Grand Stranded

There's a lot of great equipment out there, but every once in a while I see something and I wonder "What were they thinking?" I don't know if there's already a thread similar to this, but I thought it might be fun for us to give our opinions on what equipment we thought was a hit this year, and what wasn't. I'm not going to base my choices on what I liked, instead I'm going to go by what I see in people's bags. Living in one of the most popular areas for golf in the country, I get to see what people from all over the country play. I've looked in a lot of bags . A really, really lot of bags, LOL. I'll start us off... HIT lots to choose from, but I'm going to give it to the G410 lineup of driver and irons. it's amazing how many clubs I see people playing from from the 410 lineup. I'll also give a nod to the Mavrick driver from Callaway. Doesn't seem as prevalent in the bags I see as the 410, but I've never heard anyone who has one say anything but good things. Ironically, I've tried all these clubs, and none really worked very well for me. Go figure... MISS The obvious one to me, and you'll be hard pressed to change my mind, is the Truss line of putters Taylormade came out with this year. I can honestly say I've never seen one in a bag. For that matter, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they've tried one, and believe me, we talk about clubs all the time in the groups I play with. As an aside I'd be curious how Taylormade did this year with the Truss putters, and the entire SIM lineup. I know the drivers and woods are popular, especially with better players. The irons? Not at all. The 770 and 790's just blew these out of the water as far as popularity it seems. Again I seem to swim against the tide here, because I loved the SIM irons I tried. Not sure if they were the max or not, but they were the stronger lofted of the two versions. If I didn't already have the Rogue X in my bag back then, I would've bought them.

Believe me, I thought long and hard about this the night everything went down. I even talked about it on the phone with one of my sisters, who's very close with my friend and his wife also. Her first reaction (she's not a golfer) was similar to what you said in your first sentence. Here were my issues with that.... 1. All 3 of them have been to this area on golf trips before. My friend and his wife come down every year on a two week golf vacation, and stay in my development. He knows the lay of the land. 2. I don't take a lot of "golf vacations". The reason being, I live here and spend a lot of time up on Long Island. Both areas have some of the best golf you'll find, so when I think "vacation" I'm thing of a break from golf. That said, I can't imagine packing for a golf trip, and thinking "so I'll go with the old cargo shorts on Sunday, the beat up Wranglers on Monday, then on Tuesday..." Maybe its me, but if I were going on a golf trip, (especially one where someone was setting up my playing schedule at his club and others) I'd make it a point to pack proper golf attire instead of the jeans and cargos.

My feelings are exactly the same as yours regarding the game. ...and you're right, they do usually play munis up on Long Island, as do I when I'm up there. Bethpage Park, and various county courses mostly with a few semi private courses out on the east end thrown in. The thing is, it isn't even expensive to look presentable. All you need is a washing machine and an iron. You don't need to wear $70 Nike shorts or Footjoy polos to make a neat, clean appearance.

It's funny you say that. I actually did mention to my friend the first day. He told me yesterday he thought I was refrring to the Duns Club (Idon't know what difference that made …) He also apologized last night. He said the other guy had the jeans on in the morning, he just assumed he'd change before they left the hotel to play. Said he didn't notice what he was wearing until they got to the course. I want to believe him, but....

Jobs and wives... I've always felt it would be so much easier to play better golf without them. Well first came the divorce, then retirement 10 years later. I'm playing lots of golf now, but still not getting any better. I'm starting to think maybe it wasn't their fault after all???

So, I played yesterday but that's not what this is going to be about. Instead, I want to bounce something off you guys, see what you think... A longtime friend told me he was coming down here for the week with two other guys I played 2 or 3 times with him up on Long Island. I told them not to worry about setting up tee times when they got here, I'd take them out on some nice courses down here. I'm a member in The Barefoot Resort & Golf, so my 4 courses were a given. I also arranged a time at a very upscale private club called the Dunes, along with 2 rounds at True Blue & Caladonia. For those of you familiar with the area, that's about as good as it gets for a week long trip to Myrtle Beach. (Not to mention I was able to get them out on rates well below those guests usually pay) So here's what happened. The first day we played at my club, my friend looked fine, but the other two were dressed kind of scruffy. They wore polos, but their shorts were more the type you'd wear for yard work. I didn't say anything, but yesterday was a different story.... We were at Barefoot again, and they checked in before me. When I went to pay, the pro came from behind the desk, and motioned me to a corner where other people wouldn't hear him. Apparently the two I don't know very well, showed up in jeans. He told me he was going to let them play as a favor to me, but they weren't to go into the clubhouse afterwards. I thanked him, but I was really embarrassed by this. I went downstairs to the bag drop, and told them I just couldn't understand what they were thinking showing up at a private club dressed like that. I got some lame excuses, and we went out and played. About halfway through I hit a poor shot and one of them made a remark about "clothes not making the golfer" he's about a 25 cap and shot a 114, btw. You could tell he'd been waiting for a chance to make that remark... That sent me over the edge, I told them I was going to cancel the rounds I booked for them, and they were on their own. My friend was in the cart with me, and he tried to be the peace maker. To be honest I wasn't in the mood. The best I could do was tell him I hoped it didn't affect our friendship, but I wanted nothing to do with the other two anymore. He called me last night and I gave him a list of courses they could call for tee times. They're all pretty great places to play, just not on the level of those I wanted to bring him too. Believe me, guys, I'm far from a golf snob. I worked a union job for years before I went into a management position. I don't think I'm better than anyone, and never act like I am. I feel bad about how this turned out because a friend was involved, but honestly, I'm more than a lttle angry about what I feel is all 3 of them showing a lack of gratitude and common sense. Would any of you have handled this differently?

Check out the PXG 0211 irons also. The look is very similar, I'm not sure about the 699 being a progressive set like the 0211's however. No knock on the Sub 70 brand, but at $89 per club, the PXGs are the best deal in golf right now. You get a 30 day trial period with them, and if/when you decide to move on from them, the resale and trade in values with the PXGs will be much greater than the 699s*. In fact you might make a small profit selling the PXGs. *to be honest, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a retailer willing to do a trade on Sub 70s

"I'm shocked... shocked I tell you..." *for you young guys, that's a Casablanca reference

Thanks Kory, I appreciate that. EDIT @yungkory I just checked out the site. Their Signature (white) 4 way stand bag looks just like the PXG bag. Do you know if Vessel makes PXG's bags for them? The Vessel 14 way in matte black... OMG BTW the price with the coupon isn't bad at all thanks again! Now, I go into ponder mode...

This is a great tip. I've heard a lot of good things about Vessel bags, but I've only ran into two of them in the wild. One was a 4way, and the guy really knew how to set up a bag. he had to be a UNC Tarheel fan, because he had a lot of Carolina blue accessories like HCs and towels, but it really worked, the setup looked great. The other looked like a Sunday bag, it was really small. I didn't know they made a 14 way bag. Price is subjective. When you think about it what's cheap in golf equipment nowadays? It's gotten to the point when you see a bag that goes for under $220, you're worried about getting an inferior product. If I was going with Vessel, I think I'd have to go white. (in for a dime, in for a dollar, lol) Is that the color you have? They look sharp as hell, but I'm curious how much work it would be to keep a white bag looking good...

Thanks. I've seen those in my local PGASS. Looks like a good bag, and it was reasonably priced. I have this thing about cart bags though... when I'm at the range I want the legs feature on stand bags. If I could design my perfect bag it would be a very lightweight stand, have a 14 way top with a separate putter well, and yet work well on a golf cart. I always feel like I'm compromising one of those things when trying to find one I like. Take the Sun Mountain line for example. The C130S has everything I want, except it's heavy. The 4.5 14 way doesn't have the putter well, and is a touch too heavy. The 2.5 14 intrigues me. Lightweight, roomy, but I'm wondering if a bag so light will be sturdy enough to hold up while riding in a golf cart It's very frustrating to shop golf gear right now, as the stores down by me are down to very little stock due to covid and the end of the yearly product cycle. Hence, hoping to hear what is working well for others.

I always used Sun Mountain bags until this year when I got a great deal on a Titleist hybrid stand bag. It turns out it was a great deal financially (50% off) but not the best I could've gotten for what I need. Plenty of room, but no water bottle pocket (that's a must down here in SC) and I've been really frustrated by the fact that my 33.5" putter barely reaches the top of the bag, despite Titleist's claim that the top of this one was designed to do just that. The putter "issue" can be solved by going to a 14 way stand bag, or a cart bag with a integrated putter well. I like the stand bags a lot better, especially when at the range. I'm thinking of going with either the Sun Mountain 4.5 or 2.5 14 way bags. I've owned a 4.5, loved it but would like something lighter. Does anyone out there own the 2.5, and use it when riding in a golf cart? I'm wondering how it would hold up, as I rarely walk a course unless I'm up on Long Island playing the Bethpage courses. I'm open to other brands such as Datrek, Bagboy or Hot Z, so anyone who has one of those with a 14 way top, please chime in. Last, and I know this is silly, but I've got a brand new set of Sunfish murdered out black leather headcovers (1,3,5 w/matching hyb covers) I plan to use any combination of them, depending on my bag set up that day. I'd like to get a bag that goes well with them, so that eliminates the currently popular patriotic themed bags I think look so good. Please help me out here guys!

I only played twice this week, shooting an 87 and an 89 (the latter was on a very long course for me at 6400 yards), but my concern this week wasn't really golf. We found out on Monday two men from our Saturday league tested positive for the corona virus. It was very scary to hear of what are the first cases in my immediate circle. Neither one has suffered severe symptoms thus far, nor have any of the other people in this development who I've since learned have had the virus recently. This news hits really close to home, because as in most golf communities, the vast number of residents here are retirement age. As of now all we can do is hope we get as few positives as we've had so far. That's hard to imagine though, as we all play the same 4 courses, intermingle with different groups, and even shop all the same stores. I'm going to stop playing for a few more days just to see how this plays out. I'm not going to lie, I was very scared until the moment I found out I tested negative. After 9-10 months of following every protocol, it would've been horrible to come down with this just as I'm preparing to head up to Long Island to be with my family for the Holiday season in less than 3 weeks.

Third good round in a row on Saturday... played the Dye Course at Barefoot which, although difficult, is my favorite of our 4 courses Cold start to the day, but I played really well on the front, shooting a 40. one 3 putt bogey because I ran my birdie putt too far by trying to help my team with a birdie/net eagle when we already had a par in the bank. Cooled off a bit with a 44 on the back but I'll take an 84 any day on this course when the wind is gusting the way it was. My team won the front, and I got CTP. We finished -8 in a 3 man use one low net score game. Our A player really struggled but our C player shot an 88 (from the greens) to make up for him. We lost the back and got nipped in the total to a team that went out -1, -9 in for -10. They were unconscious on the back, lol. Fun day with a nice group of guys...

Okay Rick, somebody has to say it.... in your new avatar photo, you're a dead ringer for the character used in the My Golf Spy logo!!!! BTW Enjoy the new 710 irons, buddy. They look great, and I can't wait to hear how you hit them. I'm thinking you've finally found the replacements for your beloved Hot Metals!

The Mavrick (not the Max) will get you there easily. If you can find a set of Rogue X irons, they have the same lofts, and will give you the same performance. Plus you can save a few hundred bucks. I play the Rogue X, and they're like crack. Once you have them in the bag there isn't an iron you'll find that goes further. I recently bought a set of PXG 0211's, and love everything about them. The looks, the feel, and the performance. They are a half club shorter distance wise though, so I'm thinking of sending them back this week under their 30 day guarantee. I'm 66 years old and I'm still getting 175 with my Rogue X 5 iron. I didn't want to give up too much distance, no matter how great the PXG's look in the bag. I live in a golf community with 4 courses, and when the Rogue X first came out, only the senior age, short hitters were buying them, and the better players were buying Apex's. Over the last year (maybe because they dropped in price) I'm seeing the Rogue X in the bags of some of the best players here. It's amazing how many over 50 single digit players are gaming them now, and the number is growing as others see how these clubs are helping other people with their game. They're easily the most popular Callaway iron down here.

PLEASE.... tell us more!!!! I realize you can't say too much, but throw us some crumbs, lol. Are they a big step forward from the 410's, or just a refinement? Top lines, soles? Have the lofts changed much? More shaft options? I can't remember looking forward to a new lineup the way I am with the entire PING 425 series. I've been waiting patiently for a 400 Max replacement, so the driver is a given. Then I saw some photos of the G425 irons and fell in love at first sight. I love the look of their fairways and hybrids but they always lag behind others in performance for me. I'd love it if these change that, because if I could pick one OEM whose clubs I'd want to fill my bag with, it would be PING.

Today was the first time I backed up a good round with a better one in quite a while. There might be something to this phoenix thing, @Kenny B I shot 37-43-80 today on the Love Course at Barefoot. The front 9 could've been even better. I was -1 after 6 holes but had two 3 putt bogeys on 7&8. I'm not going to lie, I knew I had a chance for my first sub par 9 on this course, and my nerves got the best of me. That's okay though, because I've been struggling recently and I need to put a few more good days in the bank before I get back to the point where those nerves go away, and I'm looking to make something good happen instead of hoping something bad doesn't. That's why what made me happiest today was despite having a bad 3 hole stretch on the back I got it going again to finish 1 over on the last four holes. It really made me feel good doing that. I ended up with a rare sweep of low Gross and Net (can only get paid for one though) and the Close To Pin in my Tuesday Members league.

I forgot to mention, after braving those conditions this morning, I actually had my best day with my irons in a couple of weeks. Because golf is golf and I can never get everything working on the same day, I couldn't make a putt all day. The greens were just overseeded, so they over watered and didn't cut them. It was still nice to hit them with an iron shot though, it hasn't been happening often.... Shot 43-44. I'll take it, and try again tomorrow!

Wow. This is a tough room. Still laughing at all your replies, well played boys! I guess I had it coming though (probably deserved more, actually). Thanks for going as easy on me as you did! BTW This morning was 58* and breezy, it was chilly, so I DID have to break out the wind jacket.... I gutted it out though. Thankfully It did warm up into the low 70's before the turn....

I know a lot of you will give me an eye roll for posting this, but I actually got a little envious reading the last page or so where a bunch of you are talking frost delays and playing autumn golf. Back on Long Island my favorite weather for golf was the shorts and a pullover kind, and squeezing those rare winter rounds in during a not too freezing January or February day felt like playing with house money. Don't get me wrong, playing all year down here is great. I don't miss the winters, but the heat just hasn't let up since March this year, and the summer was brutally hot. It's still getting up to 80 every day, and some cooler weather would be really nice. We had one weekend in the low 60's a few weeks ago and it felt great. I know, I know, this is the last thing you guys up North want to hear someone complaining about though...

We thought it was good also, but.... At least it was a fun day, and thankfully they didn't do any of that silly junk you mentioned. I get turned off by that so much I won't even play outings like that anymore. Plus the normal scramble takes me out of my comfort one, I hate always having to try the hero shots like a full out 3 wood over water on a par 5 I'd normally lay up and hit 8 iron, PW

I played in one today. It was a Captains choice where we picked the best tee shot (par 3s included, and use at least three from each player). Once you chose the tee shot everyone played their own bll from there and you count the best net score on each hole. We shot 57 on the Love Course at Barefoot which isn't an easy course. Came in 4th 5 strokes behind the winners.

Thanks, you explained that really well. That's why I didn't want to disagree with you earlier. I know how much experience you have testing different clubs, and your understanding of what effects design has on them blows mine away. BTW I really appreciate that you take the time to reply to a lot of my posts and offer not only your opinion, but as much advice as you do.