chisag

... Good point that has been over looked I think. I certainly wouldn't mind some classic rock IF I had to listen to music from someone's cart, but would be very distracted by Rap or Country.

... I was a DJ from 72-82 making my way from Greenville NC to Chicago and have an audiophile music system so clearly I love music. But I am with you on this. So hard to find absolute peace and commune with nature, at least in the Chicago suburbs, so I love the tranquility golf offers. The sounds of the wind, the birds, the frogs and the occasional screech of a hawk is something I love and for me at least, music has no place on a golf course. That said I have been paired up with others that have it on in their cart but I needed to be near it to hear the music so I had no problem with that. Only once was I paired up with some semi-drunk 20 somethings that blared their music, mostly rap, but they were pretty obnoxious in general and I dropped back after 9.

... Had a crazy day on the course yesterday. Started off and my back was pretty stiff and missed the first 3 greens all from within 110 yds and I was;t even close. Got up and down but I really had to grind right out of the gate and the first two holes are very easy. On hole 7 my remote battery cart went down and I had to push it to the clubhouse skipping this hole because it is all uphill and I just wanted to get to level ground. My back got worse. ... So I stretched a bit and we got a cart for the back 9. The wind picked up to at least 15-20mph as a front moved in and I proceeded to hit it to inside of 5 feet on the first 4 holes before the lightening siren sounded. It looked clear with no thunder or rain but we don't fool around with lightening. After the siren cleared us to start playing again we got in 2 more holes and it started to rain! So we had to wait about 20 minutes before resuming play. 6 birdies and 2 bogies but I didn't play the most difficult hole on the course. So many crazy things all happening at once for a memorable if not totally pleasant day. How can you not love this game?

... OK experiment is over and Black Spider is out of the bag. Started the back 9 hitting irons to within 6 feet on the first 5 holes. Obviously not something I am used to seeing but was only able to make 3 out of 5 and one I made was a few inches so basically 2 out of 4. 50% inside 6 feet is awful and I didn't hit the hole on the two I missed. I just don't have any feel with the Spider compared to my old reliable blade that would most likely have been 4 out of 4 because they were easy putts with a gentle break or straight in. ... I think the Spider Tour is a great putter for someone with a more mechanical stroke but it just doesn't seem to work for a feel putter.

... And here is golf, especially equipment, in a nutshell. I have always used a blade 8802 style putter and coming from a Bobby Grace 6330 with a soft face insert so the Spider Black face feels awful to me but I need the toe hang or I would have bought the Red. And my experience is the exact opposite of yours. Short putts are almost automatic but I am still trying to find my range with long putts. It is such a crazy game.

... That is the crazy thing about golf, everyone is different in the way we process information and put it to use and I learned that teaching. A line on the ball has me concentrating on the line on the ball and not the speed. I like to align my ball so it looks blank with logo's and alignment aids down or on the side. So many use a line on their ball with great success and we all have to find what makes sense and what works for us.

... I don't like sight lines or any alignment aides on my putter and I have never used one. We see the line as perpendicular or parallel, meaning you align the putter in your head on the line like a hockey stick or a pool cue. I see it like a hockey stick so the face is what I use to align my putter and I find any alignment is just confusing to my subconscious. I am a very zen like putter and not technical like rolling over a spot, etc. I try to let my brain take in the line kinda like hiking down a rocky path where your are looking ahead but your brain tells your feet where to step without looking down. All I concentrate on is speed and once my brain has taken in the line, I don't think of it again, just the right speed.

... Well my Tour Black passed the first test. I took it and 10 balls to a practice putting green and hit all kinds of putts and the TB rolled great. Distance putts were just as accurate as short putts while uphill and downhill putts worked equally well. I was a little worried about downhill putts but my fears were unfounded. I really am impressed with how the putter head stays on a slightly gated path and never seems to lose it's line. Perhaps it is the weight so far in the back since I have always played a blade putter. Of course the next and biggest test is playing it in a round of golf.

... I use Golfnow quite a bit because their HotDeal rates with a cart are often quite a bit less than the course walking rate. But of course you are under no obligation to take the cart, so I still walk.

... Well I couldn't pass up Budget Golf's 20% off as it applied to the Spider Black Tour. Hopefully I can get most of my money back if it doesn't work as well on real greens with slopes as well as the flat PGA SS greens.

... I have always used a heel shafted 8802 or one very much like it for my entire going career. With a gate stroke it is the only style of putter that works for me. I picked up the Tour Black expecting it to be awful for my stroke and I was completely surprised by the feel, balance and it's ability to just glide back and forward perfectly on path with no manipulation with a slightly gate stroke. Short putts seem to be automatic. ... I hate the idea of having that huge head in my bag but after hitting all lengths of putts with it 4 or 5 times at the PGA SS and the feel, swing path and results are always the same, I am seriously contemplating picking one up. The fact that the practice greens are flat causes me pause and not sure about the ability to cozy up long putts but the accuracy of short and mid range putts are probably going to be the deciding factor. I can honestly say I thought I would be the last guy interested in this strange looking putter.

... I hear ya. Ironically for the first time yesterday I forgot the battery to my remote cart and thankfully/unfortunatly my sons Batboy Quad push cart was in the trunk. I have to admit it took a toll on me by the back 9 and it was radically different than my remote and keeping my spine erect as I walk. I think I have permanently spoiled myself.

... I think you would feel equally energetic if you used a good push cart as you get the same benefits of walking and your neck and back will thank you.

... I had back surgery in 95 and asked my Ortho surgeon what he thought of double strap carry bags, when the double strap was just introduced. He said he LOVED the double strap as it was going to put all 3 of his kids thru college. LOL, the human spine is not meant to carry a heavy bag that puts it in an unnatural position and it just puts a lot of stress on the spine. He said some may go their whole lives carrying a bag with little to no problems but most will end up suffering some sort of back ailment. My best friend in NC coaches the girls high school team and assistant coach of the boys. All the girls use push carts and they won the state championship. But all the boys refuse to push a cart because "it isn't cool". ... But with the advent of push carts it should be irrelevant. I use a remote control cart and love walking the course for 1) my health 2) keeps me more involved in the game and my specific shots 3) keeps my back looser and warmed up and 3) allows me to take in the beauty of nature more than zipping by in a cart. We played yesterday on a course where the distance form green to the next tee can be insanely long and I was fortunate enough to be playing with my son and two of his 20 something friends that took carts. I was able to walk the course like I had a caddy as my pard drove and let me walk but ride the 3 holes with too much distance from green to the next tee. So I stayed loose and relaxed the whole round.

... I think you are definitely in the majority of golfers but probably the minority when it comes to equipment forum golfers.

... Thanks. The Fly Z did that for me several years ago, although spin was a little higher than ideal but mishits typically high and on the toe were almost as long and accurate as center hits and it really improved my driving because I felt free to just let it go and no longer tried to subconsciously steer any of my drives. So far, the Epic seems to be doing the same thing but with a much more ideal spin rate.

... I go to the PGA Show and hit every new driver every year. (I missed this past year due to an injury). Technology is always improving. It is very rare for an older driver to hit on all 4 attributes, but of course possible for a given individual. For years low spin tour performing drivers had a lower loft because they were designed to keep the flight down. For those of us with a 95-105 mph swing and a "normal" trajectory, we could not launch the ball high enough to take advantage of the low spin heads, so we compromised with mid spin heads. Then the SLDR came along with up to 12* and even 14* lofts and we were hitting it higher with more roll and a better AOD even though carry was similar in normal conditions. But the forward CG made it less forgiving than higher spinning heads with the weight low and in the rear. ... But OEMs learned from the success of the SLDR and began R&D for low spin heads with weight low and in the rear creating a new class of lower spin drivers that were also forgiving. I just don't think you will find an older driver with the forgiveness of the Epic/M2, the low spin and the higher trajectory. And as much as we feel technology is maxed out, there will be something in the future that we don't expect and it will make another leap in performance. Of course that performance won't be there for all, but a specific golfer can reap benefits that can mean a few yards in distance and dispersion. Now the argument can be made that the few extra yards and added forgiveness is not worth the difference between a new driver and their old driver, especially at $499.

... I still get a chuckle from those that claim new drivers have been maxed out for years and there is no more yardage out there. I have found most drivers to be a trade off of 1) Distance 2) Trajectory 3) Spin and 4) Forgiveness. For many the SLDR was great for 1 and 2 with higher lofts as well as 3 but was challenged by 4. The Fly Z I played with great success for 3 years was awesome for 2 and 4 and pretty good with 1 but less than ideal for 3. ... I just started playing an Epic 10.5* and so far it seems to be hitting on all 4 and it feels and sounds better than any driver I have hit since my McGregor M85's. I will need more rounds to make sure the results are repetitive but I may have found another 10+ yards that I can reproduce consistently and maybe even more occasionally, all in a forgiving head. Poo-pooing new technology is just short sighted because you can test everything new for several years or more with no better results and then an Epic or M2 comes along that really provides a performance boost. I hope the M2 continues to impress you.

... If ya need a low round for your confidence, Cog Hill #1 is always at your disposal. $20 at twilight on July 4th ain't bad, so with the Mrs it only cost me $40. And we just about had the course to ourselves. That is a bargain in my book. As long as the greens are in decent shape, it is pretty easy to go low there. ... Combined with a new Epic, that to my surprise is longer than I expected, I shot a 68. The first hole, in reality a long par 4 at 490 slowly downhill the entire way masquerading as a par 5 especially downwind, always makes for an easy start. Two really good shots is an opportunity for an eagle, two pretty good shots a birdie but you can even hit a few bad shots with the 200 yd wide opening fairway and still make par. Two holes in particular were key to my low round. Playing #11 I pulled my tee shot into the hazard on the left and had to drop. Hit a 195 yd 5 iron to about 6 feet and made the putt to save par. Learning nothing from the previous hole, I pulled my tee shot again on #12 (where I didn't even need to hit driver but I was on a honeymoon with my Epic) and was against a tree and could only chip backwards into the fairway. Hit a 95yd sw to a few inches and saved par again. Two holes that could have derailed my momentum and really helped me avoid a let down. To be honest I hit too many loose shots to card a 68 and the fact that the rating is 69.7 on a par71 track tells you all you need to know about the course difficulty, but it was still a fun afternoon.

... To nobody in particular, but I am always a little surprised to see the talk about "equipment hype". We don't live in Romania and it is just capitalism at work. I mean you don't see ads for refrigerators saying "we just keep your food cold" or even shirts "we cover your body to keep you warm, nothing more nothing less". Golf equipment isn't any different than any other product sold in the US. I don't think I have ever found any dishonest or hype above and beyond simple sales 101. "longer, straighter, better" and "advanced material design to increase performance" is pretty much standard for every club. ... I piked up an Epic driver after hitting one and loved the look, sound and feel. I will be pleasantly surprised if it produces lower spin like my SLDR combined with the forgiveness of my Fly Z all in one package. And even then I would expect a few more yards and as tight or slightly tighter dispersion. But most likely I will experience a different look, sound and feel with performance pretty much identical to what I have in my bag now and I am OK with that.

... A combination of Chicago Screen Actors Guild.

... Great topic! I have been writing reviews for almost 15 years and try to give it a combination of facts and fun. It isn't easy. One thing I really don't like is reviewers trying to be clever. I always enjoy genuine clever but not when someone is trying to be clever and just isn't. I find quite a few reviews from the MSG staff fall into that category but not here on the forum. I am not a fan of reviews that think the rest of the golfing world share their view. Golf clubs are not sexy, have nothing to do with sex and if they did it would be S&M so I always feel that reviewer needs to actually have sex more often (and with a partner) to have a proper reference point. Reviews need to appeal to a millennial or a get off my lawn senior so don't slant it to a white belt, white shoes and a flat brimmed hat listening to rap on a cart speaker or a khaki, black belt/thin socks and bucket hat player that would only entertain a Sinatra tune and even then only in the clubhouse entertaining a proper scotch with perhaps a splash of water and certainly no ice. ... I also think describing your swing style and making comparisons to others is a big help in reviews. For instance I might say with a smooth swing and transition and a 100mph swing speed the Matrix Black Tie in a M1 felt boardy and produced a low trajectory but someone with a fast transition and/or higher swing speed should demo this combo. And a description of feel and sound is a necessity today. The Fly Z+ was the loudest and most obnoxious head I have hit next to the Sumo SQ yet I have seen some describe it as the best sounding and feeling head they ever hit. While I think the Epic is the best sounding and feeling modern head I have hit, I have heard more than a few say it feels and sounds dead. So I will be more descriptive saying "I grew up with persimmon woods and prefer the deep and dense sound/feel of the Epic but those of you that like a more metallic and explosive sound/feel will probably not like the Epic and might wanna look at the Srixon 545."

"BY FAR the best brewing method for you if you prefer a light (almost tea like) cup of coffee that is very sweet and flavorful, but lacks body is going to be to use a Chemex." ​... I like a light roast but some body and a nice strong flavor, not a light cup like tea. One of the reasons I love Intelligentsia as their light roasts still have a lot of body and flavor and produce a strong cup of coffee. Maybe that is one of the reasons the FP works for me as light roasts in the Keurig were basically flavored water. Thanks for your help.

... Played Settlers Hill in the Chicago suburbs, a course on an old landfill I have not played in probably 10 years. Some nice holes and surprising elevation changes in a flat area. After playing it yesterday I remembered why I don't play there. Circus greens with a ton of humps, mounds and tiers. The good news was they were fast and smooth. The bad news is it was almost impossible to make a putt unless you were straight uphill and with so many mounds and slopes even that wasn't always possible. ... My son had a putt over a tier to a pin on the side of a mound. Came over the tier and it almost dies then took the slope and rolled 20 feet below the cup. Putted back up the hill to an inch right of the hole and then rolled right back to where he was. Repeat and then pick up. Shot a 75 hitting 15 greens in regulation because of silly greens and ridiculous pin placements. I won't be going back.

... Gotcha. That's why they make so many different kinds of irons.