The Golf Thread

[PaloAltoCougar]

Man, I really like you too. I feel bad I made you pay your half of the entrance fee to our member guest tournament. Wait a minute. You haven't made me $10, let alone millions. I don't feel bad after all.

Dude, I helped you place in that tournament. That was worth at least a burrito or something at the Men's Grill. Ingrate.

[clackamascoug]

DVR's have replaced dogs as man's best friend.

Instead of playing a round, I got my son to go the the range today to hit the new clubs. In the past 30 years, I've owned 5 sets of PING's - Eye - Eye2 - Zing - Zing2 - S57's. These new i20's are like driving a M3 compared to the F150 R7's that they replaced. When Husky and I played in Sept of 2010, I hit his i15's and fell in love with them. These new clubs are even better. Every club I hit got better, and the feedback was almost spine-tingling. After hitting each club a few times, and then hitting my driver for a few, I went back to the 8 iron and concentrated on its characteristics. First I wanted to see how much I could hook it, and if I could repeat it. It can hook dramatically. Next I wanted to test the fade pattern. It was much harder to fade, but I could get a repeatable fade flight. Next I wanted to see just how straight I could hit it consistently. (great btw) I was down to about 30 balls, and I wanted to do a test. How easy would it be to hit over the 100 flag, and end up with a 15 foot draw. I repeated this exact shot 5 times and the balls were all within a few feet of each other. I said to myself, "How many of these perfect little draws can I do in a row?" I'll never know - I ran out of balls. It was a great pleasure just to hit the same shot over and over and over and over.... I think I might end up a trap draw player.

Those commercials on TV where the guy has a baby monitor by his clubs... that might be me tonight. I couldn't bring myself to leave them in the garage.

[clackamascoug]

If this was a Greyhound Race...

Surfah has the inside rail coming out of the first turn, with a pack on his heals.

All the Luke Donald, and Phil Mickelson pickers tumbled into each other going into the first turn, and are taking their time getting back into the race by smelling each others stinky pics. Can they make it up on the back stretch?

[jay santos]

I'm analyzing the shots I most often hit poorly. I've worked hard on my driver the last few years, and that's coming around pretty well. Irons have always been a strength. Putting is slowly getting better, but it's long project.

Chipping and pitching is where I have the most immediate opportunity.

I got in the habit of using a lob wedge for pretty much any shot inside 80 yards. I'm trying to add a chip/runner, but that's a separate topic. The main issue I'm having is blading my lob wedge probably at least 25% of the time. I know it's the Indian not the arrow, but is there any equipment change that would help me? Low bounce vs high bounce, 60 degree vs lower loft, is there something that would give me a better chance?

[KillerDog]

I shot a 53 from the blues on the back nine at WingPointe yesterday morning. Most would think it was pretty ugly but the greens had a lot of sand and stuff on them from the aerating or something so I couldn't put well. I hit the fairway on 6 nice drives. The other two were a bad wormburner and a shot that went way longer than I expected it to so it went through the fairway and into the rough. I also hit 5 greens in regulation. I think I might get to that 100 mark sooner rather than later (got to get to that before I can win the 90 best with Shaka and BYU71). Major breakthrough with my driver today.

[KillerDog]

I'm analyzing the shots I most often hit poorly. I've worked hard on my driver the last few years, and that's coming around pretty well. Irons have always been a strength. Putting is slowly getting better, but it's long project.

Chipping and pitching is where I have the most immediate opportunity.

I got in the habit of using a lob wedge for pretty much any shot inside 80 yards. I'm trying to add a chip/runner, but that's a separate topic. The main issue I'm having is blading my lob wedge probably at least 25% of the time. I know it's the Indian not the arrow, but is there any equipment change that would help me? Low bounce vs high bounce, 60 degree vs lower loft, is there something that would give me a better chance?

The pro that is teaching me is opposed to a 60 degree until you get to single digits. He only lets me play with a 56.

He also makes me take practice swings before every hit to gauge the amount of bend in my body and whether the ball is truly level with my feet. Seems to keep me from hitting it thin or fat. Doesn't help on the distance.

[clackamascoug]

Well, I went out today and played some golf with my new clubs and shot a 35*

*Only played 8 holes, as I got a phone call from the wife as we were waiting on the 9th tee, and her car was dead from the lights being left on. So we bagged the molasses round and headed in her direction.

It was coldish - soggy - and a couple of drizzles. But the new irons are every bit of what I was hoping for. I just trusted in making a normal swing, and the ball was consistently on line with the pin. That's about as much as a guy can hope for. Calibrating the distance in the cold and soggy ground, will have to be a work in progress, but I'm hoping I can used my old numbers (9=135 etc.) I waxed on about the trap draw yesterday, but today I just played it straight, and during adverse conditions that was the best move. DB'd the first hole. I thin bladed a fringe chip and the first thing I thought was.. "Dammit Jay Santos - you're planting bad thoughts." The new belly putter was good, as I burned the edges on some birdie opp's, and eventually made a 20 footer on the 6th hole. Most of the bogeys were rust related (haven't played since Sep 2011) so I wasn't too disappointed.

It's been so wet here this spring, that the courses are just saturated, and not very fun right now.

Side Bar: I've mentioned my 21 year old son that has lost 180 pounds in the last year. This was his first time golfing with his new body. We was like the Tin Man from the Wizard of OZ, all loosy goosy with his swing. He was always a big hitter, but I think he's gained about 10 mph on his swing, which would put him around 120 mph. He did hit one perfect drive with a slight draw on a dog leg left that went about 310 and plugged. When the summer comes, and he tightens up his swing, I'm really going to enjoy watching him drive the ball. At 6'5" and 260 now, he can really put it out there. Good times ahead.

[byu71]

Dude, I helped you place in that tournament. That was worth at least a burrito or something at the Men's Grill. Ingrate.

Ingrate indeed. Since I have spent the prize money already, I forgot.

[byu71]

I wake up and still 4 inches of snow on the lawn.

Call the course and the snow is gone there.

Today would be a great day to throw down the 79 on you guys.




Edit: 38 on the front nine. Par 10 and 11. Then six straight bogey's. Five foot putt for birdie on 18.

MISSED IT!!!!!!!! I can hear Johnny Miller now. He Choked!!

[clackamascoug]

Continuing with the Greyhound Race analogy...

"Coming out of the last turn, RC Vikings has a 10 length lead over Clack and Donut."


It's pretty amazing how awful some of the picks were. I'm not calling anyone out, but some of you have been let down pretty hard by top 10 world class golfers. You've got to give RC and Santos credit though for picking Louis Oostenwhatshisname, on a Tuesday.

[PaloAltoCougar]

For those who will watch on tape delay, I'll put this in a spoiler, but we just witnessed history...

Spoiler for An amazing shot:

Oosthuizen (or whatever) just double-eagled 2, to vault into the lead. An absolutely awesome shot.

This is shaping up as a great day. Pity that I need to head out to the church, but I suppose Easter trumps even the Masters.

[Surfah]

For those who will watch on tape delay, I'll put this in a spoiler, but we just witnessed history...

Spoiler for An amazing shot:

Oosthuizen (or whatever) just double-eagled 2, to vault into the lead. An absolutely awesome shot.

This is shaping up as a great day. Pity that I need to head out to the church, but I suppose Easter trumps even the Masters.

That was the shot of the year.

[RC Vikings]

I wish I would have put money on my picks. Bubba, Oosthie, and Kuchar all had a great chance at victory.

[clackamascoug]

I wish I would have put money on my picks. Bubba, Oosthie, and Kuchar all had a great chance at victory.

Winner of the Blue and Red Jacket - RC Vikings!

I've never seen such inspired picks. You really know your golf. Congrats!

[byu71]

Going out to play at Bountiful Ridge with two sons and a grandson. This should be fun. One of the son's I am playing with used to be quite good, about a 3 handicap. However, he has a daughter who is excellent at soccer, a son who is in comp. baseball and plays all year long and a daughter who is on dance teams. He now plays once or twice a year. I haven't played with him in about 4 years. I am looking forward to it.

Also Bountiful Ridge is a par 71. Good chance to shoot 79.