MGrand

Agree with @cnosil and @vandyland regarding putting on a ruler - super easy drill to do at home for start line checks and you can do it anywhere.  My other go-to putting drills I enjoy for technical work are (1) Mirror drills to look at eye & face alignment, (2) gate drills for both start line and putter head, and (3) putting with smart insoles in to see if weight is staying relatively stable or if I am moving all over the place.  I would also recommend taking a video of your stroke every now and again.  Last week I noticed my putts were getting a bit sporadic when I was practicing so I quickly filmed the stroke with my camera and realized I was looping the putter and toe-striking my putts (see setup and impact below).  A few adjustments to my set up later and started making everything.  Good luck! 
 

So... I'm also a headcover ho, which you might have seen from some past posts here. But, I might have just kicked the habit, at least for driver covers, because I don't think I can beat this one (any 90s WWE fans out there?). 
Been watching a couple custom companies for a couple years. About a month ago, after a few drinks, I contacted one of them with a few ideas. This is where that design conversation landed (along with 2 other covers that he remade from past designs 🥺), and for a surprisingly reasonable price:

I am in and ready to win... also ready to delete this post if things go horribly wrong

I am in and ready to win... also ready to delete this post if things go horribly wrong

I am in and ready to win... also ready to delete this post if things go horribly wrong

I am in and ready to win... also ready to delete this post if things go horribly wrong

I am in and ready to win... also ready to delete this post if things go horribly wrong

I am in and ready to win... also ready to delete this post if things go horribly wrong

Thank you for your recommendations. I am currently taking some important courses for me, which relate to my academic studies at the university. On the site https://edubirdie.com/examples/a-modest-proposal/ I recently read about the book A Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift and its impact. Decide to read it, critical literature about it and start listening to a course on 18th century literature.

That is a great list! Have heard of nearly all of these but haven't played White Bear Yacht Club, Troy Burne, or SentryWorld yet, so will definitely be adding those to the"to-play" list.  Also appreciate the underated options.  Have played Big Fish, but will have to try and check out the others.  Excited to see other courses people post and to add them to my "to-play" list too.
I was struggling with putting together my own list so I cheated and did top 5 for each state instead of combined (and threw in some honorable mentions like you did with underrated).  We really are spoiled with great golf in our area, so even getting it narrowed to this list was tough.
Top 5 Wisconsin
1. Whistling Straits (Straits)
2. Erin Hills
3. Sand Valley
4. Mammoth Dunes
5. Blackwolf Run (River)
Top 5 Minnesota
1. Hazeltine National
2. The Wilderness at Fortune Bay
3. Giants Ridge The Quarry
4. Giants Ridge The Legend
5. The Minikahda Club
 
Honorable Mentions
- Wisconsin: Whistling Straits (Irish), Golf Courses of Lawsonia (The Links), Golf Courses of Lawsonia (The Woodlands), 
- Minnesota: Dacotah Ridge, Maddens (The Classic), Northland CC Duluth
 

(full disclosure: I know that none of what I'm about to say is news to most of the folks here, and I wasn't surprised by what I experienced, either, having read up and watched any number of videos about this place...but this was my first time playing this sort of golf, so please indulge me. 🙂. )
Just arrived home a couple of days ago. Wow, what an amazing time! I played about like I expected: some good shots and holes, some that I'm anxious to play again, and some outright whiffs. Overall scores I won't be bragging about. But the truth is that the beautiful courses, amazing views, the experience of playing links golf, and the overall vibe here couldn't be overshadowed by some poor shots and scores. I really liked having to approach things differently than on my usual inland courses.
It's such a different game. I expected that, though I could not really internalize it until experiencing it. The tight fairways really magnify contact issues on both the approach and short game, and wearing a shoulder brace to limit my backswing and follow through the whole time didn't help (right rotator cuff issue). Plus the courses are just tough- so many blind tee shots, undulated fairways and greens, the wind, etc. But while my approach and short games weren't always up to the challenge, at least my tee shot game on most of the par 4 & 5 holes was pretty reliable...I think I only put two balls into the gorse, and hit just one fairway bunker the whole trip, so I'm calling that a win.
On a lot of approach shots and chips, though, when I managed to correctly select a club that would get the distance I was targeting (the brace made distance regulation difficult), I simply couldn't hold the green. Then there was Pacific Dunes #17, when we had a one-hole monsoon roll in just as we walked up to the tee. Went from calm to pouring rain and 30+mph wind left to right and slightly in our faces, about 190 to the pin. Couldn't play under the wind there, so we all ended up attempting 50-yard wind-slices. Great fun!
A few highlights:
Bandon Dunes #15: Par 3, ~140 yards dead into the wind, bunker of death right of the green and ocean to the left. I managed to bounce a low 3/4 4-iron off the hill running down the left side of the "fairway" and run it up on the green.
Pacific Dunes #13: Par 4, #2 handicap hole, dead into a 30mph wind, so too long for me to reach in regulation. Good tee shot, if a little short. On the second shot I managed to keep a 3-hybrid low, to within 40 yards in front and maybe 15-20 feet below the green. 8-iron bump/run under the wind to within 20', two putt for bogey. Sounds weird to say this about a bogey, but this might have been the most satisfying hole I played throughout the whole trip.
Pacific Dunes #14: short par 3. I hit my tee shot fat. It went maybe 60 yards and ended up on the "cart" path. Dropped next to the path, tried for a chip to land on the front of the green. I pulled it off and leveraged a bit of luck on top of that- landed up front and released toward the hole, stopped 2' short for an "easy" par.
Sheep Ranch #18: short par 5. I had a string of bad shots going when I stepped up to the tee. I turned things around with a good tee shot. For the second shot, the pin placement and bunkers scared me, so I laid up with a 6 iron. Ended up about 55 from the pin, slightly off the fairway in the right rough. The ball was on a lie that's pretty similar to what I'm used to playing, and I have a 50 yard shot in my repertoire with my 52-degree wedge. I executed it well. The ball still rolled out to 20 feet past the pin, but the 2-putt par was a nice finish to the round.
I got a real kick out of putting from 30 yards off the green at times. Tough greens! I managed to sink a number 8-15 footers, but I also had a lot of 3-putts as well. I somehow avoided having any putts roll off a ridge and end up 20 yards off the green, though my playing partners did on a couple of occasions.
It's an opinion that will probably change with future visits, because there are sooooo many beautiful holes and views to be had here, but my favorite holes might have been Sheep Ranch #6 (pic below, my brother teeing off), and Bandon Dunes #16 (pic below, me on the tee), just based on the view...turns out I'm a sucker for a hole that follows the coastline/cliff.
I can't wait to go back and do it again.
 

Shame, she brought a great dynamic to NPG.  Hopefully she has moved on to bigger and better things, and will be replaced by someone equally as good.
I hope she is well and wish her success in whatever the future holds.

Today's teaser from Tony
 
 

RCT on TrackMan - Unofficial Review
Thanks for starting this thread.  My ProV1x RCTs arrived last week and I finally got to use them for an indoor TrackMan session last night. Very similar impression as others have had regarding durability, but thought I'd share feedback from how the spin data was showing up on a TrackMan in an indoor session. Below are my initial (and purely anecdotal) takeaways from my first time hitting the RCTs.
Regarding durability:
I was hitting with a friend for around two hours and we used the same RCT ball the entire time (although we did go back and forth with the RCT and a regular ProV1x to compare); after all of those shots the ball held up great with barely any signs of use.  Not a surprise from a Titleist, but still was happy to see it, especially since this included hitting some full shots with a 60*.
Regarding spin:
I can only recall seeing one italicized spin rate (meaning estimated) with the RCT and that was a super wild shot that rhymes with "thank" from the guy I was hitting with.  I did notice when we went back and forth between the RCT and the regular ProV1x that the majority of the shots with the regular ball did have italicized spin rates, so that was promising.
With all the clubs the spin on solid shots was right where I would expect it to be.  We also definitely saw the spin pick up on strikes lower on the face and saw the spin drop off when struck higher on the face, etc.  Overall, I was very impressed and can't wait to get back on the TrackMan to keep practicing and testing either tonight or later this week.

What are your favorite courses that you've played in Minnesota and Wisconsin?
Here's my Top 5:
Erin Hills (Erin, WI) Mammoth Dunes (Nekoosa, WI) White Bear Yacht Club (Dellwood, MN) The Classic at Madden's (Brainerd, MN) Troy Burne (Hudson, WI) Just missed the cut: SentryWorld (Stevens Point, WI)
 
A few underrated courses I love are The Jewel (Lake City, MN), Deacon's Lodge (Brainerd, MN), University Ridge (Madison, WI), The Bull at Pinehurst Farms (Sheboygan, WI), Big Fish (Hayward, WI). 

Thanks for adding this, since Trackman is the intended use. 
I have been happy with the RCT performance overall. Way better than using stickers.

My order of the Titleist Pro V1x RCT golf balls arrived yesterday. Together with @golfish!, we wanted to create this thread for our unofficial reviews of these new releases from Titleist. Per the marketing material, these balls feature an "internal radar reflective marker" and are "optimized for indoor spin capture."
While they were developed specifically for use with Trackman, the majority of my testing will be with a Flightscope Mevo+ in my garage hitting bay, while @golfish! has a Garmin Approach R10 launch monitor.
I have already finished an impromptu test session with them, and my initial results/feedback is extremely positive.

RCT on TrackMan - Unofficial Review
Thanks for starting this thread.  My ProV1x RCTs arrived last week and I finally got to use them for an indoor TrackMan session last night. Very similar impression as others have had regarding durability, but thought I'd share feedback from how the spin data was showing up on a TrackMan in an indoor session. Below are my initial (and purely anecdotal) takeaways from my first time hitting the RCTs.
Regarding durability:
I was hitting with a friend for around two hours and we used the same RCT ball the entire time (although we did go back and forth with the RCT and a regular ProV1x to compare); after all of those shots the ball held up great with barely any signs of use.  Not a surprise from a Titleist, but still was happy to see it, especially since this included hitting some full shots with a 60*.
Regarding spin:
I can only recall seeing one italicized spin rate (meaning estimated) with the RCT and that was a super wild shot that rhymes with "thank" from the guy I was hitting with.  I did notice when we went back and forth between the RCT and the regular ProV1x that the majority of the shots with the regular ball did have italicized spin rates, so that was promising.
With all the clubs the spin on solid shots was right where I would expect it to be.  We also definitely saw the spin pick up on strikes lower on the face and saw the spin drop off when struck higher on the face, etc.  Overall, I was very impressed and can't wait to get back on the TrackMan to keep practicing and testing either tonight or later this week.

RCT on TrackMan - Unofficial Review
Thanks for starting this thread.  My ProV1x RCTs arrived last week and I finally got to use them for an indoor TrackMan session last night. Very similar impression as others have had regarding durability, but thought I'd share feedback from how the spin data was showing up on a TrackMan in an indoor session. Below are my initial (and purely anecdotal) takeaways from my first time hitting the RCTs.
Regarding durability:
I was hitting with a friend for around two hours and we used the same RCT ball the entire time (although we did go back and forth with the RCT and a regular ProV1x to compare); after all of those shots the ball held up great with barely any signs of use.  Not a surprise from a Titleist, but still was happy to see it, especially since this included hitting some full shots with a 60*.
Regarding spin:
I can only recall seeing one italicized spin rate (meaning estimated) with the RCT and that was a super wild shot that rhymes with "thank" from the guy I was hitting with.  I did notice when we went back and forth between the RCT and the regular ProV1x that the majority of the shots with the regular ball did have italicized spin rates, so that was promising.
With all the clubs the spin on solid shots was right where I would expect it to be.  We also definitely saw the spin pick up on strikes lower on the face and saw the spin drop off when struck higher on the face, etc.  Overall, I was very impressed and can't wait to get back on the TrackMan to keep practicing and testing either tonight or later this week.

I’ve been working on my indoor simulator setup and I’m almost done. Shipping times were not a bad as I expected. Please let me know what you all think.
 
These are are items I went with:
 
SkyTrax - estimated ship time was 8-12 weeks and I received it in 3.
 
The Net Return Series V2 - net size is perfect for my space (7’8” height, 8’ width, 3’6” depth. They do sell a projector screen to fits over the top, I might add this later on.
 
Country Club Elite Gold mat - my mat size is 5x5. I think a 4x6 would have been the perfect size for the area. Overall this mat is great. It allows you to actually hit “fat” shots unlike more driving range mats. It holds a regular golf tee with no issues.

 


 

Agree with everyone else's advice that smoothing out the base layer is the most important step.  I added a layer of paver sand on top of my base rock layer and compacted that too, which seemed to do a nice job smoothing the whole thing out.  Mine is about 16 x 11 and I am really glad to have 3 cups to mix it up a bit.  Might be nice to do at least do 2 cups instead of just one - then you can putt back and forth, and if you add a small slope you'll have a right to left/left to right option and/or downhill/uphill?
With the amount of space you described, you should definitely position it so you can chip to it and maybe add fringe. I would have loved to do both, but I had more l limited space with a city lot and  really wanted to have as much putting surface as I could so I went as big as I could fit in the small area between our deck and garage.
Excited to see pictures of your progress!

I got my new yard and putting green instated this week. 

Agree with everyone else's advice that smoothing out the base layer is the most important step.  I added a layer of paver sand on top of my base rock layer and compacted that too, which seemed to do a nice job smoothing the whole thing out.  Mine is about 16 x 11 and I am really glad to have 3 cups to mix it up a bit.  Might be nice to do at least do 2 cups instead of just one - then you can putt back and forth, and if you add a small slope you'll have a right to left/left to right option and/or downhill/uphill?
With the amount of space you described, you should definitely position it so you can chip to it and maybe add fringe. I would have loved to do both, but I had more l limited space with a city lot and  really wanted to have as much putting surface as I could so I went as big as I could fit in the small area between our deck and garage.
Excited to see pictures of your progress!

Agree with everyone else's advice that smoothing out the base layer is the most important step.  I added a layer of paver sand on top of my base rock layer and compacted that too, which seemed to do a nice job smoothing the whole thing out.  Mine is about 16 x 11 and I am really glad to have 3 cups to mix it up a bit.  Might be nice to do at least do 2 cups instead of just one - then you can putt back and forth, and if you add a small slope you'll have a right to left/left to right option and/or downhill/uphill?
With the amount of space you described, you should definitely position it so you can chip to it and maybe add fringe. I would have loved to do both, but I had more l limited space with a city lot and  really wanted to have as much putting surface as I could so I went as big as I could fit in the small area between our deck and garage.
Excited to see pictures of your progress!

Agree with everyone else's advice that smoothing out the base layer is the most important step.  I added a layer of paver sand on top of my base rock layer and compacted that too, which seemed to do a nice job smoothing the whole thing out.  Mine is about 16 x 11 and I am really glad to have 3 cups to mix it up a bit.  Might be nice to do at least do 2 cups instead of just one - then you can putt back and forth, and if you add a small slope you'll have a right to left/left to right option and/or downhill/uphill?
With the amount of space you described, you should definitely position it so you can chip to it and maybe add fringe. I would have loved to do both, but I had more l limited space with a city lot and  really wanted to have as much putting surface as I could so I went as big as I could fit in the small area between our deck and garage.
Excited to see pictures of your progress!