[Is the 60º wedge really that hard?]

I keep it in my bag for sand. Vokey wedge. Also good for hacking out of tall grass or a blade edge strike out of the rough around the green. 

[Anyone here use grips with a RIB on the underside of the shaft?]

Not as concerned about the line as I am the ability to play in the texas summer and not knock your partners out. 

[Anyone here use grips with a RIB on the underside of the shaft?]

Yes, I like the Winn grips with a mild line. You can always build up the tape on the back. 

[Best Car to Carry Your Clubs?]

I like the one I drive,  17 year old lexus. Long since paid for, big trunk. Let's me buy more clubs that I don't need but want...

[Are OEM's beginning to shoot themselves in the foot with MSRPs?]

I use ebay, and local big box stores like pga or golf galaxy. I recently bought a Titleist VS3 head for $100 and bought a demo shaft, Mitsubishi CK Orange for $120. The pro shop guy gave me 3 adapters and the shaft had a brand new grip on it...$800 driver for $220. Not a bad deal. Reshafted/regripped my fairways and built my iron set similarly. Full retail pr.ice is for the rich guys, waiting for clubs is another issue...I got the driver head in less than a week from Japan (only place they were manufactured and sold).

[Most Personal Club in Your Bag]

Wedges, specifically my 47° Cleveland. Inside 120, my confidence in hitting the green expands exponentially. Everything leading up to this is advancement of the ball towards the hole. Driver and woods aren't that vital to my game mentality. Would be hard to part with my Titleist C16 irons, but not my wedges 

[HOW DO YOU CHOOSE A FAIRWAY WOOD?]

I think forgiveness is the key. If you can consistently hit the club off the deck and get it past 220 yards, it's a good club. The key factor is confidence,  I will pull the club I had the most success with during weekday practice and pre game warmup...be it a long iron or my woods

[Wedge Groove Sharpener]

I like to clean my wedge grooves twice a year. I use my dremel and the groove cutter. Then I go over the face with an orbital sander to smooth the hard lines down. I do not play in sanctioned events so I don't worry about compliance. 

[Maltby TS1 Irons]

Great work, congratulations on a job well done. I learned the game in the 90s working at Goldsmith. Made my first set and enjoyed them for years. Now I  buy used and reshaft. I love the nippon shafts.

[Favorite Texas Course?]

I enjoy playing the old municipal courses that are affordable, obtainable, and historical. Brakenridge in San Antonio (oldest in TX), Lions Municipal in Austin, Memorial Park in Houston. 

[Military Tee Time Website]

I saw a post about Tee Time Apps. Wanted to share this with the group, military tee times .com provides 15% off for veterans and their families. You have to submit proof of service to enroll. I live in Austin and they have multiple courses listed. Alot of courses will give you a discount if you ask...golf has gotten really expensive. Every little bit helps!

[Wedge Groove Sharpener]

I think the whole groove rule is stupid. If I was playing in some type league or amateur system  I would but new wedges. 

I simply maintain my wedges with a groove tool. Twice a year I go over them with my Dremel. Does the ball spin?, not so much. Does it tear up balls? No. So what's the big deal?

[Powerbilt set or Maltby/piecemeal for a tall beginner?]

Getting a complete set is the way to go, find out your club speed and select shafts accordingly. Learning is more about taking control of the aspects of grip, ball position, balance,  and many more. Once you get comfortable and start scoring,  then you can look at upgrading. Focus on learning how to score, advance the ball towards the green, getting the ball on the green and avoiding 3 puts or worse.   Equipment does not make the player, look at all the great players who learned the game with cast-off clubs. Trevino learned the game with a 7 iron he found. 

[Your Golf Equipment Brand History?]

Goldsmith was my introduction set, worked there and got the fever. Built all of my first clubs except wedges and putter.

Moved into Taylormade woods and Titleist irons. Finally put a full Titleist set together and never really looked back. albeit two Cleveland wedges and a Ping putter. 

[In my bag]

I agree with the recommendations to pull the 2 iron. Wedges are cheap on Ebay. You don't have to break the bank to get some Titleist Vokeys or Clevelands in your bag. Spend 8 bucks on Amazon for a copy of Dave Pelz's short game Bible. It will drop your scores if you commit 

[Titleist Introduces New U-505 Utility and T200 Long Irons]

I tested the 500 series, didn't identify any significant improvements from my fairway woods. I found a couple of T200 iron heads in 4 and 5.  I built them with aerotech FC 90 CW stiff shafts, that enable lower ball flight compared to high launch fairway woods.  Time to put in the work and develop a sense of confidence with them on the tee and off the turf. Tight fairways with dry conditions will enable better ball placement and rollout. Gives you options when selecting your irons or fairway woods for different courses and weather conditions. 

[Travel bags]

For air trips: I am a walker,  I bought a old school minimalist type bag and added a four point sling, very light but makes you choose 10 to 12 clubs. I use a travel set of clubs just in case. I made a club protector out of a closet rod and 1/4 inch plywood top plate for a total cost of 4 or 5 bucks.

Bag has room for balls and tees. I pack this in a 52 inch soft side rifle case. When I get a rental, I choose a minivan so my bags fit. Plenty of room in the case to pad the clubs with your traveling clothes. Not as obvious that your playing when on work related trips.

 

[3rd broken shaft]

The last sets of posts make sense. When you reshaft a club, twisting graphite to remove will ruin the old shaft. Torsion breaks the fiber and chemical bonds. Lighter shafts increase swing speed and stress the limit of the material. Good lesson for all to remember.