[Music on the Golf Course?]

I've been known to dance around my cart to a really good song.

[Random Thread]

15 hours ago, GaryF said:

I’ll offer another view point but preface it with, by choice, I have limited competitive golf in my background and for the foreseeable future will remain that way. I have played other sports competitively most notably I played baseball thru post-college.  I was predominantly a pitcher (and some inf and OF).  Being only 5-9, I HAD to prove myself every day.  I was described as intense - it’s just how I developed as a competitor, and I even practiced with intensity. 

When I have competed in golf, I’m pretty focused.  I might exchange some pleasantries after tee shots for a short distance, but from then on, I’m thinking about my next shot.  Play my game and not allow myself to be distracted.  My opponent barely exists, not because of gender, but just how I focus.  If they hit a good shot, I’ll acknowledge it, etc., but I’m there to compete. And win.

I don’t really want that kind of competition at this point, so  I prefer to play recreationally, but I still bring a pretty high degree of focus, and I block a lot of stuff out.  

Now, as for your opponent that you described as upset, complaining, body language, etc….I’m not a fan of this, but don’t underestimate the tactics that others may employ in a competition, including tactics to take up real estate in their opponents head.  If a player gets in their opponents head, they have gained an edge.   One of the best tools one has has is the ability to control their own thoughts and emotions.   Control what you can control, the rest is just noise. 

I had not considered this. Thanks for a different perspective. If faced with this in the future, I will remember your thoughts . . . but still try to be my nonconfrontational self.

[Random Thread]

18 hours ago, GaryF said:

I see nothing wrong with it.  Everyone has a course hdcp for the tees they play, and that’s the beauty of golf - it’s designed to allow all levels of play in a fair way.  I’ve never played in competition against women (scrambles don’t count), but would have no problem with it.  A couple months ago a buddy and I were paired with a married couple and ‘she’ was a former/recent club champion.  I felt pretty intimidated but casually knew her and we all had a great time.  I played well, shot an 81 (gross) and she shot 77 which was a couple strokes over her hdcp.  I felt she upped my game - not because she was female, but because she is a better golfer than me.

With that being said, I can see how some men might not want to play competitively against women.  But that’s their problem.  You have nothing to prove to step onto the same course as them. 

Thanks. I understand and fully support guy golf and male camaraderie. And I have always encouraged my husband and son to play with their guy groups and would never try to join them. I also understand ladies golf and how different the dynamics are with a ladies group. We both need our groups and friends to be with. But this was tournament golf with mixed overall teams. To be fair, the dynamics would probably have been quite different if we had been in a foursome.

[Random Thread]

2 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

Really great topic! ..did you start a thread in the Women's Forum (I haven't looked in there)..?

Anyway, neither my wife nor I compete .. so cannot speak to that .. but we enjoy getting out on the course and playing the game of golf together. And, of course, golf courses being what they are we are often paired with others - and, again, golf courses being what they are it is more frequently men.

We've rarely encountered any men who were not at least polite .. but generally have been friendly .. though there have been a few incidents over the years where my wife felt outright insulted - including one recently at our private club..

Personally I think you @artful_golfer had the best response - by playing your own game, and playing it well and proving you are a competitive golfer and a good one!! (..what's that old saying about the best revenge ...  )

 

Thanks for your reponse. I didn't post this in the women's forum because I felt like it's not a women's only topic and I really wanted feedback from my men spy friends. I think the Women's Forum will allow men to react to a topic but not comment.

The guy I was playing with was not directly rude or ugly to me. It was more that it was obvious he was not happy with the playing situation. And I felt like it was best to tread lightly and hope to prove I could handle this. I was very fortunate that it was one of my better playing days. 

[Random Thread]

Convincing men it's ok to play with women.

This post turned out longer than anticipated but I think it's important and would like feedback on it. Often men don't seem to think women are worthy to compete against. I've experienced my fair share of a couple of men letting a group of ladies know they are not welcome on the course. 

I played in a club team tournament this past weekend that is setup much like Ryder Cup with all match play. Difference is we include men and women. Often men play against the men and women vs women but we are starting to see a few men vs women in this tournament. Usually this tournament is foursomes but we had two extra players the 2nd day. Luck of the draw had me playing in the twosome against a man I knew casually but had never played with before. He had a lower handicap but only 2 strokes.

At first you could tell he was quite bothered - both verbally (complaining to the pro) and  physically (demeanor, facial expressions, etc). My husband followed us the first 4 holes and later said it was easy to tell he was upset. I had decided to be "sort of" quiet but super positive/complimentary (he really did have an awesome long drive) and just play my best game.

I won the first hole, then we tied the next two holes. By that time, his demeanor was still stiff but loosened just a little and more as we played. I won the front nine 2-up with 1 to play giving my team a point. Then came a huge change. He wanted to go ahead an play the 9th hole just for the heck of it (which I also won).

By the time we took a restroom/water break and got to the 10th tee box he was completely different. I think he had realized that I actually was a worthy and fun competitor. He chatted for 10 minutes on the tee box and then we continued to chat and laugh throughout the back nine. He won the back nine so we split the points, which I was semi glad about. 

After the round, I thanked him for playing and told him I enjoyed the round. He thanked me for forcing him up his game, which he absolutely did starting with number 14. Then he suggested we tell those setting up our weekly weekend groupings to mix it up more with men vs ladies (without it being couples) so everyone could get to know each other better. I was surprised but delighted. I have won a new friend and been accepted as a fun, worthy competitor. Wish I didn't have to prove it. Or do men have to prove it also?

 

[Ideas for fun times with other lady golfers (and non-golfers)]

Hey ladies. I posted something in the Random Thread forum about my LGA Flamingo Ladies Invitational. I think you will also be interested in it because it's a tournament by and for ladies.

If I copied it correctly, this is a link:

 

[Random Thread]

This past Friday-Saturday (May 19-20) our course was full of flamingos and an overload of pink! I want to toot our horn a little.

My LGA hosted our 9th annual Flamingo Ladies Invitational. It was our most successful yet with 80 players (40 teams) from 17 cities and raised more money than ever. (Note - in earlier years we had a cart decorating contests - that's where my profile photo was snapped)

Getting us together is kind of like herding cats and we sound like an entire town of cackling hens, but we manage to hold still for a tournament group photo every year. Lots of pink and we seem to prefer white caps.

We have a blast, laugh, eat, laugh, play golf, laugh, raise $ for our causes, laugh, sip Bloody Mary's for breakfast and laugh some more.

This year the Crossroads Guardians of Hope brought out their pink firetruck. This organization supports cancer patients. The firetruck is covered with signatures and messages for and from cancer patients. We had the opportunity to add to the writings. This photo is my Flamingo Planning committee (plus a couple of extras) with the firetruck named Debbie.

And me in the driver's seat.

From the tournament profits, each year we donate to our 3 local high school girls golf teams. Those teams and their coaches volunteer during our tournament. They meet players at their vehicles, pickup their bags and make sure they are strapped onto the correct golf carts ready to play. This is a photo of those awesome students and two of the coaches this year.

This last photo of me and my playing partner in our cart before tee off. Thanks fellow spies for putting up with my long post!

 

[Random Thread]

On 5/18/2023 at 10:24 PM, Kenny B said:

Bill, to be honest Martha plays several times a week with ladies from her league, and when we play together, she has... on more than one occasion... driven by my tee!!    Yes, she drives the cart!  I used to drive but I got tired of her complaining about what I do... or don't do when I drive.  So now I just ride and keep my mouth shut.    All good now.

One lady at my golf course insists on always driving, no matter who the other person is in the cart or even if it is that person's private cart.

[Ideas for fun times with other lady golfers (and non-golfers)]

On 5/14/2023 at 7:49 AM, GolfSpy TCB said:

I LOVE this Artful!!!  What a great idea to engage your existing members and new members alike to be more active... if only we had an "MGS MEMBER Virtual Cornhole Championship Tour" on the Forum ;).  It looks like you all had a great time.  Congratulations on the success in pulling together these event and the committee!!  I see a couple of potential MyGolfSpy New Members in that picture....  Not so sure about the two guys in the back  haha.  

Thanks for posting this!!

I have tried to recruit new MGS members since I first joined. Some men have joined but if any women have joined they are just lurking and so don't know about them.

[Ideas for fun times with other lady golfers (and non-golfers)]

Hey ladies. I wasn't sure where to post this in the new ladies forum, but hope this will do. Ideas for fun times with other lady golfers (and non-golfers).

As president of our LGA I wanted to beef up membership and encourage more participation and excitement about being a member. So I formed some new committees.  One is a social committee tasked with coming up with 4 socials during the year that have nothing to do with golf. We have 3 new members this year that don't play golf and I told them we would plan activities we would all have fun doing together. We are all loving the social aspect.

A couple of nights ago was our 2nd social of the year. We had a Cornhole Social and crowned a team the Cornhole Queens. We had a BLAST playing on the clubhouse patio lawn and for some of us, we learned how to play Cornhole for the first time. Only about 1/2 of our members participated but some brought guests and I think I may have recruited a new member.

This was easy to plan at no cost to our club (cash bar) and the only snacks were some pretzels. See our photo below (and note two hilarious male golfers behind our heads who photo bombed us). Being one of the shorties, that's me down in front, to the left of the flag cornhole board, in the navy dress holding a glass of wine. Just look at those happy faces.

[Random Thread]

On 5/9/2023 at 7:23 AM, Jnoble89 said:

Airing some work grievances this morning to vent some frustration. I am the employee health and wellness coordinator at a community hospital in my town, and part of my job, as you'd assume, is to try and provide employees with opportunities to improve their health. One of my primary and most important roles is coordinating annual HRA/Biometric screenings. This provides our employees with an outlook and clear picture of their overall health. Based on aggregate data results, I then try to customize health and fitness related challenges and monthly education topics to fit the areas of most needed improvement (prediabetes, high blood pressure, etc.).

May is Global Employee Health & Fitness month, and myself and our wellness committee came up with what I thought would be a cool challenge called Wellness BINGO, where a bingo card is created with different activities you can do to earn "tickets" into raffle prize drawings at the end of the month. Things like getting 10k steps in a day, eating a salad with a meal, attending a free exercise class we offer on-site, etc. Out of 600+ employees, I had 17 bingo cards turned in. SEVENTEEN! But throughout the year, I'll hear complaints that certain challenges are too hard to perform or participate in, or this reason or that reason why something is unfair. It's super frustrating to put a lot of work into things for our employee base to have no one participate. 

Thanks for listening to my rant, not sure if this was an appropriate thread to post it in but I needed to vent this morning 

That's unfortunate, but I suggest that you still make it a positive, big deal for those who participated. They deserve the same special treatment as if there were 600 participants. Maybe a special awards dinner, PR within your hospital system and out in the community. Write a press release for the news with a photo of the winner (you don't need to say how many employees participated). The fact is you do have participants and you are helping them, you are their cheerleader. Embrace what you do have and let your community know.

[OnCore ELIXR Golf Ball - 2023 Forum Review]

On 4/28/2023 at 8:00 AM, Tijoli said:

Thank you!  My explanation is simplistic so check out the link GolfSpy_TCB sent when I started asking about it or the in-depth scientific explanation in the second one.  It might make your head hurt like it did mine but it’s worth it !
https://www.simscale.com/blog/how-dimples-affect-golf-ball/

https://www.tec-science.com/mechanics/gases-and-liquids/flow-separation-boundary-layer-separation/

 

I read these! All of it. Yes it took me more than one sitting but I thought it was quite interesting. Thanks for the links.

[Random Thread]

12 hours ago, EasyPutter said:

You could always do the old putting practice of roll the ball into a glass or use hockey pucks or some kind of wooden disk (and put a flag on it for flag-in practice ), even a white felt circle or ring would be a suitable target affecting ball roll minimally.

Purchase a PuttOut Pressure Trainer then move it wherever your wish.

[The Chevron Championship 2023]

On 4/8/2023 at 5:11 PM, Golfspy_TCB said:

 

Also known as  "The Dinah Shore", the Chevron Championship moves from Mission Hills this year to The Woodlands, Texas and the Club at Carlton Woods.  This Jack Nicklaus Signature Course just north of Houston will host the elite who's who of LPGA players.  Defending Champion Jennifer Kupcho leads the way at this event that became Women's Golf Major in 1983.  

I already have my ticket for the week - how could I pass up my chance to follow Jin Young Ko, one of my favorite professional golfers, in person (2019 Champion btw)?

Hope you Spy ladies watch LPGA tournaments on TV and support them in person when you can. You'll learn a lot. This Chevron Championship was great in person. What an exciting playoff finish and then watching winner Lilia Vu choose to carry on the tradition and jump in that cold lake on a cold day! The crowd cheered her on and loved it. The course was in awesome shape.

One new thing I learned with this tournament is a better way to rake a bunker. I watched a Caddie rake it by pushing the rake away from him. He made the smoothest feathered strokes that left the sand perfect. My husband and I were mesmerized watching his care, like watching an artist.

[Random Thread]

13 hours ago, Caddie1966 said:

We had a dog that would eat all the left over green beans. She didn’t get any other table scraps.  She jus loved those beans.

Ours ate the green beans on the bush. I would find half of a been left.

[WMGS Product Test Requests & Ideas]

On 4/20/2023 at 7:51 AM, Tijoli said:

Love this!  Thanks for the ribbon idea…I came up with a solution for keeping my fishing rods together when I break them down but never thought of a creative solution to this need.  I may take your idea and expand it if I can think of a way to place a ball in there too!!  Great ideas to try out for sure…thanks!

This may help spur your ball pocket idea. I've also used ribbon to create a little pocket for my ball marker (on the other side of the skirt). You could expand this using a stretchy material to hold a ball.

My skirt ball marker pockets were before a started wearing an anklet for my ball markers. I hated that the hat clips for ball markers could leave a rust mark on my cap bill. I purchased several anklets available on golf sites that always broke after several wearings because they are made with fishing line. So I went to my jeweler and had him make this one for me custom sized for my ankle. While I'm already bending over to pick up or put down my ball, my anklet is always right there.

[WMGS Product Test Requests & Ideas]

On 4/10/2023 at 3:21 PM, Tijoli said:

I would love to see a variety of things tested for women…

Shoes

Irons (Clubs across the board)

Gloves

Clothing

Things to carry balls and tees in if I don’t have pockets.  (Fanny packs??) Not sure but there has to be an option!

Training Aides (so many out there)

 

Ideas for things that could be developed and tested:

Wet cloths to clean my clubs that are good for metal.  (I will not spit on my clubs )

Snacks (men don’t think about this but testing how snacks give energy or don’t could be a thing in addition to taste)

Tanning lotion for my forehead .  (Why not!?!?)

No need to wait for a testing to share. I'll give you some ideas about what I do that might help you.

Shoes, gloves and shirt styles - Instead of a repeat, I refer you to what I posted in my initial intro on Call for Ladies.

Things to carry stuff if you don't have pockets. Some skorts are now adding a pocket on one leg of the undershorts but it makes you have a strange bulge. Many of my skorts don't have a pockets. Sometimes I hand sew a ribbon on to the top portion of my skort to make 2 loops for tees. Like this. Easy fix and works great.

I also have one of these. This is my very old, used and hugely loved golf ball/tee pouch. It stays hooked on my bag. The zippered pocket on top will also hold a few balls. I like it because it's small and sturdy. There are several styles available on Amazon, but I've never found another one exactly like it.

I absolutely hate a dirty ball. I had a little pouch hanging on my bag and I would get the inside damp before a round. I could put a ball inside to clean it. But someone took it one day while on the range. When I get to the green, I go prepared to clean my ball. I tuck the corner of a small towel into the top of my waistband to clean my ball on the green. I went to Harbor Freight and bought a package of their microfiber towels used for cleaning. Several bright colors are in the pack and they are about the size of a wash cloth. I don't spit on my balls but I do spit on my cloth to clean my ball. When on the green, I'm not about to have my playing partners wait while I go back to my cart for a wet towel and I'm not putting with a dirty ball. You could always keep the towel damp but I don't want to have a wet towel hanging on me. 

I have a few golf skirts that aren't skorts. I wear volley ball shorts under them. The legs are tight enough to hold a golf ball or tee.

There have been a number of great posts on MGS about snack ideas, training aids, gloves, etc. that are not women specific. Just do a search for those threads and more.

I never put sunscreen on my forehead because I don't want it running down into and burning my eyes. But with a hat on I find I only need sunscreen on my face up to my eyes.

 

[What League(s) are you joining or a part of?]

I play in groups but have never thought of them a leagues.

Tuesday Night Lights - 9 holes (sometimes all par 3's) during warm months, March or April - October. Foursomes, never know who you're going to play with, plus skins (if no one wins $ adds to the next week). $15 to play

Saturday and Sunday group play - loosely formed group of men and women. 12-35+ players. $10 to play and format varies but the constant is if you get a chip-in you receive $1 from everyone playing. 3-5 in a group, everyone is welcome and players have become great friends.

LGA monthly tournaments ($20) and play days ($5). Game changes with each event. We earn points determined by how well we play throughout the year using our handicap net scores. I won player of the year for 2022 and I'm far, far away from being the best player.

If you are not part of a LGA I encourage you to get attached to one a.s.a.p. If your course does not have one, then find another lady or two and be the beginning of a new one. Taking the initiative to get involved is more than just finding other ladies to play golf with. Creates new friendships and social supporters.

[OnCore ELIXR Golf Ball - 2023 Forum Review]

On 4/12/2023 at 12:37 AM, Tijoli said:

 Hello, fellow spies!  I’m excited to test the OnCore ELIXR Golf Balls and share my findings with you.

My name is Christi and I live in central PA not far from Hershey or Gettysburg.  It’s a beautiful place to live and play golf.  The woods and rolling hills scattered through the farmlands steal my attention many times during a round.

I’m married with no children and learned to play golf during the pandemic.  I have a trio of hobbies…fishing, writing and playing golf.  All compete for my time and right now golf is definitely winning.  I even started working at a local golf course to feed my addiction.

I play every week and sometimes more, especially now that I’m working at a course.  My handicap is high but I hope to shave a few strokes off this season.  I average 104-106 with a low of 98.  My drive is the best part of my game.  I use a Callaway Epic Max with a senior shaft.  My middle game is hot and cold and my putting is weak.  My husband always says “drive for show and putt for dough”.  Hence the need to work at a pro shop .

I have a variety of clubs in my bag including many from my original starter set but I’m slowing replacing them with new or slightly used versions.  I have a Taylor Made Sim2 5 Hybrid which is my go to followed by a Callaway Mavrik 7 iron which comes in a close second.  I hit the ball fairly straight and have the ability to do much better but just can’t seem to put it together in the same round.

As a relatively new player I am still learning about all aspects of the game and the science in every area amazes me!  The ELIXRs perimeter weighting intrigues me as it promises to increase ball speed and roll.  It claims to feel better at impact and be more accurate. 

I want all of this but even more I want distance, it’s what drives me (pun intended).  It’s what keeps me going to the driving range and what I long for at every tee.  While this ball can’t change my swing or torque, I’m looking forward to seeing how it compares to the others in my bag and am hoping for more.

I’ve been using a variety of brands including Titleist, Taylor Made and Maxfli.  It’s hard to beat a Titleist in my opinion but the price typically leads me to choose another brand.  I will be comparing the ELIXR to each of these during my regular rounds of golf, at a local par 3 to see how they affect my short game and at my local park to see how accurate they are when hitting at a target (bucket in the middle of the grass field) which I’ll have pictures of as I’m testing.

Feel free to ask me questions and give feedback.  I hope my experience will help you decide if this a ball you’d like to try.

Thanks for being part of my journey…let’s have some fun!

 

Love the photos. Keep including them! Women post different types of photos than men, not better or worse, just different. I have already settled on a ball that seems to fit me but will follow you because I support more female participation on MyGolfSpy . . . and who knows, I might be enticed to try a another  ball.

[Calling All Ladies….]

On 4/12/2023 at 4:51 PM, Dragon3 said:

@artful_golfer Thinking it has to do with the pop-up ads and permissions assigned/allowed through your settings on your specific device. And the privacy/security assigned via web browsers. Verify your settings and you may have to clear out your cache too. 

I finally managed to get it to work. Thanks.

[Calling All Ladies….]

9 minutes ago, BKervin said:

There's a very small x in the top right corner to close the request for email 

Thanks. I tried that at first and it didn't work.

[Calling All Ladies….]

On 4/10/2023 at 1:09 PM, GolfSpy_APH said:

Check out Red Rooster!!

When I visited Red Rooster, the site wouldn't allow me to view anything unless I first signed up with my email. Any way around that. I'm not willing to do that just to research if this might be a viable glove for me.

[How many different grips are on your clubs?]

3 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Golfers preferences are always interesting. Since the grip is the only thing about our equipment we have actual contact with and being very much a feel player, I want all my grips to be exactly the same and different butt diameters always frustrate me. I will try new grips from time to time but on one club only and then back to my current grips. But it is so interesting that you can play at a high level with completely different grips so good for you!

One grip for everything except my putter.

[Calling All Ladies….]

Hello ladies.   I've been playing for almost 9 years, started when I was 60. I've been a part of My Golf Spy for several years and been a happy tester four times.

Thank you My Golf Spy! I'm looking forward to trying out this new forum for women only. I use to be very active on My Golf Spy but not as often now. I'm not a fan of some changes that were made a couple of years ago in how the site is organized and navigated. I find it difficult to find some of the past threads I enjoyed with the guys. I get it that as MyGolfSpy grows changes need to be made to make it easier to manage. But I find that now it doesn't seem like as many spies follow or comment on the test reviews which I think are so very important. The guys on My Golf Spy have always been very welcoming and supportive and became treasured spy friends. I particularly find technical and how to play posts by @chisag and @downlowkey helpful.

I follow "Women Who Golf" on Facebook and like reading posts of women who golf like me - not the best but have a lot of fun out there with friends.

I play year round, in the cold and in the heat. I love to walk and have 2 push carts, one with an Alphard remote setup. When the weather is bad or when in a tournament I ride. During the winter I usually play only once a week. In the warmer months I play 2-4 times a week. I love practice play more than playing a round. We live at the golf course so I'm able to go out a play a few holes in the evening or just putt or chip. I'm president of a very active LGA and participate in a golf group that has a game every Sat and Sun.

I didn't start playing until my family was grown up and everyone including my husband was through school. At the beginning I had trouble deciding whether to go with right or left handed clubs. I ended up with a right handed set but putted left. Then I was talked into switching to right handed putting. I can do it but I putt better left handed.

I don't have a favorite brand of golf clothes. I don't like clothes shopping but my husband does, so I usually wear whatever he brings home even though sometimes I must alter the fit a little. He's pretty good at it. I have more golf clothes than I'll ever need but just last week he chose two more skorts. I like long sleeve solar shirts because it's one less place I need to lather on sunscreen. Often when not too windy, I wear a wider brim hat rather than a golf/baseball type cap.

I wear gloves on both hands. I told the pro who first taught me that my guys have calluses from golf and giving up my soft hands was deal breaker on whether I play. He said wear a pair and I would never have a callus. It's been true. I don't have a favorite glove brand but in the warmer months I like to wear the half finger type with a mesh back.

I've tried out many different golf shoes. And some that aren't specified for golf but work great. My current warm weather choice is suede ECCO trail sandals I found at Dillards. Made for hiking but have a great grip that has never slipped. Makes for an interesting tan pattern on my feet. I plan to get a second pair in another color this year. For cold weather I currently wear a Cole Hans pair (yes they have golf shoes!) and they are very cute with a leopard print that wraps around the heal. I have a major gripe with some of the spikeless shoes that are great on grass but very slippery on cement, tile, etc. I've had friends end up with broken bones from those soles and I've hit hard a few times. Going to the restroom mid round should not be a hazard.

That's all for now. I post in spurts. But who knows, I hope this new forum thread will I get me re-hooked on MyGolfSpy! Happy

[Edel SMS and SMS Pro Irons - 2023 Forum Review]

Congrats guys. I'm looking forward to following this test and reviews!