Golf

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

We were talking about it in the man thread and it got me wanting a thread about it. Anyone else play?

I started a few years back and am terrible (average about 110 on the public courses around here) but am really into it. My wife is as well. I play with a set of clubs made in the 70's that have been handed down over half a dozen times. Slowly upgrading. Right now I'm looking for the #3 and #4 sumo2 square hybrids. I picked the #5 up in a sale and it is my favorite club, I look forward to 175-185 yard shots. I want the others.

I went on a golf trip and played down in Tampa a few weeks ago, really enjoyed it. I've played about 5 courses down there now over 2 years and we're going to go down every other year to play in the late winter.

[Loren Wade]

I want to play. Does that count?

Oh! I play wgt.com - that has to count right?

[msuroo]

We were talking about it in the man thread and it got me wanting a thread about it. Anyone else play?

I started a few years back and am terrible (average about 110 on the public courses around here) but am really into it. My wife is as well. I play with a set of clubs made in the 70's that have been handed down over half a dozen times. Slowly upgrading. Right now I'm looking for the #3 and #4 sumo2 square hybrids. I picked the #5 up in a sale and it is my favorite club, I look forward to 175-185 yard shots. I want the others.

I went on a golf trip and played down in Tampa a few weeks ago, really enjoyed it. I've played about 5 courses down there now over 2 years and we're going to go down every other year to play in the late winter.

Dusting off my clubs for the first round of the year this weekend - I can't wait. I loooooove golf. I worked at my university course all through college, so I got lots of free range/play time in for those years, but I've never had any formal training/lessons. It's landed me in this spot where I'm better than people who don't play, but not as good as people who play - if you know what I mean. I don't keep a real handicap, but I'd guess it would land somewhere between 15-18.

My brother-in-law works in the golf industry in Northern Michigan - and it's amazing, because every time I go up there we get to play a new course (and since everyone knows everyone up there - it's always comped). He plays to a 2 - that jerk.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Dusting off my clubs for the first round of the year this weekend - I can't wait. I loooooove golf. I worked at my university course all through college, so I got lots of free range/play time in for those years, but I've never had any formal training/lessons. It's landed me in this spot where I'm better than people who don't play, but not as good as people who play - if you know what I mean. I don't keep a real handicap, but I'd guess it would land somewhere between 15-18.

My brother-in-law works in the golf industry in Northern Michigan - and it's amazing, because every time I go up there we get to play a new course (and since everyone knows everyone up there - it's always comped). He plays to a 2 - that jerk.

I have a 20 handicapper and a 5 handicapper I play with, I'm almost always the worst guy on the course.

As for comped courses, that's awesome. The one downside of golf is how expensive it is to play. I understand it and all, that's a whole lot of land they need to meticulously maintain. We have 1 course we get comped at now because we had our wedding reception at their hall.

[msuroo]

I have a 20 handicapper and a 5 handicapper I play with, I'm almost always the worst guy on the course.

As for comped courses, that's awesome. The one downside of golf is how expensive it is to play. I understand it and all, that's a whole lot of land they need to meticulously maintain. We have 1 course we get comped at now because we had our wedding reception at their hall.

There's no shame in being the worst player on the course. There's only shame in being the slowest player on the course. (After years of working at a golf course, I can tell you that this is never the same person).

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

There's no shame in being the worst player on the course. There's only shame in being the slowest player on the course. (After years of working at a golf course, I can tell you that this is never the same person).

My group the other day was terribly slow, took 3 hours to play 9 holes. It's the one bad thing about playing with people who take 4-5 extra shots a hole, that's a lot of walking around the course.

[Waldo]

I played a bit when younger, I worked at a golf course and we could go play a few holes after hours.

I'm actualy pretty good at it, tend to average in the 180 area for 18 holes.

[bigm141414]

I don't know what is higher, my dead lift or my golf score. It's too close to call....

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

I'm actualy pretty good at it, tend to average in the 180 area for 18 holes.

Do you play with just a putter?

I don't know what is higher, my dead lift or my golf score. It's too close to call....

On a more literal note, it's sad that my golf score is still higher than my 5x5 OHP sometimes.

[bigm141414]

On a more literal note, it's sad that my golf score is still higher than my 5x5 OHP sometimes.

MOAR OH PRESS! It is the only cure.

[Waldo]

Do you play with just a putter?

It actually might improve things. I pretty much gave up on the concept of using woods, especailly a driver which is more or less an exercise in futility. I can actually get it to go reasonably straight with my high irons and wedges. Still though...

I never really got good enough to care how good I was. Watching pissed off golfers all day was true entertainment.

[msuroo]

It actually might improve things. I pretty much gave up on the concept of using woods, especailly a driver which is more or less an exercise in futility. I can actually get it to go reasonably straight with my high irons and wedges. Still though...

I never really got good enough to care how good I was. Watching pissed off golfers all day was true entertainment.

I have a buddy who plays this way. His max club is a 5-iron. 170 yard par 3? 5 iron. 560 yard par 5? 5 iron. He doesn't play that much, so it isn't worth spending time to try and improve the long clubs.

[b wizzle]

I've played off and on the past couple years. Last I played I was shooting in the high 90s low 100s, however that was roughly 30-40 pounds ago, so I am sure I will have to redo my swing before I get back out there.

I am going to start walking instead of getting a cart when I go by myself. Not only will I save money, but the way I play I will do a lot of walking too.

[Atalan]

My group the other day was terribly slow, took 3 hours to play 9 holes. It's the one bad thing about playing with people who take 4-5 extra shots a hole, that's a lot of walking around the course.

This is why I never play with my brother and my dad.

[Rosie]

Does Wii golf count? Probably not! I've never played golf but then I've never actually been invited to play! My colleagues go quite a lot and I keep saying to them that I might be a natural but they'll never know!

[This is Seth]

Oh yeah I play. I think we both said the last thing we were talking about golf in the chat, "It becomes so much more fun once you realize that you'll never be good at the game."

I've hit the range twice already this season and am looking to drag my roommate out again soon, that way he has no excuse to put off our first round within the month.

The part I love the most, and he hates, is the fact that at any given point there is at least 3 other people staring at you. One of our regular courses has what we call a "fish bowl" for an opening tee box. It's slightly elevated and directly next to the club house. So everyone sits there and waits for their tee times and critiques whoever is taking their first drive of the day there. It's exhilarating.

[msuroo]

"It becomes so much more fun once you realize that you'll never be good at the game."

Dammit - I'm still in denial here. I hit enough good shots that I know if I put in the work I could be a single digit handicapper. Unfortunately, I won't have time for that until I retire...some 30+ years from now. Short term goal, just break 80. Just once. (I've shot 39 for 9 holes, but never kept it up for 18 - best is 83).

The part I love the most, and he hates, is the fact that at any given point there is at least 3 other people staring at you. One of our regular courses has what we call a "fish bowl" for an opening tee box. It's slightly elevated and directly next to the club house. So everyone sits there and waits for their tee times and critiques whoever is taking their first drive of the day there. It's exhilarating.

Haha, I can appreciate this. One of my best friends can only play well if no-one is watching - I tend to go the other way. If we start out as a twosome, he usually crushes me - but if we pair up with someone on the turn, it will immediately go the other way.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

The part I love the most, and he hates, is the fact that at any given point there is at least 3 other people staring at you.

This is why i wear Loudmouth golf shorts.

Short term goal, just break 80. Just once. (I've shot 39 for 9 holes, but never kept it up for 18 - best is 83).

Same goal for me this season, only I wanna break 100. I can do it if I can get my drive to go straight consistently so that my second shot isn't focused on just getting it back onto the fairway.

[CalvinHobbes]

I haven't kept score the past, probably 50 times I've played. I wasn't terrible in high school, best ever was 104, and I could hit it straight. I had shoulder surgery 5 years ago and only started up again a few summers ago...now I can hit it every direction but straight. One game last summer I lost a ball on every single hole. I was secretly impressed with myself...

I'm eager to see what my increase in strength will do to my game.

[LRB]

I golfed a fair bit before the kids were born -- husband and I would go and do at least nine holes every weekend. I was good enough that I won the ladies' long drive competition (furthest hit and still in bounds) at my law firm's summer outing one summer.

That said, my M.O. is to take no more than three shots, and if I'm not on the green by then, pick the ball up and put it on the green. Take two or three putts/chips, and be done with it if the ball isn't in the hole. Public courses here get crowded enough that it's more important to keep the game moving than it is to keep score.

I truly hope we can get the kiddos into golf one day - then we'll have a perfect foursome, and an iron-clad reason to spend an afternoon outdoors together.

[msuroo]

I truly hope we can get the kiddos into golf one day - then we'll have a perfect foursome, and an iron-clad reason to spend an afternoon outdoors together.

Totally with you here - I really hope my son gets into golf someday. That's something we can do together forever.

Edit to add: I would really like if my wife got into it too. Her brother and I have taken her out a few times, and she actually has a really smooth natural swing. She just has no patience for the game.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

One game last summer I lost a ball on every single hole. I was secretly impressed with myself...

I'm eager to see what my increase in strength will do to my game.

One of my measures of success for a round is how many balls I lose. I finished my first round ever without losing one on my vacation, but it is typically 3-6.

Strength training did wonders for my wife's drive. She makes solid contact and hits it 150-180 on average, dead straight. Before she started with strength she didn't have the muscular control and would always have and open or closed face, sending the ball to neighboring holes. She says she hasn't changed anything else and the strength training is the only thing we can credit it to.

That said, my M.O. is to take no more than three shots, and if I'm not on the green by then, pick the ball up and put it on the green. Take two or three putts/chips, and be done with it if the ball isn't in the hole. Public courses here get crowded enough that it's more important to keep the game moving than it is to keep score.

I truly hope we can get the kiddos into golf one day - then we'll have a perfect foursome, and an iron-clad reason to spend an afternoon outdoors together.

If I get to double par I pick up. But yeah, we're getting the kids into it once we get them.

Our wedding was actually golf themed.

[This is Seth]

Always pick up if you hit your "honest eight". If you haven't found the bottom of the cup by then, you need to start wondering about what you did wrong.

We usually have a golf weekend here in MA for my birthday in May, but I'm thinking about doing a destination trip in mid Oct this year. Somewhere down in VA where it's cheap as balls. Some of these "buddy weekend" things are incredibly well priced down outside of Norfolk.

[DustMite]

I played a few years ago for my high school team, but we were all really bad. We usually stopped at 10 swings... but fortunately down to 2xpar usually, or I don't think I could play in front of anyone and maintain any pride

[LRB]

When I stopped playing regularly, my "personal par" was 2-3 over par on a hole. More like three on the 5-par holes, more like 1 or 2 on the three-par holes. But there were plenty of holes I just picked up and moved on from.