The MM Golf Thread

[WRXtranceformed]

Any of you guys play?

I am becoming obsessed with golf. I try to play at least once or twice a week. I just got back from a golf trip over Memorial Day weekend at a fantastic Arnold Palmer course up in WVA. It is a yearly trip some of my buddies and I go on and it is a friendly tournament. Well this year I won it with a buddy of mine for the first time ever. I was talking to my friend on the trip and I realized that golf for me is now what I would consider a sport that I play and not just a hobby.

I wish I had picked it up at a younger age, but my family didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up and it is just flat out an expensive sport. And it's not one that you can just go out to a field or court somewhere and play it, you have to spend a lot and go out to a course. I don't care what anyone says, a driving range is not the same as playing a round of golf. I use the driving range just to get the kinks out of my swing and warm up before I play a round.

So yeah are any of you guys playing regularly? What clubs are you swinging? I just picked up a new driver today because I have been driving with my 3 wood for the past 2 years (I could never hit a driver straight). After this weekend though I realized that I could probably take another 2-3 strokes off my game if I could get another 40-50 yards out of my drives. At absolute best I can hit my 3 wood 250-280 yards, but usually average about 210-215.


As far as irons and hybrid I'm hitting a set of custom KZGs I had tailored for me by a local club maker. Unbelievable how much better I hit them than off-the-shelf Pings, Adams, Callaway etc. irons. I would highly recommend them as a good move-up set if you're just starting out and outgrow your old clubs.

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[Apoc]

Boring game for boring people. Have you ever watched golf on television? It's like watching flies fuck. And a mindless game, mindless. Think of the intellect it must take to draw pleasure from this activity: hitting a ball with a crooked stick, and then walking after it! And then, hitting it again! I say, "Pick it up asshole, you're lucky you found the fucking thing. Put it in your pocket and go the fuck home, you're a winner. You're a winner. You found it!"

Sorry... that just pops into my head every time someone brings up loving golf. I have nothing of value to add.

[Sijray21]

i picked up the sport in 9th grade when i joined my high school's golf team. i wanted to play a sport in the fall and picked it up. my only background was baseball and i found a set of clubs that someone was just throwing away. they ended up being Arnold Palmer forged irons (only the odd irons and a few woods made of actual wood). i used these at the range and a few times on the course before i knew any etiquette.

i then moved up to a cheaper macgregor set from sports authority and played with those for a while in high school as i learned. i spent most of my time at the range and all the rounds i played in high school, for the team, were free. we played at Fort Belvoir, on the north 36 holes (gunston and woodlawn).

after high school i bought a set of Taylormade T200 (3-PW for $250) low trajectory irons since i have a naturally high trajectory. i've used many woods in the past, but i've been able to strike the 3-iron as far and as straight as any 5 wood, so i now only carry a steel-shafted callaway fairway X-wood (13*) and a graphite-shafted Biggest Big Bertha driver that's about 10 years old (10.5*). I also have an old ping zing 2 putter with no insert. I've tried newer clubs and they feel and sound a lot better, but i hit them just as far and as straight. i haven't had luck with most woods since most are graphite-shafted. the play in graphite shafts is usually too much for my swing speed and grip/control. i'm a firm believer that the golfer will make a much bigger difference than the clubs, so i haven't been able to justify spending more on equipment. if i played more golf or became more consistent then i could justify spending anything on better clubs. as long as you're consistent with your equipment, there is really no reason to upgrade. the best piece of equipment you can buy is your putter if you want lower scores. i have a knack for chipping so that's what typically gets my scores lower. i rarely use my driver or x-wood and leave most of my tee shots to my 3 or 4 iron. i can usually hit my 3 iron straight and 200+ yards and unless it's a long par 5, i don't need anything longer.

i golfed fairly frequently while i was at JMU and i've been to 2 myrtle beach week-long golf vacations, but i now only play in a few tournaments a year and maybe 4-5 rounds a year aside from that. it's getting expensive and more crowded so i haven't enjoyed myself as much on the course. i probably average in the high 80s and my best 18-hole round was 79 on a par 72 and my best 9-hole round was a 33 (par 34 front 9) at Heritage Oaks in harrisonburg.

i also participate in the annual JMU ISAT Golf tournament every year at Harrisonburg with my two current roommates and on of their brothers. we placed 3rd the first year and tied for 1st this past year (losing the tie-breaker).

[.RJ]

golf trip.... expensive sport... custom KZGs I had tailored for me

:lol:

[Kaan]

Look RJ... Another hobby for you to spend money on. There might be women there too!

[Steve85]

I used to play A LOT. I was working and living at Bryce Resort and played every day. I really worked hard on my game, especially short game and got down to around a 4 handicap. I wanted to go to the PGA management school but ended up meeting my wife and going in another direction after failing 3 or 4 PATs (Player Ability Test). It was a pre-req for getting into the school. 36 holes, one day, total max score was slope x 2 +15. My nerves were always so bad and I would give up 6-7 strokes in the first 9 holes and no way I would hold on for another 27. I also found that I was miserable playing at the time. A 77 should have been a 75. a 75 should have been a 73.. :roll:

I'm now about a 16 and have a lot more fun.

I use a TM R460 driver bought as a demo, Callaway Steelhead 3 wood, Nike rescue, I think it's 21 degreee loft, and switch between a set of Nike blades and TM "LCG" which are much more user friendly. The blades are not forgiving and have classic lofts (PW is 49* compared to the new "hit it farther irons" that are delofted ~5* through the set) but feel oh so good.

My three main issues right now:
Getting ahead of the ball, hips are sliding instead of rotating.
Serious out to in swing path, from about 120 yrads out my divot will point 10 yards left of the green, :dunno:
Chipping, f'ing chipping. Used to be atrength but I cannot reagain the touch. Whenever I miss a green I go up there thinking "just a chip chip chip putt away".

Solutions so far:
Wider stance seems to be working
Move right foot back, as in towards my back, not widening stance further. This has reduced the slice to a fade.
Cussing, lots of cussing and one bent wedge. Not a solution technically but I usually feel better :twisted:

Hit the ball fairly well in a tourament this past weekend playing with mom and dad. We came in third to last, however, good times :thumbup:

[Maengelito]

I really enjoy going to the driving range and hitting a bucket of balls but I'm terrible at it. Like "dont stand behind me because I don't know where this is going" terrible. Maybe I enjoy it though because I take a lot of satisfaction in hitting that one ball out of the entire bucket perfectly straight. So yeah, thats all I got.

[.RJ]

Look RJ... Another hobby for you to spend money on. There might be women there too!

I really dont need anything else to spend money on, kthx :lol:

[D_Eclipse9916]

I was big into it until high school. Ive touched my Callaways once since high school. Its an incredibly time-consuming sport, which is why I probably havent played since High School. As soon as I did one autocross I was blinded to everything else ahahah.

Its a good sport, ive been meaning to go out and play since a lot of my coworkers like to play but just dont get around to it. Probably need to set out a time this summer to get a lesson to get back in the "swing" lol.

[JohnC]

The best game of golf I ever played was at China Lake Naval Air Station. The pro shop / canteen outfitted me with a golf cart, clubs, and a 12-pack of beer dumped into a trash bag of ice. I'm not even sure I got out of the cart - we may have played it more like polo...

[WRXtranceformed]

golf trip.... expensive sport... custom KZGs I had tailored for me

:lol:

I'm doing a lot better than my parents were when I was a kid Believe it or not, the custom clubs were a little cheaper than brand new Pings / Callaways / Etc. and I hit them a million times better. I disagree with Jason just a little in that once you hit clubs that are made for you, you don't want to go back. Not even exaggerating I took at least 4-6 strokes off my game just by switching to these clubs. Dang Steve, I would love to shoot in the mid-70s but I'm going to need a lot more practice and more than a few lessons. My problem right now is I'm not turning my wrist over after making ball contact so I'm pushing all of my shots about 5-10 yards right. Which isn't always a big issue unless I dont strike the ball well.

I used to use golf just as an excuse to get hammered and drive golf carts but I've gotten a lot more serious about it haha. And whoever said golf isn't a thinking game flat out hasn't played it enough.

[Dave]

Ive touched my Callaways once since high school.

Thats just dirty.

My golf experience is a hybrid between John and Maengs. I enjoyed the few driving ranges I've hit but am supremely awful at it. I did a captain's choice tourney with dad and some of his coworkers. I found I was pretty good with a wedge (I think thats what it was) and I even managed to have the captain pick my ball a couple times. However, it eventually resorted to me being very drunk and just driving the cart all over the place to retrieve everybody's balls, which I was perfectly happy with.

[Steve85]

No doubt a mental game. "Golf is a game played on a 5 inch course, the distance between your ears." Course management and strategy is one my favorite parts of the game. Due to the spray pattern of anything less than a professional golfer, you never really play the same course twice.

Yeah custom clubs from the big names are the same price as their off-the-shelf offerings and most companies that specialize in custom clubs, I'm guessing KZG is one, Henry-Griffitts is another, are often much cheaper. They can make a big difference. If at address the toe of the club is up, your ball will go left or you hit it thin to keep the heel out of the ground or hit it fat as the heel digs in trying not to hit it thin...All solved by simply bending the hosel 2* flat.

If you want to shoot in the 70's, work on your short game, 100 yards and less. I'm guessing you hit the ball well enough to be around the green in regulation MOST of the time. If you can chip into an 8 ft circle around the cup with regualrity , you increase your chance of making par by a huge margin. Even pros make less than 50% of putts from outside 8 ft., the % may even be smaller something like 35%. This is why I'm I'm frustrated with my chipping, I used to be deadly and now I completely lost it, it's purely mental now.

This also helps when you have a wayward drive. Play the safe shot to 120-80 yards out and put it to 10-15ft from there. A relatively good shot at par and no worse than bogey.

[WRXtranceformed]

No doubt a mental game. "Golf is a game played on a 5 inch course, the distance between your ears." Course management and strategy is one my favorite parts of the game. Due to the spray pattern of anything less than a professional golfer, you never really play the same course twice.

Yeah custom clubs from the big names are the same price as their off-the-shelf offerings and most companies that specialize in custom clubs, I'm guessing KZG is one, Henry-Griffitts is another, are often much cheaper. They can make a big difference. If at address the toe of the club is up, your ball will go left or you hit it thin to keep the heel out of the ground or hit it fat as the heel digs in trying not to hit it thin...All solved by simply bending the hosel 2* flat.

If you want to shoot in the 70's, work on your short game, 100 yards and less. I'm guessing you hit the ball well enough to be around the green in regulation MOST of the time. If you can chip into an 8 ft circle around the cup with regualrity , you increase your chance of making par by a huge margin. Even pros make less than 50% of putts from outside 8 ft., the % may even be smaller something like 35%. This is why I'm I'm frustrated with my chipping, I used to be deadly and now I completely lost it, it's purely mental now.

This also helps when you have a wayward drive. Play the safe shot to 120-80 yards out and put it to 10-15ft from there. A relatively good shot at par and no worse than bogey.

For sure on the custom clubs. One thing I learned from the guy who made mine (he was a PGA pro in the 70s and played on the Senior Tour for a while afterwards) was that the vast majority if not all of the pros on tour use custom clubs with their sponsors logos on them. All of their clubs have been tweaked so much that they are nothing at all like the clubs you buy off the shelf.

Yeah my approach shots have gotten a lot better and my short game is what I've struggled traditionally on (as well as putting). I picked up a 58* that I've been using on a lot of my chip shots (unless it's a bump and run or a "putt" with my PW just off the green) and that seems to have helped a lot in terms of giving me the control I need to help the ball sit. I'd like to start by consistently getting into the mid-80s and then shoot for 70s...a huge part of that is my short game as well as getting off the tee well.

[JustinG]

I love playing, but am absolutely horrid at iti have horrible patience, a horrible slice, and suck at putting. But i think its fun. I have hand me down clubs from my uncle, who used to play 3-4 times a week. They are probably 7-8 years old. Big Bertha driver and some weird irons that arent graphite or Iron shafted.

[WRXtranceformed]

Did you guys know there is actually a surprisingly decent par 3 course near Bridgewater? It's free too. I had a lot of fun playing with my bro and his friends the last time I was up there for block parties.

[Sijray21]

Did you guys know there is actually a surprisingly decent par 3 course near Bridgewater? It's free too. I had a lot of fun playing with my bro and his friends the last time I was up there for block parties.

that place is awesome. i remember playing there when i went to JMU. when i went there it was hit-or-miss for the growth of the greens; it's pretty impossible to putt normally IIRC.

[JustinG]

Yea, been there numerous times, great course, all u need is a Pitching wedge or a 9 and your putter.

[WRXtranceformed]

The last time I played there I brought PW through my SW and my putter. My only complaint is that the distances off the "tee box" are so odd that I couldn't full swing or even 75% swing on any of them except the first and the one next to the river. I hit my SW about 90-95 yards. The 58* I picked up would probably be the perfect club for me for most of those holes.

[WRXtranceformed]

So I like the new driver so far. I thought it would add another 30 yards to my drives, it was more like 40-45. It is set up for a draw so so far I haven't been slicing it...most shots are straight or have a slight draw. Great investment!!