Golf Talk Tuesdays 2015-2020

[golfnut]

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Originally Posted by Kelor We all have golf quirks. Mine is that I tend to play fast. Very, very, very fast. When I joined the private course, I played my first league play day one before even getting my orientation. At orientation, the head pro said he was supposed to talk to me about good pace of play, but heard from others on the golf course that I won't be a problem Years ago, the first time I ever shot in the 30's on 9, I was more excited that I finished the front in 42 minutes. We even have a group of us that used to run the course early in the morning. We all either carried our bag or pushed. Most people appreciate my quirk, and I really do try to slow down if I know it's going to bother someone. My brother and I do get into the occasional disagreement as he still believes you should never play out of turn. I believe in hitting when ready, and I KNOW he's wrong. Even golf etiquette rules are being changed for 2019 and encouraging hitting when ready unless putting. On edit: Good pace of play is the biggest thing I miss about not belonging to a private club any longer.

Not near as fast as you but I love playing at a brisk place. Sometimes I have to bite my lip when playing with others who need to take 3 practice swings before every shot and hit it badly. Don't need 3 practice swing to do that.

[Midpack]

Wow, when I play alone for practice with no one holding me back it usually takes me about 2-1/2 hours to play 18 whether I walk or ride. In league play, it’s usually 4 to 4-1/2 hours but occasionally 5, even 5-1/2...

There are some quirky guys in both leagues I play in, but only one I have trouble getting along with.

[Music Lover]

I played the same course on back to back days and did exactly the same thing on the 6th and 7th holes on both days

6th hole: 1' birdie putt on day 1; 3' birdie putt on day 2, made both putts
7th hole: tee shot in water, took a drop, 3 hybrid to 15 feet on day 1; tee shot in water, took a drop, 3 hybrid to 10' on day 2, sunk putt to save par both days

[Dawg52]

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Originally Posted by golfnut Not near as fast as you but I love playing at a brisk place. Sometimes I have to bite my lip when playing with others who need to take 3 practice swings before every shot and hit it badly. Don't need 3 practice swing to do that.

Other than my warmups on the first tee, I never take a practice swing. In fact very few in our 8-12 group take practice swings. Our foursomes finish in just under 3 hours. Ready golf. When I play in tournaments that take 4-4.5 hours I can handle it but feel I have been slightly tortured. I would quit golf if it took 5+ hours to play.

That's the beauty of golf in retirement around here. Play during the week when the course is wide open. I let the working stiffs and slow players have it on the weekends.

[Kelor]

3 hours is perfect. To speed up play, I know Tiger was conteplating building golf courses with a 6/6/6 design instead of two 9’s. Many good private course designs already put you back at the clubhouse after 3 holes.

The new rules effective next year should also help:

“2019 Rule: Rule 5.6 will encourage prompt pace of play by recommending that:

Players should recognize that their pace of play affects others and they should play promptly throughout the round (such as by preparing in advance for each stroke and moving promptly between strokes and in going to the next tee),

A player should make a stroke in no more than 40 seconds (and usually in less time) after the player is able to play without interference or distraction, and

Committees should adopt a Pace of Play Policy (rather than only say they may do so).

In addition, new Rule 6.4 will expressly allow playing out of turn in match play by agreement, and for stroke play, will affirmatively allow and encourage players to play out of turn in a safe and responsible way to save time or for convenience (also known as “ready golf”).”

I’m also fascinated with the change to the flagstick rules, and think that will speed up play as well.

[Big_Hitter]

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Originally Posted by Kelor On edit: Good pace of play is the biggest thing I miss about not belonging to a private club any longer.

that's why i tend to avoid public courses

[Big_Hitter]

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Originally Posted by Midpack Wow, when I play alone for practice with no one holding me back it usually takes me about 2-1/2 hours to play 18 whether I walk or ride. In league play, it’s usually 4 to 4-1/2 hours but occasionally 5, even 5-1/2... There are some quirky guys in both leagues I play in, but only one I have trouble getting along with.

on league night we are doing good to finish 9 holes in 2.5 hours

[garyt]

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Originally Posted by golfnut Could not agree more. Also, why do most golfers balk at spending relatively big bucks on a putter but lay down big bucks on a driver? When the driver is used maybe 14 times and the putter over 30 times during a round.

Who says they do? Putters are way up there in price now and seem to be selling. There's not much new tech in a putter, no matter what they claim. Drivers from 30 years ago are light years behid today's drivers, putters not so much.

[garyt]

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Originally Posted by Midpack I don’t disagree, but I’d argue that argument overstates putting. If you have 36 putts, about half of them should be tap ins, where almost any putter would do. In any event, lots of putts are very short, so you may hit your driver and putter about the same number of challenging strokes. FWIW

Good point

[garyt]

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Originally Posted by Big_Hitter so it goes even straighter?

"Our new driver goes straighter than straight!" Great slogan, I love it!

[garyt]

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Originally Posted by Kelor I have to express some frustration. I set up a golf junket up to the U.P. for next week. I set up a 15 passenger bus for transportation (6 hours from Minneapolis), prepared prizes and games, and made all room reservations. Today THREE people backed out. One broke his arm (he's forgiven). The other two people I don't even know. One of said he was too busy at work. The other won't go without #2. I've set up golf junkets almost every year for the last 10, and it happens almost every single time. Why people care less about their confirmed commitments is frustrating as hell.

Where are you playing i the U.P.? Greywalls, Sweetgrass, Timberstone? Greywalls may be the toughest course I've ever played.

[Kelor]

Those three and SAge Run too. I’ve heard they might have opened up Sage Run a bit too early, but it wil be nice to play all 4 courses.

[Big_Hitter]

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Originally Posted by garyt "Our new driver goes straighter than straight!" Great slogan, I love it!

i'm taking pb4uski's advice - I hit that thing straight every time I'm not touching the settings lol

[zinger1457]

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Originally Posted by Kelor I’m also fascinated with the change to the flagstick rules, and think that will speed up play as well.

I doubt the new rule changes will have much impact. Very few slow golfers admit or think they play slow.

[Huston55]

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Originally Posted by Kelor I have to express some frustration. I set up a golf junket up to the U.P. for next week. I set up a 15 passenger bus for transportation (6 hours from Minneapolis), prepared prizes and games, and made all room reservations. Today THREE people backed out. One broke his arm (he's forgiven). The other two people I don't even know. One of said he was too busy at work. The other won't go without #2. I've set up golf junkets almost every year for the last 10, and it happens almost every single time. Why people care less about their confirmed commitments is frustrating as hell.

I organize a trip for 8 golfers every year. When they sign up, they acknowledge by email that they are “committed”; this means they’re financially responsible for their 1/8th whether they go or not. If something comes up (and it has), I will help them find a replacement (which I’ve always been able to do except for once). This seems to prevent the ‘back out’ problem. I have a list of 20+ golfers who’ve attended over the years, and we all know one another. So, maybe that makes it a bit easier for me.

[frayne]

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Originally Posted by zinger1457 I doubt the new rule changes will have much impact. Very few slow golfers admit or think they play slow.

Agree 100%. Rangefinders should be banned inside of 100 yards. Most of the slow players I know have no concept of playing ready golf and can't think past their nose or take a putter, wedge or sand wedge when they have no idea of the lie. It will be interesting to see how the 3 minute rule for lost balls go over as well.

[golfnut]

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Originally Posted by garyt Who says they do? Putters are way up there in price now and seem to be selling. There's not much new tech in a putter, no matter what they claim. Drivers from 30 years ago are light years behid today's drivers, putters not so much.

Maybe if one is talking about the real expensive putters like cameron etc..



Look at the new mainstream drivers like Callaway - Epic and TM M (??). Aren't they priced at $400/$500 retail? I realize one can wait a year or 2 (the smart ones do) and pick these up for under $200. Again, it's a club used maybe 14 times in a round.


Mainstream putters ie Callaway, Ping retail anywhere from $150/200. Challenging or not it is used over 30 times a round,


I agree there is probably not much new tech in a putter but I don't buy into the supposed new tech bs that one hears about new drivers. Drivers going back 8 years are as good as today's. No matter what model one has, it's the shaft that counts.

[F4mandolin]

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Originally Posted by frayne Agree 100%. Rangefinders should be banned inside of 100 yards. Most of the slow players I know have no concept of playing ready golf and can't think past their nose or take a putter, wedge or sand wedge when they have no idea of the lie. It will be interesting to see how the 3 minute rule for lost balls go over as well.

Oh man....you just killed me. I would MUCH rather use the range finder inside 100 yards. Thats where I kind of expect my club to actually do what I want it to do. Slow players are slow....it's not the range finder....it's not the extra swings.....it's not the tap ins/gimmies....it's everything. They are slow. Slow walking....slow club selection....slow pre-shot thinking.....just plain slow. How would you ban range finders inside 100 yards? Put spotters out on the course and shoot paint balls at slow players (might work though....actually....I might volunteer for that one).

[zinger1457]

Rangefinders are usually a time saver IMO, especially if the other option is to pace off the distance from a sprinkler head or any other yardage marker, probably takes me less than 10 seconds to get the yardage with my rangefinder. I don't use/need it for short pitch shots and typically only use it once per hole for approach shots to the green.

[frayne]

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Originally Posted by F4mandolin Oh man....you just killed me. I would MUCH rather use the range finder inside 100 yards. Thats where I kind of expect my club to actually do what I want it to do. Slow players are slow....it's not the range finder....it's not the extra swings.....it's not the tap ins/gimmies....it's everything. They are slow. Slow walking....slow club selection....slow pre-shot thinking.....just plain slow. How would you ban range finders inside 100 yards? Put spotters out on the course and shoot paint balls at slow players (might work though....actually....I might volunteer for that one).

Inside of 100 yards usually calls for one of three clubs PW, GW or SW for most players and I've seen guys use their RF less than 20 yards off the green, which boggles my pea brain. Lets split the difference and make it 50 yards. I agree, slow players are slow players for all the reasons you mention.