The Golf Thread

[The_Tick]

I look forward to the weekends when we get out and golf. Our wives don't.

DT is fun to golf with...he doesn't cheat. Sometimes he just forgets how many strokes he has taken.

Not in a cheating way, he just doesn't count.

[Drunk Tank]

I look forward to the weekends when we get out and golf. Our wives don't.

DT is fun to golf with...he doesn't cheat. Sometimes he just forgets how many strokes he has taken.

Not in a cheating way, he just doesn't count.

Im too focused on making a good shot. Anyways, thats what you are for.

[Drunk Tank]

Well, Played my final round before leaving for Utah next week. I shot 1 under par (71).
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......on the back 9

Finished with an embarassing 124. Worst round ever. This course has my number, and always has. First time I had played it in 4+ years. I made some great shots, but I was OB way more than I'd like to admit. Not a real confidence builder. I am embarassed to even post this.

[The_Tick]

I had a great round going. I ended up shooting a 104.

I had 27 shots on 3 holes. :P I lost 5 balls on those 3 holes. This is really the only course we play that has water. And water kicks my ass. Had I not lost my mind I could have posted a low 90 score. Possibly 80. Who knows.

[The_Tick]

And on a side note...I walked the round. First time I have done that in at least 3 years.

I hurt all over.

[Donuthole]

I golfed Southgate yesterday in St. George. My BILs are both novices, so we golfed the second from back. Southgate isn't a partucularly long course to begin with, so I sort of felt like I was cheating. It's amazing how the score improves when you're hitting PW, GW or SW into the green, as opposed to 5, 6, or 7. I shot an 80, which isn't spectacular on such a short course. Nevertheless, I feel pretty good about it, considering I 3-putted on four straight holes to end the front nine.

[RC Vikings]

And on a side note...I walked the round. First time I have done that in at least 3 years.

I hurt all over.

Good job Tick. Personally I hate to ride. My perfect day is a day at Valley View off the gold tees and walking because then it turns into an athletic event.

[byu71]

I golfed Southgate yesterday in St. George. My BILs are both novices, so we golfed the second from back. Southgate isn't a partucularly long course to begin with, so I sort of felt like I was cheating. It's amazing how the score improves when you're hitting PW, GW or SW into the green, as opposed to 5, 6, or 7. I shot an 80, which isn't spectacular on such a short course. Nevertheless, I feel pretty good about it, considering I 3-putted on four straight holes to end the front nine.

As I remember it the back 9 is kinda fun. Lots of up and down hills?? I haven't played it in about 17 years.

[Donuthole]

As I remember it the back 9 is kinda fun. Lots of up and down hills?? I haven't played it in about 17 years.

It has changed quite a bit since then. The front especially (they sold the land that one of the holes was on, and chopped a par 5 in half to create a par 4 and par 3). The back is pretty much unchanged. Like you say--lots of ups and downs. I birdied the uphill par 5 15th (#1 handicap on the course) so that was nice.

I suppose I like the back so much because most of the holes set up nicely for my natural fade. I can aim straight down the fairway, and not get into trouble if I fade it a little too much. On the front, most of the holes set up for a draw, and therefore don't fit my eye. Teebox confidence seems to make all the difference in the world, sometimes.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I played my home course this afternoon and, despite a double on 18, shot an 81, my best in a long time. My card included something I've never done before: on the back nine I had four threes in a row, although only the first and fourth in that series were par threes.

On the first hole of the day, my drive hit an elderly gentlemen on the chest (after one bounce) as he stood in an adjacent fairway. He asked me for my name and number in case there were any "problems." I thought of giving him one of your names and numbers but decided to be honest, for which I was richly blessed with a fine round. At the turn, I saw him in the bar with his buddies and he was fine. He tried to whine about how I had ruined his round, but his buddies, one of whom was an anesthesiologist, just laughed at him.

I felt bad, but three birdies on the day provided sufficient balm for my troubled soul.

[byu71]

I played my home course this afternoon and, despite a double on 18, shot an 81, my best in a long time. My card included something I've never done before: on the back nine I had four threes in a row, although only the first and fourth in that series were par threes.

On the first hole of the day, my drive hit an elderly gentlemen on the chest (after one bounce) as he stood in an adjacent fairway. He asked me for my name and number in case there were any "problems." I thought of giving him one of your names and numbers but decided to be honest, for which I was richly blessed with a fine round. At the turn, I saw him in the bar with his buddies and he was fine. He tried to whine about how I had ruined his round, but his buddies, one of whom was an anesthesiologist, just laughed at him.

I felt bad, but three birdies on the day provided sufficient balm for my troubled soul.

Reminds me of the time I was playing with some friends at Hobble Creek. My buddy hit an errant tee shot on number 11 and a once bounce hit a guy in the leg on the number 12 fairway. We rushed over there and the guy was OK. Funny thing was though, the guy that was hit was the guy who hit the ball's Father. We didn't even know they were on the course as they teed off on the back nine and hadn't played the front.

[cougjunkie]

I played a tournament at Valley View today. I have never played there, nice course. It was a 4 man scramble, we shot -14. That course is fairly tough, and pretty long considering all the elevation change. I thought we would be in the money, until some team posted -20. Dont ever play golf with mortgage guys or real estate agents. The whole crowd called bullshit, they had a 5 stroke run away victory.

[jay santos]

Handicap question:

I usually play with a buddy who's a complete ass about counting every single stroke + we always play from the back tee's. I've played a couple times a month during the summer for the past ten years on average, but this summer I have stepped it up and gone out twice a week usually. I'm getting pretty good, at least compared to what I'm used to doing.

We play various Utah County courses: Gladstan, Hobble, East Bay, Cedar Hills, the new one in Orem, etc. I'm averaging bogey right now. For 9 holes, my best is a 41 and my worst lately can be as high as 52, but it's usually in the 43 - 46 range (for a par 36). I would call my handicap 18, because on average that's what I shoot.

Every now and then I play with guys that say they're a 9 index or a 12 or whatever and the way they play I always think they're fudging by at least 6 strokes the way I count them. Like I'll play even with the guy that's a 9, but I know there's no possible way in hell I could shoot an 81 on any of these courses. But then I think if I played on the closer tee's and I took a couple mullie's and I didn't count all my lost ball strokes, I might actually be able to get close to an 81.

How do amateurs base their handicap? Do you think most people fudge it?

I would love to say I'm single digits, but I don't want to be a pretender.

[cougjunkie]

Handicap question:

I usually play with a buddy who's a complete ass about counting every single stroke + we always play from the back tee's. I've played a couple times a month during the summer for the past ten years on average, but this summer I have stepped it up and gone out twice a week usually. I'm getting pretty good, at least compared to what I'm used to doing.

We play various Utah County courses: Gladstan, Hobble, East Bay, Cedar Hills, the new one in Orem, etc. I'm averaging bogey right now. For 9 holes, my best is a 41 and my worst lately can be as high as 52, but it's usually in the 43 - 46 range (for a par 36). I would call my handicap 18, because on average that's what I shoot.

Every now and then I play with guys that say they're a 9 index or a 12 or whatever and the way they play I always think they're fudging by at least 6 strokes the way I count them. Like I'll play even with the guy that's a 9, but I know there's no possible way in hell I could shoot an 81 on any of these courses. But then I think if I played on the closer tee's and I took a couple mullie's and I didn't count all my lost ball strokes, I might actually be able to get close to an 81.

How do amateurs base their handicap? Do you think most people fudge it?

I would love to say I'm single digits, but I don't want to be a pretender.

Handicap is not based strictly on how many strokes over par you are. Each course has a rating or slope. It is based on the difficulty of the course you are playing. For example Thanksgiving Point from the tips is 147, I shot a 49 on 9 from the tips and my handicap for those 9 was a 10. If I shoot a 49 from the tips at Sleepy Ridge (slope of 115), my handicap is 18.

The best way to track it is to sign up for the UGA, it is $20 a year and they will track it for you. You also get quite a few discounts at courses.

Here is the official way to track your handicap: http://www.ehow.com/how_15107_calcul...-handicap.html

Handicaps were originally used in tournaments so that players of all skill levels could play with one another, so if I am a 16, and BYU71 is a 6, he would give me 10 strokes per round.

[RobinFinderson]

I've read none of this thread, so please pardon my interjection (if you were all in the middle of a serious conversation).

I don't golf, but I had the pleasure of going to a driving range and hitting some balls. It was fun. I'm now thinking about picking up a driver for the sole purpose of hitting balls at driving ranges. If I get good enough at that, I might pick up a set of irons, and eventually, maybe I will pick up golf. I have no hopes for that at this time, but I think it would be fun to pick up a driver.

So, golf people, what driver should I get? I suck, I have no real expectations of being good at golf, but I enjoy whacking a ball at the driving range. I don't want to spend a lot of money, but I don't want a crappy garage sale driver either. Thoughts?