AvgGolferinPA

I'm 58 and gave up on my 5i several years ago.  Switched to a 4H and 5H for out of the rough, and some tee shots.  And a 5FW that is awesome off the tee or on off the fairway on a long par 4 or par 5.  Currently thinking about trying out a 7FW or Heavenwood to see how that compares.  

I'm 58 and gave up on my 5i several years ago.  Switched to a 4H and 5H for out of the rough, and some tee shots.  And a 5FW that is awesome off the tee or on off the fairway on a long par 4 or par 5.  Currently thinking about trying out a 7FW or Heavenwood to see how that compares.  

I'm 58 and gave up on my 5i several years ago.  Switched to a 4H and 5H for out of the rough, and some tee shots.  And a 5FW that is awesome off the tee or on off the fairway on a long par 4 or par 5.  Currently thinking about trying out a 7FW or Heavenwood to see how that compares.  

Planning a trip to St Andrews for my son and I in spring 2025.  And I'm curious what others are or have done to prepare for a multi-day, multi round golf trip. 
Travel and course planning is under control.  We're planning to play 1 course per day since I'm getting more experienced (59 years old).  But that could change based on how we feel and time.  Son is 25 so I'm just trying to keep up LOL.  We have done several domestic golf trips so this won't be our first golf trip.  Just first international trip.
What are people doing for physical conditioning and planning in preparation of a busy trip, especially international?  
We live in the northeast so our playing time pre-trip will be limited to a few rounds outside as courses open after the winter.  So more indoor simulator time than actual playing time.  Planning to continue my off-season conditioning, weights, yoga, aerobic, mostly focused on legs and core.  And walking, lots of walking.  Good rain gear, multiple pairs of shoes, and planning for cold and windy conditions.  We're on the fence over driving ourselves or arranging transfers.   
This is likely a once in a lifetime trip, so we want to do this right.  We've visited St Andrews but only for a short time.  Not enough time to play any golf.  This trip is to go inside the fence to play, make some new memories and make our pilgrimage to the home of golf.  

Have embraced both.  My 5W is my favorite from the fairway on a long par 4 or par 5 or even off the tee for position.  Have both a 4H and 5H that are great out of the rough and also off the tee on a long par 3.  Stopped carrying a 5i.  

Hole 5 on our local course.  Relatively short par 4.  Trees down the entire right side that swallow any slice or push right.  Wetland and bunkers down the left that collect anything left.  Long is through the fairway and possibly in the wetland in front of the green.  Green slopes front to back so anything not high and soft will roll off the back.  Anything short and right is lost in wetland.  Miss left ends up in a bunker, with the wetlands just over the green collecting anything thin.  The 2nd shot on this hole is firmly in my head.  I've donated way too many balls to the wetland short and right of the green.  If I could just skip this hole I would.  

Hole 5 on our local course.  Relatively short par 4.  Trees down the entire right side that swallow any slice or push right.  Wetland and bunkers down the left that collect anything left.  Long is through the fairway and possibly in the wetland in front of the green.  Green slopes front to back so anything not high and soft will roll off the back.  Anything short and right is lost in wetland.  Miss left ends up in a bunker, with the wetlands just over the green collecting anything thin.  The 2nd shot on this hole is firmly in my head.  I've donated way too many balls to the wetland short and right of the green.  If I could just skip this hole I would.  

Hole 5 on our local course.  Relatively short par 4.  Trees down the entire right side that swallow any slice or push right.  Wetland and bunkers down the left that collect anything left.  Long is through the fairway and possibly in the wetland in front of the green.  Green slopes front to back so anything not high and soft will roll off the back.  Anything short and right is lost in wetland.  Miss left ends up in a bunker, with the wetlands just over the green collecting anything thin.  The 2nd shot on this hole is firmly in my head.  I've donated way too many balls to the wetland short and right of the green.  If I could just skip this hole I would.  

Hole 5 on our local course.  Relatively short par 4.  Trees down the entire right side that swallow any slice or push right.  Wetland and bunkers down the left that collect anything left.  Long is through the fairway and possibly in the wetland in front of the green.  Green slopes front to back so anything not high and soft will roll off the back.  Anything short and right is lost in wetland.  Miss left ends up in a bunker, with the wetlands just over the green collecting anything thin.  The 2nd shot on this hole is firmly in my head.  I've donated way too many balls to the wetland short and right of the green.  If I could just skip this hole I would.  

Hole 5 on our local course.  Relatively short par 4.  Trees down the entire right side that swallow any slice or push right.  Wetland and bunkers down the left that collect anything left.  Long is through the fairway and possibly in the wetland in front of the green.  Green slopes front to back so anything not high and soft will roll off the back.  Anything short and right is lost in wetland.  Miss left ends up in a bunker, with the wetlands just over the green collecting anything thin.  The 2nd shot on this hole is firmly in my head.  I've donated way too many balls to the wetland short and right of the green.  If I could just skip this hole I would.  

This is probably a little out there, but...
Has anyone ever compared performance of clubs on off center impact?  I'm curious how performance; distance, trajectory off-line, side spin etc, fall off when people like me miss the sweet spot.  Probably could only do this with an Iron Byron machine to be consistent.  Like 10 shots consistent in the sweet spot.  10 shots out near the toe.  10 shots near the hosel.  Maybe 10 shots thin. And see how different club heads perform.  

During winter here in PA we don't have many nice days outside and courses are mostly closed.  So it's an indoor sim or nothing.  I have noticed a claustrophobic swing in a sim with longer clubs.  Split time between the sim at Golf Galaxy and a sports bar with multiple sim hitting bays.  It's fun to play a course on the sim, from perfect lies, no wind, etc.  But I think the bar sim has jacked up numbers, SS, distances, etc.  And the hitting mat has a big worn-down trench where the common hitting spot is.  It is what it is.  Until I can convince my wife to move somewhere warmer 😉

During winter here in PA we don't have many nice days outside and courses are mostly closed.  So it's an indoor sim or nothing.  I have noticed a claustrophobic swing in a sim with longer clubs.  Split time between the sim at Golf Galaxy and a sports bar with multiple sim hitting bays.  It's fun to play a course on the sim, from perfect lies, no wind, etc.  But I think the bar sim has jacked up numbers, SS, distances, etc.  And the hitting mat has a big worn-down trench where the common hitting spot is.  It is what it is.  Until I can convince my wife to move somewhere warmer 😉

Bulle Rock in Havre de Grace, MD. $115. Neat course.

My regular course here in PA tries to stay open until the weather closes in.  They had been closing the tee boxes and moving 1 set of tees forward or to the side to an open area in the rough between the regular tee boxes and the fairway.  Usually not very flat or mowed low like a regular tee box.  At some point this area gets so muddy it's not very usable.  Whatever.  We're still getting to play until the snow starts to fly.  
I'm always walking with a pushcart to stay warm at this point.  

Common sense rules for the rest of us.  Enjoy the round and keep moving forward.  👍

My regular course here in PA tries to stay open until the weather closes in.  They had been closing the tee boxes and moving 1 set of tees forward or to the side to an open area in the rough between the regular tee boxes and the fairway.  Usually not very flat or mowed low like a regular tee box.  At some point this area gets so muddy it's not very usable.  Whatever.  We're still getting to play until the snow starts to fly.  
I'm always walking with a pushcart to stay warm at this point.  

I enjoyed The Match by Mark Frost.  The Appendix at the end describing Marion Hollins' impact creating Cypress Point and Pasatiempo is worth the read as well.  

This.  
I'd like to try playing from a forward tee more often.  Just to work on breaking the mental scoring limits I put on myself.  To have fewer 3 putts, I've been working hard to try and 2 putt every green.  But now I'm stuck 2 putting even when I chip it close.  And not being aggressive enough when I do have scoring chances.  

Paradym drivers starting to show up on Callaway Pre-Owned.  Hmmmm.
I don't need a new driver.
Birthdays coming up.  Paradym or Paradym X?  And best shaft?  Schedule a fitting?
I don't need a new driver.  Repeat.  I don't need a new driver.  

Local bucket list would be any of the big Philadelphia courses, Merion, Aronimink.  
Had a chance to play the Saucon Valley CC Old Course in an outing a few months after the last US Senior Open.  But nerves and the realization of where we were playing got in my head and I played like poop.  Which was so disappointing.  So that feels like unfinished business.  Would like a second chance at that course.  
 

This is probably a little out there, but...
Has anyone ever compared performance of clubs on off center impact?  I'm curious how performance; distance, trajectory off-line, side spin etc, fall off when people like me miss the sweet spot.  Probably could only do this with an Iron Byron machine to be consistent.  Like 10 shots consistent in the sweet spot.  10 shots out near the toe.  10 shots near the hosel.  Maybe 10 shots thin. And see how different club heads perform.  

Paradym drivers starting to show up on Callaway Pre-Owned.  Hmmmm.
I don't need a new driver.
Birthdays coming up.  Paradym or Paradym X?  And best shaft?  Schedule a fitting?
I don't need a new driver.  Repeat.  I don't need a new driver.  

Paradym drivers starting to show up on Callaway Pre-Owned.  Hmmmm.
I don't need a new driver.
Birthdays coming up.  Paradym or Paradym X?  And best shaft?  Schedule a fitting?
I don't need a new driver.  Repeat.  I don't need a new driver.  

Fair.  Some days my swing feels locked in, some days too many swing thoughts in my head to be consistent.  Took 2 lessons in the past year with 2 different instructors, each focused on fixing different issues.  But took things out of both of those lessons that end up conflicting each other.  My fault, should pick one instructor and stick with some simple thoughts and not keep experimenting with swing changes.  
This winter I want to go back to basics, build a repeatable swing and stick with it.  And get off the marketing train and not keep chasing the latest new equipment.  But where's the fun in that LOL.  Need to go back and re-read this in March.