Fore! Who's playing golf, yo-

[TahoeJ]

I'm going to play Poipu Bay next month. Looks nice. And then I'll play Princeville's Ocean Course (again) - that course is just crazy, carved into the jungle.

[BigDaddy]

Where are all the NY Metro Mag golfers?

Fishers Island in the rainbow parade...

[MotherFucker]

Have a tee time tomorrow at Indian Peaks on what can arguably be the nicest day of the season. Pretty stoked to not be broke anymore and can play somewhere different other than Hyland Hills and Denver courses (although they aren't bad tracks at all).

I get to start hitting store sets to see which direction I want to go in which is cool I guess. Not sure when I'll pull the trigger on a new set but it'll be in the next three weeks for sure. I need a new putter so fucking bad I can taste it so I may very well be picking one up in the next couple days but may just hold off on that too.

Classes start next week so I won't have all week to play anymore but I want to get out to Arrowhead by the end of the month if any Mags want to get down on some ridiculously awesome albeit really expensive golf.

I'll have Mon/Wed/Fri and the weekends open. I really hope loading four classes for T-TH won't come back to bite me in the ass somehow.

[jz3]

Schools starting up for me next week as well. Enrolled in 1 credit of PE 'Advanced Golf' though... translation: 1 free round per week on the nicest course in the area for the rest of the semester!

[54-46]

I'm going to play Poipu Bay next month. Looks nice. And then I'll play Princeville's Ocean Course (again) - that course is just crazy, carved into the jungle.

Poipu Bay is a nice resort course, and you'll get your game in gear there. I've probably played The Prince about 15 times over the years in good and bad conditions. Sounds like you've played it before. They just renovated the course, clubhouse, and restaurant, so it should be fantastic.

So, just for the hell of it, here's how I play The Prince. FYI, I hit driver 245 w/fade, 215 5w, 170 5 iron, 142 8 iron, 120 PW. BTW, sand used to be thin; I hear they imported sand so you might need SW with at least 12* bounce.

Holes 1-9:

Warm up well but don't wear yourself out. Bring snacks, water, beer for cooler, not much in the way of cart girl usually...

1st hole, par 4: May play with trade winds. I usually fade a 3w or 5w off tee. Fairway not long enough if you happen to hit your driver straight. Long 2nd shot but plenty of room in back. When in doubt go long.

2nd hole, par 5: Lay up off tee with 4h or 4i to left corner of fairway. 5w second shot across ravine to upward sloping fairway. Plan for your approach shot up the hill to have some run after it hits. I prefer to miss on right side vs. left side (flatter chips from right) unless pin tucked right.

3rd hole, par 3: Check the wind and make sure to get ball to green but not over. Over is dead. I usually go for left middle. Short and left is best miss. You can see ocean in the distance and mountains to the left.

4th hole, par 5: Risk v reward. Take driver down left side of fairway and risk bunker/lake. Hit a good one and you might go for it with 5w. (or at least be just short) Check wind behind you of you're thinking lay up. Lay up leaves you with slight down hill lie on 2nd shot. Approach to flattish green not bad if you're in fairway.

5th hole, par 4: Dogleg right with slope left to right. Fade at right edge of left fairway bunker is good play. Just make sure you don't drill it OB left. 2nd shot to green that runs toward the ocean so plan for a little run away from you unless wind is in your face. Aim short/left of middle.

6th hole, par 4: Take driver and play easy fade and let ball feed down. Check wind from tee for second shot because fairway is sheltered from wind. Green runs to ocean; don't get distracted by the view.

7th hole, par 3: Check out view of Anini Beach and ocean. Take extra club and shoot for right side of green.

8th hole, par 4: Slightly uphill, into wind. Take driver down left side. Usually long iron/hybrid or 5w in. Aim left side of green. Long isn't bad. Short and right of green usually not good.

9th hole: Snack bar used to be there (cover your food! chickens near 9th green). Hole seems short but plays into wind. I usually tee ball low and play a low fade/stinger by aiming at right side of left bunker in fairway. One option is to take an extra club into green and hit low running draw. Aim for right front and let ball roll on.

Holes 10-18:

10th hole, par 5: Hole is shaped like a question mark. Tee shot uphill and into the wind. I take driver down the left side and fade it. If you hammer one you may reach the ravine, but I never have done it. Even a perfect tee shot leaves you with a 190 - 200 full carry into the wind. On second, check GPS/yardage book and take as much club as your lie will allow. Better, flatter lie the farther you go with 2nd shot. Aim right of the trees in the crescent of the question mark, and you'll have an 8 iron into an elevated green. Pay attention to pin placement; green looks flat but has more slope and grain than you might think.

11th hole, par 3: Plays into the wind. Hit a knockdown draw to avoid vagaries of wind. 2 tier green; get on the right tier! Depending on wind, I might take 1-2 clubs more, aim at right side, and play to back part of tier as wind will push ball left and/or knock ball down. I have birdied and often par this hole.

12th hole, par 4: Eagle's Nest - check wind direction. No need for driver; take a nice easy 3W down the left side. Should leave you 9i or PW to green with narrow neck that slopes L-R. Aim left middle and plan for some roll forward and to right due to downhill lie on 2nd shot.

13th hole, Par 4: Hole with waterfall in back! You'll need 2 200+ yard shots. Off elevated tee, take 5w 220 yards to R-L sloping fairway. Make it past corner or you'll have to lay up, but don't roll off fairway left. Too far right and you're in a hill or ravine. 2nd shot is uphill, over a ravine, and tough - oh, and right is totally dead in a creek. Take 2 extra clubs and aim for front left of green. Back of green is fine. A par on this hole is a really good score!

14th hole, par 3: Uphill and usually has wind coming from right. I usually take an extra club and aim at the left edge of the bunker to right of green and plan for wind to blow ball to left. Bunker not a bad spot; long is worse than in bunker sometimes. Green slopes from back to front, but some spots flatter than you'd think. Take two looks when reading putt.

15th hole, par 5: 3 shot hole. Big landing area; no need for driver. Try to draw a 3W toward middle/lower section of landing to get roll down to edge of ravine. You'll want to down there because it is easier to clear ravine and you'll get a flatter lie. 2nd shot - pretty straightforward but take as much club as your lie will allow and hammer your second over ravine and down the left side of fairway.

You'll want a full shot with a 9i or PW into an elevated green protected by bunkers with a ravine on the right. Tough to run ball up, so make sure you get good high trajectory on approach. Missing long and left, if you miss, better than short or right.

16th hole, par 4: Uphill and into wind. Hammer driver down middle to leave about 175 yards. Take 3h or 4h depending on lie and distance.

17th hole, par 4: Majestic mountains in view. Long hole into wind that will blow ball right into bunker or weeds. Tee ball low and hit a stinger driver down left side to keep below wind. Aim second shot at left side of green; take extra club.

18th hole: Longer than 17, but I play it nearly the same. I parred this hole my last round there to shoot 89. Stay away from right side!

Have fun and bring lots of balls!

[Steven S. Dallas]

^Awesome.

[hawkgt]

been saving am ex points for couple years now.... just ordered up Taylor Made rocket balls 9.5 stiff driver and fairway wood all at NC!

really stoked and can't wait for them to show up!!

[spook]

Poipu Bay is a nice resort course, and you'll get your game in gear there. I've probably played The Prince about 15 times over the years in good and bad conditions. Sounds like you've played it before. They just renovated the course, clubhouse, and restaurant, so it should be fantastic.

So, just for the hell of it, here's how I play The Prince. FYI, I hit driver 245 w/fade, 215 5w, 170 5 iron, 142 8 iron, 120 PW. BTW, sand used to be thin; I hear they imported sand so you might need SW with at least 12* bounce.

Holes 1-9:

Warm up well but don't wear yourself out. Bring snacks, water, beer for cooler, not much in the way of cart girl usually...

1st hole, par 4: May play with trade winds. I usually fade a 3w or 5w off tee. Fairway not long enough if you happen to hit your driver straight. Long 2nd shot but plenty of room in back. When in doubt go long.

2nd hole, par 5: Lay up off tee with 4h or 4i to left corner of fairway. 5w second shot across ravine to upward sloping fairway. Plan for your approach shot up the hill to have some run after it hits. I prefer to miss on right side vs. left side (flatter chips from right) unless pin tucked right.

3rd hole, par 3: Check the wind and make sure to get ball to green but not over. Over is dead. I usually go for left middle. Short and left is best miss. You can see ocean in the distance and mountains to the left.

4th hole, par 5: Risk v reward. Take driver down left side of fairway and risk bunker/lake. Hit a good one and you might go for it with 5w. (or at least be just short) Check wind behind you of you're thinking lay up. Lay up leaves you with slight down hill lie on 2nd shot. Approach to flattish green not bad if you're in fairway.

5th hole, par 4: Dogleg right with slope left to right. Fade at right edge of left fairway bunker is good play. Just make sure you don't drill it OB left. 2nd shot to green that runs toward the ocean so plan for a little run away from you unless wind is in your face. Aim short/left of middle.

6th hole, par 4: Take driver and play easy fade and let ball feed down. Check wind from tee for second shot because fairway is sheltered from wind. Green runs to ocean; don't get distracted by the view.

7th hole, par 3: Check out view of Anini Beach and ocean. Take extra club and shoot for right side of green.

8th hole, par 4: Slightly uphill, into wind. Take driver down left side. Usually long iron/hybrid or 5w in. Aim left side of green. Long isn't bad. Short and right of green usually not good.

9th hole: Snack bar used to be there (cover your food! chickens near 9th green). Hole seems short but plays into wind. I usually tee ball low and play a low fade/stinger by aiming at right side of left bunker in fairway. One option is to take an extra club into green and hit low running draw. Aim for right front and let ball roll on.

Holes 10-18:

10th hole, par 5: Hole is shaped like a question mark. Tee shot uphill and into the wind. I take driver down the left side and fade it. If you hammer one you may reach the ravine, but I never have done it. Even a perfect tee shot leaves you with a 190 - 200 full carry into the wind. On second, check GPS/yardage book and take as much club as your lie will allow. Better, flatter lie the farther you go with 2nd shot. Aim right of the trees in the crescent of the question mark, and you'll have an 8 iron into an elevated green. Pay attention to pin placement; green looks flat but has more slope and grain than you might think.

11th hole, par 3: Plays into the wind. Hit a knockdown draw to avoid vagaries of wind. 2 tier green; get on the right tier! Depending on wind, I might take 1-2 clubs more, aim at right side, and play to back part of tier as wind will push ball left and/or knock ball down. I have birdied and often par this hole.

12th hole, par 4: Eagle's Nest - check wind direction. No need for driver; take a nice easy 3W down the left side. Should leave you 9i or PW to green with narrow neck that slopes L-R. Aim left middle and plan for some roll forward and to right due to downhill lie on 2nd shot.

13th hole, Par 4: Hole with waterfall in back! You'll need 2 200+ yard shots. Off elevated tee, take 5w 220 yards to R-L sloping fairway. Make it past corner or you'll have to lay up, but don't roll off fairway left. Too far right and you're in a hill or ravine. 2nd shot is uphill, over a ravine, and tough - oh, and right is totally dead in a creek. Take 2 extra clubs and aim for front left of green. Back of green is fine. A par on this hole is a really good score!

14th hole, par 3: Uphill and usually has wind coming from right. I usually take an extra club and aim at the left edge of the bunker to right of green and plan for wind to blow ball to left. Bunker not a bad spot; long is worse than in bunker sometimes. Green slopes from back to front, but some spots flatter than you'd think. Take two looks when reading putt.

15th hole, par 5: 3 shot hole. Big landing area; no need for driver. Try to draw a 3W toward middle/lower section of landing to get roll down to edge of ravine. You'll want to down there because it is easier to clear ravine and you'll get a flatter lie. 2nd shot - pretty straightforward but take as much club as your lie will allow and hammer your second over ravine and down the left side of fairway.

You'll want a full shot with a 9i or PW into an elevated green protected by bunkers with a ravine on the right. Tough to run ball up, so make sure you get good high trajectory on approach. Missing long and left, if you miss, better than short or right.

16th hole, par 4: Uphill and into wind. Hammer driver down middle to leave about 175 yards. Take 3h or 4h depending on lie and distance.

17th hole, par 4: Majestic mountains in view. Long hole into wind that will blow ball right into bunker or weeds. Tee ball low and hit a stinger driver down left side to keep below wind. Aim second shot at left side of green; take extra club.

18th hole: Longer than 17, but I play it nearly the same. I parred this hole my last round there to shoot 89. Stay away from right side!

Have fun and bring lots of balls!

i love this kind of analysis. unfortunately, mine is limited to the intent to hit straight, and the kind of strategy that would allow. also, this is probably a stupid qiestion, but if you can make all those shots required by your advice, wouldn't one expect a score lower than 89? 90 is all bogeys, right?

[TahoeJ]

Yeah, I've played it before. Last time was December 2010 right when they were in the middle of the club-house renovation. Fortunately I was driving the ball long and straight so it didn't play nearly as tough for me as it was for my friend, who was a bit rusty and got chewed up pretty bad. He must have lost 7 balls, at least.

Love this hole...

[philth]

Played Poipu...Place rules.

[54-46]

i love this kind of analysis. unfortunately, mine is limited to the intent to hit straight, and the kind of strategy that would allow. also, this is probably a stupid qiestion, but if you can make all those shots required by your advice, wouldn't one expect a score lower than 89? 90 is all bogeys, right?

Fair question; I have a several part answer:
a) You're right. I can't accomplish everything I'm trying to do. Golf is a game of failure. I just try to have a plan so that I can concentrate and commit to a particular shot. Then, even when I accomplish my plan, I still need to putt.
b) This course is probably the most beautiful and most difficult course I've ever played. It's REALLY f'n hard. If you're trying to score, it can be tough mentally. Many holes have forced carries and if you miss a green or fairway, you frequently lose balls. Might lose 4-6 balls per round and you can't retrieve them because they're in a ravine or just off the fairway, but in bushes with thorns. So, you can go along bogey, bogey, then have a double or triple in a blink. Also, I keep score for real. No mulligans, practice balls, or other stuff.
c) It can be windy and/or rainy. It can be tough to gauge distance/curvature of ball flight and pick out a landing area in the wind. So, add in to your mental calculus that you're hitting one more or less club due to wind. Also, the course is very hilly, so you have to constantly keep adjusting for all of these variables and keep your ball flight in mind.
d) I enjoy it a lot, but I only play about 15 full rounds a year. That means that I'm playing just fine if one considers I don't play that much any more, but I ain't that good (I'm a 12). At least when I play, I get to play about half of my rounds at some pretty great places (Hawaii and Bandon)

I try to keep it in perspective. There's one really important thing about golf - stay above the grass...

[spook]

Fair question; I have a several part answer:
Also, I keep score for real. No mulligans, practice balls, or other stuff.
...

nice answer. my regular playing partner has a tendency not to keep score for real, which i always do, and then always manages to beat me. i have a hard enough time keeping track of my own shots that i can't keep track of his, except when he loses two balls and still cards a bogey.

so last time we played i suggested we play match play. we can still keep our regular score as well, but i like match play (at least in theory, since i've never played). we were going to play the first nine as a warm up and play match play for the second, since he hadn't played in the 3 months i was gone, but i started out striking the ball nicely for me(bogey, bogey, bogey) and he didn't and quickly got demoralized so we just played. i think all my practice while i was gone is going to make our outings a little more fun since i've caught up to him quite a bit.

[TahoeJ]

b) This course is probably the most beautiful and most difficult course I've ever played. It's REALLY f'n hard. If you're trying to score, it can be tough mentally. Many holes have forced carries and if you miss a green or fairway, you frequently lose balls. Might lose 4-6 balls per round and you can't retrieve them because they're in a ravine or just off the fairway, but in bushes with thorns. So, you can go along bogey, bogey, then have a double or triple in a blink. Also, I keep score for real. No mulligans, practice balls, or other stuff.

Well put. At Princeville last time I shot 37 / 44 ... I don't think the back 9 is necessarily that much harder, but the course kind of wore me out. Being on vacation probably didn't help my focus. I expect to do better this time around. Granted, the humidity definitely wears on you as well... or least coming from a dryer climate like California. I'll chime in here with a full TR for both courses later next month for sure.

Funny intimidation factor: when you tee off there, the starter will ask if you at least have 12 balls or so and is like, no, seriously, you need to have a lot of balls in your bag. Good stuff and he's not kidding. Even my 37 on the front was with 2 lost balls...

[54-46]

One of my cousins ran out of balls by the 13th hole at The Prince. Instead of just asking for one, he tried to collect a few in the ravine that bisects the fairway and couldn't get out. He was down there for 30 minutes while my other two cousins tried to help him. My Dad and I were on our second beer by the time those guys came in. But, when they came in, they wanted the replay!

[stash]

and please, local economy? you must be joking. i doubt the "local" national corporations are doing much for the local economy -- those tax breaks are good for jobs, though!! and craigslist is also the local economy, dumbfuck.

The best club fitting setup I've ever seen is at the Redtail driving range, where you supposedly play most/all of your golf. Launch monitors hooked up to flat screens, incredible selection of clubs, and guys that know what they're doing. They are also a local, independent business.

Get fit there, buy your clubs there. At least give them an opportunity to try to match a price you can find somewhere else on the clubs you get fit for.

[cranked]

Anyone played Coyote Creek Tournament Course? Heading to play it Saturday...

This will be the first weekend in about 2 months where I am not playing 36 holes...not happy.

[4matic]

Anyone played Coyote Creek Tournament Course? Heading to play it Saturday...

This will be the first weekend in about 2 months where I am not playing 36 holes...not happy.

I've played it. Not a difficult course. Be careful on tee shots. Placement is important over distance.

[guroo270]

Windy dog track. I actually liked it more when it was Riverside (?). Not really. It's a better course now, but it's just not a good place for a golf course in my opinion. Played it a bunch in high school. I really thought they should elevate more of the tee boxes. I remember hitting some drivers onto the first par three there when it's really windy. I'd rather go off the beaten path, exit Bailey, hang a left at the dead end and end up at Cinnabar Hills. I'm not a huge fan of that course either, but it's better, and there are 27 holes.

[spook]

The best club fitting setup I've ever seen is at the Redtail driving range, where you supposedly play most/all of your golf. Launch monitors hooked up to flat screens, incredible selection of clubs, and guys that know what they're doing. They are also a local, independent business.

Get fit there, buy your clubs there. At least give them an opportunity to try to match a price you can find somewhere else on the clubs you get fit for.

i would, but the place is insanely expensive. even their 50% off is expensive. i guess you did say price match. and stupid me, i didn't bother to see if they sold used. i've barely looked at the pro shop stuff after perusing some prices so the reality is i wrote them off and now might have a better perspective.

hate to sound so cheap, but i have a limited disposible income for golf and snowboarding, and i used a healthy chunk of it getting into that club in ecuador and paying for a lot of lessons. i didn't even play the course that much. i mostly practiced. i decided it was better to improve as much as i could as fast as i could because i never have close to that much time off and i will never get $20/hour lessons from a great instructor who is the best golfer i've known personally. and then i would be limited in my options for clubs.

so i had some basic measurements down at golfsmith and bought a used driver, iron set and putter and they knocked a bunch off of each and i think it will work for a while. long enough for me to improve for a couple years and learn more about what i want. everything is much better than i had, seems so far to be easier to hit compared to what i played in ecuador (not sure what to think about that), although the driver is a little flexy i think.

so now that vacation's over i get to play once a week earlybird and practice for a couple hours maybe three times a week. my friend and i are going to rotate the portland city courses. we normally play redtail, but next week we're playing heron lakes, great blue, hopefully. i never played that, only greenback. then eastmoreland where i've played quite a bit or rose city.

i was going to take my son to the safeway classic tomorrow to watch the ladies play, but there's a heat advisory and it's supposed to reach 100 and he's just getting over a virus that left him dehydrated.

buy $35 of food at safeway and get a coupon for 2 one day passes.

[MotherFucker]

Little Indian Peaks action...


Guroo sticking his approach:



Beautiful little par 3:



Looking back at the Flatirons:



IP cart chick, Olivia:

[skiballs]

Yo bitch ,
Can you hit a driver .............. fag

[DasBlunt]

nice shots Mother Fucker. Still see that Guroo has some sick game....

[guroo270]

Indian peaks was great fun. The greens were really nice, although ive seen them even nicer. Must have had a hungover course setter upper though. Every pin that could be tucked, was, and every pin that could be on the edge of a tier or in the middle of a swail, was. Super nice day with that cold front coming through. It's nice to wear pants on the course. It's like it makes me concentrate more. Not sure why.

That was kind of Mofo to take a shot of one of my two good approach shots all day. I played like asshole but had a great time. Hadn't picked a club up in almost a month so I didn't even keep score but probably shot a 85, or maybe a 90.

Depends on what score I take on the last hole. Par 4. I miss the green right. Go to chip up and I TRIPLE hit it. So what is that? 3,4,5 + a two stroke penalty? Or is it 3,4 + 2 stroke penalty, 7+ another two strokes? My guess would be 3,4,5 + 2, but I don't know. In any case my next chip was to a foot and I knocked it in with the flag stick in, so add another 2 for a possible 12?

Funny story, we were playing with one old guy and one geriatric. These guys were really slow. The geriatric made amazing contact with the ball. Must have been a real player at one point. I think he hit one of his drives in the 280 range, and the guy can barely walk, and can't hear a damn thing.

Anyway, we were getting a little pressure from the group behind us, and on the par 3 pictured, one guy from the group races up to the tee box. We weren't that bad. We got a hole behind really quickly, but stayed right there after that, and finished in 4 1/2. But mofo says on the green, man that guy has to be a pretty huge dick head to race up like that. Then the old guy says with a dead straight face, "I don't know, I'd put you up against him any day of the week." awwwkward. I walked off the green it was so uncomfortable. But then the guy says, "yeah, I think you've got 10,20 or even 30 years on him." which didn't even make sense, so we thought he must have misheard the original statement. Mofo stood there kinda stunned and at the next tee asked me if I thought the guy really just called him a bigger dick than the huge dick behind us. I said its possible the language put him off or something, I mean, I do think he had just called the guy behind us a "pretty fuckin huge dick" in front of two 80 year olds, so I wasn't sure. But it turned out that it must have been a mix up because on the next hole he was telling mofo that he was generally a pretty chipper guy, and shook our hands after, the whole bit. It was really strange for a hole or two though.

[DasBlunt]

^^^Face Palm, you missed the old fuks joke. ("huge dick, 30 yards longer, get it, huge dick?").

[guroo270]

Except he said "years" not yards. It was so utterly confusing.