No3Putts

For irons and balls, I would agree it's Srixon - I've played both and they are as good as anything on the market. As a general rule I think the DTC brands aren't given enough credit - the better companies, i.e. Takomo, Sub70, maybe even Ben Hogan (haven't hit them), all have a high level of quality relative to price. In the apparel and shoe space, with Nike dropping golf, I think you're going to see a number of new entries in the market that will really impress the consumer. Its seems this is a real opportunity area, as the Swoosh was so dominant in the market that the consumer didn't have to look very far. Now you have New Balance, Asics, Squarz and many others who have products that will get greater attention. In clothing, I love my StraightDown stuff- incredible quality, comfortable and very functional.

Find a brand agnostic fitter and you should be fine. The fitter I use has access to all the brands but doesn't represent them. On my last fitting, we went through several brands/set ups and once we had the right configuration, he gave me my fitting sheet. Told me what he could order them for, but suggested I check around to see if I could find a better price. Told me that, once I had the clubs (regardless of where I got them) to bring them to him and he would check them to be sure everything was correct. Even told me that he would install the grips as I have larger hands that need extra wraps. All part of my fitting fee.

It's only been in my bag a little over a year, but the Callaway APEX UW is quickly becoming a favorite. It took the place of a Callaway Steelhead III, 4+ wood, that was in my bag forever -- loved that club. I have an affinity for "tweener" clubs that give me a little more distance and a higher flight, steeper decent.

In no particular order: East Lake, Atlanta The Honors Course, Ooltewah, TN Sweetens Cove, South Pittsburg, TN The River Club, Atlanta, GA The Virginian, Bristol, VA Harbour Town, Hilton Head, SC Caladonia Golf and Fish Club, Pawley's Island , SC Holston Hills, Knoxville, TN Olde Stone, Bowling Green, KY Golf Club of Tennessee, Kingston Springs, TN

Currently playing the original P790's (4-PW) and Titleist Vokey SM9 50* and 56*, along with an SM7 60* wedge. Was fitted for all my clubs (with the exception of the SM-9's, that I just upgraded) and have traditionally played Titleist. I play clubs that are 2* flat and the last time I was fitted, the Titleist AP2 was the club I was hoping would work for me, but it wasn't forged so bending it is a little iffy (especially over time). The difference in the AP2's and P790's were minor in terms of distance and dispersion. so, he recommended I go to the P790's. We rechecked everything when the clubs came in and by having lie correct, my accuracy/dispersion improved, so I think it was a good decision. I'm probably going to get new clubs later this year, so very interested to see if/how the new Titleist t-series irons work for me. Definlty going to give them a look.

With back-to-back wins (the first by on over-40 something since VJ), Lucas is officially the hottest golfer on the planet. Now 16 in the Ryder Cup points, does that mean he's now a serious candidate for this year's team? His work ethic, never quit attitude and the respect he has from fellow players would make him an extremely attractive candidate for the team. Zach Johnson certainly has another player to consider, but if the selection was today, I have to think Lucas is on the team.

I don't really have a preference, other than length -- I like the longer tees for my driver. What does bother me are people who slam tees in the ground and don't pick them up. My son is working on our course's grounds crew this year and tells me how much damage is done to mower blades when they hit tees that have been slammed in the ground. Yesterday, as a quick experiment, I started picking up tees that we buried in the ground. In 4 holes I had 27 tees. I would assume the wooden tees would ultimately deteriorate to the point they wouldn't do much damage, but the plastic ones would certainly dull of not chip mower blades. So regardless of which tees you use -- pick them up. If it's broken toss it in the trash or in the rough (rough mower have a much heavier blade and they just chop them up.

Definitely would look at Callaway golf pre-owned. Owned by Callaway, their like new condition clubs are truly like new, for about 50-60% of the original price. Buy used in definitely a buyer beware situation, but you can quickly find info on most of the larger resellers. DTC seems to be a pretty good option for many people, and I know a couple of players who have Sub70's and love them. Finding a 48* may be hard, but gapping at 50, 55 and 60 (if you carry three wedges) should get you close, depending on the clubs. The other thing to consider is the gapping between your 9 and PW, , maybe you could weaken your PW slightly and get more consistent gapping in all your short irons.

I've never used any of the larger fitting centers, we have a local green grass fitter that does most of the college/university teams and a number of professionals that live in the area, so the comparisons may not be apples to apples. On my last set of irons and wedges, we went through clubs from all the major manufacturers, as well as some that are less well known. Not only heads, but shafts, grips, etc. to get the right fit. Once the clubs came in, he double checked everything for specs and then had me hit balls for a few minutes to see if the Trackman numbers matched up to what we had seen in the fitting. He told me to play 4-5 rounds with them and then give him a call to let him know if everything was as we thought it would be. While I had just bought a new driver, he even had me hit a few balls to be sure the settings were right and when he looked at my fairway wood (an original Steelhead III 4+), asked if I knew what I had and said he wasn't going to touch that one. Overall great experience and I plan to go back to him this fall when I'm ready to look for a new set of irons.

I'm 64 and I walk 90% of the time, sometimes doing36 holes in a day. Over the years I've migrated from carrying my bag to a pushcart to now using the Alphard V2 on my CliqGear. I've used this on days in the high 90's and humid with no issues -- it's great exercise and I love the way walking allows me to truly experience and appreciate the course. The biggest benefit to me though is that I can use the time walking between shots to clear my head and prepare for my next shot. It let's me decompress from mistakes and gives me the chance to think about options without feeling rushed. As importantly, it's a great chance to engage with my playing partners and enjoy the day. I can honestly say, I've never enjoyed a round riding (outside of rainy weather) more than I enjoyed walking.

Cut will be +1 and the highest round will be 86.

Date 07/04/2023 Course Name Stones River Country Club Gross Score 82 Course Handicap 11 Gross Strokes over/under par 11 Net Score to Par 0 Net Score 71 Net Birdies or better 7 Longest Drive 0

Date 07/08/2023 Course Name Stones River Country Club Gross Score 83 Course Handicap 11 Gross Strokes over/under par 12 Net Score to Par 1 Net Score 72 Net Birdies or better 6 Longest Drive 0

Agreed. I had a Steelhead III years ago that came straight off the truck. The hot melt had come loose and rattled, so when I called Calaway they asked for the serial number and I found out it was originally made for one of their players. They asked if I wanted it to match the specs, and I said yes. When it arrived, I found out the things that had been done to it - including an upgraded shaft and some extra weight. It was under warranty and it didn't cost me. In fact, I ended up with two), but it made it clear the differences that exist between pros clubs and off the rack clubs. You can get just about anything you want, you just have to be willing to pay for it. That was my original point -- cost is why you can't just walk inti PGA Superstore and buy the exact same clubs your favorite pro uses.

Shafts are where you can see the biggest differences in materials. While you COULD buy the same shaft, the cost would be very different. I've seen clubs being made on the tour vans with shafts that were easily $3oo-500 more expensive than anything listed as available. In some of the drivers and irons, while they are technically the same, the weighting is customized, using materials to change swing weight, balance point, COG, that traditional aren't available to the regular consumer.