downlowkey

I only played it once. Close to Spring Branch, right? Pretty sure it was some kind of USGA qualifier. I remember it being a really tough track.

Definitely my weirdest birdie. It's a really tight 340ish par 4. Hit a decent 3 iron on my first tee ball, but it clipped the path and kicked straight right OB. So now I'm thinking hit the dog up there far as possible for a scrambling bogey. Cold rope one over the hill but we can't see the front of the green where the hole is located. Looked for it everywhere but the hole for 5 minutes, about to walk back to the tee when my teammate looks in the cup and says, "You were playing a Titleist 3 with blue ink right?" [emoji15]

Dealing with that much upslope, I've learned it's easier to play for the yank than fight it. That mental adjustment has also probably saved me some chiropractic adjustments.

When are we going to get our first ace? I've had 20+ quite literally hanging over the lip and (4) Par 5 double eagles over that past 10 years. Kind of like your situation, I made 3 on the par 4, 4th at the Bandit after hitting my 1st tee ball OB. Yep, that happened. I don't think I'll ever make one.

Is it safe to say the turf is a little sloppy in your neck of the woods this time of year? It definitely is at my course. I used to exclusively play a steep, edge down, high spin short game. And when that was my only system I would have a lot of trouble with mushy turf. I have since learned to use the bounce more and get kinda shallow and splashy with a mushy lie for example. On the mental side, unless there is danger lurking long, I try to commit to a target 3 feet beyond the hole any time the lie is less than ideal. You're much more likely to accelerate through impact and make quality contact. If it comes out a little dead due to the suspect lie, you still end up close to the hole. Finally, you already said it, practice exclusively non-preferred lies and you will be amazed how fast your short game improves. Falling in love with my short game practice (no $$$ for green fees) over one Summer, took me from putt 'em out 75 to 70 and kept it there for 5 years with minimal maintenance.

Affirmative on the potential for creativity. Seems like a great natural links design with at least some of it cut out of the trees. Looks really, really good to me.

That track looks really interesting.

Sounds like two parties sitting down at the negotiating table. Any ideas for Rule 1-3, Intergroup Etiquette, Plaid?

I think the way you guys have succinctly squared off on this really cuts to the heart of the matter. From this foundation I think the MGS community can develop an outline for modern golf etiquette as it relates to the enjoyment of the greater golfing community. First let's talk about enjoyment. I enjoy playing pristine golf courses first and foremost. Something like 25% of 18-35 year olds surveyed indicated they preferred music. So 25 year old gets scolded for musical tastes, stops both playing golf and convincing his buddies to join him once a month. The industry loses a large part of the demographic, golf courses book fewer rounds, course conditions suffer, courses eventually shut down, you only get to enjoy watching golf on TV. I know that's an extreme example of the long game the industry is fighting but it's not an inconceivable scenario. And to those of you saying the general lowbrowing is spoiling the game, I know it hurts to hear (it hurts me too) but you (we) are not the future of the game. Instead of collectively living through the twilight of the greatest game ever played let's establish a modern etiquette guide and hold on to the idea that we can grow the game together. Rule 1 - Ambient noise emanating from an electronic device during stipulated play 1-1 Subject Matter: No music of a nature that could be construed as profane should ever be broadcast in a public forum regardless of the group preference due to unintended exposure and offense (women, children, etc). 1-2 Volume: The personal space you claim on a golf course extends in both directions. (i.e. If you consider a ball from another group coming to rest within 30 yards of your position a breach of etiquette so should you consider audible sound from your device outside of a 30 yard radius a breach of etiquette. This is obviously just my opinion. Who wants to take rule 1-3???

You successfully lobbied to have people disqualified, presumably on more than one occasion, for playing music? I need to hear more about this. Match play is only loss of hole and stroke play would be a 2 stroke penalty assessment prior to DQ. Furthermore, I still see ambiguity in 14-3/17. To me the current writing strays into the problem of ambiguous intent. States there is no penalty for me listening to a sports broadcast between shots. But if I'm sweating a Longhorns football game and hearing score updates calms me down, that would seem to qualify as "generally assisting my play". Alternately, I could argue that listening to music only between shots as a simple music lover doesn't "generally assist my play" and doesn't merit a penalty assessment. That means I could blare my music (I don't normally listen to music either) loud as I want, mute it before making a stroke and then crank it up again, no penalty. I could maybe see a DQ under a local etiquette ruling but facilities actually enforcing those typically extend etiquette in the form of a warning prior to additional action.

Played Indian Peaks today, fun track with incredible views of the Rockies. Ugly double from the middle of the fairway on #1. Worked it back to even through #17 and finished level. 12/14 fairways, 15/18 greens. Left half a dozen birds out there but pleasantly surprised how well the suspect shoulder feels after a full loop.

Not to reopen old wounds but get your hands on a BG "Monet" blade and thank me later.

If he weren't regularly undergoing invasive spine surgeries I'd have bet the farm TW's back pain was a psychosomatic manifestation of his fall from most famous/beloved/infallible sporting athlete in history to the even more famous/flawed fodder for bad late night talk show jokes. While TW is the only one that can truly speak to your question, I think the back injury has been undeniably more mentally detrimental. And I focus on that because it has given him an excuse on which to place cause for all his performance woes but even more importantly, it has steered the narrative away from "Can the guy who never missed inside 10 feet still make 'em when he knows that most folks no longer see him as a god?" I hope TW starts asking himself the right questions about the areas his game is suffering most. As long he cares what people think about his public indiscretions, he's doomed to dig deep and find all that's waiting is a very injured ego.

Stopped by my club just North of Denver today wanting to put in some short game work. The place was deserted except for the Pro doing some construction in the shop. Range was open, mats only. But weather permitting they are hoping to re-open the 5 hole loop on the back tomorrow. Supposed to be 56 and sunny here mañana and I'm itching to tee it up.

Peanut Feleena looking thrilled about the impending chilly stroll to the brewery down the street.

DAWG >saving my Big ups!