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Old 09-26-2015, 01:33 PM   #1
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Golf Talk Tuesdays 2015-2020

First, yes I know it's not Tuesday. But, the date is just a state of mind...

Well, now that I'm Semi-FIREd and "reallocating my time" so to speak, I've noticed that there is not a continuous (sticky) thread devoted to what I seem to be devoting much of my time to...The (Real) Beautiful Game - GOLF. Or, "Pasture Pool", as my friend Roy calls it.

So, let's fix that fellow golfers! Let's have a place where we can ad lib, brag, commiserate, debate, exaggerate...I'll stop with "E", you get the point. Besides, if you get to "F" on the golf course, well you're missing the point of being on the course.

I'll start, and I hope to inspire contributions from the other pasture pool enthusiasts out there.

So, when I say "reallocate" my time, I mean that I'm literally spending more time playing or practicing golf than I am any other pursuit...except sleeping. I'm playing or practicing ~15hrs/week. If I add driving to/from time, that's another 5hrs/week and, if I add watching improvement videos & the "Golf Channel", well, golf approaches becoming a j*b. AND, I'm loving it! I look forward to every round, every lesson & every practice session. I decided to take a series of lessons (I chose GolfTec) and am really seeing an improvement in my game. So, I'd definitely advocate investing in lessons to improve your game and the enjoyment you get from it. What's worked for you?

I have decided to not join a single golf club for several reasons: (1) It's more expensive, (2) I like the variety of playing different courses, (3) Most of my golf buddies play different courses every week. We live in CA now and lived in TN previously, and the multiple course approach worked best for me in both locations, each of which has tons of good quality public/semi-private courses from which to choose. But, I've also belonged to one club in another location, when we lived next to a course, and that worked for me then. What benefits do you see for either approach? What works for you?

I try very hard to just enjoy the game; to realize how fortunate I am to have the time, resources and opportunity to get outside, see beautiful scenery, do something physical, and spend time with friends. I'm a Type A personality and somewhat competitive. So, just enjoying the walk is sometimes difficult for me but, I try; it's a work in progress, and I'm enjoying working on that part of myself. DW tells me I could use a little more "chill out" so, golf helps. How about you?

So, now to the part about spousal support (or lack thereof) of this "habit." All jokes aside, DW is VERY supportive. She knows very little about the game but, always asks me "How'd you do?" "What'd you shoot?" And, through osmosis over the years, she's gained enough knowledge to know good from bad. If I report a score in the 70s, I always get kudos from DW, and I think that's very sweet. My DW will never play (just not interesting to her) but, she is almost always supportive. How's your spouse's support of your hobby/habit/addiction? Does your spouse also play?

I go on a buddies golf trip every year, and it is an unmitigated BLAST! We've done it for more than a dozen years, and everyone looks forward to it each and every year. We take 8, which seems to be the magic number (enough but not too many to manage). As hard as it is to believe, more than 8 guys can be a PITA to manage. We play 6 rounds in 4 days, have dinner together, play cards until late at night, and just generally have a great "guys" trip. Do you go on an annual golf trip? If so, what works for your group? Where have you gone that you like?

This last part may sound a bit obsessive to you but, I do have a golf item on my "bucket list." It is to shoot a round below my age. Sounds simple enough but, it's not easy (for me at least, having not taken up the game until after the age of 40). So, when you think about this goal, there's a wonderful silver lining---I have to be active and healthy enough to play well into my late 70s or early 80s to accomplish this goal; not to mention remaining involved in improving my game for the next 20 years. What a wonderful thing: an 80yo who walks 5 hours chasing a little ball through beautiful scenery, honing a physical skill, practicing patience & mental concentration...so he can then get behind the wheel of his big cadillac and run over pedestrians on the way back to the assisted living facility. What golf goals to you have?

I'll leave you with a couple of thoughts & some scenery related to the game, in the hope that you're inspired during your next round, and come here to share your experiences.

"The most important shot in golf is the next one."

"In golf as in life, it is the follow through that makes the difference."

Hit 'em long & straight my friends!
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Old 09-26-2015, 01:59 PM   #2
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it's probably very expensive where you live to join a golf club

one of my golf buddies in Houston moved to San Ramon and I think he had to plunk down about 100K or so to join one

Be advised, one of the first things someone asks you after they ask if you are an avid golfer is what club you belong to. I think clubs have several advantages:

1) you don't have to share the course with weekend (i.e. slow) golfers
2) you can get out whenever you want
3) you get more opportunities to play competitive golf
4) you get "free" instruction and deals on golf equipment


The first thing I did when we moved to paradise was join a golf club, and I had never played it.


We really dig living in a golf course community.
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Old 09-26-2015, 02:07 PM   #3
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Great idea, I will share more later! You may need to remind me it's Tuesday
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Old 09-26-2015, 03:19 PM   #4
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Looking forward to reading and participating inGolfTuesdays. I'm playing on Monday and watching the Golf Channel right now.


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Old 09-26-2015, 04:44 PM   #5
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I joined a golf club this year (no $100K required) but next year I am going to buy a card that enables me to play at several courses. Much more cost effective, and I can maintain my handicap.
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Old 09-26-2015, 05:38 PM   #6
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I joined a golf club this year (no $100K required) but next year I am going to buy a card that enables me to play at several courses. Much more cost effective, and I can maintain my handicap.
Meadbh: What kind of card is it? Does it provide discounted greens fees over direct call-in or GolfNow? How many courses does it include?
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Old 09-26-2015, 05:41 PM   #7
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Meadbh: What kind of card is it? Does it provide discounted greens fees over direct call-in or GolfNow? How many courses does it include?
Here it is. It includes 5 courses and 3 practice ranges in my area. I already play regularly at two of these courses. I plan to buy the $800 card, which will give me a 33% discount on golf. I can use it to play in the Ladies' Leagues at these courses too.

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Old 09-26-2015, 06:30 PM   #8
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I would prefer to play different golf courses but where I live it means traveling 80 miles to Tucson to play at decent golf courses. I do it occasionally but it's not really an option for regular play. I usually travel to Phoenix/Scottsdale 3-4 weeks a year and maybe once or twice a year to Palm Springs to get some additional golf in. The course I play and am a member of is more of a muni course but it does offer a yearly membership that is cheap. Play 3 times a week, always walk, and it rarely takes more than 3.5 hours to play a round. Belong to the men's club at the course that holds at least one tournament a month. The one big short coming is the practice facility (it sucks) so I never practice on the range except for maybe hitting 8-10 balls before a round to warm up.
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Old 09-27-2015, 10:49 AM   #9
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Here it is. It includes 5 courses and 3 practice ranges in my area. I already play regularly at two of these courses. I plan to buy the $800 card, which will give me a 33% discount on golf. I can use it to play in the Ladies' Leagues at these courses too.

Play Golf Kelowna : It's okay to play around.
Sounds like a good deal; and, you can use it for a playing partner. Nice!

I have a buddy who goes on a golf trip to the Jasper Park Golf Resort every summer. It's inside a national park & sounds like a great time.
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Old 09-27-2015, 10:52 AM   #10
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I would prefer to play different golf courses but where I live it means traveling 80 miles to Tucson to play at decent golf courses. I do it occasionally but it's not really an option for regular play. I usually travel to Phoenix/Scottsdale 3-4 weeks a year and maybe once or twice a year to Palm Springs to get some additional golf in. The course I play and am a member of is more of a muni course but it does offer a yearly membership that is cheap. Play 3 times a week, always walk, and it rarely takes more than 3.5 hours to play a round. Belong to the men's club at the course that holds at least one tournament a month. The one big short coming is the practice facility (it sucks) so I never practice on the range except for maybe hitting 8-10 balls before a round to warm up.
Sounds like you might live in Sierra Vista. I've read there are several nice golf courses there, inside planned communities. I used to see lots of ads for Sierra Vista in "Where to Retire" magazine.
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Old 09-27-2015, 11:33 AM   #11
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it's probably very expensive where you live to join a golf club

one of my golf buddies in Houston moved to San Ramon and I think he had to plunk down about 100K or so to join one

Be advised, one of the first things someone asks you after they ask if you are an avid golfer is what club you belong to. I think clubs have several advantages:

1) you don't have to share the course with weekend (i.e. slow) golfers
2) you can get out whenever you want
3) you get more opportunities to play competitive golf
4) you get "free" instruction and deals on golf equipment


The first thing I did when we moved to paradise was join a golf club, and I had never played it.


We really dig living in a golf course community.
BH-

I think you're in Boise right? I've only been there once ~20 yrs ago. I expect it's much more developed now but, I liked it when we visited. Too cold in the winter and not enough water for me but, a nice place if you like the outdoors. Looks like there are several nice golf course communities in/around Boise. How long can you play during the year?

When I joined a club (10yrs & 2 moves ago), what I most enjoyed was being so close. I could be on the driving range, course or Par-3 Exec course in under 2 minutes. So, if I had just an hour, it was no problem to whiz over and hit a bucket or chip/putt around. I miss that proximity. The demo days were also nice. The other things were less important to me.
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Old 09-27-2015, 12:04 PM   #12
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Looks like there are several nice golf course communities in/around Boise. How long can you play during the year?
March through November usually. My club is at about 3000 ft so when it gets snow it usually sticks for a while. As long as there is no snow on the course they keep it open. What's tough is when the ground freezes - you hit a nice shot and it bounces really hard on the green lol
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Old 09-27-2015, 12:09 PM   #13
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One thing I miss about Houston was the ability to play golf year round even though it was really challenging playing in the heat from May-September.


IMO the best thing about living on a course is being able to play 9 holes after work in under an hour (with cart).
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Old 09-27-2015, 02:17 PM   #14
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I was an occasional player prior to retiring. I had belonged to a club near where we lived when I was working for a couple years when the kids were young and found that golf just took too much time so I to justify the cost of a membership. I played occasionally and in our company golf league (9 holes each week of the summer).

When I retired I joined the local club where we now live. It is quite affordable... about $750 a year (carts are extra) and actually quite a nice course. The club is facing financial difficulty and our dues are likely to go up to $1,000 next year. Since I only play at my home course 1-2 times a week I would probably be better off just paying greens fees, but I'll join anyway to support the club, which is an asset to the area.

I also play each week with a traveling group. We play different courses within 1 1/2 hours of home and usually pay $25-$45 for 18 holes with a cart. My traveling group is doing our fall two-day golf trip next week and I can't believe the screaming deal we are getting... two rounds with a cart and a cabin for overnight (4 guys per cabin) for $70 a head and it is actually a decent course.
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Old 09-27-2015, 03:09 PM   #15
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IMO the best thing about living on a course is being able to play 9 holes after work in under an hour (with cart).

That IS a wonderful benefit of living on a course.


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Old 09-27-2015, 03:13 PM   #16
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My traveling group is doing our fall two-day golf trip next week and I can't believe the screaming deal we are getting... two rounds with a cart and a cabin for overnight (4 guys per cabin) for $70 a head and it is actually a decent course.

PB-Sounds like a great deal! Where is it?


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Old 09-27-2015, 06:34 PM   #17
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...

I go on a buddies golf trip every year, and it is an unmitigated BLAST! We've done it for more than a dozen years, and everyone looks forward to it each and every year. We take 8, which seems to be the magic number (enough but not too many to manage). As hard as it is to believe, more than 8 guys can be a PITA to manage. We play 6 rounds in 4 days, have dinner together, play cards until late at night, and just generally have a great "guys" trip. Do you go on an annual golf trip? If so, what works for your group? Where have you gone that you like?

...
Was this year's trip to Bandon Dunes? Nice photo of 16. 3/4 of my group jsut got back from Bandon - I played 9 rounds in 5 days and the others played 7 rounds. For me, Bandon is just about golfing heaven.

You asked about goals - I guess mine is to set a new personal best on my handicap index. I briefly touched 4.4 in 2005 and have been sitting between 6 and 10 for the last 20 years or so.

In this, my first full year of retirement, I should post about 150 rounds - all walking. That's seems to be just about the right number - 4 rounds per week when the weather is nice and get a few in every month during the cold months when I can.
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Old 09-27-2015, 08:10 PM   #18
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Sounds like you might live in Sierra Vista. I've read there are several nice golf courses there, inside planned communities. I used to see lots of ads for Sierra Vista in "Where to Retire" magazine.
That's it, but there are only two golf courses in town. Pueblo Del Sol is private and a little over priced (IMO). I was a member for awhile but got tired of the rate increases and didn't care for the layout. The military base (Ft. Huachuca) golf course is where I play most of the time now, 1/3 the price of PDS and a nicer layout but the greens not as nice as PDS. The practice facilities at both places are weak. If I want to practice I usually go out by myself during the afternoon when it's slow and practice on the course.
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Old 09-28-2015, 10:07 AM   #19
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Was this year's trip to Bandon Dunes? Nice photo of 16. 3/4 of my group jsut got back from Bandon - I played 9 rounds in 5 days and the others played 7 rounds. For me, Bandon is just about golfing heaven.

You asked about goals - I guess mine is to set a new personal best on my handicap index. I briefly touched 4.4 in 2005 and have been sitting between 6 and 10 for the last 20 years or so.

In this, my first full year of retirement, I should post about 150 rounds - all walking. That's seems to be just about the right number - 4 rounds per week when the weather is nice and get a few in every month during the cold months when I can.
Yes, Bandon Dunes...good eye.

It really is golf heaven; the place is all golf all the time. Beyond having 5 world class courses (5 if you count Bandon Preserve), they have the best practice facilities I've ever seen.

Our group normally goes to Kiawah so, BD was a different experience for us. Kiawah is also world class but, a very different environment. The Ocean Course is links and has similarities to BD but, the remainder of the courses are low country resort courses, which are beautiful as well.

An index <10 is fantastic. Getting back down to 4+/- would be quite an accomplishment; best of luck to you!
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Old 09-28-2015, 01:13 PM   #20
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My golf goals are simply to keep playing and having fun in the process.
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