Pandaman

Well it's not so much 'letting them', from my understanding it's more like can't legally stop them. We have a huge, ancient, network of public footpaths that are legal rights of way, and you can't just close them off. Many of these routes cross farm fields too, not just golf courses. Walkers are supposed to stay on the path and keep to the correct routes though. It does make your butt clench a bit when you smash a drive and a walker suddenly appears.

I took my driver out of the bag earlier this year and I now carry two 3 Woods. Identical head and shaft, but one is set to 16* and the other 13* with an inch added to length. Also I can hit both of them iff the deck too. I'm not a long hitter, but often out drive my driver weilding companions, and hit a few more fairways than before too.

Shouldn't it be about what works best for HIM, not what everyone else uses?

I like the convenience of a watch (Garmin S60), I can just glance at my wrist to get basic distances, but the map features give me the option to get more specific when I need to. Not really a lot different to using a handheld in functionality, but a much smaller display obviously, which could be an issue for some. For me that is the trade off for always having it on me, as opposed to clipped on my bag.

Just checked his website and it looks like he has closed down, retired presumably. I found him via a google search and several appeared, so they are around. Some did seem to be located at golf courses, but not all of them.

Have you considered an independent specialist fitter other than a club pro shop? They are probably more likely to have less common options. Or maybe try Orka? My experience with a 'fitting' at AG a few years ago was not confidence inspiring, felt more like I was being pointed to what he wanted to sell me, so I walked away and went the 'independent' route. Whereabouts in UK are you? If you are East Midlands I can point you to the guy I used.

Good points on here. As for rules I will add... Breaking rules is fine when learning and playing casually, especially if it keeps pace of play moving. But take the opportunity to learn the rules and be aware of 'when' you are doing it as much as you can. If you don't know you are breaking rules then you can forget to follow them when it matters.

Kenyan 1 Shilling coin. It's typical ball marker sized, thin, magnetic and the '1' is great for pointing at the ball so I know exactly where it was if I put the market to one side of it. Also they are not worth much if I lose them.

I'm not a dog lover, but have no issues with golfers taking their dogs around the course with them. It's all down to the dog's behavior (same as people for that matter) if they are well behaved then what's the problem? I would say any semi serious golfer would have enough understanding to just not take a dog that could be a problem anyway. Lets face it they wouldn't want the distraction of having to keep it in check.

No matter how good a 'tool' may be, it is only ever as good as the 'tool' that's using it. It may suit some people, like the 8 they mentioned, but what about the other 92 that tried it?

A thought, but whatever you go for, I would say a 'basic' fitting is a good idea. To make sure they are the right length and lie angle for him. So if you get second hand allow a little in your budget to cover this and any adjustments, like extension pieces and new grips etc.

Agreed, the only 'expectation' that seems reasonable should be to be treated the same as any other player that achieves at that venue.

Congrats in tbe ace. I'm still hoping for my first of many. My home club does acknowledge aces by posting it's congratulations on newsletters etc. But doesn't give any kind of reward, which I think is fair. Instead of the player buying drinks for everyone they do give the player a bottle of whisky to put on the bar, which the player then replaces from the supermarket rather than pay bar prices for it.

Yes, Skytrak could be a good place to start at a 'relatively' low price point. You can then look at upgrading anytime. I don't have course/proper sim options for mine, but if I had a suitable indoor space for the set up I would definitely consider it.

I would say that, if you can, get a launch monitor that gives sidespin and direction etc. But if that's not an option, then a 'distance only' device will do (SC200/300, PRGR etc). And, again if you can, an accustrike mat to give some directional indication at least will help too.

Yes, although a net without other feedback can, i think, lead to practicing bad habits it is better than nothing. And impact tape and an Accustrike mat etc can help a bit too, if a proper launch monitor isn't an option.

I have just seen that Garmin have announced their budget Sim offering (R10) for a similar price point to the standard Mevo, Rapsodo MLM etc. Looks promising, at a quarter the price of a Skytrak it may be worth a look.

I have a Skytrak, that I bought in March last year. I do use it fairly regularly, probably at least once a fortnight on average, and typically hit 150 to 200 balls each time. I do have to use it outdoors, so I am at the mercy of the English weather. Also, I do have to set up my net etc every time (around 10 mins) so I'm not inclined to have a 'quick half hour' when I would like to.

Add in some popular mid range - non urethane - balls for comparison. Such as Srixon AD333, Soft Feel, and equivalents from Titleist,etc

My thought on this is just try them (they are free after all) and see which you like the most. You can keep them all for as long as you feel the need to, and opt in to paid features if/when you find one that you get on with the best. I did this for a few. Although I have a GPS watch, I have a free app on my phone (currently using - Info Talk) that lets me survey courses at my leisure before I play them. I don't use it much, but it's nice having it there.

Yes, I bought an identical 3 wood to the one I already had. Set it to lowest loft (13deg) and got the shaft extended by an inch. I upped the loft on my original by 0.5 deg to 16 deg.

I have the same issue with my Garmin CT10 tags. All I do is edit any punch out type shots to a 1 iron (which I don't have). Not sure if the Shotscope will allow you to do that, but it might be worth a try. I would much prefer to be able to flag shots as 'don't count this', but for now it does the job.

It may be worth you looking at 'Tilley' hats. The brim keeps the rain off and the sun off my ears. Not cheap, but guaranteed to never wear out, if it does they say they will replace it. I have two, one for over 20 years, which is now my 'grubby job' hat. And one I got about 3 years ago, primarily for golf, but I use it whenever go out and feel the need for a hat.

What @cnosilsaid.. ^^ It's about what works for you. I have just turned 60, and have a relatively slow swing speed. I got fitted for my clubs about 3 years ago. Not a 'tour level' type fitting, but just to get what's best for me from stock options from many brands. I went to an independant specialist fitter. He measured my swing using the Mizuno gadget, all my most suitable options were graphite, but you may not be the same. I would reccomend a 'proper' fitter (club pro or independant specialist) rather than a retail chain shop assistant/salesman if at all possible. I tried that first and had to walk away without buying, it obviously varies depending on where you go and who you see, but all I felt I got was a commission hunting sales session, not an evaluation of what was most suitable for me.

Assuming the price difference isn't your main priority, then I would say try them both and pick whichever suits you best. Ideally try other brands and models too. Go with your head, not your heart. I really like Mizuno irons, and I know they are 'good', but whenever I have tried them with a view to buying they just never worked as well 'for me' as other brands.