Tom the Golf Nut

My concern is that my dog might be interested in trying to pick up one of those air pod inflators and chew on it. I like the concept but I would like a longer and wider version that you could actually stand on.

My bad didn't look close enough at the dates. I should be around the entire week if any travel it would be to Charlotte. We’ll just stay in touch.

I leave Monday morning for TN for our quarterly sales meetings and will be home sometime on Thursday. I think Friday afternoon would work. But I'll keep you posted.

Knowing your weakness is half the battle. I am by no means a data junkie. I have the equipment to analyze if needed but I know what my weakness is. I find it’s getting harder and harder to maintain my current handicap. Being in my mid 60’s I am loosing distance. This is putting pressure on the weak part of my game which is the 150 to 170 range. It’s not that I’m not working on it but it is an obstacle that I need to find a way to fix. My short game is my go to to save par and make birdies on par 5’s. I am good with my woods which are 7, 5, 3, and the driver. But as anything in golf it’s a work in progress.

Sounds like improper training to me. I have my wife trained. “Honey it’s a nice day aren’t you going golfing” A true golfer does not hesitate. “Yes dear just grabbing a drink and snack for the round” see ya in a few hours.

I'd be worried about all the weight that far behind the rear tire. Might make the front end a little light.

As you age hobbies change. Injury, recovery time, fear of injury, cost of hobbies all add up. When do you realize " Hmmm I can get hurt doing this now" The answer is right after you get hurt. So here goes. Downhill skiing, white water rafting, mountain biking, hunting (gun and archery), range shooting, golf, freshwater fishing. I think I got it all covered, and I was proficient at all of them. Guess what's left? Golf and freshwater fishing. All the rest have been put to rest. Still have all the other equipment. Parting with stuff is a problem for me. Edit: And I don't know how I forgot Motocross, but I stopped that in my later 20's.

Truthfully I don't think you can do it. If you tee off at 7:30 you are looking at a 4-1/2 to 5 hour round. Then a half hour drive and check in, and get on the tee box. That's if all goes well. I would do two things. First find out what the earliest tee time you can get on Tobacco Road is. That will decide if you should try to move your tee time out at Mid South a bit to get some cushion. Both of those courses will give you a workout.

Great to hear. Now you can have some stress free golf rounds without that hanging over your head. See what I did there!

Sorry to hear about your FIL. My Mom passed from the same thing about 10 years ago. She battled hard for 22 years with it. I know what you and your wife were going through. Thoughts and prayers to you all during this difficult time.

The Masters is an experience like no other. I have been fortunate enough to go a few times and I am content to watch it from my couch these days. The attention to detail on the course and the facilities makes you wonder how that can be accomplished. The fairways are like carpet. A perfect lie every time. For the most part the patrons treat this as a hallowed experience. Yes, you will come across the moron who is there for the low-priced beer and to get hammered. I ran across one a few years back. I quote "I don't care about the golf I'm here to get drunk." I moved about 20 yards up the rope to get back to my Zen like experience. I'm a big fan of Tuesday and Wednesday are the best and Thursday is ok. The players are more social and will make eye contact at least. Friday through Sunday this is their job, and you don't even exist. The only negative experience is you are on one hole and the crowd roars from another, and you have no clue what happened unless you are near a leader board and see a number change. I have been to regular tournaments, PGA Championship but I will also get to knock a US Open off my list this year. Shortly after the Kingsmill outing, I'll be attending in Pinehurst. But the Masters is the holy Grail. Did you know that there are tunnels under the course to move equipment back and forth so they don't wear paths on the course? They can also control the temperature of the turf to keep things from freezing or burning up. They have their own nursery and sod farm. Check out some Youtube videos. The guys are blurred out or they get fired for leaking information.

Congratulations testers! Rolling, rolling, rolling, keep those buggies rolling Golf Spies.

Two plastic tees in front right pocket (tall and a shortie) and the ball I’m playing. Front left pocket gathers any plastic tees I find on the course. Right rear pocket holds my divot tool. I mark my score card with the score but on the next line it gets either nothing, a + number or a - number depending on if it is over or under par. Easy adding at the end of my round 72 +or- the total of the second line. Glove stays on the entire round unless it’s hot out. If hot, then in right rear pocket between shots. If I’m not walking then I will keep an extra ball in my front left pocket.

@Berg Ryman first thanks for sharing the "what's in between your ears". I believe there is a time we all go through some of these feelings / thoughts. It's easy for anybody to say let it go but as you know that doesn't work. In your 20's, 30's and 40's it is so much harder because the competitive spirit and testosterone is surging. As you get older it is easier to sit back and say it was just a bad day and let it go. You had a bad first round on your first MGS trip. Guess what so did I. I think I was 13 strokes over my handicap. But each round got better and finally back in the 70's. Face it, if we were perfect, we would be playing on TV every week. As long as you didn't get hurt there is always tomorrow to play and try to improve. I found out that as soon as you start carrying over the disappointment from a bad shot into your next shot, you're done. Anxiety, stress, extra grip pressure, swing thoughts, and now you are destined to fail. You have to step back laugh and reset. I don't care if it is golf, pickleball, fly fishing or whatever. You have to find a way to clear your head. I used to sing classic rock songs in my head to get my mind clear. Whatever you do don't sing country in your head. Your car will be stolen, your horse will die, and your girl will leave you. That's too much baggage on the course. Nobody is perfect all the time it's just a fact. It's how you deal with the disappointment that matters. I play a lot of solo rounds so my competition is myself. I can hit an incredible shot (in my opinion) to save par or make birdie, and I smile. In my head it's wow I pulled that off. If I tried it again and it turned into a bogey or double. Well, hey it was on me, that wasn't the smart play, and s*** happens. Let it go and move on. So, in short if you really want to get better at something you have to stop being hard on yourself and free your mind up. PS: If you are playing the Thursday round it will be a high scoring round so start letting it go now. I have no expectations of myself except for coming out alive

Motocaddy for me. I have the M7 with remote and I couldn't live without the remote.

Frankly, I didn’t know I had it in me either. It was my first attempt at anything like this. Turns out it wasn’t that hard. God bless YouTube! Lots of tips and tricks out there from the model train guys.

I’m done except to remove the dams to hold the epoxy in for the water. Should be dry enough in 24 hours.

Morning all and a happy Easter to those who observe. Starting the day off with a morning round of golf. Heading to the course in a few minutes which is an hour later than usual. But I figured the course would be empty today. Later today the cook fest will begin. Have a great day everyone.

I’m a morning golfer. Tee off before 8am. My course doesn’t allow carts out until 8am but walkers can go out anytime after 7am. We only have a couple walkers and only one likes mornings. I’m usually the first one off and never see anyone. It’s like my own private course. Works great for testing equipment, working on a swing issue, or extra putting practice. Freshly mowed greens, raked bunkers, and me leaving a trail of footsteps up the center of the fairway. I can always tell how well I’m playing by just looking back at my trail in the dew. It’s also the best time to play in July and August. It gets hot and humid. If I want some extra distance then I’ll play an afternoon round just to hit different irons into the green. The fairways get firmer in the afternoon. But the bunkers are full of footprints and the greens have ball marks from the lazy asses.

What course? Your back on Long Island right?

Nice round. Breaking through is the hard part. Now that you have broken 80 the low rounds will be easier. Regardless of whether or not you can post it doesn’t matter. The fact is you know you did it and you can and will do it again.

I knew most had off for Good Friday so I got up early and hit the course around 7:45. It was a chilly 39 degrees when I left the house. There was a frost delay for the grounds crew so they were late getting going. They asked me to start on 5 so I wouldn’t get stuck waiting while the crew mowed the greens. So I was out in front of them with unmowed greens and rooster tails off the ball on the greens that would make a bass boat proud. So 5 through 9 were tough. Only one bird but two bogies. When I got to the back 9 they were out in front of me. I was on a roll with 4 birdies and 1 bogey. Crazy how a mowed green, fresh pin locations, and no dew on the greens can change your round. After the 18th hole I went back and played 1 through 4 to get them all in. They were all pars. But at least my GIR’s are picking back up allowing me opportunities. I might just have to go play again tomorrow. This was my approach on 18. You’ll have to zoom in a bit.

I used to walk a lot then moved to the smoky mountains. I would walk 50 percent of the time. My course had some big elevation changes. Now that I live in south eastern NC I walk all the time. 1) Ditto everyone on comfortable socks and shoes. Puma is the best for me. Fit, comfort, and price. Make sure they are water resistant or water proof. You can get tent water proofing spray from Walmart. 2) For your first walk rent a push cart from the course. Think about your normal score. Subtract 18 and that how many times your going to pick up your bag then the same amount to put down your bag. Lots of side lifting even with a stand bag. A push cart rental is a cheap way of seeing if you like walking. 3) Keep a small first aid pouch in your bag. Regular bandaids and the ones for your heal. Then a few asprin. Eventually you need one of these. Don't wait if you fee something rubbing in your shoe put a bandaid on it. 4) Hydrate and snack. Beef Jerry is good. Keeps your salt intake up. I also like uncrustables PBJ. A bag with a cooler pocket is helpful. 5) If you do get a cart don't skimp. Think about your savings. My course charges $20.00 a round for a cart. I walk around 75 rounds a season. Thats $1500.00 in savings. Also know as a electric push cart or a new set of irons after year one with the savings. My warped way of thinking. 5) If you are walking using a cart path. Keep your cart on the path but walk on the grass. The cart rolls easier on paths but the grass is softer on your feet. It also helps you to not wear your spikes out. My course is a 6-1/2 mile loop. Thats a lot of walking. Already walked 18 today. 6) Don't overload your bag unless its an electric push cart. Keep it light. If carrying your bag use a double strap bag. 7) Enjoy the nature. Look ahead and not at your feet. Plan your next shot before you even get there.

I was just wearing one this morning for golf. It was a Cutter & Buck.