Alf. S

In the UK Electric Trolleys are really common as a conservative estimate 60% of club golfers use them and the market is dominated by Motocaddy and Powakaddy. Very few people use the top end remote control trolleys I can think of only one member at my club. I'm 61 and play 3 or 4 times a week and I've been using a non-remote electric trolley for over 10 years. My latest trolley is about 5 years old and has a Lithium Ion battery which is still going strong. My last trolley had a lead acid and this was shot after 4 years, but it gave me early warning signs getting slower and struggling over the last few holes, so I replaced the battery. On weight then without battery 20lbs and the Lithium Ion tend to be about 5lbs. If it does conk out it is not easy to push up hill One other feature on my trolley is an automatic mode which you can send the trolley on 10, 20 or 30 yds. I tend to use this a couple of time in a round. Although I play a lot, I have found that if I try to carry I am pretty much spent by the time I get to the 15th, where as with the electric trolley it definitely helps.

I really am all over the place with my scoring at the moment. 17 strokes between my best and worst over the last 2 weeks. Just outside the prizes at the Gents Open at my home course came 8th with top 6 getting prizes and 10th in the scratch. Putting was a real struggle to start with. I had a bad putting day on Tuesday at Broomieknowe where I couldn't read or drop a putt. Did some work at home moving the ball forward in my stance and it made it worse, 3 putted 2, missed a 3 footer for par at 3, over every putt I felt I could miss. Moved it back toward the back foot and started holing more. Although stats don't show it drove the ball well, suffering a little from a push with my shorter irons that I need to work on. One funny on Tuesday, on the last I said to my playing partner. "My Skycaddie says there is a bunker at 242 yds, can you see it?" "No" Driver middled over the top of the trees. "Oh that bunker" as it bounced and rolled right into it. My playing partner then did the exact same thing.

Played again today game is moving in the right direction Drivin still causing me problems but this was mainly due to me coming out of the shot. Remember my description of the 2nd, well cut it down the bank off the tee and made double. Picture below shows the 2nd with the Twilight Zone just above where I played my 3rd shot 3rd again cut and though I had lost my ball right played, realised I was coming out the shot, hit a provisional and drove the green. 4th still a bit concerned about cut so aimed a little to far left and ended up losing the ball. 3 over for the first 4 and 6 over for the remainder. Still tweaking my putting setup had a few good chances for birdie at 2, 10, 14 and 15 missed them all but did make a good one for bogey on 4 after the lost ball. Out again today making the most of the good weather then off into Edinburgh for dinner.

I'm interested what your current ball is and swing speed?

We have the equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle or Twilight Zone at our course, let me try to describe it. The 2nd and 16th run parallel to each other, the 2nd running south to north and the 16th north to south. The 2nd can be a card wrecker it is a narrow fairway that cambers left to right with a steep bank of knee high grass and undergrowth on the right and a steep bank running off to the 16th fairway on the left. To compound this the prevailing wind is left to right. For most golfers who hit it left to right the drive is to aim for the left side of the fairway and look for a cut or wind to bring it back to the fairway. Too far left and you hit the bank on the left and the ball heads on the 16th fairway out of sight. This mysterious Twilight Zone resides on the 16th Fairway about 200yds off the 16th tee and 240 - 260 yds off the 2nd tee. Balls hit off the 2nd just disappear or they miraculously change manufacturer and number (normally changing from Pro V1 to Top Flite). Balls have been known to lie in the fairway for hours unclaimed by the discerning golfer, identified and left with a shrug. Normally these mysterious incidents happen when the mystical Sages of the club are playing the 16th. These old, weathered Sages usual travel around in 4s and come out between 9am to 1pm every weekday to do their ritual course worshipping. They can normally seen scampering off into the distance after one of these incidents and if challenged they will impart some of their knowledge, abridge with some Scottish adjectives and nouns. "I never took your ball, bleep off you bleep" My Callaway turned into a Top Flite today at the 2nd There are also know for their pearls of wisdom and 100% hindsight if you play with one of these Sages. No matter your age after you play a bad shot they can be heard saying "Aye son, I don't think you want to do that" Better day with driver and approach shots today, changed my setup and now hitting the ball a lot better and consistent. Putter setup was a bit iffy on the front 9 missing 3 from inside 4 feet but sorted this out on the back 9.

82 on Saturday medal, still struggling with good scores dropping off my WHS handicap being replaced by mediocre ones. Good day on the greens didn't really miss much. Now using the putt visualisation technique on most putts and trying to forget about the mechanics and it worked on Saturday. Still windy and dry on the course so GIR are a real struggle. But driving was what caused the real damage , OB at 9 and 17 and pull left into woods on 4, accounts for +6 on the card. And the stats show only 2 from 14 fairways hit. Out today for a hit so will see if I can get it sorted before my next counter on Sat.

I’m strugling to understand the organisation of Golf. 1) you have the R&A and the USGA that define the rules of golf and run their respective Opens 2) PGA of America runs the US PGA Championship and Ryder Cup US 3) PGA Tour runs the tour and the Fed Ex, Korn Ferry 4) European Tour runs DP World Tour and Race to Dubai, Challenger Tour 5) WGC events? 6) Ryder Cup Europe? 7) Asia Tour who decides what? World ranking points in particular. What is the hierarchy? Im no great supporter of LIV and where the money comes from but players are making decisions based on cash, which they are entitled to do.

July Medal on Saturday for me and started where I left off last week striking the ball well but started going off the rails at the 9th. Pushed 2nd from A one drive left me short sided and a double. Birdie 10 then a double cross on 11 for a triple. A part from that steady for the rest of the round for a 78 and a cut from 7.1 to 6.6. Playing at Largs GC on Sunday in my 3rd round of the Golf in Scotland series event. Largs was my 1st club when I was a junior so always look forward to it. The greens were the best I played in all year, slick and true. At 6150 yds off the whites not particularly long but the greens are its protection with deceptive burrows and breaks. Came in with 29 points, with my down fall being "Amen Corner" 9, 10 and 11. Off the tee I was cutting the ball and struggled to sort it that left 9 and 10 with long 3h shots in. At the 9th cut the approach and left myself short sided, too smart 3rd into greenside bunker for a blob. 10th setup looking for the cut on my second and went straight into the rough for a lost ball. 2 blobs and a 2 pointer at 11 put an end to me being in contention. Good news is my putting is improving 28 putts on both rounds. "Zen Golf"? One thing from the book I found I used was the visualisation on short breaking putts, which I've always had problems with. Had a couple really quick ones yesterday and holed them both right in the centre. Quiet week this week

I know in the UK they sold Mitsushiba sets back in the early 00s. I bought my son a set of ladies clubs when he was young from one of the big UK sports store it had a similar putter in the set. Found photos of when I sold them, similar putter but PSO-15 c.f. users which is a PSO-18

Played our club quarter final of the fourball better ball last night and got humped 5&4. It was a pretty level game in terms of strokes with me and one of my opponents getting getting 4 and the other 2 guys off scratch. We could have been 3 up after 3 after a lip out, one left hanging over the lip and a miss from 4 feet but that was the last chances we had. Lost 4 to birdie, 5 to birdie, 6 to par, 7 halved in net birdies, lost 8 to birdie, 4 down at the turn. Started being a bit more aggressive, made birdies on 12 and 13 to halve them to eventually falter at 14. they missed their birdie at 14, meaning I had to chip in from about 30 feet birdie or my partner putt from 4 feet both missed. The high handicapper (8) played really well, supported by his partner. On the par 5s he was 2 under and driving the ball long and straight., ditto for his 3w. Onto next year.

2 ball better ball for me on Saturday at home course. Probably had my best striking day for a while, but didn't really hole anything. Leaders were -10 when we went out, thought we had a chance of a prize with a combined better ball of -9, ha ha. Weren't even on the 1st page, 15th when we left the clubhouse. Leaders were -16 off a combined handicap of 24, sigh. And for those following my Mind Games thread, I only had one flare up when I duck hooked my drive off 13.

With my weakness being my approach shots off 7, I consider my short game to be pretty good but can have some bad days. Really only use 2 clubs a 56' wedge and a PW. The majority of shots I play are stiff wristed and try to promoted shoulder turn thru the ball with a quiet bottom half. From around the green my chipping setup is normally off my back foot which promotes the shoulder turn and consistent take away. I look at the chip and the landing area then choose the club that will hopefully get me close to the pin. to run it in I will use the PW, more lofted route 56'. With the 56' I can work it more with the face, opening it for more loft but I try to still keep it off the back foot again for the consistency of swing. Moving further out It tends to be a similar philosophy with course condition dictating the club. I like to fly the ball onto the green and would normally pick my landing spot, then just use visualization with my 56'. Maybe open the face for a more lofted shot in. At the moment with the dry conditions and firm greens this is impractical, even pitching on the front it is near impossible to stop the ball. So I'm dropping it short and looking to run it in, club selection is now down to terrain between me and the green, chip and run in with the PW or 56'. With either I again look at the best landing spot and decide which is more likely to hold the green. Over the years I have noticed if I start setting up further forward the more inconsistent my strikes become, if my wrists come into play again the more inconsistent my strikes become.

Getting thru Zen Golf at the moment and then The 4 Foundations of Golf is next. Used a few of the techniques in Zen Golf and they have helped, some others not so much. The section on thoughts and awareness I think is particularly apted, not just in golf but life in general. When I have a drink the family wait until the "4 Beer Dad" comes out. That tends to be the time that my awareness disappears.

Don’t know if you guys are getting the aerial shots that show the best part of 10 courses looking west up the coast.

Watching the 2nd Round of The Scottish Open I'm feeling somewhat better about my game. They are playing in the conditions that have been present for most of the season in Scotland and struggling. It is our Club Championship tomorrow. My course is about 30 miles up the coast from the Renaissance course and 600 feet higher in altitude off at 11am forecast is sunny and windy. BTW ordered Zen Golf and waiting for it to arrive.

Genesis is not very big in Europe so this must have been an agreement between the tours that a PGA sponsor is used. The old sponsor was Aberdeen Asset Management a large European financial/pension company. They merge with another company and some marketing genius came up with a new company name "abrdn", the joke was they had been disenvoweled. Seems like the wind has been blowing 25 to 30mph all season in Scotland so be interesting to see the scoring.

Thanks for your input and also getting me to look up what YMMV means! Having played the course so much, there are some holes which historically hurt me and I have learn a strategy to play them, others which I term as good birdie opportunities maybe I take for granted but with current conditions can still have a sting, 3, 4 and 12 are definitely in the later category. On Saturday I was 5 over for the 3 of them!! I take Beta Blockers so maybe on golf days I need to double my dose.

I'm assuming your talking about the book by Joseph Parent!

I think my issue is expectations and handling things when they go wrong. My handicap is drifting higher and higher, I put in practise to sort issues that cost me shots, then go out and shoot over 80. An example Saturday started with 2 good pars on 2 hard holes. 3rd 20yds off the green with drive, chip runs thru the green, chip back to 4 feet, miss putt for bogey. 4th good drive, heavy lay up but in the fairway, 110yds out, approach hits bank of the green and goes into a ditch, leads to a double (rage building) 5, 6 and 7 uneventful 8 hit 2 good shots, but end up thru the green with a really tricky chip, hit it the way I want but it sticks on the bank. Results in another double. (Rage beginning to ramp up further) My head has gone at this time, no focus and the world is against me, hole 9 gives me another double. out in 45 => 9 over 10, 11 get up and down for par. (Rage subsiding) 12 good drive but out of position, thread a middled 3w thru the trees, looking for my cut to take it away from the right edge of the bunker. Slight pull puts it in the bunker trapped up the face by the rake, another double ensues (rage building again). I’ve now gone into I don’t give a f.ck and complete the last 6 in 2 over in in 39 => 4 over I sound like really bad company on the course but all the rage is internalised. I may swear at myself when I hit a bad shot, ****** a little at bad luck, but externally then it is over. When things do really get on top of me then I’ll just go quiet. I think I’ll take up yoga.

My brain is fried with golf at the moment, the game is beating me up. I'm hitting the ball well enough, just not scoring, which is frustrating the hell out of me, which during a round affects my scoring, which frustrates the hell out of me, and so on. Golf's Ever Decreasing Circle of Despair Anybody got some good recommendations on books that focus on the psychology of the game and tricks to keep your focus on the game. BTW I'm a fairly objective guy and normally don't let things get on top of me but on the course at the moment I'm like a bear with a sore head.

As a fashion statement no, as a functional necessity in extreme weather then a maybe. In the UK, hardly ever see one. I'm a hats off guy. I only wear a cap to keep the rain off my glasses, a visor occasional in strong sunlight, bobble hat in cold and a bucket in persistent rain once my cap is soaked thru.

Saw this and thought it would be of interest. I've only played 4. St Andrews, Musselburgh, Malta and Winchester.

TLDR: Quiet week, had a bust up with an opponent in a seniors league match, using this a cathartic therapy This week's update gives an entertaining end. Pretty uneventful medal on Saturday, 83 net 76 hitting the ball well but couldn't get up and down. 1st round with a new Ping SIgma G Valour putter and replaced my shanky 5i with an Apex 5h. A bit of bedding in required but happy with my game overall. Tuesday bounce game again the low 80s without really concentrating so again a nice day out with one of my buddies. Today different matter, playing a seniors league match 4BB. Opponent is off 5 so gives me 2 strokes, his partner 10 and mine 13. To put into context having had a dry May and April all courses are playing firie and the conditions today were very calm, so course is playing short . It all starts at the 1st the 5hc guy pulls his approach thru 1 and starts complaining about bouncies but his partner get net birdie and they go one up. We then win the next 5 with me winning 3 of them my partner 2 but loses 2 balls (nature of a high h/c golfer), they win 7 and then my partner has net birdies on 8 and 9 for us to turn 5 up. I was playing well apart from a double at 9 when i got a hard bounce and went thru the green, that made me 3 over. We had been friendly and chatty all the way round but on the way to the 10th the 5hc guy says my partner is never off 19 and his handicap is "Cheating of the highest order". I got to the Tee and was about to hit and stopped, I challenged the guy and asked him to apologise saying calling him out as a cheat is also calling me out as a cheat. It all kicked off, him refusing, me calling him a disgrace to his club. By the 13th it was all over with us winning 6&5. His partner shook our hands and apologised. But I kicked off again, with 5hc guy; I reflected back and noted that he had only parred 2 holes of the 13 and that off 5 maybe he should look at his own game rather than casting accusations based on 9 holes holes of golf but he was having none off it. Anyone that knows me and has played with me would say I amicable Alf, but like the best of us can still curse at myself when I play a bad shot or make a stupid mistake on the course. I have been on the other end of the handicap debate but I suck it up, smile, congratulate the guy. This is the 1st time I have lost my temper with an opponent and hopefully be the last. Thanks for reading!

As mentioned in previous post have been losing club head speed and distance since the start of the season, lying in bed I had an epiphany yesterday. At the end of last season I was a bit inconsistent with my direction control on most of my clubs, GIR was pretty bad when playing full shots into the greens. My main swing thought at the time was at to start the downswing transition with my shoulders i.e lead with my left shoulder, in the winter to try and get better control my swing thought was more on swinging thru with my right side. Yesterday thinking back to previous experience, when I get armsy I lose distance and end up with this high cut that goes nowhere, has my new swing thought caused this? Playing the bounce game yesterday I went back to trying to lead with my left shoulder and the ball seemed to have the fizz off the club face again. Didn't score well, 83, but it was blowing 30mph.

This is my 1st post with the banner specially for you ( I Hope)