MarkCrose

I play in a group and on a course where we have earned the right to play as a five some because we walk and play 18 in 3:30-3:45. This is EASILY done if people would pay attention to what they and others are doing and are always ready to hit. We play ready golf, keep moving and all of us will usually shoot in the 70's to mid 80's. If we lose a ball, we lose a ball. We aren't going to waste anytime searching for it after a cursory look in the area we think it is. (My wife will shoot around 105 and still play in under 4 hours...it's called KEEP MOVING! Courses should INSIST players are finished in four hours or less. It would make it more enjoyable for everyone and get more people on the course...a win-win! Pro shops need to educate people on what is expected and how to obtain it. Players who come in over four hours, assuming they aren't held up by people in front of them, should not be able to get tee times until late afternoon so they don't plug up the course for everyone else. Courses have to know that if there first group plays in 5 hours...EVERYONE plays in five hours. That's just plain unacceptable. The penalty for slow play is late tee times. THAT would make some people more aware of what they are doing out there. The problem has to be solved or we will lost players who need to make a round of golf just part of their day, not the entire day. Thanks for helping to shed light on this issue. Mark

AVID golfer (5-7 days a week, weather permitting...right now 30" of snow on the ground is frustrating that AVIDNESS). I've played since I was about 9 years old when my family moved right across the street from Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland. We started getting golf balls in our yard so I cut a hole in the front yard and put a soup can in it and started chipping balls to it. Then I started sneaking on the course at dusk to putt on real greens. When my parents got me a set of clubs...it was all over. Love at first play. Now I live in Redmond Oregon and play FREQUENTLY at Juniper Golf Course and about 10-12 tournaments around the state each year. Travel to Las Vegas once a year for golf with friends who live there, and Scottsdale once a year for golf with friends down there. A highlight was playing in the ESPN National Best Ball Tournament in Florida years ago and finishing 4th with my partner. I'm always interested in equipment and try many different manufacturers. Right now I'm in TaylorMade's camp with an M5 Driver and 3-wood and their P790 irons. Vokey Wedges and Scotty Cameron putter. ProV1 golf balls are my usual choice. Golf Channel is pretty much always on in my office, home and bedroom. I know...I'm a little possessed. I also watch a lot of Mike Malaska on YouTube. I met him when he was out here to open the Nicklaus course at Pronghorn Resort and was immediately tuned in to everything he was teaching in his clinic. It just worked with me. Grew up loving Arnie and Jack, Watson and Watkins, then Tiger and Ernie and now Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and of course, still TIGER. GOAT? Tough one between Jack and Tiger but in terms of winning percentage of tournaments played...until he was injured so often...Tiger was crazy great. Would love to be a tester of equipment. I'm a member at Team Titleist and get to test their newest golf balls every few years. I'm open to all brands for testing. Enjoy reading this entire site and look forward to many more years of it. Mark