Can we feature YOU???

[AH1980MN 938]

I once was a man from Nantucket... just kidding- good stuff folks!

[JAGolfore 2,729]

MGS thank you again for being the leader in golf information!  My name is Josh Anderson and I have been a member on this forum since 2014.  I am an avid member as well as an avid golfer.  I try to play in as many events every summer as my schedule will let.  Last year I tracked those events here on MGS and loved doing so.  In 2020 I am looking to have even more fun doing that again and I have some very fun things planned for golf in my area of central Illinois.  

I grew up playing golf in western Pennsylvania and was lucky enough to play at the D-1 level in college.  I had a very good college career at St. Bonaventure University and now I am still trying to compete with college kids on a weekly basis in the summer.  I currently have a +2.1 handicap and I am looking forward to pushing that lower in 2020.  

[upacreekk 3]

My older brother got me a set of clubs.  I think he thought it was a way for us to connect.  It worked.  I took lessons, joined a men’s club and built a SkyTrak system in my garage.  I am 61 and have been playing four years.  I have brought my handicap down from 32 to 18 – And it’s still dropping!  And now I can beat my brother.

As for MYGOLFSPY, I have a background in statistics and quality control.  So I clearly get what you are doing.  As a matter of fact, I cannot believe the “find it/cut it” movement didn’t start decades ago.  It’s shocking!  In the meantime, you have helped me get the best out of my game: Ping G410 driver, EVNROLL putter, Bridgestone balls, and FJ shoes.  As a gear-head, I can’t wait for every article and podcast to come out. 

I am a fish biologist during the week and golf nut on weekends (and sometimes on weekdays too).  The attached pic shows me at work, at play, and one of my co-workers who reminds me of someone else we know – He even talks like Tony too!  

My story in three pictures…

Edited December 4, 2019 by upacreekk
Improve readability

[TheBigTwang 0]

Have been playing since I was 7 years old and have been into equipment since I was 7.5 years old since I came from a family of equipment nuts.  My uncle and grandfather had made clubs my whole life, (grandfather built a set of one length irons in 1994) so I followed suit. 

I've been avidly into equipment since 7.5, golf swing theory since 21, and after the last career change I travel for work and that's allowed me to take up golf course design and reviews. 

I've always been an early adapter, and tough critic.  I've usually been the first in my circles to adopt 460cc heads, graphite shafts in woods, soft spikes, GPS, hybrids, graphite shafts in irons, and custom fitting.  Recent examples - this year I tried 5 balls from your golf ball test, noting both on-course and launch monitor (SC200) results to decide on the BX for bermuda, and TP5X for bent grass.  Until 3 months ago I played a custom set of fitted single length irons the year Cobra offered them, with 4-7 at 7i length, 8-LW at std length.  Ran 5 shafts through my F9 before settling on the Evenflow Blue as the best balance of distance/control.

You see the trend!

I enjoy marrying data and strategy together and providing thorough reviews for others to use in their own considerations.  

What I hope makes me interesting, and worthy of consideration for featuring, is that golf has become a central part of my identity to me and others.  Taking a trip and need course suggestions?  Need new irons?  Considering a switch to a "Classic" swing from a center-pivot swing and curious what that entails or what you should read?  My circle of friends and family come to me, and I'm proud of that.  

 

Check out my recent course reviews and I think you can get a good sense of me:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/pga-west-la-quinta-10?hrid=jnPfhKwcbBO9FDvQfgsb8Q&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

https://www.yelp.com/biz/rams-hill-golf-club-borrego-springs?hrid=j3g06l23jf6d0PHzCNL4Sw&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

 

[Danny Boy 0]

Sure

[Danny Boy 0]

Just now, Danny Boy said:

Sure

Remember it’s a jungle out there, and in the jungle, the tiger starves last!

[Duke K 6]

Sure.

[DAGolfer 1]

Fortune 70-year old golfer to have some unique highlights and goal posts. Received first club at age 5 (Patty Burke #5w w/bamboo shaft & leather grip) and progressed to state of art equipment. Current carry 9.0 handicap (not playing very often) while working as an assistant professional and clubmaker at a local country club. I have had the opportunity to learn more about the game from some of the better names in golf and believe my experience and training allows me to provide other golfers I see with the best knowledge available. Thanks to MySpyGolf I have a backup for information that most would see an anecdotal.

[WFWP91 26]

In 1995 to 1997, I was drawn to the game because Tiger's rise, friends invitations to play, and a job where fellow employees played regularly on Monday mornings.  Fortunately, many of my friends were accomplished golfers (former collegiate golfer and PGA club professionals), so they guided me how to use my athletic background to build some golf specific skills.  In 2001, my friends managing a new golf club offered me a job when I was between jobs, and the opportunity lead to future positions in management, coaching, and club-fitting.  I became interested in the details of the golf industry, so I sought out strong sources of information that were not skewed by marketing:  Tom Wishon (was the first resource for understanding), golf forums (posts by industry insiders, competitors, coaches, club-fitters, craftsman...), and MyGolfSpy for the scientific approach to product reviews. 

[sandwedge56 1]

Hi Guys,

Really enjoy the site.  Well, I'm 64 and live in MA, and if possible, try to play golf throughout the year, weather permitting.  I'm a golf nut, play every Saturday at a local public course, as well as New England PGA hosted tournaments for amateurs during the normal (April - October golf season).  Also looking forward to marshalling at the US Senior Open in Newport, RI.  I'm a golf demo day rat and hit everything under the sun when the road show comes our way.  Really like golf aides such as watch GPS and Laser rangefinders, and I work out year round to stay in golf shape.  Thank you, Mark Woods

[TR1PTIK 3,174]

I was born in Baton Rouge, LA, raised primarily in the Midwest, and currently live in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.

My introduction to golf occurred when I discovered the location of my grandfather’s clubs and started hitting balls around the yard as a 7-year-old. After a few years of showing mild interest in the sport, my dad passed on a set of clubs to me and we got a golf membership at St. Andrews of Hamilton Golf Club in Hamilton, NZ where we lived at the time. From there, Dad and I would play on occasion all the way through high school, but BMX and soccer took priority over golf. I didn’t really pursue the sport until my mid-twenties.

Fast forward to 2017 and my first post on MGS was in response to test Vice golf balls. I continue to participate in the forum and even had the good fortune to test Bridgestone wedges last year (which I still play). MGS serves a significant role in my golf obsession. I love conversing with and learning from other users as well as consuming all the information and data generated by the MGS team responsible for the blog.

[revkev 24,251]

My name is Kevin and I'm a 63 year old Lutheran Pastor in St. Petersburg, FL.  I've been playing golf since I was ten years old.  Like most guys my age I played all the sports growing up so my game and play was sporadic as the golf competed with my first love, baseball.  I bought my first set of clubs, Kroydon Paul Harney's, when I was 13 and used those until I stopped playing ball after contracting mono as a college junior.  I joined the local muni that year, bought a great set of Ram Tour Grinds and PGA Tommy Armor Woods immediately after breaking 80 for the first time.  From that time forward I was a golf junkie getting my handicap down to low single digits and always on the cutting edge of equipment, first one among my friends to game Eye 2's, 4 wedges, metal woods, hybrids, etc.  I'm a second wave MGS forum member who wanted to learn more about equipment and what might be best for my game.  Since joining I've been a frequent tester and forum contributor.  It's been a pleasure to watch this site grow and to be a part of the community.  From top to bottom MGS is a great group of people.    

[EasyPutter 1,314]

I started playing golf almost 50 years after watching golfers on Wolstanton Golf Course behind my grandfather’s in Stoke-On-Trent UK at 3 years old. It was always said to be too expensive so my focus went to running, and in school it was long distance and Cross Country. Military service has one facility on every installation, a golf course. I used driving range and putting green but still those early discouragements remained.

My last assignment was at Fort Leavenworth as a curriculum author, and Trails West GC was between quarters and work. The PGA Pro had a 4 class offering to learn golf. My missing piece was course etiquette and 3 holes play on course. Most important was his answer to, "how to golf for the least expense."  That remains my goal, to play as much as possible with the right equipment for the least impact on personal finances.

A retired Veteran, I still work with Veterans and work to support my golf addiction. My sailboat has been long parked but my golf clubs now take me to beautiful destinations. I once became an avid small boat sailor and now I advocate the greatest game on earth.

[Grit Golf 281]

I started in the great game of golf at 27 years old, 6 years ago. Growing up my impression of golf was that it was the Country Club sport for old guys who couldn’t chase a tennis ball any more. Then it my late 20’s a coworker introduced me to the game, a few work outings and beer leagues later I found myself totally hooked.

I love seeing Erik Anders Lang, Brodie Smith, Tony Romo, and Steph Curry involved in the game. I also really like Justin Thomas talking smack to Charles Barkley at the last match, and the energy of guys like Matt Wolff and Rickie Fowler at the one previous to that. The ‘perception’ of golf is changing, and I hope that brings in more players at a younger age - because the longer you wait to start, the harder the game is to learn. That’s my excuse anyway, go find your own!


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[ZenGolfer 901]

Im 40 years old, have been playing golf for 21 years and currently work as a production associate for an automaker.  For about the last 7 years, Ive been practicing Buddhism.  Ive probably been a Buddhist for most of my life and would have told you for most of that time that I was an Agnostic but if I were anything, I was a Buddhist, so one day I decided to take the leap and start meditating every day.  The led me to seeking out one of the local Buddhist temples where I live and start practicing in a more formal setting and studying under a sensei (teacher).

What sparked me to get serious about Buddhism was reading the book, "Zen Golf".  It was like an eye-openeing and a moment of awakening for me because it was so simple and easy, yet not (great Zen answer, I know lol).  To anyone who is struggling with their golf, especially the mental side of the game, I highly recommend Zen Golf.

So, now we fast forward to today and practicing Buddhism has transformed both my golf life and my, well, life life.  Ive learned more how to live in the moment and not thinking about the past or the future so much.  Its also taught me how to live in appreciation for the present moment, where theres no feeling that you can feel other than joy and appreciation most of the time.  I still get frustrated with my golf sometimes when I dont hit a shot perfectly but I also have come to realize that no matter what happens, its all going to work out in the end, my wife and my dog are still going to love me and hopefully I'll get to do it all over again tomorrow.  I no longer tie my self-worth to what number is on my score card and I no longer doubt myself when I hit a bad shot.  I hit the ball, trying my best and I accept whatever the result is.  Sometimes I get a good result from a not so good swing and sometimes I get a not so good result from a good swing (note that I didnt use the word, "bad" because theres no such thing as good and bad swings, there are simply swings).  I no longer analyze or obsess over the why, I simply hit the ball, accept the result and move on.

In many ways, its a very freeing way to play golf and to live because it allows you to just live in the moment and not live in the hell of regret for the past or fear and anticipation of the future.  In Buddhism they teach that there are all different kinds of hells, many of which that are a choice.  If you can learn how to just live in the moment and accept everything as it is, instead of looking it through the lens of your own biases and perceptions, you can avoid the hells of the wouldas, couldas, shouldas and thinking how much better things could be, "if only".  When you learn to accept what is, without bias or expectation, you can learn to let go, move on and be happier, in general.  Its been said that if you can do that, you can eliminate the role of being the sufferer, and without being the sufferer, there can be no suffering (which is the whole point anyways).  Id say its much easier said than do though.

So, anyways, yeah...thats me.

[golfish! 1,790]

On 11/22/2019 at 6:25 PM, Jgrim said:

I was deployed to Iraq in 2005-06 and our brigade suffered heavy casualties during our 16 month deployment  (including a 4 month extension). We had 26 soldiers killed in action and 381 soldiers wounded in action. When I came home I was diagnosed with severe post traumatic stress disorder and spent the better part of a decade in a very dark place, including, multiple times, staring down the wrong side of a 12 gauge. I am not proud of this but it was my reality. 2 years ago while on a long road to recovery I discovered golf. This game has saved my life. Regardless of what my state of mind (luckily much better these days) I can step onto a golf course and everything else in the world no longer matters. I owe this beautiful sport so much!

@Jgrim i don't know if you will see this brother but I hope you are doing well. Have you looked into programs like PGA Hope? My buddy who was wounded in Iraq (we were there with 1/6 in 04 around Fallujah) took up golf with help from PGA Hope. 

[MadMex 486]

 

Let’s see

I am a retired USAF Air Traffic Controller, close to retiring from the Department of Homeland Security. My golf journey, oddly enough,  started with a severe ankle injury while riding my bicycle. While switching through the 3 channels we received, I came across the Bob Hope Open. I remember a couple of golf balls I found while helping landscape a house on one of the courses the tournament was played on. So I grabbed my cane and started to putt on our mobile home’s shagged carpet. Next day, I saw a blimp which was televising the tournament, we lived about 30 miles from La Quinta on a lemon grove, so I started putting again.

Three years later, while stationed at the former Williams AFB, Arizona, a friend invited me to see the midnight showing of caddie shack, following morning that friend and I were at the driving range, I left with a severe case of golf infection. In the past 39 years, while playing this game in several countries, it has showed me the best and worst in people, plus thought many valuable lessons.

 

[xOldBenKenobiX 5,133]

Sure you can.
I was born and raised in Brazil, I didn't come to live in America until I was on my 20s.
I never ever had a golf club on my hands until I was on my early 30s.
Growing up in Brazil, golf was non-existent, Soccer was and still is the main sport, where all of the hopes and dreams are made for young man all over the country.
I was never good at it, so I played goalie.
When I came to America I could not identify my self with any of the sports here, I don't have the balance to be able to ice skate for hokey, very bad aiming to be able to play basketball, got bored out of my mind with baseball, I was okay with football, I am a big guy and can hit people.
So for many years, I did not follow any sports.
however, after I was married and had a son, I accidentally turn to the golf channel.
They were showing a piece about Tiger Woods and his swing.
that must have been 2008 or so, for some odd reason, it got me thinking of golf, I knew nothing about golf then, and it stayed like that for a couple of years
So my wife bought me a PS3 with the move system and the Tiger Woods PGA game about 2010.
I honestly started playing with no really big interest.
however, the more I played it, the more I felt like I wanted to go out and try the real thing.
Later that year, I bought my first golf set, a "complete" set from Fanthom from K Mart, I found out, that one of my coworkers also played golf, so we decided to go out together so I could learn. I have had the Golf bug ever since.
I know it is not an amazing beginning with playing golf, but it was my beginning.
I play on the summer league at my work and on the weekends, and really enjoy the sport.

 

[Ubilan 0]

Nice one there Randy

[EasyPutter 1,314]

Granddad's back garden hedgerow had a gap where we could stand and look onto a fairway of Wolstanton GC in Staffordshire, UK.  It was a sport for others we were told.  The first club I handled was a putter at Putt-Putt miniature golf in Amherst, NY and first iron was a 5 in high school gym class elective.  Friends golfed but granddad's words lingered.

Lived next to Fountains Green GC on Ft Dix NJ for years collecting golf balls from the yard so tractor mowers didn't get them.  My game was driving range and putting green, and course became mine at Trails West GC on Ft Leavenworth KS while I was authoring Army curriculum.  

The lifelong desire became obsession and every opportunity to play has been taken, this last year explosively with pandemic restrictions and my first season pass.  I prefer to walk and swapped my roadside supply pull cart for a Clicgear 3.5+ push cart after reading the 2013 MyGolfSpy review and 2018 buyer's guide.  Joined to learn more and share with like minded people.  Friends here are growing in number and I would like to golf with all of them to include the 19th hole.