tdc1

Tips of my ears will burn in an instant so if UV Index is going to hit 5 during a round, then I wear a hat with a brim. Usually a Field & Stream or Columbia from the fishing section at Dick's Sporting Goods. Otherwise, depengin on the temperature, whatever baseball cap or knit beanie I have at hand. My wife will attest that utility beats fashion in everything I wear on or off the course.

Take that all you 2- and 3-piece balls!

Hmmm. As a long time Sun Mountain push cart user I didn’t realize there was a stigma. The only guff I got about using one was my regular group asking why it took me so long to get one. I prefer to walk with my push cart during posting season (April 1-Oct. 31 here in Michigan). Outside that time I have small carry bag (Sunday El Camino) with a half set. At 72-years old I do make concessions to high temps and humidity but enjoy walking the most.

I had to go back to my profile to see when I joined and was surprised to see it had been so long! I'm pretty sure I joined after seeing an article about MGS and independent/agnostic testing. And I was just a lurker for quite a long time before I took the plunge into posting/commenting. (Glad I did.)

I really enjoy Ball Lab and the results of the larger ball test. No matter how many brands/models you test someone will be disappointed that their favorite ball -- either to use or to deride -- is going to be left out. Like at least some other MSGers, I imagine, the only premium-priced balls I play are the free range kind that roam my home course. The most I have paid for balls is $35/doz for last year's Tour Response Stripe (Mini review: feels good on full and partial shots; goes far enough given my inconsistency; putts well; love the broad stripe as an alignment aid; green stripe not vivid enough so ball can get easily lost in mid-to-long rough) and $30/doz for Mafli Tour and Tour X (haven't used them enough to give a mini review). I appreciate that Tony Covey keeps banging his "soft-is-slow" drum for all y'all swinging driver at 105+. (I'm not even sure my 11-year old four-cylinder Ford Fusion can top 105 any more.) But I appreciate even more being able to have (or find) some information about the balls I see advertised or find on the course. Long way of saying, I've got no vested interests in what you test but hope you'll test a wide variety of balls. Happy testing!

Thanks for the nudge down memory lane! Played 13 courses in 2022 -- more than I would have thought by probably 5-6. Favorite was probably Pilgrim's Run (Pierson, MI). Had heard about it for years but finally got to play it

35+ years ago for me. Easy-Peasy (as long as you follow Dr.’s instructions afterward). Out of commission for 24 hours then back to work. Didn’t play golf then so not sure how long clubs will be sidelined. No funky sling either. Cautionary note: it may still take a little while before you are “clear” — get your samples checked!

I got an e-mail touting the Maxvert driver (Todd Kolb/Vertical Line Swing) as the first (or only) driver designed specifically for amateur golfers. (We can debate that claim separately.) I was struck by the similarity between its inset shaft and the old Cleveland VAS 792 woods and irons. I know the 792s are often the butt of jokes on this site (but also fiercely defended). What I’m curious about is whether or not there is any data (positive or negative) on the effect of inset shaft and the ability to close the clubface at impact.

My least used should be 3 wood from the fairway (just can’t stop myself from trying). Actual least used is probably 6 iron. My 5 hybrid and 6 iron overlap in loft and the hybrid is my default choice. Thinking about replacing the 6 iron with a Ping ChipR.

There are a number of courses within a 30 minute drive of me in mid-Michigan. For the past number of years I have been a member at Riverwood Resort (Mt. Pleasant) which is about a 10-12 minute drive from my house. The "resort" in the title comes from a number of 1-2 bedroom "villa" accommodations on site used by traveling groups, a full restaurant and bar, pro shop, driving range, and 24-lane bowling center. A couple of years ago, the owners bought a second course, The Pines at Lake Isabella, a 15-20 minute drive for me, also with pro shop, restaurant and range. The courses are distinctly different in style. Both courses are included in the membership but there doesn't seem to be a lot of crossover in players -- the Pines folks tend to stay at the Pines (mostly because of the lake community), and the Riverwood folk stay there. Membership includes a bucket of balls each day, and an hour of free bowling that I am making use of on a near daily basis this winter. 2023 membership is $450 walking, $1050 riding -- no additional green fees or restaurant minimums. I feel pretty lucky to have such affordable places to play. And, yes, the season can be short(er) than other places, I still managed to get in the equivalent of 100 rounds last year (first round on April 3, most recent on December 13).

Hard to go wrong with a Sun Mountain in my experience.

Like many of you I will play a ball until lost or scuffed to the point that ball looks chewed — usually 27-36 holes (more if I’m finding fairways and greens). I find that balls I find last significantly longer than balls I actually paid for — don’t know if that is causation or correlation.

Since retiring a few years ago I find myself playing 9 holes more and more often. I get out 5-6 days a week (1-2 @18 holes; 3-4 @9 holes) which satisfies my golfing needs and leaves enough time for the honey-do list. At 71-years old I am often the youngest one in the group of regular playing partners. I walk as often as possible -- full-set with pushcart during official season (April 1-October3), half-set with Sunday carry bag before/after season. At first, I had a similar experience to some others in this thread: my GHIN dropped significantly on the strength of a string of really good 9-hole rounds. I know the USGA is looking at the impact of 9-hole rounds on handicap. I'm hoping that they either bifurcate handicaps (one number based solely on 9-hole rounds and one based solely on 18-hole rounds) or find a way to account for those low 9-hole scores more equitably. Anyway, I'm a fan of playing 9-holes, especially if the choice is nine or none.

I started “playing it forward” (from 6123 yds. to 5563yds.) consistently this year. Most of my regular partners have done the same. As others have pointed out this move has made the game more fun (I can reach 7/8 par 4s in regulation with a tee shot in the fairway!), and more interesting (seeing the course differently than for the past 20+ years). We all have experience playing with folks who overstate their ability, cling to memories of past ability, or equate gender with ability and choose to play from tees that seem, to me, to be longer than their current skill level warrants. But that’s their choice. Just don’t unduly slow the pace of play. Play whatever tees you want, I’ll play whatever tees I want. And, no, I don’t have an unfair advantage in our match. If we both have legitimate GHIN handicaps, then the software will make the course/tee specific calculations for us. (The OP didn’t mention anything about the stakes of the game but . . . .)

I have used the Q-Star Tour Divide a fair amount. Experimented late in the season with those, Maxfli Tour and TM Tour Response (the stripe version). All performed well for me — no clear winner. As others have mentioned, the QST Divide is not as long off the tee with driver as, say, a Pro V but have a bit more pop off the irons for me. Accuracy is slightly higher as well. While I do no have high spin on short shots around the green, I have not found the QST prone to more roll out than other balls in its class. The two-colors give great visual feedback on putting. I also use the divide on the tee if I want a reminder to try to move the ball flight left or right. (My personal data shows that teeing with the yellow side toward me promotes a draw while the orange or blue side toward me promotes a fade. ) Like other matte finish balls, however, the QST Divide can be difficult to keep clean. Durability is not an issue.