labillyboy

In my world, there are no longer any "spikes" clubs got rid of them to save on their flooring bills a long time ago. I miss the sound of steel on concrete and the grip you got from them. Many younger players never have had the experience of "real" spikes and never will. Too bad, I loved them and used them up until the last day. Still have a brand new pair of Foot Joy classics with steel spikes, unused new in the box. You get poor footing from either molded soles or molded soles with screw on's. Now days, I just swing easier, hit the ball shorter and less accurately and accept it. But boy does the carpet in the clubhouse look better! If it were up to me I'd bring back real steel spikes in a heartbeat. Now that's it's legal to tap down spike marks that is no longer an issue, while the "softspikes" dent up the greens something horrible, when the sun is low you can see all greens today look like waffles. You can't tap down softspike marks, it would be like turning a waffle into a pancake. Maybe we should all go to boat shoes with smooth soles?

I'd love to get a Clone with a hot face.... I once hit a massively oversized driver at a muni with the guy I was playing with, must have been 1000cc's, HUGE. I just bombed the ball with it... Obviously illegal... but a clone that isn't regulation... hmmm. To be fair, I'd buy a real version of the club but use the "hot" one. I honestly could never tell the difference between the real McCoy and a fake. On another note on topic, I do have several real Rolex watches bought at certified Rolex jewelers. I recently bought a clone of one of them, over $1000 but a perfect replica. Why? so I can wear it every day. Walking around Los Angeles with $15,000 or more on your wrist isn't very smart these days. They sit in my safe. If I get robbed, I can easily give up the replica...

When I used to play 3x a week and put in a few hours of practice, I'd wear out my Sand wedge and Lob wedge. I used to just buy the same model/spec about annually to replace the worn out wedge... Now it seems wedge models change more often, so I begin looking once my current SW starts to lose the bottom groves. Now that I only play once a week and rarely practice, it's not an annual replacement, just the normal re-grip on the whole bag. I don't buy the technology stories for wedges, it's all about weight, CoG, length, bounce, loft and grind. Shaft can also affect performance depending on your strike; are you a picker or a digger? Over many years, I know what I like, but it wouldn't necessarily apply to anyone else. The ONLY way to choose wedges is to demo as many as you can paying attention to the specs, not what the back of the head looks like... hit full shots off grass, sand, dirt... chips, pitches... see what spec. does what you want. Not much differentiation in a chunk of steel, just the specs. MHO

I've never worn a bag out. I tend to buy a new, matching staff bag whenever I buy a new set of irons. I get new irons about every 3-4 years, so I have a garage full of nice staff bags and matching irons. I do have a couple carry bags that don't get much use, normally use them when travelling or when going to a club that has caddies (they appreciate it). I bet I have 20 like new bags in my garage...

A Nimitz class carrier is over 364 yards long... into a 30 MPH wind... he might not be able to hit it off the carrier... Would be funny to have the Captain speeding the boat up to keep his ball on the deck.

6 way staff bag always... plenty of room for all your clubs and few extra for practice days. Works great when riding or on a pull cart. Normally a little lighter than a 14 way bag, plus love classic look of a Staff Bag. Much easier to get the clubs in and out of the bag as well. Whenever I buy a new set of irons, I buy a new matching staff bag. The bags always last as long as the irons.

Wow... if I had all that data running around my brain I don't think I could ever pull the trigger. I am a pretty good putter winning my club's putting championship more than once. I rarely 3 putt and drain quite a few long ones. How do I do it? First, I am very good at reading greens, I rarely pick the wrong line. I believe most people who struggle with putting are really struggling with reading putts for both speed and line. Next, I stick with the same putter, I've been using a Scotty Newport forever. I have a few of them but I stick with one "look". I have a routine that does not vary and hasn't for many years. I pick the exact spot I want to hit 6 inches out and roll the ball over that spot. I use a standard grip and a square line up on most putts (open my stance on short right breakers). I take a couple one handed practice swings away from the ball, before setting up to get a feel for the weight. Once I take my stance I look at the hole, then my aim point set my head over the ball and pull the trigger. Been working for over 30 years. I find it amusing to see the pros who change putters, go left hand low, claw grips, long putters... I've done them all fooling around on the practice green of course but would never even think about taking it to the golf course. Keeping it simple frees the mind in my case and I am blessed with some talent evidently...

Desert Dewsweeper is the kind of guy you want to connect with to plan a Palm Springs trip in season... otherwise you'll be paying top dollar for golf.

Palm Springs is most likely to have the best weather, I go there frequently and all I can say is there are more golf courses there than you can get to in a lifetime. Feb. will be high season so you'll be paying top rates which you can mitigate by playing twilight. There are some public courses with reasonable rates, do your shopping for prices, they have packages and if you want to do last minute booking there are a couple outfits that broker times at a pretty good savings. Hanging by the swimming pool bar can be just as good as the golf. If you go to Orlando, just stay at Bay Hill they have great packages to stay on the golf course including meals and golf. I have stayed there going on a dozen times going back to when Arnie would be there every day greeting guests. Still the best deal in Florida. I figure the pros play the course 5 days in row... so can I. Eliminates need for a rental car. Make friends with the locals there and you will probably end up with a dinner invite. You will probably see a few tour pros while there as well. Oh and the caddies are great, lot's of tour stories... This is a bucket list trip. San Diego will be cool that time of year. They have Torrey Pines, Balboa Park, Mission Bay Exec. Course and Coronado. There are also some pricey semi private and resort tracks that are good you can even drive up to Newport Beach where there are several great courses. You could also think about heading down to Ensenada, MX to play Bajamar... Bottom line, you can get a lot of variety here with all price points in play.

I haven't hit a 5 wood in 20 years, long ago added a hybrid to replace the wood. Has anyone spent any time evaluating a 5 wood versus a strong (17 degree) hybrid with what results? This all comes up after I hit a buddies 5 wood and was smoking it. What would be the advantage of a 5 wood? a hybrid? Thoughts?

I've done ball testing for years for a major manufacturer. My biggest fear was putting all 3 balls into a water hazard before I was able to assess them... In one test I had pumped one OB on the second hole, then on the 3rd hole drilled a 3 wood into the lip of a bunker where, despite digging with a sand wedge, we never found it... down to the last tester, I only played it on holes where It would be impossible to lose. Advice for the testers to keep in mind.

Looks great! Very utile. I love indoor simulators, Top Golf, etc. Nice to go out in the garage and hit a few balls. I am lucky living in So. Cal. with a 360 day golf climate, never need to go inside, just hit balls out of my yard into the canyon behind my house using a cheap launch monitor or go to the nearby driving range. My pro has a place in Northern Cal where they get more rain, he put another garage door on the back of his garage which abuts a large field, has heaters and fans to moderate the temperature, with a Trackman it's a great place to work on your swing, able to see ball flight. He and his dog go out and pick up balls every few days when he runs out, the dog picks them up and drops them in the trailer on his little tractor while he drinks beer. It would be cool to have one of these where you can play different courses and have your buddies over. I was in Chicago in winter my Chicago buddies took me to a bar that had these set up inside, leather chairs, bar, etc. Reminded me of bowling... It was funny walking down the sidewalk with golf bags in a blizzard going from the car to the bar... Good luck with your setup as you add improvements!

I am going to buy one. I just haven't seen any model from any manufacturer that has is perfected at any price. I've tried a couple of the high end "follow me" units, they are close but still have bugs that eliminate them at that cost. I can rent a living, breathing bag carrier for $50 without having to carry him from the parking lot and most of the time they follow verbal directions.. THAT is what these electric cart guys need to get to. "bring me my putter"... or at least "bring me my bag", "follow me"... "don't drop my new staff bag in the mud" "what are you smoking?" "no I don't want you to read my putts"...