Will o'the Glen

I like reading this section of the Forum because it is pretty amazing what a variety of golf gear people use! I am old-school, and kind of a pennypincher, as evidenced by my gear list: Driver – 2007 Callaway Big Bertha Ti454, 10˚ loft, Grafalloy Prolaunch Blue (stiff) shaft. Bought it NOS through eBay from a golf shop in Dallas as a backup to my stock-shaft BB Ti454 (also an eBay purchase), but have swapped it into my bag, and am keeping the stocker as a backup. Fairways – 2007 Big Bertha 3W, 5W. Good matches for my driver. Bought NOS through eBay. Hybrid – Taylormade Burner Superfast 24˚ (5H), stack shaft. Got this with the 4H as a 30-year service award from my company. Irons – Bridgestone J40 DP cavity backs 5 – PW, Project X 5.0 Flighted Rifle shafts. on in an online contest from the Colonial tournament in 2011. Same clubs that Fred Couples uses, though given the relative qualities of his swing and mine, I wonder why I play them! Wedges: Hogan Riviera 50˚ GW – bought used through eBay. Kind of worn, but I like the bounce, and I love old Hogan clubs. I am very consistent with this club, and have resisted chaniging it for something newer, even though someone once told me that it she be hanging over my fireplace instead of in my golf bag. Cleveland RTX4 56˚/10 MID SW – Newest club in my bag, a test club that I liked well enough to swap it in to replace a Miura 1957 K-Grind SW, also a test club. The texturing between the grooves really helps in getting a lot of backspin on the ball. Hogan Sureout 6006 LW – Another NOS purchase through eBay several years ago. Wide, smooth sole makes this a sweet club off of tight lies. Glides over sand, and low bounce makes it easy to open the face for mortar-bomb flop shots when necessary. Putter – I switch off between an old Tight Lies Anser-style blade ($17 on eBay) and a four0year-old Odyssey Tank Cruiser blade (35-year service award from work). Both are bent to 79˚ upright (USGA limit). I have added a 30-gram counterweight in the conventional Winn putter grip on the Tight Lies, and a 50-gram weight to the Odyssey (for its greater head weight) in an Odyssey conventional grip, along with 10-gram/20-gram toe/heel weights. Counterweighting gives both putter great balance.

Will o'the Glen, living in San Jose, CA here. How long have you been playing golf? Bought a set of used clubs in a garage sale in about 2008, went to the range and played a local 9-hole par-3 for a couple of years before I ever played 18. What’s your handicap or normal score? GHIN 25.2 What do you love about golf? The challenge, being outdoors, being with friends & family who share my enjoyment of the game. What brings you to MyGolfSpy? Info exchange, learning more about the gane and the people who play it (and equipment testing opportunities!) Do you already know any other Spies? No Where are you from? Central/Northern California Coast region What is your home course? Don't really have a home course (don't belong to any clubs), but I pay most often at Santa Teresa Golf Club in San Jose. What are the best and worst things about golf in your region? Best: the variety and quality of the courses, and the weather, which allows us to play year-round. Worst: It's all good. What do you do for a living? Mechanical engineer, also freelance golf writer (member GWAA). How’d you pick your user name? It's the name I use on my golf blog, Will o'the Glen on Golf. It's a play on "will o'the wisp" and the name of the neighborhood where I live, Willow Glen, in San Jose.

Gary, California. I currently use the eyeball method, and on-course markers, to get my yardages. I think that technology can be very useful when it comes to managing one's golf game, especially yardage-measuring devices – as long as their use doesn't interfere with pace of play.

Gary California Odyssey Tank Cruiser Frontline 4.0

Gary, California Handicap: 24.3 Current irons: Bridgestone J40 DP with Project X rifle shafts, flex 5.0 Seven iron distance: 145

Tier 1: Dustin Johnson Tier 2: Phil Mickelson Tier 3: Brandt Snedeker Tier 4: Keegan Bradley Tier 5 (other): Viktor Hovland Winning score: -6

Gary California Current putter: Odyssey Tank Cruiser w/50 gram grip weight installed Putting, relatively speaking, a strong part of my game.

Gary, California 24.3, 95 mph Callaway Big Bertha Ti454 Epic Flash Sub Zero

1. Gary; San Jose, CA 1. 24.3 1. Hogan Riviera 50° GW, Cleveland RTX-4 56° SW, Hogan Sure-Out 60° LW 1. 50°, 56°, 60°

Gary California Current driver/shaft/shaft weight: Callaway Big Bertha Ti 454/std shaft/Beats me! Current swing speed: 95 mph

Gary, California 61, 24.8 Bridgestone J40 DP with 5.5 Project X Rifle shafts Don't let the high GHIN # fool you. I tested the original Ft Worth irons for my previous media outlet, Examiner.com. My backup irons are Hogan Apex Edge Plus musclebacks with a sweet spot the size of a nickel. http://willotheglenongolf.blogspot.com/

Gary, California Hogan Riviera GW – 50-deg Miura Series 1957 K-Grind SW – 56-deg Hogan SureOut LW – 60-deg 50, 56, 60

Tier 1: Dustin Johnson Tier 2: Matthew Fitzpatrick Tier 3: Russell Knox Tier 4: Danny Willett Tier 5: Brandon Stone Winning Score: -18

I followed Ping Golf engineer/club designer Marty Jertson for one round at U. S. Open sectional qualifier at Lake Merced Golf Club. Would love to try some irons that he had a hand in designing. Gary California Bridgestone J40 DP/ Project X Flighted 5.0 140 yards

Tier 1: Dustin Johnson Tier 2: Patrick Cantlay Tier 3: Zach Johnson Tier 4: Gary Woodland Tier 5: Phil Mickelson Winning Score: -5