Golf!!!2!

[Enoch Root]

It depends. Some players are higher handicappers because they have a lousy short game. But for others, distance can make a huge difference. Moving from an 8 iron to a 6 iron, because you teed off from the back tees, can be the difference between targetting the right side of the green vs just hoping to hit the green for some - and significantly increase the chances of duffing it.

If you're hitting hybrids and 6 irons from the fairway all day, you are making the game WAY too difficult. Move up a box and put a wedge in your hands - it's more fun!

People should be taught to play the front tees until that have mastered the distance, THEN start moving back. But male egos won't allow that.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Slava

Does that work though? I think a lot of higher handicaps are guys who hit the ball well, but give up a lot from ~100 yards and in. Those strokes are still there playing from more forward tees. In my case the handicap target is probably 2-3 strokes difference between a more forward tee and the back.

As a double digit player my short game gives me consistant grief and is a major reason for my higher handicap. I drive the ball well and my fairway play is good also, but as for my chipping and wedge play...... I've always felt that chipping and wedge play can be the difference between a low and high handicap. A work in progress for me and my game.

[rain_e]

Originally Posted by spetch

Anybody ever played Wolf Creek down in Mesquite? Got any secret tips on the course? I've been wanting to play there for a while now and excited to finally be able to. Plus any little tricks I can withhold from my playing buddies might help in the pocket book

No tips but it's a fantastic course to play. Top 2 for me.

[Strange Brew]

Headed to Whistler in early July for 5 days. Haven’t been for 15+ years. Thinking we’ll play Chateau twice, Big Sky twice and Nicklaus once.

Love the scenery on the Chateau course, a true mountain course. Big Sky is a good course but not carved from the mountains. Same for Nicklaus.

My recollection is the Palmer course is nothing special. Played Furry Creek once and it had some dumb holes.

Would anyone do it differently?

[DoubleK]

Squamish is better than Furry Creek.

I haven't played Big Sky or Nicklaus. Chateau is great as is Whistler.

[Dion]

Back in 2019 I played in an interclub tournament at the Crowsnest Golf Club. The guys at Crowsnest gave me an incorrect tee box to play from. I protested by pointing out the error and used my handicap as an example, but was ignored in the end.

Playing from a tee back from where I would normaly play was definately an eye opener for me. It took a few extra strokes in some cases for me to reach the green and I found myself swinging harder to try and make up for the lost distance off the tee box. It took the fun out of the game and hurt my clubs chances to win.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

Just experienced this playing with my GF's brother and father for the first time. She told me they were pretty good, and then I quickly saw why.

They didn't hit from fairway bunkers, quick little foot wedge every time. And ANYTHING within about 5 feet was a gimmie and they did same thing where they missed a 20 footer, had 4 feet left, and kinda one hand tapped it, missed, and then picked it up.

It doesn't bother me, even when they shot lower than me, but I dont see how you stand to gain. Why not hit as many 4 or 5 foot putts as you can? You'll inevitably get better at it.

They are not beginner golfers by any means either. Just struck me as odd.

Oh yeah, I actually hit 4-7 footers almost exclusively on the practice green. I realized as a decent sports guy I had natural intuition and skill for getting super long putts to within 4-7 feet of the hole (even 30-50 footers).

With my approach shots not being good enough to stick it within 5-15 feet with regularity, statistically it made more sense to use natural skill to get long putts within 4-7 feet and be really good at 4-7 foot putts through practice, than to work on 8-12 foot putts when the undulation of most medium length putts changes each hole anyways.

[jayswin]

Maybe that's why it throws me off a little to see good golfers bring an 18 foot putt to 5 feet and then just walk up and drag the ball towards the hole with their club.

Like who are you doing that for? Your score is your score.

[jayswin]

I did sim golf with a guy that calls himself mid 70's, this winter. He duffed his first three drives off the first tee and said "****, I guess I'm using all three mulligans on the first hole".

I was baffled. I've played with many 70's golfers, and none of them have used any mulligans let alone three.

[spetch]

Originally Posted by rain_e

No tips but it's a fantastic course to play. Top 2 for me.

Man it is a pretty fun course. Got worried that it might be gimicky but it was not at all. Now the 35mph winds made it play pretty tough but we still had a blast. Definitely would recommend if somebody was down in vegas with a car.

[8sPOT]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Maybe that's why it throws me off a little to see good golfers bring an 18 foot putt to 5 feet and then just walk up and drag the ball towards the hole with their club.

Like who are you doing that for? Your score is your score.

I've had people tell me 'they can't take a double bogey' etc. as a reason to do this. Which is so misconstrued. They're confusing entering your scores for handicapping, with your actual score you shot. Plus nowadays, you can just enter your score and the computer knows which holes it needs to adjust.

So just keep you regular score, simple. I do realize golf is a game that can be played many different ways of course. And if you're legit a beginner by all means take mulligans, hit as many shots as you can. But its the guys talking about their scores or how low their handicap is and then essentially cheating. It just seems to tell me more about themselves than their golf game.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I did sim golf with a guy that calls himself mid 70's, this winter. He duffed his first three drives off the first tee and said "****, I guess I'm using all three mulligans on the first hole".

I was baffled. I've played with many 70's golfers, and none of them have used any mulligans let alone three.

Everyone deserves one breakfast ball.

[Mayo]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

I've had people tell me 'they can't take a double bogey' etc. as a reason to do this. Which is so misconstrued. They're confusing entering your scores for handicapping, with your actual score you shot. Plus nowadays, you can just enter your score and the computer knows which holes it needs to adjust.

So just keep you regular score, simple. I do realize golf is a game that can be played many different ways of course. And if you're legit a beginner by all means take mulligans, hit as many shots as you can. But its the guys talking about their scores or how low their handicap is and then essentially cheating. It just seems to tell me more about themselves than their golf game.

Always interesting to see the vanity handicaps get flushed out in club champs each year.

[Northendzone]

i am not sure why, but so far this year i can't find the time/energy to really want to go golfing or even go to the range.

I bought some new golf shirts this spring, regripped my clubs and took a few lessons and still.......

played one round the friday of the long weekend and it was cool out so that annoyed me. I keep telling myself when it warms up a bit.......

[Enoch Root]

Kananaskis yesterday... even though the greens are still slow, that place is magical - just a pleasure to play

[Northendzone]

^ i saw some pictures on facebook yesterday of Mt. Kidd (I think). I forgot how spectacular it is there.

[Weitz]

Playing bearspaw today for the first time in a long time. Curious to see how it’s held up.

[Scoopdogg]

I'm heading to Monterey California for a work event in early July. I'm looking to golf and as much as I'd like to do Pebble Beach, I don't think that's in the cards.

Any recommendations on courses in the area that people have played and enjoyed?

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Scoopdogg

I'm heading to Monterey California for a work event in early July. I'm looking to golf and as much as I'd like to do Pebble Beach, I don't think that's in the cards.

Any recommendations on courses in the area that people have played and enjoyed?

The back 9 at Pacific Grove Links is amazing. It's a $50 muni that looks and feels like Pebble Beach.

Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz is bucket list stuff. About an hour's drive.

Bayonet and Black horse in Seaside are nice too and a bit more affordable.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Scoopdogg

I'm heading to Monterey California for a work event in early July. I'm looking to golf and as much as I'd like to do Pebble Beach, I don't think that's in the cards.

Any recommendations on courses in the area that people have played and enjoyed?

Half Moon Bay is maybe 90 minutes from Monterey but convenient to SFO. Everything about that place is incredible, especially the golf.