Siamese Moose

Date 07/26/2024 Course Name Indian Ridge Gross Score 77 Course Rating 69.2 Course Slope 120 Gross Strokes over/under par 5 Birdies or better 4 Longest Drive 269 So much improvement! This might be enough to keep me as a single digit for a while. Lost a few strokes down the stretch as my back got sore (a common issue for me), or this could have been exceptional. Lost one birdie that would have certainly gone in if I had pulled the pin, but I don't usually do that from 20'.

I practice at a Toptracer range, and they have a weekly contest that is usually closest to the pin on whatever course the pros just played (the Postage Stamp at Troon this week). Nearly every week it takes a HIO to win, usually about 150 players. That's way too often to be anywhere close to real life odds.

I'm getting them for free, I'll happily take whatever they give me! If I have a choice, it'll be nickel.

When the previous wedges were bent I had a 45° PW, but it was a cavity back. I get a little more yardage out of cavity backs, so I had 3° to the GW, then 4° to the SW, then 6° to the LW. With my new irons I have a 43° PW and a 47.5° GW, and then my TM 52° SW and 58° LW. I'm not concerned about gaps to the LW, as I don't hit full shots with that anyway, but yes, I am a bit concerned about 6° between the gap and sand wedges. However, right now my gaps are pretty tight, only 10-11 yards, so I am open to letting that spread out a bit. I am excited about moving the SW back to 54° (currently 52°). I hope that bit of extra loft makes it more versatile for when I need it in sand (I use the LW in most bunkers).

For fun, I just went through the Vokey online fitting questionaire (https://www.vokey.com/tools/wedge-selector-tool.aspx). What I got was: What is your handicap?: 9 What is the loft of your PW?: 43° What is the highest loft wedge you would like to play?: 58° Which divot most looks like yours with a full swing wedge?: Sweeper What type of shots do you hit with each wedge?: PW: Full Swing, Gap Wedge: Full Swing, Sand Wedge: Full Swing, Around the green, greenside bunker, Lob Wedge: Around the green. Open Face, greenside bunker What is the condition of the fairway on your typical course?: Neutral What is the condition of the bunkers on your typical course?: Firm What is your confidence out of the bunker? Medium I've always considered online questionaires to be just a starting point, not a definitive answer. I will be curious to see how well this matches up in the end.

I feel extremely fortunate to be selected for this test. A big "Thank You" to both MGS and Titleist for this opportunity! My name is Rob Westendorf, I'm 64, retired, and I live in Cincinnati (on the Pebble Creek GC, if you know the area). I played a little in my 20s, but started playing regularly in my 30s (1990s). This past April I started a full bag fitting (3 sessions, at least that was the plan). I ended up with Ping i530 irons, and only hosel adjustments to my woods. We put off the wedge fitting until the irons came in, so we could do a better job on the gapping. However, before that fitting took place I broke my shoulder (and missed the Kings Mill outing!), and only a few weeks ago returned to playing. This opportunity could not be better timed for me! I currently have a 9.4 index, but with my layoff the rust is showing, and I fear I will soon be a double digit handicapper again . My current wedges are Taylor Made Milled Grind (original), 50° (bent to 48°), 54° (bent to 52°), and 58°. The two wedges were bent strong after a year or so to get better gapping. I'm hoping to get the gaps right the first time with this fitting. All are 2° flat. Short game is one of my strengths, but I was already looking for a LW with more heel relief, so I'm really curious to see what grind(s) get picked. My testing plans include Trackman data on both the old and new wedges, lots of time around a few different practice greens, and, of course, on the course. I have been extremely happy with the MG wedges, so there's a high bar of performance for these Vokeys to stay in the bag. The real test will be with the lob wedge around the green, especially opening up the face. I've only casually followed the existing Vokey test thread, so I will go back and read it from the beginning to see if I can glean any insights, or find specific things I need to test for myself. In my regular foursome I'm the only one not already playing Vokey wedges, and the guys regularly give me grief. I'm expecting some serious smack talk when I show up with these! I expect to get my fitting booked as quickly as possible, as soon as we get the details from Titleist. Thanks again to MGS and Titleist! I could not be happier to be picked for this test.

Date 07/19/2024 Course Name The Mill Gross Score 81 Course Rating 68 Course Slope 117 Gross Strokes over/under par 9 Birdies or better 4 Longest Drive 253 Second round post crash, so much better than last week, yet I still left too many strokes out there. I was struggling to finish well, but then birdied the last by sticking a pitch close. Turns out it was a good thing I had the 54° in my hand, and not the 58° that I thought I pulled!

I'd like to see more brands offer higher lofted fairway woods. Most now have a 7, but I'd like to also see 9 woods. I currently use a Cobra F9 ladies 9W head on a fitted shaft, but it would be nice to get rid of the pink colorway.

Tonight's purchase... New Riff is near me, and my wife and I are both members of their Ranger Club. Their 10th anniversary is this week, and as part of that they have a special release of a blended whiskey named Headliner. You had to buy a lottery ticket to get the chance to buy a bottle. (They sold over 3000 tickets at $5, 100% going to charity.) I won a spot, and at $250 (50% going to charity) this is the most expensive bottle I've ever bought. I have bottle #293 of 697. I plan to go back to their bar and buy a shot before I decide if I'm ever going to open it, or stash it and possibly resell it down the line. Of course we had to pick up a couple additional bottles, to lessen the temptation to open the Headliner right away.

Sounds like I should know of him! I'm a trustee at Cincinnati's German Heritage Museum, and a good part of our history is Germans who served in American wars. I'll ask about him at our next board meeting.

Sorry, no, I haven't heard of him.

I've never finished in the top half of any of these contests, but I'm going to break that streak this time! Anything in the top 500 will be a win for me. 1. Cut: +4 Final Round Scoring Average: 71.2

First, he was great to play with. He wasn't very good and he knew it. I think he was just used to asking what his friend (who was much better than him) was hitting, and using the same club. Since I was usually hitting first he'd ask out of habit. The second time he asked and I said 9 iron the look of confusion on his face was priceless.

Date 07/11/2024 Course Name Twin Run Gross Score 91 Course Rating 68 Course Slope 121 Gross Strokes over/under par 19 Net Score to Par 19 Birdies or better 3 Longest Drive 258 First 18 hole round in 2 months, coming off a shoulder injury. I'm still not 100%, and extremely rusty. I said at the beginning of the round I'd be happy to break 90 - well, almost. The score was poor, the day was awesome, and it will only get better from here.

I played today with a twosome the course paired with us. I recently got Ping i530 irons, and the lofts are seriously strong, as in a 43° PW. The first par 3 I hit that PW pin high on the fringe, and the one guy asks me what I hit. I told him, but tried to explain the strong lofts. He wasn't hearing what I said, put back his 8 for the PW, and came up 30 yards short. The next par 3 I hit 9 iron to just below the hole. He asks again, and switches his 7 for his 9, and is seriously short again. Once again I tried to talk lofts, but he didn't want to think there was any way a guy who was a foot shorter than him and 20 years older could hit it longer. His cart partner understood the loft story, and spent a lot of time trying to explain it to him over the next few holes. He did stop asking me what I was hitting.