Mr. Mushball

We are definitely NOT like the other forums 🙂  #proud 
I (and the other staff) very much appreciate your comments, and your ongoing engagement in our forum Jason!

Thanks for the support, Tim! Since I started actually getting actively involved on the forum, I've been welcomed with open arms by everyone which is awesome. I only wish I'd have gotten more active sooner! What I like is that when I posted that initial swing video, the critiquing was constructive, which I've always felt helps me the most, vs. just getting bashed about what I do wrong which you sometimes see on other forums with no offering of help or tips. 
I am coming for that Broke 90 Badge! (though I suppose I should first aim for the Broke 100 one 😁)
Thanks for the support, Zim! I would be ecstatic to hit 85 at some point this summer. 

Good luck man. That switch that flicks on and forces you to work on swing mechanics and just the overall game is a wild thing. Looking forward to reading and seeing your results.

This should be a good follow, Jason. This is such a fun and frustrating (at times) game and I'm rooting for you to have some personal best rounds. I believe you can do it. 
That bag looks good! 

Hello all,
For those that don’t know me or haven’t gotten to interact with me much on the forum, my name is Jason and I am currently a high handicap golfer located in Southwestern Wisconsin. I’m a dad of two boys, ages 5 (soon to be 6) and 3, and married to the love of my life going on 9 years this September. I picked up the game of golf, VERY casually, in college after my baseball career ended.
 
Since then I’d definitely consider myself your typical weekend hacker. I was gifted a set of clubs by a friend of one of my uncles, full TaylorMade bag (I was really lucky) and got to playing. This summer will be the first year that I really am going to put significant time and effort into improving my game. I typically score in the low 100s and don’t know if I have every honestly broken 100, but my ultimate goal for this year is to break 90.
I have already been working on some changes to my swing (big thanks to @chisag & @RickyBobby_PR) and noticed some positive results today with my irons my first time on the range. 
I am going to use this thread to chronicle my rounds and journey to lower scores this golf season, and would love for you to follow along and offer up any tips/advice you think could benefit me. I’m going to try to post swing videos occasionally as well from practice sessions on the range. I know that I still have a long ways to go in correcting some bad habits I’ve developed, but I know it’s not an overnight fix and am honestly looking forward to focused practice sessions instead of just going on the range and pounding out shots. 
 
I’ve got my first scheduled round tomorrow afternoon at 2:30pm, most likely 9 holes unless my wife OK’s me and my oldest going the full 18, and then playing again Saturday. I will update tomorrow evening with how the round went, and am going to try and keep notes so I can do a recap of my round. 
 
Here’s to the chase of lower scores and a lower handicap!
Later this evening I’ll post a pic of my WITB as well. 

Not sure if any of you have seen reels and videos of Macbouchergolf on Instagram and YouTube but He's know for slinging huge 50-60 yard hooks or slices into a pretty stock pin from the center of the fairway and he finds it easier and more fun to play that way versus hitting straight shots. It raises the question how many of you like to work the ball in all different directions? Or do you go into every shot with the only goal is to point and shoot so to say or do you play one flight path every shot?
Last year I worked really hard to learn to be able to consistently and predictably work the ball right to left (draw) as an avid fade biased player and once I got it down I started playing my best golf in a while. I also found myself having more fun starting to hit different shots in different situations. Knock down flighted wedges. Low rising punched 6-iron cuts. high draw 8-iron, etc. 
How does everyone else feel? What's your favorite shot in your arsenal?

@snicerz with the last minute entries into the final week of Season 1 to put our total round count at 30!  
THAT IS SO AWESOME!!!!  
Thanks EVERYONE who was able to post scores this week. What a way to end the season!!!
 
Now.... Who is up for 40 rounds in 1 week???  
 
Final Week 27 scores and the results of the Year Long
MGS FORUM MEMBER CUP Points will be posted tomorrow.  

@Golfspy_TCB, will this get updated after week 16?
 

Congrats @Golf2Much!  You know who your main competitor is now, @snicerz could have easily taken the lead with that close of a spread.  Third place was 1481.02 points from runner up, that's HUGE.  I feel honored to be in the top 10 with you all.

Awesome guys, hope to hear more about your adventures with these new irons.  If either of the Paradym X testers decide they aren't the right clubs for them, let me know and I'll help you clear garage space. 

Congrats @Golf2Much!  You know who your main competitor is now, @snicerz could have easily taken the lead with that close of a spread.  Third place was 1481.02 points from runner up, that's HUGE.  I feel honored to be in the top 10 with you all.

Great season everyone and thanks to the Commish for keeping up with all my (and others) hack scores during the season. This was probably my best and only chance to top 10 so I will take it. Really it was just fun to participate. Thankfully my handicap has inflated over the winter (knocking on the door of a 7) so maybe it will get easier to shoot some better scores. Who knows?

@Mr. Mushball you are correct!  Think about it:  38 points over 27 weeks is less than 1.5 points a week!   I was fortunate enough to play three times a week in one of the best weather places in the US between October and March.  The chance I get one good round in a week was pretty good considering weather this winter in the rest of the country.  Like I said...a war of attrition!   We both played well and just got one more slightly better round in over the last 27 weeks.  There's no doubt I expect to see @snicerz at the top of the leaderboard.  He's a great golfer!  That's why I hope we get to play together again in a next two person tournament.  He carried us last month!

Congrats @Golf2Much!  You know who your main competitor is now, @snicerz could have easily taken the lead with that close of a spread.  Third place was 1481.02 points from runner up, that's HUGE.  I feel honored to be in the top 10 with you all.

I think we talked about his shot the week it happened.  But yes, I have played Gearhart, and I know exactly the layout you describe.  It would STILL have to be a big drive to catch that slope just right... perfect scenario and perfect drive.  nicely done JFish 🙂

Congrats @Golf2Much!  You know who your main competitor is now, @snicerz could have easily taken the lead with that close of a spread.  Third place was 1481.02 points from runner up, that's HUGE.  I feel honored to be in the top 10 with you all.

MYGOLFSPY FORUM MEMBER
WEEKLY VIRTUAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR
======================================================
WEEK 27 and SEASON 1 is in the books!! 
What a TREMENDOUS way to end the season - 31 scores posted this month... and over the course of the 27 weeks... 516 individual scores from 49 unique members posted to the MGS Forum Member Weekly Virtual Championship Tour thread.  WOW GUYS!! That is AWESOME.  
Week 27 Results

 
Week 27 Winners
Low Net Score


@fozcycle was back in full force during Week 27 and not letting anyone else even close to his victory march at Silverado.  Foz posted a 78 gross / and is this week's winner of the Low Net Score by 5 strokes with his net 4 under (-4) round.  Stellar Play Foz!.  As you can imagine, he also led the week with 7 net birdies or better - but this week, Foz will be wearing the Low Net Black Jacket Badge on his profile.  Congratulations Foz!!
 
Most Birdies or Better


 
Leaving room to highlight some other great rounds - Foz's 7 net birdies or better was closely followed by @daviddvm and @PeterHenric each posting 6 Net Birdies or Better, and have both won the Birdie Badge for this week.  Great playing guys!!
 
Longest Drive


Soon to be dubbed "The Snicerz Badge".  Several drives this week in the 290+ range - but only one crested the 300 mark.  @snicerz is this week's winner of the Long Drive Badge with a 302 yard drive at Surrey Hills.
Again - Congrats to all this week's winners, and another HUGE thank you to everyone that participated throughout the year.
As such... I thought I would highlight some of the season's best.  
Lowest Net Score of the year was @MattF in Week 3 at Windmill Lakes GC.  Matt carded at Gross 76 / Net 61 - 9 UNDER (-9). 
Most Net Birdies for the whole of Season 1 goes to @Mr. Mushball playing Sah-Hah-Lee in Week 17 with ELEVEN (11) Net Birdies or Better during his round. 
And the Longest Drive of Season 1 was posted in Week 7 at Gearhart Links in Oregon.  @JFish350 must have found Highway 101 with his ball as he carded a 383 yard drive.  What?!?  Yep... 383 yards!
 
Be sure to check out the Season 1 Year Long MGS Forum Cup Points Race thread
for the Final Results and this year's Forum Cup CHAMP - which will be posted later today.  
 
Great Season! 
Excited for all our Season 1 WVCT Players and all the NEW WVCT Players to bring your games in Season 2!!
PLAY OFTEN / POST OFTEN!!
 

This looks to be a course about my speed.  I should make a point to try it out whenever I can get down there next, which isn't often.  I can't hit anything very long and my long clubs are terrible, so a nice short course hits my strengths.  I love these for approach, shortgame and putting practice.  I don't always do well though, those are the areas that suffer most when things are a bit off.

Not sure of your side of the Gorge, but the rain on this side doesn't help either.  I have to call ahead this time of year as most courses around here are punching.  Everytime I think I get a good deal on GN, the greens are punched.  Happened last year at Forest Hills and Eastmoreland.  Fortunately, I seem to putt better on sanded greens. 🤷‍♂️
 

This looks to be a course about my speed.  I should make a point to try it out whenever I can get down there next, which isn't often.  I can't hit anything very long and my long clubs are terrible, so a nice short course hits my strengths.  I love these for approach, shortgame and putting practice.  I don't always do well though, those are the areas that suffer most when things are a bit off.

Not sure of your side of the Gorge, but the rain on this side doesn't help either.  I have to call ahead this time of year as most courses around here are punching.  Everytime I think I get a good deal on GN, the greens are punched.  Happened last year at Forest Hills and Eastmoreland.  Fortunately, I seem to putt better on sanded greens. 🤷‍♂️
 

Rain is not an issue.  It does rain but not constantly like your side of the Cascades.  When it rains, it’s not very hard and doesn’t last very long.  Most courses are sandy soil so soaks in quickly.  Our problem is wind.  When greens are punched and sanded and the wind comes up, the sand blows out of the punches, so it takes longer to heal.  
My wife and I have a full annual membership at our muni, so we play 98% of our local rounds here.  Hard decision to play elsewhere when we have already paid for the year!  We do like to travel to courses outside our area; we have a trip planned for Bend/Redmond/Sisters on May 14.

So the rough average distance of the par 3’s is about 150 yards. Some are longer and a couple are shorter. 
There is a course called Angel Park Cloud 9 that is about 100- 120yards per hole. If you go during the day, there are 12 holes. Night time is only 9. Give that a look when you come. Lots of approach and short game opportunities on that course. 

Not sure of your side of the Gorge, but the rain on this side doesn't help either.  I have to call ahead this time of year as most courses around here are punching.  Everytime I think I get a good deal on GN, the greens are punched.  Happened last year at Forest Hills and Eastmoreland.  Fortunately, I seem to putt better on sanded greens. 🤷‍♂️
 

Date 04/02/2023 Course Name Columbia Point GC Gross Score 83 Course Handicap 5 Gross Strokes over/under par 11 Net Score to Par 6 Net Score 78 Net Birdies or better 3 Longest Drive 219 Difficult conditions on a chilly windy day.  First time I have played our course since they punched the tees, fairways and greens last Monday/Tuesday.  It takes away the best part of my game... chipping and putting.  The wind has blown a lot of the sand out of the plug holes and chips shots land and do strange things; putts don't break like they should.  However, since this was the last week of the Virtual Tournament for the season, I had to get one round in.
Three doubles... all 3-putts!!