PrayingForPar

Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily go again if it's held at Progressive. I might if it was at an iconic stadium and part of other travel plans. 
Food and refreshments were definitely "stadium pricing"
 

9 hole golf in a baseball stadium? Interesting concept. Let me walk you through my experience at the event in Cleveland and my review of it.
Ordering tickets:
 I did not order the tickets, as they were a gift from my wife. What I do know is you have to order an even number of tickets and they give you options of "tee time". The cost of the tickets depends on what time you select. My wife originally selected 7:30am, but they came back a few weeks later saying that time was not available and offered either a refund or free upgrade to VIP at a different time. I opted for the VIP package, because that was a no brainer. The VIP package includes a free meal, drink, entry to the challenges, and 4 mulligans.
Rules:
 They give you 2 balls/hole (18 for normal, 22 with mulligans) in a draw string bag to carry around the course with you. They set up 9 different tee boxes around the stadium, so be prepared for a bit of walking if you go. There are 4 possible scores on each hole: hole in one, birdie, par, and bogie. A birdie is if your ball stops inside a white ring around the flag, par if you stop on the "green" (marked by white flags and a black line), and bogie if you land anywhere else. You take the best score of your 2 hits. You can bring your own clubs (8-LW only), but they had clubs at each hole to use. The clubs were a mix of Cleveland Zipcore XLs irons and RTX 6 wedges.
Before the round:
 I met my brother in law outside the stadium and entered in the Club area entrance. We signed a waiver and then checked in to receive our tickets. They recommend getting there 30 minutes before your time and since our tee time was early we didn't have any wait. The club area was offering breakfast and the bar was open. Prices for everything were pretty well displayed. The club section is located on the first base line, so we need to walk over to the outfield to find the "starter" and challenges. We decided to wait on the challenges, so went to the starter to get our bag of balls and have them explain the rules. All of the balls were Srixon Soft Feels, but varying colors. After that it was off to Hole 1.
The round:
 A volunteer at each hole would direct us which of the 5 hitting bays to use, which flag to aim for, and what the elevation adjusted yardage was. At each hitting station there was a bag of at least 3 clubs provided by Cleveland Golf. Each hole also had 1 extra bag for women's clubs and an extra bag for lefty clubs. The distances were between 75-123 yards. On the 2 longest holes they did give you an option to aim for a shorter hole with that flag and distance also specified on the board. At hole 9 they would check for any balls you have left and tell you to either hit them all or give them back. You could also drop off the bag if you didn't want to keep it. There was some walking between holes, but 2 bars along the way as well. We never really had to wait at a hole, but I've heard the lines can get long during the busier times.
For those keeping score my brother in law beat me by 1 stroke. I blame it on him having more time to golf since he doesn't have kids 😆

After the round:
We made a full circuit of the stadium, so ended back at the start with the challenges
Closest to the Pin: 107 yard downslope par 3 on a simulator. 2 shots using provided wedges (or your own). Both of my shots I'd be happy with in a normal round, but I wasn't close to winning.
Putting: There were 2 PUTTR Smart putting greens and either an HB Soft 2 - Model 1 (blade) or HB Soft 2 - Model 11 (mallet) to use. Each contestant gets 1 putt from from 6 ft, 1 from 7ft, and so on to 11 ft. It would also tell you to place the ball in the left, right, or middle. Scoring is each foot of the putt is 1 point with a maximum of 51 if you sink them all. 
Driving: Pretty straight forward. Hit 2 balls as far as you can using a Launcher XL 2 set to 10.5 deg loft. The had various shafts to pick from, but no regular stiff. The longest drive on the board was 335, but no one else was above 270. 
We went and had lunch to use the last of our tickets, talked a bit, and then left as there didn't seem to be much else to do other than watch others compete in the challenges.
Review Section
Pros:
It is a unique event Relaxed atmosphere meant most people were just having a good time We were always around the same people which led to some light hearted banter between groups Some cool tee placements. Behind home plate, from the bleachers, behind the bullpen I liked trying out the Cleveland wedges and irons. Cons:
Never found the festival atmosphere they hype up. Maybe its because we were there early in the day and college football games hadn't started by the time we left. Holes 7-8 were right next to each other, so you could tell they had run out of ideas on where to place them. No one is checking tee times, so I could see it getting backed up pretty bad during busier times. It's mentioned all over their website and stadium that they are partnered with Stand Up To Cancer (good), but I couldn't find any information on the internet about how much they donate (bad, imo) On the longer holes it could be difficult to tell where the ball stopped if you were close to the boundary, especially the green area. My final verdict is I'm glad I did it. It was a unique and fun experience. I told my wife that it was a great gift because it's something that I think is cool, but probably wouldn't have bought tickets for myself. If it's coming to your area and you can afford it my recommendation is to do it, even if you're a super serious golfer.

Only reason I'm full PXG is I got a full bag deal after they rolled out Gen 6. The price was way too good to pass up especially after pricing out a bag of various OEMs. I do agree that they make awesome clubs and I was glad I could get past the obnoxious commercials. I'll be going in a different route when I get new wedges ($300 for a single wedge is ridiculous IMO). I will also say their fairway woods are highly underrated.

Nice work! Looks like you're all in on PXG according to your signature. They make awesome clubs and the fitting process is excellent. Let us know how it goes throughout the season. 

Hello fellow Spies. I wanted to give my 2 cents on the new PXG Black Ops driver. I am going to get this out of the way early, yes, the PXG commercials are probably some of the most annoying commercials on TV, but if you can get past that they make some pretty great golf clubs. A little about me: I am currently in the Air Force stationed in Oklahoma, previously Colorado and New York before that. I have a wonderful wife that hasn’t necessarily caught the golf bug, but watching Full Swing has her more interested than she was previously. I also have two young children; my daughter is 3 and my son is 1 so I don’t get out as much as I would like but can still get out once every week or other week to play. I started taking lessons about 2 years ago and my game has improved drastically, going from a 20something handicap down to the 11-12 range. Historically, my game off the tee has been abysmal to say the least. Since taking lessons though I have somewhat cured my slice, but it still leaks in there from time to time. Now my driver game is no longer a weakness and depending on the day it is the strongest part of my game.
Fitting Experience:
I was previously gaming the PXG Gen 5 0311 XF with a Project X HZDRUS Black gen 4 60g 6.0 shaft. I was fit for this driver by PXG, so it was a decent fit for me. I will say that diver was good, not great, but still go the job done. During that fitting we had tinkered with the weights and put more weight in the heel to help with the slice correction. I went in to the PXG fitter to try out the new Black Ops driver with an open mind as I had already tested the Callaway Ai Smoke line and the TaylorMade Qi10. After warming up with my irons and getting a baseline with my gamer driver, we dove into the fitting by using the shaft I previously gamed and a few other stock options. After narrowing the shaft down, I was getting some pretty good numbers. I elected to try the upgrade shafts and did not get along with the Graphite Design options but once we got to the Ventus lineup it was a different story. I initially tried the Ventus Black and it was a very good shaft but the ball flight was way too low so I switched to the Ventus Blue. What a difference. My club head and ball speed both jumped up resulting in longer carry and total yardages but what was much more important was my dispersion was significantly tighter. While I think the stock option would have been fine, I elected to get the Ventus Blue based on the numbers.
Looks and feel:
To me new Black Ops looks significantly better than previous PXG drivers. Gone are the matte crowns and replaced with a gloss head. PXG keeps the “X” alignment aid, and the driver sits well at address. The new face technology produces a much different sound than the previous models, and to me it is a much better sound. Also the headcover is significantly better than the Gen 5 and ditches the camo pattern at the top and opts for a black on black color scheme. A nice bonus feature is the magstick which is a magnet that can stick to an iron or your cart when you take off the cover to head to the tee box.
On Course Performance:
After getting my new driver in I was eager to take it to the course and test it out but life had other plans. I was unable to get to the range and course for a few days but eventually got some range time. I’ll be honest, my first range session was a bit of a mixed bag. Hit a lot of good shots but was also seeing ball flights I was not seeing on the sim during the fitting: mainly a few slices and a few pull hooks but overall it was a great first range session. I was able to get to the course a few days later and was very eager to get to the first tee. The first hole at my home course is a 464 slight dog leg to the right that I typically miss the fairway to the left and end up by the 3rd tee box. I hit the best tee shot I’ve hit on that hole and ended but in the middle of the fairway. The rest of the round was followed by several great tee shots but also a new shot shape for me: a pull hook. I know that is on my swing and not the club but it was refreshing to see more balls hit the fairway and not slice 2 fairways over. After playing a few rounds, I have hit more fairways per round and am hitting it further (which sometimes isn’t the best because I end up in the rough and in bad lies on the doglegs) and am very pleased with this driver. I have also picked up a ton of distance over the Gen 5 and have had several drives around 320 (don't ask how those holes ended with my garbage wedge and putting game)
Final Thoughts:
I am very pleased with this driver and have more confidence on the tee box than ever before. I was skeptical as to how much of a performance difference I would from the same manufacturer over two product cycles, but PXG has done a phenomenal job with this driver.  I can see PXG becoming a serious player in the driver market with this driver. I am a feel player and don't rely on numbers with the exception of the fitting mentioned above, but the confidence I have with this driver is unlike any club I have used previously. I highly recommend at least testing it out if you're in the market for a new driver (PXG is doing the driver challenge until 30 April where if your gamer beats the Black Ops in distance or dispersion they'll give you $200) and if you qualify for their heroes program its a significant discount. I'll have better photos coming but in the mean time here is one with the headcover.
 

Yup. Get a lesson. Get the basics looked at - stance, grip, takeaway, etc.
Why do I say this? Because I spent TWO YEARS fighting a banana slice that made me not want to play. Literally in the first 5 mins of a lesson, the pro showed me how poorly I was set up with my shoulders pointed 40 yards left of my target. I had no choice but to come OTT and wipe across the ball. No single YT vid or internet tip would have helped me with that. That alone made a massive impact in my game.

Ordered new Sub 70 Wedges. JB full groove in 54 & 58 LB. Put in the order 11 days ago and still waiting for them to ship. Having to tell myself, "Good things come to those who wait".

Played my local executive course. Had to get up and down a ton the first 12 holes as my draw wasn't drawing and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, on hole 13 realized I was crowding the ball and not giving myself enough space...Shot even par the rest of the round with a few missed birdie putts. Normally sort that stuff out on the range pre-round but with range balls getting so expensive I skip the range then have a frustrating front 9... Golf is hard.

Played my local executive course. Had to get up and down a ton the first 12 holes as my draw wasn't drawing and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, on hole 13 realized I was crowding the ball and not giving myself enough space...Shot even par the rest of the round with a few missed birdie putts. Normally sort that stuff out on the range pre-round but with range balls getting so expensive I skip the range then have a frustrating front 9... Golf is hard.

I am currently looking around for some lessons. There are quite a few here in SoCal, ranging from club pro's to GolfTech to GolfGalaxy. Would love some insight on the following points from those of you who have taken lessons or are instructors.
Is on course or sim/monitor better? What about online lessons? Same Value? How long of a lesson is necessary? Packages from some of these instructors range from 30 min to 90 minutes. Not sure if more is better? How often should I be planning on seeing an instructor? Can 1 coach tackle every part of my game or should I be looking at instructors for specific areas such as short game & driving? Also, If you are near the Inland Empire and have some specific suggestions on coaches please, let me know!

Ordered new Sub 70 Wedges. JB full groove in 54 & 58 LB. Put in the order 11 days ago and still waiting for them to ship. Having to tell myself, "Good things come to those who wait".

Played my local executive course. Had to get up and down a ton the first 12 holes as my draw wasn't drawing and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, on hole 13 realized I was crowding the ball and not giving myself enough space...Shot even par the rest of the round with a few missed birdie putts. Normally sort that stuff out on the range pre-round but with range balls getting so expensive I skip the range then have a frustrating front 9... Golf is hard.

Ordered new Sub 70 Wedges. JB full groove in 54 & 58 LB. Put in the order 11 days ago and still waiting for them to ship. Having to tell myself, "Good things come to those who wait".

Played my local executive course. Had to get up and down a ton the first 12 holes as my draw wasn't drawing and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, on hole 13 realized I was crowding the ball and not giving myself enough space...Shot even par the rest of the round with a few missed birdie putts. Normally sort that stuff out on the range pre-round but with range balls getting so expensive I skip the range then have a frustrating front 9... Golf is hard.

I don't think I've ever been so excited for a review on a club before. Really looking forward to seeing the reviews for the HT4s as I could easily see myself replacing all 3 of my wedges with these beauties. 
Do these tests typically have a deadline to provide the review(s) for them? 
Congrats to the testers!

I imagine Tom is retired now? Didn't see him in the 50 best or best in each state. Am sure he would have made it. He was the head  of the So.Cal. Golf Association also.
I would love to find out. I imagine you'll be checking out in the low desert, Palm Springs, LaQuinta, etc. Out there, they give lessons at night? Or better yet, at 4-5 am. ???? Yup.... I know the desert. I lived in High Desert long enough to claim the fame of Desert Rat.

Ordered new Sub 70 Wedges. JB full groove in 54 & 58 LB. Put in the order 11 days ago and still waiting for them to ship. Having to tell myself, "Good things come to those who wait".

Played my local executive course. Had to get up and down a ton the first 12 holes as my draw wasn't drawing and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, on hole 13 realized I was crowding the ball and not giving myself enough space...Shot even par the rest of the round with a few missed birdie putts. Normally sort that stuff out on the range pre-round but with range balls getting so expensive I skip the range then have a frustrating front 9... Golf is hard.

@WaffleHouseTour Skillest is very intriguing, especially for full swing coaching. There are so many coaches on there, how did you decide who to go with?
@Louis_Posture Your point of being a PGA player makes sense if I am wanting to get on tour and play professional golf. I am sure they understand what it means to be under pressure and the intricacies of PGA, but just because they can shoot 5 under doesn't mean they can teach me to play like that. If you look at the top 50 teachers in America, it's pretty clear how few of them actually played on tour and they seem to be able to charge hundreds of dollars an hour....
@Old New Golfer Thank you for the suggestion! I am going to look him up.
 

Played my local executive course. Had to get up and down a ton the first 12 holes as my draw wasn't drawing and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, on hole 13 realized I was crowding the ball and not giving myself enough space...Shot even par the rest of the round with a few missed birdie putts. Normally sort that stuff out on the range pre-round but with range balls getting so expensive I skip the range then have a frustrating front 9... Golf is hard.

Ordered new Sub 70 Wedges. JB full groove in 54 & 58 LB. Put in the order 11 days ago and still waiting for them to ship. Having to tell myself, "Good things come to those who wait".

Played my local executive course. Had to get up and down a ton the first 12 holes as my draw wasn't drawing and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, on hole 13 realized I was crowding the ball and not giving myself enough space...Shot even par the rest of the round with a few missed birdie putts. Normally sort that stuff out on the range pre-round but with range balls getting so expensive I skip the range then have a frustrating front 9... Golf is hard.

Ordered new Sub 70 Wedges. JB full groove in 54 & 58 LB. Put in the order 11 days ago and still waiting for them to ship. Having to tell myself, "Good things come to those who wait".

Ordered new Sub 70 Wedges. JB full groove in 54 & 58 LB. Put in the order 11 days ago and still waiting for them to ship. Having to tell myself, "Good things come to those who wait".

Ordered new Sub 70 Wedges. JB full groove in 54 & 58 LB. Put in the order 11 days ago and still waiting for them to ship. Having to tell myself, "Good things come to those who wait".