BoomerGolfAnon

Fixed! That was strange...

The naked 7 iron is my Tour Striker practice club. It's not legal for play (IIRC). Also, I used my only #7 neoprene cover for my Frankenstein chipper. Basically, it doesn't deserve a cover!

I noticed that, too. No idea what happened; needs investigation. I thought it was just me. I only uploaded the golf bag mage from my box. I thought it came from the site!

Here's my bag as of 30 minutes ago. With the exception of my putter and my chipper, everything else is either: a fairway wood, a vintage persimmon rescue club, or a hollow Hi-Bore iron. Because of this, I also have headcovers for EVERYTHING. 2W - TaylorMade SLDR Mini Driver @ 12* 3W - 2005 Cleveland Launcher Steel @ 15* 5W - 2005 Cleveland Launcher Steel @ 19* 7W - 2008/2009 Cleveland Launcher @ 22* (this is my favorite club) 9W - Adams RPM Redline Low Profile @ 25* (another great fairway wood; currently sporting a #7 headcover) 9W/10W - MG Golf Black Steel @ 28* (The black #9 headcover is correct for this club, but at this loft I consider it more of a 10 wood; if I like the Bang Storm #11 fairway wood @ 31* I just purchased, it will replace this club) 7 Rescue - Vintage persimmon Cobra Baffler @ 27* or 28* (I bought this club for $4.99 at Value Village and restored it; it has an original ladies flex steel shaft; if I like the new vintage Baffler #9 (@ 30* to 34*) I just bought, it will replace this club. I can't find any info on what the 'official' lofts are for these new clubs, so I'll have to figure it out myself once the 'new' one arrives later this week) 4 Iron - Cleveland Launcher HB @ 20* (this is my 'cheaters club' that takes the count to 15; but I need something that goes low to get out from under trees; everything else in my bag goes too high) 8, 9, P, D, S - Cleveland Launcher HB irons and wedges @ 34.5*, 39*, 44*, 49*, 54.5*, respectively. (For some reason, Cleveland calls their 'Gap' wedge a 'Dual' wedge, hence the "D" on the headcover) Chipper - Ancient Confidence 7 iron cavity-back head with a chopped ladies flex Fujikura Vista Pro shaft; I built this club for my wife, but she never used it, so I auditioned it as my chipper, and it won. Awesome Frankenstein scoring club! Putter - Odyssey Stroke Labs #9 @ 34 inches (There's also a Tour Striker practice 7 iron in there) So, that's what's in my bag! Other than the irons and the putter, every other club was purchased at Value Village for less than $13 or from eBay for less than $35. I also have a nice collection of vintage persimmon Gintys that spend time in my bag. I'll post some pictures of them another time. I'll also post additional pictures of the clubs themselves without the headcovers. "Old School" and low-budget FTW!

Best answer so far. Thanks for sharing this anecdote. And yes: I DO need to call the pro and just be honest. As a wise man once said: "The worst he can say is: no!"

Yesterday I dropped off my SLDR Mini and my Aldila Green NV shaft at Puetz Golf in Bellevue. They're doing the swap (which includes trimming the shaft) for $20, plus $8 for the undersized Winn Dri-Tac grip. I'm not adding any counterweights, either. I'm only giving up 5-7 grams with the lighter grip, so I won't sweat the details. Their competitors down the street (Pro Golf Discount) wanted $35 because I "didn't buy the shaft from them"...as if they're going to carry a 15-year old NOS Aldila Green NV 65 shaft! Sorry guys, you've lost my business on this transaction. Puetz will have the club ready tomorrow, but I'll have to wait for a week (or more) to try it out IRL. The Seattle area is currently getting pounded by heavy snow, and even driving ranges are closed down.

Thanks for all the feedback. I think my best bet is to simply start playing more rounds at the local public and municipal courses. Truth be told, I am a committed range rat and I spend way too much time practicing golf instead of playing golf. I guess I'm the Boomer Golf Anon version of the 20-year-old NEET who lives in his parents' basement, playing dank video games all day long instead of interacting with actual humans IRL. If I play as a single to round out a 4some, there's at least the opportunity to meet 3 new people...one of whom may know someone who knows someone...

I'll look into this, but based on their member and guest rules, I have a strong suspicion that "keeping dues in check" is not a priority at Aldarra.

This is another good approach, but it relies on luck and serendipity. You need to be at the right place at the right time with the right group of 'strangers' out on a municipal course. The problem for me is that I'm mostly a range rat, especially now that all the local courses are waterlogged. Separately, I've seen a number of nice cars in the area with 'Aldarra' branded license plate frames. Maybe if I spot one at just the right time in a parking lot, I can cross paths with an actual member and ask him (or her) to tell me about the course, and then hope for the best...

Thanks for the feedback. These are all fair points; however, let me be clear - my goal is to simply play a round of golf at Aldarra for purely selfish reasons. I drive by the damn place EVERY SINGLE TIME I head out to the local public course, and I can't take my eyes off of it. I'm not interested in hob-nobbing with the cognoscenti, either. I also have zero interest in trading "Golf Tips" with insiders, bankers, and stock brokers. For me, it's all about the golf. In fact, if I won the lottery and could join Aldarra tomorrow, I'd still play rounds as a single if possible and I'd stay out of the clubhouse, too. For some, golf is a means to an end. But for me, the golf itself is the end goal. The course sits along the side of the so-called Sammamish Plateau, so there are lots of interesting elevation changes as well. Such dramatic elevation changes are not something I see on most public courses, either. Realistically, I will not be able to afford a membership there (at least until some unknown uncle dies and leaves me a small fortune in his will), but it SHORE would be nice to at least play a round of quality golf at Aldarra just so I can say to myself: "Wow, I played there once way back when..." as I drive by the course on my way to the public driving range at Twin Rivers. A man can dream...

I live in an eastside suburb of Seattle near Issaquah, Washington, and there is a very exclusive, private golf course less than 10 minutes from my home. I drive by this course each time I'm heading out to the local PUBLIC range to hit my daily bucket of balls. This summer, I mustered the courage to drive through the front gate (properly attired) to check things out in person, and I was suitably impressed. Here's a link to the Aldarra Golf Course website: http://www.aldarragolfclub.com/ What are some methods that other folks have used to secure a round of golf at a private course if: A) you're not a member at the private club; and B) you don't know anyone who is a member who could invite you for a round? Who knows: if the stars align properly, I would join in a heartbeat if I had enough disposable cash to do so, but that's not an option for me right now. I wonder whether the folks at Aldarra would laugh at me if I asked for permission to play a round to set the stage for a longer-term goal of saving up enough money to join at some point down the road. Any tips, tricks or suggestions (other than the obvious one of sneaking on to the course armed with a pitching wedge) would be appreciated.

Hello, I recently purchased a used TaylorMade SLDR Mini Driver (12-degrees of loft) and while I LOVE both the head *and* the concept behind this club, I haven't really bonded with the stock shaft which is a Fujikura Speeder 57 regular shaft. Among other things, the diameter on the stock shaft is very big compared to my other fairway woods and it just feels unnaturally oversized at address. I also recently purchased an uncut New-Old Stock green Aldila NV 65 shaft on eBay after I bought some older Cleveland Launcher 2005-2006 fairway woods that were equipped with these shafts. I hit both of these fairway woods (a 15-degree 3 wood and a 19-degree 5 wood) very consistently, so I'd like to get the Aldila NV 65 cut down to size and installed on the SLDR Mini Driver. I have two questions: 1) How much should I expect to pay to get the new shaft installed? I need the old shaft removed, then the new NV 65 shaft needs to get tip trimmed one inch, then butt trimmed to 43.5" (which is standard for the SLDR Mini Driver). I can manage the grip install myself, so that work doesn't need to be done by a big shop or a smaller club builder. 2) Should I be worried about changing the swing weight? Normally, I don't get too worked up about swing weights, but FWIW the two fairway woods I hit really well with this shaft are D1 and D1.5, respectively. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

I've been doing some research to identify a matching set of highly-lofted #11, 13 and 15 fairway woods and I'm looking for some suggestions. I'm a fan of hollow irons, hybrids and fairway woods. This summer at the local Value Village, I stumbled on several excellent 2009 Cleveland Launcher fairway woods as well as an MG Golf #9 Fairway Wood. In addition to my driver, I now have #3, 5, 7 and 9 fairway woods. The 5, 7 and 9 woods have completely replaced my 4, 5, and 6 irons (Cleveland Launcher HiBores from 2018). For me, the highly-lofted fairway woods just perform so much better than equivalent irons - they are easier to hit, and my shots fly higher, farther, and are more accurate. So, now I'd like to replace my 7, 8, and 9 irons. I've narrowed down my search to two vendors. Yukon Shallow Face Fairway Woods https://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/golf-clubs/woods/yukon.shallow.fw Bang Storm Fairway Woods http://www.golfclubsforeless.com/product/bang-storm-fairway-woods/ The Bang Storm offers more lofts (including #17, 19 and 21 woods which can replace wedges); there are also more options for things like spine alignment and vibration dampening inserts compared to the Yukon line. The Yukon line, while offering fewer clubs, reminds me a lot of the old Cobra Baffler rescue club from the 70's and 80's with 2 smallish rails on the sole. And the Yukon site is packed with positive user reviews. Right now, I'm leaning towards the Yukon offerings from PineMeadowGolf. Please weigh in if you have an opinion on either of these lines, or suggest something else.

Where will this be and when?

Thank you for your service. I hear "Chambers Bay" ads on the radio all the time. I need to find a discount coupon, then go there. Tell me about some of your older "Old School" clubs. I'll bet you have a few in reserve.

Thank you for your service. Did you ever play with a Cobra Baffler or a Ginty 7 wood - aka the original "Rescue Clubs"? I've got 2 in my bag. Tell me about some of your "Old School" clubs before TaylorMade forced everyone to upgrade their clubs more often.

Hello there. This is my first post on the site. I promise that subsequent posts will NOT be this long. How long have you been playing golf? I've been playing golf since I was a young kid. Both my dad and my step dad were avoid golfers and both belonged to several country clubs or owned small summer homes on golf courses. When I was in junior high school and high school, I played A LOT of par 3 courses that were within easy biking or driving distance, so my short game and my putting is pretty good. However, until recently I never learned how to hit a driver (or longer fairway woods) with much confidence. To this day, I play with nothing but hybrids, woods and hybridized irons, which I frequently use off the tee. Several months ago, I purchased an entirely new set of clubs for the first time in nearly 20 years. I am now the proud owner of a full set of Cleveland Launcher HB (High Bore) irons (5-9, PW, SW). I also own the Cleveland Launcher HB 4 iron and their Dual (or Gap) wedge, but I recently removed these clubs from my bag to make room for a driver and a 9 wood. Every chance I get, I visit the local Value Village about 10 minutes from my home looking for throw-away bargains. Over just the last month, I've found some gems and diamonds in the rough. I picked up an unused Sun Mountain V1 Speed Cart ($200 new) for $12.99; I bought two unused Cleveland Launcher 2009 fairway woods (a 5 wood and a killer 7 wood) with Fujikura regular shafts for $4.99 each (I loved these clubs so much and hit them so well that this week I bought a matching 3 wood and driver from eBay to round out the set); and two days ago, I found an old See More FGP putter with a pristine milled face and matching leather head cover for $9.99 as well as a vintage Cobra Baffler 7 wood for $1.99 which I'm in the process of refinishing (photos to come later when the project is done). What’s your handicap or normal score? I honestly don't know what my official handicap is as I practice WAY more than I play. One of my goals for 2019 is to figure out what my true handicap is. Because of a long-term (scar-tissue related) inury I have from open-heart surgery when I was a young kid, I'm unable to play more than 9 holes at a time without discomfort, so I'll need to play 10 rounds of 9 holes to establish my first "official" handicap. I've done a few fake projections that put my handicap somewhere near an 18, but I expect than number to go down. What do you love about golf? I love the fact that golf is so multi-faceted, and that to achieve a goal, I often need to the do the opposite of what I'm trying to accomplish I can play the game alone, with friends, or with my wife and boys I can practice by myself in remote parks or at driving ranges and putting greens I can measure my progress with numbers and data I love researching new golf technologies and reading reviews Theoretically, I can play on the same courses as Tour Pros and use some of the same equipment as Tour Pros There are lots of great online forums with a real sense of community While not exactly a year-round sport, golf still provides plenty of opportunities to visit driving ranges or hit balls in public parks in the off season. And if all else fails, I can break out the putter at home and practice sinking 8-footers on a putting carpet in my family room Playing a round of golf is a great form of outdoor exercise, especially if I don't use a golf cart Many of the courses where I live are off-the-charts beautiful I actually enjoy practicing for free at nearby parks and open spaces more than spending $50 (or more) on a round of golf. There's also a certain Zen-like moment that comes from hitting a pure, nearly flawlessly-executed shot with a 7-wood, hearing the swoosh of the swing, and knowing without even looking up that the ball is rocketing skyward and at precisely the location where I aimed it. I'm also continuously intrigued by the Yin and Yang of golf - for example, to hit the ball far, I must hit it slowly and with a smooth tempo. Or, to grip the solidly, I must hold it softly in my hands. There is also room in golf for amateurs, like me, who enjoy swimming against the current and who like to throw aside conventional wisdom and try out new techniques, and then adopt and refine these oddball techniques if they pay dividends. Some examples: In terms of my swing style, I am and have always been a true sweeper. This means that I NEVER take a divot, ever. If I do accidentally take a divot, it means I made a mistake in my swing, and the resulting shot is invariably a poor one. Other than my putter, I have nothing but hybridized irons, rescue clubs (including a NOS Ginty and a Cobra Baffler), and woods in my bag. Even my wedges are hollow hybrids. I use a split hand putting technique in which my hands are widely separated and NEVER touch each other, and I bend over very far when putting, trying to get my head as close to the ball as possible. I generally place the ball in the center of my stance and only adjust my position based on the length of the shaft or to shape the shot. Recently, after injuring the ligaments in my right pinky using the interlocking grip for decades, I switched to the 10-finger baseball grip and have never looked back. I can't imagine using any other grip now. After noticing that I was consistently hitting longer-shafted woods and drivers off the heel or hosel, I started positioning the club up to a full head length BELOW the ball at address. Problem solved! I have a number of different hobbies, but interestingly all of them are relevant to golf in some strange way. In addition to golf (which is my current and daily obsession), I also enjoy flying radio controlled 1-meter bungee-launched gliders as well as flying kites in high winds (this gives me a good sense of what happens to a golf ball in windy and blustery conditions as well as some insight into the overall flight characteristics of golf balls); I enjoy target shooting and trap shooting (these sports have taught me concentration, focus, aiming and alignment techniques, and how to control my breathing and heart rate); I also enjoy playing both acoustic and electric guitars on old tube amplifiers (this has taught me how to tap into my own inner creativity and to do things 'my own way'). Finally, I like to make memes in my spare time. What brings you to MyGolfSpy? Do you already know any other Spies? I have been lurking on the site as an unregistered user for some time, and I finally decided to register so I could join in the fun, get some feedback from other users, and share an occasional golf-related anecdote or two. Where are you from? What is your home course? I like to hit balls and do practice putting at Willows Run golf course in Redmond and at the Twin Rivers golf course in Fall City, Washington. What are the best and worst things about golf in your region? Where I live, it rains a lot (and I mean A LOT). This translates to lush, green fairways most of the year and only a few months of downtime when things really get cold or it snows. I live within 30 minutes driving time of at least a dozen different public golf courses, so I consider myself very fortunate in this regard. What do you do for a living? I am a front-end software engineer with more than quarter century of experience in the field. How’d you pick your user name? I'm BoomerGolfAnon. I am a Boomer (born right at the transition line between Baby Boomers and Gen X'ers); I am also passionate about practicing or researching golf in some way on a daily basis; and I like to keep my actual identity anonymous. I always remember that line from ElastiGirl in 'The Incredibles': "Your identity is your most important possession. Protect it!" Hence: BoomerGolfAnon