ATOT Golfers, I need your advice!

[z1ggy]

Yeah, deals are all over the place in the golf world. If money is a concern to you.... They will gouge you if you don't pay attention, a lot of people who play golf have plenty of money, that's the thing. You can spend a small fortune playing golf, clubs, equipment, lessons, golf vacations, big green fees, extremely expensive country clubs, plenty of people are after your money.

Here's a fantastically great article from Golf Digest on what it's like playing on different kinds of courses:

Public And Private Golf Are Their Own Unique, Vexing Experiences

Uh, that large bucket of balls in 1965 cost me one dollar!

So cheap! My range cost me eleven bucks for a large bucket. I plan on going one a week, and maybe playing a round one, maybe two times a month. Maybe next summer one I'm better ill go more often.

 

[BUTCH1]

So true, but course time on Rancho in those days was so hard to come by that it made me nervous (not sure it was then, but at one time it was the busiest public course in the country, which would make it the busiest, period!). Several times I was maybe 38 on the front but couldn't duplicate on the back nine and failed to break 80. Alas, my life turned topsy turvy and I didn't put my hand on a club until almost 20 years later, when I played just a single round with my then house mates. I played bogey golf that day, almost beating them all. I took it up again some years later, for real.

I'm going to my home course today and practice putt, hit balls (not a large bucket, my body protests!), then practice putt some more. Not as much fun as playing, no, but my goal is to get really good so I feel compelled to hit the range once a week as well as play (I'm playing 2x/week when the weather is decent, i.e. ~6 months/year).

I had it lucky in that regard, I live about a mile from the local municipal course (Daytona), they have 2 full 18 hole courses and in the summer rates are cheap, after 12 PM it was $20 for cart/green's fee, we would just play and play until the cart battery got too weak to continue, one time I had to get out and help push it a bit after 40+ holes LOL. Then after work around 7:30 I used to just walk on and play for free, there was hardly anyone else around, you do have to deal with the FL heat and humidity though and bring plenty of mosquito repellant!, those guys swam on you, you even have to lift up the bottom of your shorts and spray around there or they'll fly up in your pants!. The frustrated bugs would then fly right at you and bounce off.

 

[Muse]

So cheap! My range cost me eleven bucks for a large bucket. I plan on going one a week, and maybe playing a round one, maybe two times a month. Maybe next summer one I'm better ill go more often.

At my course a large bucket is $12, medium is $7. I figured it out, it costs the same/ball. I get the medium buckets (72 balls), usually just hit 1/2 a bucket and put the rest in plastic bags in my golf bag for later, store some in the trunk of my car for next range time or to warm up before a round.

My range has specials, pay them $100 and you get credit for ~$130 worth of balls. I do that. They have a key that they activate that keeps track of how much credit you have, I hang it on my car-keys chain. Seems like I'm getting at least a year off $100.

 

[Muse]

I had it lucky in that regard, I live about a mile from the local municipal course (Daytona), they have 2 full 18 hole courses and in the summer rates are cheap, after 12 PM it was $20 for cart/green's fee, we would just play and play until the cart battery got too weak to continue, one time I had to get out and help push it a bit after 40+ holes LOL. Then after work around 7:30 I used to just walk on and play for free, there was hardly anyone else around, you do have to deal with the FL heat and humidity though and bring plenty of mosquito repellant!, those guys swam on you, you even have to lift up the bottom of your shorts and spray around there or they'll fly up in your pants!. The frustrated bugs would then fly right at you and bounce off.

Dang, I think I'll skip moving to FL! I have no mosquito problems here. I used to get buzzed at night occasionally, but I can't remember getting buzzed for a year or two!

I'm walking the course, love the exercise, use a pull cart (my feet are an issue, so I don't carry like I did when I was 22).

 

[BUTCH1]

Dang, I think I'll skip moving to FL! I have no mosquito problems here. I used to get buzzed at night occasionally, but I can't remember getting buzzed for a year or two!

I'm walking the course, love the exercise, use a pull cart (my feet are an issue, so I don't carry like I did when I was 22).

Most courses around here are not set-up for walking, there are long distances from the green to the next-hole tee-box, walking is not allowed (plus they woud not get the extra $$ for the cart rental.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

So cheap! My range cost me eleven bucks for a large bucket. I plan on going one a week, and maybe playing a round one, maybe two times a month. Maybe next summer one I'm better ill go more often.

There are places to practice without forking out for range balls. I've got a local par three course that has an open field next to it where practice is allowed. You can go out with a shag bag and hit balls until your hands bleed and it doesn't cost a dime.

Allow me to offer one warning, practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent. Just going out to bang balls doesn't make you better, it ingrains mistakes.

1) You have to have a plan and work on something specific. You have to understand your swing enough, or work with a friend/coach that understands the swing enough, to know what particular moves are giving you problems and what needs to be done to correct those moves. Hitting a bucket a day doesn't cure a slice. Hitting a bucket a day while concentrating on eliminating the swing flaw causing the slice is the only way. 99% of golfers fail at that. They just bang balls and hope a miracle happens through sheer repetition. It wont.

2) You have to practice what you're bad at. Most people fail at that too. Everyone likes hitting good shots, nobody likes struggling. So good putters practice putting too much, guys that are good with a driver and can't hit an iron will bang out a full bucket of drivers every single day and yet never touch an iron on the range. Then they get on the course and wonder why they can't hit irons when they "practice" every day.

3) Spend at least 2/3 of your practice time on the short game. It pays the biggest dividends, is the part where most people struggle and spend strokes unnecessarily, it requires work to stay sharp and it's easier on the body. Hitting a lot of balls is hell on your joints, short game practice isn't.

4) Keep practice sessions short and focused. 15 minutes of work on specific areas is better than 2 hours of boredom without a plan.

5) Use the course for practice. Nobody says you have to play holes a specific way. If you need work on your fairway woods, leave the driver in the car and tee off every hole with your 3 wood or 5 wood. If your short irons are not up to snuff play a par 4 with 7-iron, 7-iron, 7-iron instead of driver and 5-iron. Yes, it costs you a stroke that particular hole, but it will save you strokes in future rounds.

 

[Muse]

Most courses around here are not set-up for walking, there are long distances from the green to the next-hole tee-box, walking is not allowed (plus they woud not get the extra $$ for the cart rental.

I heard that's true (not allowed) for a lot of courses in San Diego. Beats the hell out of me, if you can't walk it seems, well, kind of decadent. :twisted: Strikes me like driving 20 miles to a bowling alley. Not my lifestyle.

I learn a lot by watching the pros on TV, I do it weekends. I don't get Golf Channel, but if I did, I would watch it. You can learn a lot online. I don't do that enough, have done it some. Even some pros learn a lot online.

 

[Muse]

There are places to practice without forking out for range balls. I've got a local par three course that has an open field next to it where practice is allowed. You can go out with a shag bag and hit balls until your hands bleed and it doesn't cost a dime.

I have a bucket with 50 balls in it and I go across the street once in a while and dump them on the softball playing field (usually there's nobody on it), place a piece of paper on the ground with a rock on top and try to hit the paper by chipping the 50 balls. I then pick them all up (count them!), and go home (my bicycle). It really improves the short game.

Once in a while I bring my little Canon point and shoot to the range. I set it up on a tripod and set the self timer to start the super slow motion capture, which does 30 seconds. I do this to study my swing. I have even done that on the putting green, boy did it help me correct my putting flaws.

I like to work the ball. I can slice and hook at will a lot of the time. Really helps when you get in trouble or with some tee shots. It makes the game more fun when you can shape your shots.

Listen to GagHalfrunt, wise in the ways of golf!

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I have a bucket with 50 balls in it and I go across the street once in a while and dump them on the softball playing field (usually there's nobody on it), place a piece of paper on the ground with a rock on top and try to hit the paper by chipping the 50 balls. I then pick them all up (count them!), and go home (my bicycle). It really improves the short game.

Once in a while I bring my little Canon point and shoot to the range. I set it up on a tripod and set the self timer to start the super slow motion capture, which does 30 seconds. I do this to study my swing. I have even done that on the putting green, boy did it help me correct my putting flaws.

I like to work the ball. I can slice and hook at will a lot of the time. Really helps when you get in trouble or with some tee shots. It makes the game more fun when you can shape your shots.

Listen to GagHalfrunt, wise in the ways of golf!

I use my yard. It's not big enough to hit full shots, but it's about 100 feet wide and that's great for short game practice. There's a clothes line that runs from the back porch to a tree at the far end of the property and that coupled with a tarp marks a perfect prop for inventing games that translate into really effective practice. Hang the tarp over the line, get close and practice hitting flops over the line. Drape the tarp about halfway over so that it leaves like six feet off the ground, stand back a few paces and practice hitting balls under, that's good for pitch and runs. Hang the tarp from the bottom line but not the top and it creates a gap a few feet tall maybe 8 feet off the ground. Stand back and practice trying to pitch balls through that opening, great for working on trajectory control. There are dozens of ways to hang the tarp to create different size gaps at different heights, so I can practice any shot of 30 yards or less than I'm likely to see on a course.

It's a weird game, back when I was younger and had a good back and joints I could hit the ball off the planet, beat anyone in the state tee to green and couldn't score to save my life. I was one of those guys who I hate now, I never worked on the stuff I needed to do to get better, I just loved driving it 50 yards by everyone, loved reaching par 5 with driver and 7 iron and loved hearing people mumble as I flew a 1-iron past where their driver rolled out to. And I could barely break 80, could never beat a decent player who knew how to actually play the game.

Then I hurt my back, broke my foot, got older and couldn't practice much without my elbows and shoulders and wrists killing me and I had to actually learn to play golf. Now I don't hit it as far, can't overpower courses like I used to, par 5s that used to be driver 7-iron are now driver 3-wood and I routinely get outdriven 20-40 yards by younger guys. And I beat the snot out of almost all of them and would easily have beat the snot out of the younger me. No matter how well you hit it, no matter how far you hit it, you need to get it into the hole. That's how guys like Zach Johnson beat guys like Dustin Johnson.

 

[Muse]

That's how guys like Zach Johnson beat guys like Dustin Johnson.

I have always admired Zach Johnson, he's so professional in his approach to the game. I think of him like Luke Donald, both guys are small relative to the other guys, can't hit it as far, but play irons, wedges, and putt like crazy so they win anyway.

My elbows bother me at times, but I think it's my hands (especially left) that bother me the most. I take a lot of full practice swings on the course, even on the range. I could maybe tone that down to good effect. My back, well, it's not bothered me much in recent years. I hit the gym every other day and do a fair amount of core exercises and stretching, I attribute that to why my back doesn't go out on me anymore.

You probably hit it a lot farther than me. I reached a par 5 the other day in two shots, was left of the green, though, but that's the only time I've reached that hole and I've played it over 500 times. It's about 438 from the white tees. I did hit a 260 drive on 18 a few weeks ago, so I figure I have a legit chance to hit it 300 if I can get my swing in shape. The pro I went to last year showed me how I was sacrificing a lot of power in my swing mechanics. I should use my video camera and work on that, flatten my swing, work on my take-away, things I think about but I doubt I'm working on enough.

Anyway, I played with a guy last year who told me about a little guy he played with, an older guy who never hit it further than 200 but scored a 73 anyway. He was straight and his short game was where he excelled.

OT: I have never even witnessed a hole in one, much less gotten one.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

OT: I have never even witnessed a hole in one, much less gotten one.

I have 3 and have witnessed 4 others, but have never been in a group with a guy that made one. The 4 I witnessed were when backed up on a tee behind other groups or passing a par 3 and watching the guys hit. The first one I ever saw live was a beginner on a hole that played about 210 yards or so. It was like his 3rd time out and he probably couldn't have broken 100 for nine holes. Was behind him the entire day and the only shot he didn't top, whiff or shank he jarred. His scorecard would have been something like 12-9-17-14-8-13-1-15-12

That's the kind of thing that makes you get over not having an ace. Lots of bad players have multiple aces, tons of really good players have none. It's incredibly fluky.

 

[z1ggy]

I have 3 and have witnessed 4 others, but have never been in a group with a guy that made one. The 4 I witnessed were when backed up on a tee behind other groups or passing a par 3 and watching the guys hit. The first one I ever saw live was a beginner on a hole that played about 210 yards or so. It was like his 3rd time out and he probably couldn't have broken 100 for nine holes. Was behind him the entire day and the only shot he didn't top, whiff or shank he jarred. His scorecard would have been something like 12-9-17-14-8-13-1-15-12

That's the kind of thing that makes you get over not having an ace. Lots of bad players have multiple aces, tons of really good players have none. It's incredibly fluky.

Purchased the Nickent for $80 and im pretty pumped, I think I'll be happy with them. Also got some shoes for the course, too.

Now im bidding on some odyssey mallet style putters. Trying to keep it under $35.

 

[BUTCH1]

I use my yard. It's not big enough to hit full shots, but it's about 100 feet wide and that's great for short game practice. There's a clothes line that runs from the back porch to a tree at the far end of the property and that coupled with a tarp marks a perfect prop for inventing games that translate into really effective practice. Hang the tarp over the line, get close and practice hitting flops over the line. Drape the tarp about halfway over so that it leaves like six feet off the ground, stand back a few paces and practice hitting balls under, that's good for pitch and runs. Hang the tarp from the bottom line but not the top and it creates a gap a few feet tall maybe 8 feet off the ground. Stand back and practice trying to pitch balls through that opening, great for working on trajectory control. There are dozens of ways to hang the tarp to create different size gaps at different heights, so I can practice any shot of 30 yards or less than I'm likely to see on a course.

It's a weird game, back when I was younger and had a good back and joints I could hit the ball off the planet, beat anyone in the state tee to green and couldn't score to save my life. I was one of those guys who I hate now, I never worked on the stuff I needed to do to get better, I just loved driving it 50 yards by everyone, loved reaching par 5 with driver and 7 iron and loved hearing people mumble as I flew a 1-iron past where their driver rolled out to. And I could barely break 80, could never beat a decent player who knew how to actually play the game.

Then I hurt my back, broke my foot, got older and couldn't practice much without my elbows and shoulders and wrists killing me and I had to actually learn to play golf. Now I don't hit it as far, can't overpower courses like I used to, par 5s that used to be driver 7-iron are now driver 3-wood and I routinely get outdriven 20-40 yards by younger guys. And I beat the snot out of almost all of them and would easily have beat the snot out of the younger me. No matter how well you hit it, no matter how far you hit it, you need to get it into the hole. That's how guys like Zach Johnson beat guys like Dustin Johnson.

I think Dustin's day will come soon enough though, it's true he's lost the lead in several majors but he had to play very well just to get the lead in the first place. Just killing the driver as a pro won't get you anywhere, once Justin "breaks the ice" I think he will settle down and win a lot more.

 

[Muse]

I think Dustin's day will come soon enough though, it's true he's lost the lead in several majors but he had to play very well just to get the lead in the first place. Just killing the driver as a pro won't get you anywhere, once Justin "breaks the ice" I think he will settle down and win a lot more.

Could say the same for Jason Day. 2nd or close in several majors, very determined, only 4-5 wins, intent on reaching #1. Such a great swing, and big power! At 5' 11.5", not nearly as tall as Dustin, but Rory's only 5' 9"!

 

[Muse]

I have 3 and have witnessed 4 others, but have never been in a group with a guy that made one. The 4 I witnessed were when backed up on a tee behind other groups or passing a par 3 and watching the guys hit. The first one I ever saw live was a beginner on a hole that played about 210 yards or so. It was like his 3rd time out and he probably couldn't have broken 100 for nine holes. Was behind him the entire day and the only shot he didn't top, whiff or shank he jarred. His scorecard would have been something like 12-9-17-14-8-13-1-15-12

That's the kind of thing that makes you get over not having an ace. Lots of bad players have multiple aces, tons of really good players have none. It's incredibly fluky.

Yeah, my cousin's husband told me about his two Aces. He told me he played when younger, never played much, wasn't good, was lucky and got a couple.

I haven't seen anyone make an eagle, either. I've been close (to an ace) many times. I figure I'll get one sooner or later, the way I hit the ball on my par 3's, it's bound to happen. It's nothing to concern myself with, obviously. I like what I heard Peter Kostis said a couple weeks ago. He said he judges a putter not by his good putts but by how badly he misses.

Your discussions here on clubs and what manufacturers do to get people to buy them was a revelation for me. Yesterday, on the range, I took a look at my gap wedge and pitching wedge and I can't really see a significant difference. The Golfsmith PW and Adams Tom Watson GW have the same length shaft and it appears to me approximately the same loft (I don't see a difference just eyeballing them holding them vertical). The GW says 52*. I have taken it out of my bag and am putting my 4 iron back in. I'll look to finding some kind of cool hybrid to replace my 3 and maybe 4 irons. I have a pretty de-lofted Taylormade hybrid in the bag now, which I use on occasion. A guy I have played with some had very specific ideas on what I should get, maybe a 5 or 7 type loft. Next time I see him, I'll ask him, I forget what he said.

 

[z1ggy]

I just purchased a new putter and #4 hybrid, and I'm bidding on a #3 hybrid, too.

I got a TaylorMade mallet type putter for $37 (lightly used) and a new (minor blemish) #4 for $6.50


Now to get rid of this nasty slice I have. I'm watching a few youtube vids to try and correct this, but I think my main issue is that I am opening the club face a lot. I spent years playing baseball and the hand positioning lends itself to a golf swing with slice.

So all in all, I now have a full set of clubs!

 

[Muse]

Now to get rid of this nasty slice I have. I'm watching a few youtube vids to try and correct this, but I think my main issue is that I am opening the club face a lot. I spent years playing baseball and the hand positioning lends itself to a golf swing with slice.

So all in all, I now have a full set of clubs!

I'd suggest working on developing the ability to shape your shots. Figure out how to hit a draw and you'll learn a lot about how to avoid an unwanted slice. There are times you'll want to hit that slice, say to avoid a tree. Same with a draw. I think golf is more fun when you shape your shots.

 

[Muse]

Now to get rid of this nasty slice I have. I'm watching a few youtube vids to try and correct this, but I think my main issue is that I am opening the club face a lot. I spent years playing baseball and the hand positioning lends itself to a golf swing with slice.

Well, don't use your baseball hand positioning. Get yourself a copy of one of the greatest golf aids ever, AFAIK, the best book on golf, Ben Hogan's Five Lessons. Study and adopt Hogan's grip!

Another favorite golf book of mine (I am no expert on golf books but not an idiot either), is Arnold Palmer's 495 Lessons. They were serialized in periodicals, but ultimately published in one volume. Hogan's book has incredibly awesome illustrations. All those Palmer lessons have illustrations as well, not as awesome but they get the point across. Practically any golf game related issue you encounter on a golf course (well, 495 of them) is dealt with in a Palmer lesson in that volume, including, of course, a persistent (and unwanted) slice.