What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

J

joecct

Well-known member
Have not seen a golf thread in a while and I thought I'd restart it with my tale...

It's been a while since I last played (70's) so I paid a local pro for 3 lessons and he helped enormously. But after a few times on the range, I realized my driver and I were not communicating. I wanted to go straight, the driver wanted to go right. Went to Dick's and found a Taylor Superfast Burner Driver that now goes straight for about 200 yards off the tee if I do everything right (oops correct).

I live in suburban MD and we have a bunch of county (well) run courses (www.mcggolf.com). Prices are reasonable. So I went out and played two 9 hole rounds this past week. Shot a 53 and an 50. That 50 could have been a lot lower if my putting was any good. I had 3 birdie opportunities that I 3 putted to bogies.

Bolstered with (false?) confidence, on Wednesday I will try the 18 hole course nearby. Wish me luck. It's long and hilly and requires carts all the way. My goal is to keep it under 100. If I fail, I want to keep it under my weight, which is a lot more than 100. Here's the scorecard. I'm playing the green tees.

Any hints on how to hit a long iron or fairway wood/metal? They're my problem children right now.
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

Picked up a Taylor Made R-11 Driver last Sunday.... Took it out to the range on Yesterday... Something is now rattling around inside the club head :mad:

Anyone ever have to deal with Taylor Made Customer Service?
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

75 today.

Good start to the MA golf season (if not the handicap :p)
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

Played 27 holes yesterday. Very inconsistent. Fired a 44-38-82 and then replayed the front and fired a 39. My putting is finally coming back into shape. Need to be more consistent off the tee and in my approach shots.

Long irons you need good tempo, and a nice easy swing; don't try and kill the ball because you have a farther distance. Trust your swing.
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

joecct said:
Any hints on how to hit a long iron or fairway wood/metal? They're my problem children right now.
Click to expand...
I'm not really that good of a golfer, probably about the same as you are right now, based on the scores you posted, but by some miracle I can hit long irons. My most consistant club is the 3 iron, and I hit it about 220 and straight consistantly. For the longest time I was told to not even try hitting the 3 or 4 iron until I got better with my short irons, but once I tried them I couldn't go back. Now when I golf with my dad he is constantly telling me to hit the 3 iron instead of the driver off the tee. :p (I still always hit the driver, I'm not good enough to care if I cut a couple strokes off the score, I'm there to have fun, and hitting the ball 300 yards is a bunch of fun, even if it goes 150 yards left every once in a while)
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

For Fairway Metals/Long Irons, you might want to look into Hybrids and/or Rescue clubs... They combine the best attributes of woods and irons.... They have gone a long way in making these clubs easier to hit... There are a variety of clubs on the market that will replace 4, 5 woods and 3,4,5 irons...
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

Get rid of anything lower than a 4 iron. (and replace it with a hybrid) The secret to hitting low irons is committing to the swing and hitting down on the ball. Most people come out of their swing too early and try to "guide" the ball into the air. This almost always causes you to hit it thin.
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

I went to the range today and tried something that the pro told me. Don't go for distance, just find a swing where it goes straight and then work on distance once you have the accuracy solved.

5 buckets of balls later.......

Just kidding.... got the 3 off the carpet to around 150 with the roll. 75% it was straight. For now, I'll take it. The driver is 90% 200 yards down the middle.

Then I went to the chipping / putting green. What was working fine last week was a horror show. Of course the range chipping area resembled my back yard, so I am not THAT concerned. Now figuring on getting the right speed on the putt. For the most part, it seems my NJ Turnpike roots are in my putter. Too hard on the pedal!!
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

joecct said:
I went to the range today and tried something that the pro told me. Don't go for distance, just find a swing where it goes straight and then work on distance once you have the accuracy solved.

5 buckets of balls later.......

Just kidding.... got the 3 off the carpet to around 150 with the roll. 75% it was straight. For now, I'll take it. The driver is 90% 200 yards down the middle.

Then I went to the chipping / putting green. What was working fine last week was a horror show. Of course the range chipping area resembled my back yard, so I am not THAT concerned. Now figuring on getting the right speed on the putt. For the most part, it seems my NJ Turnpike roots are in my putter. Too hard on the pedal!!
Click to expand...

When you're putting, just work on tempo. same speed the whole way through, pendulum style. You don't want to accelerate through it or decelerate coming into contact, ever.
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

MavHockey14 said:
When you're putting, just work on tempo. same speed the whole way through, pendulum style. You don't want to accelerate through it or decelerate coming into contact, ever.
Click to expand...

extend and hold your follow-through as well.
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

OK Gang here it goes -- played 10th hole 1st.... The back 9 at the course is very difficult.

In: 5-5-7 7-6-5 4-7-6 = 52
Out: 5-6-5 4-6-7 5-5-5 = 48 100

The lone par (#16) came after a penalty stroke for hitting it out of bounds on a short par 4. After the drop, lofted an 8 iron within 4 feet and rolled it in for the par. One triple came after dumping it into a bunker and it took 3 shots to get out. Most of the greens were 2 putts.

The greens and fairways were hard - almost like concrete. You did not have to hit hard to have the little ball roll a long way. The guy I was paired with chipped across the fairway to get out from behind a tree and the ball rolled across the fairway into out of bounds. The ball hit 1/3 of the way across a flat fairway and just kept rolling and rolling.

I talked to the Assistant Pro (the one who gave me lessons) in the clubhouse after the round and he was pleased. I was overjoyed. So I'll play next week and see if I can keep it around the same score.

Thanks for all the advice -- it helped. So did Lady Luck on a few holes. Sliced one off the tee and it hit an out of bounds marker and bounded back into play. Got a double bogey on that one.
 
Last edited:
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

joecct said:
OK Gang here it goes -- played 10th hole 1st.... The back 9 at the course is very difficult.

In: 5-5-7 7-6-5 4-7-6 = 54
Out: 5-6-5 4-6-7 5-5-5 = 48 102

The lone par (#16) came after a penalty stroke for hitting it out of bounds on a short par 4. After the drop, lofted an 8 iron within 4 feet and rolled it in for the par. One triple came after dumping it into a bunker and it took 3 shots to get out. Most of the greens were 2 putts.

The greens and fairways were hard - almost like concrete. You did not have to hit hard to have the little ball roll a long way. The guy I was paired with chipped across the fairway to get out from behind a tree and the ball rolled across the fairway into out of bounds. The ball hit 1/3 of the way across a flat fairway and just kept rolling and rolling.

I talked to the Assistant Pro (the one who gave me lessons) in the clubhouse after the round and he was pleased. I was overjoyed. So I'll play next week and see if I can keep it around the same score.

Thanks for all the advice -- it helped. So did Lady Luck on a few holes. Sliced one off the tee and it hit an out of bounds marker and bounded back into play. Got a double bogey on that one.
Click to expand...

It's holes like the 16th for you that, no matter how bad the rest of the round may have gone (not in your case necessarily, but generally speaking), it makes us want to come back again another time.

Glad to see that you seem to be enjoying it so far!

I can't wait to break my clubs out, maybe next week when I get back from Florida I'll have some time. Didn't want to lug them down here with me. Silly, I know, but I will hopefully be moving down here by summer and get to play year round when I'm not working.
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

hockeyplayer1015 said:
It's holes like the 16th for you that, no matter how bad the rest of the round may have gone (not in your case necessarily, but generally speaking), it makes us want to come back again another time.
Click to expand...

My most memorable shot ever came on a par 3 after I had already snap-hooked two balls into the water. The drop area was about 125 out, and I holed it for the double bogey. Funny how the game is so rewarding even in the most frustrating moments.
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

MUnRPI said:
My most memorable shot ever came on a par 3 after I had already snap-hooked two balls into the water. The drop area was about 125 out, and I holed it for the double bogey. Funny how the game is so rewarding even in the most frustrating moments.
Click to expand...

I remember Fred Couples doing that on the 17th at TPC Sawgrass a few years ago... Plunked the tee shot into the water... Came back and holed the next shot from the drop area.... Nice way to save par...
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

My most memorable shot was the same thing on a par 3, except I didn't dump 2 in the woods first. ;)
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

Got my first round in yesterday on a 2-club windy day in SC. Putted well (only 1 3-putt), missed 2 fairways (1 bad miss) but the iron play needs work. I'm still thinking of new clubs, but not sure they'll help right now. :rolleyes:
 
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

Not sure if everyone is aware of this, but you can watch the Masters streaming online for free. There are even several feeds to choose from. I like the coverage at Amen Corner.

http://www.masters.com/en_US/live/index.html

Thursday and Friday of the Masters are two of my favorite days at "work!" :)
 
Last edited:
Re: 2012 Golf Season - No matter how you slice it, it's still fun.

Belleview biltmore. Donald Ross. 79. 2 birdies, 3 doubles (yuck)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top