a good thing. I sank three birdie putts and left three others on the lip. With the sand, there was rarely any break and one needed only the touch of a blacksmith. Regrettably, I maxed out on three holes so I managed only an 86.

[Donuthole]

Found this today while golfing. If it's yours, let me know and I'll mail it to you.

Since nobody claimed it, I played an entire round with this Panda BYU ball this morning. 8 bogeys, 1 double, and a birdie on 18 for an 81.

[old_gregg]

anybody played with a mini driver? i don't really get it.

[Donuthole]

anybody played with a mini driver? i don't really get it.

Phil nearly won a U.S. Open with a mini driver. Of course, if he had a driver to hit on the last hole, he might have actually won. They are definitely trendy right now. A friend plays with one (Callaway version) because he feels like he knows he's never going OB with it. To him, that alone makes it worth the 20-30 yards he gives up. I give him crap about it, but he was even through 14 last week when we played, while I was 8 over. He definitely got the last laugh when I hit a slice off the tee into the water on the par 5 18th and he went mini driver, 5 iron, wedge for a birdie.

[old_gregg]

Phil nearly won a U.S. Open with a mini driver. Of course, if he had a driver to hit on the last hole, he might have actually won. They are definitely trendy right now. A friend plays with one (Callaway version) because he feels like he knows he's never going OB with it. To him, that alone makes it worth the 20-30 yards he gives up. I give him crap about it, but he was even through 14 last week when we played, while I was 8 over. He definitely got the last laugh when I hit a slice off the tee into the water on the par 5 18th and he went mini driver, 5 iron, wedge for a birdie.

so does it replace driver or three wood in the bag? does he hit it off the deck?

[Donuthole]

so does it replace driver or three wood in the bag? does he hit it off the deck?

It replaced the driver, but he can also hit it off the deck as a 3 wood. So he replaced his 3 wood with a 5 wood (maybe it's a 7 wood) which he hits 225 with a super lofty trajectory.

[Drunk Tank]

I have the Callaway X-Hot 3 Deep. I use it when I need to stay out of trouble, but if I am not careful, I pull hook it really easily. I would say I give up about 20-30 yards on average over a well hit driver, but I am still in the 220-240 range with it. The head on the 3-deep is smaller than the SLDR "mini-driver" (180cc vs. 260 cc). I have used the 3-deep off the deck, but it produces a very low ball flight and I prefer hitting my 4-wood off the fairways. I can't imagine hitting the SLDR mini driver off the deck, although they say it can be done easily.

[byu71]

Three day Super Senior tournament started yesterday. Gross not net and stroke not match. Only 8 entries. I thought I had a real shot because an ex BYU golfer always plays in the Senior event. Last minute he switches to the Super Senior event.

I shot an 82 and I am in third place, 11 shots behind the leader. Oh well I think I will have an injury after today and play with my buddies tomorrow.