Best: I hit a driver on #15 Par 4 at Canyon Ridge G&CC to about 8 inches for a tap in eagle. It was dry and windy and I got a really good bounce. It’s the closest I’ve been to a hole in one. Worst: I have 2. I was playing Windstone G&CC last summer and a guy was talking at one of the houses for sale on the course. Apparently it had just been been bought by this guy because he was talking to his real estate agent. I hit a bad drive on 12 and was right near them about to hit my 2nd shot. After I hit, they asked me to toss the for sale sign on the course side of this deep ditch to the other side so they could put it up. I said no problem and tossed it. It had rained the weeks before and the entire bank on this ditch gave way as I transferred weight to throw it. I slid down about 8 feet into a narrow ditch full of briars and poison ivy. My buddy said I just disappeared. He pulled me out and I was bleeding from briars scratches that itched burn as sweat migrated directly toward them. Awful. Shot 2 over the rest of the way. The guys at the house didn’t say a thing either. I was so pissed. #2 was when I took this girl I liked to play golf with some buddies at the end of our college semester. Everything was going great until she teed off and drove ahead to find her ball. I proceeded to slice my drive off the tee into her inner thigh about 140 yards away. It was a freaking homing missile. I yelled and she turned right into it. It turned black and blue in about 3 minutes. Needless to say we never hung out alone again, but she has a nice permanent knot on her inner thigh to remind herself of me and for also a reminder to never drive ahead of the person hitting.
she deserved that. Best (or favorite): was playing a 180ish yard par 3 with a creek running down the left. Hit a ball that turned over too much and was heading directly for the creek, til it hit a sign that was perpendicular to the hole (couldn't tell it was there at all from the tee) and bounced back on the green. Pretty sure the sign was some warning to not go in the creek, and my ball obliged. Worst: Was 16 or 17 and was playing my local CC, playing the best 9 of my life (-1 through 8) and hit a perfect drive to the middle of the fairway on 9 then promptly straight shanked an easy 8 iron dead right into a field. I tomahawked my bag, breaking the wooden dowel (RIP Ping L8 Stand bag) and marched directly over the 9th green, the putting green, into the parking lot. Threw my bag in the back of my truck and peeled outta there. I was a bit of a hot head on the course back then. Ha.
High Made eagle on 17 from 110 out to take 2 shot lead in tournament Low Followed said eagle with a double bogey on 18 Second high Guy in 2nd place made bogey on 18 so I won by 1. Only solo tournament win
High- Had only broken 80 three times. Played in a Ryder Cup deal and posted a 76 against their top team that was supposed to trounce us, we won 3 and 2. Low- It’s a tie. In that same round above I was +1 going into 18 and tripled the hole. We had already won our match and my focus was down. Wind picked up big time, I clubbed up twice and needed a third and didn’t make it across the water. Then I plugged another into the bunker. Brutal but still a great round. Let me know I actually have some ability. The real low is probably when I was like 12 or so and knew very little about the game. I was with a friend on our club’s practice green and I turned my putter over and stuck the toe into the green about a dozen different times. Wasn’t even mad, I was just fucking around. I turn around and the club pro is standing there. Made me fix all of them (after teaching me the right way). I begged him not to tell my grandfather and he told me he wouldn’t but that he didn’t want to see me around the facilities for a full year. I was embarrassed then, but once I “learned the game” I look back and am mortified.
I know. In my defense, it was a cold windy day and we were just a couple of clueless kids out there by ourselves for over an hour at least, probably longer. I’d been taught nothing about greens and course maintenance and whatever. I’d spent most of my time up to that point in the outdoors doing whatever I wanted and I was just bored and screwing around. It probably didn’t feel right and when I saw the pro my stomach sank into my knees. He was a scary dude.
Golf has been a roller coaster for me. I have several highs and ton more lows. I'll whittle it down and go onto detail when I haven't been drinking
NLU got 20 minutes with Molinari this morning and even though it’s short it’s great. Francesco talked about the origin of the Ryder Cup vid where he wakes up with Tommy and it’s hilarious
High: I've been fortunate to have some good highs. I'll give two... made a double eagle from 260 on a par 5 against my best friend. He was so fucking pissed. Last year I also made a hole in one playing golf with my Dad at Pinehurst. Low: Had a 2 day event that I shot 87-88 hitting 29 greens and only hit 1 ball in the hazard. I had a stretch where I 3 putted 7 greens in a row after getting there in regulation. I forced myself into the claw after that event.
Episode 2 of the Brandle Chamblee podcast is dedicated to the man that is Brandle Chamblee No seriously
Or you can have one of them pretty much die on you like mine. Hopefully the other 5 dogs on my sled will play thier hearts out this year for thier fallen brother.
Do any of you have experience with Golftec? Or good recs for starting lessons? I haven’t really had any formal instruction for 10-15 years... I’m around an 18 and am wanting to get more serious this year. Im thinking a series of lessons and drills to work on can help me improve much more quickly than dicking around on the range solo. Any tips? Golftec seems legit but the price is tough to swallow.
Just do it. I’m 30 and had my first lesson since I was 10 last spring and was kicking myself for not having done it earlier after getting back into the game 5 years ago. I went to a guy with a rate in the higher end for our area but it gave me the confidence that I probably wouldn’t find much better (and the practice facility was great). I’m sure better and more experienced players on here might have other suggestions but I would make sure your guy focuses on getting you into a good and consistent setup to the ball for the first lesson. Obviously they’ll work with the mechanics of your swing but make sure they give you a couple of drills and some direction on “self-help” and how to correct your swing when you are out on a range and practicing by yourself. A decent coach can probably diagnose your biggest issue in a couple of swings (for me it was gripping down way to much on the club at 6’2” because that’s how I had done it since my first lesson as an undersized 10 year old). Sorry for the rant or too much info. Just do it.
I was on the tee box with a couple buddies a few years ago when a single rolled up behind us. He saw all of us tee off and then commented to me, “I could add 20 yards to your drive right now.” He then gave us his instructor business card and played through. I think about that interaction every time I hit a 230 yard slice that nearly boomerangs back at me.
Some friends are going to play this afternoon, forecast shows sustained 35mph winds with gusts up to 70. Kind of want to take part in the insanity
I played this past weekend in a solid 25 mph wind gusting between 30-40. Don't think I'll be doing that again
I played a round like this in Galveston this summer. Completely different golf obviously but its fun with the right attitude. Its awesome if you can get that kind of wind at your back off the tee.
Yea if anything the greens when I was playing were too shaggy but the balls were holding. On firmer greens it may not work.
Appreciate the advice. Sounds like you are definitely glad you went through with the lessons. You and I are in similar positions it sounds like. I think I’ll start with setting up a half hour intro with a pro from one of the centers around here and then if I like them and how it goes I’ll probably book a series.
You could try negotiating. They run a couple specials a year so you might be able to get a discount depending on when you buy. As far as lesson quality it’s probably instructor dependent.
Had a similar experience once, with what I can only assume was a tweaker hopped up on spray paint or something. He came up to us on the range before our round at a muni. Would watch one guy hit and tell him that he could fix it for $10. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and pharmacy sunglasses and smelled like turpentine. Proceeded to hit leftover balls from around the range with the one club he brought while wearing two gloves. I think about that guy every time I am feeling a little down.
Justin Ray on the NLU pod was great. They had him bring 10 random Tiger stats and his number 10 was unreal (as are most). Between 2003-2005, Tiger had over 1500 putts of 3 feet or less. He missed 3 of them
Yeah March is when they run their deals but it’s still pretty steep in my opinion. From what I’ve read the experiences can vary quite a bit depending on the instructor. I’m thinking I’d spend the same money outside of Golftec on a more known commodity instructor.
High: Played Pebble Beach a few years ago. Birdied #7, and on 18, after I hit my drive, I asked my caddie if I was going to be ok, and he said "The pros would be happy with that one." Low: My first round after heart surgery was walking 18 at Bethpage Black. I made a 12 on hole 4, taking four shots in one bunker.
With Taylormade now copying the truvis from callaway, when will someone copy the old half and half balls from Ping? Loved those.