Golf Thread

SKILL said:
I'll be watching it, I don't really follow much golf (started watching the 10-15 min highlights on YouTube but that's it), I'm sure it will be sensationalised and ott but hey, especially with the LIV stuff going on and I think I saw they were following some of the big winners so could be interesting. Saying that as a big F1 fan I stopped watching Drive to Survive after a couple of seasons cause it just got too much...

Out for the usual Friday game today, scored 109, driver all over the place, topping my hybrid 50% of the time, but my Irons/chipping/putting felt pretty good overall, happy with that :)

Just checked the stats on Garmin... Longest drive 160 yards, 0% GIR, 31% Fairways hit (4/13) but 1.9 putts per hole...

EDIT: Thinking about it compared to recent weeks it was lovely, ground has thawed out but also it's not really rained in a while so it's was just pretty pleasantly soft underfoot, no boggy mess or frozen solid, nice change :p
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Just to be out playing is good - don't bother with stats in the winter time - nothing makes sense as courses are in poor condition/freezing etc
 
I wish I could be out playing, but it will be a while yet until I can even think about swinging a club again

Had more treatment yesterday and my range of movement is pretty much 100%, but the nerve is still in major irritation which is causing all the pain and numbness, so I am waiting for some further medication to help settle that down. Once that settles and I can move pain-free again I will be hitting the range for a few light sessions to help get ready for the season
 
booyaka said:
Just to be out playing is good - don't bother with stats in the winter time - nothing makes sense as courses are in poor condition/freezing etc
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I just can't help myself :cry:

To be fair the issues I had today really aren't a winter golf problem, slicing the driver and topping my hybrid are the big issues and that's all me :p
 
Went back today to play @ Radyr golf course. Wish I was playing there next year, as I tend to have a good game there. The fairways were great and greens even better today. Much much MUCH better place than cheap 9-hole club I'm at right now. £25 in winter but £70 in summer. Membership: 1k annual, 1k joining fee :(

I would consider it, but I've already committed to another course (deposit paid), which is slightly shorter and less forgiving, but I'll give it a year at the new place from April and see how I get on. At least at Radyr, I can open up the shoulders and really hit driver properly.

I shot 84, even though my hands were cold and it was pretty chilly when we first started, drizzled a bit but turned out an OK weather-day in the end.

Front: 44
Back: 40
7 Pars and 1 Birdie.
6 was the high score of the day, so super happy with that
40% GIR, 36 putts, 62% fairways hit. 2x 3putts
Course; 6000 yards (yellows) - Majority of par4s are 400 yards, there or thereabouts.
Par or Birdied all the par5s, very pleased.
Average drive 230yards (brought down due to last 4 drives on last 4 holes, all tired drives, around the 200 yard marker.)

Couple of things I've noticed today:
My bunker confidence is low. Only went in 1, but found I don't really know the correct feel to make a nice bunker shot, need to work on that. Ended up thinning it and shooting over the green into some further rough, which cost me 2 shots.
Being on a course where the fringe of the greens are actually puttable from, makes a huge difference if you miss your approach shot and getting up and down on a big course is actually relatively simple.
Stop forgetting to eat as you go around. Dipped in energy at the end, driver was going straight, but not the usual new distance.
Could have saved a bunch of shots from a few better putts, where the ball stopped less than half an inch from the hole, left or right.
Sticking to my putting routing is helping.

Routine:
Mark it, no matter what.
Clean ball, check how its lying
Read the green from front, side and back.
Pick a shorter mark on the green and aim at it.
Shorter stroke seems more effective for me, rather than any big backstroke, as I tend to change speed a lot if its a long backstroke.

What are your routines like?
What are your courses like in yardage?
 
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MarkA said:
Went back today to play @ Radyr golf course. Wish I was playing there next year, as I tend to have a good game there. The fairways were great and greens even better today. Much much MUCH better place than cheap 9-hole club I'm at right now. £25 in winter but £70 in summer. Membership: 1k annual, 1k joining fee :(

I would consider it, but I've already committed to another course (deposit paid), which is slightly shorter and less forgiving, but I'll give it a year at the new place from April and see how I get on. At least at Radyr, I can open up the shoulders and really hit driver properly.

I shot 84, even though my hands were cold and it was pretty chilly when we first started, drizzled a bit but turned out an OK weather-day in the end.

Front: 44
Back: 40
7 Pars and 1 Birdie.
6 was the high score of the day, so super happy with that
40% GIR, 36 putts, 62% fairways hit. 2x 3putts
Course; 6000 yards (yellows) - Majority of par4s are 400 yards, there or thereabouts.
Par or Birdied all the par5s, very pleased.
Average drive 230yards (brought down due to last 4 drives on last 4 holes, all tired drives, around the 200 yard marker.)

Couple of things I've noticed today:
My bunker confidence is low. Only went in 1, but found I don't really know the correct feel to make a nice bunker shot, need to work on that. Ended up thinning it and shooting over the green into some further rough, which cost me 2 shots.
Being on a course where the fringe of the greens are actually puttable from, makes a huge difference if you miss your approach shot and getting up and down on a big course is actually relatively simple.
Stop forgetting to eat as you go around. Dipped in energy at the end, driver was going straight, but not the usual new distance.
Could have saved a bunch of shots from a few better putts, where the ball stopped less than half an inch from the hole, left or right.
Sticking to my putting routing is helping.

Routine:
Mark it, no matter what.
Clean ball, check how its lying
Read the green from front, side and back.
Pick a shorter mark on the green and aim at it.
Shorter stroke seems more effective for me, rather than any big backstroke, as I tend to change speed a lot if its a long backstroke.

What are your routines like?
What are your courses like in yardage?
Click to expand...

My putting routine is walk up to the green/ball trying to read it then I pick a line and hit it, I rarely pick up and clean the ball, rarely line up the ball/mark on the line, just hit it... :p

I know that sounds a bit silly but actually that seems to work for me, I feel like I'm probably the best in the group at reading the green and generally can do pretty well just being relaxed about it.

The main course I play is the Signature course at Woodlands in Bristol and that's only 5213 yards off the yellows apparently so pretty short, the Masters course at the same place that we consider the 'hard course' is 5800. yards. My local where I'm a member is a 9 hole but twice round that is a tiny bit longer than the Signature, think it's ~5280 or so. That probably plays into why I don't really feel the need to hit 250+ yard drives, I'd be happy with 200 yards on the fairway rather than in the lake :cry:
 
Putting routine for me.

Mark it, clean it, look for my line, find something a couple of feet in front of my marker that I want to start the ball over, line up ball (black line on ball) with that mark I've picked out.
Approach ball - 2 "practice putts", move in behind the ball, 2 quick looks at my line and go.

Sounds long but it's not.

Also I putt "cack handed" (left below right) - have done for years - best change I ever made about 10 years ago. Play normally otherwise.
 
booyaka said:
Also I putt "cack handed" (left below right) - have done for years - best change I ever made about 10 years ago. Play normally otherwise.
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I just tried this with my putter in my hand. If there were more emoticons on here, it would be a sicky one. :p :p :p :p

My left arm leading it feels so awkward, don't know how you manage it! (Unless maybe you're right hand it dominant with putter)
 
MarkA said:
I just tried this with my putter in my hand. If there were more emoticons on here, it would be a sicky one. :p :p :p :p

My left arm leading it feels so awkward, don't know how you manage it! (Unless maybe you're right hand it dominant with putter)
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I find it squares my shoulders up so much more with left below right when putting - my shoulders are much squarer to my target.... Like I say, stumble around about 10-12 years ago trying different things with putting as I was a poor putter - tried this and it stuck - Feels horrible to hold a putter "normally" now - despite playing "normal" in all the rest of my game.
 
TheCSSDoctor said:
I wish I could be out playing, but it will be a while yet until I can even think about swinging a club again

Had more treatment yesterday and my range of movement is pretty much 100%, but the nerve is still in major irritation which is causing all the pain and numbness, so I am waiting for some further medication to help settle that down. Once that settles and I can move pain-free again I will be hitting the range for a few light sessions to help get ready for the season
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Have they offered you acupuncture?
 
MarkA said:
What are your routines like?
What are your courses like in yardage?
Click to expand...

Length wise Wharton Park is a little over 6k yards. Off the Whites it's 6400ish.

Routine for each shot.
Driver:
Practice swing. This is purely to check my grip and make sure it feels secure. Stand back and see an alignment either 100 yards away or something in the distance. Talk to myself in the shot I want. Either a draw or to hit straight. Commit to the shot. Today 10/12 drives were perfect. 2 holes I snap hooked. thankfully it was on an open part of the course.

Iron play.
Depending on lie/stance pretty much the same. Although I don't draw my irons the shot is straight. Always look at an aim point. Not the flag though. I look for something past that.

Putter:
Always clean and mark. Assess the line and visualise the shot. I don't check from behind the flag. Maybe I should. I'll try next time.
 
On the subject of putting do people putt with the flag in or out?

I generally putt with it in, but there's been a couple of occasions where it's got a decent lean on it that seems to be cutting off half the hole so I've taken it out. Seems kinda 50/50 as to what is best, I've seen ones that would've probably gone in if the flag had been taken out and others where the flag pole stops the ball and without it it was probably going waaaaay past...
 
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SKILL said:
On the subject of putting do people putt with the flag in or out?

I generally putt with it in, but there's been a couple of occasions where it's got a decent lean on it that seems to be cutting off half the hole so I've taken it out. Seems kinda 50/50 as to what is best, I've seen ones that would've probably gone in if the flag had been taken out and others where the flag pole stops the ball and without it it was probably going waaaaay past...
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depends how close I am. If it's in my eyeline I take it out as I can sometimes see the flag moving at it puts me off.
 
Flag in for me, all the time since lockdown.

I've incorporated something into my pre-shot routine, focusing on the familiar sound that I hear when the ball clunks in off the flag. It's weird but if I concentrate on that it seems to help make a positive stroke and keep my head down.

Nice round today, cracking weather actually 14 hole stableford, 10 holes on full greens. round in 59 (+5 gross) and 33 points so delighted with that so early in the season.
 
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Flag in for me from distance, and this time of year I leave it in. Summer time, anything under maybe 6ft I still like it out.

First time out on the course yesterday -nice to hit off some grass/mud for a change!

Solid front 9 - Birdied 3rd hole with a lovely 7 iron to 8ft.

Then one of the shots of the year already done - 248 yard par 4, hammered a 3 wood with a little cut to 8ft and lipped out for eagle. Easy birdie. Lovely strike and exact as I drew it up on the tee.

Then some silly shots on the way back home for an overall +9.... Nice to be out, greens are so slow it's crazy but I guess that January golf in the UK.
 
Went round the pitch and put this morning.

Aside from a couple of tee shots which I would have liked back (well I did as I played a 2nd ball :p) played the best yet. 70 - 90 yards with the PW seems to be right in my wheelhouse. Landed a number flag high although was questoning how accurate the distances they give are on a couple of holes. Would love to have lasered some of the flags!

Holed a couple of lovely puts as well. With the recent dry weather it was nice to be out on a course and come back without my trousers being covered in mud :)

Last range session had been a bit of a disaster, I blame the cold weather and the guy who rocked up in the left handed bay adjacent to mine in sandals :eek:This was a timely confidence booster ahead of a lesson I've got booked in for Friday.
 
magicroundabout said:
Have they offered you acupuncture?
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Funny you should mention that as I was talking to someone last week who said the same thing, so I might have to look into it

SKILL said:
On the subject of putting do people putt with the flag in or out?

I generally putt with it in, but there's been a couple of occasions where it's got a decent lean on it that seems to be cutting off half the hole so I've taken it out. Seems kinda 50/50 as to what is best, I've seen ones that would've probably gone in if the flag had been taken out and others where the flag pole stops the ball and without it it was probably going waaaaay past...
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Depends, on long putts I tend to leave it in, but I do prefer the pin out generally

If the flag is leaning towards me in the hole, or it is windy and blowing the flag around, I will take it out regardless of the distance
 
This was pretty cool new bit on the coverage the other night.

Max Homa talking though his hole/play/clubs etc - Not a walk and talk about kids/golf but an actual proper discussion about his thoughts in the middle of the hole. Really enjoyable and hopefully more of this to come.

I do have a man crush on Homa mind you - he's such a nice guy, funny, brilliant on twitter, and a golf game that's on fire just now.

 
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