Learning to golf

[JOHNNIE36]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcgang Don't you keep a handicap thru your State association? It doesn't cost very much,and helps support the good of the game.

I used to keep my handicap through the Florida State Golf Assoc. when I belonged to a club and it was required. Some of my golf buddies still belong to organized golf groups at clubs where they have the computer system linked to the FSGA. Some have their handicaps maintained at two courses. That is addition to the volunteer in our group that keeps the handicaps for our weekly game. That's just the way we do it. Our handicaps change on the first of the month and the 15th. USGA standards apply.

[zinger1457]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GolfingDuo I am so damned jealous. I am at least 2 months away from being able to roam the links. Winter has a death grip on us up here in the North East. I am also at most 4 years from retirement, sooner if the army decides they have had me around long enough. I am 6 years from moving to a place where I can golf year round. Those of you that live in a climate that allows it are so lucky.

I know what you mean, I grew up just down the road in Gardner. I've been in Arizona for 15 years now, only make it back to visit family. It is nice to be able to golf all year although we do get a lot of frost delays here, especially in February.

[pb4uski]

I keep a USGA handicap. There is a computer terminal in a corner of the pro shop where you can post your scores to our home course and other area courses. If you play outside the area you can still post your score, it is just a bit more work.

You should post every score but some sandbaggers don't post their better scores. (You know who you are).

I don't read the golf magazines. A sure way to screw up your game.

[oldtrig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE'd@51 Doesn't the slope and course rating from the black tees make up for that in arriving at your handicap index? It should.

Its suppose to work that way. I found out real quick last summer when I got my handicap down to a 6 that playing these real long courses was not for me. I got my handicap down with my short game and that really showed when I tried a course that measured 6800 yards. I think I shot 98. A 6 handicap should never shoot that high of a score even factoring in the slope and CR. Those long shots sooner or later work on your mind. I remember one hole on that 6800 yard course you had to carry the ball at least 220 to clear the water. I just made it and was really in trouble from then on. Distance off the tee is something I have lost as I age and now I accept it so no more long courses for me.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldtrig ....I remember one hole on that 6800 yard course you had to carry the ball at least 220 to clear the water. I just made it and was really in trouble from then on. Distance off the tee is something I have lost as I age and now I accept it so no more long courses for me.

Other than for the pros, its ridiculous for any course to have to carry 220 years to clear the hazard.

[oldtrig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski I keep a USGA handicap. There is a computer terminal in a corner of the pro shop where you can post your scores to our home course and other area courses. If you play outside the area you can still post your score, it is just a bit more work. You should post every score but some sandbaggers don't post their better scores. (You know who you are). I don't read the golf magazines. A sure way to screw up your game.

The same here for me. I love playing someone who has just watched a golf video or maybe the fast talking person on the golf channel. I do like to read articles about golfers in golf digest, not tips on how to play. I am self taught and I doubt at my age a golf lesson would help me. I just have to work out my bad things myself. I have been playing 42 years so I have lots of bad things I picked up One is the shanks. I had rather not talk about that one. I can tell a quick story on a shank. We had a local car dealer giving away a new car for a hole in one years ago. The car was parked to the right of the tee. The owner was not a golfer and I mentioned to him that the car was not parked in a good spot. He just laughed. Well I pulled out my 6 iron ( I think the hole was like 155) I cold shanked it and the ball hit the wheel on the car. He then moved it like I had told him. For some reason he did not think it was funny.

[JOHNNIE36]

oldtrig, good story there on the shank. A smart dealer would park the car "behind" the tee box, nowhere out in front of it. A friend of my fathers was killed years ago just standing off to the right of the tee box. Some guy in that group hit one off the toe of the club and hit the man in the temple. Killed instantly. Because of that I always stand "behind" the tee markers.

[jollystomper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOHNNIE36 oldtrig, good story there on the shank. A smart dealer would park the car "behind" the tee box, nowhere out in front of it. A friend of my fathers was killed years ago just standing off to the right of the tee box. Some guy in that group hit one off the toe of the club and hit the man in the temple. Killed instantly. Because of that I always stand "behind" the tee markers.

+1

My wife used to feel that it would be quicker to go to the ladies tees and sit in the cart while I took my shot, instead of me making her wait behind me until I took my shot. Until the day we were on the course when they had to rush a woman profusely bleeding off of the course due being hit on the ladies tee by a ball her husband had shanked.

[GolfingDuo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldtrig The same here for me. I love playing someone who has just watched a golf video or maybe the fast talking person on the golf channel. I do like to read articles about golfers in golf digest, not tips on how to play. I am self taught and I doubt at my age a golf lesson would help me. I just have to work out my bad things myself. I have been playing 42 years so I have lots of bad things I picked up One is the shanks. I had rather not talk about that one. I can tell a quick story on a shank. We had a local car dealer giving away a new car for a hole in one years ago. The car was parked to the right of the tee. The owner was not a golfer and I mentioned to him that the car was not parked in a good spot. He just laughed. Well I pulled out my 6 iron ( I think the hole was like 155) I cold shanked it and the ball hit the wheel on the car. He then moved it like I had told him. For some reason he did not think it was funny.

I remember a hole at the Gardner Municiple Golf Course in Massachusetts here that worked right into my favor though I didnt know it. Hole 10 and I think it is a par 4 but could be a par 3. It had a downhill dog leg right. Right into my wheelhouse as it turned out. We were playing behind a crew of 4 and we couldnt see them. So the wife and I teed off. My ball had a natural fade right and I seem to be able to generate a nice distance. Well being the first time there I though I lost the ball into the woods so I teed off a second. Of course that didnt go but 100 yards becaus like most people I was still trying to work out my bad swings.

Shorten the story I found my original ball. It ended about 20 yards from the tee. Worse part was because the crew in front of us were out of sight I nearly hit them as they were chipping in. That was when my wife kind of really got to like the game some. We had a laugh and thankfully they were okay with it. The hole is probably just under 400 and I could easily have hit with roll 370 on that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski Other than for the pros, its ridiculous for any course to have to carry 220 years to clear the hazard.

No lie on that one. If I see one that long it is probably better to use the 6 iron to lay it up in front than chip it over.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski I keep a USGA handicap. There is a computer terminal in a corner of the pro shop where you can post your scores to our home course and other area courses. If you play outside the area you can still post your score, it is just a bit more work. You should post every score but some sandbaggers don't post their better scores. (You know who you are). I don't read the golf magazines. A sure way to screw up your game.

Not marking my better shots would be me. All last year I didnt even keep score of my shots. I will probably start counting this year. Last year was really my first year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zinger1457 I know what you mean, I grew up just down the road in Gardner. I've been in Arizona for 15 years now, only make it back to visit family. It is nice to be able to golf all year although we do get a lot of frost delays here, especially in February.

Honestly I would love to have a frost delay instead of having to use my pink balls in 24 inches of snow hazard!

[pb4uski]

Your story reminded me of playing in a golf afternoon at a professional conference a number of years ago. I tend to push the ball a bit but also have a draw so the two even out on my good days. There was a par 3 where a company sponsored a closest to the pin and the pin was to the right edge of the green. I had a pretty good score going and was more interested in keeping my score going than the closest to the pin, so I aimed for the center of the green. Long story short, I pushed the ball a bit and end up about 6' from the pin and won myself a nice new mountain bike.

I occasionally get the shanks - usually I am taking my eye off the ball and/or swinging too fast.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldtrig The same here for me. I love playing someone who has just watched a golf video or maybe the fast talking person on the golf channel. I do like to read articles about golfers in golf digest, not tips on how to play. I am self taught and I doubt at my age a golf lesson would help me. I just have to work out my bad things myself. I have been playing 42 years so I have lots of bad things I picked up One is the shanks. I had rather not talk about that one. I can tell a quick story on a shank. We had a local car dealer giving away a new car for a hole in one years ago. The car was parked to the right of the tee. The owner was not a golfer and I mentioned to him that the car was not parked in a good spot. He just laughed. Well I pulled out my 6 iron ( I think the hole was like 155) I cold shanked it and the ball hit the wheel on the car. He then moved it like I had told him. For some reason he did not think it was funny.

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE'd@51 Doesn't the slope and course rating from the black tees make up for that in arriving at your handicap index? It should.

It does help and hurt me. This is a links course with a lot of scruffy grass around the greens and such. For whatever reason, I have a tendency to play badly there, so I figure its the perfect course to establish a slightly higher handicap card for when I play others at courses elsewhere.

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldtrig Its suppose to work that way. I found out real quick last summer when I got my handicap down to a 6 that playing these real long courses was not for me. I got my handicap down with my short game and that really showed when I tried a course that measured 6800 yards. I think I shot 98. A 6 handicap should never shoot that high of a score even factoring in the slope and CR. Those long shots sooner or later work on your mind. I remember one hole on that 6800 yard course you had to carry the ball at least 220 to clear the water. I just made it and was really in trouble from then on. Distance off the tee is something I have lost as I age and now I accept it so no more long courses for me.

That stinks. We have several courses like that around here and although now I have no problems with that, there will be a time in the future when that will be a real issue.........

[oldtrig]

I was playing a course in 2000 that was pretty hard. We were hitting from the white tees, I think the course was like 6200 yards. I had four holes to play and was 4 under. I was playing with my son and two others and was beating them all bad. One person in the group could not stand for me to beat him and as I was about to hit my ball on hole 15 he tells me, hey you are 4 under par. I had not even thought about my score but I did know I was in a zone as we speak. I went bogey, double, double, triple. I let him get to me and he knew it. That was probably going to be my best round ever. I have shot 64 on our city course but it is a par 70 and short (5400 yards). Not sure why the mind works like that. I do not think I would ever made it on tour. I cannot even think how much pressure some of them are under. I know some are rich already but for the ones are not and that struggle I feel for them. We have a young person that lives close to me that is on the PGA tour. He has made two cuts and today I notice he is already over par. It has to be a tough life.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldtrig ...It has to be a tough life.

Yes, playing golf every day.... that would surely wear on me!

[Dawg52]

One reason to eliminate water hazard's on a golf course.

Gator fight on golf course - YouTube

[GolfingDuo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 One reason to eliminate water hazard's on a golf course. Gator fight on golf course - YouTube

I better not show that to my wife. I will never get her back out on the golf course.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GolfingDuo I better not show that to my wife. I will never get her back out on the golf course.

That might prompt me to show it to my wife.

[Dawg52]

Played golf for the first time in 2 weeks today. Didn't play too bad, but it turned out to be an expensive day. My golf cart batteries bit the dust. Been showing signs of weakness, but totally went out on the 17th hole. Replacement batteries run right at $700. Got 6 years out of the old ones so shouldn't complain.

Oh well......new batteries beats the hell out of walking.

[imoldernu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 Played golf for the first time in 2 weeks today. Didn't play too bad, but it turned out to be an expensive day. My golf cart batteries bit the dust. Been showing signs of weakness, but totally went out on the 17th hole. Replacement batteries run right at $700. Got 6 years out of the old ones so shouldn't complain. Oh well......new batteries beats the hell out of walking.

Sams club - golf cart batteries @ $80 if you can change them yourself. Also for $$$ minded... a lightweight charger for $100, versus the $500+ cost for the regular size. Our last batteries were good for 12 years (including 6mo/yr in the Florida heat). YMMV

[REWahoo]

+1 on checking with Sam's for golf cart batteries - Interstate brand I think. Lots of folks in the RV world use them as well.