Birdieputt13

We once had a fourth join our threesome. He seemed nice; however, on the thirds hole, he got a call on his cell phone. He actually stood there on the green and chatted with his colleague for several minutes. I finally went over and politely asked him to please move away from the green if he was going to use his phone. Two holes holes later, he asked another member of our group if I was always that "grumpy".

Pace of Play. Play "Ready Golf" all of the time and for goodness sake, don't plumb bob a two foot putt, unless it's for an Eagle. There is NO reason why a round should take much over 4 hours, especially if everyone is riding. If a member of a group looses a ball, have everyone help him/her find their ball. It isn't rocket science. I have played with folks who him their shot, jump into their cart and speed off toward their ball, disregarding the rest of the entire group. That's unacceptable.

Believe it or not, I have a Tom Stewart hickory shafted putter that I inherited from my Grandfather. It has been authenticated by the St. Andrews Golf Company as "most likely" original and was probably manufactured around 1903. I practiced with it for a few weeks and found that I love the feel from a hickory putter. I use it in all Hickory Tournaments and have started using it in regular rounds with my "steel clubs". Like the old Bulls Eye putters, once you get used to the feel, they are hard to put down. My only other putters are a Scotty Cameron Newport II (Tei3), which I've had for a decade and a Pyramid Altec Series, AZ-11

There isn't an accepted "standard"; however, anything beyond one foot is a stretch. Most of the players in our Senior Group (60+ members) putt everything out.

I had a driver fitting at the Club Champion facility in Cary, NC in May, 2019. I was quite disappointed and would NOT recommend Club Champion to anyone. As I arrived for my appointment, the fitter asked me what I needed as I walked in. When I told him that I had an appointment and what my name was, he pointed to a hitting bay and said "Go warm up". He never introduced himself and just walked away. After warming up, he proceeded to fit me for a driver. He seemed disinterested and simply went through the motions. I had worked in the golf industry for seven years and knew something about the process but was disappointed with what Club Champion offers and more importantly, the attitude of some of their employees. Everything is sold "ala carte" and the Taylormade driver I did buy was much more expensive than just going to a Demo Day and being fit there. Ironically, a fellow club member, where I regularly play, also went to the same facility and later told me he would never go back to a Club Champion facility facility again. I have several friends who have gone to True Spec and were fitted for an entire bag and said it was a very pleasant and professional experience.

None of the participants who played in the first LIV tournament were "banned" from the U.S. Open, if they had previously qualified to play at Brookline. The same will hold true for the Open Championship at St. Andrews according to the R & A. The last post indicated that Ian Poulter will be allowed to play in the Scottish Open. My guess, and I'm not an attorney, is that no one will be actually "banned" from playing in any tournament that they have qualified for. As soon as that happens, I suspect Greg Norman and his entourage of lawyers will file multiple lawsuits against whichever tour implemented the "ban". The PGA and WP World Tours are smart enough to know that. I still don't think the LIV tour, despite it's huge purses, is a bona fide threat to either the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour in the long run. Just my two cents.

Thanks Matt. This has become the "go to" club in my bag. I've dropped my USGA handicap 1.2 strokes since I purchased the Camel Toe !!

When one adjusts the loft of a driver, with the adjustment on the hosel, you are actually changing two things. One obviously, is the effective loft of the driver and secondly, and it isn't as obvious, is one is either opening or closing the face angle. When you increase the loft of a driver, you actually close the face angle slightly. It's somewhat counterintuitive but it does change the angle. The opposite is true when one decreases the loft, one opens the face angle slightly. Moving adjustable weights on either side of the driver face is a different matter. One can make the driver close or open slightly at impact, given a consistent swing path, by changing the weights at the heel and toe if your driver is so equipped. When doing a fitting, most launch monitors will indicate the swing path, face angle, etc. which is an invaluable tool in any fitting. Yet another reason to do any club fitting with an accurate launch monitor.

The counterfeit golf club market is alive and well. When I worked golf retail, I saw some really good counterfeit clubs, particularly iron sets. I was taught how to recognize a counterfeit club/set and it wasn't easy. The best counterfeit clubs, at the time, came from China. For the accomplished golfer, who wants the "genuine" product, beware of what's out there. Buy from a reputable dealer or the factory. For those who don't care and simply want to own a "brand name" and not pay full price for it, so be it. As several have mentioned, they will buy a fake Rolex or a Gucci bag and flaunt it to make one think it is real. It isn't and they know it. They have to live with it.

I saw an infomercial for Pyramid Golf's P3 Pharoah wedges. I ignored it at first thinking it was a "gimmick club". After some thought and several e-mails, I got a significant discount on the 50 degree wedge and tried it. Since it has a it has a 60 day return policy, I figured it was a safe "trial". After hitting it on the range and now using it for a dozen rounds, it has replaced my Gap wedge, also with 50 degrees. I'll probably keep it. I love the weighting and with some experimenting, can use it effectively around the green for "bump and run" shots or as a full wedge shot. Has anyone else hit tried any of their products and what were your thoughts ? Thanks, "Birdieputt", on Tobacco Road

I've played Cleveland RTX-4 wedges for several years now and would not change unless the groves became excessively worn. The 54 degree wedge has 10 degrees of bounce and the 58 degree wedge has 9 degrees. Absolutely love them both. Both still have enough spin for my game.

I've played several of the Snell balls and the MTB-X is, in my view, the best of the lot. I usually play a Bridgestone 330-RX but find the Snell MTB-X is just as long, spins nicely and just "feels right". I also find it resists cuts and marking as well as any ball. For the price point, with delivery to your mailbox, it's hard to beat. I just bought two dozen more. Happy Thanksgiving to all !!

Moderators: If we want to change our picks for the 2019 Open Championship contest, can we submit a second entry ? I would assume the last of multiple entries becomes the "official" entry. Is that correct ?

Tier 5 - Chez Reavie Winning Score (-11).