The Golf Thread

[Surfah]

Played in a tournament with my Dad today. It was a 4 man scramble with 20 teams. It was beautiful weather for golf. Also, golfing this time of the year on the east coast can be breathtaking with the fall colors. But if you don't find the fairway, goodbye ball because the leaves make it impossible to find.

They had two holes for longest drive and another two for closest to the pin. I thought I'd take the LD contest on at least one of the holes. I played this course a week and a half ago and I four drives in the fairway over 300 yards. The crappy part is with the shotgun start we had to start with a LD hole and I pulled mine out of the fairway. Same with the next one. And then I couldn't find the green on the two CTP holes.

Such is my luck, the other two par 3s I nailed. One was the shot of the day. 226 yards to the front of the green. I hit my 5 wood to 3 feet for an easy birdie. And then we finished on a 166 yard par 3 where I parked the ball 4 feet from the hole.

The door prizes were pretty good. My dad was the only one in our foursome not to win something. I won a nice Walter Hagen stand bag, but I have a Maxfli stand bag I love so I traded it for a $40 gift card to another guy in our foursome who had an old crappy vinyl bag that is cracking and peeling. The other guy won 4 free rounds of golf at that course. I wish I won that won. It was a great time even though we sucked. We finished even. The winning team shot a 61.

[Surfah]

So I shouldn't have looked up the price of that golf bag I traded for a $40 gift card. The bag retails for $179.99.

[falafel]

My $.02: buy a $150-200 pair of knockoffs and use the extra $300-400 to play a lot more golf. Until you are a low-single digit handicapper, cutting-edge, name-brand equipment will do little to nothing for your game, but an extra 20 rounds of golf will knock a lot of strokes off your scores.

I can recommend a good knock off brand: Acer. They came pre-loaded with Windows XP. I just had to print them out and I was off to the range.

[cougjunkie]

I played golf with Gipper and Tony Finau last Friday. I also now know who wins Big Break.

We played out at the Ranches, both of them are so long it is sickening. Gipper hits gap wedge about 160, if a hole is less than 400 yard they have a legit shot at driving the green. They both have sky caddies and during 18 holes Gippers averaging driving distance was about 350, and Tonys 345. Great kids too, seriously nice guys and phenomenal golfers.

[The_Tick]

I have a sky caddie but I don't think I am getting everything out of it that I should. I don't know how to mark driving distances and the like.

You don't happen to know do ya?

[cougjunkie]

I have a sky caddie but I don't think I am getting everything out of it that I should. I don't know how to mark driving distances and the like.

You don't happen to know do ya?

I dont, I know that after they hit their shots they would push something on the Caddie and then when we drove up to their ball it would tell you the distance and store it. No idea what exactly they pushed.

[Donuthole]

I also now know who wins Big Break.

If true, the Finau brothers continue to demonstrate their stupidity. While it's pretty obvious turning pro when they did was a mistake (though financially driven, so somewhat understaneable), divulging the winner of Big Break is just plain stupid. Like in all reality shows, they sign a confidentiality agreement, and they would be liable for a hefty chunk of change if they break it. I'm not questioning your ability to keep a secret, CJ, but if they told you, they've probably told others as well.They better hope they haven't divulged it to anyone they can't trust not to leak it.

[PaloAltoCougar]

A great client belongs to the Olympic Club and he took me there again today, apologizing for not having done so sooner (it had been over a year, jeez). The course features a couple of new tees in preparation for the 2012 Open. Perfect weather and hardly anyone on the course. We got around in less than 3 1/2 hours and I was happy to shoot a 91, given that I'm playing about once a month these days.

He alternates months in the U.S. and Taiwan, and suggested I call him anytime I want to play Olympic if he's in town. OK!

Pressing my luck, I asked if he would be able to land me tickets to the Open in 2012. "Sure, would you like them for Pebble next year, too?", he asked seriously. Well, why not. I'll probably go easy on his next bill.

[Surfah]

A great client belongs to the Olympic Club and he took me there again today, apologizing for not having done so sooner (it had been over a year, jeez). The course features a couple of new tees in preparation for the 2012 Open. Perfect weather and hardly anyone on the course. We got around in less than 3 1/2 hours and I was happy to shoot a 91, given that I'm playing about once a month these days.

He alternates months in the U.S. and Taiwan, and suggested I call him anytime I want to play Olympic if he's in town. OK!

Pressing my luck, I asked if he would be able to land me tickets to the Open in 2012. "Sure, would you like them for Pebble next year, too?", he asked seriously. Well, why not. I'll probably go easy on his next bill.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

[Surfah]

What golf instructional DVD would you recommend? I am looking at the Phil Mickelson Secrets of the Short Game DVD for my dad for Christmas. Is it as good as advertised? Any others you guys like? My dad shoots high 80's consistently.

I am going to get him some alignment sticks. BTW, go to Lowes or Home Depot for these. They're driveway/plow/guide markers sold where the mailboxes usually are. They're the exact same things as the sticks found online that the pros use at a fraction of the cost. I know online companies sell them for about $15-20. At your department store they're $1.50/ea.

[falafel]

What golf instructional DVD would you recommend? I am looking at the Phil Mickelson Secrets of the Short Game DVD for my dad for Christmas. Is it as good as advertised? Any others you guys like? My dad shoots high 80's consistently.

I am going to get him some alignment sticks. BTW, go to Lowes or Home Depot for these. They're driveway/plow/guide markers sold where the mailboxes usually are. They're the exact same things as the sticks found online that the pros use at a fraction of the cost. I know online companies sell them for about $15-20. At your department store they're $1.50/ea.

I like Jim McLean's 8 step swing, but your dad probably doesn't need it if hes in the 80s.

What are alignment sticks?

[Surfah]

I like Jim McLean's 8 step swing, but your dad probably doesn't need it if hes in the 80s.

What are alignment sticks?

He's high 80's though.

http://www.toursticks.com/

[cougjunkie]

Surfah I actually own 4 DVDs.

1. Tom Lehman Driving for distance and Accuracy
2. Golf for dummies (not a bad DVD at all, more advanced than you would think)
3. David Leadbetter The Swing
4. David Leadbetter Simple Secrets of Great Golf


Believe it or not I bought them all at various times at the check out lines at TJ Maxx. They have them there for cheap (about $5) and they are all solid DVDs.

[The_Tick]

I know it isn't in most of the budgets...but the Skygolf SG5 just got really really awesome.

They did a software update last week that now allows for the stupid device to become really really smart and do what most folks were wanting it to do.

You can:

Save up to 10 rounds on the device before you have to sync up.

Record when FIR, and GIR.

You then get to upload it online to you skygolf account and it works your average and the whole bit.

It averages what you shoot on 3's, 4's, and 5's. It also lets you compare to other folks with your same handicap.

Some sweet stuff.

Now I can't wait until Christmas shows up so I can start using my new sticks.

Oh yeah...it also lets you list your equipment online for folks to check out what is in your bag. Nice.

[Drunk Tank]

Equiptment update

Right before Halloween, I bought a new set of clubs. I got 09 Taylormade Burners. I played them 1 round, and the next round while on the driving range, I broke the head off of the 4 iron. I had never broken a steel shafted club before, but have broken my fair share of graphite shafts, 2 in 1 round. Taylormade said it was a weak spot in the shaft.

I hit these clubs alot longer than my previous set. 1.5-2 clubs longer. I knew they were de-lofted, but holy hell, what a difference. It really threw me off.

After playing a few rounds with them, I still couldn't get used to the yardage I was hitting them. I also want liking that the clubs were 1/2" longer than my old set as well. I was taking huge divots with them. After 4 rounds, I decided to sell them.

I just ordered a set of Adams Idea Tech A4 forged irons. The set id a 3 and 4 hybrid and 5-PW. I went to the pro shop and hit them and they feel really nice. They are supposed to show up Christmas eve.