Kevin Kikkert

At my local country club, I have clearly noticed that people like to "show off" their vehicles by commonly placing them in the front and center parking spaces in front of the clubhouse entrance. 
I see everything from Corvettes, Mustangs, a classic Cadillac Eldorado, and of course your common, shiny, and expensive BMW's, Mercedes, and so on.
Obviously, part of this behavior is just using the vehicle as a status symbol, but I have to imagine that some of these vehicles are just outright fun to drive and the owners enjoy getting them out of the garage on a beautiful, sunny day.
I drive a company vehicle (boring 2020 Nissan Altima) and have never been the type of person to own a luxury or classic vehicle...until now. 
While it doesn't look like much now, I have recently taken possession of what used to be my Grandpa's 1989 Ford F-150 pick up truck (see attached picture). It was a farm truck, and never went all that far. It has around 11,600 miles and overall is in pretty good shape considering it has just sat in this garage for 10+ years. I am working on getting it fixed up and started, but it is a slow work in process because I just haven't had the time to allocate to it. 
While there is satisfaction and a nostalgic feeling of "driving Grandpa's truck," I also cannot wait to throw my clubs in the bed and take it to my country club. In no way am I expecting this truck to appeal to the same people driving the shiny, classic, and very expensive vehicles that get parked up front, but I believe it will still make a fun conversation piece and spark some questions and comments. 
That being said, I am wondering if any of you out there have a fun, luxury, classic, or just downright interesting vehicle that you love driving to your local country club or home course. Maybe you have a vehicle with a story similar to "Grandpa's Truck," or something you restored by yourself, or maybe happened to randomly find in a junk yard. If so, feel free to post a picture of your vehicle (probably will want to blur out the license plate if needed) and give a brief story or description about it! Enjoy.

This is amazing! Love the ingenuity and I definitely believe you get some quirky looks! Thanks for sharing.

This is amazing! Love the ingenuity and I definitely believe you get some quirky looks! Thanks for sharing.

It’s decidedly not luxurious and classic would also be a stretch, but my Pukka scooter definitely solicits some downright interesting looks when I roll into the lot at my home course. Click thru for the original thread...

Easier to just do it this way with borrowed pic of same vehicle - Volvo XC 90 T6.  I've got 3 kids (5 y/o, 3 y/o, 1 y/o) which means 3 car seats so I had to have something with some space.  Absolutely love this car and had it nearly a year.  The safety features, tech, and finishes on the interior are all top notch.  Really wouldn't want anything else even if I had the choice as odd as that sounds.

2016 Challenger Hellcat in tri pearl white. Bought it new in 2016 and since I bought it the HP has been boosted a tad with some work to the blower, intake, injectors, exhaust and ECU. Dialed all the way up on race gas it puts just over 1,000 HP to the back tires. Rarely if ever does it get run at that level but fun to throw some big tires on the back and go out to play with it.

I am a car guy and have always been into cars and bikes. My old man’s hobby was restoring old cars and bikes and together we have built a few dirt track cars, drag cars and some bad @ss Harley’s and Indians. Since he passed a few years ago my time wrenching is few and far between these days and more into just having one project at a time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

At my local country club, I have clearly noticed that people like to "show off" their vehicles by commonly placing them in the front and center parking spaces in front of the clubhouse entrance. 
I see everything from Corvettes, Mustangs, a classic Cadillac Eldorado, and of course your common, shiny, and expensive BMW's, Mercedes, and so on.
Obviously, part of this behavior is just using the vehicle as a status symbol, but I have to imagine that some of these vehicles are just outright fun to drive and the owners enjoy getting them out of the garage on a beautiful, sunny day.
I drive a company vehicle (boring 2020 Nissan Altima) and have never been the type of person to own a luxury or classic vehicle...until now. 
While it doesn't look like much now, I have recently taken possession of what used to be my Grandpa's 1989 Ford F-150 pick up truck (see attached picture). It was a farm truck, and never went all that far. It has around 11,600 miles and overall is in pretty good shape considering it has just sat in this garage for 10+ years. I am working on getting it fixed up and started, but it is a slow work in process because I just haven't had the time to allocate to it. 
While there is satisfaction and a nostalgic feeling of "driving Grandpa's truck," I also cannot wait to throw my clubs in the bed and take it to my country club. In no way am I expecting this truck to appeal to the same people driving the shiny, classic, and very expensive vehicles that get parked up front, but I believe it will still make a fun conversation piece and spark some questions and comments. 
That being said, I am wondering if any of you out there have a fun, luxury, classic, or just downright interesting vehicle that you love driving to your local country club or home course. Maybe you have a vehicle with a story similar to "Grandpa's Truck," or something you restored by yourself, or maybe happened to randomly find in a junk yard. If so, feel free to post a picture of your vehicle (probably will want to blur out the license plate if needed) and give a brief story or description about it! Enjoy.

My home course: Sunnybrook Country Club in Grandville, Michigan. 
Sunnybrook CC is a well maintained course with a very walk-able Front 9 and a Back 9 with 3 holes that are steeply up or downhill. The greens are in great shape and can be deceiving without the correct read or knowledge of the course. The maintenance crew keeps the rough very long, which makes missing the fairway feel like a penalty many times. 
Hole 1 | Par 5 | 452: Reachable in two with a great drive, but there is a pond that covers the last 30-40yds just in front of the green, so flying your 2nd shot is difficult Hole 2 | Par 4 | 389: This course has a lot of long Par 4's. Creek and trees on the left, big trees on the right. Plays straight, but feels scary. My least favorite hole on the course Hole 3 | Par 3 | 155: Three of the four Par 3's are almost identical. Play at 150-165yds and have some bunkers, but no real danger. Hole 4 | Par 5 | 527: Drive 230 to a corner protected by a huge tree. 90° left dogleg with 250+ from there. Not getting home in two. Hole 5 | Par 4 | 320: Shortest Par 4 on the course. Green is protected by trees on the right with a pond. Straight forward, though. I hit 3 wood off the tee. Hole 6 | Par 3 | 149: See Hole 3 and rearrange the bunkers. Hole 7 | Par 4 | 353: Short, but has another 90° dog leg left and the corner is protected by woods and a giant willow tree. Another 3 wood off this tee. Can be a very tricky green. Hole 8 | Par 4 | 422: The beginning of the "Long Par 4" stretch. Plays like a Par 5 for me, but reachable with a good 3 wood second shot. Straight as can be. Hole 9 | Par 4 | 382: Another straight Par 4, but a creek runs 40yds in front of the green that is very dangerous for me. Hole 10 | Par 4 | 419: Yet another straight, long Par 4. Hole 11 | Par 4 | 374: Feels almost identical to Hole 10 to me. Hole 12 | Par 4 | 328: The first of the three "Hill Holes." Tee shot over a large "ravine" to an uphill fairway landing spot. Plays short, but tee shot placement is absolutely crucial. Hole 13 | Par 3 | 157: See Hole 3 and 6, but add a very sloped, speedy green towards a pond on the right. Hole 14 | Par 4 | 411: Blind tee shot uphill. Woods scare you on both sides and looks daunting. Second shot is straight down hill into a steep green with bunkers and a pond. Hole 15 | Par 5 | 488: Straight Par 5. Still cannot get home in two, but 3 decent shots put you in great position.  Hole 16 | Par 4 | 391: There is a corner you can cut the slight dogleg left, but you do not want to hit through the fairway. Green protected by bunkers on approach.  Hole 17 | Par 3 | 212: Longest Par 3 by par and always feels into the wind. I rarely hit this green and usually end up right and blocked by a tree and bunker.  Hole 18 | Par 5 | 561: Again, not getting home in two. Speed slot to the right allows you to cut a corner of trees, but again, three decent shots can put you in great position. The holes that I am most likely to birdie are: 1, 3, 5, 6, 13, 16 and 18.
The hardest holes for me are 2, 4, 8, 12, 14 and 17.
Let's see if I can birdie them all!

Will do. Unfortunately softball in Cleveland still does not have the ok to play yet, so no games coming up. Gone to the cages a few times though and it is getting easier. 

This is something I have pondered for the 7 years I have played softball and golf together.  I think the biggest impact is definitely the one night a week being taken from golf for softball.  However the swing impacts is something I always thought about. 
I have done something for a couple years as a joke, and I am going to commit to it this year.  Hitting left handed in softball.  I took the leap after hearing Tron Carter from NoLayingUp is going to golf lefty for a year.  I think it will reduce overswing in softball and also its a step closer to first.  Golf impact is still TBD. 

Actually this is exactly one of the rules they put in. Women were allowed to use whatever bat they chose. Men were limited on what they could. Honestly have no idea on bat construction however if it was a Demarini I couldn't use it. 

Similar experiences here. 
The only league that I have played in that has remained fun is a co-ed church league. A little bit of competition but mainly just fun and camraderie 

I had a guy one time hit one straight back at my knees, I was able to get out of the way. When he got to first I looked at him and said “really”, you are winning 35-1 and you hit it back at me. He got pissed. A couple batters later he scored i happens to take the throw at the plate. After he scored he jumped up behind me and started yelling in my ear. Mind you, I’m 6’4” and and 250 so I’m not small and can handle myself. I did t do anything, but he had about 5 teammates of his jump in and tell him to stop. I really think the guy was on something. That was the last season I played. It was Coed and we were terrible. That’s still no excuse to play like it’s the game of your life  in a game that was all but done. I do love the game and have lots of fond and fun memories playing with and against some very good players. If the opportunity comes up to play a couple games I may do it. For now I’ll stick to golf. 

I love playing ball. The biggest issue I have. Is when you join a “fun” league. It’s set up as “fun” league, it’s coed with many people that don’t play much or have not played at all, it’s just something fun to do. Until you get the team or players from a team or 2 who think it’s the World Series. You have guys that play 6 days a week on 4 different teams at much higher levels that only play serious ball. Then proceed to hit line drives back at the pitcher, or pick on one of the girls and try to actually hit them. Then Get pissed off when you say something to them. No thanks. That’s not softball. If the games return to fun where you joke with each other afterward I would consider playing again, but as for now I like not having bruises on my body from pitching while class A and B players pelt the ball back at me just because they feel like it. Bunch of guys that can’t make it doing anything else do the live their baseball fantasies out on a softball field with people just trying to have fun. 

Completely understand where you are coming from. Same to @Kor.A.Door 
I have played on a summer ball team for 4 years now with an old high school teacher of mine and he gets younger and younger guys every year and now I am one of the old guys at 31! Plus, they don't allow any drinking so you can't enjoy a cold lite beer by Miller during the games. It keeps getting more and more serious. In the fall, I play a shorter season with a bunch of friends from high school and college and we have a blast. Always end up at a restaurant/bar after games and it is a great way to catch up. I have heard co-ed can be very difficult on the patience, but I would be more than willing to give it a try!
Every year I debate with myself if I will hang up the cleats and quit it, yet here I am for another season!

Completely understand where you are coming from. Same to @Kor.A.Door 
I have played on a summer ball team for 4 years now with an old high school teacher of mine and he gets younger and younger guys every year and now I am one of the old guys at 31! Plus, they don't allow any drinking so you can't enjoy a cold lite beer by Miller during the games. It keeps getting more and more serious. In the fall, I play a shorter season with a bunch of friends from high school and college and we have a blast. Always end up at a restaurant/bar after games and it is a great way to catch up. I have heard co-ed can be very difficult on the patience, but I would be more than willing to give it a try!
Every year I debate with myself if I will hang up the cleats and quit it, yet here I am for another season!

The team I was on just took things way too seriously. Wanted to enter all these weekend tournaments to try and win prize money. Arguing about calls. Wanting to practice, team batting practice, etc. I just couldn't do it with a straight face.
Then I tried playing co-ed. Without being a jerk, that was WAY worse.

I agree with the softball issues. It’s not softball anymore. That’s one of the main reasons I stopped playing as well. 

I played a lot of competitive baseball through my teenage years, and there are lots of similarities between the swings (namely rotational power and strength). Activities like throwing have similar benefits. 
That being said, I stopped playing slo-pitch a few years ago and my golf game took off. I got tired of playing slo-pitch mostly because it was being taken WAY too seriously and I just couldn't care that much. When I was playing softball the rotation aspect of the swing is the same, but as others have mentioned, my release became awful. Because you don't release a club the way you release a bat, I found I was leaving the clubface open and hitting those nasty pushes many mentioned (or slamming the face closed and hitting some AMAZING hooks). 
Glad it's working for some, but it did not work for me. 

That is a great point. A golf swing can definitely ruin a golf swing! I find that when I hit too many balls at the range, all of the small defects in my swing accentuate and exaggerated. My local course has had the rough really thick and long the last 2 weeks and with all of the rain in Michigan lately, it has been extremely hard to hit a ball out of. They just cut it midweek and now I am hitting under the ball in the rough and popping everything up. I can definitely see where you are coming from with the imperfect lies. 

I don't need others sports to ruin my swing. Ha just playing golf too much or too little or not playing golf it all ruins my swing. Just kidding. But if I practice too much I get all messed up. Something about hitting off mats is so different then real grass and messes me up when I go back to playing shots that are not perfectly level.

Good catch! 

I like the Happy Gilmore quote in there.
 
Playing hockey before golfing made keeping my eye on the ball very hard when I was learning now it helps me out. Hockey is all about weight transfer and it helps me with that aspect of my golf swing.

Thanks for the heads up! I will have to look those videos up.

Check out Mike Malaska youtube videos.  He has several where he talks about golf swing and baseball.  He was a pretty good at both, and now makes some comparisons that benefit the golf swing.