Golf!!!2!

[Instron4204]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Played Sirocco and Bearspaw this weekend. Sirocco was nice, though I wouldn't describe it as spectacular. Bearspaw has some beautiful spots but it was just too... weird. The elevation changes are in many cases just too drastic, the greens similar, like golf whiplash rather than designing things to just flow. The back 9 was better. I played 2 balls on 18 and one of them I went full "tin cup" trying to hit the green over the water from 220 which was fun. Because of the rain (which we waited out), a lot of people took off and the course was pretty empty.

You definitely need to bring your 'A' game to Bearspaw. Great course though.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

You can't walk the Desert, but Park Meadows is very walkable, I do it all the time.

Unless I've been playing a fair bit I try and avoid the desert course. Strangely though I used to score better on that one when I lived in Osoyoos because if you keep the ball in play, it's not very long. So if you can hit your mid irons consistently which I used to be able to...you still have a lot of 100 yard wedge approach shots.

But on a hot day finishing 15-16 up hill, than climbing to the 17th tee, than back up 18 would really wear me out...plus I'd walk back up hills to get to the inlaws and need to drink a couple gallons of water.

[DoubleK]

I love Osoyoos, we spend two weeks there every summer. Can be a touch hot at times. 35C is my limit for golf, did 40C a couple years back and wasn't feeling so good after.

It's really nice to have 4 solid courses within 30 minutes of each other.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Just finished our 3 day "Mountain Tour" in Victoria.
What an amazing weekend of golf. I love how golf brings people together; met so many great guys in this group and got the rookie of the year award.
We raised over 40k for Victoria Hospice in the process too!

[Slava]

I somehow had a four putt tonight! On the green in two, a fair way away, but I went right past the hole and three putts back. I can't remember ever needing four putts before!

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Slava

I somehow had a four putt tonight! On the green in two, a fair way away, but I went right past the hole and three putts back. I can't remember ever needing four putts before!

4 putts happen if you're putting everything out on fast greens, especially when a pin is on the top of mound or hill. I see it pretty regularly watching junior tournaments, even from some plus handicap players.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

I love Osoyoos, we spend two weeks there every summer. Can be a touch hot at times. 35C is my limit for golf, did 40C a couple years back and wasn't feeling so good after.

It's really nice to have 4 solid courses within 30 minutes of each other.

What courses do you recommend there?
Going mid August and might try to play depending on the temperature.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

What courses do you recommend there?
Going mid August and might try to play depending on the temperature.

The Osoyoos golf and country club has Two Championship courses. Park Meadows and Desert Gold. Most prefer the park as it's more open and you lose fewer balls. But both are pretty good. I'm going to play the Psrk on Thursday. Monday is ladies and Tuesday is men's night there, so Park can be shut down for public before 2 on those days.

There is s 9 hole course Sonora Dunes that's a short par 35...but it's pretty pricey at $45 for 9 holes.

Oliver has two good courses too. Fairview is the better and more prestigious one. But I liked Nk'Mip canyon one. For me it was a bit easier to play, and I used to be able to bargain with the guys there for twilight rates. It has some desert holes but is open enough that you don't have to be precise on every shot like a lot of other desert courses.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

What courses do you recommend there?

Going mid August and might try to play depending on the temperature.

Nothing to add beyond what @Sylvanfan has said, that's solid advice.

Nk'Mip and Park Meadows are walkable.

I've played with walkers at Fairview, but they won't let the public walk.

Desert Gold is not walkable.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Course handicaps confuse the hell out of me.

So, Muirfield Lakes is the course I've played the most this year because it's the cheapest one on VIP golf (18 holes with a cart for $37 on weekdays, $47 on weekends). It's a short course, so I play it from the back tees, which is still only about 6300 yards.

Even from the blacks, leaving aside a couple of holes, the course is still really easy. Wide fairways that are often bordered by hills that stop your ball from going too far astray, and very few blind spots so you pretty much always know where you're hitting to. Unless you really send one astray or hit a water hazard you're probably not losing your ball, so there's another reason it's cost-effective.

Yet for some reason, when you punch your score into Golf Canada, it acts like it's a normal difficulty course. I feel like I need to just tack a couple of extra strokes on just so it isn't artificially deflating my handicap. My 3 best scores of the year are all at Muirfield, and I don't even feel like I played that great... For anyone else who's played there, am I nuts? It actually is super easy, right? It's not just me?

[TSXCman]

Golf lessons recommendations? I'm home for 5 days and have a Scotland tournament that I would like to be able to just keep a ball in play.

Need work on backswing and swing path. No need to smash it, just looking for some repeatable systems for setup and contact

[Weitz]

Shot a tidy 82 at crows nest this morning. Just a beautiful morning for golf.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Shot a tidy 82 at crows nest this morning. Just a beautiful morning for golf.

How was it? I am heading there tomorrow.

[malcolmk14]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Course handicaps confuse the hell out of me.

So, Muirfield Lakes is the course I've played the most this year because it's the cheapest one on VIP golf (18 holes with a cart for $37 on weekdays, $47 on weekends). It's a short course, so I play it from the back tees, which is still only about 6300 yards.

Even from the blacks, leaving aside a couple of holes, the course is still really easy. Wide fairways that are often bordered by hills that stop your ball from going too far astray, and very few blind spots so you pretty much always know where you're hitting to. Unless you really send one astray or hit a water hazard you're probably not losing your ball, so there's another reason it's cost-effective.

Yet for some reason, when you punch your score into Golf Canada, it acts like it's a normal difficulty course. I feel like I need to just tack a couple of extra strokes on just so it isn't artificially deflating my handicap. My 3 best scores of the year are all at Muirfield, and I don't even feel like I played that great... For anyone else who's played there, am I nuts? It actually is super easy, right? It's not just me?

Yes, super easy. The course rating from the back is 69.8 so it's about 1-2 strokes easier for a scratch golfer than many of the other courses of similar length. Blue Devil from the silver tees for instance is 72.8 (3 whole strokes harder than Muirfield).

If you punch in an 85 at Muirfield (Black tees) you'll get a differential of 13.7 whereas if you punch in an 85 at Blue Devil (Silver) your differential is 10.3. Essentially, a 3.4 stroke difference in course difficulty for someone who shoots ~85. 3 stroke difference for a scratch.

[8sPOT]

Played 2 rounds at Crowsnest this week. What a great course that is.

Great shape, amazing views, and just a fun track.

It seemed really difficult but I ended up shooting my usual scores, 88 from the Blues day 1, and then 84 from the Blue/Gold combo.

Distance is not at all important there, so that was a neat change in how you play.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

How was it? I am heading there tomorrow.

Course in great shape. First time I played there. Lots of blind shots and a bunch of gimmicky holes on the back but was a great round all in all. Played golds but may have enjoyed it more from the tips.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Any methods or videos you guys recommend for putting?
I'm such a terrible putter and it's frustrating the heck out of me.

Most of my game feels like it's getting decent but I routinely 3 putt, turn bidie looks into bogies and throw away strokes.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Any methods or videos you guys recommend for putting?
I'm such a terrible putter and it's frustrating the heck out of me.

Most of my game feels like it's getting decent but I routinely 3 putt, turn bidie looks into bogies and throw away strokes.

I guarantee you are better than me.

I'd be a 5 if I could make a putt.

[malcolmk14]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Any methods or videos you guys recommend for putting?
I'm such a terrible putter and it's frustrating the heck out of me.

Most of my game feels like it's getting decent but I routinely 3 putt, turn bidie looks into bogies and throw away strokes.

For me, I try to putt pretty aggressively inside 20 feet, and from outside 20 feet I'm essentially trying to die the ball into a 3-foot radius around the hole. Putting is the first part of my game to go when I don't play consistently and the last part to come back once I start playing again, so consistency and frequency of practice is definitely key for me.

As for methods or videos, I changed to a back-handed grip a few years ago and it's really helped me manage my pace and touch. It was quite a drastic change but I never went back.

[jayswin]

Putting for me is way more about repetition than specific technique. It's relatively easy to putt from most reasonable distances, you just have to do it a million times.

I thought I couldn't drop a 5 foot putt to save my life. I didn't change or acquire a new technique, I just putted about 40 5-10 foot putts before a round one day and made practically everything from that range during the round and the next few rounds.