Can we feature YOU???

[PMookie 13,092]

I grew-up in the shadow of my father, a teacher/coach of 45 years. Whatever sport he was coaching, I was at practice, and games/matches. I was with him as much as I could be.

After long Michigan winters in the gym hooping, I would go to the golf course with my Dad’s golf teams. He would bring an old set for me to hit balls here-and-there on the course, and he’d even let me drive the cart a bit. These were my favorite days... If he had $.50 in his pocket at the end of practice, he’d let me get a Hostess Apple Pie!!!

Years later, I’d visit him in retirement, and we’d golf every day, and instead of a Hostess pie, we’d grab a tuna sandwich at the turn... My love for golf grew because of my Dad.

I joined MGS to keep-up with the launches, but to also continue a “relationship” with others through golf. My Dad’s not here anymore, but MGS’ers have become family, even playing with them when I travel. MGS is home, and I love to get on here everyday and see what’s going-on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[mr.hicksta 3,346]

First, I’m a career Navy man. I enlisted in 2000, got commissioned in 2010 and will retire in 2023. I’ve been playing golf pretty much the entire time I’ve been in the service, aside from deployments and other periods of time that I have resulted in a break from the game.

I learned how to play from a friend I was stationed with early on and have been hooked ever since! I’ve been fortunate enough to be stationed in several golf friendly locations to include Hawaii, Augusta, Virginia Beach, Monterey and San Diego. As a result, I’ve managed to play some amazing courses .

Like many folks around here, I love playing the game, talking the game and enjoying all the great equipment that’s available these days. I’ve been on several golf forums, but ultimately settled at MGS for the content, excellent equipment and gear reviews and a forum that is very friendly! Golf is a huge part of my life and if I’m not playing, I’m reading about it or trying to improve my game. I aim to be a good ambassador of the game, and a major part of that is sharing my experiences around the MGS forums!

[GolfFitter 0]

Perhaps the was a random shot in the dark from you, perhaps not. I am Russ, owner of https://www.Fit2Score.com a Golf Digest Top 100 Club Fitter. Also owner/editor of https://www.golfshaftreviews.info and www.youtube.com/devotedgolfer . If you want to hear my story, look at the featured video on my youtube channel. 

[Bmclean76 0]

I'm not good at doing this but here I go. I started out as a teenager with my dad. He would take me out every couple of weeks and I would play with him and his friends. I was a horrible listener and created my own grip and played the game how I wanted to. Fast forward many years I was living in Minnesota of all places. And one day I drove by this farm land and there was some plywood spray painted saying golf course under construction. At that moment I decided that above all else is want I wanted to do. I started out laying 36 pallets of sod daily and started building tee boxes on the weekends. Granted I had no idea what I was doing. But I stuck it out and stayed on to continue all projects and maintain the course as well. While this was going on I was also in the Navy Reserves as an heavy equipment operator. I worked at the course until I was deployed. After 8 months I came back home. I stayed at the course. It happened to be the one thing I loved to do. Now just because I can build and maintain a golf course doesn't mean I can play. But every chance I had I played. Wasn't all that good but enjoyed the hell out of it. I moved to Indiana and got married to a beautiful and sweet lady that I met thru the military. I was sent to new Mexico to help construct the border fence. That was 2008 anyways I was there for months and when I got done I packed and moved here. I maybe played 5 to 10 rounds a year. Anyways fast forward to 2018. I'm a disabled veteran with severe PTSD. I was offered this program specifically for veterans with PTSD and after researching it I went ahead and did it. That put me in Michigan of all places during the winter. One day I went out to smoke and the snow had finally melted away. And I had looked at this land behind my building for months and I never realized it was actually an executive golf course. My vehicle and clubs were 3.5 hours away. But I went to the recreation room and was able to find a couple sets of golf clubs. Me and another veteran with a car there went to a sporting goods store and got a couple of bags of practice golf balls and tees. Every time it got above 32 degrees I would go out there with these 20 plus year old golf clubs and just practice. In April I came home and 5 minutes from my house is a golf course. So I started going there once a week until I got comfortable being there and then I played multiple rounds a week. At one point my wife swore playing golf meant having an affair. Still makes me laugh. Near the end of the season the superintendent stopped me and told I should work for him since I was practically there every day. At this point golf became very therapeutic for me. So I accepted his offer and I started getting free golf. Now I work not for money but for the love of the game. I go in 4 days a week change pins and then turn around and play. During this past summer my 10 year old daughter decided she would get up with me at 4 in the morning and go to work with me. She enjoyed the heck out of it. And everytime I go to play for fun or league she was right there with me. Now my wife has a set of clubs and my daughter and they are starting their own journeys into the love of the game.

[markbilet 0]

I found golf around 6 years ago... NEVER Thought I would golf EVER LOL BOY was I wrong!!! 

I had a very serious right arm injury and wanted to find something that I could get back outside doing since my active lifestyle was no more... and golf seemed to be the answer. I got into golf because a friend runs a local tournament for a great charity for families of children that have passed away (Lucy's First Step) and they had a team drop out last minute and while over some drinks they asked would you want to play... Obviously the drinks were talking and I said yes. Next day after realizing what I committed to I was worried because of my injury I had NO idea I could even swing a club and took a trip to the range to find out. Well low and behold I was able to make contact and swing not great but at least attempted. Now fast forward 6 years and I am still physically limited and Playing competing on the Golf Channel AM Tour local tournaments etc. and winning due to my competitive nature. I am now a self proclaimed golf nut! I love reading the articles and youtube vids on My Golf Spy for all the reviews, tech tips insider notes etc. and always look forward to the information! I am glad I found golf even at a later age, but plan on playing till the end of my days now that I have found this amazing sport that has helped me grow as a person, but also challenge me every time I tee it up physically and mentally! Thank you My Golf Spy for being the amazing resource!!!! 

[Burton29 1]

I have a background in club fitting and repair. I managed a driving range and owned an original Vector LM. I own my own flightscope now and use numbers for practice daily. I have a HDCP of 2, and I consistently pursue a better game via technology and equipment. However, I also understand the importance of putting time into my game. Hence why I've purchased an indoor sim. 

I follow Mygolfspy religiously for all my equipment needs and inquiry. I've switched golf balls, I've changed my setup up, and I consider myself in the know all things equipment in the golf industry. 

I like to update equipment, but I trust numbers and try not to change if it doesn't perform better. 

I hope to be a part of this community more, and look forward to sharing my golfing story with you. I have always invested myself into this game, and I will continue to do so for years to come. 

[djaxgolf21 11]

My Name is Damian Jackson. I have been playing for 5 years. I was forced into the game through work. I'm an attorney and my firm sponsors an outing for clients. One of my partners had to withdraw from the tournament for the birth of his grandchild. I had 2 months to try and become respectable (not get laughed at). I started out with a used set of clubs off of ebay that i bought just because the ad said "super forgiving". They were a set of hybrid/irons. Since I have upgraded twice. Once was a set of cobra max and then last year because I read your posts saying go get fit I am now in some PXGs. Unfortunately I het them better them anything else (unfortunate because of the price tag). I play a pro v1 after reading your the golf ball review and hearing soft is slow. I used to play the volvik matte green or the callaway chrome soft. Because of my work I travel all over the country and usually play wherever I can. I have visited all 50 states (havent played in all). I take lessons and my handicap is coming down. 

 

I think I'm a good fit because of more of your average golfer that is trying to get better who follows your site for tips to get better and not waste money.

[Jbigpapahd1 2]

Hi my name is Jay Jones 65yrs old

I have been around golf most of my life started as a caddie in omaha c c. Then into golfshop to wash clubs for the members. My family transfer to kc where i was married with kiddos. Golf on back burner. '89 started long drive competition and did good for my district in this midwest address. But breakin my right wrist in '94  was a big blow to golf swing so no golf for another 6yrs. 2001 after a divorce golf was a comfort again . Now after countless adjustments and fittings the body was failing so here I am at 65 yrs old with both knees replaced, my left shoulder  had a total reverse  replacement. I am finally doing a solid 7-8 handicap with 110 mph swing speed.  Hitting 300yrds still and playing local competitions like golf week am tour Kansas and winning in B flight (2). I love new technology and depend on Mygolfspy for the last 3 yrs (i think maybe longer) for a club and the balls cutting edge i would say just to  beat them young whipper snappers

Thanks again mygolfspy.com

Jay T. Jones 

[Berniez40 0]

Hello! Bill Brott here. My MGS handle is also the same as my handle at the now defunct  epinions - Berniez40. I used to golf as a kid back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, woods were actually made from wood, and balls wore balata covers over their wound rubber innards. 

The golf bug bit me in the butt again over 20+ years ago. I was absolutely fascinated with how much the equipment had changed. Not only were drivers sporting titanium faces, but the ball had also evolved. It was a fascinating time to start re-learning the game and review some of this new equipment. 

Epinions, an Internet 101 company offered an excellent platform from which to offer insights to the best of my abilities. I started following  MGS back when they first began.  Just as I was using the simulators at Edwin Watts, MGS was using Tark’s Indoor Golf. They were also able to use more testers and compile much more raw data than me. It was love at first read. Since then Epinions has gone the way of all who fail to evolve.  I watch and hope that MGS continues to evolve and debunk marketing hype via real data. 
 

[Shifty 51]

 Several years ago I decided I wanted to be a good poker player, 5 years later, and hundreds to thousands of hours of reading and practice I was rated 300th in the world for winning percentage in tournaments, 99.99% better than other players that were ranked.

  Skip two years, to 2009 when poker started to lose its appeal to me, so I decided I wanted to be good at golf.  At the time I'd only play 2-4 times a year and shot around 110-120.  In 2010 I took a few lessons and focused on the one piece takeaway.  

  In 2011 I discovered mygolfspy, and with your help bought a clicgear, and new clubs.  I also broke 90 for the first time.  Then in 2012 I took lessons again which focused unsuccessfully to stop my OTT move, but I was hitting the ball really solid.  Which led to me breaking 80 for the first time in 2013.

  Then 2014 came, and lessons with a new instructor, he really helped me 100 yards and in at the start.  And in 2015, with zen golf and taking Aimpoint for green reading I shot par at my home course for the first time.  I also officially signed up for mygolfspy.  And in 2016 I won my flight at a matchplay tournament.

  In 2017 I took lessons from a local guy, got my handicap below 10, and bought a skytrak for winter golf.  By 2018 my handicap had dropped to around 8, but still was battling the OTT move.  I won my Club Championship this year!

  In 2019 I went back to my coach from 2014 and worked almost exclusively on hitting a draw.  My handicap soared to above 14, but by the end of the year it was back to around 8 and I'm hitting draws for the first time in my life on purpose.  And my instructor believes we can get my handicap below 5 with my new swing.  I won my Club Championship for the second year in a row!

Through all this I've taken lots of advise on clubs, and play itself from you guys here at mygolfspy,  Thanks for all you do!

Edited November 25, 2019 by Shifty

[EdTennison 3]

My name is Ed Tennison, 50, living in Roanoke, TX.

I'm a retired Navy Chief, disabled Veteran. After retiring I attended and graduated from The Golf Academy of America and now pursuing my PGA Class A. I'm an assistant Golf Professional at The Vaquero Club in Westlake, TX. Crazy how far I've come since taking up the game just to get off work. I feel like I've been following you guys at MGS from the beginning. Thanks for all you guys do to give us golfers the best insight behind the scenes.  

[Jon Alexandres 0]

Hi Golfspies,

My name in Jon Alexandres. I'm from Des Moines, IA. I developed a product, www.PuttersVentPlus.com It has a long 20 year history. I actually invented it back in 1999. I received two Patents. 

 

Online shopping was new, no Social Media. In the Fall of 2000, I got an order for 15,000 from TJMaxx. Menards wanted to buy 18,000 just to give as gifts to their contractor customers for Christmas, but didn't work out. Walmart and Home Depot looked at it and kindly said that if someone didn't have a floor vent, than it is not functional. 

 

So, in 2001 I just let my mold set in Chicago at the plastics company for 17 years. 

 

In 2018, I thought hard about trying to modify my mold. I messed around with it and started coming up with an idea on how it could be made so that if the user didn't have a floor vent, it still could be used on top of a carpet or rug. In July 2018, I came up with a concept and made prototypes. I had my mold modified.  

 

In January of this year I began working on a way to try and get new Patents applied for. Amazing, with hard work and luck I found a program in Minneapolis that helps get Patent application's done on a Pro-Bono basis. On of the tasks I had was a phone conversation with the in-house Patent attorney at Target. He had to approve my concept. He said it was fascinating and told me that I was to stop all marketing until Patent applications were filed. Eight months later, in July the Patents were finally filed. 

 

After a lot of hard work and stress, I finally got the Putter's Vent Plus for sale on Amazon for $14.95. My website order page goes directly to my Amazon page. That is just the start. Now, I have to find ways for consumers to find it. I will also begin working on marketing to find distributors and retailers.

 

Hope to hear from you.

 

Thank you,

Jon Alexandres

[wakullaman 1]

Snell’s my name. Pursuing ground holes is my game. It’s not a worthwhile profession but what else does a golf ball have to do?

 

My owner, living in Wakulla Springs, Florida, has been a director for the Tallahassee Open, co-designed and built Wildwood Country Club and helped launch the Nike Golf Player Staff program. In 2006, Golfweek asked him to be a course rater and he is now their ambassador representing Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Finally, when not pounding on my guts, he masquerades as a golf journalist.

 

He’s sent me bathing in scum, created pain in my belly button, sliced me into the trees, hooked me out of bounds, stepped on me in the rough, and never once cleaned my cover. But despite a number of retrievals from water, a tattoo (hit the cart path) and needing a new paint job, I still reside in his bag, somewhat wounded, but forever intact and ready for another adventure.

 

My seasoned but not so spicy golfer has memberships in the societies of Donald Ross, Stanley Thompson, A.W. Tillinghast, Walter Travis, and the International Network of Golf (ING). The MyGolfSpy relationship has thus far been email related only.

####

 

[persimmonhitter 0]

1970, first golf ball hit , fell in love with the game played all i could while playing lots of baseball as a chunky first baseman all the way to high school ..i always loved tinkering with golf clubs and cars  , so started refinishing persimmons and doing grips and shafts.

got married (twice), got hired as an assistant at a nice club that held a PGA tour event , before i could work a day a Japanese company bought the place and i didnt get to go to work, so i started selling tires and found a way to become a MIzuno demo tech rep .all the while had a home club repair shop and ran a weekly route picking up and delivering..had an uncle that was half owner of a driving range and shop, he passes away with a coronary. i get the opportunity to finally go at the club biz in a true business way , which led to my current status as a "pop and mom" retailer of many of the big brands ,i.e..Ping,Mizuno ,Callaway,Taylormade,Cobra, Tour Edge ,Cleveland/Srixon..and regripper of 200 or more clubs a week and cleaning the toilet and vacuuming the shop.

i have heard and seen a million different things in the retail business and can  give ole Adam and Tony a nod for the job they've done with this Spy thing .

anyway guys keep up the good work

Ray Pruitt Jr

RayRays Golf Shop

Danville Va.

[JungleBob 0]

 

I've played golf since I was 5, more than 55 years. Played in High School, College at 34, PGA Apprentice for a short time. I worked several years in Retail Golf up to Golfsmith Sales Manager. I'm a Master Fitter. I have been developing my teaching skills over 35 years. I can fix anyone's swing, if they're willing to learn. I live Golf. 

 

 

[Scott Rosenthal 0]

Hey guys ! My name is Scott,  and with out sounding like I’m kissing your asses you guys are a huge inspiration to me. I have a small following on a page called Hit Till Happy Golf. Originally I thought this was an original idea and I wanted to provide a page that would recommend only tested equipment, training aides, and instruction. That met the criteria of each level of golfers specific needs. Well as I did research I obviously stumbled across My golf spy and am absolutely in awe of how much you research you do for the golf equipment industry.  I started with just Subscribing to your pod casts and have now crossed over to following everything you guys do. Little about me, I’m your average golfer- 13 handicap that lives for the sport, community and anything that has to do with golf. My page Hit Till Happy or HTH Golf came from playing golf with a friend. On the first hole he decided he did not like his first drive, then his second, then his third, then he went to hit his fourth  drive! I yelled from the Golf cart , “ what are we playingj just Hit Till Happy Golf! We both laughed so hard and I liked the expression so much I’ve been trying to develop it ever since! You guys are rockstars in the industry and are the only true testers I would think in the world! So thanks for doing what you do!

Scott Rosenthal 

Hit Till Happy Golf 

[TwoputtsAZ 0]

Hey Guys...

My name is Grant Dow, 56 years old from Scottsdale AZ. But my story starts in Aberdeen Scotland with my folks who emigrated to Arizona in 1962, I was born in AZ in 1963. You see I’m a first generation American and damn proud to be too...

Okay, back to the my story. I started playing golf as a young kid, maybe 5-6 years old. My folks divorced about that time and at the age of 9 started delivering new papers and one area I delivered papers to had a short retirement golf course, that’s where I started playing for emerald about the age 11. Fast forward through high school and into college where I really started playing. Got down to single digits thought I was good enough to play for cash and went to work cleaning clubs at a local club Orange Tree in Scottsdale. Well, fast forward to today (2019)and I’m a happy 4-handicap that’s a professional sales manager in the plumbing business. 

[FiveGs 75]

My name is Jeffrey and I’m 49 years old. 

 

Golf found me at the age of 15. I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse and instructed not to play high activity sports. A couple of my friends were trying out for the high school golf team and said I should give it a try. Long story short, I made the JV team and was instantly hooked. My first set of clubs were a 1960’s set of Sam Snead Champs which I still have today along with my school team bag. 

 

Throughout the years my clubs have changed several times, and my handicap has gone up and down, and my love for this ever in search for perfection game has grown stronger. As an adult with ADHD, golf is a great way for me to exercise my mind and body in a relaxing, tranquil atmosphere with great people. 

 

My Golf Spy has been a fantastic source of information for me. I’m a huge research person and love to read reviews and golfers feedback on products in the marketplace. I have both purchased, and stayed away from many products based on the wealth of knowledge found in the MGS Forums. 

 

I now work in the golfing industry spreading knowledge to my customers that I have acquired both from experience, and information obtained through MGS. 

Thank you My Golf Spy for going outside the box and being a disrupter in the golf industry. 

 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2019 by FiveGs

[benrd5420 12]

Golf is seeing a resurgence in my life.  Having grown up around golf, and played sparingly through my twenties, the game has once again become an important part of my life.  For me golf has become a refuge of self-improvement.  Unlike almost any aspect of our lives, getting better as a player is something we are 100% in control of.  Work, friendships, relationships, and almost anything else requires the help of others in order to be successful, but improving my game (and in turn myself) is something I am solely in control of.

Working in a place that embraces innovation and technology and how it can impact our lives, along with the work I did in getting a doctorate, have led me to fully embrace the work that MyGolfSpy does.  Social media and so much of the world we create for ourselves only serve to confirm our own biases, but using good repeatable data only confirms the truth.  This is what MyGolfSpy gives to the golfing community, truth through data and experience.

I would love to be able to contribute to this amazing community that you have built, as I continue my journey of self and game improvement through golf. 
 

[Bogey in The Woods 428]

I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2003. While I was in country, I was on board a CH-47 that went through a rough landing. My back was injured and I was flown to Germany and then to Ft Sam Houston. I underwent several procedures to get my back into working order. When I was preparing to be released for the final time, the doctor handed my a file with a couple hundred sheets of paper. I asked what they were and he said exercises that I would need to do to help my back. I asked for how long and he said, "forever". 

I asked if there were any other options. He asked if I played golf. I said I had played about 2 times in my entire life. He said that playing a round a week was his best recommendation if I wasn't going to do all of the exercises. I thought it was a great idea. I even had the Doctor talk to my wife on the phone when I told her my "prescription" was going to be a set of golf clubs and weekly visits to the golf course! 

To this day, my back feels pretty good!