AW's golf scores

[Tank]

1. it's actually the R11 (from 2011) driver, not the R15. my mistake.

2. it was absolutely beautiful on the range. i haven't had much distance the last several years, but that wasn't an issue today. i was hitting up to 250 yards, low and boring, and straight as can be with an ever so slight fade at the end. man, it felt fantastic! felt like i could have easily played at brookside with you this morning, GB.

3. my wedges were pretty good off the mat, too, as long as i was hitting at least three-fourths speed. chipping is another story, however, and i didn't have much of a chance to work on that today. would prefer having a decent target to aim at but my driving range doesn't offer something like that. although i may do what a guy a few people away from me did - he tossed an empty two-liter bottle about twenty yards in front of his station and used it as a target. may have to try something like that next time.

4. i was pleased with how things went on the putting green. didn't spend a lot of time there, but it was productive time. i hadn't picked up my putter until two or three weeks ago and it definitely felt heavier which affected my speed on each putt. lines were pretty good but there's considerable rust on my speed and feel. that'll come with time, and as long as adam stays away from my garage (where i may or may not be keeping my clubs).

[gotbeer]

55 minutes ago, Tank said:

1. it's actually the R11 (from 2011) driver, not the R15. my mistake.

2. it was absolutely beautiful on the range. i haven't had much distance the last several years, but that wasn't an issue today. i was hitting up to 250 yards, low and boring, and straight as can be with an ever so slight fade at the end. man, it felt fantastic! felt like i could have easily played at brookside with you this morning, GB.

3. my wedges were pretty good off the mat, too, as long as i was hitting at least three-fourths speed. chipping is another story, however, and i didn't have much of a chance to work on that today. would prefer having a decent target to aim at but my driving range doesn't offer something like that. although i may do what a guy a few people away from me did - he tossed an empty two-liter bottle about twenty yards in front of his station and used it as a target. may have to try something like that next time.

4. i was pleased with how things went on the putting green. didn't spend a lot of time there, but it was productive time. i hadn't picked up my putter until two or three weeks ago and it definitely felt heavier which affected my speed on each putt. lines were pretty good but there's considerable rust on my speed and feel. that'll come with time, and as long as adam stays away from my garage (where i may or may not be keeping my clubs).

I tried my XR driver, but just couldn't hit it.  I think it's too light, so have to put some weight on it.  A guy that was in my group had a XR 12.5 degree with a different shaft.  It felt a lot more comfortable due to it's weight.  He let me hit it, and yeah, striped it deep and long down the fairway. 

You should have come out Tank.  It was a blast.  A bit cold.  And the ball didn't travel much.  But the guys we played with were such fun, we might play again in a few weeks. 

Oh, and as for your putter.  Choke up on it a bit.  It's like a baseball bat.  If you choke up, you lose distance, but gain control.  Hello.  It's a putter, you don't need distance.  But control is gold.

[Tank]

if you play again at brookside on a sunday, give me a holler. i'm going to try and hit the range again next weekend to keep working on my game so i hope to be ready sooner rather than later.

[Tank]

big thanks to GB for getting into his foursome yesterday at brookside. had a fun time and his friends were a lot of fun.

we played the Nay course, which is shorter and the easier of the two courses there. the men's club had a tournament yesterday, which caused a huge slowdown on tee times. we were the first group after the tournament guys played and we were delayed by an hour. the driving range was packed full so i couldn't get in any warm up.

that said, we got going and i have more rust to deal with than i thought. my driving was pretty decent on most holes, and my three wood was pretty solid. my irons aren't traveling as far as they should, plus i kept coming up out of too many iron shots and skulled it badly. my chipping is also pretty bad because that relies more on touch, and i just don't have much of that right now. putting was decent, and i ended my round with a nice little right-to-left downhill putt of about 15 feet right smack in the center of the cup on 18. i ended up shooting 108, but was pleased that i lasted all 18 holes and that i had some good/decent shots.

GB has game, and he's got quite a bit of it. he shot 81 yesterday and could have gone lower. he'll tell you it was hit putting, and he'll be right. his iron play was pretty solid, and he had the softest hands when he was giving me a post-game rub down.

[Homebrewer]

10 minutes ago, Tank said:

my irons aren't traveling as far as they should,

Maybe you should try one of these..

[Tank]

soylent green????

[gotbeer]

On 3/13/2017 at 1:49 PM, Tank said:

big thanks to GB for getting into his foursome yesterday at brookside. had a fun time and his friends were a lot of fun.

we played the Nay course, which is shorter and the easier of the two courses there. the men's club had a tournament yesterday, which caused a huge slowdown on tee times. we were the first group after the tournament guys played and we were delayed by an hour. the driving range was packed full so i couldn't get in any warm up.

that said, we got going and i have more rust to deal with than i thought. my driving was pretty decent on most holes, and my three wood was pretty solid. my irons aren't traveling as far as they should, plus i kept coming up out of too many iron shots and skulled it badly. my chipping is also pretty bad because that relies more on touch, and i just don't have much of that right now. putting was decent, and i ended my round with a nice little right-to-left downhill putt of about 15 feet right smack in the center of the cup on 18. i ended up shooting 108, but was pleased that i lasted all 18 holes and that i had some good/decent shots.

GB has game, and he's got quite a bit of it. he shot 81 yesterday and could have gone lower. he'll tell you it was hit putting, and he'll be right. his iron play was pretty solid, and he had the softest hands when he was giving me a post-game rub down.

Shh.  You weren't supposed to mention the rub down.  Although I wasn't the one with splooge on my face to start the round. 

[Tank]

Played at El Cariso yesterday and shot a 91. This is a nice little executive 18 in Sylmar that doesn't have any par 5s, and it's a great place to work on your game. Driving was okay, putting wasn't as good as last time, chipping was really hit-and-miss, but iron play was improved, especially my 5 iron, which is my least favorite club in the bag. I think I need to take a protein bar with me when I play as I again reached a point on the back nine where I felt worn out. 

Had a sleeve of the new Calloway Chrome balls and really liked them. Unfortunately I put two in the water and hit one over a fence into neverland, but I think I'll probably invest in a box of them. I liked the feel of them better than the ProV1x.

[gotbeer]

3 hours ago, Tank said:

Played at El Cariso yesterday and shot a 91. This is a nice little executive 18 in Sylmar that doesn't have any par 5s, and it's a great place to work on your game. Driving was okay, putting wasn't as good as last time, chipping was really hit-and-miss, but iron play was improved, especially my 5 iron, which is my least favorite club in the bag. I think I need to take a protein bar with me when I play as I again reached a point on the back nine where I felt worn out. 

Had a sleeve of the new Calloway Chrome balls and really liked them. Unfortunately I put two in the water and hit one over a fence into neverland, but I think I'll probably invest in a box of them. I liked the feel of them better than the ProV1x.

They are also half the price of the prov1x.  Those are the one's I was using when we played Brookside Tank.  I'm still not completely sold on them, since I think I'm losing a bit of distance on them compared to the Pro v1 and the NXT. 

Another route you may want to go is used balls.  Pro V1, do not, under any circumstances buy them used.  I bought a dozen of them, and junked half a dozen because they just were marshmallows.  The NXT on the other hand, I bought the highest rated AAAAA, and they felt solid.  And you can get 2 dozen for the price of a dozen.  Actually, looking on Amazon, they are selling 50 for $42.99 right now, which is a really good price. 

 

[Tank]

8 hours ago, gotbeer said:

They are also half the price of the prov1x.  Those are the one's I was using when we played Brookside Tank.  I'm still not completely sold on them, since I think I'm losing a bit of distance on them compared to the Pro v1 and the NXT. 

Another route you may want to go is used balls.  Pro V1, do not, under any circumstances buy them used.  I bought a dozen of them, and junked half a dozen because they just were marshmallows.  The NXT on the other hand, I bought the highest rated AAAAA, and they felt solid.  And you can get 2 dozen for the price of a dozen.  Actually, looking on Amazon, they are selling 50 for $42.99 right now, which is a really good price. 

 

Thnx for the advice, GB. The pro shop at El Cariso was selling the Chrome for $39.95 for a dozen. Don't know what Golfsmith is selling them for and haven't checked eBay yet, but I'll keep a lookout for them both. He said they also have another ball from Calloway that the pro shop guy liked better because it was easier for him to work the ball right or left. Also, they occasionally get some Balata balls, and if you haven't played them yet, they are fantastic for your short game or putting. 

The Chrome had a nice soft feel, yet my distance with my irons was good though I'm not sure my woods were quite as long.

[gotbeer]

33 minutes ago, Tank said:

Thnx for the advice, GB. The pro shop at El Cariso was selling the Chrome for $39.95 for a dozen. Don't know what Golfsmith is selling them for and haven't checked eBay yet, but I'll keep a lookout for them both. He said they also have another ball from Calloway that the pro shop guy liked better because it was easier for him to work the ball right or left. Also, they occasionally get some Balata balls, and if you haven't played them yet, they are fantastic for your short game or putting. 

The Chrome had a nice soft feel, yet my distance with my irons was good though I'm not sure my woods were quite as long.

Wow.  Balata.  That is taking me back to my High School days.  Didn't think they made them anymore. 

As for working a ball right to left.  If you hit them straight, no need to work them right or left.  Ebay and Amazon will be your cheapest option for golf balls.  Golf courses will typically be the most expensive. 

On a side note.  I decided I needed a change in my short game, so I ordered myself a new sand and lob wedge.  Hopefully it isn't a waste of money.  But I was looking over my old sand wedge, and I noticed I pretty much wore down the grooves, and it's time for retirement.  Oddly, if I did it right, these new wedges should give me an extra 15 yards.  In theory, based on loft, I should hit the sand wedge 115 yards, and the lob wedge (62 degrees, so I hope I don't shoot my eye out) 95 yards.  Oh, and another interesting thing about GB.  Sand wedges is my bread and butter.  In the 37 years I have played, minus the first 5 years.  I have had a total of 2 sand wedges the entire time.  These will be #3.  And it's the first time I've ever gone below 54 degrees for a sand or any kind of wedge. 

[Tank]

Yeah, I'm intrigued by the balata. Had a dozen of them 20 years ago and really enjoyed playing with them on a par 3 course near my house. I could back them up like they were on a string - of course, that was when I was playing a lot and before @Adam jacked my clubs.

Edited March 31, 2017 by Tank

[Blarg]

When I played I used to like using a Balata for the control. Everyone else was trying to squeeze another 20 yards longer on their drives and hit hard as rock 100 compression balls while I spent my time in the fairway and staying on the greens with my approach shots. It was boring golf and I got caught up in the distance game, changing to a 9.5 degree driver and ProV1 (the most lost ball in golf) and improved distance but had no consistent control. I was going to go back to that softer feel ball before I quit but it seemed the ball makers had left that market and I never found anything quit like what I used to hit.

[Tank]

Yeah, I understand you well, Blarg. Got a nice deal on the ProV1x at Golfsmith last month and jumped on it, hearing all these wonderful things. They were good, but my level of play right now is t making the most of what they offer.

i liked the Chrome Soft because it just simply felt better coming off each club, especially my putter. I'm going to buy a box of them next time I'm ready to purchase new ones.

[Tank]

And I agree with you on the 90 v. 100 compression issue. I used to play a 90 comp Pinnacle Gold, and I loved that ball. Was sad to see that the 90 comp ball is a thing of the past, as well as the Pinnacle Gold ( though you can still buy Pinnacle balls).

[Tank]

GB and i played Hansen Dam this week, and I'd forgotten what a really nice it is (as long as you don't mind the veins of some kind of mutant grass growing through each green). The course looked beautiful and I plan to go back there more frequently. I was pleased with my driving and I really liked my iron play and my chipping. My putting blew chunks and I left pretty much everything short. Ended up shooting 93 while GB was torching the place with an 82. 

I've found a new putter from Odyssey that I'm going to buy sometime after I return from Maui. It has a real nice feel and I've enjoyed hitting it in two different pro shops. @nate turned me on a few years ago to used clubs from the Callaway website and I'll probably buy it from there.

Here's a picture of me, Tracy (GB's buddy and a fun guy), and @gotbeer on the 18th tee Wednesday:

[Tank]

has anyone played oak quarry in riverside? thoughts/impressions? i'm playing there on thursday with some friends i sing with. 

[Tank]

played oak quarry today. it sets up as a nice resort type course. they picked me up in the parking lot and drove me to my cart, which was unexpected. free golf balls at the chipping facility. stuff like that.

had to quit after 15 holes as i was very light-headed due to the heat. i'd been drinking plenty of water (4 bottles) and had a protein bar, but it was getting dicey out there for me.

drove horribly and couldn't chip to save my life. irons were decent today and i putted very well - made two putts over 30 feet long.

didn't care for the marshall. he got after us around the 8th hole for slow play - they have this gps system in each cart and it displays messages for you, including whether or not you're keeping up the pace of play. marshall was frustrating as there was no one immediately behind us, and thus we weren't holding anyone up, but his comments were to the contrary. we ended up getting caught by three different groups, none of whom had any talent. they were just playing at a breakneck speed and couldn't hit for squat. we gladly let them play through once they caught up to us. we didn't hold anyone up, but the marshall didn't really see it that way.

didn't care for the terrain too much around the greens. strictly a personal thing, but there were several holes where parking by the green on the cart path meant walking over lots of severe hills & valleys to get to the green. it was too much for me and my knees. 

i'm willing to play there again (it was $65 but my buddy got a deal through golf now for only $30) when it's cooler.

[Adam]

On 7/14/2017 at 9:03 AM, Tank said:

GB and i played Hansen Dam this week, and I'd forgotten what a really nice it is (as long as you don't mind the veins of some kind of mutant grass growing through each green). The course looked beautiful and I plan to go back there more frequently. I was pleased with my driving and I really liked my iron play and my chipping. My putting blew chunks and I left pretty much everything short. Ended up shooting 93 while GB was torching the place with an 82. 

I've found a new putter from Odyssey that I'm going to buy sometime after I return from Maui. It has a real nice feel and I've enjoyed hitting it in two different pro shops. @nate turned me on a few years ago to used clubs from the Callaway website and I'll probably buy it from there.

Here's a picture of me, Tracy (GB's buddy and a fun guy), and @gotbeer on the 18th tee Wednesday:

Don't make a habit of riding as a passenger in one of their cars

[Adam]

I'm playing Goose Creek next Friday. 

Went to the range today to make sure the back was okay. All good. Looking forward to it. 

[Tank]

played scholl canyon today, a nice little course by my house. my daughter tagged along so she could drive the golf cart and get in a little practice. 

must have been a little something extra in my corn flakes this morning because i was hitting fantastically. ball flight was just as straight as an arrow, which surprised me quite bit. i had 2 birdies today, only the second time in my life i've had multiple birdies in a round. one was a chip in that ran right into cup. the other, and the one i was more proud of, was on a par 4. hit a decent drive then had an approach shot of 150 yards or so. pulled out my 6 iron (i still don't have great distance with my irons yet) and just flushed that puppy. straight as a pool cue and all over the cup. landed one foot past the hole and back up 2 feet, leaving me with a one foot tap in. it was one of the best shots i've ever hit.

putted pretty awful today, mostly because i didn't get any warm up time outside of 2 putts on the putting green.

the best thing about today was that i tried a new ball, the taylormade TP5. this ball is phenomenal! makes me regret the brand new box of hallway chromes i just bought. i'd return them but they were on sale and included a free stamp on them. they won't go to waste, but man, that TP5 is one bloody gorgeous ball to hit.

[Blarg]

Until you can all putt like this guy you're just a bunch of hacks.

[Tank]

has anyone here played Knollwood? i signed up for some service that sends emails about golf deals (most of them seem to be for orange county for some reason) and knollwood is offering a special for $39. is it worth it? i have spring break coming up and would like to play somewhere decent.

[Crampknees]

Second ace at this course on the same hole now.  They are putting up a statue of me on the tee box with a live beer fountain. 

[Tank]

2 hours ago, Kurt Swanson said:

Second ace at this course on the same hole now.  They are putting up a statue of me on the tee box with a live beer fountain. 

my goodness, kurt, it looks just like you! congrats on another ace (i'm still waiting on my first).