scbelowpar

I always thought the way the handicap came into play was you get a shot on every hole rated your handicap or less. So in this example: Golfer A - 12, gets a shot on holes rated 1-12; Golfer B - 15 gets a shot on holes rated 1-15; Golfer C - 18 get a shot on all the holes. So for the hole rated the 4th hardest, they all get a shot so the score would be even.

Supposedly a draw has more of a top spin to it where as a slice has more of a side spin or backspin. So a draw will roll out farther. Dweed, your post reminds me of Tin Cup and Don Johnson hitting the ball down the road. Still going.

I bought mine from Costco. Paid around $130 for it and it seems to work just fine for me. It has the slope on/off feature. I carry an extra batter in my bag just in case. But this thread got me thinking, what makes a high end rangefinder better than a low end (assuming both are accurate +/- a yard or two)? Am I missing something the $400 rangefinders offer that mine doesn't? I've stood on tee boxes with other people that use other rangefinders and there is never more than a yard or two difference.

Not sure how much this will help as it has been a really long time since my kids first learned how to play golf but I would take them out onto a course, usually late in the afternoon and allow them to just mess around on the course. Obviously nothing destructive or dangerous but things like letting them build little hills in the sand trap and then try to hit out. Or take some really old golf balls and make a contest of hitting balls over a water area. I wanted them to have fun playing on the golf course as opposed to playing golf. If that makes sense. We slowly migrated into actually playing.

For me in Arizona I did this. Probably will work for you as well. Using GHIN (you can google search it), and follow the Get A Handicap Index link. Being in Arizona, it linked me over to the Arizona Golf Association. This then listed a bunch of groups that I could join. So technically I am a member of a men's club. You could also ask the course you play the most if they have a men's club you could join.

Scottsdale in April is not going to be cheap unfortunately. And since you said you have played the big courses, here are some others you might consider in and around the Scottsdale area. Depending upon the area in Scottsdale you are staying and how far of a drive you are willing to make, there might be a few others. McDowell Mountain Ranch Camelback Inn (two courses) TPC Champions course (not the stadium course used for the WM Phoenix Open) Eagle Mountain Sunridge Canyon Orange Tree Stone Creek JW Marriott - Desert Ridge Dove Valley McCormick Ranch (two courses) (I readily admit I am a course snob and this would be a last option for me)

I am a data nerd so for me statistics/data is the best way to determine areas for improvement. But you also need to understand the data. Example, let's say you have a very poor greens in regulation number. Is that because you are constantly hitting your second second shot out of the trees or rough? That would indicate a driver/tee shot issue. Or like others have mentioned in this post, are you shooting for really tight pin placements which could affect GIR numbers. So break down the data to help focus on areas for improvement. You may have a few areas but improvement in one area can lead to improvement in another area.

Always need to be at the course 45 minutes before tee time in order causally hit some balls to warm up and putt a little. Also gives me time to relax and not feel rushed. I always use the same tee if I hit a good tee shot. If I hit a bad tee shot, the tee gets tossed for a new one. Because we all know it's the tee's fault, not my swing. LOL I always tee the ball with the logo/brand facing front/back so when I strike the ball, I hit the logo/brand with the club face. Right front pocket - a divot tool, tee's, ball marker I won't play colored golf balls Always wipe the club after every shot regardless if it is dirty or not. Man I have a lot of OCD issues.

ChaosReigns, not sure if this applies but do you have other TaylorMade driver(s) that you like? It is possible to pull the shaft from an older driver and use it in the newer driver. There is a limit on how old the driver can be. Something like an M2 or M3 etc. but don't quote me on that.

My two cents worth. Go visit a golf store that does fittings (PGA Superstore or 2nd swing come to mind) and have them fit you for a shaft for that very specific driver head based on YOUR swing.

Vicki, welcome to the US. I don't know much about the courses in Palm Springs but I do know about them in Arizona, specifically the Phoenix area and a little bit of Tucson. As for reservations, I am not a fan of GolfNow as I hate having to pay their "convenience" fee so I usually go straight to the courses website but I do understand GolfNow sometimes has good deals. On a side note, since you are going to be here in June, I know this will sound strange but start drinking lots of water before you get here so you will be hydrated. Heat stroke/heat exhaustion is a very real thing and will put a damper on your trip.

If I could add something here, don't be afraid to take a divot. A lot of people think they need to "help" the ball get into the air so they are afraid to take a divot and lift up on the ball. Never try to help the ball, let the club do the work and part of that is being ok with taking divots.

This was a very interesting article to read as well as all the comments. While I had never heard of the rule of 12, I was taught at a young age to always chip instead of pitch when possible. By chipping you eliminate more variables such bad bounces, the ball stopping quickly, how high to hit the ball, etc. I was also taught to imagine a 7 foot circle around the cup and try to get the ball into the circle. It's a lot easier to get a ball into a 14 foot diameter circle than next to a tiny cup. In my opinion, a great way to put the chip vs pitch into perspective is to think about this. If I gave you two golf balls and told you to toss one up high in the air and the other one roll it like a bowling ball, which one do you think would end up closer to the hole? Probably more times than not, the one you rolled.

100% agree with chris_ on these courses. Quintero and Wickenburg Ranch are a drive so plan accordingly. 1. Quintero/Wick 2. WekoPa/Troon 3. Greyhawk

In addition to the ones already mentioned, here are some others. And like previously mentioned, the costs will be on the higher side. Welcome to Scottsdale/Phoenix golf in the "winter". The Boulders (North Scottsdale) Camelback Inn (there are two courses. I haven't played there in years so can't speak to how good they are). Dove Valley (North Phoenix) JW Marriott - Desert Ridge Stone Creek McDowell Mountain Ranch Talking Stick