Golf?

40 degrees, windy, with misty rain? Sounds like a perfect day for golfing! Played 9 with my father in law - literally only 2 cars in the whole parking lot - ours and the clubhouse worker. Wasn't bad once we started walking, and I will never complain about a 1.5 hr walking 9 holes!
 
BattleFlag said:
I’m a weird example because I write with my right hand but golf left handed.
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I write and throw left handed but golf righty. I also have a righty batting stance, and while I don't play ice hockey, any pick-up games I shoot righty. And drumming I'm even more unorthodox. I play lefty on a righty kit, open handed and right-footed. So, I'm pretty weird too.
 
I got out to the driving range on Saturday. Was awesome to get out there, as I'm probably at least a couple weeks away from courses opening around here.

And then last night hit, and we got snow and it's currently -8 degrees Celsius. Welp.
 
So they had free beer at the tournament. I got drunk and forgot to take pics lol BUT it was a blast! First time playing in over 6 months! Our team ended up at -3 with about 3 missed birdie putts but oh well! We had a good time and now I got the itch to play again this weekend!
 
I’m trying to pick the game back up; I played a bit when I was a teenager but have only done the odd driving range session over the last couple of decades.

Okay, “pick the game back up” is a bit misleading...really I’m trying to learn for the first time. Nobody taught me how to play when I was a kid, so my swing was (is) typical of the “reasonably athletic person who can figure out how to hit a ball with a stick” set. I took an hour with the pro at the local range a couple of weekends ago; I was sort of hoping that he’d be able to fix a few issues (you’re doing this wrong with your grip, address the ball this way) that would allow me to hit the ball straighter and with more consistency, and I could just head right out to the course. Instead he showed me what was fundamentally wrong with my swing (“an athletic swing, built on a misconception” is what he called it) and we‘re basically rebuilding it from the ground up. I’m currently further away from getting on a course than I was last fall, but I want to get it right so I can play decently in a sustainable way.
 
Space Wanderer said:
I’m currently further away from getting on a course than I was last fall, but I want to get it right so I can play decently in a sustainable way.
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I totally get this, and that's why I decided to stay a hack. I don't want to have to be disciplined, and practice. Someone once told me that if you take lessons but don't hit the range regularly you're wasting your time and money, which makes sense.

I realize I'll be stuck around a 20 cap for my golfing days. Hopefully with very little regression. I still love the game, and I'll get my 9 holes per week and about a monthly 18 in.
 
ranbalam said:
I totally get this, and that's why I decided to stay a hack. I don't want to have to be disciplined, and practice. Someone once told me that if you take lessons but don't hit the range regularly you're wasting your time and money, which makes sense.

I realize I'll be stuck around a 20 cap for my golfing days. Hopefully with very little regression. I still love the game, and I'll get my 9 holes per week and about a monthly 18 in.
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I kind of see it the opposite way - if I were to try to play using my old, busted, self-taught mechanics, I figure I’d need to play all the time in order to even semi-reliably translate those mechanics into non-humiliating results. I believe that if I can build a proper swing on a solid mechanical foundation (which, yes, does require a lot of range reps right now because I’m trying to unlearn old muscle memories and learn new ones) I’ll be more able to get out once in a while without completely eating shit. This probably comes down to personal differences in learning styles and preferences.

I’m not trying to become a scratch golfer (at this point anyway), I just want to be able to say yes when people invite me to play and not feel terrified about it.
 
Space Wanderer said:
I’m not trying to become a scratch golfer (at this point anyway), I just want to be able to say yes when people invite me to play and not feel terrified about it.
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That makes sense. I've been playing since my late 20s, so 25 years or so. I have leveled off enough to where I'd say yes to an invite with almost anyone. (A bunch of gambling scratch guys, probably not.) But even now, those first tee-shot jitters at a crowded morning teebox still creep up on me.

The reasons I took up golf...
I played rec-league softball and got run at the plate by a large over-competitive ass. I weigh a buck-fifty, same as back then, he was two of me. He broke my scapula as I reached across the third base line to catch the incoming throw from the outfield. Hey, I held the ball and he was out but my shoulder bone really took some damage. The doctor asked if it was a car accident. Anyway, I quit softball after that, I mean, this was just D-league ball but some guys had stuff to prove I guess. I saw fights a lot at games too.

Then I got promoted to purchaser at my company and I knew the guy pretty well that had the job before me, and he was invited to a LOT of golf outings. I figured I better learn quick so I formed a golf league so I could get some holes in once a week. (That league still exists!)

I miss those outings, that kind of thing went away in the mid-aughts when companies understandably tightened their belts. Customer appreciation stuff like outings were a casualty. I'd have like 4 or 5 a year in those days, all approved by my boss and were paid days out of the office for me. What a couple years that was!
 
I shot 101 on Sunday, 51/50. About what I expected. No huge blow ups, with the worst being one triple bogey on each nine. Most of the trouble was around the green; a bad chip and two to three putts really adds up. So many doubles.

We did have a 90 minute frost delay, so our 7:15 turned to 8:45. By that time there were six or seven groups waiting at the first tee. The fourth group decided they didn’t want to wait so they skipped one and started on two. There was no starter to tell them no, and of course we caught them halfway through the round. That’s kind of a shit move, and it’s not like they were going to be able to play #1 when they finished. Didn’t ruin our round by any means, but I can’t help but be a tad annoyed by people that can’t be bothered to wait their turn, like it’s the course’s fault there was a delay.
 
ranbalam said:
I shot 101 on Sunday, 51/50. About what I expected. No huge blow ups, with the worst being one triple bogey on each nine. Most of the trouble was around the green; a bad chip and two to three putts really adds up. So many doubles.

We did have a 90 minute frost delay, so our 7:15 turned to 8:45. By that time there were six or seven groups waiting at the first tee. The fourth group decided they didn’t want to wait so they skipped one and started on two. There was no starter to tell them no, and of course we caught them halfway through the round. That’s kind of a shit move, and it’s not like they were going to be able to play #1 when they finished. Didn’t ruin our round by any means, but I can’t help but be a tad annoyed by people that can’t be bothered to wait their turn, like it’s the course’s fault there was a delay.
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Super annoying.

I was in Hawaii with a buddy that's a really good player, he's a fast player and I'm probably faster. We talked with the Pro and he said we could go off first if we got out there. These clowns raced over to go in front of us. We just drove by and went to two tee. When we were heading to the 18th tee, they were going to 12. Played in about 2:25.
 
Matt M said:
Super annoying.

I was in Hawaii with a buddy that's a really good player, he's a fast player and I'm probably faster. We talked with the Pro and he said we could go off first if we got out there. These clowns raced over to go in front of us. We just drove by and went to two tee. When we were heading to the 18th tee, they were going to 12. Played in about 2:25.
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See there's the difference...if a group is going to do that, similar to playing through, that group should make sure not to hold anyone up.

Also, 2:25 is pretty damn fast for 18, even with just two of you!
 
ranbalam said:
See there's the difference...if a group is going to do that, similar to playing through, that group should make sure not to hold anyone up.

Also, 2:25 is pretty damn fast for 18, even with just two of you!
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Totally. You need to keep moving. It shouldn't take more than 4 hours per foursome for 18 holes. Just hit the stinking ball already!

I once played 18 walking in an hour and 25 minutes, and had to wait on 3 holes. I had quite the lather going in that early morning round!
 
Matt M said:
Totally. You need to keep moving. It shouldn't take more than 4 hours per foursome for 18 holes. Just hit the stinking ball already!

I once played 18 walking in an hour and 25 minutes, and had to wait on 3 holes. I had quite the lather going in that early morning round!
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I play pretty quickly, even when hacking. Plus I can follow simple etiquette and logic to help along a round; like splitting up with your cartmate and grabbing a couple clubs when shots aren't near each other...seems obvious but to some it clearly isn't.

And, ready-golf is always a thing. Unless someone birdied the previous hole or is on a total hot streak, first guy ready should just go tee off. There's a difference between playing quickly and being in a hurry.
 
Me and a friend kick off weekly golf bets from The Masters through the Fed Ex Cup. We each draft four golfers on Wednesday, taking turns going first each week. Five bucks for low aggregate score of your best three, another five if you have the actual winner. We pay out at 20 bucks and reset.
It keeps me paying attention to the PGA field, and I find it pretty fun for those tourneys just before or after a major, when you have to dig really deep to choose players because the high ranked guys are sitting out.

This week I picked second and have
Justin Thomas
Jordan Speith
John Rahm
Webb Simpson

Good squad I think!
 
ranbalam said:
Me and a friend kick off weekly golf bets from The Masters through the Fed Ex Cup. We each draft four golfers on Wednesday, taking turns going first each week. Five bucks for low aggregate score of your best three, another five if you have the actual winner. We pay out at 20 bucks and reset.
It keeps me paying attention to the PGA field, and I find it pretty fun for those tourneys just before or after a major, when you have to dig really deep to choose players because the high ranked guys are sitting out.

This week I picked second and have
Justin Thomas
Jordan Speith
John Rahm
Webb Simpson

Good squad I think!
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I have Webb and Spieth on my Fanduel team! I hope you are right!!

Also think that Ancer and Jason Day will be ones to watch
 
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