The Golf Topic

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Amor Vincit Omnia
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I just had a pretty good afternoon. I’m on a bit of a mission at the moment to find a nice friendly club – I told you about the snooty one in a previous post.

Well, on Monday I played round a rather nice little course with my friends, and the set up seemed very friendly but it’s a bit further than I would really want to drive (in a car) on a regular basis. I found one today that’s quite a bit closer. They have what looks to be a decent nine hole course, a very well equipped pro shop and a 16 bay driving range with Toptracer technology. I used it this afternoon and it was interesting to start getting an idea of how far I hit my best shots with each club. There’s an app which I’m going to download to my phone for the next time I go.

I enquired how one goes about becoming a member and it’s very simple, you fill in a form and your membership is processed. I’m going to play the course and look at a couple of other places before making a final decision, but this one is a strong contender.
Steve
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by village »

That’s how it should be ^^^^^^^^

All that nonsense you described about the other club should’ve been stopped years ago. It was rules & behaviour like that which caused the huge decline in golf club membership.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

^^^ Quite agree, Andy and it’s a bit disheartening to see. But we do have a lot of organisations in the UK even today that seek to exclude people for whatever reason. Or rather to include only those whose faces fit. :cylinder:

I’m highly educated, I’m a recently retired professional, I speak da Queen’s English innit, I know all the etiquette and I can wear all the appropriate clothes. I won’t use my mobile phone on the course and I won’t stick cans of beer in my golf bag and leave the empty cans next to the tee. I replace divots and repair pitch marks.

If they don’t want me they can go and do one! :thumbdown:

Anyway, the place where I went on Wednesday appears very quiet this afternoon so I have booked nine holes just to walk around on my own and see if I like the course. I’ll report back.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Kip »

Played 18 yesterday and had quite the adventure. We started at 7:58 with a temperature about 70. It quickly rose to about 96 with high humidity as the day moved along. Not much shade on this course to hide from the direct sun. However, we persevered. Not much of a scoring day between the continuous addition of fluids and use of cooling towels etc, but we managed to maintain our sense of humor. The 19th hole was a pleasant finish to the round.

My round finished at 86. Driving was excellent as I hit 13 of 14 fairways. Could have been 14 but for an unlucky bounce. The problem was I only hit hit 3 greens in regulation and 2 of those were par 3's. That left everything to putting which was excellent and chipping, which was only fair. I have yet to figure out what is wrong with my iron swing. This little iron slump has been about 3 weeks now. Might need to seek out some assistance.
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Amor Vincit Omnia
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Re: The Golf Topic

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Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Fri Aug 27, 2021 8:41 am Anyway, the place where I went on Wednesday appears very quiet this afternoon so I have booked nine holes just to walk around on my own and see if I like the course. I’ll report back.
Interesting little course, relatively short but quite tricky. Looking at the aerial photos the fairways look wide and beautifully presented – they are! Unfortunately my direction is a bit all over the place at the moment and the rough is really quite vicious, despite looking fairly innocent. The greens are quick and often quite narrow front to back when you are pitching into them. Given that it’s in the Norfolk Broads you would imagine it was very flat, but there are some quite considerable side slopes on the fairways and you don’t often get a level stance.

I enjoyed it but I was completely useless; fortunately, just walking around on my own it wasn’t necessary to count shots. Bloody good job. It turns out that the MD is a former pupil of mine, and his dad having retired from making loads of money, works as a part-time greenkeeper.

I downloaded the Toptracer app last night and it does work, but I only took a small bucket of balls as a warmup.

It’s definitely a candidate for joining, as the membership package seems quite good. But I need to play the course again before making a decision. I have a lesson on Monday and I’m probably playing another nine hole course with a friend on Wednesday.
Steve
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by mrpatate212 »

Hi everybody, just joining this topic.

I've been playing golf a lot from 2012 to 2016, and then almost nothing until now. I'm a 18 hcp, playing between 15 and 25 at the moment: good strokes came back pretty quick, but regularity is another thing...

I'm a member of a small 9 holes (plus 6 holes pitch and putt) course with a very nice atmosphere. The course is pretty hard, it's a 30 minutes drive instead of 5 minutes for the nearest course, but I'd rather play there with friendly people that are also passionate about golf than go for a nearest and more "bling" course where people come to show off their latest car,... or just trying to be seen at the club house. This is a rather annoying side of some places, it's a shame because the course at those places is often beautiful and interesting, although not cheap.

My plan is to find some time this year to commit again and try to play 1 course per week, and add a driving range training session also every week. The goal is to try to get a 10-12 hcp in about 2 years, at least just enough to be starting at the white tee at my home course.

I also think I'll get an appointment with a Clubmaker at the French Basque Country, and do a fiting of the whole bag. I think I then will start to break the bank with the irons as I've always wanted a nice and beautiful muscleback set, and the latest Miura offering is just gorgeous (and maybe a 3 wedges set, and/or a nice putter...). Let's see what happens and if it will make the 10 hcp goal a bit more difficult...
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Mikkei4 »

^ Good to hear of you and others getting back onto golf.

Wow, looking to buy Miura irons which are quite specialised (and special) and hand-finished forged, I think, so expensive. Bit like a grail set of clubs.
Best of luck with your target to reduce your handicap.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by sproughton »

2nd shot on the 18th, 220 to the pin with 5-wood in hand. Absolutely nail it and the ball settles 4ft from the hole. I leave the putt almost 2ft short. Golf always manages to temper your excitement pretty quickly!

Still, shot an 88 today on a par 70 which I was very pleased with - just got to keep getting out there and playing to iron out my inconsistencies and learn how to play on a course rather than a driving range. Completely bamboozled by a couple of sloping lies today.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by village »

sproughton wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:45 pm ……inconsistencies and learn how to play on a course rather than a driving range. Completely bamboozled by a couple of sloping lies today.
If you know any low,single figure handicappers then make an effort to get out and play some rounds with them. If not then try and get a few rounds with some other members who are low single figure. You learn a lot about course management just by playing with people who are much better at it then yourself!
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by sproughton »

village wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 9:10 am If you know any low,single figure handicappers then make an effort to get out and play some rounds with them. If not then try and get a few rounds with some other members who are low single figure. You learn a lot about course management just by playing with people who are much better at it then yourself!
Sound advice. I'm not a member at a club and only get out when I can occasionally squeeze it in. Have a few friends who play at a half decent level but they're all scattered around the country so don't get the opportunity to play with them very often.

Now thinking about getting a lesson from a pro on the course to talk through that kind of thing.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Good lesson today. I was slicing like heck off the tee last week, so we worked on tweaking my swing by turning earlier. Took some work, but I smacked the last few straight down an imaginary fairway that was quite narrow. It’s coming on.
Steve
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Mikkei4 »

IMO Course Management isn’t really a difficult “skill” and while it might be used better by low or lower handicappers it doesn’t necessarily require playing alongside them to improve your own.

I think that when people begin playing golf they can be fixated upon hitting the ball a long way and automatically using the club that gets the ball as near to the green or flag as possible even if, with lower playing skill levels, that might bring hazards into play.

While we are on higher handicaps there is the opportunity to improve our scoring, course management skills and distance control throughout the bag by not playing the “smash it as far as I can” game.

For example,
Take a lesser club so that you won’t reach the bunker or water hazard that might or usually does capture your shot with the driver.
Lay up before that greenside hazard that always catches your hopeful 180yard shot and then you can safely pitch/chip over it onto the green.
In the rough or behind a few trees ? “Take your medicine” and pitch or chip out back onto the fairway instead of trying the glory shot out of thick rough, through or over the trees.
Are the hazards and flag at the front of the green? Take a club or 2 more to hit to the middle or back of the green and putt to the front rather than attempting the sucker shot straight at the flag.
Make full use of your handicap shots by playing the par4s as par5s, par5s as par6s.
Think “percentage” golf – play the easier shot rather than the glory shot.
What side of the fairway gives the better angle for the next shot into the green?

I would guess that on this Forum we're all fairly intelligent and when at work would probably consider the dangers of risky actions almost subconsciously. Just Do It (JDI) on the course.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by village »

Interesting round today. I’d been up since the wee hours and spent the morning running around like a blue arsed fly so I was a bit tired. I have a sore foot (plantar fasciitis) so probably should’ve given it a rest. I went to the driving range on Friday and couldn’t hit a thing properly. All in all the signs pointed to not playing.
So I went out anyway.
Wandered round with another two guys and all three of us scored 88 with 36 points…bang on handicap.
Funny old game.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Kip »

It does seem that when you don't expect much and are relaxed about it you seem to play better. Things just seem to flow right. :ka:
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by magicman »

village wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 6:32 pm Interesting round today. I’d been up since the wee hours and spent the morning running around like a blue arsed fly so I was a bit tired. I have a sore foot (plantar fasciitis) so probably should’ve given it a rest. I went to the driving range on Friday and couldn’t hit a thing properly. All in all the signs pointed to not playing.
So I went out anyway.
Wandered round with another two guys and all three of us scored 88 with 36 points…bang on handicap.
Funny old game.
It certainly is a funny one today, as I and my playing partner shot 88 and I got 36 points too !

Regards Steve
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