Fore! Who's playing golf, yo-

[PassTheDutchie]

Finally got out to Harborside International yesterday afternoon. It's a links course--actually two different tracks--built on an old industrial site/land fill about 20 minutes south (traffic permitting) from Chicago's loop.

THICK rough made missing the short grass really punitive. Finding your ball was next to impossible. Little bits of industry were visible from all over the course.



Skyline views also to be had...





I managed to avoid the copious bunkering for much of the day...



But needed another yard of carry playing up 18 (a longish par 5)...



(Tee box on 18)




Great track. I played the Starboard side--Port is the other 18 (keeping with the Nautical theme). About $100/round, but a bargain if you're stuck playing a course close to the city.

Edit to add: I screwed up somewhere along the line--That is the tee box from 18, but the previous shot is a different hole (the layout of the two is very similar).

[Tye 1on]

Love those old superfund/industrial courses, Chambers Bay and Old Works in Montana come to mind. Nice links layout!

[spook]

anybody have any recommendations for a stat book for keeping stats during rounds? i keep trying to write it on my scorecard, i use one line for fir, gir, putts, u&d, pen/lb. but i find myself always fidgeting with things and so i'm going to try my handheld digital voice recorder. make my notes and then go through the round afterward and flesh out my stats.

i need to not be fiddling as much as possible so i can just relax and play.

[DasBlunt]

anybody have any recommendations for a stat book for keeping stats during rounds? i keep trying to write it on my scorecard, i use one line for fir, gir, putts, u&d, pen/lb. but i find myself always fidgeting with things and so i'm going to try my handheld digital voice recorder. make my notes and then go through the round afterward and flesh out my stats.

i need to not be fiddling as much as possible so i can just relax and play.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=golf+stat+book

the second one looks good.

wait, "spank it" golf has this one. i would much rather support the name of that company.

http://www.spankit-golf.com/golf-rea...n&currency=USD

[spook]

well thank you but i did google prior to asking. i was looking for the personal touch google does not provide.

seems like audio might be good way to do it for me. i can listen to it on the way home and recap.

[spook]

heron lakes, great blue yesterday

front nine:

5 7 4 5 6 x 5 x 5

back nine:

6 5 x 7 6 5 6 x 7

i got in a groove early, keeping balls in play and sinking some long putts. two rounds in a row that i've been having the round of my life and didn't really know what to do with it. it used to be the "good" scores were all 6s and 7s and i had 3 blowup holes per 9 holes.

now i'm getting my "good scores" down having 2 blowup holes per 9. some of the blowups started or continued with bad decisionmaking that i didn't necessarily realize until after i hit the shot (like getting flustered and forgetting to think about where to miss).



the 4 bad holes -- the x's -- 3 12s and a 9.

i'm getting closer.

[k2skier112]

heron lakes, great blue yesterday

front nine:

5 7 4 5 6 x 5 x 5

back nine:

6 5 x 7 6 5 6 x 7

i got in a groove early, keeping balls in play and sinking some long putts. two rounds in a row that i've been having the round of my life and didn't really know what to do with it. it used to be the "good" scores were all 6s and 7s and i had 3 blowup holes per 9 holes.

now i'm getting my "good scores" down having 2 blowup holes per 9. some of the blowups started or continued with bad decisionmaking that i didn't necessarily realize until after i hit the shot (like getting flustered and forgetting to think about where to miss).



the 4 bad holes -- the x's -- 3 12s and a 9.

i'm getting closer.

Until you're hitting the ball straighter, why wouldn't you play an easier course?

[spook]

Until you're hitting the ball straighter, why wouldn't you play an easier course?

because i can and it's a beautiful course? i played mckay creek when i started, moved to glendoveer for a summer where i was scoring 43-45 for 9 consistently. then decided to pay a little more and play redtail, because it's a much more interesting and challenging course and a lot closer to home. then realized that eastmoreland and heron lakes and redtail are all within a mile of each other from my house, and since we'd been playing eastmoreland and redtail a lot last year we decided to make a concerted effort to play at heron lakes this season.

i'm definitely not the worst player on the course and we keep pace.

i hit the ball fairly straight. it's getting careless and topping or skulling that kills me. among other things.

[Rossymcg]

because i can and it's a beautiful course? i played mckay creek when i started, moved to glendoveer for a summer where i was scoring 43-45 for 9 consistently. then decided to pay a little more and play redtail, because it's a much more interesting and challenging course and a lot closer to home. then realized that eastmoreland and heron lakes and redtail are all within a mile of each other from my house, and since we'd been playing eastmoreland and redtail a lot last year we decided to make a concerted effort to play at heron lakes this season.

i'm definitely not the worst player on the course and we keep pace.

i hit the ball fairly straight. it's getting careless and topping or skulling that kills me. among other things.

Spook don't take this the wrong way and I'm not just trying to cunt you off here, you've clearly got some drive and motivation to improve. But reading books about the mental side of the game is a complete waste of your effort, no matter how well you switch off mechanically and think of the target only visualising the ball through the air, shooting the scores that you do it will never work, because you don't have a sound solid repeatable swing,
Someone shooting 43-45 over par for 9 holes consistently, as you put it, needs to look to other areas of their game

[k2skier112]

because i can and it's a beautiful course? i played mckay creek when i started, moved to glendoveer for a summer where i was scoring 43-45 for 9 consistently. then decided to pay a little more and play redtail, because it's a much more interesting and challenging course and a lot closer to home. then realized that eastmoreland and heron lakes and redtail are all within a mile of each other from my house, and since we'd been playing eastmoreland and redtail a lot last year we decided to make a concerted effort to play at heron lakes this season.

i'm definitely not the worst player on the course and we keep pace.

i hit the ball fairly straight. it's getting careless and topping or skulling that kills me. among other things.

I should have said striking the ball better. As long as you're having fun, just drink (or smoke) more and enjoy! Our gang plays Mckay Creek on a regular basis. Last time I played RT it was called Progress Downs...

.

[spook]

Spook don't take this the wrong way and I'm not just trying to cunt you off here, you've clearly got some drive and motivation to improve. But reading books about the mental side of the game is a complete waste of your effort, no matter how well you switch off mechanically and think of the target only visualising the ball through the air, shooting the scores that you do it will never work, because you don't have a sound solid repeatable swing,
Someone shooting 43-45 over par for 9 holes consistently, as you put it, needs to look to other areas of their game

i didn't think 86-90 was too bad for my second season of playing even on an easy course i'm not just reading books about the mental game. some of them are also technical. i've a short game practice area set up in my yard and i've also got a net and i hit full swings daily. i can putt on the short carpet in my office. i've had some lessons that were very informative that i'm still processing.

my swing is getting better. i understand the object is to get a reliable repeatable swing.

i also know that the mental aspect is something that often hurts me as much as it helps me, so reading about the mental aspect of the game is not a waste of time. things as simple as decisionmaking. i know that if i just played smarter, as opposed to technically better, i'd still drop several strokes. plus, i just like to read about things i find interesting. for once, this is something not full of death and destruction.

in the absence of a mentor, this is how i do it. i inundate myself with as much as i can of the material and try to start processing it all as i practice. i was feeling overwhelmed a year ago. now i feel like i understand myself and the game better and as a result have improved myself and my game. i'm not in such a hurry for something that cannot be hurried. i enjoy practicing. i'm to the point where even with the net i can feel my mishits and understand what i did wrong and fix it unless i'm just having a bad day, in which case i work on something else. all the short game work is making me more sensitive, making me slow down and that's spreading to the rest of my game. i also watch it on tv as often as possible, because the commentators are giving little lessons all the time -- course management, super slowmo shot analysis, etc.

i don't have boatloads of money for lessons, so this is how i'm going to do it. i still feel like i can be in the 90s this summer if i can get healthy.

edit: i'm sure it will piss somebody off, but we played from the blue tees at great blue. we were waiting on the group in front of us the entire round.

[spook]

I should have said striking the ball better. As long as you're having fun, just drink (or smoke) more and enjoy! Our gang plays Mckay Creek on a regular basis. Last time I played RT it was called Progress Downs...

.

i'm striking the ball better and more consistently than i was a year ago. i've shot 3 of my best front 9 scores in each of my first three 18 hole outings this season, i just fade on the back 9 and i'm sure some of that is being in terrible shape. or i make a bad shot, don't shake it off, and make three more on one hole.

i feel progress. i think i just have to get over the breaking 100 thing in my head and it will happen and with that out of the way i can get a little boost and better things can happen. i'm also starting to get more dialed in on my club distances playing on the course. since i'm trying to score bogeys, i'm starting to lay up and avoid trouble because i've been practicing so much with my 60 degree wedge. the blowup holes are bad decisionmaking and poor execution.

[philth]

Who the fuck would steal a headcover? I left my R1 cover on the box three holes back. I knew all of the forsomes behind us and after 9 I swung back to six to get it. Gone. So I rip back to the deck overlooking the 9th green and my buds and I hit up every guy finishing. Nope. The place is a nice cheap little 9 hole track that takes pride in its regulars. I pretty much know which guy grabbed it. Fucking jerkoff. Keep it bro..The 20 bucks you get for it on ebay should be spent on your wifes filterless Camel habit. Nice black teeth.

[spook]

Who the fuck would steal a headcover? I left my R1 cover on the box three holes back. I knew all of the forsomes behind us and after 9 I swung back to six to get it. Gone. So I rip back to the deck overlooking the 9th green and my buds and I hit up every guy finishing. Nope. The place is a nice cheap little 9 hole track that takes pride in its regulars. I pretty much know which guy grabbed it. Fucking jerkoff. Keep it bro..The 20 bucks you get for it on ebay should be spent on your wifes filterless Camel habit. Nice black teeth.

offer him a carton for your headcover

[philth]

^^^^People were talking openly about about it in the bar after. He knows people suspect him. I get great satisfaction in him knowing that about 20 guys think he is a thief/tool. He's the same guy who tosses beer cans in the woods. Pathetic.

[skiballs]

I dropped a hundred dollar bill at a tournament a couple weeks ago. It was the second day of a three day event. The next day I'm talking to a buddy and tell him how is dropped a hundy the day before. The head pro is standing next to us. He says "hey skiballs I found that hundred yesterday" and gave it back to me. Needless to say, his beers will be on my tab for a while.

@philth, I here tigers x can fuck someone up with a 9 iron. Give her a call.

[4matic]

I tuned in an 8 iron found in the rough today. Shot 84 at Oakland Metro. Tough go recovering from vertigo but making progress. Hitting some good putts with Inside Down the Line.

[cranked]

Played Torrey Pines South on Friday...it did not suck. I put a 5w to about 5 feet on the 6th and converted the putt for eagle...doubled 9 for a front side 39. Finished 3 putt, 3 putt, 3 putt, quad-bogey for a crowd pleasing 39-46. I was sitting dead-center of the fairway on 18 120 out, and phatted a GW into the ONLY FUCKING WATER IN PLAY...which led to a tin cup moment as I played the same shot, and then 2 putted for the 9...

Gorgeous course...so fun...can't imagine playing it in open conditions...it must be impossible.

[guroo270]

Played Torrey Pines South on Friday...it did not suck. I put a 5w to about 5 feet on the 6th and converted the putt for eagle...doubled 9 for a front side 39. Finished 3 putt, 3 putt, 3 putt, quad-bogey for a crowd pleasing 39-46. I was sitting dead-center of the fairway on 18 120 out, and phatted a GW into the ONLY FUCKING WATER IN PLAY...which led to a tin cup moment as I played the same shot, and then 2 putted for the 9...

Gorgeous course...so fun...can't imagine playing it in open conditions...it must be impossible.

Great post. I played Torrey two years back and thought to myself, I could play this course every day the rest of my life. I've said that maybe three times. Bandon Dunes and Poppy Hills are the other 2. Of course, Bandon and Poppy have shittier weather %95 of the time, but that's part of what intrigued me to those other two - different courses on different days - but Torrey was just fantastic. You really can wail on it, and sometimes you need to, but once you get around the greens you need to be refocused and honed in.

[DasBlunt]

Expected Anchored putter ban in effect 2016, announced today. I like it.

[4matic]

Lack of equipment foresight has led to 8000 yard course monstrosities and obsolescence of half the existing courses so let's ban the anchored putter. Brilliant!

[Steven S. Dallas]

77 at Presidio last week. I think I said, earlier in this thread, how my best rounds are totally unmemorable- drive goes in the fairway, second shot goes on the green, two putts, repeat. This round featured two made 30+' putts, both to make par, one birdie out of the sand and another from a buried greenside lie while basically standing on one leg (which was in a bunker), an eagle, a 100-yard tee shot on a 170-yard par 3 followed by a 69.99 yard second shot, several lucky cart path bounces, two double bogies, and one triple.

Should have been a 90 but some days you get the bar'.

[dvs8448]

Lack of equipment foresight has led to 8000 yard course monstrosities and obsolescence of half the existing courses so let's ban the anchored putter. Brilliant!

The modern ball and the distance it travels is definitely a bigger problem, at least at the elite amateur and professional level, but anchoring should be be banned.

[cranked]

Lack of equipment foresight has led to 8000 yard course monstrosities and obsolescence of half the existing courses so let's ban the anchored putter. Brilliant!

I think this statement is crap. PGA West and Torrey are two of the "monstrosities" you mention, but they don't even have the tourney tees out. The average player, and even really fucking good players, can't handle 6800 yards consistently, even with technology. What courses are "obsolete" due to technology for non-pros?

I don't really care about the ruling either way, because I can 3-jack on the tamest of greens at will...this is the USGA making a statement that a golf stroke should be independent and free...I can live with that.

[4matic]

I think this statement is crap. PGA West and Torrey are two of the "monstrosities" you mention, but they don't even have the tourney tees out. The average player, and even really fucking good players, can't handle 6800 yards consistently, even with technology. What courses are "obsolete" due to technology for non-pros?

I don't really care about the ruling either way, because I can 3-jack on the tamest of greens at will...this is the USGA making a statement that a golf stroke should be independent and free...I can live with that.

PGA West and Torrey Pines are typical Munis? Well, excuse me.. PGA West built in 1986 btw.

The longest course in my area when I grew up playing golf was 6800 yds from the tips. http://brookwoodgc.com/about-us-2/scorecard/ And that was a beast.

The muni I played every day was a fine course and home to the local championships plays 6400 yds from the tips and it's already been lengthened.

http://www.fostergolfcourse.com/scorecard

Sure, the length of those courses are still ok but they weren't built assuming some fat ass puffing a cigar could drive the ball 280 yds. Back in the 60's and 70's anything over 200 yds was a big drive. Nicklaus used to hit the ball "250" and par fives were rarely hit in two on the PGA tour. You could make those courses a lot tougher by adding traps and hazards everywhere but that costs a lot money. It used to be distance was the equalizer for golf courses. What happens when drivers are hitting the ball 40 yards farther in 20 more years? Why did the R&A regulate square grooves? It would have been easier to regulate golf ball spin rates. Remember Sam Snead with his between the leg putter? At least they banned that for whatever reason right away and didn't wait 40 years to make a move.