How many "real golfers" do we have here?

BuckeyeBengal · Post by **BuckeyeBengal** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 9:21 pm

Hey guys,just wanted to see if there were any golfers in the crowd. I started playing again recently after a long hiatus and realized just what a great sport it is. Frustrating to highest degree,but that long putt keeps bringing me back for more. What do you ususally shoot? I am around 90-100. Bad I know. Would love to hear from any fellow golfers

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 10:00 pm

I'm lucky to break 100, but I've only played on and off for the past 6 years. I joined a 9 hole league at work a couple years ago for one summer and averaged 53 on a tough course counting all strokes/penalties. I was pretty happy with that as I was right at the league average.

I like it, but I can't make the time commitment it takes to get better. I'd much rather run or play basketball in my spare time. I figure I can always golf more when I get older.

fightingcamel · Post by **fightingcamel** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 11:16 pm

I don't get to play as much as I used to, but I still love to play. I usually shoot around 85-100. There's some great courses here in NC.

bkrich83 · Post by **bkrich83** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 1:18 am

I play about once a week on average. Sometimes more sometimes less. I tend to shoot somewhere from the mid 80's to the low 90's. Although I still snitff 100, when I go overboard on the beer.

Galley · Post by **Galley** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 1:24 am

I first learned to golf when I was eight years old. Our town had a sand greens course, but at least it was free! North Dakota is quite dry, and most small towns had sand greens, instead of grass. Here's how it worked. You had a big metal pipe, about 1-1/2" in diameter, with a handle on it. One side was smooth, and the other had teeth welded onto it. You would use the smooth side and clear a path between the hole and your ball. Once everyone was done putting, you would use the side with teeth. You'd start at the hole and walk around in a circle until the entire green was now "grooved". They added oil to the sand so it wouldn't be dusty. (Little did they know back in the 70s that the oil would end up in the ground water)!

skynate152 · Post by **skynate152** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 2:11 am

I try to golf about once every two weeks. I usually average 50 on nine holes. I am looking forward to trying a new course in Brazil, IN soon that was designed by Pete Dye.

I have heard that my state of Indiana is fortunate because we can grow "bent grass" for our golf courses. Apparently, other parts of the country are very jealous of this.

bkrich83 · Post by **bkrich83** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 2:29 am

Galley wrote:I first learned to golf when I was eight years old. Our town had a sand greens course, but at least it was free! North Dakota is quite dry, and most small towns had sand greens, instead of grass. Here's how it worked. You had a big metal pipe, about 1-1/2" in diameter, with a handle on it. One side was smooth, and the other had teeth welded onto it. You would use the smooth side and clear a path between the hole and your ball. Once everyone was done putting, you would use the side with teeth. You'd start at the hole and walk around in a circle until the entire green was now "grooved". They added oil to the sand so it wouldn't be dusty. (Little did they know back in the 70s that the oil would end up in the ground water)!

what part of North Dakota Galley, my wife is from Williston..

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 5:43 am

I'm actually in AZ right now to play golf. I shoot in the low 80's usually...

This trip I've got 4 rounds of golf to play in 2 days. Gotta love it. It may be hot as sh*t here right now but you can play some 100+ dollar courses for under 20 bucks so now's the time to be in Phoenix playing golf if you want a good deal.

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 8:00 am

I've been playing since I was 11 years old. I practically lived at the golf course form age 13-16 (worked there and played there so I was there from about 6am until 9pm alot of days)

So, I used to be somewhat good, with a 6 handicap.

Nowadays, with real life in the way, I barely make it out once/week if I'm lucky, but I've been maintaining a 10.5 handicap index.

Galley · Post by **Galley** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 9:11 am

bkrich83 wrote:what part of North Dakota Galley, my wife is from Williston..

I grew up in Casselton, just west of Fargo.

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 9:37 am

I used to be a phenom when I was a kid. At 13 I was shooting in the mid 70s and by the time I was 16 I was shooting under par regularly. My senior year in high school we won the Virginia state AAA championship and I received scholarships from two different schools.

Hehe, a lot has changed since then. Once I got married I went from a scratch handicap to a 3, then to a 5, then 7, 9, 10 and by the time the third kid came, I had ballooned to a 14 which is about where I am right now. Without any practice at all, I will shoot high 70s or low 80s, but I keep telling myself that I'm going to play more and get my handicap back down. Maybe now that my kids are starting to play that will happen.

Bill_Abner · Post by **Bill_Abner** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:29 pm

Yep. Played golf like a madman when I was younger. When I was a senior we qualified for the state tourney (Ohio). Back in the day..we're talking around 1990, I was a 5-7 handicap when we qualified and actually set a school record with a 32 during a 9-hole season match. (One of those "zone" rounds.)

Of course I tanked and shot 83/86 (or something like that, I've tried to remove it from memory

over the state weekend, but someone has to choke...guess it was my turn. Thing is, everyone else played well, we finished 7th and could have been top three if I shoot my average. But I'm not bitter or anything heh.

I don't play that much anymore, maybe 3-4 times a season and I'm very content when I break 90. I do miss it though.

J_Cauthen · Post by **J_Cauthen** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 8:57 pm

I still dabble at golf... playing a half dozen times a year, or so. When the kids came along it pretty much knocked me out of my two or three times a week habit.

I played on the golf team in college (Winthrop University) where I had a 5 handicap. The hightlight of my career was playing in a group behind Ken Ezell ( a Furman player who qualified for the U.S. Open that year). He had drawn a crowd and had just finished playing the 9th hole when he was forced to wait on the 10th tee for backed up players. Many of the players were reaching this par 5 green in two. I had hooked my tee shot into the heavy rough and did good to get it back to the fairway. My third hit a tree and came back at me. My fourth shot came to rest in the bunker in front of the green.

There was a big crowd watching my group come in and I was nervous as heck as I played my bunker shot. I don't know what happened but somehow, I managed to hole the bunker shot for a par. The crowd thought it was for an eagle since my approach had come from about 240 yards out to the bunker. I was shocked to get a roar from them... I didn't have the guts to let anyone know it was only for a par

I don't even have a handicap right now, but I average in the low to mid 80's when I play. I still love the game as much as ever, but the opportunities to play the game are few and far between.

BuckeyeBengal · Post by **BuckeyeBengal** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:44 pm

Hey fellas! nice hearing fromeveryone. Sounds like we have quite a few golfers here. I played today and shot my usual high 90's score. a 97 actually. I had a really good front 9,but the backjust killed me which is strange cause I am usually a better back 9 player. What is encouraging is I am finally starting to stick my irons on the green. That is quite an achievement for myself. I hit an incredible 6 iron today from about 170 out to about 5 feet from the pin. I was on cloud nine. Of course my usual self has to 2 putt it from there, DOH!

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:54 pm

I also played today. Shot around 100 for 18 holes. Play on and off. When on , it can be once a week. But I can take off of golf for 6 mos. sometimes. Best I ever shot was 87. Wish I could get better. Lately I am lucky to break 100. Trying to get back to low 90's. Lately I have been pushing a lot to the right......not slicing, just pushing out to the right. Anyone know the common causes of this? I was thinking my body is getting to far out in front of my hands?

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:58 pm

Jack, have you ever played Abacoa in Jupiter. I usually play there when I visit South Florida. That course has a ton of water!

BuckeyeBengal · Post by **BuckeyeBengal** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:25 pm

That's funny Jack. I too have that problem,except its the opposite. I pull mine to the left but I am not really hooking it. I used to have a horrible slice but now this problem has taken over the slice. wierd. Anybody out there know what we are doing wrong?

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 10:12 am

I have played Abacoa in Jupiter...thats a very new course. When I played there it was the 1st year it was open and the trees were barely taller than me. Nice course though! We should play next time you visit.
I live near West Palm, whoch is about 10 mins from Abacoa.

Leebo33 wrote:Jack, have you ever played Abacoa in Jupiter. I usually play there when I visit South Florida. That course has a ton of water!

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 10:16 am

I read (in Tiger's book) that your left wrist position at the top of your
backswing ahs a lot to do with this. It should be pretty flat. If it is cupped, you will puch or slice. If it is angled the other way, you will push.
Ball position could also be a factor. I try moving the ball more forward to stop the push and stay behind the ball. For your problem Buckeye, I would try moving the ball back a bit and try to be a little more "active" with your lower body in the downswing. Make sure you are doing a good shift of your weight to the back foot and then forward foot on the downswing.

BuckeyeBengal wrote:That's funny Jack. I too have that problem,except its the opposite. I pull mine to the left but I am not really hooking it. I used to have a horrible slice but now this problem has taken over the slice. wierd. Anybody out there know what we are doing wrong?

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 11:40 am

I used to be a 4. Now I'm lucky if I can break 80. The first thing to go is a short game. If it wasn't for the putting and the chipping I would still be okay. Sadly its just not there and I don't practice enough to be better. But then again, the desire left a long time ago.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 11:41 am

I've been playing for 7 years. I used to play 3-4 times a week until my daughter arrived. Now I play once a week if I am lucky.

My current handicap is somewhere between a 10-14. I used to be in single digits.

However we just joined a country club so I will be playing a lot more. Went out on it the first time yesterday and putted badly and shot an 86.

rubba19 · Post by **rubba19** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:50 am

My golf game seems to mirror most of the folks here....got down to an 8 handicap, then got married and up it went. About a 15 or so now, but I can still pull out that 3-iron hook around the tree and land on the fringe of the green to impress the wife...

If I could only putt back then, I probably would have been down to a 4 or 5.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:41 am

Well I am probably a 90-100 golfer (on a decent day

).

I grew up around golf in the Chicago suburbs but never took to it really. Caddied a bit though. Then my folks moved to Pinehurst, NC when I was 15, so naturally, I hated golf even more!

Then, during college summers, I would go back to 'the pines' and work for the Pinehurst resort and one of the perks is that all employees can play golf on any of the 7 ( now 8 ) courses for free (with #2 being a tad more restricted). So I figured, WTF, I'll give it a try. Needless to say I got extremely addicted. I would play every day I could and actually got to where I was shooting in the 90's on some of their tougher courses (my best was a 92 on #7 with a couple of gimme's).

Then, I moved back to Chicago and realized that, for me, golf was a GREAT game when it was free, but a not so great game when I had to pay. Why would I pay $50 to go out on a course not nearly as nice as Pinehurst and suck ass !?!?!

So I have pretty much given it up.