Golf

[Hung Solow]

I like disc golf.  It's far less of an elitist pass time.

[JediMAC]

I like disc golf.

I assume that's the same thing as "frisbee golf", right David?  If so, that's pretty fun, though I've only played it a couple times...

As for the real golf, Patty and I haven't touched our clubs in well over a year now, but the house that we just bought is in a neighborhood that has a "homeowner's association" (and corresponding monthly fee), but included in that is a 9 hole golf course throughout the area that we get to play for free anytime we want!  It's just a bunch of par 3's, but it's kept up extremely well and will definitely help fine tune our games to the point where we've got enough confidence to head out into public again to do the real thing!  Can't wait to move in!  

[Morgbug]

Mmm, golf.  Golf good.  golf fun.  golf pretty.

Ok, the last one is taking it a bit too far.  

Perhaps because of my advanced age (ahem) I golf a wee tad more than you folks do.  Also my job drags me all over the province and often overnight, so rather than sitting in a hotel and watching tv, I go out and golf.  Last year was rather sad, I only played 18 rounds (18 holes), not enough for a true handicap on the year.  I don't bother counting 9 hole rounds.

I like to play and have invested some serious coin into my clubs with more to come.  For me, it's a trade off with toys and golfing.  More toys means less stuff for golfing.  My current set up is as follows:
Titleist DCI 990 irons, 2-PW stiff steel shaft
Cobra Gravity back driver (xtra stiff shaft, graphite, 9 degree loft)
Cobra gravity back 3 wood, stiff shaft ( they don't make one with xtra stiff shaft)
Purespin Lob wedge (want to replace it with a Titleist Vokey)
Wilson sandy andy sand wedge (also due for replacement with Titleist Vokey)
Ping Anser putter

Those Vokey wedges run around $140 Cdn brand new, so you can see where that would impact my toys.

Like Scott and MInnesota, Manitoba is blessed with an abundance of beautiful and relatively cheap courses.  Green fees range from $17-65.  Cheap no matter how you cut it.  That $65 green fee is a private club that hosted a senior PGA event two years ago.  I have a buddy (best man at my wedding, 10 long years ago) that is a member, so I get to play there 2-3 times a year.  

For anyone that cares or understands, my handicap is 14.5.  Should go down this year.  Please excuse the bragging but the last round I shot was a 74

And in case I didn't say it, I love golf.

Scott, check ebay for used clubs.  Pretty good shape, pretty good savings.

[Nicklab]

I like disc golf.

I assume that's the same thing as "frisbee golf", right David?  If so, that's pretty fun, though I've only played it a couple times...

As for the real golf, Patty and I haven't touched our clubs in well over a year now, but the house that we just bought is in a neighborhood that has a "homeowner's association" (and corresponding monthly fee), but included in that is a 9 hole golf course throughout the area that we get to play for free anytime we want!  It's just a bunch of par 3's, but it's kept up extremely well and will definitely help fine tune our games to the point where we've got enough confidence to head out into public again to do the real thing!  Can't wait to move in!  

Sounds pretty cool!  I have a similar situation.  My dad is retiring, and moving to a community that has a pretty nice course.  I can get something of a deal on greens fees there, and I can stop in at his place for a drink on the course, since right behind his back yard is the 17th tee.  I'm gonna have to visit him a lot.  

[Depmode]

I play frisbee golf. That's where it's at. Biiiizzat. http://www.pdga.com/

[FX-7]

Well, after playing a ton at the local CC I have really come down a lot, I am now shooting in the high 80's low 90's pretty consistently

[Morgbug]

Whoops.

Driving out of town to check on some vegetable fields, I went down a street I don't usually go.  I was on it to hit a couple of places while checking for some more McFarlane sportspicks.  That was a complete bust, but I saw a sign on one of our golf shops that said 50% off.    Yeah, right I thought but what the heck.

Go in, look around see a few things I want.  Ask one of the guys working there if it's really everything.  He says yes.  I ask again.  He says yes.  Still not believing him I ask one more time and he slaps me.  Fair enough.  

I snagged a Cobra SS 5 wood, a nifty sweatshirt and a Titleist Vokey Oil Can gap wedge for the nifty sum of $250 or basically what the 5 wood would have cost me by itself.  Now THAT is called a good toy hunt

[Snively Bandar]

I've recently been getting into golf, as my girlfriend's father has been taking me out to a course that he's a member at.  He actually gave me a cheap starter set of clubs for Christmas a few months ago since I said I'd like to pick up the game.  I've been hitting the driving range, and my swing's finally coming around.

It's nice to get out there and play a round, but at the same time it's a little stressful since I'm trying to impress my future father in law.  I still haven't gotten out with any of my friends yet, but I'd imagine that to be a little more relaxing throwing back a few beers and hacking away.  I bet I play a little better when I don't feel the pressure so much.

So how seriously do you JD golfers take the sport?  Do you really get into and get pissed when you play poorly, or are you just out there to relax and have a good time?

On a related note, what's up with Tiger lately.  He seems to have fallen off the face of the earth, or at least off the face of the top 5 leaderboard.  For some reason, it hasn't been as fun watching golf on the tube when Tiger's not in the hunt.

[Mikey D]

On a related note, what's up with Tiger lately.  He seems to have fallen off the face of the earth, or at least off the face of the top 5 leaderboard.  For some reason, it hasn't been as fun watching golf on the tube when Tiger's not in the hunt.

This might have something to do with Tiger's "slump"



The guys a bazillionaire and comes home to that every night.  I'd say he has it good.

[Morgbug]

Tiger's thought process on the green:  ok, 25 footer for birdie (damn, she looked good last night) and I take home 3/4 of a mill (what was with those shoes).  Just relax and think in the hole (smiles to himself at irony)

Putt goes to low side of hole, three feet away.  Look, he's still smiling.  

No big deal, he'll come around.  Part of what he's doing is growing up and that's bound to mess with your mind.  It just turns out he's human after all.  I'd be more concerned with Mike Weir.  Canadain and left handed swing?  That's bound to screw up the game

To answer your other question though, pretty seriously.  Taking the game that is.  I tend to be fairly competitive and the guys I normally golf with are members at private clubs.  I am not.  As such, they golf a fair bit more than I do but I hate outright losing to them.  

I play quite a bit regardless, though less than 20 rounds of 18 for each of the last two years.  I have very nice clubs and play pretty well (handicap is around 14-15), not great by any stretch of the imagination, but I never improve my lie and we only allow one mulligan per 18 and only on drives.  

But.... we have fun.  We drink beer, rib each other constantly, so it's all good.  Golf by its very nature is frustrating.  

[Scott]

Anyone catch the Masters today?  I generally love to watch Golf on TV, in fact its one of my Guilty Pleasures...today was one of the best Majors final days I seen in a while.  Congrats to Lefty for finally winning a big one

[Morgbug]

Two lefty's in a row.  That can't be good for golf.

[Scott]

I keep watching that putt and think about the times I play golf for fun mind you and shank drives or miss 5 footers, here's Phil with a Major on the line, his first Major win and the Green Jacket to boot and he rolls it in...I have so much respect for pro golfers its not even funny.  What's great is that like bowling anyone can play and on a given day go out and actually have a chance at playing just as good as some of those pros do...

[Mikey D]

Glad to see Phil finally get that monkey off his back.  I was hoping Els didn't win, something about him bugs me.  I'll agree with Scott, definitely one of the greatest final rounds I've seen.  I almost thought the birdie putt to win wasn't going in and extra holes were coming.  I've been jonesing to play a round, yesterday just makes for more jonesing.

And a side note:  Phil's wife is a MILF

[Scott]

True on Phil's wife...yowza