Fore! Who's playing golf, yo-

[nateski]

whelp, snow on the course. took the clubs out of the car and put them away today. kinda bittersweet.
had a great summer of golf. got my first 90, and had several rounds in the 92-95 range. probably averaged one round a week. good times.
ill be skiing soon enough, i guess....

[spook]

shot a 54 on the front 9 at redtail. started out par bogey bogey and was playing probably as well as I ever have -- and with no warmup. things fell apart on 5 with a string of 3 quad bogeys. I was down 1 against my usual playing partner who always beats me, salvaged a double to his bogey on 8. down 2 on the 9th he hit into the heavy rough off the tee. and I hit a perfect tee shot and 3 more good shots to leave a 5 foot putt for par to tie him after he made double. and I sunk it. first time I've hit a putt under a little pressure.

I seemed to have figured out my driver after hitting one in the water on 3 and I was putting really well. I hit three putts from 10 - 15 feet and had 3-4 lip out. I think accepting the fact I was not getting a warmup kept me carefree and relaxed. I feel like this was a breakthrough day and I can't wait to get out again for a few more rounds of 18. before everything gets sloppy.

also got my season pass today so all in all I feel great.

[jfost]

I edited the above but I left the driver at home my last two times out before today. I'm getting better and understanding better but I need a lot more reps to try to figure it out to a serviceable degree. I'm also still trying to get settled with my clubs, not that I'd be tearing it up otherwise. I am getting better and more confident inside 100 yards. i need to keep stats I guess to have a clearer sense of the various problems. just feels strange that I would invest as much time as I have and feel like I'm improving and not even improve on 108 from my first season without lessons and crappy clubs and not having an idea about anything. I think part of it is also a performance issue -- doing better in practice but not being able to transfer it to the course.

I shoot under 90 easy now, down from 100 in the olden days - usually keep track of Fairways hit/GIR's/Putts as well as what club I used off the tee and for the approach. Helps to play the same course a few times in a row too...

edit: to clarify - my point is that if you keep a running log of the above stats, (easy to make a note on the card in all the other slots) you'll have an answer about where you need to focus energy to improve your scoring. If you hit 10 fairways, but only 3 GIR's, you need to work on approach shots and so on. To break 80, you will need to have no penalty shots, no 3 putts, and at least half of the GIR's. (Something like that anyway) My best ever is a legit 83, and I had a couple of 3 putts...

[jfost]

How many yards between clubs in your bag? Ex:
D - 245
5w - 215
3H - 200
4h-185
5 - 170
6 - 160
7 - 150
8 - 140
9 - 130
PW - 118
52* - 108
54* - 97

Well, we hit it long up here in Reno!

D - 280
5w - 240
4h - ?
3i - 225
4i - 210
5i - 200
6i - 185
7i - 170
8i - 160
9i - 150
PW - 135
52* - 120
56* - 100
60* - 85

I guess I was hoping for a club that would hit off the tee a little better, I only hit around 1/2 of fairways - but on a lot of holes at local courses, there's mostly par 4's in the mid to high 300yd range so a drive of 300 that off by a bit leaves a wedge in. I think getting to the next level means playing smarter, and leaving the driver in the bag more often. Again, I hit the 3i I think ONCE in my last 10 rounds, and that was to punch out from under some trees. So the idea is to hit this hybrid off of tees where the hole is only 350 yds or so, so I can stay in the fairway and hit some GIR's - but I could probably do that with a 3i or my 5wd too (19deg)?!?

[spook]

I was thinking about my round and saying I think I figured something out about my driver, but I only hit 2 of 6 fairways with my driver. I think I did figure something out, but it was with my irons (I was bailing myself out of a bad slice 4/6) and my putter. I did feel better about my driver for some reason, but the stats don't give a reason why I should.

[jfost]

I was thinking about my round and saying I think I figured something out about my driver, but I only hit 2 of 6 fairways with my driver. I think I did figure something out, but it was with my irons (I was bailing myself out of a bad slice 4/6) and my putter. I did feel better about my driver for some reason, but the stats don't give a reason why I should.

not sure if you need any tips from a bogey golfer, but one thing that helped me at least keep the driver in play was a tip by Jack in one of the golf mags a year or so back. He said to play for your normal ball movement that day (eg, if you're hitting a fade - set up/aim like you're going to hit that fade) BUT leave yourself an out if you DO happen to hit it straight. So go ahead and aim toward the left side of the fairway and hope for the fade but don't do it if there is trouble left, just in case you uncork a straight one. He suggested that if there was ANYTHING that would "hurt" you on that left side, take less club and get it in play. Basically a "managing your misses" lesson from the Golden Bear!

My issue with the driver is getting stuck ala el tigre, so I either blast it 1 fairway over to the right in a big high fade, or flip my hands and smother hook it about 150 yds on a hard right traj. So the best holes for me to use a driver would be when there's no trouble waaaay right and I can just rip away without much worry. It is when I really don't want to go right that the bad things happen.

[spook]

Well, we hit it long up here in Reno!

geez I guess. these are ballpark.

D - 250
3h - 210
4h - 200
5i - 180
6i - 160
7i - 150
8i - 140
9i - 130
PW - 120
56* - 100
60* - 85

[/QUOTE]

[jfost]

geez I guess. these are ballpark.

D - 250
3h - 210
4h - 200
5i - 180
6i - 160
7i - 150
8i - 140
9i - 130
PW - 120
56* - 100
60* - 85

[/QUOTE]

interesting that wedge distances are same... what's your altitude? We are at 4600' or so, that really makes a difference on the longer clubs, but not much on the short irons.

[spook]

not sure if you need any tips from a bogey golfer, but one thing that helped me at least keep the driver in play was a tip by Jack in one of the golf mags a year or so back. He said to play for your normal ball movement that day (eg, if you're hitting a fade - set up/aim like you're going to hit that fade) BUT leave yourself an out if you DO happen to hit it straight. So go ahead and aim toward the left side of the fairway and hope for the fade but don't do it if there is trouble left, just in case you uncork a straight one. He suggested that if there was ANYTHING that would "hurt" you on that left side, take less club and get it in play. Basically a "managing your misses" lesson from the Golden Bear!

My issue with the driver is getting stuck ala el tigre, so I either blast it 1 fairway over to the right in a big high fade, or flip my hands and smother hook it about 150 yds on a hard right traj. So the best holes for me to use a driver would be when there's no trouble waaaay right and I can just rip away without much worry. It is when I really don't want to go right that the bad things happen.

yeah, thanks. I mentioned a couple of months ago that I wasn't compensating for that particular days mishit because I wanted to develop the expectation of hitting it straight and I wasn't concerned about score. but then I decided that course management (and I assume that includes self management) was just as important to learn as a repeatable swing so I've been doing as you suggested and finding good spots for typical misses. I used to get super frustrated by my poor tee shots, but now my tee shots are improving and so is my short game so I'm more confident in my ability to get on the green regardless. during my round the other day I started feeling like I should expect to make bogey rather than be slightly surprised and grateful.

[spook]

interesting that wedge distances are same... what's your altitude? We are at 4600' or so, that really makes a difference on the longer clubs, but not much on the short irons.[/QUOTE]

a couple hundred feet above sea level.

[jfost]

... I used to get super frustrated by my poor tee shots, but now my tee shots are improving and so is my short game so I'm more confident in my ability to get on the green regardless. during my round the other day I started feeling like I should expect to make bogey rather than be slightly surprised and grateful.

to be fair, it was Jack that suggested it - and if it has to do with golf, I'll listen to him!

I know EXACTLY what you mean, and it for sure hurts scoring... I've got a bad habit of saying "well, I can still make bogey" or "I can still salvage par from that bunker" - which seems ok, but I think puts too many thoughts in my head instead of just saying "here is the next shot, what I need to do here is X"... I think loss of focus really is the worst. Good example is Kevin Na recording a 16 at the Valero (IIRC). Or DJ tossing that final round early at Pebble. If it messes with the pros that bad, imagine the rest of us!

[spook]

to be fair, it was Jack that suggested it - and if it has to do with golf, I'll listen to him!

I know EXACTLY what you mean, and it for sure hurts scoring... I've got a bad habit of saying "well, I can still make bogey" or "I can still salvage par from that bunker" - which seems ok, but I think puts too many thoughts in my head instead of just saying "here is the next shot, what I need to do here is X"... I think loss of focus really is the worst. Good example is Kevin Na recording a 16 at the Valero (IIRC). Or DJ tossing that final round early at Pebble. If it messes with the pros that bad, imagine the rest of us!

yeah, I still tend to think too much about numbers instead of shots, but I'm also getting better at just focusing on the shot. it's easier to stay focused on shots when the blowup holes are 7 and 8 instead of 10. I'm finally getting a little confidence, which lets me stay relaxed and calm after good shots and bad. it also makes it less damaging when I have to take my medicine and punch out.

[tom111869]

A little foggy at BlackHorse in Monterey, CA.

[54-46]

I guess I was hoping for a club that would hit off the tee a little better, I only hit around 1/2 of fairways - but on a lot of holes at local courses, there's mostly par 4's in the mid to high 300yd range so a drive of 300 that off by a bit leaves a wedge in. I think getting to the next level means playing smarter, and leaving the driver in the bag more often. Again, I hit the 3i I think ONCE in my last 10 rounds, and that was to punch out from under some trees. So the idea is to hit this hybrid off of tees where the hole is only 350 yds or so, so I can stay in the fairway and hit some GIR's - but I could probably do that with a 3i or my 5wd too (19deg)?!?

Check your PMs. I have a 22* Mizuno hybrid that you'll probably hit about 5-10 yards farther than your 3i, and more consistently, off the tee. If you hit this hybrid mostly off the tee, and you want it to go farther, then you can bend the loft and make it a degree or two stronger.

One bonus with a hybrid is that it plays better/easier out of rough or divots than a long iron, and you can use it to chip from long grass around the green when you have room to run one up to the hole.

[Tye 1on]

Check your PMs. I have a 22* Mizuno hybrid that you'll probably hit about 5-10 yards farther than your 3i, and more consistently, off the tee. If you hit this hybrid mostly off the tee, and you want it to go farther, then you can bend the loft and make it a degree or two stronger.

One bonus with a hybrid is that it plays better/easier out of rough or divots than a long iron, and you can use it to chip from long grass around the green when you have room to run one up to the hole.

that would be the perfect first/all-around hybrid. They can be handy out of fairway bunkers too if you don't have much lip to get over...

[TahoeJ]

interesting that wedge distances are same... what's your altitude? We are at 4600' or so, that really makes a difference on the longer clubs, but not much on the short irons.

I disagree. I normally play a few hundred feet above sea level, but when I'm golfing in Tahoe or Colorado or anywhere else with higher altitude, it adds at least 10 - 15 yards to all of my wedges, and maybe more for my 8 and 9 iron.

[54-46]

I disagree. I normally play a few hundred feet above sea level, but when I'm golfing in Tahoe or Colorado or anywhere else with higher altitude, it adds at least 10 - 15 yards to all of my wedges, and maybe more for my 8 and 9 iron.

Playing at elevation messes with my head. I think the calculation can be as much as 10% per 3000' elevation. So, if you hit a club 150 yards at sea level, then you're probably looking at 170+ at 5000', or a 110 yard wedge goes 120+.

[jfost]

I disagree. I normally play a few hundred feet above sea level, but when I'm golfing in Tahoe or Colorado or anywhere else with higher altitude, it adds at least 10 - 15 yards to all of my wedges, and maybe more for my 8 and 9 iron.

well, Reno is only 4600' so that's a good 1500-2000 less than Tahoe/CO, maybe that's the diff?

I notice it more between here (Reno) and Bay Area or Seattle (the 2 other places I play) that everything is about 10% less at sea level, which means 30yds on a driver but "only" 10 on the sand wedge and even less on the LW. As a bogey golfer, I'm not ultra-consistent on distances - so +/- 10yds is certainly within my "error range"... anyway, that's where my point of "not much difference on wedges" was based FWIW.

as for Spook & I hitting 56&60deg wedges the same but my other clubs much farther I don't know? I do have a chopped 3/4 ish "wedge swing" that I use with pw on down, so maybe that could explain it?!?

I hit the tm11 hybrid at the range today - went about the same as my 3i, but a tiny bit higher and was for sure able to hit it more consistently... I'll have to game it a few rounds and see what happens.

[spook]

I think I was also a little conservative with my distances on my irons. what it looks like ballpark on the driving range and what I actually hit on the course aren't exactly the same. and since i'm not a consistent ball striker my distances are inconsistent. I have a tendency to hit longer on the course so I've been adjusting so I don't fly over so many greens.

[jfost]

I think I was also a little conservative with my distances on my irons. what it looks like ballpark on the driving range and what I actually hit on the course aren't exactly the same. and since i'm not a consistent ball striker my distances are inconsistent. I have a tendency to hit longer on the course so I've been adjusting so I don't fly over so many greens.

looks like if you add 10% or so to your distances you end up with mine... playing at altitude rules!

[soulturn]

The Reserve @ MLB
13th

18th

[jfost]

WOW!!!

nice looking course there...

[spook]

god that is gorgeous.

[DasBlunt]

interesting that wedge distances are same... what's your altitude? We are at 4600' or so, that really makes a difference on the longer clubs, but not much on the short irons.[/QUOTE]

I disagree. I normally play a few hundred feet above sea level, but when I'm golfing in Tahoe or Colorado or anywhere else with higher altitude, it adds at least 10 - 15 yards to all of my wedges, and maybe more for my 8 and 9 iron.

Amazing pics above. I have some TRs coming.

For shorter clubs, spin rate can effect distance depending on the shot. At higher elevations, we have spin decay, which can effect hang time of certain shorter shots because of this spin decay. A longer club with lower loft struck at higher altitude encounters less resistance, with more ball speed and a more penetrating azimuth. The spin decay can effect the longer clubs, but in a different way.

Temperature not being equal everywhere at any altitude, anything below 3,000feet does not really matter matched up with Temperature effects between a 1 or half club difference.

I get a about a club more between Denver and sea level. I switch balls for higher altitude.

[TahoeJ]

^^^ I really elevate my wedges and high irons, so it makes sense I would perhaps see more distance on them at higher altitudes than some people experience.