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My very first day on the golf course! (1 Viewer)

Dan Keefe

Second Unit
Joined
Jun 28, 2000
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408
I agree with bruce...go get the balls at Walmart. I play with Nikes, but I only use them when in league. I don't know if it is just in my head or not, but They seem to be better balls than what I picked up at Walmart. I just started last year and I am still very green, but my swing is getting better. Last year I couldn't tell the difference at all in the balls I was hitting. I also took lessons from a LPGA pro.
The lessons helped immensely, with my grip, stance and power. The thing that has stuck with me most is to NOT try and crush the ball. When she told me this I must have given her a funny look, because she took my driver and got on her knees and whacked it 300 yards...
Anyway, this game is very difficult to get good at, but it is fun...welcome to what I am sure is going to turn into an obsession for you...


dan
 

Tony-B

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I didn't do very good, overall though. I shot a 60. The course was a Par 30.
That is quite good for a first timer. Heck, I have been at it for around 4 to 5 years, and I am still not that great! It is an easy game to learn, but extremely hard to master. You will get much better as time goes on.

Go to the driving range often, and practice. It is the best way to get better.
 

Julian Reville

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Ressurecting old thread, as I had a really bad day at he golf course yesterday. Anyone else still playing this time of year?

The weather here in Georgia was in the 50Fs, with a pretty steady breeze and lots of sun. I went to a local course with the intent of hitting a few at the range and practicing my short game, but as there was no line at the tee box, I found myself plunking out the coin for a round, walking.

Only trouble was, I had forgotten to put my regular set of clubs in the bag: instead of my graphite shafted Edge CFTs, I had left the 1979 steel shafted Apex IIs in the bag from last weeks range session. I hit them OK at the range, but yesterday I was awful. Quit keeping score after the first 4 holes.

Still, anyday golfing is better than yardwork.
 

Scott Merryfield

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Anyone else still playing this time of year?
I wish. There is 6 inches of snow on the ground here. I'm stuck going to the golf dome (an indoor range) until a long weekend trip to Myrtle Beach in February.

The worst part is, my game was really coming around at the end of this season. A couple of minor changes improved both my driving accuracy and distance, and I broke 80 a couple of times (which I hadn't done for a few years).

Anyway, hit 'em straight. A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at work!
 

Julian Reville

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There is 6 inches of snow on the ground here.
Yuck. Back when I skiied, I used to look forward to winter. Now I just look at it as a waste of good golf courses. Still, you northerners grew up playing hockey, so it may be a fair trade for you.

If it doesn't rain, I'm planning on playing again this Sunday.
 

Brook K

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I "retired" 5-6 years ago. I just couldn't improve. I took lessons, played as regularly as I could, hit the range, etc and could never get better than the low 100's. It stopped being fun and became a huge frustration. I got tired of paying $50 for the privilege of being pissed off.

Combine that with having kids and no longer having much free time during daylight hours, I stuck the clubs in the basement and haven't touched them in years.
 

Julian Reville

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It can be frustrating, especially as I'm getting older, and now I know I'll never be good at it. :) Still, every now and then, I have a day where I have balance and rhythym, and most of my shots are good ones.

If I could just get it into my head that I don't need to crush the ball, I'd play a lot better.
 

Brook K

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I could never get that in my head either and I could never replicate on the course what I did on the range.

I had one day where I started playing with a guy on the back 9 who gave me a tip that worked and I shot a 42 on the back. Of course I had shot around a 59-60 on the front so I still didn't break 100! Man, I wanted to keep playing that day but couldn't. The next time I played I could never get in that same groove and it was like the guy never existed because his advice never worked for me again.
 

Evan M.

Supporting Actor
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Feb 26, 2002
Messages
910
Boy I whish I was still playing. We just got 10" of snow here.....so now I am cross country skiing on the course!! I am excited for next year though. My wife got me a nice Taylor Made R570 for me for Christmas so I am pretty psyched! Only problem is that the courses don't really thaw out until April :frowning:.......

Brook.....Don't give it up!! Pick up those clubs aagian and get back out there. Maybe the time off will help change your outlook. I think a lot of people get on the course and they think things to death. I went against the grain and NEVER took lesons. I am a 14 self taught handicapper. I used to be a 10-12 back in the day. The thing about golf is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. When you start filling your head with things like "keep my head down, shift my hip, feet shoulder width apart, transfer my weight, rotate hips, clubhead should follow hands etc etc" it can absolutely drive you nuts!! I find that if I keep it simple I swing more naturaly. Also check out Golf Digest. They have a lot of great articles in there. And if you go to the driving range.....keep you driver at home!! Bring a 5 iron, 8 iron and pitching wedge. I find I use my driver 10 times maximum for 18. I use my wedge almost every hole and my 5 and 8 almost as much. If you can hit a 5 well then a 6 and 4 is a piece of cake....if you hit an 8 well a 9 and 7 are a piece of cake....the wedge is nice to take dead aim with. So dust off those clubs and PLAY LOL!!
 

ShelbyB

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Feb 17, 2003
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Here is the one piece of advice I always give myself. Literally always. Everytime I pick up the club.

Swing easy.

Provided you are not a total wimp, and have a decent swing, this should be sound advice. The club head has more than enough speed with a nice, smooth, relaxed, easy swing to hit the ball plenty far.

Think I listen to my own advice? Not as much as I would like.

Congrats on picking up the game. Its a great one.
 

John Alvarez

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Of couse we're still playing this time of year. Isn't that why we're in the South.....:D I'll be at our house in Miami for Christmas and playing in even warmer weather there.
 

Julian Reville

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I got started about 6 months ago when a friend begged me, as he wanted a playing partner. I had played back in the 1970s but sucked, so I gave it up.

After a couple of trips to the range I was hooked: bought a whole new set of Hogans, Ogio bag, Etonic shoes, knit shirts, plaid trousers. :) Quit working out with weights so I could go to the range every evening.

My first 18 hole round I shot a 120. Week before last weeks' meltdown I shot a 93 at the same course.

Finally started back with the weights and core exercises last night. I've lost 50% of my strength, and I hope to regain it over the winter, now that I can only play on the weekends.
 

Patrick Sun

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After a 4-5 year layoff, I decided to hit the driving range today, and I'm happy to say I hit the ball just as well (or poorly) as I did when I "retired" from the game. Hit some solidly straight shots, and sprayed the rest with fades and hooks.

I did swing by a local Golfsmith store to pick up a golf glove, and did smack the ball around with their demo clubs and indoor range, worked up a good sweat. Since I'm left-handed, I only had a small selection of demo irons and drivers to choose from at the store. I was hitting with some ridiculously large-headed drivers, just for laughs and it was just a weird sensation. My putting is still pretty good on the indoor putting surface.
 

Julian Reville

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I played Saturday and Sunday, walking 18 holes each day. It's kind of warm here in central GA this time of year. :)

Most golf courses really don't seem to like people to walk; guess they want that cart rental money. Since I play such crapy golf, I can justify playing for the exercise if I walk.

The course I played yesterday, The River Golf Club, in North Augusta, SC, is a really, really nice layout, and in excellent shape, BUT: while they allow walkers, the price is the same for walkers and riders, and they don't allow trolleys. WTF? I won't be going back there.

If Forest Hills would just get its' greens decent, I'd play there every weekend.
 

Bruce Hedtke

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Jul 11, 1999
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Most golf courses really don't seem to like people to walk; guess they want that cart rental money.
That and they want to speed up the pace of play. Being able to schedule extra tee times, especially on busy golf weekends like Memorial Day, is a big boost in revenue.

Bruce
 

Julian Reville

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Pace of play is important, but I can keep up, walking. On an empty course, walking, I can play 18 in 3 hours. Yesterday, on a full course where I had to wait on greens to clear (why I don't know, because I almost never hit them) it took 4 hours.
 

Scott Merryfield

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Walking vs. cart riding rarely has much to do with pace of play, provided the course is layed out to be friendly to walkers (meaning no long trips from the green to the next tee). I've actually walked 18 holes in 2 hours before, and can keep up with cart riders while walking. It's all about playing "ready golf", a concept that, unfortunately, many golfers fail to understand. That is what causes slow play. It only takes one slow group to back up an entire course for the day.

Very few of the courses around here allow walkers anymore, either (especially on Saturday morning, when we usually play). As Julian said, it's all about getting their cart fee.
 

Julian Reville

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We have a couple of not-so-good courses nearby that DO allow walking, and they are about 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of the good, but ride only courses. From now on I'm only playing courses that allow walking.

So I'm voting with my feet. :)
 

Randy Tennison

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Jan 5, 1999
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I'm very much like the author of this thread. A work friend is trying to get me to start playing. We've gone to the range, and I've hit some decent shots. So, I'm buying a set of clubs from another co-worker, and we'll see what happens.

If anything, I should be able to sell the clubs on EBAY if I hate the game.
 

Julian Reville

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Aug 29, 1999
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Saturday I got nailed on the foot by someone's errant drive. Darn, that sucker hurt for a while! When they came looking for their balls, both of which were hit into the wrong fairway, I was standing there on one foot, saying bad words.

At least they said they were sorry, even if they didn't yell FORE. Lot of good that does anyway, because you never know where the ball is coming from. I wonder how many people are seriously injured each year by golf balls?
 

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