Walkin

SmoothG   does that name indicate your tempo? At  a 14 you and with a smooth swing  you can't be missing that many
fairways. Even if you do, that would eliminate problem # 2 lost balls. When you look for yours you will find many extras.  
In my years of playing I have found 10  5 gallon bucket full, that's 330  balls per bucket. To clean them just wrap your
cement mixer blades with synthetic grass. If you play with a group that may not be an option, but if you walk now and then
you'll find plenty. As far as practice goes, you're spot on with the short game, however the long game can be practiced at
home. In my case I just hung a recycled commerical fishing  net ($50.) between to trees and problem solved, also it's great
exercise at a moment's notice. I have confidence that you will figure out your face angle in no time. For me the driver is 
to much fun not to have in my bag. Now tell mama you have business in Paris tn., and I'll buy you a round or 2, and we have
an extra room. However it won't be free, as I'll be sure the lawn needs mowing!!    Friend   Bob
                              ps.    What I have found helpful, is I'll pick out an alignment aid about a foot or so in front of my ball and
take my setup from that. From there I forget about what's "out there" and put a SmoothG movie star swing on it and let the
producers edit in the results. Hope this helps (or at least makes sense).
 
 
 

"The fat guy in the rain coat" Pelzy, if I remember right, stated the guys that could get it up and down from 100 yards and in, were the money makers.  Of course he was a failed professional. So he went to his second love rocket science, so he probably knows something about numbers. I've worn out a couple of his books. I could usually hit (greens) at least a 1/3 and usually more than half, but rarely break 80. One day, I hit (I think) 16 or 17 greens and shot 74.....pretty pathetic if you think about it. If I was teaching, I would start them out around the greens and work back.

I'm surprised the announcement of the results didn't crash the site. I also didn't expect Ping to take home the crown considering all the buzz over the SIM and Mavrik. Guess that goes to show that you gotta watch out for the quiet ones. Congrats to Ping, and thank you to all of those that contributed to the testing.

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I typically wear a polo shirt and shorts when I play golf. I find it comfortable and fits my needs.
I have worn jeans when the temperatures have been low. 
How other players dress does not impact my joy on the course. As long as they are respectful of others.

Let's re-arrange these questions in the order you should be asking them.
Should I get fit for a driver? Is the $100-$150 worth it?  In my opinion, absolutely yes.  From the sound of things you've never been through a quality driver fitting.  Unless you randomly found a great fit with your current driver it's pretty good odds that you are leaving yards on the table.  Start with the driver fitting and that will help answer the remaining questions.
I'm in the market for a SIM driver.  Ok so this one isn't really a question, but how sure are you that you want a SIM?  What if that's not the best driver for you?  Go in to the driver fitting with an open mind and you may end up with the SIM, but it's also possible you end up in something else.  Only you can decide if you just want a SIM or if you want the best driver for your game
Is an aftermarket shaft worth it?  This isn't really a fair question.  There is such a range of shafts out there that any random aftermarket shaft, regardless of cost, is really a crap shoot if it will fit you without going through a driver fitting.  For me personally I found the cost completely worth it.  But I also sourced the shaft myself and built it, so with a used head, used shaft and doing the work myself it ended up costing less than buying a stock new setup. The question isn't "Is an aftermarket shaft worth the cost"  the question should be "Is the best shaft for my game worth the cost?"  Only you can answer that question, and it's entirely possible the best shaft for you is a stock or no up-charge option 
At the end of the day it's your time and money so only you can decide if the costs are worth the performance gains.  But I would absolutely go in for a true quality driver fitting before anything else.  You're going to drop $550 on a new driver, it seems almost fiscally irresponsible to not do a fitting first to make sure you are getting the proper specs and shaft for your game.
Last advice, if an aftermarket shaft is out of your budget I would recommend letting the fitter know that going in.  Almost every OEM has a list of no-upcharge shafts that is larger than the 2 or 3 stock offerings they have in the store.  Just let the fitter know that you are limited in shaft selection to any no up-charge shaft before you start the fitting, a good fitter will be able to work with that.

I would respectfully disagree. I think the short game (in my case 100 yds in) is more exciting because it requires a much higher skill level. But then that's just me. 

I walk everyday bag strapped to my back. I only use a cart when it is part of the deal. Like Twin Cities Golf events all include cart, or free passes where cart is included. or on the rare occasion my wife wants me home early so I need to speed around. This is my exercise for the week so walking is a big part.  

Agreed. Every major manufacturer has already reached max conformity, even pushing pass the legal limit. I think continued development in maintaining forgiveness or ball speeds across the face is the next marketing ploy. This has been the season for putter shafts and golf balls.

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I agree 100% that all drivers produce about the same. I also believe 100% is you can play any driver head (from major brands not Walmart or Target drivers), put a shaft (the engine to the club) that's fitted to you, and produce the same type of numbers. To me the quantifying factor is feel, and which driver head you like the feel of and swing weight the best.

I would delete the  excruciating back pain.

I prefer a long game rather than a short one. Long game is really exciting, more interesting and challenging rather than short one. I've been a fan of golf for many years. I consider myself as a golf nerd. I actually owned a website that creates guide for golf beginners.

Split practice time 60/40 between short and long game. A large portion of the game is played with shorter clubs in your hands. 
 

I wouldn't sweat it. 2019 clubs are just as good as 2020 clubs. I'd imagine you could save a few bucks by buying 2019 models. New clubs are new clubs. Personally, I'd have no problem buying a set of 2017-2018 clubs. Who cares. You're not going to gain anything performance wise by buying the latest and greatest. 

Steve if I were you, I think I would blow off the grips and add extenders. It would cost almost nothing and give you a good idea of where you're at. Also with your large hands you might want to add an extra layer or two of tape  to see if you like the feel. At 6'8" and at 6.5 I don't to  meet you at the course...…………...unless you're buying the beer.

If you are looking for what’s best for your game, go get fit without any biases towards brands. Get the fitters recommendation and then decide. While you can choose brands before getting fit, it is best to be open to everything. I have been surprised by a fitting more than once. 

I would posit that playing IS the best sort of practice.  I haven't been going to the practice areas as much as in the past and replaced those trips with a quick 9 at a par-3 course.  There are actually five par-4 holes ranging from 250yds to 320yds.  The four par-3s are 100yds-160yds.  I have found this more valuable as "practice" than banging away at a bucket of balls.  Like anyone else with a full-time job and limited free time & money, I would much rather be on the course than a driving range.  I understand not everyone has a course like this nearby, but it is a big part of my "practice" strategy.  If you have access to something similar, I highly suggest trying it.
With that having been said, the driving range and chipping/putting green do have their value.  I continue to utilize both for practice.  For example, during a recent stretch of practice rounds I noticed that when I miss a green I had a lot of 15-30 yard pitch/chips with about half carry to the green.  I went and practiced those specific shots to build a little confidence.  I forget where the quote comes from but practice how you play, right? 
I hope that helps a little.

I walk two tracks regularly.
 
Recliner to refrigerator.
 
Recliner to bathroom.
 
Less frequently, I walk from recliner to where the replacement batteries for the remotes are. 
 
Doesn't leave enough in the tank to walk at the golf course.

Welcome to MGS, and great question!
As you mentioned, "good", is a relative term for everyone.
What has helped me has been defining what I want out of golf.  As @SteddyGolf mentioned, this is one of the most difficult sports to master and the game has a way of humbling you time and time again.
Personally, I want golf to provide me an avenue to spend time with my friends and family.  In order for that time to be enjoyable, I cannot allow my ridiculously ego driven expectations for my game to ruin the experience of being with the people I love. 
If I can walk off the course, driving range, or practice green feeling like I had fun and did something to get better, I say that was me being "good" at golf. 
 

Got to cite my sources: Golf Sidekick, Larry Cheung and Every Shot Must Have a Purpose. At the range, take 1/2 my bucket for swing maintenance: hit my primary driving club, hit my favorite mid iron, take one wedge and hit the Pelz wedge system. The next 1/2 of bucket is to play an imaginary round of my favorite course: hit tee shot with my preshot routine , next is the approach shot. I also make myself hit punch shots and pitches if my executed shot would have put me in trouble or short. Always leave last 5 balls for full wedges. Then 10 minutes chipping and putting out my ball and few minutes in sand. I found this helps me be better able to take practice to the course. YMMV

I have been fit for lie, and shaft flex, but I have always bought clubs with stock shafts. I'm a 4 handicap, but I've never paid extra for exotic shafts. I may be an exception, but I just don't see how doubling the price of my clubs is going to make me that much better. I'm sure some players have benefited from such a detailed fitting, but that is just not the way I approach the game.

Good on you for walking away. You’ll always second guess your purchase if you pull the trigger at the expense of a pushy salesman.

Set a realistic goal. A $400 driver shaft upgrade isn’t likely going to make much of a difference in your game.

There’s a lot of loyal Srixon guys here who can give you feedback if you’d like. At the end of the day, get what you want. Good luck.


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